Celebrity moves – September 2017

When Britpop was at its height in the mid-nineties, it seemed that everybody wanted to settle in Camden. After the scene peaked, only a few of the more thoughtful musicians stayed and Graham Coxon was one of the most prominent. As lead guitarist for Blur, Coxon always seemed to be an otherworldly presence, slightly removed from the laddish bravura exhibited by his bandmates, so it’s no surprise to hear him talk of the supernatural side of life.

The musician has, in the past, visited the Rochester Square Spiritualist Temple in Camden Road where he is said to have made contact with his dead Grandfather. Now that it’s up for redevelopment, Coxon has sprung into action, citing the fact that the foundations were laid by Sherlock Homes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The whole of the NW1 and NW3 area has a historical vibe about it which probably promotes a certain creativity as the numerous music venues in these postcodes seem to point too. Hampstead in particular is full of homes small and large that are hidden behind quirky facades, here’s one of our favourites.

This time last year, Dutch soccer international, turned Manager, Frank de Boer probably had no idea that he would be plying his trade in South London. After a successful stint with his home club, Ajax, de Boer left Amsterdam for the bright lights of Inter Milan. However, football being the fickle mistress that she is, Frank found himself unemployed after only three months of patchy results and London club, Crystal Palace were waiting with an offer.

De Boer is a hands-on Manager and insisted that he should stay near the club training ground in Bromley which is the reason behind his move to Blackheath. He’ll find plenty to like about this charming village and might even venture to the OnBlackheath festival if results allow. He’s also not far from the river which is on the other side of the heath at Greenwich and might remind him of the canals of his Amsterdam childhood, here’s a nice pad with lovely views over the Thames that might tempt him.

The Made in Chelsea TV franchise is the ultimate in aspirational programming. From the glossy sports cars to the glossy hair extensions it promotes a sleek, well-heeled and uncomplicated view of the world and invites its audience along for the turbo-charged ride. But have you ever wondered about what becomes of all that bling? Every series sees the crowd drinking at snazzier clubs and crashing at glitzier apartments.

Well the first thing to understand is that the cast are not short of a bob or two to start with. Being offspring of wealthy parents has probably meant that property portfolios and stock options are part of life. What has been interesting is the way that the individual stars of the show have leveraged their popularity by launching fashion lines, opening restaurants and yes – selling their homes on. Some of them have cannily bought in Chelsea fringe areas like Fulham and are ready to cash in; after all what could be more aspirational than turning big profits in SW3? We’re not suggesting our discerning landlords would want to rent an apartment to the show cast but maybe if you are looking for your own slice of the Fulham Road, take a look at this apartment.

Two formidable ladies are ready to regenerate the whole of the Thames shoreline, west of Vauxhall. No, it’s not the notorious Ab Fab duo played by Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley; it is in fact Helen and Amy. Don’t worry if that draws a blank because they happen to be the names given to the two giant drilling machines that are currently tunnelling under the Nine Elms regeneration area in order to create the Northern Line Tube extension.

Local school kids were given the chance to name these mechanical marvels and they came up with tributes to astronaut Helen Sharman and aviator Amy Johnson, both intrepid female explorers. As long as a football pitch and weighing 650 tonnes, each drill will operate 25 metres below ground and move at about 30 metres per day. Starting at Battersea Power Station, these ‘ladies’ will have shifted over 300,000 tonnes of earth by the time they reach Kennington, leaving those in the luxury apartments in nearby Nine Elms Point none the wiser. Thirsty work!