the kensington magazine

March 2015

THEKensingtonMAGAZINE

OUT OF KENSINGTON

ISSN 2058-2226

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Best Wealth Manager

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the initial sum invested.

Wealth Manager of the YearKillik & Co

Investment and Wealth Management Awards 2014Winner

Best Wealth Manager for TrustsKillik & Co


Best Discretionary/Advisory Wealth ManagerKillik & Co


Editor’s Award for Services to Private InvestorsPaul Killik


Best Full Sipp ProviderKillik & Co


As voted for by the readers of the FT and Investors Chronicle.

For further information about our award winning investment and wealth planning advice, please contact Killik & Co Kensington

on 020 7603 3618, [email protected] or visit the branch at 281 Kensington High Street, London W8 6NA.

www.killik.com/kensington

3

Best Wealth Manager

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the initial sum invested.

Wealth Manager of the YearKillik & Co


Best Wealth Manager for TrustsKillik & Co


Best Discretionary/Advisory Wealth ManagerKillik & Co


Editor’s Award for Services to Private InvestorsPaul Killik


Best Full Sipp ProviderKillik & Co


As voted for by the readers of the FT and Investors Chronicle.

For further information about our award winning investment and wealth planning advice, please contact Killik & Co Kensington

on 020 7603 3618, [email protected] or visit the branch at 281 Kensington High Street, London W8 6NA.

www.killik.com/kensington

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We have had great fun putting this edition together. At the suggestion of Jonathan Peach of JPS Luxury Safaris, we have produced our first ‘Travel’ edition. We had a wonderful trip to Molori Safari Lodge based in Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa, and a visit to the renowned Oyster Box Hotel just outside Durban. Back in Kensington, Jenny gives us the history of Trailfinders, Sarah investigates African artefacts in the Cadogan Gallery at the Natural History Museum and Maria considers the dangers of travelling out of Kensington in the 19th Century!

We were privileged to be invited as part of the Royal Party to photograph HRH The Duchess of Cornwall who visited Holland Park School and met pupils learning creative writing under the nurturing eye of staff from the First Story Charity.

There is plenty going on during March - not least our joint annual event with the Roof Gardens - Meet Your Neighbours. We look forward to seeing you then (see pages 7 and 29 for more information).

Lucy

History of Kensington: Out of Africa in the Cadogan Gallery 6Hidden Kensington: Trailfinders 8Editor’s Review: Molori Safari Lodge/Madikwe Game Reserve 10/11Editor’s Review: The Oyster Box, Durban 12Kensington News 18/19Maria Perry: Travel from Kensington 20Get Well Spoon Recipe 22Book Review: The Strangler Vine by M J Carter 24Landscaping and Horticulture: Solway Firth 26Science Bites: Mitochrondial Replacement Therapy 26What’s On 28/30

Lucy Elliott, Editor (Hair by Toby @ Anthony Fletcher Hair)

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER: The Kensington Magazine Ltd EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHy: Lucy M Elliott [email protected]

Jenny Davis-Peccoud, Benedict Bull, Aletta Richie, Victoria O Neil, Sarah Goldsmith, Elizabeth Reid, Dr Alex Anderson, Maria Perry and Charles yorke

WEBSITE: www.thekensingtonmagazine.com | www.lucyelliottphotography.com

Read by 34,500 residents and businesses each month. The magazine is also available at WholeFoods, Sainsbury’s Local, RBKC Library, Waitrose, Waterstones, Virgin, Marks & Spencers, St Mary Abbots, St George’s Church, The Royal Garden Hotel, The Milestone Hotel, Peter Jones in Sloane Square and many other smaller outlets in W8.

GET IN TOUCH

CONTRIBUTORS

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editor, not its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for us in this publication. The Kensington Magazine Ltd does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, without prior permission of The Kensington Magazine Ltd.

THEKensingtonMAGAZINE

0203 667 8762 07921 558520

Front Cover: Eyeballing a Cheetah at

Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa (Image: Lucy Elliott Photography)

See pages 10 - 11 for more information

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OUT OF AFRICA IN THE CADOGAN GALLERY

by Sarah GoldsmithIn Kensington’s own backyard, there are several artifacts from both ancient and modern Africa. These treasures are housed in a permanent exhibit in the Cadogan Gallery of the Natural History Museum that opened in November 2012 and is appropriately called “Treasures Cadogan Gallery.” Of the 22 exhibits from the museum’s permanent collection on display, 3 are out of Africa: the Barbary Lion Skull, the Broken Hill Skull and Guy the Gorilla.

The Barbary Lion Skull is perhaps the most unexpected. It is the oldest skull in the UK of the North African Barbary Lion, dated from 1280-1385. The skull was found in 1937, along with a skull dated from the 15th century, in an old moat around the Tower of London. This particular species of lion was indigenous to North Africa (Morocco to Egypt), but is now extinct in the wild. Interestingly, the lion was part of a royal menagerie kept in the Tower of London, most likely in the Lion’s Tower built by Edward I. According to the Museum, the lions “took pride of place at the tower’s entrance, as a symbol of strength and nobility of the throne.” The menagerie was first recorded in 1210 under King John and remained at the Tower until 1832 when the then Constable, the Duke of Wellington, ordered the animals to the London Zoo after several escape attempts and attacks on visitors and staff.

The Treasures exhibit also houses the Broken Hill Skull, or “Rhodesian Man,” which was found in 1921 in Zambia’s Broken Hill mine, and is the first early

human fossil found in Africa. The skull was the first evidence of Darwin’s ideas that humans evolved in Africa. The skull also featured in Natural History Museum scientist Chris Stringer’s Out of Africa model of human evolution, as it was dated to between 200,000 and 300,000 years old, making it fairly young on the evolutionary scale. Stringer and other researchers theorize that we are all descended from recent African ancestors. The dating of the skull has also aided another new theory that instead of humans evolving in a straight line, with one population replacing the other, several species lived and interbred together in Africa.

And perhaps the most-loved exhibit from Africa in the Treasures Cadogan Gallery is Guy the Gorilla, a western lowland gorilla who was captured for the Paris Zoo as a baby in Cameroon in 1946. A year later, he arrived at the London Zoo on Guy Fawkes Night (hence his name). He was very gentle and became a huge draw at the zoo, especially in the 1960’s and 1970’s when he made frequent appearances on TV.

After Guy’s death in 1978 after a dental operation on infected teeth, the public outcry over plans to display him after being preserved via taxidermy, the Museum stored his pelt in a freezer. In 1980, fears over what continued freezing would do to his remains prompted their thaw and the Museum’s head taxidermist then spent 9 months preparing him for display. He was first displayed in 1982, but it was still deemed controversial, and so he remained in storage until 2012.

Guy the Gorilla (Image source: www.nhm.ac.uk)

The Barbary Lion Skull (Image source: www.nhm.ac.uk)

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TAILOR-MADESAFARIS

TO AFRICA

Talk to the experts020 3355 4472

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t: 0207 368 3993 • [email protected] • www.roofgardens.virgin.com7th Floor • 99 Kensington High Street (Entrance on Derry Street) • London W8 5SA

We’re hosting a Meet the Neighbours evening with The Kensington Magazine at Babylon on Monday 16th March from 6.30pm – 8pm.

Join us for complimentary drinks and nibbles while you soak up the views of London’s skyline! The guest list opens on Monday 2nd March and spaces are limited. To RSVP please email [email protected]

WE LIKE TO GET TO KNOW OUR NEIGHBOURS!

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Hidden Kensington: TRAILFINDERS

Out of Africa in the 1910s...? Hard. Out of Kensington in the 2010s...? Easy, thanks to one of our neighbourhood’s most thriving businesses. Local resident Jenny Davis-Peccoud goes exploring to uncover

the history behind the modern explorer’s ultimate companion.

Mike Gooley, Trailfinders' founder, was no stranger to adventure. His 10 years in the SAS had taken him to Malaya, Oman, Borneo, Aden and Yemen. Leaving the service in 1968, he started prospecting for gold in Guyana (a month of digging brought nothing) and considered launching as a tour operator to remote parts of Africa (a visit to Companies' House showed him at least 122 other people had had the same idea). Trying to organise his own trip overland to Kathmandu, though, revealed a gap in the market. Thomas Cook said they "didn't do that sort of thing", and Mike realised that arranging rather than leading expeditions was the way to go.

Gooley put together £1,000 and with three army friends founded Trailfinders in Earl's Court Road. The company's location made them a favourite with the local Australian community. Their initial focus was backpacking tours and flights to Kathmandu and Delhi, but they soon expanded into a fuller range of flights, "mini-treks" and round-the-world voyages.

By 1972, Trailfinders had become the first independent flight consolidator, advertising discounted air tickets in the national press. By 1979 they became the first travel organiser to be IATA licensed and the first to be connected directly into the Airline Computer Reservation System. By 1994 they outstripped Thomas Cook and other big names to become the 4th largest

producer of scheduled airline business in the UK. By 1996 they had served 2 million customers, and they have been adding another million approximately every 18 months ever since, topping 12 million served in 2014.

Calling themselves "experts in tailormaking itineraries worldwide", Trailfinders today is the largest independently owned travel company in the UK. They have almost 30 locations (their flagship Kensington branch opened in 1989) and a staff of over 1,000. They pride themselves on exceptional service, even going so far as to only take bookings in person or over the phone. Every travel consultant is a graduate who must have visited at least three continents. And their expertise runs deep - over 50 of them have worked for Trailfinders for over 20 years, and 300+ have been there for longer than 10 years.

Today's Earl's Court Road office is just down the street from the original "garret" of 45 years ago. But how far the company has come. They book individual flights, hotels, car hire and long-distance rail travel but also full tours, off the shelf or bespoke, escorted or independent. While continuing to deliver on their low cost promise, they even have a dedicated first and business class team who can arrange the ultimate in luxurious holidays. So now, more than ever, it's easy to get out of Kensington...

Traditional ‘Water Villas’ in the Maldives (Image: Lucy Elliott)

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I used to live in Africa – South Africa. I was only there for 13 months but as a friend once said to me, Africa will get into your soul. I felt very at home, made friends, enjoyed the ambient weather and found it extremely difficult to settle back into London life when I returned. Now 15 years later, I am finding it difficult to settle down again. I have what I would call ‘Africa withdrawal symptoms’.

In November, Jonathan Peach, Director of JPS Luxury Safaris suggested a Travel Edition of the magazine. He mentioned several safari lodges that I might like toreview. On paper they all looked lovely, but we decided on Molori Safari Lodge on the odd basis that it only had 15 Trip Advisor reviews and we were so intrigued by this, we felt it deserved more investigation.

Molori is situated on the border of South Africa and Botswana in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve of some 750,000 hectares, and about 400 km from Johannesburg airport. It is an extremely discrete lodge (hence very few reviews) where families/members of Heads of State can relax in peace and quiet without the intrusion of press following their every move. Originally it was a family home but ten years ago it was decided to open it up to guests. There are only five suites (a misnomer since they are each the size

of a house) coming with their own pool and varying in size from one bed to two bed rooms. Ours came complete with a view of the lodge’s very own waterhole, where on our first morning we saw some 20 elephants come down to drink. All the suites are glass-fronted, affording sweeping views of the surrounding bush.

There are three things to note about Molori – the game drives, the food and the customer service. Our driver and guide, ‘John D’, was the most informative person I have ever come across, whether we were discussing nature, biology, science or physics, and spoke fluent (as well as colloquial) English. Whilst on an informal bush dinner, he gave us an impromptu but detailed lesson on astronomy, complete with his laser pen; on another occasion we learned about the digestive system

(very intricate) of a springbok. If you are interested in astronomy Molori has its own observatory, complete with retractable roof and houses the largest privately owned, digital telescope in Southern Africa.

One morning I went out on my own with John D for a bush safari walk, learning more about animals, flora and fauna in one hour than I had achieved in a lifetime. That was followed by a very exciting encounter with a cheetah. Being a fellow photographic

Editor’s Review: OUT OF AFRICAMolori Safari Lodge/Madikwe Game Reserve

By Lucy Elliott

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enthusiast John D turned the jeep around, I lay on the floor of the vehicle, and subsequently found myself gazing into the eyes of a cheetah (front cover image). After what seemed a long couple of minutes of staring intently at each other, I decided we should leave before my luck ran out!

It would be wrong not to include the other animals we saw; jackal, wild dog, impala, springbok, kudu, waterbuck, cape buffalo, giraffe, baboon, wildebeest, rhino, elephants mating, a newly born zebra whose mother was helping him to balance on his fresh legs and lions feeding on a wildebeest. On the Night Safari we witnessed a leopard hunting a young rhino who had got himself stuck in the mud of a waterhole. Luckily the young rhino’s mother proved to be a formidable deterrent to the leopard. (Molori has a Foundation which is responsible for some ground-breaking Rhino Conservation work in South Africa.) I developed a fast growing fascination with photographing bird life, of which there is plenty –

species such as the Golden backed bee-eater, Grey Go-away-bird and the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill among some 335 others.

With regard to catering, the food is prepared freshly every day – innovative, delicious and beautifully presented (and how refreshing to see that others, apart from ‘Jamie, Gordon or Marcus’ are up to the task of producing very high quality dishes). As for customer service – exceptional. Discrete but professional.

Friendly but not intrusive. Nothing was too much trouble, but they took great care in making sure it was perfect. Each meal took place in a different setting within the lodge, high up overlooking the bush, or beside the pool with candlelight. One evening we were invited to join a formal bush dinner, complete with table cloth, fine wines and silver cutlery. Rather surprisingly behind a wooden fence was a beautiful china white loo from which to stargaze! At dinner I was asked if I was happy with all the holiday arrangements. I replied, rather in jest, that a couple of branches were slightly obscuring my otherwise uninterrupted view of our waterhole, from our suite’s infinity pool. The next morning the offending branches had promptly been removed!

This is a wonderfully well-run lodge, small enough to ensure discretion but large enough to have company on the game drives – should you wish to - to share the excitement and thrill of all that the African Bush and Molori Safari Lodge can offer.

If you are interested in visiting or learning more about this lodge, as well as building it into a wider tailor-made itinerary, please contact Jonathan on 0203 355 4472 or [email protected]

Lucy and Stephen were guests of JPS Luxury Safaris and Molori Safari Lodge. For more images and diary, please see http://www.blog.thekensingtonmagazine.com (Main image: Courtesy of Molori Safari Lodge: Other images by Lucy Elliott Photography)

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Editor’s Review:The Oyster Box Hotel, Durban, South Africa

By Lucy Elliott

The Oyster Box Hotel is a luxurious and beautiful hotel in Umhlanga just to the north of Durban, on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It is conveniently located for the new airport, the City or the famous Drakensberg Mountains and battlefields. It has a world-wide reputation for its hotel and as a destination for locals – with many fine dining choices whether that be dinner in The Grill Room, legendary High Tea in the Palm Court or lunch on the Ocean Terrace. In addition, it is very popular as a wedding/honeymoon venue.

The Oyster Box is one of a group of hotels owned by the renowned Red Carnation Hotel Collection, and together with its sister hotel, The Milestone in Kensington, is also a Member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

The Hotel probably has one of the most photographed and famous hotel frontages; a large Terrace overlooks the infinity pool that in turn overlooks the Indian Ocean and the highly iconic Umhlanga ‘Lighthouse’. It has only 86 rooms but with some 500 staff, customer service is professional and well executed. There is a separate building for the 5* Spa which includes 6 treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy bath and an authentic Turkish Hamman. Also available is a beautiful 24-seater replica Cinema - complete with popcorn, toffees and hot chocolate, for private hire or timed film screenings for in-house guests. Children are actively welcomed at the hotel - qualified child-care provision and a Holiday Club are available. As with The Milestone Hotel, visitor’s dogs and cats are also made very welcome!

The famed Lighthouse Bar, popular for evening cocktails and watching the waves crash below, is a must, especially if you are lucky enough to go on a South African balmy summer’s evening. Lunchtime on the Ocean Terrace was equally busy with staff wearing colonial type uniform, beaming away, carrying plates of salads, skewers of fish or curries (the curry buffet is famous).

An English style Afternoon Tea is provided with all the delicacies one would expect, and more. So much so this provides the backdrop for many couples having a romantic and traditional English Afternoon.

Accommodation is available in rooms overlooking the ocean, tropical gardens or individual garden-facing Villas. A Presidential Suite offering seclusion and privacy is also available. The Oyster Box is a very popular wedding venue with the Victorian garden gazebo enabling couples to have an outdoor service prior to dining in one of the elegantly decorated function rooms, with the ocean as a backdrop.

The Oyster Box is one of those places that cleverly incorporates old fashioned elegance and service with contemporary style. If you ever only go to one hotel in Durban, make it The Oyster Box – classic, classy and contemporary.

www.oysterboxhotel.comConde Nast Traveler (USA): Gold List, The

World’s Best places to stay South Africa (2014)

At the Oyster Box: the view from the Ocean Terrace of the iconic Lighthouse

(Image: Lucy Elliott)

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TIM BENNETT, EDITOR AT KILLIK & Co.Who will fill the financial education gap?

Oh to have been a Baby Boomer! As a friend of my father – now 80 – recently put it “we never worried much about saving because we all had our pensions to fall back on”. The Baby Boomers not only enjoyed generous final salary pensions, they also lived through several big house price booms and the rapid expansion of the welfare state. The generations that follow can take none of these things for granted – in particular the demise of final salary pensions means the responsibility for funding retirement now rests with the individual. The need for high quality financial education has therefore never been greater.

The payback is clear enough. A study published last year by the National Bureau of Economic Research (1) concluded that “financially knowledgeable” investors enjoy a 1.3% higher annual return than their peers. That could equate to 25% larger retirement fund over a 30-year career. The explanation lies in the fact that better informed investors “tend to hold a greater equity exposure” and they do so for longer. While the past is never a guide to the future, the real (ungeared) return from equities has comfortably beaten property, bonds and cash since the 1950’s, according to the influential Barclays Equity Gilt Study (2).

The CFA Institute, the professional body for holders of the prestigious CFA Charter, recently asked investors (3) where they turn for financial education. Rather

worryingly, “those organisations that are easily identified as providers of investor education” – the government and regulatory bodies being prime examples – “are deemed to be in the worst position for providing it”. Instead people rely on a daunting array of books, magazine and online media or, in almost equal numbers, they turn to private wealth managers.

At Killik & Co we place a high priority on investor education. At our website www.killikexplains.com you will find our free library of over 60 short videos covering key saving and investing topics along with our jargon-busting glossary and educational brochures. I would urge you and/or your children and grandchildren to take full advantage.

Recommended viewingAs we approach the end of another tax year, make sure you are maximizing the help you can get from the government in the form of tax shelters for your cash and investments. Used correctly, Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) can boost your wealth by minimizing income and capital gains tax. For novices, or anyone who is a bit rusty on the basics, we recommend;What is a SIPP? (http://www.killik.com/insights/education/managing-your-money/what-is-a-sipp/)What is a “New ISA”? (http://www.killik.com/insights/education/fixed-income-and-other-markets/what-is-a-new-isa/)

Also please watch out for our forthcoming short series of three videos on pensions which will address some of the big changes that take effect from April.

The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount invested. Killik & Co is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Sources:1. www.nber.org/papers/w201372. Barclays Equity Gilt Study 20133. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute Newsletter 2013

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IN 2015 IT WILL BE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE ARE COMPILING AN ALBUM PACKED WITH IMAGES AND ANECDOTES TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION.

FROM HOSTING ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP WINNERS BACK IN 1966 AND BEING PART OF THE BEATLES FRENZY IN 1968, TO JUSTIN BIEBER

HYSTERIA IN 2012, THE ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL HAS WITNESSEDHALF A CENTURY OF KENSINGTON’S THRILLS AND SPILLS.

WE INVITE READERS TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES - AMUSING, ROMANTIC OR EVEN A LITTLE RISQUÉ, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW THE ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL HAS BEEN A PART OF YOUR LIFE.

SIMPLY EMAIL YOUR STORY TO [email protected] OR WRITE TO US, ADDRESSED TO ‘HISTORY’.

THE BEATLES FRENZY, 1968

DIST INCTIVEMEMORIES

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TEL +44 (0)20 7937 8000 FAX +44 (0)20 7361 1991

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AS WE PREPARE FOR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS, WE INVITE YOU TO SHARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE HOTEL – WITH THE CHANCE TO WIN A COMPLIMENTARY WEEKEND STAY.

FROM HOSTING ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP WINNERS BACK IN 1966 AND BEING PART OF THE BEATLES FRENZY IN 1968, TO JUSTIN BIEBER HYSTERIA IN 2012, THE ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL HAS

WITNESSED HALF A CENTURY OF KENSINGTON’S THRILLS AND SPILLS.

WE INVITE READERS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES – IMAGES, ANECDOTES OR ANY LITTLE MEMORY, AMUSING, ROMANTIC OR EVEN A LITTLE RISQUÉ –

FOR OUR HALF CENTURY ALBUM.

SIMPLY EMAIL YOUR STORY OR PHOTO TO [email protected] OR POST IT (ADDRESSED TO “HISTORY”) AND WE WILL ENTER IT INTO OUR PRIZE DRAW – ONE LUCKY PERSON WILL WIN A WEEKEND STAY FOR TWO, WITH DINNER AT MIN JIANG.

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The KENSINGTON News IIThe KENSINGTON News INew Businesses:

Located in the heart of Kensington, Artum Therapy & Beauty Suite in the Royal Garden Hotel offers the ultimate relaxation experience. Indulge in your treatment of choice from massage to facials with their expert therapists and take time to relax and renew the mind and body. Artum is the exclusive Intraceuticals treatment provider in Kensington and offer the latest in rejuvenation skin technology. Intraceuticals is instantly effective and uses oxygen under pressure and hylauronic acid to apply rapidly absorbing serums to the skin. This new advance in technology allows them to naturally treat common skin problems such as wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, sun damage & blemishes without botox or fillers. For more info please call 0203 137 3499.

Gladwin brothers Oliver, Richard and Gregory, who run Notting Hill’s critically-acclaimed The Shed restaurant have been nominated for a prestigious Andre Simon Food & Drink Book Award, which showcases the best of contemporary food and drink writing. Their latest cookbook The Shed, featuring seasonal recipes for year-round inspiration, has been shortlisted for the food category. The panel was guided by the advice of this year’s independent assessors, Man Booker Prize winner Julian Barnes and cookery writer Annie Bell. The winners will each receive £2000 and the awards will be presented at the Goring Hotel in London on 31 March.

General News

GREG HANDS MP ANNOUNCES NEW ‘APP ACADEMY’ TO SUPPORT THE UK’S BRIGHTEST YOUNG TECH STARSA new recruitment scheme to find the UK’s brightest young tech stars has been launched by The Chelsea Apps Academy, a fast growing tech firm in Chelsea, employing 70 people. Welcomed by Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea & Fulham at the launch, The Chelsea App Academy will place twelve individuals onto the Academy to

nurture the hottest new tech industry talent in mobile skills. Successful candidates will receive a year-long placement in the company’s London, Edinburgh or Belfast Tech Hubs. At the end of the 12-month programme, if candidates hit their key targets, they will be hired by the firm.

Local bespoke jewellery designer Rosie Watson has been invited to create the first “May Ball Collection” for the inaugural Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show at The Guildhall. “This is a great honour for me as I read Economics at Cambridge.” Rosie started her bespoke jewellery business 17 years ago after an international career in fashion. She has a discerning international clientele including many celebrities who commission special pieces for events such as the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Rosie travels the world to visit clients and collects stunning gemstones which she fashions into unique pieces. For enquiries, please email [email protected]

Miel de Botton’s ‘Magnetic’, a collection of radically reinterpreted Chansons (Jacques Brel, Piaf...) plus her own material, is the sound of a woman who is finally following her path. Miel de Botton was born in Zurich, daughter of financier and art collector Gilbert, sister of writer and philosopher Alain. The album was a tear- and yet joy-filled journey of self-deliverance. Miel is asking to be magnetic….to draw you in closer. ‘Magnetic’ is out on the 9th March. For more information please contact Republic Media [email protected]. Call 020 3213 0135

On 30th March The Ivy Chelsea Garden will open at 195-197 Kings Road, run by The Caprice Holdings Group. Housed in a beautiful 1722 building the restaurant will comprise cafe, dining room, orangery, terrace and garden. Walk-ins are also available as well as bookings. Lines open 2nd March 0203 301 0300.

Kensington’s MP, Malcolm Rifkind spoke and answered questions at a residents meeting at St Philip’s church. Sir Malcolm stressed his opposition to ‘mansion tax’ proposals

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The KENSINGTON News IIemphasising that they would have a negative impact not just in Kensington but across London.

Desire Fair - An Unmissable Event at the Chelsea Old Town Hall! This stunning mixed media jewellery and silversmithing event where visitors can purchase direct from contemporary designer makers selected from the best in the UK is an event not to be missed. Desire offers visitors a choice of around 90 individual jewellers and silversmiths who have been selected for their superb and innovative craftsmanship and have a genuine passion for the work they create. Whether you are looking to treat yourself, purchase a unique gift for someone special or commission something for a special occasion, make a date to visit Desire at Chelsea. See page 25 for more information. And continuing with this month’s ‘Out of Kensington’ theme, Mont Rochelle is the latest addition to the Virgin Limited Edition collection of properties. It is a stunning 22-bedroom hotel and vineyard just under an hour’s drive from Cape Town in the town of Franschhoek in South Africa. Franschhoek is a traditional vineyard town in the Western Cape Province famously known as the French Corner of the Cape and is considered to be the food and wine capital of South Africa.

Schools and CharityPupils from St Barnabas and St Philip’s CE Primary, placed drawings of their favourite things from the Borough in a time capsule, to be buried in the foundations of the new Kensington Primary Academy. The state-of-the-art £16m school, due to open in summer 2016, will provide 200 places for local children. Hosted by property developers, St Edward, at their offices in Kensington High St, Cllr Emma Will, Cabinet Member for Education and Libraries and Catherine Ritman-Smith, Head of Learning from the Design Museum presented books to pupils and commented on the importance of creativity in education and inspiring young children through art and design.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was shown around Holland Park School by Head Teacher, Colin Hall, and met many pupils. Admitting that Science and Latin were not really her forte, she clearly enjoyed the English classes - as reflects her love for literature. She also met with pupils and Charity Trustees of ‘First Story’ of which she is Patron. First Story gives children from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to work with eminent authors in creative writing. The confidence and inspiration this gives the children is huge, as was clearly demonstrated by those who had the courage to read to the Duchess. She finished her tour of the school by listening to the winning entry for the Creative Writing Competition and was presented with a professionally produced anthology of writing by those guided under the First Story Charity.

The KENSINGTON News I

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall with Executive Director, Monica Parle and pupils of the First Story Charity

(Image: Lucy Elliott Photography)

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TRAVEL FROM KENSINGTONBy Maria Perry and illustrated by Charles Yorke

One thing that is certain about travel from Kensington is that throughout the ages it has been fraught with hazards.

In the days before King William III built Rotten Row to link Whitehall with the cosy new home, which he and Queen Mary created at Kensington Palace, most of the area south of Hyde Park was infested with highwaymen and foot-pads. In particular they hung about the notorious village of Knightsbridge. Throughout the eighteenth century and right into the nineteenth, people travelled for mutual protection 'in bands'. In fact the foot-paths near the Park must have closelyresembled those of today, when tourists on London Walks stray about in large groups, obstructing the progress of anyone in a hurry. Except of course that the gentleman would have been armed with swords and pistols. There would have been additional hazards in that carriages and stage coaches, hurtling across the uneven tracks, also splashed mud upon the ladies' dresses. Indeed once upon a time a pregnant lady bound for Bond Street, 'venturing incautiously across the rocky ground' even suffered a miscarriage before reaching the One Mile to London sign, which stands equidistant between the Kensington boundary and the Hyde Park Turnpike. Historically Kensington, a country village famed for its healthy air, was always regarded as two miles from London.

When William laid out Rotten Row (a Cockney corruption of 'Route du Roi') he lit it with three hundred lamps. It was the first road in what was later termed 'Central London' to have street lighting. Sadly this did nothing to deter the highwaymen, who finding that courtiers and other wealthy travellers now journeyed to Kensington, simply redoubled their efforts.

Travel from the other side of the village has also had its problems, since the western exit has traditionally begun from what is still known as Hogarth's Roundabout, after the great artist, who built his country house not far from Lord Burlington's villa at Chiswick. Traffic from London to the West Country has always been heavy and the arrival of the motor car soon created further congestion. In the middle of the twentieth century an ingenious architect designed a dear little road bridge, but this went into Town. The quickest route out nowadays is by the Hammersmith Flyover, where the road widens considerably. Theapproach however is by the Cromwell Road, which as everyone knows does tend to suffer from the tiniest gridlocks!

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Curtains UPCity Clean’s step by step guide to curtain cleaning

The worst thing you can do when undergoing a spring clean is go through the

effort of restoring your beautiful hand-made curtains, re-thread all the hooks, get your ladder out andre-hang your curtains, only to realise, once your arms are aching and you’ve nearly fallen onto your coffee table that you’ve mixed-up their order and now you’ve got a three-foot gap because you’ve hung the curtain with the shortest fall in the wrong place. City Clean begin the entire process by measuring and labelling each curtain to avoid this pain at the end of the process. The company then check for any stains or damage to the material and lining.

The most common type of damage to any curtains is going to be from the elements, particularly sunlight, even when it streams through triple glazed windows. Loose curtains tend to have a rubberised blackout lining which can become damaged due to

extended periods of sun exposure and sometimes this needs to be replaced post-cleaning. Most curtains do have a blackout lining to stop sunlight - nevertheless there is always a slight risk that there will be damage to the blackout lining. If damage occurs, then they would have to be re-lined at an extra cost.

The cleaning process itself is carried out on a low and delicate cycle, which involves a slow drum movement and a low-heat drying cycle. Whilst this takes a lot longer than any other type of fabric cleaning, it means that very little damage is imposed upon the material and in particular the ‘bobble-effect’.

Lots of other curtain-cleaning specialists iron the material on a standard clothes press to remove creases. City Clean recognised that this can damage curtains and cause the material to lose that ‘heavy-look’. Standard pressing also gives curtains a sharp edge which can thin the

fabric and make it more susceptible to light exposure. City Clean use a pleating machine. Instead of laying the material fl at, it is hung and aired, which gets rids of rancid smells. Steaming the curtains it allows them to ‘breathe’.

Each curtain is physically pleated from the bottom up and then is re-measured to make sure the length hasn’t changed. Most curtains do shrink approximately 3 to 5% during the process, but City Clean can easily fi x this by putting them through a stretching process. This isn’t a stretching rack from the 18th century, but a specifi cally built curtain fi nishing unit, which also ensures that the pleats remain in place and can achieve a graceful fall when they are hung.

Regular cleaning of your curtains is always advisable because of the amount of dust in London. Dusty curtains often affect people who suffer from allergies like asthma and eczema.

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24

Book Review by Elizabeth ReidTHE STRANGLER VINE

A Thriller set in India by M J Carter (Penguin £8.99)

Miranda Carter made her name writing non-fiction. Her biographies of Anthony Blunt (Anthony Blunt: His Lives) and of the three imperial cousins (The Three Emperors: Three Cousins, Three Empires and the Road to World War One) were met with great acclaim. Together these books took over 12 years to research and write and she felt that she would like to try something new, so she began to sketch out the plot of a thriller. The result is The Strangler Vine which introduces us to a new pair of investigators, William Avery and Jeremiah Blake.

The author marries the India of the 1830s in which the impact of the British East India Company had morphed from a trade organisation into mini super state, with the legend of the “Thugs”, roadside bandits in thrall to the goddess Thali, who befriended and later strangled their victims. Against this background of mistrust and violence she adds the disappearance of a distinguished poet, Xavier Mountstuart, and the two men selected by the Company to track him down, Lieutenant William Avery and Captain Jeremiah Blake. Together they set out from the Company's HQ in Calcutta to find what clues they may to locate Mountstuart.

Their quest is a dangerous one taking them into the jungle and Thuggee territory. It is made more complex by the initially difficult relationship between Blake and Avery and the fact that the man they are trying to locate has become a persona non grata in British society. Told through Avery's eyes, the quest reveals some very unpleasant truths about British rule and the effects of imperialism on local culture. Rather than laud and romanticise the effects of the Raj, Carter takes a more realistic approach using her protagonists' adventures as a means of reflection of the advantages and disavantages of the Raj on Indian society. Indeed, the message of the tale is illustrated early on when Avery observes the strangler vines of the title and learns that they wrap themselves around healthy trees, squeezing the life out of them until killer and victim become one. Against this heady mix of death, disease and danger the naive Avery and careworn Blake proceed.

The author brings fact and fiction together to create a world that is as realistic as it can be fantastic. Above all, she weaves the most fascinating story with numerous twists and turns where mysteries conceal yet more mysteries like a Russian doll. The reader lives and breathes the adventure, travelling alongside Avery and his companions, experiencing the heat and cold, the luxury and poverty and cruelty he witnesses. To say it is a page-turner is an understatement, rather the book becomes addictive as the reader tries to guess the solution to the puzzle of Mountstuart's disappearance and fall from grace. A wonderful way to blot out the winter blues and live a life so very different from the norm.

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Science Bites by Dr Alex AndersonMitochondrial replacement therapy

In February, the House of Commons voted to allow a modified version of in vitro fertilization (IVF) called mitochondrial replacement therapy or mitochondrial donation.

Mitochondria are structures within cells that act as power plants, creating energy, and are inherited from our mother. Although over 99% of our genetic material (DNA) is contained within the nucleus of the cell, a small percentage is in the mitochondria. Approximately one in 6500 children are born with defective mitochondria, which can cause a range of serious and life threatening diseases. To treat diseases due to mutations in mitochondrial DNA, the proposed therapy transfers the nuclear DNA from an egg that carries defective mitochondria into a donor egg with healthy mitochondria. This results in an embryo with nuclear DNA from the mother and father, and mitochondrial DNA from the egg donor. The children that could result from this specific type of IVF have been dubbed “three-parent babies” as they would have genetic material from two women and one man. This

technique has sparked controversy as some groups suggest it could be the first step in the production of “designer babies”.

After being approved in the recent House of Commons vote with 382 MPs in favour and 128 against, the technique will now be debated in the House of Lords, and if approved licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. (Image: www.parliament.co.uk)

The Lochar Water runs into the Solway Firth on some mud flats and quick sands on the Scots side of the estuary. It is the home of shy kingfishers as well as most gregarious geese and waders. The two plant types that are most notable are the grasses and rushes, and the gorse. They define this environment with some good hawthorn and blackthorn hedges and drainageditches. It is bleak, beautiful and treacherous on the sands. The sound of oystercatchers and curlews; long slanting light and a slow green burning of budding life in the soil, right at the very sea edge, are the merse, salt grasses, fatted sheep and wildfowling. Most would call this a landscape, but it is a garden to me, because I ran on the flats between the nets as a boy and as such it is an intimate place.

It was along the edge of the Firth that as I boy I first looked with my mother in the car for a place to build a walled garden. Setting-off with such eagerness, as if I would find it, purchase it, and lay it out by nightfall. Now thirty years later the project remains uninitiated. In fact my history as a gardener has been underpinned by this quest for the place to build a

garden. Like some form of migratory being there is this evaluation of all places as a garden, as a place to establish a walled garden, not always with the intention to live in it either. The first projects were in fact specifically in mind without houses and I would come in them like the Timurids and Babur the first Mughal.

The enduring idea for me is that this remains a garden to camp in, like an old crow, apposite, fit for purpose first. Like a map of trees in his territory, there are in my mind fresh images of old walled gardens, fields and woods across so many excellent parts of each with a special combination of soil, light and water that caught my eye. Here are a very few I recall completely, theSolway Firth near the Nith and Annan, The Berwickshire - Northumberland coast between Eyemouth and Alnwick, The New Forest near Wood Green, the olives groves of Aspromonte on the adret slope, the Yasin valley in Pakistan in the upper third of the pass. If this old crow times it right he might roost in the sun in one of these as the heat leaves his body if he does not sleep cold in a London culvert.

Landscaping and Horticulture by Benedict BullSOLWAY FIRTH

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What’s On in and around KENSINGTONGOTHIC VOICES at Cadogan Hall4 March, 7.30pm, from £18Gothic Voices, one of the leading medieval vocal ensembles, presents an evening of music celebrating the biblical matriarch Mary in her various guises – caring mother, virgin lover, guiding light – with a programme featuring both medieval and contemporary composers.020 7730 4500 www.cadoganhall.com

A VICTORIAN OBSESSION CURATOR TOUR5th March 6:30 – 7:30 pm £25 includes a glass of wineJoin a special evening tour with Senior Curator Daniel Robbins, who will provide visitors with fascinating insights into A Victorian Obsession exhibition. Leighton House Museum, 12 Holland Park Road, W14 0207 471 [email protected] Tickets: Eventbrite.co.uk

CINEMA MADE IN ITALY 5 – 9 March 2015 / two screenings per evening / tickets £10 - £12 plus booking fee Cinemagoers in the capital can look forward to seeing the best recent Italian productions at this fun annual event. Screenings are followed by Q&As with directors and actors. 17 Queensbury Place, London SW7 Telephone 0207 7871 3515 www.institut-francais.org.uk/cinema-made-in-italy/

DANCE IN A MOVIEMarch 6th 7pm-2amYour special Friday Night Out: Dance-Art-Movie-Party Dress code: Movie Stars in Black & White The Collection, 264 Brompton Road, SW3 2AS. Book tickets at: http://danceandthecity.co.uk/events. For enquiries call: 07854857061

DESIRE JEWELLERY & SILVERSMITHING FAIR 6-8 March 2015 £6 entryFri 10 am – 6 pm, Sat/Sun 10 am – 5 pmA stunning mixed media jewellery and silversmithing fair where visitors can purchase direct from the UK’s leading designer makers. Not to be missed! 01622 747 325 [email protected] www.desirefair.com

ASK NICK: CONVERSATION AND QUESTION TIME WITH COUNCIL LEADER NICK PAGET-BROWNThursday 6 March 6.30 - 8.00 pm. FreeThe sixth in a series of public meetings for residents, community groups and local businesses. Previous discussions have included basement development, crossrail, housing and play provision. Venue: Second Church of Christ Science, 104 Palace Gardens, W8 4RT. To book place or more info. please see www.rbkc.gov.uk/asknick

“ANCESTRAL LANDSCAPES”, Eleri Mills10th – 27th MarchSolo show by award winning Welsh Artist Eleri Mills. 30 works showcasing her unique style with hand-stitch, applique & paint.THACKERAY GALLERY Est 1968Tel: 020 7937 5883 www.thackeraygallery.com

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN OPERA SINGER – MASTER CLASS WITH ROSALIND PLOWRIGHT OBE11th March, 1.30pm. £45Meet opera star Rosalind Plowright who will work with 6 young opera singers and talk about her life as an international diva performing in all the great opera houses. Venue: Markham Square, Chelsea. [email protected] www.divasandscholars.com

RNLI: THE KENSINGTON BRANCHQUIZ EVENING WITH SUPPERThursday 12th March 2015. 7.00 pm £30.00The 14th Annual Quiz Evening in aid of the Lifeboats. Tables of 8 or just come on your own.This event sold out last year so please book as soon as you can. St Helen’s Church Hall, St Quintin Ave. W10 [email protected] 07715 240276

KENSINGTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA SPRING COMCERT15 March 7.30 pm. £12 (£6 Students/under 18)Nielsen - “Maskarade” Overture.Grieg - Peer Gynt, Suite No.1 (Extracts). Svendsen - Romance in G. (soloist Melina Mandozzi). Saint-Saens - Introduction & Rondo

What’s On in and around KENSINGTON

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What’s On in and around KENSINGTON What’s On in and around KENSINGTONCapriccioso, Op.28 (soloist Melina Mandozzi)Rachmaninov - Symphony No.2 Venue: Chelsea Town Hall www.kpo.org.uk/

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS AT THE ‘ROOF GARDENS’ Monday 16 March 6.30 pm. - 8.00 pm. FreeWith the Kensington Magazine. Champagne & Canapes. A wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow residents of W8 in the beautiful Roof Gardens. Space limited. To book please email [email protected] on or after Monday 2nd March.

‘CONFLICT RESOLUTION: A SPIRITUAL APPROACH’Tuesday 17th March 7.00 p.m FreeInternational speaker, John Tyler, a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science healing, explores in his talk how we can get involved in healing conflicts in our lives and in world affairs. Venue: The Christian Science Reading Room, 8 Wright’s Lane, Kensington, W8 6TA. Contact [email protected] THE BADA ANTIQUES & FINE ART FAIR18-24 March 2015, Tickets £10The BADA Fair is the leading event for sourcing antiques and fine art of assured quality and authenticity. Encompassing both antique and contemporary items, highlights will include fine jewellery, modern British painting and oak furniture. Venue: Duke of York Square, near Sloane Square. www.bada-antiques-fair.co.uk

A NIGHT OF FILM AND Q&A ABOUT MODERN DAY SLAVERY FREETues 24 March 6.30 to 9pm (doors open at 6pm)RBKC is hosting a film evening with Unchosen to commemorate the UN’s International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery & the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The event is to raise awareness about modern day slavery through film, raise public awareness and combat all forms of human trafficking, forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude in the UK. Venue: Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8. To obtain tickets pls see unchosen2015kensington.eventbrite.co.uk

EASTER EXHIBITION @ SACRED SPACE GALLERY Featuring JULIA STANKOVA24 March – 6 AprilOpening evening 24 March 6.30 – 8.30 pmInternational Bulgarian painter whose work is strongly influenced by Orthodox iconography - an organic blend of the traditional and personal.Venue: Sacred Space Gallery, St. John’s Notting Hill Parish Church, Lansdowne [email protected] www.sacredspacegallery.com/upcoming_exhibition.html Online pricelist available

First Annual WHOLE PLANET PARTYat Whole Foods MarketFriday 27 March £10/ticket, £25 FamilyKids Party 4-6 pm, Adult party 6 - 9 pm.includes food, drink, music, entertainment and door prizes. To book tickets please go to wfmkensington.eventbrite.co.uk

THE CHISWICK HOUSE CAMELLIA SHOW Until 29th March Conservatory opening hours: Daily 10:00am – 4pm (Closed Mondays) Admission: Free Chiswick House: Special Camellia Show weekend openings Saturday and Sunday 10am – 4pm Group bookings, guided tours and information on admission prices for Chiswick House W4 2QN via www.chgt.org.uk

DANCE FITNESS GROUP CLASSESTuesday / Friday morningsSanthosh Latin-based dance/fitness classes and small group classes are a great way to learn some moves, have fun and keep fit. We also offer friendly and skilled teachers for 1-2-1 tuition in Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, etc. Classes held at Tabernacle W11 Tel: 07557 529500www.santhoshdance.com

RIGHT ROYAL RIDESaturday 25 April 2015 from 10:00 am Join the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation for the Right Royal Ride – a new cycling event for all ages in aid of local mental health and wellbeing charities. And if two wheels aren’t for you, join us for the post-ride celebration in Holland Park.http://www.bikeminded.org/whats-on

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