Westfield Shopping Centre (a new project costing £1.6 billion) opened it’s doors on the 30th October 2008. It is located between Shepherds bush and Holland Park in West London is targeted to become one of the capital’s major retail and leisure destinations. Around 265 specialty stores are set to accommodate some of the world’s finest labels, beneath an enormous flamboyant, architect designed undulating glass ceiling. Once inside the building, which incidentally is said to be manufactured out of more than 50% recycled materials, you instantly feel the enormity of the project with a vast, almost oval style design housing many of the usual high street shops and a specially created retail village, featuring premium retailers (brands more accustomed to Bond Street) in what is promised to be a fantastic luxurious environment. Westfield London also features many eclectic dining options both inside the center and in the surrounding buildings, combined with a state of the art 14 screen multi-cinema complex (due to open shortly), and a beauty treatment center with fully equipped gymnasium. A host of exclusive customer services, activities and events will add to the retail and leisure offer to make Westfield London an unmissable London destination. Westfield is predicted to have around 20 million visitors a year, around 10% of Oxford Streets visitors.
Food is a major part of the experience, with over 40 different restaurants and bars to choose from, and Keith Mabbett, Leasing Director for Westfield London, has said: “The mix of outlets will range from high end cafes and restaurants through to market style gourmet food kiosks, family restaurants and coffee shops.” National and international food operators that are set to be operating within the development are: Tibits, Leon, Del’aziz, Wahaca, The Real Greek, Wagamama and Esca. These exclusive names are normally found only to be niche operators, restricting their presence to the centre of the Capital or to select London suburbs which makes their decision to open branches in Westfield London a testament to the project’s revolutionary approach and a true stamp to the identity that Westfield is going to provide its visitors.
Mr Gutman, the Managing Director of Westfield UK & Europe, has been quoted as saying: “Westfield has become a specialist at the combination of retail, dining leisure and entertainment in a series of high end malls around the world including Century City in Los Angeles, San Francisco Centre in downtown San Francisco, Bondi Junction in Sydney and shortly to commence at the base of the soon to be rebuilt World Trade centre in New York.”
Notting Hill Farmer’s Market (Not to be confused with it’s famous neighbour, Portobello Road Market) has a good all round selection of food stalls with plenty of healthy organic produce. Located Only a short distance from the tube, in the opposite direction to Portobello Road.
Day: Saturdays
Hours: 9am – 1pm
Location: The car park behind Waterstones on Notting Hill Gate itself. Access is via Kensington Place on the junction of Kensington Church Street, London W8
Parking: Metered bays in surrounding streets
London Buses: 12, 27, 28, 52, 70, 94, 328
London Tube: Notting Hill Gate, central line (exit on the south side)
Notting Hill Pictures. No prizes for guessing what this category is for. Feel free to send send in or put up any photos you may want to let others enjoy. Here is a few we have taken over the past few years.
Row of houses looking down Lancaster Road towards Portobello Road
Dub Vendor Record Shop, now sadly closed, located on Ladbroke Grove
Temperley Fashion Boutique, lcoated in Colville Mews of Lonsdale Rd.
Portobello Road (previously thought to have been called Green Lanes) appears to have been born from a small footpath that linked Notting Hill Gate to an area two miles North West of Notting Hill, namely, Kensal Green. The exact date the footpath was created is likely to remain unknown (possibly around the 1400′s) but it became a much more popular thoroughfare with the advent of Porto Bello Farm, built half way down the lane around 1740. The farm itself was named to commemorate Admiral Vernon capturing the coastal city of Puerto Bello in Panama in 1739 (a town favoured by the Spanish for Silver and other treasure trading) and to follow suit the footpath itself was renamed Porto Bello Lane which in turn became Portobello Road during the 1850′s as roads, homes and businesses were developed along its route.
Portobello Road Market itself started life in the late 1860′s, early 1870′s when many houses on the road were still under construction. Market traders were primarily selling food (known locally as “costermongers”) and were being driven by the ever expanding neighbourhood, inturn attracting many other traders to start selling medicines and general “bric-a-brac” goods. Side shows and street perfomers were also reported to have been getting in on the act setting up opposite the food stalls themselves. Up until the end the of 1920′s traders were only operating on Saturday’s, mainly due to the restrictions levied upon them by the local council, but after a lengthy battle they finally managed to approve opening on many other days and the market flourished.
By the end of the Second World War, around 1945, many “Rag and Bone” men started setting up stalls and selling second hand household items and antiques. The men were renown for selling high quality items for low prices and word started to spread, which in turn lead to more knowledgable buyers moving in to make a profit from the deals. This kick-started the Antiques section of the market postioned near the top end of Portobello Road between Lonsdale Road & Chepstow Villas (towards Notting Hill Gate). Then 10-15 years later, during the late 1960′s fashion traders gradually started to appear and Portobello Road Market became the complete international success story that it is today.
Looking up Portobello Road towards Notting Hill Gate
Benefiting from a stylish décor throughout this fantastic one bedroomed flat is located moments from the restaurants, shops and bars of Notting Hill and Holland Park.
This fantastic one bedroomed garden flat is situated in beautiful period conversion and offers comfortable, modern living space and boasts wonderful private garden.
