VANISHING MAYFAIR

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3967, 23 September 1930, Page 2

VANISHING MAYFAIR

OLD LONDON LANDMARKS The demolition of two buildings in the fashionable West End of London, of Nos. 45 and 47 Brook street, in preparation for extensions that are to he made to Claridge’s Hotel, was to be commenced this month. Thus will vanish yet a little more of the Mayfair that is famous all over the world, says the ‘ News-Chronicle.’

No. 47 B rook street was occupied until a few months ago by Sir John Bland-Sutton. He built there a “ Hall of Darius,” a reproduction to scale of the “ Hall of Hundred Columns” at Persepolis in the fifth century n.c. The “ Hall ” has been disposed of.

Brook street, until a few years ago, was one of the exclusive residential streets occupied solely by houses of the titled rich. To-day doctors and dentists have as neighbours milliners, auctioneers, decorators, and court hairdressers, while antique and fine ait dealers are side by side with the Guards’ and Saville Clubs. A sprinkling of the titled people remain. The story of Brook street is in greater or less degree the story of Bruton street, Berkeley s uare, Hanover square, Portman square, Park lane, Grosvenor square, and Cavendish square. The house from which the Duchess of York was married in Bruton street is now available for business purposes An artificial silk firm has premises in Hanover square, a Court dressmaker is now on the west side of Berkeley square, near the Marl of Powis’s house, mannequins are entering Grosvenor street m growing numbers, and it is stated that a nobleman’s house in Park lane, on which £1,000,000 has been spent, will shortly be sold.

As recently as two years ago the owner declared he would never leave Park lane, but the invasion of hotels, banks, and other business premises has bellied him to change his mind. Will Mayfair, as it has been known, totally disappear, and bo replaced by a business area? is a question that is being asked. Mr Sam pel Wall rode, a West Mud estate agent, and past president of the Incorporated Society of Auctioneers, said recently“ Mayfair will bo entirely commercialised within ten years, in my opinion, and in twenty years Park lane will be the finest shopping street in the world. The total cost of the change will be about £IOO,000,000.”

The decline of the _ West End as a residential area coincides with a revival ol popularity of Paddington, ."st. John’s Wood, and ( nelson Marylebone may partly supersede Mayfair. A service Hat and a house ten or twenty miles from town is a common alternative to-day to a house in a Mayfair square. High taxation and the servant problem are important factors in the change. Women have played an important part m the revival of Chelsea —and a number have made small .fortunes. A house agent closely concerned said lately: “Love of antiques in art has boon accompanied by a growing loudness for old, quaint houses. Women of taste and artistry—titled women among them—-have been buying three or four-year leases ol old attractive houses, taking them on a new twenty or thirty years’ lease, exploiting the artistic tastes of themselves or friends in decoration. limy then dispose of the houses for as many thousands as they paid hundreds; a jump from CGOO or £BOO to £O,OOO or £B,OOO is what I mean.”