PLAYING AROUND

Not long ago the Dame reported that Cllr Palmer amused himself during vital debates by playing games on his smartphone or checking his miserable penny share portfolio.

Palmer checks portfolio
during vital debate

It seems he is not alone in the abuse of council equipment. Here's Cllr Vernon-Jackson, the former Lib Dem leader of Portsmouth City Council playing with himself during a major debate on cuts. Read it HERE
His smartphone, like that of Palmer's, was paid for by taxpayers.

Playing Solitaire

A LONDON STORY OF A WAR CRIMINAL

Our great city is awash with curious stories about interesting people. The Dame is in one of her reminiscing moods so thought this little vignette would interest readers. 

Not long ago the Dame was having her 1960 Mercedes Benz sports car serviced. 

The Dame in better days

Whilst her loyal chauffeur was attended to the technical details the Dame enjoyed a chat with the garage owner, a delightful and amusing Indian gentleman.

Anyway, in course of conversation the Dame’s amusing raconteur

said, “ Dame, do you realise you are talking to the last man ever to see Albert Speer alive?”

The Dame, puzzled, asked how it was that a ‘garagiste’ would have known the awful Herr Speer.

“Well, Dame, it was like this. At one point in my life, before the motor trade, I was a junior doctor at St Mary’s Paddington. I remember that day in early September 1981 so clearly.....

I was the only A&E  doctor on duty when Speer was wheeled in suffering from a brain clot.  He was in London to be interviewed by the BBC.

All I remember of Speer was the anger as he fought death: not a nice man".

BUSINESS RATES KILLING LONDON BUSINESS

Phillipa Roe, the outgoing leader of Westminster City Council has ripped into the government over the inequity of the current business rates regime. She says business rates should be torn up and a fresh and fair start made. You can read her wise words HERE

Roe is 100% correct. Physical businesses are being severely damaged whilst online retailers pay no business rates and as often as not are based in tax light countries.

Roe is set to go to the Lords so let's hope she continues the battle there.

This is a battle that RBKC should have joined.

One person who is fuming about her elevation is Pooter Cockell.

When the Dame bumped into him at the Earls Court Society Christmas bash she asked him if he had sent 'Pippa' a note of congratulation. She deemed it safer not to await his reply....

Hell hath no fury like a Pooter scorned. 

SURESH GUPTA BANS LUDO FROM HIS SPEAKEASY

For the old Dame Christmas is a time to retreat to her Montego Bay plantation 'eyrie' for a little sun and a chance to avoid having to bail out her evil nephew, Ludo.
For Ludo and his 'crew' Christmas is a time to beat up the town. He and pals have an especial affection for some of the North Ken drinking dens where the liquor is very cheap and a blind eye is turned to their outrageous antics...
One such 'speakeasy' is run by that doyen of the community, Mr Suresh Gupta, treasurer and secretary of the Kensal Community Centre rented from us poor suckers for a peppercorn.

FRIEND OF COCKELL

There has always been a bit of a mystery about Mr Gupta's friendship with the Council; indeed, his daughter works in the 'Cabinet Office'.
Anyway, it seems, according to Ludo, the cozy relationship is in tatters with all sorts of bitter recriminations and imputations that this drinking club may have got into a bit of a muddle with its accounts. 
When Freemasons get nasty with each other it gets very unpleasant!
Fortunately, the Dame can attest to the fact that this mild mannered and self-styled philanthropist is no Al Capone.
What we know for certain is that Mr Gupta resigned from the KCC on 10th December and the mysterious Indian Welfare Society a few days previously. 
No one is sure who benefited from the vast income of six grand a year-apart from his reputation- when he discussed it far and wide.
According to Ludo Mr Gupta plans a book with the working title, 'How to be Healthy,Rich and Famous'.
The Dame will be reviewing this Magnus Opus when it hits her Louis Quinze desk.

AHERN CATCHES 'SUPER' CAR DRIVER FROM SHEFFIELD!

Sometimes one despairs of Cllr Tim Ahern and fellow Irishman, 'Fizzy' Fitzpatrick of the £500,000 a year Council PR department.
Read it HERE and the comments which pour scorn on RBKC.
In an effort to stop the dangerous and noisy Middle Eastern supercar drivers the ludicrous Public Space Protection Order was implemented. 
Has it succeeded? Of course not.
How do we know? Because Ahern and Fitzpatrick have boastfully announced that they have caught and prosecuted three miscreants. 
So where do these billionaire oil magnates come from?
Well, one comes from a run down area of Sheffield 

The Sheffield Supercar driver's home!

and another from that "Dubai of the Home Counties," Bedford.
The real culprits, in their £350,000 plus Lamborghini's and Ferrari's, get off scot-free because their Arabic number plates are indecipherable. 
They still tear down Knightsbridge, Brompton Rd, Sloane and Pont Street at speeds in excess of 80 MPH untroubled by the police or the council.
In any case, the Council has no intention of pissing off the Qatari's and other Middle Easterner's who more or less own the Royal Borough: these drivers are the root cause of the trouble.
Ahern, don't take residents for idiots. 
You have done nothing to alleviate a continuing problem.
Prosecuting a couple of provincial hicks in tuned up junk heaps convinces nobody.
If you can't do your job properly....step aside!

RESIDENTS OF WILTSHIRE CLOSE TO GET RUBBISH VIEWS

How ridiculous and underhand of the Council to start a consultation process just days before Christmas.

A sharp-eyed reader tells the Dame that the Council is trying to move the street cleaning facility from the Clearings luxury development site on to the Wiltshire Close Housing Estate.

If they get away with it will mean a huge return and for ground floor residents of Wiltshire Close a bird's eye view of a 24/7 rubbish facility.

This was the original plan as part of the Clearings redevelopment: (from the planning report)

• PROPOSAL: Demolition of Clearings 1 & 2, Leverett Street and Denyer Street depot

(collectively known as Clearings site), redevelopment to provide 69 residential units

comprising 62 apartments and 7 town houses, with ancillary facilities for residents,

basement car parking, landscaping, and walkway between Mossop Street and Denyer

Street and a replacement RBKC street cleaning facility on part of depot site.

More details of the new cleaning depot from the planning report:

• New Council street cleaning depot, which includes a covered storage yard

and 543sqm office/support accommodation provided within a three storey

building between the new Denyer Street townhouses and the Baker and Spice cafe. There is no basement in this part of the site

These are the details of the upcoming exhibition this Wednesday 21st. It would be good if as many people as possible could attend:

URGENT: Re. Street-Cleaning facility planned for Wiltshire Close:

 An exhibition will be held on Wed 21st Dec 3-7pm at Marlborough Interim School main hall regarding the Council's plans to move the street cleaning facility to Wiltshire Close.

This was NOT part of the original plans, they were to go on the Clearings luxury development site.

From the plans it appears some of the apartment windows on the ground floor will look directly onto the shed (see pic)

Click to enlarge

SAVE YOUR BUS ROUTES: INVOLVE YOURSELF!

Someone asked the Dame, "Dame, for whom is Transport for London run?'

The mischievous old thing immediately replied, "well, Cllr Moylan has done very well out of it in years past".

But, on a less frivolous note. TfL proposes to alter the bus routes running along Oxford Street, as was briefly mentioned in the Evening Standard on 26 Nov. 

Maps on the consultation website below show that TfL proposes to terminate the eastbound 23 bus at Lancaster Gate and extend it north to Wembley! 

TfL claims that this will restore its reliability!  

Thus, residents will no longer be able to take a bus from Westbourne Grove to Oxford Street, or through the West End via Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross and St Paul’s etc. There are also proposed changes to other bus services, such as the 452.

We are all very busy right now, but losing the 23 will have a huge impact on RBKC residents. So please make time for this consultation. Please follow this link. 

 https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/liverpool-street-buses#What are we proposing for routes 11, 23, 42 and 78?

Bus routes 23, 46, 332 and 452 - Transport for London - Citizen Space

SPALDING IN TROUBLE....AGAIN

What on earth is the matter with councillor and ex-Admiral of the Fleet, Malcolm Spalding?
For residents of Earls Court, Capco and Urbanista are Public Enemies.  So, what does the silly old sailor do? He asks these two hated organisations to sponsor the Earls Court Society Christmas shindig. And, it's not the first time. You can search Spalding on the Nest and see for yourself.
Spalding, has form for lousy judgment: he switched, in a New York minute, from being independent to Conservative and has a history of kowtowing to Capco.

A resident tells the Dame, "He has, without any authority, consultation or agreement by the Earls Court Society organised for their Christmas party to be sponsored by Capco and Urbanista.

De minimus, it's deeply inappropriate to ask the two firms, causing local residents great upset, to be involved in a community initiative. 
Urbanista’s recent planning application, vigorously opposed by local residents, caused great upset and was then withdrawn. 
Capco has a lot of coverage within the area and residents are very concerned about the spate of applications coming through,
As Spalding has now taken a role on the housing committee it is inappropriate that he be so close to Capco and Urbanista.

THE DAME AS ONE OF DANTE'S NYMPHETS

The Dame is fed up with even more 'Moaning Minnies'.
This bunch don't like the idea of Council Tax money being spent on Victorian 'soft porno' art. 
That is what is supposed to have been spent on 'art' for Leighton House.
But why on earth should our worthy councillors listen to the philistines who infest our Borough?
After all, with an 'art expert' like Ex-Mayor, Barry Phelps on board they know a bit about 'art'. (enough, Dame, ed)
What's one million smacker on Pre Raphalite art when you are sitting on £370 million in reserves?

SPOT THE DAME

Time for the peasants to 'zip it up' as Ludo would say.
The Dame has a soft spot for Dante Gabriel.



When she was a sweet young thing Dante included her as one of his 'nymphets'

DAMES'S AMOUR

A DEFAMING DAME

The one thing the old Dame cannot stand is 'Moaning Minnies' as the Principal of her Surrey finishing school would describe those 'gals'  incapable of the 'book trick'

The gal at the rear is the Dame...
Anyway, it seems that some of the 'Big Beasts' in Hornton Street have been claiming that Ludo and pals have put in such heavy internet security they cannot serve writs for defamation.
Well, the Dame has some news.
If you want to sue the Dame the first thing you need to do is ask the old biddy for a retraction or correction.
So stop whining and moaning and write to the Dame making your pitch. 

A word of warning....the Dame was threatened with 'men in wigs' by paedophile ex councillor Andrew Lamont: it nearly got him sent down!
His pompous brother, a partner at Charles Russell, was gung ho for it until the judge hit Andy with a massive fine and a conviction.
So, the moral of the story is this.....be sure of your ground before threatening the Dame.....
The Dame is not for bullying.

MARTIN'S PROPERTY HELPING THE HOMELESS WITH A £20 MILLION TOWNHOUSE

MARTIN JUNIOR WITH TRENDY SPECS

Mr Martin of Martin's Properties should know the importance small business to the life of a community:after all, the Dame remembers when she would demand dear old Mr Martin come fix her Art Deco radiogram. 

.......Mr Martin's son has come a long way from those humble roots with the King's Rd electrical shop and now has built up a proper little property empire, via working for the dreaded Affinity Sutton!

The statutory demand to build more homes in London is excellent news for developers, allowing them to dress up their basement-digging as a social good. 

Rolfe-Judd, is acting on behalf of Martin's Properties which has been given the green light by RBKC's planning officers to cleanse four small businesses from Old Church Street, Chelsea. In getting rid of these businesses it cites "the urgent need for more homes" to justify this loss of local firms. 

The London Plan sets a target of 733 units to be built in RBKC, as the Rolfe-Judd's Planning Statement for 26-30 Old Church Street states (p.16). However, whether the two four-storey townhouses that are being proposed to replace the businesses will indeed 'provide a real choice for Londoners in ways that meet their needs at a price they can afford' is somewhat questionable - given that one four-storey house in the street is currently on sale for £19,750,000!

The Planning Committee will consider Martin's application on Tuesday. 

ANA DELGARDO :THE DAME NAMES AND SHAMES AN AMBASSADORIAL LITTER BUG

Street cleaning in the Royal Borough is efficiently done. 
The cleaning teams are dedicated and hardworking.
When the Dame is told an ex-ambassador/cleaner is constantly littering our streets the old thing bridles. 

A reader has just sent the Dame a picture of a vast pile of unsorted rubbish dumped on a Knightsbridge street. 
It was on an incorrect day, with no attempt to properly bag it or recycle it.

Step forward Miss Ana Delgado, a Panamanian lawyer, and, until recently, her country's ambassador to the UK.
This was her very lame excuse considering it has been happening frequently. This was her last excuse....

Dear Mr. *******

I have already took attention to the matter and spoke to the Council of Kensington and Chelsea 2 days ago. (No, she did not so it lends credence to ambassadors being sent abroad to lie on behalf of their country)

I apologize for inconvenience. I am currently outside London and it was a mistake made by new cleaner who was not aware of rules.

This won’t happen again,

Ana Irene Delgado

You would expect Miss Delgado to ensure her cleaner(if she did?) had instructions about when to put out rubbish..... but maybe, Her (Ex) Excellency doesn't believe the rules apply to her.

Fortunately, a civic-minded fellow resident bought it back off the street and pushed it into the ex- ambassador's flat entrance.

DIPLOMATIC BAGGAGE

Miss Delgado needs to understand what might be acceptable in Panama City is illegal and unacceptable in the Royal Borough of K&C



It's time neighbours and the Council had a few words with this selfish woman. 

For an ex-ambassador, to behave as she has is unforgivable.

Being a 'hot shot' lawyer she will probably try to sue the old Dame. Good luck with that one, dear!

MAKING COMMUNITIES WORK AND GROW. PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR THE GREEN ARMY

Sometimes a good local cause springs out at you......

SPRINGING OUT AT THE DAME

The Kensington Borough Football Club was started in 2012.
It gives young a people in the Borough a chance to learn teamwork and become ambitious to achieve good life goals.
The Dame has pledged part of her Winter Fuel allowance to help the team hit their target of £14,000. Having reached £10,225 it's highly achievable.
So, if you love the old Dame please join with her and 'take the Pledge'!

We have over 26 players aged from 17 to 25 years old. We have raised £10,225 to date and we need more people to pledge, please do send the link to your friends and colleagues 

We have until December 16th 2016 to raise over £14,000 to pledge to this project, visit our Spacehive project page:

www.spacehive.com/Kensington-Borough-FC

  

The latest crowdfunding project has arrived in Kensington and Chelsea with the opportunity to enable a community run football team to compete in a semi-professional league and to hold a community football tournament for young people in the borough.

Established in 2012, Kensington Boroughs FC was set up to engage and support young people in Kensington and Chelsea into sports, helping them to develop teamwork, discipline, build aspiration and focus them away from crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Green Army have excelled through the seasons and are now playing in the Semi Professional Division 1 of the South Midlands Spartans Football League.

In order to help them to continue their participation, they have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover costs of pitch hire, league entry and travel costs so the team can continue to compete.  A celebratory football tournament at the end of the season, to scout new players and involve in the entire community has also been lined up.

Making Communities Work and Grow (MCWG), a long-established community organisation in North Kensington have been at the helm of this football club, recognising the many obstacles young people face in their community.  The project lead and coordinator of Kensington Borough FC, Ahmed Bhairien of MCWG said: ‘We set up Kensington Borough to open doors for disadvantaged young people from a variety of backgrounds.  This community led football team needs your support to continue to give them focus and aspiration.  Your support will help recognise their achievements and enable the club to carry on inspiring young people through sport’.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE LINCOLN'S INN LAWYERS & THE BRAZILIAN CRIMPER

Both sides in the Remain/Leave debate have lied atrociously. Now it's time hot shot 'man in a wig', Dominic Chambers QC came clean over his relationship with Deir Dos Santos.
One reader seemed unable to understand the relevance. So here it is...
"Dominic Chambers QC, appearing for Mr Santos, told the court that the sovereignty of Parliament was at stake.

Mr Chambers said: "Under the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, no person or body is recognised by the law as having the right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament.

"What Parliament has enacted only Parliament can take away."

The Dame cannot make it clearer!
Bloomberg suggests that Dos Santos was a client of the rapaciously expensive Lincoln's Inn firm of Edwin Coe. 
Coe clients are vastly wealthy landed families. 
That begs the question as to why they would take on a thirty seven year old hairdresser earning no more than £40,000 a year?
And looking at Mr Chambers's head it doesn't seem as if he needs much of Mr Dos Santos's crimping(unlike the Dame) so he cannot have been a salon client.....

NOT MUCH ON TOP!

It really is time Edwin Coe stop playing around and told us just a little more about how they persuaded Chambers to represent Dos Santos.....

Name: Deir Dos Santos
Age: 37
Law Firm: Edwin Coe

Deir Dos Santos works as a hairdresser and "is just an ordinary guy," according to his lawyer, Dominic Chambers. “If his rights are going to be taken away, he wants it done in a proper and lawful manner." He was born in Brazil and is a British citizen.

THE DAME AND HER BREXIT COIFFEUR

With the 'Festive Season' fast approaching the Dame popped down to see Mr Dos Santos at his Belgravian salon.
Mr Dos Santos has been 'curating' the Dame's voluminous hair for some time so he and she love to share juicy tittle-tattle.
The Dame lost no time in pressing dear Deir on how he managed to get involved in the High Court Brexit action.
Giggling, Dos Santos said, "Oh Dame, you naughty old thing, I can't possibly tell you".
The Dame, being a nosey old thing, pressed the point. 'Deir, but your solicitor said you were just an 'ordinary chap' who had voted leave, so why the change of heart?"

THE COIFFEUR...GOOD FRIENDS

"Deir, your secret is safe with me: is Mr Dominic Chambers, QC, the prime mover behind the High Court action, one of your clients, or are you just VERY,VERY good friends?"

THE QC AND HIS COIFFEUR