If you are put off going green by home-grown hippy-ish save-the-planet housing, then three luxury eco-homes in central London might take your fancy. The new 'sustainable luxury' scheme in Clareville Street, South Kensington, by Morpheus Developments, a company focusing on top-end residences at prime London addresses, will incorporate a contemporary high-end design ethic alongside heating the houses using 'green' energy supplied through geothermal boreholes. You are in good company employing this method adopted by several high-profile individuals ? including the Queen and Sir Elton John. Other eco features fitted as standard include solar panels, rainwater farming, waste compactors, double-glazing to retain heat, recycled lambswool insulation and low energy lighting. This project illustrates how small niche developers are pioneering ecologically sound building practices and you don't have to live out in the sticks to benefit from eco-friendly traditions. Inside, the eco-houses, costing £5.5 million each, are a far cry from handmade yurts, with the master suite covering an entire floor with his 'n' her marble bathrooms, a dressing room with walnut wardrobes and a private sitting room. The cinema room has its own wet bar (perfect for guilt-free viewings of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth) a steam and shower room and there is even a wine cellar (break out that organic vin) with a cigar humidor. 'We are committed to developing homes using ecologically friendly technology and materials, without compromising on style and elegance,' says Andrew Murray, director of Morphenus Developments.
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'To exist in this world relies on the hands of others': Roger Powell and modern British bookbindingAn exhibition on the legendary bookbinder Roger Powell reveals not only his great skill, but serves to reconnect us with the joy, power and importance of real craftsmanship.
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Spam: The tinned meaty treat that brought a taste of the ‘hot-dog life of Hollywood’ to war-weary BritainCourtesy of our ‘special relationship’ with the US, Spam was a culinary phenomenon, says Mary Greene. So much so that in 1944, London’s Simpson’s, renowned for its roast beef, was offering creamed Spam casserole instead.
