brochure

May we take this opportunity to recommend a trip to the Notting Hill Farmers Market

every Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the car park behind Waterstones.

HELP MAKE THE GATE A GREAT ARTCENTRE

£3 MILLION PUBLIC ART PROJECT

To complete our Art Project we have been awarded £30,000 from The Arts Council of England (A. C. E.) to execute a feasibility study, as a preliminary to our seeking a full grant for implementation.

After much consultation, Piers Gough has been selected as Project Co-ordinator. He is currently working with Dante Leonelli to select a team of Artists who will design works for N.H.G.. Areas to receive consideration have been identified as a central clock, gateway features, signage, a colour scheme for the '60's buildings, a lighting project etc.

In order to achieve the highest quality project it is considered vital to raise additional funds. These are:

£10,000 to pay selected artists to execute quality submissions for the individual Art works

£10,000 for a top quality model of the final project This will be of great importance in making graphic and quality presentations to sponsors and supporters.

£10,000 for W.S. Atkins, Traffic Engineers This excellent company has received an award for outstanding work in improving the Strand, London, WC2. We are hoping they can achieve a similarly successful transformation at N.H.G. In order to complete proper surveys, to justify their proposals, it will be necessary to pay them, albeit modest, fees

The essence of this project is that the Art is not just 'bolted on'. There must be an element of foundation/infrastructure: thus NHIG have realised the importance of tackling the 'urban motorway' that so damages the environment. W.S. Atkins' fees are vital to give their proposals credibility so as to persuade RBK&C, The director of Traffic for London and D.E.T.R. that this proposal is worthy of implementation.

Our Appeal

Two years ago, when our application to A.C.E. was initiated, N.H.I.G. was informed that A. C. E. would fund 75% of approved art schemes. Grave warnings have been given as to the difficulties of achieving such funding now. We are, however, pressing on to achieve the very best project in the belief that this will deserve and receive proper support.

At a later stage we shall require funding for the various Art features. These can be supported by subscription and sponsorship. We are greatly in need of your immediate support to raise £30,000. N.H.I.G. hopes that the quality and success of our initial improvements, as set out in the following pages, will justify your generosity in helping us with this great project.

HISTORY

Notting Hill Improvements Group (NHIG) was formed by two honorary officers of the Pembridge Association who were the sponsors of the Westbourne Grove Lavatories, recipient of much national and international acclaim, including the Jeu d'Esprit award in 1994 by The Royal Fine Art Commission.

The inaugural meeting was held on December 12th 1993 at which preliminary proposals for the area, including some powerfully depressing photographs, commissioned from Troughton McAslan Architects, were circulated. Since that date, all premises in the area were delivered a manifesto entitled 'Help Us Green The Gate,' including a map listing our improvement objectives. All these have been achieved.

These include:

Tree planting: 140 Norway Maples, 5 mature London Planes, 8 Dawn Redwoods, 8 Hornbeams, 9 Fastigiate Oaks, 8 Golden Frisias, 4 Pears and a vast number of plants and varigated ivies

Re-paving of almost the entire area, including neat red granite setts around tree pits

An upgrading of all 4 London Underground Station access points

A significant improvement of shop front design and signage through close co-operation and pressure in collaboration with RBK&C and grants for shop front and upper-part enhancement programmes. (Our improvements have generated some £1OM by others, including Waterstones, Boots, W.H.Smith, Pharmacy, The Gate Theatre, All Bar One, Gap, Starbucks, Coffee Republic etc.)

Installation of 'Harrington' pedestrian railings and extensive cycle racks

Removal of unnecessary street signs

New Grade 1 bollards, litter bins

6 high quality benches, designed by Innes Ferguson

A hexagonal bench by Philip Pigott with uplighters

14 tree uplighters

Payment of £15,000 for 2 large central reservation flower beds

Relocation of a number of British Telecom and Thames Water boxes

Installation of 3 bronze pavement plaques

Approximately 100 hanging, all year round, flower baskets

NHIG has received two awards from the Brighter Kensington and Chelsea Scheme - The Princess Alice Countess of Athlone Environment Award and The Arnold Stevenson Award for Services to the Borough. Since inauguration we have raised over £1M from more than 1,000 residents and commercial interests. Our principal supporters are Land Securities PLC and The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Without their encouragement and help nothing could have been achieved.

MILESTONES & ACHIEVEMENTS

STEALING BEAUTY

The directors of The Gate Cinema and 20th Century Fox most generously gave a charity performance of this excellent Bertolucci Tuscan romantic entanglement on August 18th 1996. Our local resident John Cleese kindly introduced the programme and the 150 who attended made contributions of over £350.

PUBLIC ART COMPETITION

Thanks to David McHugh of Notting Hill Arts Club, a large Public Art Competition was launched on October 10th 1995 for which 60 entries were received. Judging took place on January 24th 1996 and the winner was Maggie Baynes (£1,000)

- a design for Newcombe Piazza, now substantially executed), 2nd Peter Logan (£500 - a wind sculpture) 3rd Dennis Wilkinson (£250 - 4 steel arches and a central clock, all clad in ivy). The Chair of the panel of six judges was Lucinda Lambton. On June 5th 1996, John Gummer Secretary of State for the Environment, presented the prizes.

CLOCK COMPETITION

During the Spring and Summer of 1997, a competition was held to seek the best design for a central clock, the main aspiration of our improvement project. Following the felicitous collaboration of The Prince of Wales Institute for Architecture, ten submissions were installed at the Council's principal Public Library for public view and comments. Fine models were produced by Pentagram, Lucy Baier and Bill Woodrow. The last named, a Trustee of The Tate Gallery, submitted a 2' high polychrome model in bronze.

CLIMBER - WIND SCULPTURE by Peter Logan

Peter won second prize in our Public Art Competition. Peter's work is exhibited in many public collections including The Arts Council and The Tate Gallery; his installations can be seen at The Cambridge, Stanstead Airport, Old Kent Road, London, Utsu Kushi-ga-hara, Japan, W.H. Smith, Swindon,Sainsbury's Homebase and many other locations.

The vertical Portland stone wall 30 yards west of 'Waterstones' is a rock or ice face; the perfect setting for Peter Logan's 'Climber'. Ropes, pitons and alpenstocks are the elements in this sculpture which symbolise the perilous climb of life In which we must all take part.

Gaze upward at this kaleidoscopic wonder Tarry awhile. The lugubrious convolutions are tranquilising; indeed theraputic. And delightfully pacific in their slow, uncertain and tantalising movemenL The rushing gust (and frantic life) is stilled and slowed, as if through magic, by these somnolent and strange spars. The harsh race and strident rush of life is transmuted into quiesence.

Alter your point of view; beneath; alongside; at a distance. The sky becomes a giant canvas. The incessant and quixotic circulations fascinate and entrance in their random and incalculable irregularity. Upon this tableau a constantly changing geometric dance! Square, triangle, parallelogram, rhombus, triangle, square.. .and on and on... not one but many... forming, deforming, reforming, elongating, destroying, appearing, living, dying. A rhapsody of Time and Place.

THE CZECH CORNER GARDEN

The essence of this project was the fine spirit of co-operation with our friends in the Czech Embassy, Crown Estate and the professional team who all gave their services free. The magnificent 'Haiku' steel 'parlant' sculptures by Vaclav Vokolek were designed without fee and Cekov fabricated and delivered them for £2,000; a modest sum indeed.

On June 9th 1997, the commemorative plaque was formally unveiled by the late The Rt Hon Alan Clark P.C., the then newly elected M.P for The Royal Borough. A jolly party was held at the Czech Embassy and on November 12th 1997, the Garden was awarded The Certificate of Excellence, The Princess Alice Countess of Athlone Environmental Award by the Brighten Kensington and Chelsea Scheme.

BMP DDB - NHIG ADVERTISING AGENTS

BMP DDB have most generously made a film "Pillars of the Community" shown at local cinemas, 3 excellent posters and large posters for an advertising hoarding in Kensington Church Street.

Supported by: The Royal Borough or Kensington & Chelsea, Land Securities Properties Ltd, The Campden Hill Residents Association, Campden Hill Towers Management Ltd, The Cherry Tree Residents Association, The Ladbroke Association, The Pembridge Association, The Pembridge Road Association, Nolling Hill Gate Traders Association, Kensington Church Street Antique Dealers Association, Portobello Antique Dealers Association; in all over 1000 Residents and Commercial Interests.