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Evening Standard
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Graydon Carter's guide to London: Maison François, Anderson & Sheppard and collecting canoes
Sign up for the best picks from our travel, fashion and lifestyle writers. Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice. Graydon Carter, whose new book is out now, has never owned a flat in London; these are his favourite spots when he visits from New York. Home is … Greenwich Village. I've lived in New York for almost half a century. Our current apartment is about 200 feet from my first apartment. I know, a distinct lack of imagination. Where do you stay in London? We used to love the Draycott, just off Sloane Square. No spa or proper dining room. And the bathroom showers were tortuous. But it was charming, filled with books, and the rooms had gas fireplaces. Nina Campbell had done the interiors. It was sold recently and went through a renovation that stripped it of all its charm. Where was your first flat in the city? I've never owned a London flat — my loss. I was fired from the Evening Standard by fax by the editor Paul Dacre. I couldn't really blame him Graydon Carter What was your first job in London? I did a column for this paper once. It was about the goings on in New York. I was fired by fax by the editor Paul Dacre. I couldn't really blame him. The column wasn't particularly good. Where would you recommend for a first date? A walk along the Embankment. It's peaceful and you get a sense of the vast history of the city as well as the bustling newness of it. Which shops would you visit to buy presents? I do believe that the Anderson & Sheppard haberdashery shop is about as perfect as perfect gets. I also love Anya Hindmarch's little village of shops in Chelsea. My wife and I love to split a pasta starter and then a branzino The best London meal you've had? At the River Café, with my wife, our youngest son Spike and his wife Pip, and two dear friends, Lucy and Mark Cornell. My wife and I love to split a pasta starter and then a branzino. The River Cafe in Hammersmith Courtesy What would you do if you were Mayor for the day? Allow smoking in restaurants. Outlaw any car worth more than £100,000. Switch driving lanes to the right side. Force the owners of the Draycott to restore the hotel to its former self. Who is the most iconic Londoner? Gussie Fink-Nottle from the Jeeves novels. Or Admiral Nelson. Maybe Tony Hancock. Richard Garnett as Augustus 'Gussie' Fink-Nottle and Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster in the 1990 'Jeeves and Wooster' TV adaptation Rex Features Where do you have fun? I happen to love restaurants. So somewhere to eat. And drink. Where do you exercise in London? I don't. I know, shameful. Have you ever had a run-in with a London police officer? No, thankfully. Where do you let your hair down? Not really enough hair to let down anymore. Also, you must think that I'm a much younger person than I am. What's your biggest extravagance? It used to be Anderson & Sheppard suits. Now it's brightly coloured Hermès handkerchiefs. I've downsized. What's your London secret? The roast chicken at Maison François. Dishes at Maison Francois Steven Joyce What's your favourite work of art in London? What are you up to at the moment for work? I have a memoir called When the Going Was Good to promote. And organising and editing the next issues of our weekly news, features and arts dispatch, Air Mail. What do you collect? I have five canoes of varying size. All of them made by the Old Town Canoe Company in Maine. One of them is a hundred-year-old war canoe that can hold 12. Which podcast are you currently obsessed with? The Rest is History and The Rest is Entertainment. Your favourite grooming spot? If I ever do decide to experience a professional shave, I'd probably go to Taylor on Jermyn Street. What apps do you depend on? Nothing too exotic. Uber and Google Maps. I'm hopeless with directions. Who is your hero? Si Newhouse, my old boss at Condé Nast. No man who held so much sway over the minds and tastes of the upper reaches of civilisation ever wore his influence more lightly. He was like a second father to me. And I adored him.
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Where Nigel Farage lives - quaint village outside of London where house prices have plummeted
MP for Clacton and Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, resides in an idyllic village around 17 miles from Westminster, where house prices reach around £570K but have been falling Local elections are taking place across England today, with millions of voters heading to their nearest polling station. Hoping to win two or three mayoralties for his party is Nigel Farage, the MP for Clacton and Leader of Reform UK. But when the 61-year-old politician isn't out campaigning or sitting in parliament, he can be found at his home in the quiet and quaint village of Downe, which is around 17 miles from Westminster. Downe, nestled in the London borough of Bromley, is renowned as the residence of Charles Darwin, the legendary 19th-century naturalist and "godfather" of evolutionary biology. Situated just a stone's throw from Orpington, the village is enveloped by Kent's countryside, golfing greens and stately private residences. Mr Farage was born in Farnborough, Kent, to Guy and Barbara Farage. He attended the prestigious Dulwich College, a fee-paying institution whose notable alumni include Jeeves and Wooster author P.G. Wodehouse and Ed Simons of The Chemical Brothers, reports the Express. Nigel has always stayed true to his roots for Kent, choosing to live in Downe, which shares county lines. He is said to reside in a family home in the picturesque village, and given its swift access to central London, it's hardly shocking that properties there command an average price of £565,833, according to Rightmove data from last year. The majority of property sales in Downe were semi-detached houses, fetching an average of £681,250. Terraced homes sold for around £335,000. Yet property values in Downe have slumped, as last year they were 50 per cent down from the previous year and 27 per cent down on the 2015 peak of £776,675. Two TfL bus services, the 146 (Bromley-Downe) and R8 (Orpington-Biggin Hill via Downe), serve the village. It's a convenient 20-minute bus journey from either Bromley South or Orpington stations. If Mr Farage is in need of a refreshing pint after a busy day in the office, Downe boasts two pubs - The Queens Head and George and Dragon. The former is a family-run, 16th-century traditional country pub, while the latter takes pride in its selection of real ales and seasonal food offerings. Just a stone's throw away from the village is RAF Biggin Hill. This former fighter base played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, defending London and south-east England from enemy bombing. This historical tale is narrated at the RAF Biggin Hill Museum and Chapel, where Winston Churchill's "Few" are commemorated. If the MP is looking to hit the green at the weekend, the area has several courses to choose from, including the private members' West Kent Golf Club, High Elms Golf Course, Cherry Lodge Golf Club and Chelsfield Lakes Golf Course. The main attraction for visitors to Downe is Darwin's Down House. Here, you can explore the study where the father of evolutionary theory penned On the Origin of Species. English Heritage recognises Darwin's family home as a site of outstanding international significance. The renowned scientist would take daily walks around a circuit of the house's grounds known as the Sandwalk. He also established a laboratory in a brick hut and cultivated orchids in a greenhouse. Set amidst gardens that served as Darwin's "living laboratory", visitors can now explore how the naturalist's observations contributed to the development of his pioneering theories.
