Upcoming Book Signings At Heywood Hill

Mayfair bookshop, Heywood Hill in Curzon Street, has a couple of book signings you might be interested in during the month of November.

Tuesday 18th November 12.30-2.30pm – Lucy Moore
Lucy Moore will be signing copies of her new book Anything Goes, a biography of the Roaring Twenties.

Tuesday 25 November 12.30-2.30pm – John Julius Norwich
John Julius Norwich will be signing copies of the 2008 Christmas Cracker

For more information, call in to G. Heywood Hill Ltd at 10 Curzon Street or give them a call on 020 7629 0647.

Also worth noting that Heywood Hill is now open until 4.30pm on Saturdays (formerly 12.30), and will be extending their weekday opening hours towards Christmas to allow for some late night shopping.

Photo Mapping Mayfair with Seety

How would you like to have a look around Mayfair from the comfort of your chair? The very clever people at Seety have driven a car around London taking pictures in every direction to create a great photo mapping tool that lets you click your way round the capital looking in every direction, admiring landmarks, cars, buildings and people as you go.

If you’ve ever looked at Google maps and been in awe of its satellite aerial views, then you will love this. In the screen shot below, I was looking down South Audley Street.

Take a look yourself – the site is occasionally slow, but I imagine it’s getting lots of visitors at the moment. What do you think – bit of fun or possibly an intrusion of privacy?

Quantum Of Solace at Mayfair Curzon

To mark the release of the latest James Bond movie, the Curzon cinema in Mayfair is getting into the 007 spirit. A special Bond themed cocktail selection has been prepared for the bar including “the elegant Cointreau of Solace, the seductive Mini Vesper and the unmissable Licence Tequila”.

Royal boxes are available to hire to watch the film in style and you’ll be served with a free round of cocktails. They’ve also teamed up with the Washington Mayfair hotel to offer you a great price on a meal before or after the screening.

Quantum Of Solace is released October 31st – find out out more at Mayfair Curzon’s website.

Goodman Steakhouse Coming To Mayfair

Goodman Steakhouse is a popular chain of restaurants in Russia where they take pride in their top quality steaks. They only Aberdeen Angus and Hereford for their steaks, and cook them using natural wood coal and a professional hosper oven. Until now, Goodman steakhouses only existed in Russia but they are now opening their first international branch, and where else but Mayfair.

Their new London restaurant will open at the end of November in Maddox street at the site of what was Jamie’s Bar. According to Big Hospitality, it will have “an onsite dry ageing room, where cuts will be matured for up to 40 days for maximum tenderness”.

Pink Glow Over Mayfair

Earlier this week, a pink glow was spotted over Mayfair which had many people wondering if an alien invasion was imminent. But according to the Met office, it was not the result of paranormal or extra-terrestial activity but came from a pink spotlight hitting a low hanging cloud.

The Sun has the photo of this spooky looking pink cloud…

Major Handel Exhibition Planned for 2009

2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel, and the Handel House musuem in Mayfair will be marking the event with a major exhibition.

Beginning in April and running through to October 2009, the exhibition at his former house at 25 Brook Street will include objects from the musuem’s own collection as well as important pieces being loaned to the exhibition from national musuems and private collections.

During Handel’s 36 years living at the Georgian house, he composed some of his most famous and acclaimed works including Messiah.

Who’ll Get Custody Of The Pub?

If you have picked up a paper in the last week, you will be aware that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are divorcing. This one looks set to run and run, with the papers overjoyed to have the first big divorce since Macca vs Mills to get its teeth into. Apparently Madonna has even hired Fiona Shackleton to represent her, and she was last seen getting a jug of water tipped over her by Heather Mills McCartney in that bitter split with Sir Paul.

But at the end of it all, who will end up running the Punchbowl – the pub the couple own in Farm Street. With the Madonna apparently keen to return to the US, the smart money would probably be on Mr Ritchie but no doubt we will find out in due course as this case is likely to get full saturation coverage for the forseeable future.

Byzantium Exhibition Opens This Week

We blogged before about the exhibition of Byzantium treasures coming to the Royal Academy of Arts. This is just a headsup to remind readers that the exhibition starts this week, on October 25th.

According to a report in the Telegraph, advanced sales indicate there’s likely to be “massive interest” in what is likely to be a blockbuster exhibition.

Gemma Levine Raises £12,000 For Mayfair Library

Local portrait photographer, Gemma Levine, has raised £12,000 for Mayfair Library. The money was raised in a charity auction which took place at Claridge’s in June. The monies were generously donated and will be put in to a specially earmarked fund to be used on seating and lighting at the library, as well as a new chandelier in the central hallway.

The cheque was received by Westminster Council’s Director of Libraries, David Ruse, who said: “I would like to thank Gemma Levine for this generous donation which will provide a very visible lasting legacy for the local community and hopefully encourage even more visitors to Mayfair library. “

Ms Levine has had a distinguished career and in 2001, a retrospective of 25 years of her work was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Her most recent work was published in a book (see right), titled Mayfar: Spirit and Style, and is a superb set of photos which capture the very best of Mayfair.

US Embassy To Leave Grosvenor Square

After a long running will-they-won’t-they saga, it has finally been announced that the US Embassy is leaving Grosvenor Square. They have agreed a dea, pending approval from the US Congress, which will see them sell the leasehold for the current building and move to a new purpose built, ultra secure facility in the Nine Elms area, between Battersea and Vauxhall.

The move, which is expected to take five years to complete, will free up the Eero Saarinen designed building which is expected to achieve a £500 million price tag.

The US diplomatic service has long had a strong association with Grosvenor Square. Former President John Adam lived in Grosvenor Square for a time, and the US Embassy was based at number one Grosvenor Square before moving to its current building which occupies the whole Western side.

The presence of the embassy has meant that the square has played to many protests and demonstrations over the years including the famous anti-Vietnam war march of 1968.

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