London is awash with spectacular prime properties, and following the change to the UK's travel rules, it is now much easier for travellers from the UAE to come and see them.
The National'sLondon luxury property series serves to whet the appetite, and this month, a five-bedroom Notting Hill townhouse with a Hollywood twist is the star.
Featured property
Westbourne Park Villas, Notting Hill, W2 – £12.5 million ($16.9m)
The key details
Five-bedroom townhouse among Notting Hill’s most unusual properties.
Its idiosyncratic layout includes a raised multi-tonal parquet ground floor and two reception rooms.
An industrial themed kitchen-diner marries emerald green cabinets, stainless steel and state-of-the-art appliances.
There are few purposes the townhouse doesn't cater to. Boasting a steel-framed extension, a huge entertainment room, a home office and a south-facing library – prospective owners can read and bask in the sun at the same time.
Of the five bedrooms, the standout is naturally the master suite which stretches across the second floor, where a mezzanine makes the most of the vaulted double-height ceilings. Storage spans from wall to wall and two walk-in wardrobes keep it organised.
There are also two enviable options in the bathroom for daily ablutions: a Corsican marble deep-seated bath, and a twin vanity and steel-framed shower.
Back on the ground floor, French doors lead out on to a spacious garden replete with a terrace, basketball court, hot tub and sauna – a truly multifunctional entertainment space.
The garden also offers a taste of Tinseltown with an LA-style guesthouse – although this isn't the first time the area has made a harmonious match with Hollywood, as fans of late-1990s Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts romcom Notting Hill will attest.
The Hollywood-Notting Hill nexus was firmly established in the Richard Curtis romcom starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Alamy
What the broker says
What makes the property stand out from the crowd?
There are many things that make this house stand out but the garden is the one I’d highlight. At about 140 feet by 80ft, it will be among the largest private gardens in Notting Hill and at its level of maturity, there’s a woodland feel to it.
Within the tiered green space, there’s a basketball court, a fire pit, a traditional sauna and hot tub. At the back is an LA-style studio house, a rare feature in this part of London.
Are there similar homes in London?
Not that I’ve seen in 20-plus years. I’ve seen bigger but they tend to be more uniform.
This house is a one-off with its unique interiors, enormous entertainment and cinema space, and discreet position. The homeowner has also knocked through and combined one of the floors with the apartment next door to create a private guest space.
What kind of buyer would the property most suit?
A creative type, a musician perhaps – it's a very inspiring house. Equally, somebody who likes to entertain would feel at home here. It’s got plenty of spaces to host in: the steel-framed extension, the extensive garden, the entertainment room and, of course, overnight guests can easily be accommodated in the studio.
Why is now a good time to buy in London?
In August, London was hailed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as number one city of choice in its annual quality of life report.
Within London, Notting Hill has been highlighted as a top-10 global neighbourhood for post-pandemic recovery thanks to its world-class retail and entertainment scene.
Westbourne Park Villas townhouse agent is Giles Barrett. Head of Sales, Domus Nova
RESULTS
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m Winner: Brraq, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m Winner: Taamol, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m Winner: Eqtiraan, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m Winner: Soft Whisper, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m Winner: Etisalat, Sando Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Mane points for safe home colouring
Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final When: July 1 Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National will broadcast live from the IMF on Friday October 13 at 7pm UAE time (3pm GMT) as our Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi moderates a panel on how technology can help growth in MENA.
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples. Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts. Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
