Kew Bridge News
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September/October 2016 KEW BRIDGE NEWS Welcome to the fourth issue of Kew Bridge News. Your editors are Contents among the first residents, two of them having arrived in 2012, and one in 2013. We are all committed to 8 Kew Bridge Road. All three Meet the Concierge 2 of us love living here in what we regard as a brilliant development in a stunning location on the banks of the Thames and on the edge of one Paddleboarding at Kew 3 of the world’s great cities. Vingt et Un 4 or (the Kew Bridge) Pontoon Our commitment through the bimonthly newsletter and our companion website (www.kbnews.org) is threefold: first, to bring Open House London 6 news of events that are happening in our part of London, whether it’s at Kew Gardens, the National Archives, one of our local cinemas, What’s On 8 theatres or museums, on the river, or under the auspices of a local society or group; secondly, to address issues of concern closer to home, both within and without the development itself; thirdly, to provide a means of communication for owners and residents (and many residents are not owners) to let us know their concerns. We would like to remind all leaseholders of the agreement As to the first of these objectives, a starting point will always be the we have negotiated with back page of Kew Bridge News, but, once our website is up and Chestertons - one of London’s running (we hope by the end of September at the latest), we shall be adding events there throughout the year. largest estate agency and property consultancy businesses As to the second, an example “issue” is highlighted on pages 4 and with 18 branches across the 5 - the saga of the Kew Bridge pontoon. That could be said to be half world. internal, half external. Fully external issues would include the Lionel The Kew Village office (306 Road development. How many of you were aware of the scheme Sandycombe Road, TW9 3NG) to build a football stadium (Brentford’s new home), a hotel and 900 is offering any Kew Bridge apartments on the triangle of land to the right of Lionel Road (a smaller area than our own on which there are 308 apartments)? And then leaseholder a discount on their there is the Capital Interchange Way scheme to stick up three towers standard commission rates for of 22, 20 and 19 storeys on top of a bus depot, another few hundred sales or lettings. apartments, all being part of Hounslow’s grand “Golden Mile” plan. The first mile of the elevated section of the M4 as a “golden” mile! Quote the code on p.3. Nobody could accuse Hounslow planners of lacking ambition. cont. page 7 Kew Bridge News is edited by Line Asghar (Apartment 130 - [email protected]), James Richardson (Apartment 141 - james. [email protected]), and Hilary Smith (Apartment 46) - [email protected]) Kew Bridge News is published by J.R. Editorial Services Ltd (Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06563170. Registered office and address for service: c/o Place Campbell & Co., Wilmington House, High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3AU) . Kew Bridge News is designed and printed by Wyeth Digital Ltd (01420 544 948). Meet the Concierge - The Day Team - A polyglot lot Gestão De Oliveira Baptista Matoso Dante Marzo (“Dante”) Sawan Jeevnani (“Sawan”) Jonatas (“Gestão”) “By study, I am accountant …, by heart, Sawan was born in Mumbai and is “Mine is a long name even by I am gypsy!” Indian with British nationality. His father Portugese standards”, although it is is a lawyer and is from a large family, not uncommon to find people with Born in Milan, Dante started travelling but Sawan himself has just one brother seven, eight or more names in Portugal. aged 13, spending holidays working at who is a doctor. Sawan grew up in Born in Portugal in 1978, Gestão had music festivals around Europe. After Mumbai, attending school and college an elder brother, who sadly died 13 school, he worked for an advertising there. He came to the U.K in 2005 years ago, and he has twin younger agency - in budget control! But he to work with a smaller chain of hotels, brothers. He had a grandfather who didn’t fit: “I started to get revolutionary.” the Shaftesbury Group. In 2008 he studied in Manchester and his mother So, with friends, he went to Costa Rica, took up employment with the Marriott and a maternal aunt also studied in but not before marrying - aged 19 - a Group, working at the Renaissance England, the latter at Imperial College pianist and teacher. Hotel at Heathrow. He then worked as in Kensington. The twins were born in the Night Duty Manager at Grosvenor England and Gestão lived in London for In Costa Rica, Dante started building House, a J.W. Marriott hotel in Park three years up to the age of four. On houses. However, it didn’t last. After Lane. At present, he is thinking of his return to Portugal, he lived in the 11 months, he rejoined his wife in Italy. pursuing property law. seaside town of Sao Martinho de Porto. But the marriage didn’t fare any better. Divorce and an Ethiopian girlfriend Sawan was one of the core team of five Having completed his schooling, he followed. Travel was on their minds, concierges who started working at 8 started work in the hotel business, and it was a competition between Africa Kew Bridge Road in 2012 when they initially in his village. Gestão returned and a return to Costa Rica. She won! In were all based in Strand House, the to England in 2010, and started work Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, only entrance for the first residents at the Kensington Hotel in High Street, Dante worked at getting kids off the then being that beside Hammond’s Kensington, as a concierge. He street, and volunteered in UNHCR (though this was long before first worked at 8 Kew Bridge Road in refugee camps. After 30 months, he Hammond’s first opened their doors). the final quarter of 2015, initially as returned to Italy. The relationship with Initially, he worked nights but became an agency worker, but he has since his girlfriend went south as he came part of the day-team in 2014 when become a full-time employee of north! Marius (remember him?) left us. Premier Estates. Then to London in 1998, where he met Sawan is married to Kiara and is the All his family, minus his mother who his Brazilian second wife. Then followed proud father of one daughter named died in February this year, are now 14 years in Brazil. What was he up to? Trish who is now 16 months’ old. back in Portugal. Gestão himself lives Most interestingly, he was involved with in Shepherds Bush. He has a wide his wife’s family in a “beachware” factory He is a linguist, being fluent in English, range of interests, with particular (in Brazil, not much string made plenty). Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati passions for football (following the He also opened a real estate agency; and Sindhi (his mother tongue). fortunes of Portugese legend José but the global financial crisis saw to that. Mourinho) and music (he plays the He likes to keep fit and goes to the gym guitar). He also loves to walk - The Brazilian adventure came apart and was into swimming until a slightly especially “in the quiet”, although, in 2011. Widowed for a second time, traumatic incident curtailed his quest as he admits, there are limited Dante’s mother became ill. He was for Olympic gold (he spent rather opportunities for that in 21st century determined to look after her whilst his longer at the bottom of the pool than London. wife was unwilling to give up a career in was good for him). alternative medicine. Divorce followed Gestão is fluent in five languages - as and in 2013, Dante’s mother died. “Then As our senior concierge, it is good well as his native Portugese and English, I got lost.” The wilderness period ended to know that he “loves” to work here. he speaks Spanish, Italian and French. with his return to London late in 2014, Ever the diplomat, he refuses to be and work at Kew Bridge as weekend cover. drawn on the tricky issue of whether there is even one resident who gives Dante (also multi-lingual) became him any grief! Apparently, we are all permanent in November 2015. Sadly, model citizens! he leaves us soon. What’s next? He chuckles: “Costa Rica is still on the table.” We shall miss his unfailing charm September/October 2016 and good humour. We wish them well. Paddleboarding at Kew Bridge Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is the fastest growing watersport in the world - and it is booming in London. Even better, Britain’s biggest SUP school, Active360, is on your doorstep - in the Kew Bridge arches. Its health benefits include toning up your core muscles, and giving you thorough all-over body conditioning. Kew Bridge is the pivotal base for SUP on the Thames, and if you’d like to have a go, Active360 lays on beginners’ lessons on request every day. Classes are scheduled every weekend and on many weekday evenings. Once you have learned how to use the river safely, Saturday, September 17. Active360 can hire you boards so you can head off on your own SUP adventure. Active360 also sell paddleboards, for Active360 founder Paul Hyman said: “Source to Sea is as little as £650 – check out http://www.active360.co.uk/ hugely important because it draws attention to the health of sup-shop.htm the Thames and its value as a watersports venue.” Some boards are inflatable and can fold up into a small Also planned for the same day is a mass paddle from Kew.