OCTOBEROCTOBER 20202020 When you want a place with character... We’re here. When you’re looking for a period home, make Winkworth Pimlico & Westminster your first call. 020 7828 1786 31 Belgrave Road, London SW1V 1RB [email protected] winkworth.co.uk/pimlico-westminster DVERTISING ANAGER HILIPPA OBINSON SEPTEMBER 2020 A M : P R WHO WE ARE:- ZONAL PRINTING DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR: SAM [email protected] PIMLICO & BELGRAVIA EYE PRODUCTION MANAGER: MIKE LERMER CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: RICHARD RUSHWORTH DISTRIBUTION: ZONAL EXPRESS PUBLISHER: DAVID M. MEHRA [email protected] TEL: 020 7351 4831 EMAIL: [email protected] ACCOUNTS: SARAH BRAITHWAITE [email protected] [email protected] LONDON’SONDON’S PREMIER 22 MEDWAYMEDWAY STREETSTREET WEWESTMINSTERSTMINSSTER DITOR AT UNSTALL E M S F I T N ES S S T UUDIO D I O SSW1PW1P 2B2BABA ĐĐŚŝĞǀĞLJŽƵƌĮƚŶĞƐƐŐŽĂůƐĂƚŚŝĞǀĞLJŽƵƌĮƚŶĞƐƐ ŐŽĂůƐ Ăƚ E : P T ssŝǀĞ&ŝƚŶĞƐƐ͕ǁŝƚŚũƵƐƚŝǀĞ&ŝƚŶĞƐƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ũƵƐƚ 020 7222 6114 20-minute20-minuute sessions EB ESIGN HILIP ARR WEB ĞĂĂĐŚǁĞĞŬ͘ĐŚǁĞĞŬ͘ FIND OUT MORE:RE: : www.eyepublications.co.uk ΛǀŝǀĞĮƚŶĞƐƐůŽŶĚŽŶΛǀŝǀĞĮƚŶĞƐƐůŽŶĚŽŶ W D : P C ǁǁǁǁ͘ǀŝǀĞĮƚŶĞƐƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬǁ͘ǀŝǀĞĮƚŶĞƐƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ [email protected] DOLPHIN SQUARE VICTORY AT LAST. TEMPORARY ROAD MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN PIMLICO Dolphin Square was built between 1935 and 1937 with 1,236 flats to New temporary traffic measures were installed in Pimlico to support provide a better standard of housing than would otherwise have been pedestrian movements under social distancing and also to enable available during the Depression at reasonable rents for those working our food and beverage businesses to reopen under Covid restrictions. in London on moderate salaries. It is ‘an unlisted building of merit ’ and a conservation site, the keystone to the surrounding conservation area. It The scheme was implemented quickly due to the crisis, and as has served London and the country well and was built so strongly such had less time for feedback than usual however the local that it withstood 13 bombs during World War II. General de Gaulle Residents’ Associations and traders were engaged in the process. Cllr Jacqui Wilkinson said that the overwhelming response from local people has been very supportive. Westminster City Council is carrying out a consultation on their proposals to introduce a number of secure cycle storage units at various locations throughout Westminster. The units will provide residents with safe places to park their bicycles.These storage units are proposed for St George’s Drive opposite Hugh Street and on Sutherland Street opposite Sutherland Row. HAS POLICE HELICOPTER NOISE AFFECTED YOU ? WRITES NICKIE AIKEN MP People across Pimlico and Belgravia have contacted me about noise from Police helicopters observing protests near Parliament. had his headquarters here stationed in Grenville House. The Square had I completely understand the Police’s need to monitor protests from been run as a non profit making Trust until it was bought by the developers above to keep the public Westbrook in 2005. In 2017 they submitted plans which would have safe however, the use of destroyed the fabric and character of well built Dolphin Square helicopters to do this has led to local people being The whole of the north front was to be demolished with its rare Art subjected to noise Deco Shopping Arcade. It was to be rebuilt 4 storeys higher and pollution, every day for jutting out into the garden on the site of the Spanish Garden, with a hours on end. huge excavation below for a conference centre. Another storey was scheduled for the other 13 houses with mews houses to be built close up to I have been in the houses in Claverton Street. All of this was estimated to take 10 years communication with the to complete with Dolphin Square a building site and the nearby Metropolitan Police and roads blocked by incoming machinery parked on the ruined garden. requested a meeting Following 2 years of protest the plans were unanimously rejected by with the Policing Minister Westminster City Council on 4th June 2019. There had been huge Kit Malthouse to try to support from local residents associations such as FREDA and the resolve the problem. I want to hear how the noise has affected you SGRA of St Georges Square and Protect Our Pimlico, and from many so that I can pass your concerns onto him. individuals who wrote letters of protest and delivered leaflets. It was a very successful campaign by the whole community working together. If you've been affected by police helicopter noise, you can share However, in January Westbrook lodged an Appeal which was due your concerns with me at: nickie.news/helicopternoise to be heard on 22nd September. Dolphin Square was still in danger. If you would like to contact me about any other issue, you can On 4th September Westbrook withdrew their Appeal. After 3 long email [email protected] or call 020 7219 4553. years victory had been achieved. With thanks to so many people there is now real hope for a better future for the Square. Residents are again enjoying the garden during the sunny September days and we hope the bats are happy too. Latest news – Westbrook have announced that a sale has been arranged with AXA which had been rumoured earlier. They will take over and will respect the history and the conservation aspect of this iconic building. aceebee Celia Scott On behalf of DSPS Dolphin Square Preservation Society © Pimlico & Belgravia Eye October 2020 2 Nursery Groups: Play and Language Support We are based in Westminster Does your toddler have a speech or communication We specialise in working with clients and their families who require care in their own homes. We offer a unique service of personalised care visits, delay? from check-in-visits to full live-support. We use the latest technology which provides real time updates and a live status reports of the care being provided. Starting in mid-September, we will be running small This provides a unique private login for families to accesss daily reports, providing peace of mind and specialist language and communication support transparency in all that we do. TO FIND OUT MORE CONTACT US BELOW classes for children aged between 18 months and Homecare Comforts Ltd., 83 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HW Phone: 0203 585 4027 3.5years old at the Blue Sky Autism Centre, 22 Email: [email protected] Website: www.homecarecomforts.co.uk Sussex St. The classes are specifically designed for children who may be experiencing delays with their speech and/ or social communication skills. Children do not need to have a diagnosis to attend. Our intake for this session will start w/c September 21st and run Tues-Friday. For a referral pack please email us on [email protected] TEL: 020 7351 4831 www.play2talk.co.uk / www.blueskyautism.com www.eyepublications.co.uk 3 Pimlico & Belgravia Eye October 2020 WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL: www.westminster.gov.uk/ Tel: 020 761 6000 Housing Repairs 0800 358 3783 Adult Social Care 020 7641 1444 WWC general enquiries 020 7641 6000 Housing Solutions 020 764 1000 Citizens Advice 0300 330 1191 Citizens Advice 0300 330 1191 Benefits incl Housing Benefit and Council Tax Peabody Housing repairs 0300 123 1238 Peabody Housing repairs 0300 123 1238 Benefit 0800 072 0042 Shelter 0808 800 4444 Carers Network 020 8960 3033 Council Tax 0343 178 2743 Adult Services 020 7641 2500 Social Services & Child services 020 761 4000 SIR MANSFIELD GEORGE SMITH-CUMMING KCMG CB The Home Section became MI5 or Security Service, while Cumming's was born on 1st April 1859 in Lee, Kent. He was a great-great Foreign Section became MI6 or the Secret Intelligence Service. grandson of the prominent merchant John Smith, a director of both Agents who worked for MI6 during the war included Augustus Agar, the South Sea Company and the East India Company, the second Paul Dukes, John Buchan, Compton Mackenzie and W. Somerset son of Abel Smith, the Nottingham banker who founded a banking Maugham. dynasty and whose business much later became National Westminster Bank, now one of the largest banks in the UK. When SSB discovered that semen made a good invisible ink, his agents adopted the motto "Every Smith joined the Royal Navy and underwent training at Dartmouth man his own stylo ". from the age of twelve and was appointed acting sub-lieutenant in However, the use of 1878. He was semen as invisible posted to HMS ink was ceased Bellerophon in because of the 1877, and for the smell it produced next 7 years served for the eventual in operations receiver. It also against Malay raised questions pirates, and in over the Egypt in 1883. He masturbatory suffered from sea- habits of the agents. sickness, and in 1885 was placed on the retired list as The Government Committee on "unfit for service". Intelligence decided to slash Kell's budget and staff and to Prior to being subordinate MI5 under a new Home Office Civil Intelligence appointed to run the Directorate led by Special Branch's Sir Basil Thomson in January Secret Service 1919. The powerful partnership of MI5 and Special Branch had Bureau (SSB), he managed counterintelligence and subversives during the war, but was working on that was suddenly thrown into disarray. These bureaucratic boom defences in intrigues happened at the very moment when the Irish abstentionist Bursledon on the party Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were River Hamble. launching their own independence campaign. In 1909, Major Vernon Kell became director of the new Secret Cumming and SIS (then MI1(c)) organized a new espionage unit in Intelligence Bureau (SIB). In 1911, the various security organizations Ireland in mid-1920 called the Dublin District Special Branch.