T H E P O R T M A N 2014 Autumn Paws for thought: for Paws a walking tour walking a of art works art of The Portman The around and on Living

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11 As told to Charlotte Adsett , a celebrity stylist who runs a hotel’s new shopping concierge team 12 Happenings Buns, bake offs and the most expensive cuppa in the UK 20 COVER: OLD QUEBEC STREET’S Art INDOMITABLE BEAR Tour on foot A walking guide PHOTO: NICK BIBBY to galleries and sculptures SEE PAGE 20 26 Food & drink Chiltern Firehouse Where the real VIPs are the local residents 32 The Portman is a regular journal about Art life on and around The Portman Estate New light The Wallace Collection’s famous Great Editors Advertising Gallery gets a makeover Lorna Davies Sam Bradshaw Kate White 020 7259 1051 [email protected] Writers 38 Cally Squires Send information to Food & drink Debbie Ward The Portman Happy at Hardy’s The Publishing Business Sub-editor 3 Princes Street family-run brasserie still Gavin Hadland W1B 2LD going strong after 30 years 020 7259 1050 Designer www.pubbiz.com Andy Lowe Printed in the UK 44 Publisher © Publishing Business History The Portman Estate Limited 2014 Fascinating facts From John and Yoko to air raid shelters: ’s compelling past uncovered

Publishing Business is a member of the Professional Publishers Association and 48 observes the PPA Code of Publishing Practice Baker Street Summer in the Square Printed on ECF (Chlorine free) paper using fibre sourced from well-managed forests. July’s series of outdoor All inks vegetable based. Our printers are certified to events attracted more than ISO 14001 Environmental Management. 13,000 visitors 11 as told to

The celebrity stylist Charlotte Adsett is in charge of a specialist shopping concierge team recently launched at The Mandeville hotel. She talks to Debbie Ward

An exciting new look

Our TypiCAl lOCAl ClienT will be shoppers, a lot of boutiques will bring products to bored with their wardrobe and want a their rooms. refresh. Visitors from overseas, We’ve negotiated some discounts, like Matches meanwhile, will have no idea about the offering 10 per cent off. They also have a Vip best shops or the coolest places. We may also get service at a townhouse on Welbeck Street, where business people, brides-to-be or friends of any age. they’ll bring whatever we need from their stores. “i can also source gifts like jewellery or kids’ stuff. i don’t impose my own style on people. it’s The difference between shopping on your own about what suits them and how the clothes are and using my service is my little black book. it’s full going to fit into their lives. Someone with no idea of people i know in the fashion industry who may would be my favourite, a blank canvas. i love giving not even sell to the public. it’s an extension of what someone a look and their being confident that they i do for photo shoots or when i put together a can do fashion for the first time. celebrity’s wardrobe for a TV show. My favourite style icons include Audrey in the first instance we’ll contact clients with our Hepburn, Sophia loren, Jane Birkin and lauren questionnaire about their style and what they want Bacall. i think the most stylish women today are to achieve and go from there. Olivia palermo, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung. We’ll usually start at The Mandeville Hotel and My dream celebrity styling project would be have a chat. it’s an ideal location – near all my the Duchess of Cambridge. While she always favourite local shops and Bond Street. it has a great looks perfectly groomed and appropriate, vibe and is super-welcoming – and there’s an i’d steer her away from her classic styles exclusive lunch menu for shopping concierge and mix it up with some different customers. shapes, bold accessories and shoes i dressed rachel Stevens at the hotel for an by new designers. event a couple of months ago. For red carpet dos we’ve access to a ‘glam squad’ of celebrity hair The Mandeville hotel is at Mandeville place. and makeup artists for clients. For time-poor info: 020 7009 2200, www.mandeville.co.u”k 12 happenings

Full steam ahead New school opens

A new restAurAnt serving steamed food has opened on A new JunIOr sCHOOl has opened on Baker street. wyndham Place. that’s Vapore is a Milanese brand that promises quick, the International Community school (ICs) simple, healthy and delicious dishes. they are cooked by admits boys and girls aged three to 18. An steaming, which retains up to 50 per cent more nutrients than International Baccalaureate world school, it is boiling or frying. part of the skOlA group and offers all three IB Open for breakfast and lunch, that’s Vapore will offer a daily programmes – primary years, middle years and selection of more than 16 steam baskets, including pasta, diploma. seafood, meat and vegetarian options. ICs has two other sites in london – a primary Customers can pick up a hot basket from the grab-and-go school for children aged between three and 11 counter. there is also a choice of cold baskets, salads and a near regent’s Park; and a secondary school for soup of the day. 11 to 18-year-olds in Bayswater. the wyndham Breakfast dishes include pastries from the Artisan Bakery, Place school will admit pupils aged from eight and coffee made from organic, wood-roasted coffee beans. to 11. Ben toettcher, managing partner of the that’s Vapore is at 7 Baker street. Info: 020 7935 0697, skOlA group of schools, said: “we have seen www.thatsvapore.co.uk the development of over many years, as we have had schools in the area for more than 40 years. between our infant and secondary school “we’re opening at wyndham Place to campuses.” increase our capacity, as demand has risen for International Baccalaureate education in london. ICs is at 7 wyndham Place. Info: 020 7935 1206, this will be our junior school and it’s located www.icschool.co.uk

Buns in the oven

nOrdIC BAkery is holding a week-long celebration of the cinnamon bun. the scandinavian coffee shop, which is based on dorset street, will be selling a limited-edition cinnamon bun from september 30 until Cinnamon Bun day on October 4. every week nordic Bakery sells hundreds of these buns, which are made fresh on the premises every day. the limited-edition buns will be made using Carousel’s autumn dining round-up the cafe’s traditional bun-dough and cinnamon recipe, but they will feature a new twist. BlAndfOrd street’s new dining venue chestnut tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, butter Cinnamon buns, which are the bakery’s Carousel, which hosts a rotating series of guest and chives. biggest seller, originate from a rustic, home-style chefs and pop-up events, has revealed its following locatelli will be the Paris Pop-up, finnish recipe. autumn schedule. which promises a variety of innovative dishes and with a taste described as “eating a hug”, they Georgio locatelli and his wife Plaxy, who own diverse drink pairings. It is run by Harry Cummins are baked on their sides so the sweet cinnamon Michelin-starred restaurant locanda locatelli on and laura Vidal. filling stays enclosed inside. seymour street, are hosting 21 days of Pizza Harry has cooked at Jamie Oliver’s fifteen A golden, sticky glaze gives the buns a slightly locadeli until september 28. diners can enjoy restaurant, as well as Michelin-starred wild crunchy bite, revealing layer upon layer of robustly wood-fired pizza with Italian spritz, wines and Honey, Artbutus and Zafferano; while laura is a spiced cinnamon with a hint of cardamom in a craft beer. Québécoise sommelier. they will be based at light dough. If the buns were unravelled, the small dishes include Parma ham and figs, Carousel from October 22 to november 1. dough would stretch a metre in length. autumn salad and an array of stuzzichini. As well as pizza, there are pasta dishes including Carousel is at 71 Blandford street. nordic Bakery is at 48 dorset street. spaghettini with clams, garlic and chilli; and Info: 020 7487 5564, www.carousel-london.com Info: 020 7487 5877, www.nordicbakery.com 14 happenings

Building client dreams

sHe wAs reCently named one of Britain’s top- 30 interior designers by The Sunday Times – and now eliská sapera is offering a new architectural service to her clients. the interior designer owns eliská design Associates – a high-end furnishings boutique on new Quebec street. she has joined forces with professional architect Hannah darby to provide a high-quality, turnkey service to clients. Hannah has worked on house, garden and loft extensions, multi-level basement installations and internal reconfigurations. she has collaborated with eliská in the past on several high-profile cocktail bars, hotels and embassies. their overlapping skill-sets allow the pair to deliver an entire project, from initial design concept, through tendering and construction stages and onwards to the final selection of furnishings and hand-crafted fittings. eliská said the duo would work together to maximise the potential of every space to enhance a client’s lifestyle. In other words, she said, the collaboration will be a “one-stop shop to deliver clients’ dreams”.

eliská is at 16A new Quebec street. New fish fare Info: 020 7723 5521, www.eliskadesign.com

A fIsHMOnGer is set to open in Portman Village in October. nic rascle, who owns la Petite Poissonnerie in Primrose Hill, is opening a second branch of the shop on new Quebec street. like its sister venue, it will stock sustainably sourced fresh fish and shellfish, which is sourced from uk destinations including Portsmouth, Plymouth, norfolk, Cornwall and Grimsby. the Marylebone shop will offer customers lots of extras, including dinners they can take home and cook. dishes will range from seared loin of tuna to marinated black cod with rice. “we make all the marinade and the dressing for you – all you have to do is cook it,” said nic, who is originally from france. “we see ourselves as a ‘fishmonger-plus’, offering customers lots of different things.” A lunch menu aimed at office workers will include sandwiches, sushi, bento boxes and salads of the day; and the shop will sell a range of french wines and champagne. nic can also cater for dinner parties. la Petite Poissonnerie will be based at 19 new Quebec street. Info: www.lapetite-poissonnerie.co.uk 16 happenings

Bake Off prizewinner announced

A CHef from the Grazing Goat was named the west london day Centre is calling for overall winner of the inaugural Portman Village people to join its sponsored sleep-out on October Bake Off. 10. the annual event sees volunteers sleeping neradah Hartnett, executive pastry chef at the rough for the night to raise money for the new Quebec street pub, won prizes for best homeless. If you’d like to take part, visit biscuit and tastiest cake. she was also crowned www.wlm.org.uk/sleep-out overall bake off champion at the event, which was held in Portman square garden. restaurants, shops and hotels from Portman Village submitted 30 cakes and biscuits to be judged by an expert panel, which was led by the reigning champion of the Great British Bake Off , frances Quinn. entries ranged from daisy Green’s mega banana-bread sandwich to the lockhart’s lemon Ice Box Pie. Visitors enjoyed live music, food and drink, and a raffle with prizes from prosecco at Vinoteca to a meal at the Portman pub. the event raised almost £400 for local homeless charity the west london day Centre’s safety boot fund. A spokesman said: “following the bake off, we helped a day centre user to find work on a construction site. we bought him a hard hat but he needed safety boots, which the fund helped us buy for him. “we think we’ll need to buy about 50 pairs of NERADAH safety boots a year and so need to raise £1,000 HARTNETT AT for our safety Boot fund. the bake off played a THE BAKE OFF part in getting us at least a third of the way there.”

Suits for you, sir

A new tAIlOr has opened in Portman Village. taliare is a bespoke and made-to-measure tailoring house, which was founded by former savile row cutter erlend norby. speaking of the seymour Place shop and work rooms, he said: “Commissioning a garment is a big investment of your time and and money. “we will work with you every step of the way to create a garment that perfectly matches your requirements.” taliare has a relaxed, salon-style environment, where clients can consider a wide range of cloths from the finest mills in uk and europe. Made-to- measure garments range from suits to bespoke overcoats and evening tails.

taliare is at 5A seymour Place. Info: 020 7723 5100, www.taliare.com 18 happenings

Playing the game

Hunter 486 restaurant is celebrating the game season with a different dish on the menu each week. foodies can feast on top-quality game dishes including roasted haunch of Chart farm venison with marinated red cabbage, almond potatoes, chocolate-scented jus and caramelised parsnips. Other dishes include roasted goose breast with wild boar bacon and roast salsify, potato and turnip dauphinoise; and traditional roast Berkshire pheasant, bread sauce, roast potatoes, buttered green cabbage and chestnut purée and glazed apples. until november 23 at Hunter 486, the Arch london, 50 Great Cumberland Place. Tea with a difference Info: 020 7724 4700, www.thearchlondon.com A POt Of teA that is said to be the most expensive in the uk is now available at the royal China Club. According to the Baker street restaurant, the drink is comparable to a fine wine – with the tea leaves of da Hong Pao left to mature and gain flavour for 80 years before being served. the handmade tea is baked in small batches over charcoal to create an aromatic infusion with distinctive dark, cocoa notes.

the royal China Club is at 40-42 Baker street. Info: 020 7486 3898, www.royalchinagroup.co.uk

Fantastic fit for women

sunsPel HAs exPAnded its presence on Chiltern street to include a full collection of womenswear. the British brand was founded in 1860 by thomas A. Hill. In 1947 it became the first company to introduce boxer shorts to the uk. the label has supplied the rAf with issue undergarments and was worn by daniel Craig in the James Bond film Casino Royale . sunspel opened its first Marylebone shop at 13-15 Chiltern street in december 2012. It has now expanded into the premises next door, which houses a full range of womenswear.

sunspel’s new womenswear shop is at 11 Chiltern street. Info: 020 7009 0650, www.sunspel.com 20 art

A walking art education From to Chiltern Street, Lorna Davies is your guide on a walking tour of The Portman Estate that features galleries, sculptures and artists’ homes THE TOUR BEGINS on Oxford Street , where you’ll see Barbara Hepworth ’s sculpture on the corner of John Lewis . The Winged Figure was treated to extensive restoration work last year to celebrate its 50th birthday. Further down Oxford Street in Selfridges , you could be standing in the former home of artist George Stubbs (1724-1806). The painter, whose portrait you can see at the National Portrait Gallery, lived at 24 Somerset Street from 1764 to1806, but the street was demolished to make way for Selfridges’ expansion north of its original site in the 1920s. Stubbs was known for his depictions of magnificent horses such as Whistlejacket , which is on show at the National Gallery. Round the corner on Orchard Street , you’ll find a pop-up show at The Old Selfridges Hotel , directly above the Selfridges Food Hall. The huge industrial space is being filled by the Institute of Contemporary Art for its Off-Site project from October 14 to18. The week-long programme, to coincide with the Frieze art fair, encompasses performance, music, art, dance and discussion, with different events each day. (More information at www.ica.org.uk) ‡

LEFT: GEORGE STUBBS, WHISTLEJACKET, C 1762: ©THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

ABOVE: BARBARA HEPWORTH, THE WINGED FIGURE.

RIGHT: PALINDROME, PRESENTED BY NTS AND CURATED BY TREVOR JACKSON, IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ICA 22 art

Orchard Street was also home to another well-known artist, the miniaturist Richard Cosway (1742-1821). He lived there from around 1763 until 1768. In 1785 he was appointed painter for the Prince of Wales, and had considerable influence over the official image of the prince. Turn left onto Portman Mews . At 7 Portman Mews South you will see Field Work by Shauna McMullan . The carving of meadow grasses on the building’s lower façade is a subtle reminder that the area was used as farmland up until the 1740s. Walk back down Orchard Street and onto Portman Square where you’ll see some pretty iron gates at 43-45 and wall art work by John Carter at 40. Inside leafy Portman Square ABOVE: DAVID BREUER-WEIL, EMERGENCE Gardens you can see the beautiful Emergence , a © DAVID BREUER-WEIL four part sculpture by renowned artist David Breuer-Weil . have always loved bears,” Bibby told The Portman . BELOW: PHILIP JACKSON, WALLENBERG MEMORIAL Behind you at 30 Portman Square , Walk back to Seymour Street and at the end of OPPOSITE, FAR LEFT: SUSAN ALDWORTH, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, there is a the street, turn right onto Great Cumberland REASSEMBLING THE SELF 7, 2012 life-sized bronze sculpture of Sir Winston Place . The man standing in the middle of the Churchill . In Conversation by Lawrence crescent is Swedish architect and businessman, OPPOSITE, NEAR LEFT: SIR GERALD KELLY, BEACH AT Holofcener was unveiled in November 2012 on Raoul Wallenberg (1912-1947). During World ETRETÂT, 1908 ©TATE the hotel’s terrace. War Two he rescued thousands of Jews from Head down Seymour Street to number 45 Nazi-occupied Hungary. The memorial was made where at York House you’ll find Alabaster , a by sculptor Philip Jackson , who also made the sculpture by wiorld-famous artist Anish Kapoor . Bomber Command Memorial Sculpture in Green Turn around and right onto Old Quebec Street . Park. On the rear of the statue, there are 100,000 There you’ll find a 15 foot grizzly bear waiting for Schutz passes, protective passports with which you. Indomitable is by Nick Bibby , a wildlife Wallenberg saved the Jews. sculptor collected by Damien Hirst and JK Continue walking down Great Cumberland Rowling, and was lifted into position by a crane Place , through historic and on June 25. “It was a gift of a commission, as I onto York Street . Number 20 was home to painter and miniaturist George Richmond (1809-1896) (look for the blue plaque.) At the end of the street, turn right and walk to 117 Gloucester Place , the former abode of Sir Gerald Kelly (1879-1972). There’s a blue plaque informing you that the portrait painter moved there in 1916 and stayed until his death 56 years later. Turn left onto Dorset Street and right onto Chiltern Street until you reach number 48, GV Art . The gallery is currently showing Reassembling the Self (on until October 11), an exhibition centered on a study of the condition of schizophrenia, which weaves together art, science, psychiatry and individual histories. ‡ 24 art

Further down Chiltern Street you can’t miss Atlas Gallery on the corner of Chiltern and Dorset Street . Visit between September 25 and November 16 and you’ll find remarkable images of the unseen lives and traditions of people from 35 of the world’s last indigenous tribes. Jimmy Nelson’s landmark project Before They Pass Away is led by the British-born photographer’s fascination with other cultures that has led him on a journey around the world to document some of the oldest surviving communities. At the end of the street, turn left onto George Street , where you’ll find a heron peering down at you from the corner before Thayer Street. The sculpture was put there when the building was built in 1967 by Heron International PLC. Walk down Thayer Street and right onto Hinde Street until you reach Manchester Square , home of the world-famous Wallace Collection , where you can enjoy masterpieces in a whole new light. Find out more on page 32. Elsewhere on The Estate, plans to redevelop Tower to deliver 53 luxury flats, offices, shops and a cinema were given the go- ahead in June. The scheme will also include a ABOVE: HERON INTERNATIONAL new public realm space featuring public art. A spokesman for Almacantar said the precise form BELOW: JIMMY NELSON, KAZAKH, of the art has not yet been agreed. ALTANTSOGTS, BAYAN OLGII, MONGOLIA, 2011 © JIMMY NELSON BV 26 food & drink

“JUST HEADING OUT …to Chiltern Firehouse.” being photographed slipping out of the hotel and Utter these words in a central London office and restaurant’s large black gates. it’s guaranteed to provoke more than a few swivel “Yes it’s been hugely popular,” Balazs agrees, chair spins and wide-eyed stares. “How on earth “which is a wonderful thing, but it’s kind of also – I did you get in there?” one of my colleagues asks. think it’s a difficult thing as well, with the Granted, I’m not Rita Ora, so was surprised when paparazzi interest. We are changing ways of I was offered a guided tour, drinks and a dinner entering and exiting the building, doing what we reservation this side of 2015. But when I speak to can, working with the neighbours and with owner André Balazs, he’s keen to emphasise that Westminster [City Council].” it’s a neighbourhood restaurant, and Portman For Balazs, working with the local community Estate residents and those who work in the area is essential: “I think a good hotel should always are treated as VIPs. be at the centre of its community. That’s the way “The most important clientele are the people a hotel survives. It becomes totally integrated into who are our neighbours. I know with all the the heart and soul of the community – certainly attention it’s gotten it seems like it’s something that’s the way we’ve worked in the past.” else, but that’s absolutely not the intent and it’s He loves the area, and he has spent time never the long-term goal of anything we do,” he getting to know the locals: “There are some stresses. wonderful people on the street. We’re good Since its opening in February, Chiltern friends with the two great shopkeepers directly Firehouse has become a veritable beacon of across the way – Sandy, who runs the newsstand celebsville. Not a day goes by without Kate Moss, [Shreeji Newsagents, 6 Chiltern Street] and Mario, Lily Allen, David Beckham, Harry Styles et al who runs the barber shop [Mario’s Barber Shop, ‡

Inside the Chiltern Firehouse

ANDRÉ BALAZS

Celebrities have regularly been spotted at the Chiltern Firehouse, but it’s essentially a neighbourhood restaurant, says its owner. Lorna Davies and Kate White report 28 food & drink

4 Chiltern Street].” Balazs, 57, is the owner of a CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: property and hotel empire comprising The Mercer THE RESTAURANT, A HOTEL in New York, Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and BATHROOM, AND AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF THE CHILTERN Standard Hotels across America. Chiltern FIREHOUSE Firehouse is his first venture outside the US (although he’s now acquired the Camden Town Hall Annexe in Euston Road to turn into a Standard Hotel). He chose Marylebone because “it’s kind of like Mayfair, but a bit different. “The street is elegant, quiet, centrally located and very convenient,” he says. “The Firehouse itself is just a magnificent building, which I fell in love with. It reminded me a lot of our place in New York [The Mercer], and a little bit of the Chateau Marmont.” The building, with its soaring chimneys and gothic detailing, looks more like an aristocratic dwelling than a former public building. The original fire station dates back to 1888, and Balazs and his team – Studio KO in Paris and architect David Archer of Archer Humphreys – have been careful in restoring and emulating the original designs. The restaurant itself was the appliance room, and the flooring, columns and tile walls are all from the original station. There’s even a fire pole going through the middle of one of the tables in the corner. Renowned chef Nuno Mendes heads up the kitchen, serving up a menu featuring delicious The pretty garden leads to the ladder shed, a were on the ground floor.” dishes such as sea trout crudo, blackened “The most important beautiful bar, complete with a decks and records Some of the building work was “almost like an salmon and spring lamb. Breakfast and brunch clientele are the and a huge work of art by Theaster Gates, archeological dig”, says Balazs.“We discovered are more recent additions – French toast, commissioned by Balazs, made of fire hoses. things that were inspirational and worth keeping. buttermilk pancakes and spiced crab omelette people who are There are 26 hotel rooms, with a homely feel For example, in what was the ladder shed we feature – aimed at drawing in a local crowd. our neighbours.” and a personal, intimate service – “you dial 0 for started cleaning away this institutional yellow André Balazs anything,” says Lucy McIntyre, marketing and colour, and suddenly discovered this amazing communications head, who has worked with colour scheme that must have been the original Balazs for 12 years. one when it was built in the 1880s.” McIntyre shows me round a few of the hotel The design is amazing, but for Balazs, a good rooms and by the end I don’t want to go home. hotel is one that “first and foremost makes you The 1930s decor includes very plush carpets, feel welcome and safe”. The crowning glory of remote-controlled fireplaces, heaps of storage the hotel is the gothic spire, the original castle-like space, international plug sockets and the most watchtower from which the fireman would look amazing bath tubs. out over London to see if there was any smoke or All the appliances and furniture are custom- fires to put out. made. There’s even the aroma from a bespoke “We’ve had many, many firemen come by who Chiltern Firehouse scented candle wafting through used to be stationed here, including the chiefs,” the hotel stairwell and restaurant. says Balazs. Balazs says the design aims to “create an “They’ve sent beautiful letters to us saying atmosphere that’s very much reflective of the how heart-warming it is for them to see a place neighbourhood. that they lived in for so long come to life again, “We found a language and a design vernacular with kind of its original spirit, but in a completely that seemed appropriate and hence as glorious new way.” as the building is on the outside, with its Victorian grandeur. Inside at the end of the day it was a Chiltern Firehouse is at 1 Chiltern Street. very utilitarian, municipal building. The firemen Info: 020 7073 7676. used to live there, the horses and the carriages [email protected]

32 art

AFTER TWO YEARS , £5 million and lots of hard whether light from the side was better,” explains work The Wallace Collection’s Great Gallery opens Dr Christoph Vogtherr, director of the Wallace up to the public again on September 19. The Collection. “We still think today that top lighting is grand room, which houses masterpieces by the best for paintings, that’s why we are very artists from Rubens to Velazquez, has undergone proud that we could reintroduce it.” a major makeover, boasting new interior design, a But it wasn’t just the light the museum had to new glass ceiling and even some new paintings. think about. “We realised we are reintroducing a Built between 1872 and 1875, the Great large glass surface and today there are lots of Gallery was part of Sir Richard Wallace’s major performances and guided tours and talks in this extension of Hertford House to accommodate his room, so there could have been an acoustics art collection’s move from Paris to London. The problem,” Vogtherr reveals. glass ceiling was a feature of Wallace’s original Luckily, The Wallace Collection has some gallery, but was blocked off in the 1970s when expert neighbours in the form of the Royal environmental controls meant more room was Academy of Music, housed on Marylebone Road. needed for the air-conditioning unit. “They were very helpful and came in to examine When deciding on a new design, the team at the space and give their opinion on the new the museum looked closely at Wallace’s original design. They reassured us that the acoustics space. Large picture galleries were a common would be fine,” Vogtherr adds. feature in his day, usually placed behind the The ceiling means the stunning pieces in the private living quarters, and glass ceilings were a room are, quite literally, being seen in a new light. common element. Visitors can again enjoy some of the museum’s “Top lighting was invented around 1800 and in most treasured pieces, including Frans Hals’s the early 19th century there was still a very lively world-famous The Laughing Cavalier , often discussion around whether it was a good thing or described as “one of the most brilliant of all

Letting in the light

WIth a new glass ceiling about to be revealed at the W allace Collection’s Great Gallery, masterpieces by Rubens and Frans Hals can be seen in a new light, writes Lorna Davies PETER PAUL RUBENS, THE RAINBOW LANDSCAPE, C.1636 © BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE WALLACE COLLECTION 34 art

Baroque portraits”; Thomas Lawrence’s Wallace’s regular designer John O’Connell. The monumental portrait George IV ; and Paris by Van old wall fabric, a coral-coloured cotton damask Dyck, intended by the 3rd Marquess of Hertford from the 1970s, has been replaced with a striking as a bequest to the king. crimson silk damask. As Vogtherr explains, moving and storing “For many details, colours and patterns on the world-class masterpieces is a delicate task. silk we looked at photos of other great galleries in “The most important works we had put into London townhouses in the Victorian age and we other rooms in the building, except two or three found they had quite a bit in common. For that were just simply too large and wouldn’t go example, the silk pattern was always very similar into any other room,” Vogtherr tells me. “Some of in all of these spaces and different grand houses them were stored at the Tate Gallery and for some at the time, so we were quite confident that we paintings we used the opportunity to have them had picked the right pattern and the right type of cleaned and restored because they were off show silk. It’s a much more sympathetic space for the anyway, so it was the perfect moment.” works,” says Vogtherr. This included the four large Dutch still-life The Great Gallery has a key feature among paintings (three by Jan Weenix and one by London museums in that it combines paintings Melchior d’Hondecoeter). “We had them cleaned from different schools in one room. and they are now back and hanging in much “That’s very much the character of a private more prominent positions because they are just collection and we’ve kept that because we think so much nicer to look at,” Vogtherr says. it’s actually a great opportunity to talk about Some new pieces have been introduced into exchanges between different schools and regions the collection, including two by François Lemoyne about how painters knew each other, visited each – Perseus and Andromeda and Time Saving Truth other,” Vogtherr says. “Rubens went to Madrid from Falsehood and Envy – “because we had no and saw Velázquez there, and our Titian painting French 18th-century paintings in there and now was owned by Van Dyck – there are all these very we’ve made that part of the story again.” personal relationships between them.” With so many masterpieces in one room, does Vogtherr became director of the Wallace in Vogtherr have a favourite? “It’s always very hard to 2010 – taking over from Dame Rosalind Savill, pick out one or two, but maybe The Rainbow who had led the museum for 23 years – and has Landscape by Rubens, that is very iconic, it’s very been working out a plan for the museum ever much part of our identity.” since. The team has defined three particular aims The room itself boasts a new design by the over the next ten years: to broaden its visitor base to younger age groups and lower income groups; to improve its internal infrastructure; and to raise its research profile. “Particularly in 18th-century art and arms and armour because they are our two world-class specialties,” says Vogtherr. The director’s job is to “motivate and ensure a strong direction for the museum”, something Vogtherr says he finds particularly important because of budget cuts. “Like all museums, we have to think about money more carefully and generate more, but without losing sight of what it’s all about. I need to keep everybody thinking about what we are here for, and that’s the art, the

ABOVE: THE GREAT GALLERY WILL public and the enjoyment and the access of it,” he FEATURE NEW INTERIOR DESIGN says. The Great Gallery project was funded by a AND NEW PAINTINGS £5 million donation from the Monument Trust. It’s the end of a huge project, one that LEFT: TITIAN, PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDIA Vogtherr and his team are excited about showing © BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE TRUSTEES OF to the public. However, he’s not finished with the THE WALLACE COLLECTION makeovers: “We have three rooms left on the first floor on the west side of the building, and those RIGHT: FRANS HALS, THE LAUGHING CAVALIER, 1624 will be refurbished next. Then we can move to the © BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE TRUSTEES OF ground floor. It’s an ongoing project because just THE WALLACE COLLECTION as one finishes we can start on another!”

38 food & drink

With classic dishes such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and fishcakes, this family-run brasserie in Dorset Street has found a reliable recipe for success. By Cally Squires

A Hardy’s act to follow

THREE DECADES in the restaurant business is a “There are not that many independent places feat that should certainly be celebrated, especially left in the centre of London. We’re lucky to now in London, where new restaurants and cafes be serving the second generation of our regular seem to spring up on a daily basis. customers. We have the privilege of having Fortunately it is an achievement that Hardy’s on history, but at the same time work hard to keep it Dorset Street has reached with relative ease. relevant, so it doesn’t become a relic. Obviously Approaching its 30th year in business this it’s a fine balance – we can’t change too much October, Hardy’s is a family-run brasserie and bar. otherwise people would be up in arms.” What’s the secret of their success? Owner, The local neighbourhood restaurant is British manager, part-time sommelier and self-confessed at heart. “We’ve had the classics on for ever – fish masochist Dominique de Bastarrechea cites the and chips, fishcakes and a really great shepherd’s “very personal and friendly” atmosphere. pie.” Surely not during the summer? “We tried to take the shepherd’s pie off for a few months but people were very upset. They didn’t seem to mind that it was 30°C outside!” Although pies aside, English chef Sam Hughes does change the menu every month. “We’ve been doing quite a lot of shellfish recently after he went to Brittany on holiday and came back inspired,” says Dominique. Trained under Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place, Hughes worked at the Michelin-starred Sir Charles Napier in Oxford for several years, and was put up for the job by a local patron and master chef himself, Raymond Blanc. Selecting the wine is a team effort by Dominique and James the barman. “We try to work with several different suppliers to find interesting bottles that generally overdeliver, as customers are always eager to try new things. We let them sample it, and if they don’t like it, they can change. We do a few natural wines – DOMINIQUE DE BASTARRECHEA not the extreme ones – but we’ve been 40 food & drink

selling a lovely Cabernet Franc recently.” Dominique’s parents took over Hardy’s from founder Simon Boyle, and she thinks the inherited name was linked to Thomas Hardy, who was born in Dorset. Although this is purely conjecture, there has been at least one customer “We tried to take shepherd’s who was quietly disgruntled not to find any pie off the menu for a few memorabilia of the novelist inside the restaurant. “My father had never been in the restaurant months but the customers business. He simply came home one day and were very upset. They didn’t announced that he’d bought a restaurant,” she recalls. “Luckily my mother embraced it.” As too seem to mind that it was 30 did Dominique herself. “It was very small when degrees outside” they started, just one dining room downstairs with peach carpet and chintz upholstery. But my father was a brilliant maître d’, and built up the clientele by word of mouth.” In the beginning, the bulk of customers worked in advertising agencies or the music industry, with EMI based in Manchester Square and Warner Brothers in Gloucester Place. “The restaurant just sort of established itself. We’ve never really done any traditional marketing,” says Dominique. As Dorset Street isn’t a through-street, there is surprisingly little foot traffic for a road based just off Oxford Street. “There are probably a lot of people in the area who’ve never been down here, but that means the people who do know it feel like it is their own special place, and they really become our champions,” she explains. Will all that change with the buzz of hotelier André Balazs’s Chiltern Firehouse on the next street? Staff say they are not basking in the limelight. “Of course we see all the comings and goings – and have had some famous faces popping in – but happily we don’t have to deal with paparazzi on our doorstep,” says Dominique. And unlike Balazs, de Bastarrechea is not looking to expand her empire. “It would be very difficult to replicate Hardy’s. This building has so much character, and we don’t have an overarching brand, so people can really be themselves here. I like romance, and unlike many London restaurants, commerciality is not our sole driver.” To celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, there will be a retro menu at the end of September with prawn cocktail, steak Diane and coq au vin – which, funnily enough, have started to come back into fashion now anyway – on at £19.84 for three courses. Have any dishes, besides the beloved shepherd’s pie, stood the test of time? Off the top of her head, Dominque recalls arctic roll as a long-time crowd pleaser, but 42 food & drink

insists “food is very much about fashion – last month it was all about kale and in the early Noughties it was rocket salad.” Any regulars whose cravings for nostalgia aren’t satisfied by arctic roll can take a peek at the private dining room where old menus have been lovingly framed and displayed. Local customers will also be pleased to hear that having taken a short break, the Hardy’s literary suppers are also making a comeback. “We’ve got some fun ones planned – including a dinner in October on the wisdom of psychopaths, with a madness menu,” says Dominique. Kevin Dutton, an academic and expert on positive traits of psychopaths, is the speaker. “The first talk we ever did was my friend Niki Segnit’s book The Flavour Thesaurus , which went on to become a bestseller. It’s really fantastic if authors have an obvious connection with food – which is why Waitrose Kitchen editor William Sitwell was brilliant.” Dominique’s dream authors are an eclectic list of Professor Mary Beard, actor Stephen Fry, comedian Eddie Izzard and artist Grayson Perry. Somehow, I am not surprised.

Hardy’s is at 53 Dorset Street. Info: 020 7935 5929, www.hardysbrasserie.co.uk 44 history

IN THE 1930 s, 48 Montagu Square was burgled – affectionate foreword by the author and journalist and the silver inkwell was stolen from the desk in Peter York, who lived in the square for 19 years the library. and was chairman of the garden committee for a “A trail of ink led across the hall, down the time. It also features a detailed history of the front steps, along the street, and into the house square, which was written by Thomas Whipham three doors down,” recalls Lord Mancroft, in 1990. There are memories of residents past grandson of the former owner. “The footman there and present, and new material that brings the was the culprit, and he went to prison. story up to the present day. “After he was released he used to call round The book tells how, before Montagu Square every Christmas, with the unusual greeting, ‘Good was built, London enjoyed a wave of prosperity morning, m’lord. I’m your burglar’. Grandfather after the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763. would give him a golden guinea, wish him a The city expanded rapidly, and Marylebone soon happy Christmas and send him on his way.” gained a reputation as a fashionable place to live. The anecdote is one of many fascinating tales The land that is now Montagu Square was in a new book on the history of Montagu Square, formerly known as Ward’s Field, which was home published by the Montagu Square Residents’ to a cluster of cottages called Apple Village. In the Association. It is edited by Ben Baglio, a former 1700s, one of its residents was executed at children’s book creator and publisher. Tyburn for murder. The 74-page tome contains an amusing and Montagu Square took its name from Mrs Elizabeth Montagu, who lived in Montagu House in Portman Square. It was constructed by former chimney-sweep David Porter and the architect Joseph Parkinson. The colourful history of Montagu Square Porter and Parkinson built the houses of Montagu Square in the traditional Georgian style, with a basement, ground and three upper floors. Rate books at the time suggest that construction was completed in about 1812. Each house in the square had a mews property at the rear, where grooms and coachmen lived in crowded conditions. The 1821 census showed 14 adults and children living in a single mews house. George Fletcher, who resided at 28 George Street, was the first gardener employed to tend the garden in the centre of the square. He was paid £100 a year but had to bring his own tools. From the outset, the garden was seen as a peaceful place for residents to enjoy. Livery It was the setting for John servants were not allowed to use the space, and Lennon and Yoko Ono’s children were banned from playing with bats, balls controversial nude or bows and arrows. In 1935 a number of improvements were photograph, but there are made to the square to commemorate the Silver many other fascinating Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. The tales in the history of the works cost £250 and residents were asked to square. Kate White on a make voluntary contributions. fascinating new book The Second World War brought about big changes to the square. An air raid shelter was built at the south end, and some of the houses were requisitioned and occupied by the US army. The square was badly damaged in the war, with five houses destroyed or demolished because they were unsafe. Arthur Portman, editor

ABOVE: JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO LEAVING THEIR FLAT of Horse & Hound for 50 years, was killed in a raid AT 34 MONTAGU SQUARE © REX FEATURES in October 1940. LEFT: PRESENT-DAY MONTAGU SQUARE GARDEN KAY & CO Lord Manford recalls: “Mr Turner, my father’s 46 history

secretary, extingushed an incendiary device which Hendrix composed The Wind Cries Mary . In throughout the year, including the annual summer had landed in the garden in 1941, by putting it in 1968, the apartment was rented by two other big garden party on the south lawn. The event is a fire bucket full of water, before going back to his names in the rock world, John Lennon and Yoko always a sell-out, and raises money for local typing. Ono. The controversial nude photograph of the homeless charity the West London Day Centre. “One of the consequences of the bombs was couple which later became the cover of their Two The garden also hosts Shakespeare in the that the house always had a slight tilt. This meant Virgins album, was snapped here. Square, and an evening of Christmas carols that the butler could not lay the dining room table The apartment was later raided by police performed by the choir of Wetherby School and until five minutes before lunch, or the silver would looking for drugs, and the landlord took out an the Baker Street Quartet. Proceeds from both start to slide down the polished tabletop.” injunction against Starr to prevent the property events go to the St Marylebone Rotary Club’s Like many other London squares, Montagu from being used for anything illegal. Starr Newpin charity. Square had its railings removed to be melted eventually sold the lease in 1969. In some senses, life in Montagu Square has down as part of the war effort. They were Ben Baglio’s own home at 30 Montagu Square changed a lot for residents since the 1960s. Lord replaced with an ugly fence that was camouflaged has had its fair share of interesting residents. The Manford recalls: “Ours was the last house in the by a privet hedge. first leaseholder was Thomas Bulkeley, and in square after all the others were converted into In the 1960s an attempt to raise money to 1868, Percy Bulkeley of that address was flats. install new railings failed; and by the mid-1990s, charged and convicted with four counts of “When my parents married in 1951, my father the fence had badly disintegrated and the hedge defrauding cabmen. was living there alone with six indoor servants, no was dying. It meant the garden was left with little In 1919 Dr Charles Samuel Myers moved into central heating and only one bathroom. The security. the house. Myers was a founding member and servants bathed in an iron tub in front of the As a result, the garden committee formed a first president of the British Psychological Society, kitchen range.” sub-group to reinstate the railings, which would and introduced the term “shell shock” to medical However, from the outside, the square has be made to look as similar as possible to the literature in an article for The Lancet in 1915. barely changed, he adds. “It must still be one of original design. Following a series of grants and After the war, the house was split into three the nicest places in London to live, and I am very donations, the new railings were installed in 1999. flats, and in 1975, Claire and William Frankel jealous of all those live there today,” he concludes. The square has been home to a number of moved in. William edited The Jewish Chronicle “I wish I did.” famous faces over the years. An early resident and was credited by The Guardian for turning it was Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland, into a “vibrant, often highly controversial Montagu Square – A History costs £15. who captured Napoleon at Rochefort in 1815 and newspaper”. To buy a copy, please email took him to Plymouth, before he was transported The square has several popular social events [email protected]. to St Helena. Novelist Anthony Trollope also lived there for a time. In his autobiography he wrote: “Early in 1873 I took a house in Montagu Square, in which I hope to live and die.” In the end he passed away in a nursing home on Welbeck Street in 1882. In 2010, English Heritage unveiled a blue plaque for John Lennon on the outside of 34 Montagu Square. It recognises the property’s strong links to the music scene of the 1960s, when the ground and lower-ground flat was leased to Ringo Starr. Paul McCartney recorded demo songs there ABOVE: DESTRUCTION OF NUMBERS 28 AND 29 and worked on hits including Eleanor Rigby . Jimi MONTAGU SQUARE, NOW THE SITE OF MONTAGU COURT. DECEMBER, 1940. THE PORTMAN ESTATE Hendrix and his manager later lived in the RIGHT: THE DIAMOND JUBILEE SUMMER GARDEN apartment, and it was during this time that PARTY, JUNE 2012. DOROTHY OSBORNE

“It must still be one of the nicest places in London to live, and I am very jealous of all those live there today.” Lord Manford 48 baker street quarter

Crowds flocked to five free outdoor events in July which offered everything from golf competitions to a screening of Casablanca. By Kate White

VISITORS AND LOCALS alike attended Summer in the Square this year – a series of sport, culture and social outdoor events brought to The Portman Estate by the Baker Street Quarter Partnership (BSQP). During July, five events took place in Portman Square garden, which were free to attend, open to the public, thanks to the kind permission of the Garden Committee. Deckchairs, cushions and blankets were all free of charge to visitors. The series began with Wimbledon Live, where residents and workers watched all the action in SW19 on a big screen. Next was the Summer Festival, which expanded on the BSQP’s food market to include entertainment, games and even a pop-up beach. Taking a shine to the square More than 25 food stalls ensured there was plenty to eat, and there were competitions and games. Golf in the Garden, held in conjunction with the British Open, got everyone practising their putting and swing. Crazy golf, chipping and nearest-the-pin competitions saw crowds competing to win prizes weather and the BSQP’s ambassadors, who were awarded by local businesses. on hand to meet and greet everyone, put a smile on The spectacular Sunset Cinema showed the visitors’ faces. classic 1942 film Casablanca , starring Humphrey Kirsty Jones, marketing and communications Bogart and Ingrid Bergman , in a setting like no manager for BSQP, was delighted with the success other. As soon as the gates opened, people hurried of the series. “We were ambitious with our first in to find their perfect positions, and there was not a series of summer events and had so many ideas for bare patch of grass by the time the film started. what to do that we decided to offer a range of Casablanca was truly captivating and, despite everything,” she said. the central London location, you could hear a pin “We were blown away with how many people drop during some of the scenes. With a full round of attended and it was great to see people of the applause when the film credits rolled, it was clear Quarter, whether workers, residents or visitors, that it was enjoyed by all. coming together and enjoying themselves. The final event, Games in the Garden, brought “It’s our goal to create a vibrant Quarter and with the spirit of sporting competition to the square once such great feedback about Summer in the Square again, this time for the Commonwealth Games. Live we are hopefully on our way to doing that.” action was broadcast on the screen, and Fitness BSQP hopes to continue to host events next First helped with tug-of-war, sprint, relay and table- year. In the meantime, its popular monthly food tennis contests. market can be found at 55 Baker Street on the More than 13,000 people in total attended these second Wednesday of each month. LEFT: A JENGA CONTEST KEPT THE PUNTERS AMUSED events, with more than 6,000 people alone RIGHT: TABLE TENNIS WAS ANOTHER ATTRACTION IN attending the Wimbledon screenings. Sunny THE SQUARE Info: 020 3056 5910, www.bakerstreetquarter.co.uk