Mount Street Gardens Receives Green Flag Award Again

2008's Green Flag Award winners have been announced and Mount Street Gardens in Mayfair are again the recipient of the prestigious Green Flag Award. The judges say of the space, "This garden forms a quiet green oasis in the middle of a densely built up environment where users can go to sit and relax without the noise and bustle of everyday life"

The recognition for Mount Street Gardens follows on from receiving the same prize in 2007. The award, which is organised by the Civic Trust, recognises the very best parks and green spaces in the country.

South Molton St Fire Forces Bond Street Station Closure

Bond Street station had to be temporarily closed this morning because of a fire that broke out in South Molton Street. Police apparently believe the fire to be "suspicious", although there have been no reports of any injuries as yet.

Were you at the scene? Do you have any further information? Feel free to email us with what you saw.

Byzantium Treasures Coming To Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Arts has announced a new exhibition which will showcase important Byzantium treasures. Around 300 objects from the Byzantine empire, including icons, detached wall paintings, micro-mosaics, ivories, enamels plus gold and silver metalwork, some of which have never been on public display before.

The show will run from 25th October to 22 March 2009 in the RA's Main Galleries. For more information, goto the Royal Academy website.

Enterprising Chemist Benefits from Embassy Rules

Gould Pharmacy in North Audley Street, Mayfair, is benefitting from a recent change to rules at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. The embassy has outlawed electronic devices being brought in to the building, which leaves hundreds of visitors needing somewhere to store their phone. Step forward Alpesh Patel from Gould Pharmacy, who is providing a secure holding service at £10 a time.

What do you think? Is £10 a bit expensive? Is this profiteering or a clever move which helps members of the public who have nowhere else to safely store their phone whilst they are in the embassy?

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Mandela's Legal Action Against Belgravia Gallery

The Guardian has reported that Nelson Mandela is to begin legal proceedings against the Belgravia Gallery in Albemarle Street in relation to lithographs and drawings they are displaying in a current exhibition to mark Mandela's 90th birthday.

A statement from his lawyers said: "Mr Mandela has given us instruction to take urgent, appropriate steps against Belgravia gallery to stop any marketing, distribution and selling of artwork associated with his name".

Anna Hunter, managing director of Belgravia gallery, told the Guardian that she had personally witnessed Mandela signing the works in 2002, and gave a speech alongside him when he launched them in South Africa.

Visit Belgravia Gallery website
Read the original story at Guardian.co.uk

Ken names Mayfair Curzon as Favourite Cinema

Former Mayor, Ken Livingstone, named the Curzon cinema in Mayfair as his favourite cinema. His answer came as part of a Guardian interview to find his "London Top 10", and he said of the picturehouse:

One of the joys of living in London is that in the evening you can just get off the tube at Piccadilly or Leicester Square and find a film you want to see at a time you want to see it. It must be the biggest concentration of film choice anywhere in Europe. My favourite, though, is the Curzon in Mayfair – it's part of a small chain and always run by people that love film

Westminster Council Turns Down Reagan Statue

According to the Atticus column in yesterday's Sunday Times, Westminster Council has turned down an application to erect a statue of Ronald Reagan outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

Plans to put a bronze statue of Ronald Reagan outside the American embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, have been rejected. Westminster council says figures must have been dead for 10 years before they qualify for a public monument (although the Americans might have noticed a statue in Parliament Square of Nelson Mandela, who is still very much with us). Perhaps they could put the former US president there too. It would remind our MPs of Reagan’s driving political dictum – that too much government is bad government. They might even add his famous advice to officials: “Don’t just do something, stand there.”