Front Cover: ‘AddisonAvenue-LateAutumnSun’paintedbyCliveWilson.FindoutmoreaboutKensington’slocalartistonpage57
Editor: EmmaJuhasz([email protected])
Designer: NickoDalton(www.nickodalton.net)
Printed by: KelsoGraphicsLLP,TheKnowes,KelsoTD57BH
The objects of the Society are to preserve and improve the
amenitiesofKensingtonforthepublicbenefitbystimulating
interestinitshistoryandrecords,promotinggoodarchitecture
and planning in its future development, and by protecting,
preservingandimprovingitsbuildings,openspacesandother
featuresofbeautyorhistoricinterest.
RegisteredCharityNo.267778
23 St James’s Gardens, London W11 4RE
www.kensingtonsociety.org
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN:AmandaFrame
VICECHAIRMAN:RobinPrice
HON.SECRETARY:LovedayWaymouth
HON.TREASURER&LICENSING:AnthonyLee
PLANNINGCHAIRMAN,ENVIRONMENT&TRANSPORT:MichaelBach
MEMBERSHIPSECRETARY:AngelaDarwinJP
EVENTS:GillFoley
GAMBLINGPOLICY:CharlesLutyens
K&CPARTNERSHIP:CeliaRees-Jenkins,OBE
GeorgeWightman
DianneGabitass
PATRON
HisRoyalHighnessTheDukeofGloucester,KG,GCVO
PRESIDENT
SirRonaldArculusKCMG,KCVO
VICE-PRESIDENTS
TheRt.Hon.TheEarlofSnowdon,GCVO
GeneralTheLordRamsbothamofKensingtonGCB,CBE
BarnabusBrunner
PeterDeVereHunt
SusanLockhart
RobertMartin
RobertMeadows
MichaelMiddleton,CBE
HenryMorgan
GeorgePole
TheHon.LauraPonsonby
ArthurFarrandRadley,MBE
MartinStarkie
SirAngusStirling
MichaelWinner
COUNCIL
CONTENTS
FromthePresident................................................................. Page 4
AGM2008............................................................................. Page 7
Chairman’sReport.................................................................. Page 10
Obituaries............................................................................... Page 14
RestorationofLeightonHouseMuseumFEATURE................ Page 18
Planningin2008.................................................................... Page 24
HowNottingHillgotofftoaRacingStartFEATURE............. Page 30
NorthKensingtonEnvironmentProject.................................... Page 36
EnvironmentAwardScheme2008.......................................... Page 38
Kensington&ChelseaPartnership.......................................... Page 40
KensingtonSocietyPrize......................................................... Page 41
LegendsoftheBoroughFEATURE........................................ Page 42
ReportsfromLocalSocieties.................................................... Page 47
PortraitofaLocalArtistFEATURE........................................ Page 57
Events..................................................................................... Page 60
Licensingin2008.................................................................... Page 62
Casinosin2008...................................................................... Page 63
Accounts&Constitution......................................................... Page 64
Advertisements....................................................................... Page 66
BoundaryMap........................................................................ Page 76
� 5
FROMTHEPRESIDENT
UNFINIShED BUSINESS
The Council recently asked what kind of Kensington residents wanted to see
develop in future.Theyhavealsobeenconsulting
onsomespecificpolicyareas,namelyairquality,
noise, subterranean development, tall buildings
and the future of the Commonwealth Institute,
whichisaGradeII*listedbuilding.
It is easier to say what we do not want, than
to formulate wishes or expectations about the
future.ObviouslywewanttokeeptheKensington
of terraces, villas, squares andparks as intact as
possible, especially in our extensive conservation
areas and to steer new development and
refurbishmentinanacceptabledirection.
Thereare lessons tobedrawnfromtheexperienceofothers.Mywifeand Ihave
been lucky enough to live in some outstanding countries and cities which have
some interestingandrelevantaspects.Forexample, in Italymosttownsandmany
villageshavedefined‘historiccentres’,mainlytraffic-free.Inthesezonesalmostno
developmentisallowed,onlymaintenanceofwhatisthere.
Francehassomegoodexamplesofpedestrianisation.InParisitself,heightandother
restrictionshavepreserved thegrandsystemofwideboulevardsandurbanvistas,
andconfinedtallbuildingslargelytotheclusteratLaDéfense.IntheUnitedStates,
Washington D.C., a planned city layout, has height and other stylistic restrictions
whichpreservethehistoricareasandimportantnationalbuildings.InNewYork,old-
styleskyscrapersareinaclusterinLowerMidtownManhattan,thenglassbuildings
together in Midtown and now post-modern buildings beyond. Attractive rows of
brownstone houses have survived, as have parks. In Rome the historic centre is
preservedandpedestrianisedandnearly all traffic excluded. In this country a few
notable places have retained much of their character, at least in the centre, e.g.
Oxford,Cambridge,Bath,York,ChesterandCheltenham.
TurningnowtoourKensington,wedonotwantconspicuouslytallbuildings,norones
thatdonotfitinandclashwithlocalstyles(e.g.glasshousesorconcretefortresses).
Weresistexcessivedevelopmentwhichdoesnotrespecttheneighbourhood,orthe
neighbours themselves.
We want restriction
of nuisances, such as
excessive noise and
dust, damage to other
properties, prolonged
disruptionofourfootpaths
andstreets,obstructionby
skipsblockingparkingfor
longperiods.Themodern
tendency is to make
radicalalterationstoflats
or houses on change of
ownership.Itisnolonger
a case of just repainting
and minor changes. It is
noteasytoobtaincompensationfordamagescausedbydevelopers.Wesimplydo
notknowyettowhatextentdeepexcavationisharmfultowaterflowsanddrainage,
thoughthereisanecdotalevidenceofparchedorfloodedgardensasthecasemay
be,ofcrackingmasonryanddyingtrees.
Wearealsonot freeof traffic congestiondespitebeing in theWesternExtension
of the Congestion Charge Zone, though this is going to be changed in 2010, it
appears.InparticularwedonotwanttoseeourHighStreetwitherawaybecauseof
competitionfromthehugenewshoppingcentreattheoldWhiteCitysiteinaddition
tothegeneralrecession.Wewantourresidentialstreetsfreefromrowdyismdueto
street-drinkingwhichhasbeenencouragedbythenon-smokingrules.
Sir Ronald Arculus
Kensington high Street‘…wewanttokeeptheKensington
ofterraces,villas,squaresandparks
asintactaspossible…’
Phot
ogra
ph c
ourt
esy
of J
W R
oger
s
6 7
The foregoing are general considerations but there are many individual problems
outstandingattheyearend.SomeexamplesareHollandParkSchoolredevelopment,
plansforExhibitionRoad,SouthKensingtonStation,futureoftheCommonwealth
Institutebuilding,futureofthecongestionzone,errantcyclists,fastfoodeateninthe
street,chewinggum,consequencesoftheVicarageGatefailure,recyclingproblems,
undesirablechangesofuseofbuildingsandsoon…
AmandaFrameandherteamwillcertainlyhavetheirhandsfulldealingwithallthe
newproblemsthatwillarisein’09.TheygetthroughagreatdealofworkandIam
gratefultothemall.
Iwrite thisnecessarily at theendof the year coveredbyourAnnualReport.One
cannotforetellhoweventsmayevolveonthenationalandinternationalscene,and
whatnewproblemsmaycomeourway.Perhapssomeofthemoreambitiousandleast
desirableofdevelopmentswillneedtobepostponedorevencancelled!Meanwhile
letusallbethankfulforthemeritsandpleasuresoflifeinKensingtonandcontinue
todoourbittohelpmakeitliveable.
ANewYearwish…
thatarchitects,plannersanddeveloperswouldcomeforwardwithdesignsfor
modernbuildingswhichmanagetoembellishourtownratherthandefaceit.
Sir ronald arculuS
ANNUALGENERALMEETING2008
The 55th Annual General Meeting of The Kensington Society was held at the Kensington Close hotel on 9 April 2008.TheMayor,CllrAndrewDalton,opened
proceedings with rousing words in praise of the Society. He was followed by our
President,SirRonaldArculus,whowelcomedeveryone-theguests,membersand
therepresentativesofouraffiliatedlocalsocieties.
SirRonaldthenpresentedTheKensingtonSocietySchoolPrizes.Theentriesthisyear
fromYear10pupilsweresoevenlymatchedinexcellencethatthejudgeshaddecided
tosplitboththefirstprizeandthesecondprize.Thefirstprizewassharedbetween
CelesteCourtenayandAmilMeckinoftheLycéeFrançaisCharlesdeGaulle,whilethe
secondprizewassharedbetweenJuliaSidonoftheLycée,andElshadaiEjereofthe
SionManningSchool.RobinPricereportedthatsincetheExecutiveCommitteefelt
thatapauseisneededtodecideonthefuturedirectionofthecompetition,noprizes
wouldbeofferedfor2009.Thejudgeswerewarmlythankedfortheirwork.
The guest speaker was David Prout, Executive Director of Planning and Borough
Development.HistopicswereindeedplanningandBoroughdevelopment,subjects
ofintenseinteresttoourmembers,judgingbytheimpressivenumbersattendingthe
meetingandthekeenresponseandeagerquestioningafterhistalk.
‘�…wedonotwantconspicuouslytall
buildings,noronesthatdonotfitin
andclashwithlocalstyles…’
The Mayor: Cllr Andrew Dalton, Sir Ronald Arculus, Robin Price
All
pict
ures
cou
rtes
y of
J W
Rog
ers
8 9
MrProutbeganbysettingouttheCouncil’s
overarching aims: namely, to preserve the
best buildings in the Borough, to protect
andpromoteanappropriatemixofuses,to
create a legacy of top quality architecture
and to promote regeneration in the north
of the Borough. He briefly described his
teamandthescopeoftheiroperations,and
thenmovedontopresentandfuturepolicy
developments. He made his subject come
alivebyillustratingitwithexamplesof issues
andbuildingswithwhichmanyofusarefamiliar.Hispresentationwasfollowedby
questionsfrommembers,whoclearlywelcomedthechancetomeetMrProutandquiz
himclosely.SirRonaldthenthankedMrProutonbehalfofusall.Theaudiencewas
thoroughlyengagedbytheseissues,soimportanttoallwholiveintheBorough.
SirRonald,asPresident,presidedovertherestofthebusinessofthemeeting.The
minutesof theAGM2007were confirmedand theAnnual Report andAccounts
secondedandadopted.TheresignationofMrsCarolynStarren(EditoroftheAnnual
Report)wasreportedandregretted.AlltheotherexistingmembersoftheExecutive
Committeewerere-electedunopposed.
Robin Price, as Chairman, reported on
the highlights of the Society’s work
duringtheyear.Hespokebrieflyabout
the Royal Borough’s Commission on
Retail Conservation, the future of the
Commonwealth Institute, Exhibition
Road and the traffic gyratory system
around South Kensington Station,
Heathrow expansion, the Mayor of
London’s powers, Notting Hill Gate
refurbishment,theStCharles’sHospital
site,andtheVicarageGateCareHome.
All these issues would continue to be
addressedbytheSociety.
Amanda Frame, Chairman of the Planning
Committee, followed with an analysis of
the potential threats that stem from the
Government’s intentiontochangeplanning
lawsand theSociety’s current andplanned
actions to mitigate or prevent any adverse
effectonKensington.
GillFoley,EventsSecretary,outlinedtheevents
planned for the coming year. She thanked
everyonewhohadjoinedtheSocietyinthe
pastandencouragedallmemberstobringa
friendalongtooneofthefutureevents.
AnthonyLeereportedonlicensingissues.Heoutlinedthemainpracticaleffectsof
the2003Actandwhatresidentscandotocounternoiseandnuisancefromlicensed
premises.Hestressedthatresidentsarenotpowerlessandthataconcertedeffortby
neighbourslivingwithin100metrescanbringbeneficialchange.
ThemeetingwasclosedbySirRonaldArculusat8.30pm.
loVEdaY WaYMouTH
Amanda Frame, Chairman of the Planning Committee
Mr Prout, Guest Speaker
Robin Price, Chairman
10 11
CHAIRMAN’SREPORT
i write this report for the first time as Chairman.IntheMayExecutiveCommittee
meetingRobinPriceretiredasChairmanafter
seven fantastic years of leadership. Robin
was subsequently elected Vice-Chairman
and,fortunatelyforme,continuestooffer
his advice and guidance in all matters.
Michael Bach became the Chairman of
Planning whilst continuing his role with
environmentalandtransportissues.Icannot
expresshowfortunatetheSocietyistohave
someonesoknowledgeableandprofessional
toaddress themassivelycomplexplanning
issuesbeforeus.
Within thisReport isRobinPrice’sobituaryofEthneRudd.Wemisshergreatly in
theExecutiveCommitteemeetingsandwewereallshockedandsaddenedbyher
unexpecteddeath.
GillFoley,asEventsSecretary,organisedseveralwonderfultoursin2008,includinga
memorablevisittotheGovernment’sArtCollection.ThetourofDavidLinley’sstudio
inmid-Marchissold-out;however,thereisstillavailabilityontripstoEtonCollege
andSavillGardeninMayandFulhamPalaceinJuly.Thefullprogrammeiswithinthe
Report.Wedohopeyoucanjoinusononeofthesefunandinformativetrips.
MichaelBach’sreportoutlinesthemanyissueswehavefacedontheplanningfront.
Therehavebeenover3,500planningapplicationsthisyearinKensingtonandChelsea,
with the lion’s share in Kensington. Applications for subterranean developments
continueandtheyconcernusall.Thechangeofuseofcommercialofficesandflats
tolargesingle-familyhousespromisesafutureofaluxurybedroomcommunity.The
quantityofmajorplanningapplicationshasincreased.Ontopofallthistherehave
beenthemultipleconsultationsondraftSupplementaryPlanningDocumentsandthe
LocalDevelopmentFramework(LDF).
YourSocietyhas commentedon the consultationdocument“Heathrow–Adding
Capacity” in February. We sent out an email alert to all members whose email
addresswehave,askingforyourparticipation.Wehavealsoactivelylobbiedthenew
MayorofLondonandourMPagainstthisunnecessary,unacceptableandpotentially
environmentally-damaginganddangerousexpansion.
The Council’s Commission on Retail Conservation reported in May 2007: of its
5� recommendations, all but nine were supported by the Council. Many will be
incorporated into the LDF and its supporting documents. The Council has finally
appointed its Town Centre Initiatives Manager. Robin Price, as one of the Retail
Commissioners,alongwithMichaelBach,continuestomeetwithCouncilofficersto
ensurethattheCommission’srecommendationsarefullydischarged.Theretention
andenhancementofretailmixremainsanimportantitemonTheSociety’sagenda,
particularlyinrelationtovulnerableareassuchasPortobelloRoad,GolborneRoad,
KensingtonHighStreetandBromptonRoad.
We were delighted to be invited to comment on the draft design proposals for
Kensington Palace. The proposal is to modify the east front in order therefore to
makeitmorevisibleandaccessibletothegeneralpublic.Thisalsohasthefortunate
Amanda Frame
The Society is actively lobbying against heathrow’s expansion
12 13
doublepurposeofreturningthePalacetowardsitsoriginalappearance.Wehopeto
beinvolvedinthecontinuingconsultationprocess.
On12December thePlanning Inspector - followingseveralpublic inquiriesbefore
PlanningInspectorsandtogetherwithCourtaction-finallyruledontheappealbythe
luxuryhousingdeveloper,Northacre,forthechangeofuseofVicarageGateHome,
inVicarageGateHouse, to luxuryhousing.Theappealagainst refusalofplanning
consentwasallowed.TheSocietyhasconsistentlysupportedtheCouncilandlocal
residents in their view that the site should be retained for social and community
use (i.e. for care home use). Councillor Christopher Buckmaster (withRobin Price
representingtheSociety)ledtheoppositiontogetherwiththeCouncil’sQC.Intheend
theInspectorruledthattheUDPdidnotsupporttherefusalandthattheprovisionof
tenaffordablehousingunits,alongwiththepaymentof£2millionbythedevelopers,
wouldoffset the lossof thecarehome.However, the judgementbythe Inspector
raisedsomekey issueswhichcalled intoquestionfundamentalclausesoftheUDP
andtheCouncilhasdecidedtorefertheInspector’srulingtotheHighCourt.Thusthe
issueremainsopen.
Ihopethatallofyoureceivedournewlyformattednewsletter inOctober.Weare
pleasedwiththepositiveresponse.EmmaJuhaszhassteppedinasourneweditorof
theAnnualReport.Iamsureallofyouwillagreethattheupdatedlookonrecycled
paperisfantastic.
EveryyeartheChairman’sreportendswiththepleafornewmembers.Ourmembership
hasincreasedovertheyearasmoreresidentshavebecomeawareofthesupportwe
canofferonplanningmatters.However,at theJulyExecutiveCommitteemeeting
anincreaseto£15fortheindividualmembershipwasagreed.Thesubscriptionhad
notchangedinover20yearsandwiththerisingcostofprintingandstamps,and
ourincreasingactivity,thishadbecomenecessary.Aseparatenotificationwithinthe
newsletteraskedmemberstochangetheirBanker’sOrdertotheSociety,orbetter
still,takeoutaDirectDebit.Mayweaskmemberstobesurethattheydoso.
I wish to end my first Chairman’s report with a note of thanks to the Executive
Committee.Thebi-monthlymeetingsarealwayswellattendedandlively.Wemove
intothechallengesof2009ingoodspirit.
aManda FraME Chairman
‘�…Therehavebeenover3,500planning
applicationsthisyearinKensington
andChelsea,withthelion’ssharein
Kensington.…’
Portobello Market: Retail mix remains an important issue for The Society
Pict
ure
cour
tesy
of
RBK
C P
ress
Off
ice
1� 15
OBITUARIES
All through 2008 her many friends and neighbours hoped Belinda would make her century and when she did so, it was amid general rejoicing. Properly known
asMrsEdwardNormanButler,shewasBelindatoallofus.
WewereallgreatlysaddenedbyherdeathonBoxingDay,
but she would, I am sure, want us to remember her for
her achievements and to follow her example in actively
supportingsomanygoodcauses.
Herownlistofchairmanshipsandcommitteeswaslengthy,
but like many high achievers she somehow found the
time for them all. She was proud of being Thackeray’s
great-granddaughter and of her other family connections
intheworldofculture.Onhermother’sside,shewasset
anexamplebyCharlesBoothof theBoothShippingLine,
whousedhiswealthinthealleviationofpovertyandshewroteofthisinherbook
Victorian Aspirations.Shehadaverystrongsocialconscience.
Belindahadavariedtimeinherearlyyears,livinginChelsea,WareandBrusselsand,
aftermarriage,Kensington.ShefirstmetEdwardatCambridge,thenagaininHenley
andtheyweremarriedin1931atStMartin-in-the-Fields,London.WhenEdwardwentoff
totheWar,BelindamovedtoCambridgewhereherdaughter,Catherine,wasborn.
It was after the War that Belinda spotted the house on St Alban’s Grove in a
dilapidatedstate.ShejoinedEdwardinbelongingtotheGeorgianGroupandbecame
anearlymemberofTheKensingtonSociety;shejoinedinthestrugglesindefenceof
KensingtonSquareandHollandHouse.
In1958,shehelpedFrankPakenhamsetuptheNewBridge,anorganisationtohelp
ex-prisonersfindwork.
Sadlyin1963Edwarddied,agedonly56.Belindaplungedintomanyactivitiestohelp
herovercometheshockofherearlyloss.ShesucceededEdwardintheKensington
Housing Trust and in the Nightingale Trust (nurses). She was an active member
of Campden charities; she became a governor of several schools and of the Arts
EducationalTrust.ShewasalsooneoftheselectorsofcandidatesfortheVoluntary
ServiceOverseas(VSO).
Ihaveleftmusicuntilthelastbecauseitwasalife-longinterest,andperhapsherbest
andmost lastingachievement.Hernanny introducedher tomusicatanearlyage
and,alongwithhertwosisters,shesanginthechoirofStMartin-in-the-Fields.Then
sheattendedandstudiedmusicatMrsIronside’sSchool,afterwhichshewenttothe
ConservatoireinBrusselsandin1920totheRoyalCollegeofMusic(RCM),where
shestudiedpianoandviola-oneofhertutorswasRalphVaughanWilliams.Later
shesangformanyyearsintheBachChoir.ShealsobecameagovernorofthePurcell
SchoolofMusicandorganisedconcerts. In1969, shebeganhermajorprojectof
settingupmusicscholarshipsintheEnglishSpeakingUnion(ESU).Thiswaslaunched
at Tanglewood Music Centre in Massachusetts, the summer school of the Boston
SymphonyOrchestra,andin1975NigelKennedywasthefirstpersontobeselected
forthescholarship.
IhadsomeexperienceofherworkwhenIattendedmeetingstoorganiseamajor
fundraising event to benefit the ESU scheme. Belinda was a persuasive chairman
andcarriedothersalongwithherthroughherownenthusiasm,ratherthanbymore
forcefulbutlesseffectivetactics;sheachievedresults.Shealwaysnourishedherlove
ofmusicandremainedclosetotheRCMandthePurcellSchool.Inlateryears,she
wasa familiarfigure in theaudienceat localmusicalevents, includingconcertsat
Christ’sChurch,VictoriaRoadwhereshewasaregularworshipper.
OurmostabidingmemoryofBelindawillperhapsbeofherlastoccasionwhenwe
calledonherforteaathome.Shetookusintothediningroomandshowedusthe
variousitemsofThackeraymemorabiliathatshehadcarefullypreservedandtoldus
whereeachonewouldeventuallygoinordertoensuretheirsurvivalinappropriate
places.Overtea,welookedoutoverthegardenwhichshehadlovinglycreatedand
hadshownofftovisitorswhentheflowerswereattheirbest.
We all have our own ways of remembering her lively personality and varied
achievements.TheKensingtonSocietywasparticularlygratefultoherforhersupport
overtheyearsandforsharingherin-depthknowledgeofKensington.Ireferredin
arecentAnnualReportofhergreatsenseofhistoryandphenomenalmemory.On
behalfofallourmembers,Iexpressourdeepsympathytothefamilyintheirlossofa
trulyremarkablemotherandgrandmother;andourmostsinceregratitudeforallshe
didfortheKensingtonsheloved.Personally,Iwouldliketoaddthanksforthefine
exampleshegaveusofhowtogrowoldgracefully.
Sir ronald arculuS
BELINDA NORMAN BUTLER (1908–2008)
16 17
privateministerialmeetingwithChrisSmith,thethenSecretaryofState-thetidewas
eventually turned. TheGovernment tacitly acknowledged itsmistake, by diverting
themainproject toHyde Park. The existing children’s playground to thenorthof
thePalacewasenhancedandenlargedandaDianamemorialwalkwaywascreated.
Throughout,TheKensingtonSocietyhadinsistedthatitsoppositionwastothesite,
not toamemorial inprinciple.ThroughEthne’senergyanddetermination,Robert
Vigar’s able chairmanship of the public meetings, and the skilful and diplomatic
representationbySirRonaldArculus,anacceptablebalancehadbeenreached.
Ethnewasenormousfuntoworkwith.Ifsometimesunpredictable,butthatwaspart
oftheadventureofknowingher,anditwascertainlypartofhercreativity.Shewas
warm,cheerful,friendlyandpractical,withasplendidsenseofhumour;andinher
own inimitable,generousandcheerfullydeterminedway, a tremendous successor
totheformidableGayChristiansen.Aboveall,EthnewasprofoundlyChristianand
indeedashininglighttousall.Shewasunique.Wesharedinherenergy.Weareall
gratefultohaveknownher.Wemissherhugely.
robin PricE
The Kensington Society regrets to announce the deaths of the following members during the last year:
Mrs h C Gilbert HerhusbandwasaLifemembersince1972andshetookoverhismembershipwhenhedied.
Miss M Turner Amembersince1999
R Wurtzburg Esq Amembersince1991andhiswidowhastakenoverhismembership.
Dr A Dornhorst, FRCP Alifemembersince1983
Miss E F Penelope hawkes Amembersince1970
James T N MacNair Amembersince198�
h M Coutts-Trotter AlifemembersincetheSocietywasfoundedin195�
OBITUARIES
Ethne Rudd, honorary Secretary of the Society 1995-2007, died peacefully on 6 July 2008, surrounded by her family.
BorninKensington,thethirdoffivegirls,
EthnewaseducatedatQueen’sGate in
Kensington,CheltenhamLadies’College
andStAnne’sCollegeOxford-whereshe
met her future husband, Anthony. For
25 years she was a London magistrate
-where shewaschairman in theAdult
and Family Courts, and of the Betting
andGamingTribunal.Shewasanactive
memberofStMaryAbbotsandaleading
memberof itsparochialchurchcouncil.
Along with her husband, she edited,
re-organisedandenlarged theexcellent
parishmagazine.Trulya‘Kensingtonian’,
sheevenhadadogcalledKensington-
‘Kensie’forshort–whoalmostbecame
theSociety’smascot.Sheevenensured,
withcharacteristicdeterminationthathermuch-lovedfamilyoffourchildrenand12
grandchildren,endeduplivingwithinhalfamileofeachotherinKensington.
Asourever-cheerful,ebullientandactiveHonorarySecretaryfor13years,shewas
very much the public face of The Kensington Society - a role which she created,
fulfilled,andhugelyenjoyed.
Shewasagiver,andinherowndescription,adoer.Memberswillespeciallyrecallher
relentlesscampaignagainsttheGovernment’smisguidedproposalsin1997tocover
themuch-usedandmuch-lovedgreenspaces,facingthesouthfrontofKensington
Palacewitha£10million,27acregarden inmemoryofDiana,PrincessofWales.
Respondingtothealarmofresidents,Ethneorganised,whatbecameanoverflowing
andemphatic,publicmeetinginKensingtonTownHall–over1,000peopleattended
themeetinginJune1998,undeterredbytorrentialrainandatubestrike.Byfurther
campaigningandbyenlistingtheaidofKensington’sMP,AlanClark-whoarrangeda
EThNE RUDD (1929–2008)
Ethne and Kensie
Cou
rtes
y of
Tim
es N
ewsp
aper
Ltd
18 19
Frederic Leighton (1830-1896) was the only person to live in the house that he built on holland Park Road. He was involved at every
stage of its construction and it was completed
in the late 1860s, but the house continued to
evolve throughout the thirtyyears thatLeighton
was in residence. At the time of his death in
1896,his ‘PrivatePalaceofArt’wasoneof the
mostextraordinaryhouses in London,notonly for its architectural anddecorative
character,butalsofortherangeandqualityofthefineanddecorativeartcollections
thatfilledit.Thegreattragedyofthehouseremainsthesaleanddisbursementof
thesecontentsatChristie’sinthesummerfollowingLeighton’sdeath.Inanumber
of instances, thehousehadbeen specificallydesigned todisplay certainworksof
art, thecollectionandhousefusingtogethertoformanaestheticwhole.The loss
ofthecontentsresultedinthelossofthisconnection.Leighton’soriginaldecorative
schemesgraduallyerodedandweretotallyremovedduringrepairsandredecorations
madeinthe1950s,followingsubstantialbombdamageinWWII.Onlysincetheearly
1980shasthereinstatementofLeighton’soriginaldecorationgatheredpaceandthe
characteroftheinteriorsre-established.
However,researchcompletedforanewguidebooktothehousein2005,confirmed
thatinmanyareasthecurrentpresentationwasreallyonlyanapproximationofhow
theinteriorshadoriginallybeenpresented.Muchcouldbedonetorecreatethehouse’s
formerspectacularappearance.Originalreportsinspecialistarchitecturaljournalsand
the general press of the time have been an invaluable source. Their articles were
almostakintothefeatureswemightreadtodayinHellomagazine,astheywould
At the end of October 2008, Leighton house Museum closed for a period of 12 months restoration and refurbishment.Theprojectistheresultofasurveyofthebuildingcarriedoutin2006,whichrecognisedthattheelectricalwiringthroughoutthehousewasinneedofrenewal,aswerethefireandintruderdetectionsystems.Theantiquatedheatingsystemwasalsoidentifiedascreatinganunsuitableenvironmentforpaintings.Whilethesepracticalconsiderationswilltakeupthebulkoftheproject’scostsandcomplexities,thereisalsoauniqueopportunitytoreturnthehousetoanewlevelofauthenticity.
THERESTORATIONOFLEIGHTONHOUSEMUSEUM
FEATURE
‘�Atthetimeofhisdeathin1896,his
‘PrivatePalaceofArt’wasoneofthe
mostextraordinaryhousesinLondon…’
All
pict
ures
Cou
rtes
y of
Lei
ghto
n H
ouse
Mus
eum
20 21
The result has been to confirm that the decoration in the house was even more
extraordinary.Accordingtocontemporaryarticles,thefloorboardsinthediningroom
anddrawingroomwerepaintedredandbluerespectively.Noobvioustracesurvived
butwhensomeoftheboardswereliftedineachroom,pigmentwasstillvisiblewhere
ithadrundownthesides.Severalotherdescriptionsdrewparticularattentiontothe
domeof theArabHall.Themostspectacular interior in thehouse, thedomewas
coveredoriginally ingold leaf,whichwas illuminatedby sunlight coming through
themanycolouredglasswindowssetintoit.Post-warre-paintingcoveredoverthe
gilding,losingthisstunningeffect.Someofthegildinghasbeenrediscovered,but
inaverypoorcondition,sothedomewillnowbere-gildedasthecentrepieceofthe
restorationproject.
includealightinterviewwiththe
owner of the house, together
withdetaileddescriptionsoftheir
home, supported by carefully
posedphotographs.While these
articlesoftenprovidesurprisingly
detailed information on each
roomand itsdecor,theproblem
is in how they describe colour.
At thebestof times, colour is a
notoriouslysubjectivecommodity
andthepassageoftimedoesn’thelpinhowweinterpretandcharacteriseitnow.For
example,thecolourofthelargescreeninLeighton’sstudioisdescribedinjustasingle
source,asbeinga ‘peculiarblue’–nota reference likely toappearonastandard
colour-chart!Thesilkroomwaslinedin‘awarm,fadedleaf-greensilk’,thedining
roomin‘cigar-tintedcloth’.Whiletheseprovidecruciallyimportantinformation,itis
farfromdefinitiveandeachcouldbeinterpretedtoachieveverydifferentresults.The
manyphotographsoftheinteriors
are,ofcourse,allinblackandwhite
anddonothelpclarifymatters.
Inordertotakeourunderstanding
further,therefore,we’veemployed
anarchitecturalpaintspecialist.The
scienceandsophisticationofpaint
analysis has grown enormously,
even since the early 1980s when
therestorationofthehousebegan.
Whereoncepaintworkmighthave
beenscratchedatandthe‘original’
colour identified beneath; today
samples are taken, then analysed
microscopicallytoworkoutthecomplexitiesofthevarious layersofprimingcoats
andfinishesbeneath.Manyareasofthehousehavebeensampledinordertotest
someoftheroomdescriptionsandinsomeinstancestore-visitsomeofthedecisions
madeinthe1980srestorations.
‘��…whenLeightonHousereopenstothe
publicattheendof2009,itwilllookcloser
tohowLeightonhimselfleftitthanatany
pointinthelasthundredyears…’
Arab hall, 1890
Silk Room, 1890
The dome in the Arab hall
22 23
Whiletheoriginalfurnishingsforthehousewereallsoldanddispersed.Someselective
re-furnishingofthehousewillalsobeundertaken.Inaddition,theinteriorsarealso
goingtobeenhancedbytheintroductionofnewsoftfurnishingsthroughout.Based
ondetailedanalysisoftheoriginalphotographs,inmanyinstancesthetypeoftextiles
andeventhepatternedfabricscanbeidentified.Allthiswillgoalongwaytosoftening
thepresentationofthehouseasamuseumandenhancingitsdomesticcharacter.
Ifallgoestoplan,whenLeightonHousereopenstothepublicattheendof2009,it
willlookclosertohowLeightonhimselfleftit,thanatanypointinthelasthundred
years-oncemorebecomingoneofthemostspectacularinteriorsinLondon.
daniEl robbinS SeniorCurator,LeightonHouseMuseum
Leighton’slibraryonthegroundfloor,builtaspartoftheextensionof1877-1880,
wasthelastoftheinteriorstoberestoredinthelate1980s:reinstatingaterracotta
schemewithayellowceiling.Revisitingtheanalysisofthisroom,hasrevealedthat
predating the terracotta was a sage-green. An article on the house, published in
theAustraliandailynewspaper,The Argus in1883,confirmedthatthe libraryhad
beena‘sobersage-green’.Intheabsenceofanyindicationofthisbeingchangedin
Leighton’slifetime,thisistheschemethatwillbereintroduced.Inthediningroom,the
largeredceilingbeamswereredecoratedintheearly1980s.Newarchitecturalpaint
analysishasconfirmedthatthecurrentcolour isaperfectmatchtotheundercoat
colouroftheoriginalschemeandnotthefinishcolour!
The servants’ staircase has always been in use by the museum staff, but not the
public.Wehopetochangethis,astheyarepartoftheoriginalhistoricfabricofthe
buildingandhelpusunderstandhowitfunctioned.Notonlyweretheyfrequentedby
servants,butbythemodelswhoposedforLeightoninhisstudio.Ratherthanbeing
paintedinadullpracticalbrown,analysishasfoundthatthestaircasewaspaintedin
astrikingPrussianblue.
Plans and drawings of Leighton house extension, Building News, 1880
‘��Newarchitecturalpaintanalysishas
confirmedthatthecurrentcolour
isaperfectmatchtotheundercoat
colouroftheoriginalschemeand
notthefinishcolour!’
2� 25
TheissueofsubterraneandevelopmenthasbeenaconcernoftheSocietyforthelast
twoyears.WeweredisappointedbytheArupreport,largelybecausetheycouldonly
adviseonengineeringandgeologicalissuesanddidnotdealwiththewiderplanning
considerations.TheCouncil’sdraftSPDdoescoverwiderissues,butthewholeissue
hasbeenobfuscatedby theuncertaintycreatedby theGovernmentwidening the
rangeofdevelopmentsthatdonotrequireplanningconsent.Whereaspreviouslyall
undergrounddevelopment, includingextensions,requiredconsent,somemaynow
notneedconsent.Ratherthanmakethingssimpler,theissueisnowmorecomplex.
London Plan: Following the election of a new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson,
inMay,hehasconsultedonproposalstorevisetheLondonPlan.Issuesthataffect
Kensington include affordable housing, density and tall buildings, which we will
monitorclosely.
This has been a very busy year.Notonlyhasthetherebeenaverylargenumberof
planningapplicationstoreview,buttherehavebeenanumberofmajorconsultations,
majorapplicationsandsignificantissuesthatwehavehadtoaddress.
CONSULTATIONS Local Development Framework (LDF):TheCouncilhasbeenpreparing itsnew-
styledevelopmentplanandhashadtwomajorconsultationexercisesduringtheyear:
anInterimIssuesandOptionsreportinFebruaryandinJulyontheCoreStrategyand
NorthKensingtonPlan.Thisamountstoarethinkingabouthowwewantthingsto
developandwherewewanttogettooverthenexttenyears.TheSocietymadeafull
responsetobothofthesedocuments.WhilewelcomingtheCouncilspellingoutthe
visionandstrategyforplanningforthefuture,wewereconcernedaboutthescaleof
changeproposedinNorthKensington.
Supplementary Planning Documents:TosupporttheexistingUDPandtheemerging
LDF, the Council has produced a number of supplementary planning documents
(SPDs)onTransport,SubterraneanDevelopment,TallBuildings,theCommonwealth
Institute,NoiseandAirQuality.Wehavecommentedonallofthese.
The Society is concerned about the
SPD on tall buildings because, even
though much of the Borough would
be protected from them because they
wouldberesistedinconservationareas,
there appears to be some enthusiasm
for creating ‘landmark’buildings at all
the ‘gateways’ to the Borough along
thewesternboundary.Thiswouldseem
to include not only the ‘Tesco Tower’,
but tallbuildings (watchtowers?)atall
theother‘gateways’.Thereseemstobe
apresumptionthatalandmarkbuilding
isneeded,andthatitneedstobetall.
PLANNINGIN2008
Underground work at The Boltons with loss of pedestrian access to the pavement
View of the holiday Inn from Victoria Road
26 27
expressedconcernshavebeenmade:thatthe
scheme should be conservation-led, that it
shouldretainthebuildingsinThurloeTerrace,
not includebuildingsthatwouldexceedthe
generalheightoftheareaandincludestep-
free access to the platforms, as an integral
partofthescheme,buttheyseemreluctant
to constrain their consultants’ ideas for the
site.Theysay,however,theyarelistening.
Natural history Museum: There has been
growingconcernabouttheincreaseduseof
thelawnsinfrontofthe(Grade-Ilisted)Natural
History Museum for erecting structures for
housing events. Few are directly associated
withtheMuseumandoftennotopentothe
public.LastyeartheEastLawnwasoccupied
fornearly90%oftheyearbystructuresbeing
erected,inuseorbeingbrokendown.Though
theSocietyunderstandstheMuseum’sdesire
toraisemoney,weandotherlocalgroupsare
concerned that these temporary uses have
become excessive and are damaging to the
settingoftheMuseum.
ISSUES:Flooding:FollowingthefloodinginJuly2007,wehavebecomeveryawareoftherisk
offlooding,notsomuchfromtheThames,butfromstormsewersthatcannotcope
withrapidrun-off.TheCounter’sCreeksewerthatrunsdownthewesternboundary
oftheBorough,causedparticularproblems,withmanypropertiesintheHollandand
Norlandwardshavingtheirbasementsflooded.SincethenThamesWaterhavebeen
unabletocommitthemselvesto increasingthecapacityofthestormsewerwithin
thenext15years,whichmeansthatthereisariskofflooding.Wehavesupported
localresidentsintheireffortstogetactionfromtheCounciland,throughourMP,Sir
MalcolmRifkind,tocompelThamesWatertotakeremedialaction.
MAJOR APPLICATIONS:Warwick Road sites:Atthebeginningof2008theCouncilissuedanewplanning
brief for fourof themajordevelopment sites alongWarwickRoadnorthofWest
CromwellRoad.Thebriefsoughttosecureacomprehensivedevelopment,including
openspaceandcommunityfacilities,aprimaryschool,andimprovementstoWarwick
Roaditself.However,thebriefencouragesveryhigh-densityschemes–higherthan
theirlocationwouldjustify–asthedevelopershavesoughttosqueezethemaximum
amountonthesites.Thebriefhassucceededingettingthedeveloperstoaddresssome
oftheissues,butonlyoneoftheschemessubmittedtodatehavebeenapproved.
100 West Cromwell Road (aka Tesco Tower):AfterbeingrejectedbytheCouncil
inJuly2007,hasbeenthesubjectofafurtherunsatisfactoryproposal.TheCouncil
hassoughttobreakthelogjambypreparingaplanningbriefforthissite.TheSociety
welcomesthisinitiative,butisconcernedthattheCouncilisstillproposingtoallow
the samedensityofdevelopmentas thepreviously rejected scheme, even though
itwouldbebuiltontopoftheexistingstructure–itwillstartfivefloorsupinthe
air.TheoptionsbeingofferedbytheCouncil
include the choice of towers 60m (197ft),
90m(295ft)or120m(39�ft)high–whenthe
lastschemethatwasrefusedwas93m(305ft)
high. The Society considers that the density
andheightshouldbereduced.
holland Park School:TheCouncil’sproposal
for a redevelopment involvingamuch taller
schoolbuildingandthedevelopmentof the
southern part of the site for high-income
markethousingwasapprovedbytheCouncil,
despite considerable local opposition. The
scheme may, however, experience problems
duetouncertaintyinthehousingmarket.
South Kensington Station:TransportforLondonhasrevivedthe ideaofamajor
newdevelopmentaboveSouthKensingtonStation.Anumberofthestationbuildings
have recently been listed, which should ensure a more sensitive development.
TfL have held several consultation meetings with residents, where some strongly-
View from the portico of the Natural history Museum
Existing holland Park School
South Kensington Station
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28 29
WeareconcernedthattheCouncilisdeciding
thesecontrarytotheirownpolicy.
Social and Community Uses: The Society
hasbeenveryconcernedalsoabouttheloss
ofbuildingsandsitesinhealthandeducation
usestomarkethousing,whentherearestill
unmetneeds for theseandothersocialand
communityuses.TheBoroughhaslostmany
suchsitesandbuildingsoverthelast20years,
which makes further losses very worrying.
WewerepleasedtoseethattheCouncilhas
developedanewapproachtothedisposalof
such sites, requiringowners todemonstrate
thatthepotentialforsocialandcommunityuseshasbeenexhaustedbeforetheyare
“lost”tohousing.ThisapproachwastakenintheplanningbriefforPrincessLouise
Hospital,butwehaveyettoseetheresult.
houses in Multiple Occupation:Bedsitshavetraditionallyprovidedoneofthefew
formsofaffordablehousingintheBorough,especiallyforpeopleworkinginsome
of the lower-paid sectors. Over the last few years the remaining stock has come
under pressure for conversion to large flats or single-family houses. Apart from a
significantlossofaffordablehousing,thelossoftheseunitshastobemadegoodby
buildingmorehousing.Weareconcernedthatthepressuresinthehousingmarket
areeliminatingthisusefulsourceofaffordablehousing.
Permitted Development: Finally, the Government, in an attempt to reduce the
amount of development requiring planning consent, has sought to “simplify”
planning:itnolongerrequiresapplicationsforcertaintypesofproposals,particularly
extensionstohouses.However,manyexistingcontrolswillremainforlistedbuildings
andthoseinconservationareas. Ifanything,thechangeshavecreateduncertainty
andamorecomplicatedratherthanasimplersystem.WehaveaskedtheCouncilto
providesomeguidancethatexplainshowthenewsystemwillworkinKensington.
MicHaEl bacH Chairman,Planning
South Kensington and Exhibition Road:The Council has redesigned the one-way
system around South Kensington Station,
which will remove the circuitous route for
drivers,redesignthespacetothesouthofthe
stationandgivepedestrianpriorityinThurloe
Place and the southern part of Exhibition
Road.Thisschemewillbecompletedbythe
endof2009.Inaddition,inpartnershipwith
WestminsterCityCouncilandtheMuseums,
the Council is promoting an innovative
streetscape scheme for Exhibition Road
whichwouldmakeExhibitionRoadnorthof
CromwellRoadasharedspace–aredesignedspacesharedbycarsandpedestrians.
TheSocietywelcomesboth theseprojectswhichwill createamuchmorecivilised
environmentforbothresidentsandthemillionsofvisitors.
Retail Commission: Kensington high Street v Westfield London:Followingthe
reportoftheCouncil’sRetailCommissionin2007,theSocietyhasmaintainedanactive
interestintheCouncil’seffortstotrytomanagethefutureofourshoppingcentres.
WeareparticularlypleasedthattheCouncilhascreatedanewposttopromotetown
centreinitiatives–oneofthekeyrecommendationsoftheCommission.Thisistimely,
giventheopeningofWestfieldLondonatWhiteCityattheendofOctober,whichis
expectedtotake10-15%ofKensingtonHighStreet’strade.
PCT healthcare in London:During2008NHSLondonconsultedonhowPrimary
Health Care could be delivered more efficiently, floating the idea of centralising
doctors in Polyclinics. In Kensington and Chelsea, St Charles Hospital has already
become the location for a Polyclinic; however it seems likely that this centralised
modelwillnotbeappropriatefortherestoftheBorough,wherehealthcentresare
beingconsideredasalesscentralisedsolution.
Small offices/large offices:TheSocietyisveryconcernedthatabout28,000sqm(over
300,000sqft)ofsmallofficeshavebeenconvertedtohousingsince2000,amounting
to the lossofabout2,500 jobs. Thehousingboomhas clearedawaymany small
offices.Meanwhile,theCouncilhasallowedlarge-scaleofficedevelopmentsinparts
oftheBoroughwithlowpublictransportaccessibility,suchastheFrestonRoadarea.
New design for Exhibition Road Large scale developments
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30 31
In 1933, E. Norman Butler, writing for Country Life, said that there were ‘few places of London as historically uninteresting as Notting hill’.Hegoesontodescribeitas,‘adingystreetofsecond-rateshopswhichcausesanirritatingbottle-neckonthewaytotheGreatWest’.NormanButlerdoesconcedethoughthatfrom1837to18�1,theareadidundergoaninterestingtransformation.Infact,thisperiodwasfundamentaltothearchitecturaldevelopmentoftheareaandevenheraldedoneoftheearliestexamplesofGardenTownPlanning.
WhenyouconsiderNottingHill’s imposinghousesand largegardens, it ishard to
believethattheyowetheirexistencetohorses.Intheearly19thCentury,NottingHill
used tobeapeacefulhamlet set in thecountryside,but in1837Mr JohnWhyte
ofBraceCottage,NottingHillacquired200acresofmeadowlandfromtheground
landlord,MrLadbroke,withtheintentionofbuildingaracecoursethatwasgrander
thanAscotorEpsom.Onthelandheconstructedanoval-shapedcourseoftwoand
aquartermiles,witha steeplechasecourseon theoutsideof the racecourse.The
landwastoppedbyNottingHill-onwhichnowstandsStJohn’sChurch,knownfor
alongtimeafterasTheHippodromeChurch–wherethepublicgatheredforviews
acrosstheracecourse.
HOWNOTTINGHILLGOTOFFTOARACINGSTART
All
pict
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cou
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RBK
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Stu
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Sec
tion Plan oF THE
HiPPodroME
(1837-1841)
It is recorded that only 13 meetings were staged with a total of 23 days’ racing
FEATURE
‘�WhenyouconsiderNottingHill’s
imposinghousesandlargegardens,
itishardtobelievethattheyowe
theirexistencetohorses.’
32 33
If local animosity was not enough to contend with, Whyte was also fighting the
elements. The racecourse’s foundationswere strong, clay soil andwhenever there
was heavy rain, the course turned into a bog. The publics’ carriages got stuck in
themudandtheracecoursebecametoodangerousforthehorsestoberiddenon.
Disgruntledpublicsworethey’dneverreturn,whileownersandjockeysalikerefused
torace.ItbecamealogisticalnightmareforWhytetoholdmeetingsandthroughout
TheHippodrome’sshorthistory(1837-18�1).Itisrecordedashavingstagedonly13
meetingswithatotalof23days’racing.
Theracecourseopenedon3June1837,withanattendanceofover13,000people
anditwasconsideredagreatsuccess-Sporting Magazinereportedatthetimethatit
was‘themostperfectracecourse’.However,allwasnotwell.Localshadvociferously
objected to the construction of the racecourse and in particular to it closing a
public footpath,whichwentover the topofNottingHill towardsPaddington.On
theopeningday,acrowdofangrylocalsarmedwithhatchetsandsawstoredown
thefenceswhichblockedthepathwayandstormedtheracecourse–providingfree
accesstothousands.
Whyteattemptedtopreservethedisputedpathwayforhisracecourseandheeven
resorted to putting up iron railings in place of the wooden fencing. However, he
couldnotignorethegrowingopposition.TheKensingtonparishioners,inparticular,
wereknownfortheirfierceresistance.Theycontinuallybrokeintothecourseandon
oneoccasiontheygottothetopofNottingHill,wheretheygavearallyingcryfor
theircause-threeresoundingcheersfortheParishofKensington!By1839,Whyte’s
acquisitionofthisdisputedlandwasbeingdebatedattheCourtoftheKing’sBench
andinParliament,sohegaveitupandenclosedothergroundinstead.
‘In and Out ‘, Engraving of the last steeplechase at The hippodrome by henry Alken
‘The First hurdle‘, Engraving of the last steeplechase at The hippodrome by henry Alken
‘��…thecoursewastactfullyrenamed
theVictoriaParkHippodrometo
complimentthenew,youngqueen.’
3� 35
Whytedideverythinghecouldtoplacatethegrowingdisquietabouttheracecourse.
He offered his dissenting local public free admission on Sundays, with a reduced
rateof2donsomeholidays.Howeverhisactionsonlywentfurther tohorrify the
locals, who were disgusted by his liberal desecration of the Sabbath. Opposition
was also growing in other areas, as concern was mounting about the increasing
numberofgamblinghouses,beer-housesandgin-shops intheareaandmanyfelt
thatTheHippodromewasresponsibleforbringing‘thescumandoffalofLondon…to
thepeacefulhamletofNottingHill’(Brownings Papers).Theodds,itseemed,were
stackingupagainstWhyte.
Thecoursehoweverdidbegintotriumph,as itbegantoattractelitemembersof
society. In 1839, various members of royalty attended the races: including Prince
FrederickoftheNetherlands,theDukeofCambridge,theMarquessofAngleseyand
theMarquessofWorcester.TheywereprobablyenticedtoattendaftertheGrand
DukeofRussiapresentedtheGoldCupatoneoftheraces,but inanyevent,the
course’s reputationdidseemtobegrowing.Thismusthavebeenagreat relief to
Whyte,asKingWilliamIVhaddiedsuddenlyjustafortnightafterthecourseopened
in1837andhehadfearedthatpeople,inparticularthenobility,wouldfeelitwas
inappropriatetogototheracesatthistimeofmourning.Thisdidnotseemtobe
thecase,buttoensuregoodwillwiththepublic,thecoursewastactfullyrenamed
VictoriaParkHippodrome,tocomplimentthenew,youngqueen.
In18�0 though, itwasapparent that therewerefinancialdifficulties. Ithadbeen
announcedatthebeginningofthatyear,that‘ProduceStakesof50sovereigns,with
1000 sovereignsby theproprietor’wouldbe run triennially.Withina year,Whyte
announcedhecouldn’taffordtodothisandkeepthelowadmissionprices–whichhe
subsequentlyraised.In18�1,asuccessfulsteeplechasewasrunon2June,famously
commemoratedinfourpaintingsbyHenryAlken(allpictured).
However, inMaythefollowingyearWhyteannouncedthatduetoheavyfinancial
lossesitwasimpossibletoruntheracesthathadbeenadvertisedfortheyear.Itwas
thefinalhurdleforTheHippodromeandthelandwasswiftlysoldtobuilders.Plans
forKensingtonParkEstatewerequicklydrawnup–theyincludedaround15common
gardensandvarioushomeswithprivategardens.Whilepartofthecoursewaskept
openforhorse-exerciseuntil1852,TheHippodromeRacecoursehadrunitscourse.
EMMa JuHaSz
‘The Brook‘, Engraving of the last steeplechase at The hippodrome by henry Alken ‘The Last Fence‘, Engraving of the last steeplechase at The hippodrome by henry Alken
36 37
New projects on the horizon include upgrading Hurstway Walk beside Latimer
Roadstation,wherethereispoor lightingandpaving,andageingstreetfurniture.
TheWalkhas severalownersand is agoodcandidate forapartnershipapproach
to the environmental improvements. Golborne Road Railway Bridge also falls into
thiscategoryanddiscussionsarebeingheldwithNetworkRailaboutimprovingits
appearance.Beneathpeelingpaintisafinemetalstructureandthebridgehasthe
potentialtobeanimpressiveandattractiveentrancetoGolborneRoadMarket.
CELIA REES-JENKINS
NORTHKENSINGTONENVIRONMENTPROJECT
In a Borough where many residents have no gardens, attractive parks and other open spaces are especially important.LedbytheCouncil’sNorthKensington
Environment Manager, Terry Oliver, The Project’s programme of environmental
improvementscontinues,backedbyinitiativestoencouragetheinvolvementofthe
community,particularlyinmaintenance.
FollowingthesuccessofthevegetablegardenatthePupilReferralUnit,unusedsites
inthenorthoftheBorougharebeingsoughtforcommunitykitchengardens.Apilot
schemeforcreatinggreenroofshasalsobegun,tenpossibilitieshavebeenidentified
andthreeshouldbesoonbeunderway.TheSunbeamGardensconsultationshowed
theywerenotbeingusedbymanyresidentsbecauseofconcernoversafetyandthe
lackoffacilitiesforyoungchildren.Asaresult there is tobeanewplayareaand
extensive landscapingof thegrounds. In the lightof residents’priorities,plans for
nearbyLittleWormwoodScrubs,nowmanagedbytheCouncil,includeanadventure
playground,akick-aboutareaandapreservedhabitatforwildlife.
Before and after the creation of Elkstone Road Sensory Garden
A new planter to prevent fly tipping in Munro Mews
The Ladbroke Grove Canal Entrance before and after new planting
38 39
ENVIRONMENTAWARDSCHEME2008
The Council’s Award Scheme attracted eight nominations in Kensington, three of which received an Award.Theschemeaimstorecognisedesignworkofmerit
which,thoughoftensmallinscale,hasabeneficialimpactontheappearanceofthe
Borough’sstreetsandopenspaces.
37 PoTTErY lanE
Areplacementbuildingat37 Pottery Lanewasrecognisedasadistinctivemodernbuildingwhichlooksgoodwithoutover-strivingtobeexciting.Itisaninstanceofmodernandcontemporarydetailsworkingwellevenwhennoneoftheconventionalcharacteristicsofmews,suchassecond-handstockbrickworkseennearby,isincorporated.Theprojectwascommended.
WaSHboard HouSE
Anewbuildingofsimilarsize,The Washboard house, Simon Close, Portobello Road, wasjudged to be a well-detailed and intriguingresponse to its particular mews context. ThedisciplinedachievementofagrandscalewithoutanyincreaseinsizeoverneighbouringdwellingswasadmiredanddeemedworthyofanAward.ItwasdesignedbyStudioBednarski.
PORTOBELLO DOCK
Portobello Dock, new offices and a converted andextended older building, was the largest project. Theoffice building is striking when entering the RoyalBorough along LadbrokeGrove andwas judged tobeparticularly impressive, with its juxtaposition of bronzecolouredwindowframeswithwhiterender,creatingwhattheassessors felt tobeagentledignitynotdiscordantwith other smaller buildings nearby. It was considereddeservingoftheAwardforcommercialdevelopment.ItwasdesignedbyStiff&TrevillionArchitects.
courTFiEld gardEnS WEST
Two impressive garden square railings reinstatement projectswere nominated. Pembridge Square is the grander of these,buttheassessors felt thenewrailingsatCourtfield Gardens West was thebetterprojectandmadeanAward to it andaCommendation to Pembridge Square. The award-winningscheme was designed by the Garden Committee with thehelpoftheircontractorsandthePembridgeSquareprojectbySusanWalker.
LADBROKE GROVE TUBE STATION BRIDGE
Enhancements to the bridge outside Ladbroke Grove tube stationincludeaprofiledsurface to the covering of theabutment walls which reducesfly posting. The white soffitof the bridge adds to thebrighteningupofthearea,andthoughthereweresomedoubtsaboutthequalityoftheartworkonthebridgeitselfthoseassessorsfamiliarwiththeareaafterdarkwereinnodoubtthatwhathasbeendonerepresentsaverygreatimprovement.Theworks,designedbyUrbanEye/WestwayProject,wereawardedacommendation.
ALL
pic
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�0 �1
Pupils in our secondary schools were asked to write about someone who lived in Kensington, whom they felt should have a memorial dedicated to them.
Theyhadtoexplainwhytheychosethisperson,whatthememorialshouldbeand
whereinKensingtonitshouldbeplaced.
TherewereentriesfromYear7-8pupils,andsincetheentriesformYear10(ages1�-
15)weresocloseinquality,theJudgesdecidedtosplittheFirstandSecondPrizes.
TheFirstPrize thereforewent toCelesteCourtenayandAmilMeckin (bothof the
Lycée)whoeach received£100.TheSecondPrizewent to JuliaSidon (Lycée)and
ElshadaiEjere(Sion-Manning),whoeach
received£50.
A breathing space is now needed to
enabletheExecutiveCommitteetotake
stockanddecide inwhichdirection the
competitioncouldgo.Therewilltherefore
benocompetitionfor2009.Futuresuch
competitions will be for the Executive
Committeetodiscussanddecide.
We thank all those, particularly the
Judges:DianaHall(RBKCIsaacNewtonCentre),ShirleyNicholson(ofthisSociety),Dave
Walker(RBKCLocalStudiesLibrarian)whohaveallsogenerouslyandenthusiastically
takenpartforthe lastfiveyears.Webelieve ithasbeen,andmayyetbeagain,a
usefulexerciseforallconcerned.
robin PricE
THEKENSINGTONSOCIETYSCHOOLPRIZESFOR2008
EDITOR’S NOTEAllthewinningentriesarepublishedonourwebsite,
pleasevisit:www.kensingtonsociety.org
NEWSFROMTHEKENSINGTON&CHELSEAPARTNERSHIP
The Royal Borough’s third community strategy, ‘The Future of Our Community 2008-2018’, updates its predecessor, incorporates new objectives and emphasises the importance of developing a sustainable community. It also setsoutgoals formembersof thePartnership towork
towards,astheyendeavourtoimprovethequalityoflifeforthoselivingand
workingintheBorough.
Manyoftheaimsinthestrategyareconnectedandtheselinksareshownina
diagramattheendofeachchapter.ItalsocrossreferencespoliciesintheLocal
DevelopmentFramework,whichhasamajorroleinsupportingthestrategy.
In the chapteronEnvironment andTransport, anew sectionhighlights the
importanceoftacklingthecausesofclimatechangeintheBoroughandhow
toadapttosomeofitsunavoidableeffects.Indicatorswillbeusedtomonitor
howtheaimsandobjectivesofthestrategyaremet,especiallythoseconcerned
with reducing carbon dioxide emissions arising from the Council’s own
operationsandincreasingtheamountofrecycledandcompostedhousehold
waste.Aplanisbeingdevelopedtocoverthese,aswellaslocallydetermined
targets,andafterdiscussionswiththeGovernment,itwillformthenewLocal
Area Agreement for Kensington and Chelsea (due to be published in April
2009).
CopiesoftheCommunityStrategyanditssupportingdocumentsshouldbe
availablefromtheBorough’sPublicLibrariesandfromtheTownHall.
cElia rEES-JEnKinS
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Sir Ronald Arculus with the winners
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AGAThA ChRISTIE (1890-1976) 58 Sheffield Terrace, W8
The hugely successful crime writer lived here
from193�-19�1withher secondhusband,Max
Mallowan.Shewasattheheightofherfameat
thistime.TheinimitableBelgiandetective,Hercule
PoirothadbeenintroducedtoreadersinChristie’s
début novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles in
1920,andtheinquisitiveelderlyspinster,MissJane
Marple,madeherfirstenquiriesinTheMurder at
the Vicarage,1930.
Christie’s career began during WWI. While she
waited for her fighter pilot husband, Archie
Christie, to return from the war, she nursed at
thelocalhospital.Itwasherethatshegainedher
experiencesinpoisons,asshestudiedforexamsfortheSocietyofApothecaries,which
subsequentlybecamepartofher inspiration towritecrimenovels. In factChristie
receivedpraiseforherfirstnovelfromThe Pharmaceutical Journalfor,“.....dealing
withpoisonsinaknowledgeablewayandnotwiththenonsenseaboutuntraceable
substancesthatsooftenhappens.MissAgathaChristieknowsherjob”.
Christie later divorced Archie and went on to marry Max Mallowan in 1930, an
archaeologist,whomshemetinMesopotamia- justoneofhermanyadventurous
trips to theEast.Shewrote foroverhalfacentury,producingover80novelsand
shortstorycollections.Herfinalpublishedworkwasherautobiographyin1976.It
wasinherethatsherevealedwhereshehadlivedinKensington.However,beingthe
masterofsuspense,sheleftheraudiencewithonefinalmysterytosolve.Shewrote
thatshelivedatNo�8SheffieldTerrace,andforalongtimethiswasassumedtobe
hercorrectresidence.However,asplanswentaheadforherplaquetobeerected,
theclueswereintheElectoralRegisteranditwasdiscoveredthatChristiehadinfact
livedatNo.58instead.
Kensington’s residents, past and present, are a veritable who’s who list.Whiletoday’spopularfiguresguardtheirprivacy,greathistoricalfiguresareeasilyfoundthankstoBluePlaquesontheirprevioushomes.
TheBluePlaquesschemewassetupin1867bytheRoyalSocietyofArtstohonour
eminentLondoners.ThefirstplaquewasawardedtotheRomanticpoet,LordByron–
hishomehassubsequentlybeendemolished–andwasfollowedin1875byEmperor
NapoleonIII(KingStreet,StJames)andthepoet,JohnDryden(GerrardStreet,West
End),whoseplaquessurvivetoday.
TheschemeisnowrunbytheEnglishHeritageandthereareover800plaquesacross
London. While Kensington may not have the oldest ones, it has an extraordinary
collectionofhonouredtalent.SonexttimeyoustrollthroughtheBorough’selegant
streets,remembertolookup,asyoumaybepassingaformerresident’scastle.Toentice
youtostartlooking,herearejustafewoftheBorough’sillustriouspastresidents.
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WILLIAM MAKEPEACE ThACKERAY (1811-1863) 2 Palace Green, W8
The author of Vanity Fair briefly lived at this prestigious address from 1861 until
hisuntimelydeath in1863,at theageof52.Thehouse,which isnowthe Israeli
Embassy, standsononeof thegrandest andmost expensive streets in theworld,
situatedoppositeKensingtonPalace.
The successofVanity Fair andThackeray’s subsequentother largenovels, suchas
Pendennis, The Newcomes and The History of Henry Esmond, saw his fortunes
changefrombeinganimpoverishedwriterandgambler,toasuccessfulbusinessman
andinvestor.Thehouseat2PalaceGreenwasinapoorstatein1860andThackeray
offeredtotakeitonwitharepairinglease.Somefeltthatitshouldrebuilt,butQueen
Victoriawouldnotallowanynewbuildingopposite thePalace, soThackerayhad
to satisfyhimselfwith redesigning thebuilding instead.Hewent togreat lengths
torestore itand it is thoughttobemodelledonthestyleofMarlboroughHouse.
Hepaidahighpriceforhisprestigiousaddressthough,heoriginallyagreedtopay
around£1,600fortherepairs,butthedilapidatedhouserequiredmoreworkthan
he’dthoughtandthefinalbillwas£8,000.
Hisdeath,fromastroke,wasahugeshocktohisfamilyandpublic.Itisestimated
thatover7,000peopleattendedhisfuneralinKensingtonGardensandhewasburied
inKensalGreenCemetery.
SIR WINSTON ChURChILL (1874-1965) 28 hyde Park Gate, SW7
ThiswasChurchill’sLondonresidenceafterhewasdefeatedinthepostwarelectionsin
19�5.HeacquiredNo.28in19�5,thenlaterboughtNo.27forofficeaccommodation
and knocked the two houses together. He briefly returned to 10Downing Street
(1951-55)forafurthertermasPrimeMinister,buthereturnedtoHydeParkGate
afterheresignedin1955.ChurchillcontinuedtoactasanMPuntilshortlybeforehis
deathat28HydeParkGateon2�January1965.
Widely considered as Britain’s greatest political figure of 20th Century, Churchill’s
extraordinary leadershipduringWWIIwas just oneof hismany achievements.He
was a statesman, historian and biographer. His extensive literary works included
biographiesofhisfather,LordRandolphChurchillandhisancestorLordMarlborough;
ahistoryofWWIandhismemoirsofWWII.Hisinspirationaloratoryalsosurvivesin
variousvolumes.
HewasawardedtheNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1953,‘forhismasteryofhistorical
and biographical description, as well as for brilliant oratory for defending exalted
human values’. In the same year he was knighted and in the following year, the
QueenandParliamentdeclaredhimas‘thegreatestlivingBriton’.
AsoneofKensington’smost esteemed residents,he received the Freedomof the
Boroughin19�9–heisseeninthephotographbelowwiththeMayor,J.H.(Joseph
Harold)HuxleyandtheTownClerkattheceremony.
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Sketch by William Railton of Thackeray outside 2 Palace Green
�6 �7
ROBERT BADEN-POWELL (1857-1941) 9 hyde Park Gate & 32 Princes Gate, SW7
The legendaryLieutenant–GeneraloftheBritish
Army,writerandfounderoftheScoutMovement
had many associations in the Borough. Not only
didheliveatvariousaddresses,theheadquarters
fortheScoutsisstillfoundatBadenPowellHouse
onQueen’sGate.
Baden-Powellwasbornin6StanhopeTerrace(now
No.11) in1857.Afterhis fatherdied in1860his
familymovedtoHydeParkGate,wherehespent
mostofhischildhood.Hegainedascholarshipto
Charterhouse School in 1870, where he had his
first introduction toScouting - ashe stalkedand
cooked game in an out-of-bounds forest near
theschool,whiletryingtoavoidbeingcaughtby
teachers.ThenhefailedtogetintoOxfordUniversity,sohetookexamsforthearmy
andwonaplaceintheCavalry,the13thHussarsandwaspostedtoIndia.
Baden-PowellwasanHonoraryColonelforthe13thHussarsfor30years.Hetravelled
aroundtheworldestablishinghimselfasanextraordinarysoldier.Afterthedefence
ofthetownMafekinginSouthAfricain1899,hebecameaMajor-Generalagedonly
�3. Itwasduringthis217daysiegethatheestablishedthebasisforScouting.He
realisedthatyoungboysrespondedwelltochallengesandresponsibility,andhisbook
Aids to Scouting(amilitarytrainingmanual)waspublishedduringthistime.
WhenhereturnedtoEnglandin1903(hemovedinto32PrincesGate),hediscovered
thathisbookwasbeingwidelyusedbeyond thearmy, includingby teachersand
youth leaders.Hewassoonpersuadedtoprovideaschemefortrainingboysand,
afterherananexperimentalcamponBrownseaIsland,Poole,Dorsetin1907,the
Scoutswereborn.
EMMa JuHaSz
lexham gardens residents association
FroM THE cHairMan
Many thanks to all of you who have contributed this year. The Society has worked with many of the local societies on specific issues in their areas and we hope that they continue in these efforts. These reports are an invaluable insight into the hard work that is undertaken to help maintain Kensington’s unique character.
LexhamGardensResidentsAssociationandGardenCommitteehashadaverybusy
andsuccessful2008.Wewereproudtowintwoawardsforourgardensquarefrom
theBrighterKensingtonGardensandtheLondonGardenSquarescompetitions.
We held a very successful garden party on 7 June to which 300 people came,
includingourguestsofhonourtheMayor,CllrJoannaGardnerandourlocalMP,Sir
MalcolmRifkind.
KensingtonSocietymembersarecordially invitedtoattendour2009gardenparty
whichwillbeheldonSaturday13June2009at3-5pm.
Finally,weareverypleasedthattheLeaderoftheRoyalBoroughCouncil,CllrMerrick
Cockell, has confirmed in writing the Council’s total opposition to the proposal
reported in the Evening Standard that private garden squares should be open to
thepublic.
Sir cYril TaYlor, gbE Chairman
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008
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TheRoyalBorough’sproposalstorebuildHollandParkSchooladjacenttotheparkis
notsomethingwecouldcommentonintermsoftheunderlyingpolicyitself-indeed
ourConstitutiondoesnotpermitustotakesuchaposition.However,wecouldand
didobjectstronglytothethreatenedlossoftheplaygroundsite,theopenspaceto
thesouthoftheschoolandthedetrimentalimpactoftheproposedluxuryresidential
developmentplannedinitsplace.Weremainhopefulthatiftheschoolisrebuilt,the
bulk,designanddetailingoftheresidentialblockwillbeimprovedtoreduceitseffect
onthepark.
Morerecently,thesecurity,tranquillityandintegrityoftheparkhavebeenshownto
beatriskfromitsowner,TheRoyalBorough.Theirdraftplanningbriefforthesiteof
theformerCommonwealthInstitute,requiresthedevelopersto“unitethe‘tent’with
HollandPark”,improving(theirword)thevisualandphysicallinksbetweenthesite
andthepark.Thereisnoadvantagetotheparkoritsusersinmakingsuchchanges,
onlyanexceptionalbenefittotheoccupiersofthenewresidentialblocks-oneof
which will rise above the height of the ‘tent’, spoiling the skyline view from the
park.Anythoughtofmovingtheparkentranceuptothenorthernboundaryofthe
CommonwealthInstitutesitemustbefirmlyopposed.
nicHolaS HoPKinS Chairman
WesubmittedanapplicationtoEnglishHeritageforthelistingoffivebuildingsinthe
HansTownConservationArea.Theyare39/�1BromptonRoad:LincolnHouse,Basil
Street:theFireStationandremainingpartsoftheUndergroundstationinBasilStreet
and�a/5SloaneStreet.
WecontinuetoopposetheoveruseofthetwolawnsoftheNaturalHistoryMuseum
forcommercialpurposes,especiallyLondonFashionWeekand, inassociationwith
otheramenitysocieties,arepressingforalow-key,conservation-ledschemeforthe
developmentofSouthKensingtonStation.
Exhibition Road is a cross border project, which still lacks the active support of
WestminsterCityCouncil.WefearthattheanticipatedreductionintrafficinExhibition
Road,willleadtoincreasedthroughtrafficinresidentialareastotheeastandthat
theproposedclosureofExhibitionRoadforstreetentertainmentwillresultinserious
disruptionforresidents.
InthelatesummertheopeningofanoutdoorextensiontoHarrods’LaduréeCafé
ontheHansRoad/BasilStreetjunction,ledtochaotictrafficconditionsandlatenight
noise.Thejustifiedreactionofresidentswassuchthatwardcouncillorsorganiseda
meetingattheTownHalltodiscusstheproblemandseeksolutions.
SubterraneandevelopmentisaLondonwideproblem.Wewelcometheinitiativeof
theRoyalBoroughinappointingAruptoprepareaScopingStudy,followedbythe
issue (in October) of a draft Supplementary Planning Document on Subterranean
Development.
MicHaEl WrigHT ViceChairman,ChairmanofPlanningandConservationCommittee
The Friends of Holland Park Knightsbridge association
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008
50 51
Theunauthoriseddemolitionthissummerof18TregunterRoadcausedafurore.The
buildingwasastrikingdetachedVictorianItalianatevillaintheBoltonsConservation
Area.Ithadbeenemptyforanumberofyearsandhadbeenbecomingsteadilymore
derelict.Theownerhadappliedforplanningpermissiontodemolishthebuildingand
replace itwitha replicaone, togetherwithunderground swimmingpooletc. The
BoltonsAssociationhadapproachedEnglishHeritageaboutlistedstatus,buttono
avail.TheCouncilputthebuildingonitsatriskregister,refusedplanningpermission
to demolish but granted permission for various other works. The owner left the
premisestodeteriorateandthendemolishedthebuildingonthegroundsthatithad
becomeunstableanddangerous.
TheCounciltookCounsel’sadviceanddecidedthattherewasinsufficientevidence
toprosecutetheowner.Anewplanningapplicationisawaited,forareplicabuilding
andundergroundpool.Soitlooksasiftheownerwillgetexactlywhathewantedall
alongandtheCouncilhasbeenmadetolookratherweakandfoolish.TheCouncil
haslaunchedaninternalinquirytoseewhatlessonscanbelearnedforthefuture.
TheBoltonsAssociationhasaskedwhetheritcangiveevidencetotheinquiryonthe
extensivestepstakenbyresidentstopreservethebuilding.Watchthisspaceonwhat
happensinthislongrunningsaga.
calVin JacKSon
TheCouncil’sproposedplanstodemolishandrebuildHollandParkSchoolhaveagain
dominatedoutactivitiesfor2008.
Despite receiving nearly 200 letters of opposition from residents, on the 26 June
RBKC’sMajorPlanningCommitteegrantedplanningpermissionfortherevisedplans
– including moving the affordable housing off-site. Despite Mayor Boris Johnson
publiclystatinghewouldnotallowthesaleofschoolplayingfields,hechosenotto
opposethesaleatHollandParkSchool.
Thecostoftheschool(currently£72.6million),plusaffordablehousing,continuesto
increaseandcouldeasilyreach£100million.However,sellingoffthesouthernsite
playingfieldsforluxuryhousingwillcoverthecostofthisproject,butthisisproving
difficult in thispresentfinancial climate.There isalsoconcern thatRBKCwill face
legalchallenges,havingnotcompliedwithalltheGovernment’sconditionsforselling
theplayingfield.
IfRBKChadtakenmorecareoveritsrushedoriginalplan,thenewschoolcouldnow
havebeenbuiltandopen.Instead,theCouncilhasspent£7millionofyourmoney
(todate)andhavenothingtoshowforit.Inthecurrentfinancialcircumstances,‘The
AlternativeVision’torebuild/refurbishtheschool,thatwesupport,makesevenmore
sense,particularlywhenthere isGovernment fundingavailableunder theBuilding
SchoolsfortheFutureprogram.ThereisnowawindowofopportunityfortheCouncil
tocarryoutacomprehensivereview,asunanimouslyrecommendedbytheOSCon
Family&Children’sServicesattheirmeetinginJune2007.
daVid WHiTE Chairman
The boltons association camden Hill residents’ association
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SouthKensingtonhasbeenbracingitselfforthearrivaloftheroadmakersfromRBKC
toputintoeffectthefirststageoftheExhibitionRoadandSouthKensingtontraffic
plan-theunravellingoftheonewaysystemaroundthestation.Thisplanhasbeen
devised after a lengthy process of consultation, although some people gained the
impressionthattheplanarrivedasafait accompli.Ithasbeenhopedbymanythatthis
improvementatSouthKensingtonmightencourageLULtolookseriouslyatthemany
problemsthatbesetthestation.However, thenewMayorofLondoncancelledthe
proposaltoinstallstepfreeaccessatthestation,aplanputforwardbyhispredecessor.
Thisassociation,amongstothers,wrotetoprotest,inwhichweweresupportedbyour
MP,byourlocalcouncillorsandbydirectorsofthethreemuseumsofAlbertopolis.It
ishopedthatthenewthroughroutefortrafficwillrelievepressureonThurloeStreet,
enablingpassengersandpedestrianstoboardbusesmorefreelyandinlessdanger.
ThiswillinvolveashortwalktothecornerofThurloePlace.
The neglect of South Kensington Station is
utterlyshameful,giventhatitisthestationof
choice for three famous museums, Imperial
College and three major hospitals and is
busy throughout theday,week inweekout.
RequeststotheCEOofTfLtovisittheareaand
seeforhimselftheextentoftheproblemshave
beenducked.Asaresultofnegotiationwith
theCouncilitishopedthatresidentsparking
hoursmaybeextendedintopartsofSunday
inviewofthelargenumberofvisitorstotheareaonthatday.Equally,wehopethatan
extendedbanonstreetdrinkinginthispartoftheBorough,mayresolvethepersistent
problemofstreetdrinkerscongregatingonthetrafficislandsoutsidethestation.
rogEr barESEl Chairman
The opposing flows of passengers on the main staircase at South Kensington station remain as dangerous as ever.
onslow neighbourhood association
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008
In November following representations by the Association and many others, the
originalproposal tobuildninethree-storeyhousesontheoldelectricityboardsite
inVictoriaGardenswaswithdrawn.Itislikelythatanewproposaltobuildsmaller
houseson the sitewill appear soon.This is a victoryof sorts,but theAssociation
remainsoftheview–notsharedunfortunatelybyRBKC-thatnothingshouldbebuilt
onthesiteuntilthefutureofthenorthsideofNottingHillGateisdecided.
2008 has been a year of consultations: the 228 Bus, closure of Punjani’s Post
OfficeinLadbrokeGrove,theNorthKensingtonActionPlanandmore.Thisbrings
twoproblems. Firstly, thatonedoes feel toooften thata consultation ismerelya
presentationalprocesstobeenduredbythoseinauthority.Secondly,findingthetime
torespondisaveryrealproblemfortheAssociation.
Onceagain thenumberofplanningapplications inourarea tobeconsideredhas
increasedandthetimescaleforresponsehasshortened,sothatinsomecasesthe
consultationperiodisshorterthanthetimebetweenmonthlymeetings.Wearealso
concerned that theRBKCPlanningDepartment seemtohaveproblems indealing
expeditiouslywiththeloadofplanningapplications.
Our project for putting histories of every street in the Conservation Area on our
website:www.ladbrokeassociation.org.ukcontinues.Weareinvitingmembersofthe
publictosenduscontributionsforthesestreethistories.
daVid corSElliS Chairman
ladbroke association
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008
5� 55
Thecreditcrunchstartedtobite in2008.Thefirstsignofchangewasthesaleby
CandyandCandyoftheDeVereGardensdevelopmentfor£320milliontoaMiddle
Easterndeveloper.Thereissomeuncertaintyastowhatwillhappen,butthebuilding
isbeingguttedinreadinessforitsfutureuse.
Theamountof subterraneandevelopmentgranted in the last twoyearshasbeen
worrying.However,notallofthishasbeenbuiltyet,and,inthecurrenteconomic
climatetheymaynotbeimplemented.
ThebiggestcasethisyearwastheproposaltoexpandThomas’Schoolbychanging
theuseof21StAlban’sGrove(formerlyLeith’sCookerySchool)toeducationaluse
and expanding the school to �00 pupils. VRARA opposed this expansion in the
numberofpupils,buttheCouncilgrantedconsent;subjecttoaSchoolTravelPlan
andaTrafficandAccessManagementPlan,whichwouldseektoreducethenumber
ofpupilscomingbycar.WearenowworkingcloselywithThomas’Schooltoensure
thatthisagreementreducestheimpactoftheschoolonourneighbourhood.
Progress on our Pilot Ward Initiative to improve Gloucester Road North has been
slower than expected. We managed to secure an excellent refurbishment of the
GloucesterArms,butwe stillneed toget theagreement to improve someof the
shopfronts.Wehopethatthiswillleadtoastreetscapeschemeinvolvingrepaving
andnewlighting.
PETEr dixon Chairman
Victoria road area residents’ association
Someapplicantsnevergiveup.TransportforLondon(TfL)isyetagainattemptingto
advanceredevelopmentatSouthKensingtontubestation.Redevelopmentproposals
forthissitegobacktothedarkdaysofthe1960swhenwholeswathesofhistoric
townsandcitieswere sweptaway in thenameofcomprehensive redevelopment.
ThismindsetlivesonatthePropertyDepartmentofTfL,eventhoughtheplanning
contexthassignificantlychangedwiththelistingofthestationin200�.
Both RBKC and English Heritage have made it clear to TfL the potential for
redevelopmentisnowsignificantlyrestricted.Bothbodieshavealsoindicatedthat
the Thurloe Street terrace – home to Dacquise and the Medici shop – should be
retainedbecauseitmakesapositivecontributiontotheConservationArea.
Nonetheless,TfLwantsto‘testtheboundaries’andhasissuedaplanningbrieffora
‘massingstudy’toestablishaquantumofnewdevelopment(presumablyburyingthe
listedstationunderseveralstoriesofdevelopment).Despitealmostuniversalcriticism
ofthebrief,TfLispressingaheadandhasnowappointedarchitectsJohnMcAslan&
Partners.Inthecurrenteconomicclimateaspirationsforsubstantialredevelopment
seemwhollyunrealistic.
TfL’sannouncementinNovemberthattheplannedstep-freeaccessschemewasshelved
duetobudgetaryconstraintswasablow.Wewillcontinuetopressforthisasapriority.
ThisdecisionseemsparticularlyunfortunategiventheBoroughisnowimprovingthe
publicrealmaroundthestation,aschemethisAssociationhaslongencouraged.
Another dogged organisation is the Natural History Museum, which continues to
promoteastreamofapplicationsfortemporaryplanningpermissionsforstructures
onitseastlawn.TheseblightthesettingofoneofthefinestVictorianbuildingsin
thecountryanddenythepublicaccesstoanattractivegreenspace. It is timethe
Councilstoppedallowingthesetemporarypermissions.Equally,themuseumshould
recogniseitsresponsibilitytoprotectandenhancethemuseum’ssettingasSirAlfred
Waterhouseoriginallyintended.
SoPHiE andrEaE
brompton association
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REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES
norland conservation Society
REPORTSFROMLOCALSOCIETIES2008 PORTRAITOFALOCALARTIST
The following article was written by Clive’s wife, Catherine.
Residents of Norland and Kensington may have seen Clive standing at his portable easel, painting the local scene near our home in St James’s Gardens – at Clarendon Cross, Addison Avenue (the subject of this year’s AGM Report front cover) or Queensdale Road.Clive’slife-timeloveandpracticeofwatercolour
began when his mother advised him to take his paint-box to France on a French
exchange.WhilePhilippe, theFrenchboy,wasendlesslyoccupiedwithhisholiday
‘devoirs’,Clivepaintedthelandscaperoundabout.Hecontinuedpaintingatschool,
underthetuitionofWilfredBluntandencouragingcriticismofOliverVanOss(his
housemaster),andthenatuniversity.
EmployedfirstbyCourtauldsandthenasamanagementconsultantwhilehisfamily
were growing up, Clive was a Sunday and holiday painter. But from 199� Clive
wasabletoworkforhimselfasaconsultant:thisgavehimmoretimetodevoteto
painting.HetookcoursesattheSladeSummerSchool,theRoyalWatercolourSociety
andLifeclasseswiththeNewEnglishArtClubattheRoyalAcademySchools.
Since then he has become a very accomplished watercolourist, emphasising the
subtletyandluminosityofpurewatercolour-tomanypeoplethemostbeautifuland
expressiveofpaintingmedia.Hisworkmakesthemostofthetranslucencyofpure
watercolour:thesubtlebuild-upofdepthofcolour,throughsuccessfulapplicationof
repeatedwashes,lightpassingthroughpigmentandreflectingbackfromthepaper,
eachaddingalittlemorerichnesstothetone.
EdiTor’S inTroducTion
While we all know that Kensington has a rich heritage. The Society felt that it should also recognise some of the Borough’s present artistic talent. This is a new regular feature for the AGM Report, where we will profile local talent. In this issue, we focus on the watercolourist Clive Wilson. �
2008hasbeenayearofpositiveprogress.
Positive developments have been the notable successes in contesting unsuitable
planning applications by making our case in person to the Planning Applications
Committee. Hard-pressed planning officers sometime negotiate with applicants,
andindoingsomakeconcessions,inconflictwithUDPpolicies.Thankfully,weare
findingthatthePlanningApplicationsCommitteeoftenagreeswithourobjections
andrejectstheofficers’recommendations.
Inparticular,wearefightinguglyglassboxesattachedtobeautifulGradeIIhouses,
andmodernisticdevelopmentswhichsimplydonotfitin.Wehavenoobjectionto
extensionsofmoderndesign,butweareinsistingthattheyshouldbeofexcellent
design,appropriatetotheirsurroundings.
We are heartened by the Council’s Draft SPD on subterranean development. The
proposal is to resist subterranean development under listed buildings. However,
concernsremain.
New threats include the 316-bus route down St Ann’s Villas and Royal Crescent;
WestfieldshopperstakingadvantageoffreeparkinginNorland;theThirdRunway,
whichwouldmakelifeanoisymiseryforthewholeofNorthKensington:fartoobig
anissueforus,butoneonwhichwesupporttheobjectors.
Inallourefforts,weareextremelygratefultoourWardCouncillorsJulieMillsand
DavidLindsayfortheirsupport.
TheNorlandConservationSocietyannual lecturewilltakeplaceonWednesday25
Marchat7.30pminStJamesNorlandsChurch,StJames’sGardens,onthesubject
of“ThedevelopmentoftheLondonMews”.AllmembersofTheKensingtonSociety
welcome.Tickets£8onthedoor.
cliVE WilSon Chairman
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Manycontemporarypaintershavelostthisuniquequalityofwatercolourandhave
beenseducedbytheboldercoveringqualityofacrylicsandgouache.Purewatercolour
-lettingthepaintsurprise-ismoreinterestingtoClive:ashesays“wedon’tallhave
totrytoimitateoilpainting...”
Heisaboveallapainterofatmosphere,temperatureandlight.Purewatercolourgives
theabilitytocapturethefleetingqualitiesoflightandatmosphere,andhisjewel-like
coloursshinethroughhispaintings.
Hischarming(andsometimeshumorous)subjectswiththeirlivelyfigures,hisstreet
scenes, architectural views, as well as landscapes have made Clive’s work much
appreciatedandcollected.Asaconservationistandco-founder(withGordonMichell)
oftheNorlandConservationSociety�0yearsago,hedelightsinarchitectureandhis
senseoftheurban-scape,whichisreflectedinhispaintings.
‘�Purewatercolourgivestheabilityto
capturethefleetingqualitiesoflight
andatmosphere,andhisjewel-like
coloursshinethroughhispaintings.’On Clive’s painting trips he often
has to cope with the crowds of
onlookers - monks in Cambodia
gather round to watch him at
work,whilechildren liketoswing
on his easel in India, Sri Lanka
and Morocco. One little German
girl inVenice,seeinghimpainting
byacanal,decidedhemustbea
starvingartistandcameuptogave
himtwentylira(thesewerethedaysbeforetheEuro).WhenClivesaidthathewas
‘quite all right, thank you verymuch’, the littlegirlwasunconvincedand insisted
“doch,doch” (you must take it).People’s reactions totheartistathiseasel in the
streetvary:onegrand,veryupper-classEnglish lady,walkingpastCliveatwork in
frontoftheGrittiPalaceHotelinVenice,turnedtoherhusbandandsaid“OhArthur,
doyouseetheeaselthatmanisusing?Shallweaskhimwherehegotit?Itwould
bejustrightforCharles.”ShethenapproachedCliveandsaidveryloudlyandslowly,
enunciating clearly so that a native could understand: “Could…you…tell…me…
where…you…found…that…easel?”Cliverepliedswiftly,“GreeneandStoneonthe
King’sRoadectually”,astonishingthecouple,whowerenotexpectingtohearsucha
familiaraccentcomingfromarathershabby-lookingartist.Heisunbotheredbythis
kindofattention,butbeingsurroundedbyfivearmedguardswithmachineguns,
cockedandreadyforactioninEgypt,wasnotinspirational!
Clive’sworkappearsincollectionsnotonlyinthiscountry,butintheUSA,France,
Sweden, Holland and Portugal. He often exhibits in London: including his many
one-manexhibitionsat theEburyGalleriesandaone-man showat Frost&Reed.
Hisworkfigures regularly in themixedexhibitions in aidofVenice in Peril and in
galleries outside London. He has had many private commissions: visit his website
www.clive-wilson.comforfurtherinformation.
All
pict
ures
cou
rtes
y of
Cliv
e W
ilson
60 61
EVENTSHIGHLIGHT2008
WhileCliveWilsonrepresents justsomeof theartistic talent thatcanbefound in
Kensingtontoday,TheSocietydiscoveredanotherlocaltalentfromtheVictorianera
onaneventsoutingtotheGovernmentArtCollectionlastyear.Thepainter,William
PowellFrith(1819-1909)wasborninYorkshirebutlivedinLondon–andforatime
atChepstowVillas,whereitissaidthathelivedwithhisfamily,whilehismistressand
otherchildrenlivedaroundthecorner.
TheGovernmentArtCollectionownThe Crossing Sweeper(1893),whichshowsa
youngboyoffering to sweep the roadahead forayoung,well-dressed lady. Frith
repaintedthispopularimagethroughouthiscareer,changingthefashionofthelady’s
dresstokeepupthetimes,asheknewitwouldsell.LikehisfriendCharlesDickens,
Frithwasinterestedinsocialinequality,apreviouslyunexploredthemeinartandone
thathadonlybeenseeninpublicationssuchasPunch.Hisworkfeaturedthedaily
livesofnotjusttheelitebutpeoplefromallsocialclasses.
He was an incredibly popular artist and on further investigation The Society has
discoveredhisworkatSphinxFineArtonKensingtonChurchStreet.Thegalleryhas
variouspaintingsby Frith, includingPoverty and Wealth (1888) -pictured -which
showsaLondonstreetscenecrowdedwithfigures,richandpoor,whomFrithdraws
vividparallelsbetween,fromonesidetotheother.
TheSocietyhopes touncover further localgemsat itseventsplanned for2009–
sosignupnow!
Pict
ure
cour
tesy
Sph
inx
Fine
Art William Frith,
Poverty and Wealth (1888)
UPCOMINGEVENTSFOR2009
EtonCollege&SavillGarden,Windsor Wednesday 13 May 2009
EtonwasfoundedbyHenryV1in1��0.TherewillbeatourofthehistoricbuildingsincludingSchoolYard,LowerandUpperSchools,CollegeHall,CloistersandMuseumofEtonLife.
Followed by a visit to the Savill Garden for lunch at the Garden Cafe (at own expense) and aguidedtourofthefinewoodlandandornamentalgarden;ariotofcolour,frommagnoliasazaleas,rhododendronsandcamellias,plusformalgardensoflongherbaceousborders.
Depart by coach 9.45am from Kensington Square: £37 per person
FulhamPalace,Bishop’sAvenueSW6Tuesday 7 July 2009
ThiswastheresidenceoftheBishopsofLondonfromc700-1973.
Weshallvisitthe13acregroundsandGrade1listedbuildingwithamixofarchitecturalstyles-Tudor,GeorgianandVictorianrecentlyrestoredtoitsoldgrandeur.Thevisittothemuseumwillbefollowedbyteaandbiscuits.
Meet at the above address at 2.15pm: £15 per person
rESErVaTionS
To reserve a place, please send cheques for each event to:
The Kensington Society, c/o Mrs g Foley, 34 Kelso Place, london W8 5QP
Cheques are to be payable to The Kensington Society. Please enclose a self addressed envelope and give your contact telephone number.
Tickets will be sent giving full instructions. Guests are always welcome at any of these events.
AdmiraltyHouse
Thursday 8 october 2009
Wewillwalkround26Whitehall,behindtheAdamScreen.TheformerHeadquartersoftheAdmiraltyandhometomanyfinepaintingsandobjectsfromtheMinistryofDefenceArtCollection-normallyhiddenfrompublicview.ThetourwillbeledbytheMODArtCollectionsCurator,whowillplacetheobjectsintheirarchitectural,navalandpersonalcontext.
Meet at the above address at 5pm: £15 per person including wine
62 63
LICENSINGREPORT2008
The unfortunate combination of extended hours under the new licensing laws and the smoking ban continues to cause problems for local residents when noisy patrons congregate outside pubs, bars and restaurants late into the evening and on into the early hours.
However,theCouncilhasbeentakingsignificantstepstocombattheproblem.The
Licensing Team has had some notable successes in persuading licence holders to
agreetovoluntaryconditionstolimitnoiselevels(e.g.outsidespaceisseatingroom
only)ontheunderstandingthatifthemeasuresareeffective,thelicenseholderwill
subsequentlyapplytovarythelicenseandputthevoluntaryconditionsonaformal
footing.
Alternatively,a licencecanbecalled in for review(egbyCouncil’sNoiseNuisance
Teamorresidentsthemselves)inwhichcasetoughconditionsmaybeimposedbythe
LicensingCommittee(e.g.toprecludealcoholfrombeingdrunkoutsideafter,say,
10pm).ItshouldbenotedthatthereisarightofappealtotheMagistratesCourt.
Oneofthebiggestchallengesgoingforwardwillbedealingwiththenoisewhich
iscreatedbypatronswhostepoutsideforalatenightsmoke,eveniftheyarenot
allowedtohaveadrinkin-hand.Unlessmeasuresaretakentocontrolnumbersand
noise levels (e.g.byproactivedoorstaff), localresidentswill,sadly,continuetobe
disturbed.
anTHonY lEE
If residents experience problems, complaints can be made to the: Council’s Licensing Team: 0207 341 5152 – or – Council’s Noise Nuisance Team: 0207 361 3484 (out of hours)
NB. Diaries noting times, dates and responses by both the Council and the publican
should also be kept; so that they can be referred to if evidence is required.
CASINOREPORT2008
Two proposals for new casinos in the Royal Borough, each opposed by The Kensington Society, will not now be developed.
Planstobuilda£20millioncasinoat theEarlsCourtExhibitionCentrehavebeen
rejectedforthesecondtime.PlanninginspectorRogerBrownturneddownanappeal
fromtheEarlsCourtandOlympiaGroup,whichwantedtobuildanextensiontothe
currentexhibitioncentre tohousethecasino,saying itwoulddisrupt life for local
peopleandthatthetrafficcausedbythecasinocouldhavecaused“unacceptable
noiseanddisturbanceforneighbours”.
In September 2008 the developers of 99-121 Kensington High Street withdrew
theirapplicationforaChangeofUseofthefifthfloorfromanoffice,toagaming
facilitywith restaurantandbar -withassociated internalandexternalalterations.
Thedevelopment,knownasDerryandTom’s,hadbeenopposedbytheKensington
SquareResidentsAssociationandTheKensingtonSocietysincetheapplicationwas
firstregisteredin2006.
cHarlES luTYEnS
6� 65
TheKensingtonSocietyAccounts
Receipts and payments for the year Ended 31 December 2008
1. GeneralCoreFund
2008 2007
£ £
Receipts
VoluntarySources
Subscriptions 6,302.10 �,967.10 Donations 1,�60.00 380.00 GiftAid 0.00 �0�.70 Receiptsfromcurrentyearvisits 1,2�8.00 160.00 Advertisinginannualreport 300.00 �50.00 Interest 1972.86 2,112.�5
Total receipt 11,282.96 8,474.25
Payments
DirectCharitableExpenditure
CharitableActivities 300.00 552.97 Campaigning 0.00 2,000.00 Visits 681.95 1�0.00 Depositsfor2008activities 0.00 1,875.00 981.95 4,567.97
OtherExpenditure
Annualreport 5,970.85 �,818.50 Stationery/printing 923.18 1,370.06 Postage/telephones 0.00 508.52 Typing&Admin. 76.00 175.00 Meetingroomhire 100.00 121.25 Subscriptions 20.00 1�2.00 Catering 568.9� 876.93 Accounts �75.00 �75.00 Bankcharges 0.00 206.19 Insurance2008 0.00 288.75 Insurance2009 0.00 288.75 Advertising 180.00 180.00 8,313.97 9,450.95
Total payments 9,295.92 14,018.92
Net receipts for the year 1,987.04 (5,544.67)
Bank balances B/F 45,098.34 50,643.01
Bank balances C/F 47,085.38 45,098.34
TheKensingtonSocietyAccounts
Statement of assets & liabilities at 31 December 2008
£ £ £ £
Monetary Assets
Highinterestdepositaccount 0.00 2.32 2.32 2.32
NationalSavingsAccount 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
CurrentAccountGeneralCoreFund 0.00 �,286.65 �,286.65 �,272.�7
CAFCashAccount 2,370.41 40,426.00 42,796.65 40,823.55
2,370.41 44,714.97 47,085.38 45,098.34
Princess Alice Memorial Fund
General Core Fund
2008 Total
2007 Total
TREASURER’S REPORTThe Society came through 2008 with improved cash reserves at £�7,085.38.
Subscription revenue was up on 2007,as was the revenue from the events
which Gill Foley organised throughout the year. We also received a number of
generousdonations.
Inordertokeepupwithourcosts,whichhavebeenincreasingsteadilyyearonyear,
wetookthedecisiontoincreaseourannualsubscriptionfrom£10to£15.Wewould
thereforebegratefulifexistingmemberswouldensurethatthattheyareup-to-date
withtheir2009subscription.
anTHonY lEE
CONSTITUTION TheconstitutionappearsontheSociety’swebsite:
www.kensingtonsociety.org
Alternativelycopiescanbeobtainedfrom:
The hon Secretary, 12 Princedale Road, London W11 4NJ
76
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KENSINGTON & ChELSEA BOUNDARY MAPTheRoyalBoroughofKensingtonandChelsea
wascreatedin1965fromtheamalgamation
of the Royal Borough of Kensington and
the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea. Each
formerBoroughhaditsowncivicsociety.The
KensingtonSocietycoversalloftheBorough
northofFulhamRoad/WaltonStreet.