American in Britain Spring 2020

SPRING 2020

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN Serving the American Community in the UK

FEATURES INCLUDE American Expatriate Club News • Arts & Antiques • Eating Out Embassy Corner • Elections • Hotel Review • Property • Take Five Taxing Issues • Theatre • Wealth Management

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

SPRING 2020

CONTENTS

6

3 Eating Out 6 Theatre 9 Taxing Issues

3

12 Wealth Management 15 Take Five 20 Transatlantic Business 21 Arts & Antiques

15 30

24 Interview: Vanessa Williams 26 American Expatriate Clubs News 30 Hotel Review 34 Days Out With The Family 36 Elections

34

21

37 Chelsea And South Kensington 40 Useful Numbers IBC Embassy Corner

ADVISORY PANEL:

PUBLISHER: Helen Elliott, Telephone: 020 8661 0186 Email: helen@theamericanhour.com PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Damian Porter, Telephone: 01737 551506 Email: damian@theamericanhour.com American in Britain, PO Box 921, Sutton SM1 2WB WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

Vanessa Williams starring in City of Angels.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers.

Origination and Printing by Gemini Group

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

1

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

EATING OUT

Darby’s At Embassy Gardens

EATING OUT Darby’s At Embassy Gardens

3 Viaduct Gardens Road, Embassy Gardens, London, SW11 7AY Telephone: 020 7537 3111 A stone’s throw from the iconic building that houses the American Embassy there is a pretty impressive transformation taking place.

This area, known as Nine Elms, is part of a massive regeneration project that ultimately will establish a totally new community within central London, wrapped around the new US Embassy. It is here that Darby’s oyster bar, bakery and grill is located on the ground floor of Embassy Gardens; the same building that later this year is due to open the first ever ‘Sky Pool’ -a glass swimming pool suspended between two buildings 35 metres above the ground.

Opened in May last year, Darby’s is set to feed, water and entertain the new community that will evolve here. As a bakery, oyster bar and grill featuring live music and entertainment, Darby’s is a versatile, one-stop venue, catering for everything from breakfast through to late supper and everything in between, in stylish, comfortable surroundings. Inspired by Manhattan bars from the 50s and 60s which were frequented by the owner’s jazz musician father: Earl ‘Darby’ Gill, Darby’s reflects the sophisticated elegance of a bygone era. The interior tiled walls, bespoke furniture, burnished glass lampshades, fluted velvet banquettes and foliage dangling above the central oyster bar give this place a laid back, stylish vibe.

Headed up by Robin and Sarah Gill, who own the much-loved neighbourhood restaurants The Dairy, Counter Culture and Sorella in nearby Clapham, this IrishAmerican restaurant and bar prides itself WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

on the highest quality produce, sourced through Robin’s close network of suppliers, and a belief that ‘home-made’ is King. All the bakery items are baked in-house, (their sourdough bread is pretty memorable), the meat is prepared in the upstairs butchery, and cured in-house too - there’s even a homemade Vermouth to wash it all down with.

It was a bitingly cold evening that we made our way across the stepping stones of the ornamental pool that sits just outside, and into the warmth of Darby’s with its open kitchen and bustling central oyster bar. The menu features some delicious sounding snacks - and we devoured the Truffle Arancini (£2), Beef Nuggets and tarragon mustard (£3) along with sourdough and cultured butter - washed down with a glass of something bubbly. The oysters (£10 for half a dozen with a Guinness) looked tempting, but I’ve never been quite brave enough to try them, and wasn’t quite ready to buck this trend! For those that are, the impressive oyster bar has its own menu, featuring Jersey Rock oysters (£2.75 each), Achill oysters (£3.75 each) and a delicious sounding lobster-roll (£13.50). With appetites whetted, we couldn’t wait to see what would follow.

To start, I opted for the Cacklebean Egg Yolk, charred kohlrabi, lardo and miso (£8.50) and my partner chose the Truffled Baron Bigod (raw milk brie) with fig and walnut sourdough (£13.50) This was a step outside both our comfort zones, trying something completely new and different, and we weren’t disappointed. Robin mentions “obsessing over the best quality ingredients” on the website, and it’s possible to appreciate this for yourself from the first mouthful.

To follow, from the grill, it was Turbot for me (£27) and Medium Sirloin on the bone (£32) for my partner. We chose to accompany

these with bone marrow gravy (something of a house speciality), barbecued cabbage (£5), squash with blue cheese sauce and seeds (£5) and the completely delicious crispy beef fat potatoes (£5). I am a huge roast potato fan, but nothing I have tasted quite compares to the crispy, crunchy satisfaction of biting into these finely-sliced-yet-still-whole roasties. Also on the menu is Welsh Lamb (£24), Pollock Fillet (£17) and Beef Short Ribs (£18). The richness of flavours from the dishes, made it hard to eat without physically smacking our lips, and in spite of over-ordering, it was difficult to admit we were full and relinquish the knife and fork.

To finish, I found the Rhubarb Sorbet the perfect antidote to my previous gluttony, cutting through the richness of what had gone before with its perfect sweet/sour ratio. Tempted into submission by the sound of ‘Pump Street Chocolate Mousse with Guinness gelato’ (£7) my partner continued down the path of rich flavours. This pairing of stout and chocolate was a complete winner in his eyes, and a mouthful later, I tended to agree. I think it’s safe to say that Darby’s is winning when it comes to its self-professed single philosophy: “We have a wonderful product, let’s try not to feck it up”.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

3

Cinnamon Kitchen, Battersea Power Station

Cinnamon Kitchen, Battersea Power Station Battersea Power Station, 4 Arches Lane, SW11 8AB Telephone: 0203 955 5480

This was our first visit to London’s Battersea Power Station since work began on this stunning Grade-II listed building, and the regeneration of this area many years ago and what an amazing place this is - and is going to be! Only a short walk from Chelsea (over Battersea Bridge), you can really appreciate the extent of the development that is happening here – mostly comprised of stunning apartments, surrounded by a number of trendy restaurants, shops and offices – most right by, or overlooking the Thames.

Vivek Singh, and his talented brigade of chefs, this year celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cinnamon Kitchen in Devonshire Square, having spent the past decade serving up inventive modern Indian cuisine, where we have very much enjoyed dining on previous occasions. Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea is the third Cinnamon Kitchen restaurant (following Cinnamon Kitchen Oxford which opened in October 2017, the first outside of London), and is a welcome addition to this location.

Situated in Circus Village West, Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea has a minimalist industrial décor to complement the stark backdrop of the historic Power Station. You enter through the dramatic railway arch opening and discover an edgy, modern dining room with exposed brick walls and a cool monochrome colour palette offset with pops of jade green and luxe finishes such as marble, and brass.

Added theatre comes from the expansive open-plan kitchen. A private cage style mezzanine, overlooking the restaurant, is an ideal space for celebrations whilst a large outdoor terrace with sweeping views across the Thames will certainly be a sublime spot come summertime.

4

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

The restaurant serves contemporary Indian dishes, many unique to the Battersea restaurant, and we should also mention the imaginative cocktails by award-winning mixologist Tony Conigliaro, and bar bites inspired by the dishes found on the Mumbai Jaipur Pink City Express train route.

For Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea, Conigliaro has created distinctive cocktails inspired by fire, ice and spice. The Coconut Kir (£12.50), a twist on the traditional Kir Royale made with toasted coconut liqueur and champagne, is the perfect aperitif and was a much-appreciated welcome for us; delicious and very easy to drink. Other cocktails that have been concocted by Conigliaro include the Vodka Chaas, a vodka spiced version of the classic Indian drink ‘Chaas’ made with lemon juice and yoghurt; the Mezal Verdita, an Indian take on Mexican Sangrita using mezcal and tomato verdita; and the Assam Manhattan, blended with assam black tea, vermouth and a touch of black cardamom – all highly mouth-watering in their description alone!

The railway arch location reminded Vivek of the amazing food experiences on train journeys in India, and the bar bites are inspired by the spices and delicacies found along the Mumbai Jaipur Pink City Express route, one of the very best train routes as far as Vivek is concerned! The menu is split into train stops, where guests can enjoy authentic dishes from those very areas including Duck Heart Tak-a-Tak with ginger and chilli found at Mumbai Central and Bhel Puri Chaat from Surat Junction. This would certainly be an experience worth considering.

Cinnamon Kitchen are known for their inventive dishes, and pushing culinary boundaries, and this was evident during our lunch. There are special menus (including a lunch set menu, tasting menus and vegetarian menus); we chose from the à la carte menu.

The appetisers all sounded highly appealing, but we chose the Tandoori Chicken Breast Tikka with red chilli and fenugreek and coriander chutney (£8) and the

Railway Style Vegetable Cake with beetroot and raison, and kasundi mustard (£7). We shared the plates, and they both provided the perfect start to our lunch; both dishes deliciously spicy and warming, whetting our appetite in preparation for our main course.

Signature appetiser’s also include Malabar Mussels and date pickle on toasted brioche with curried yoghurt, and Kerala Spiced Lobster Soup with flamed cognac.

As recommended by our waiter we opted for Clove Smoked Lamb Rump with fennel, saffron rice and nutmeg sauce (£24) and King Prawns in Bengali Turmeric Curry with ghee rice and spinach poriyal (£25) for our main meals. Both dishes were wonderfully fragrant and full of flavour. Paired with a Peshwari Nan (£5.50) and Stir Fried Greens with cumin and garlic (£4.50), this delicious and appetising meal provided the fire and spice promised.

A number of veggie and vegan dishes options including Pink Aubergine with sesame, tamarind and peanut crumble, and Bharwan Courgette filled with spiced vegetable ratatouille demonstrate the versatility of Singh and the team.

With an ample wine and drinks list to complement the cocktail choices, we enjoyed a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with our meal (from £22.50 a bottle). A cold, white wine was the perfect match to our meal, especially our main course choices.

There is also an enticing Fine Wine and Champagne selection.

With a little room left for dessert, we were tempted by the Sticky Ginger Toffee Pudding with garam masala ice cream (£7), and the Hot Dark Chocolate Mousse with cinnamon ice-cream (£7). I did, of course, have to sample both dishes, which were both deliciously sweet and comforting in equal measure.

If you want to enjoy delicious modern Indian cuisine from the laid-back and edgy surroundings of a quirky railway arch, then I couldn’t think of a better place to go than the Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea! The excellent food and drinks are just the icing on the cake.

EATING OUT

Kerridge’s

No. 10 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5AE Telephone: 0207 321 3244 It seems at present that whenever you look around there is a new restaurant popping up from a plethora of celebrity chefs who promise the dishes and the care people see when they cook on the TV. The unfortunate reality is the majority of these have just had that chef give their name to their restaurant rather than giving their time and effort to provide a quality product, but that cannot be said of Kerridge’s Bar and Grill, as Celebrity Chef Tom Kerridge, is clearly very involved. This involvement not only extends to the food and service, but even to the décor as many of the pieces of art, including a headless bronze figure in a golden suit, which dominates the centre of the restaurant, are designed by Tom’s wife.

Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, along with Head Chef Nick Beardshaw, have created a menu which harks back to classic dishes and traditional techniques and is a wonderful tribute to all that is great about traditional British food.

Kerridge’s is located a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square in the plush Corinthia Hotel. On entering the restaurant on a cold winter’s evening, we were hit by a blast of hot air (in a pleasant way!), along with a lovely atmosphere created by the buzz of people talking contentedly, which always gives one a positive feeling about a restaurant.

Having had our coats whisked away we were able to look around the restaurant and see what an amazing space Kerridge’s takes up. What is clever, is that the vast, highceilinged dining room has been cleverly designed to maintain that feeling of space without making it look too cold and empty.

To the left there is an imposing art deco bar which dominates one side of the room from floor to ceiling, and in front of it leather seats with marbled topped tables which actually gives the feel of an exclusive London Club.

All seating is unreserved, so is perfect for dropping in for a drink and snack, and there are over 600 wines to choose from. Having seen some of the snacks being eaten I was certainly tempted despite already having a reservation in the restaurant.

Having enjoyed our drink in the bar, we moved across into the restaurant where the leather theme continues, but the colour changes from a sedate London club brown to a richer burgundy red.

Most people know Tom as the chef who has lost approximately 12 stone via healthy eating and exercise, and his latest TV appearances build on this, but fear not food lovers, as the menu here I am sure would be a break from dietary food as his take on some of the UK’s most celebrated dishes are more geared to letting go rather than eating sensibly which is, for me, exactly what you want on a night out.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

We started our food journey with a luxuriously smooth Chicken Liver Parfait Tart with marinated prunes, stem ginger, hazelnut dukkah and roasted poultry jelly (£15.50) and the wonderfully named Claude’s Mushroom ‘Risotto’ with Daniel’s crispy egg, aged parmesan (£15.50). The latter dish is a rice free risotto. The ‘rice’ here is finely chopped oyster and button mushrooms, which are laced with chives and a lot of cream and then topped with a oft-yoked egg encased in a light batter. Not at all dietary, but absolutely delicious.

The far side of the restaurant houses a rotisserie of such magnitude you can only stare in wonder and admire it, and it is this that provides the cooking method for two of the mains, the wonderful Beef Fillet Roasted in treacle with stuffed onion (£45) and the Lamb Rump with Merguez sausage (£36.50).

Rotisserising (is that even a word?) allows access to the meat so it can be basted in its own juices, making the meat even more tender and tasty and the tastes it produces are almost a big as the Rotisserie itself.

Despite these temptations I chose the Braised Beef Pie with sauce ‘Diane’, clotted cream mash and fried ox tongue (£28.50) and my wife the Deep-Fried Fillet of Sea Bream and chips with pease pudding, tartare and matson spiced sauce (£29.50). The beef was ‘melt in the mouth’ and the rich sauce was lovingly soaked up by the velvety smooth mash and warmed me perfectly on a cold London winter’s night. My wife selected what she believed was the poshest fish and chips she had ever ordered, and this dish has elicited many discussions as to whether fish and chips is worth this kind of money. I will leave you to decide, but will add to that debate that the fish was delicate, the batter light and crispy and the chips a masterpiece, as they were light and fluffy inside and crispy on the outside.

The dessert menu is enough to add pounds on by just looking at it, but are truly worth every glimpse as my wife’s Tonka Bean Panna Cotta with rhubarb sorbet, honeycomb and ginger (£13.50) was a glorious combination of smoothness, sharpness and sweetness in every mouthful and I, as a chocoholic, was equally satisfied with the Dark Chocolate Pudding with crystallised malt biscuit and malted milk ice cream (£13.50). Both providing a wonderful end to the meal.

Vegetarians and vegans are also well catered for with specialist dishes, as are wine lovers, as Kerridge’s has an extensive selection of wonderfully unsung English wines which deserve to be promoted, as well as those from the rest of the world.

Tom Kerridge has moved many of his popular dishes from his Michelin starred restaurant in Marlow to his new London one, and if our visit is anything to go by, this London newcomer will be here for many years to come, and I, for one, am glad.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

5

THEATRE Review of London’s Theatre Productions

by Lydia Parker Luke Brady as Moses in The Prince of Egypt, credit Tristram Kenton ©DWA LLC

The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre

This much-anticipated adaptation of the 1998 Dreamworks animated film, The Prince of Egypt, tells the timeless story of the Book of Exodus, from Moses being discovered in the bulrushes up to his freeing the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt (spoiler alert!). The film has a devoted following for its beautiful artwork, stunning songs and fine voice acting from Ralph Fiennes, Val Kilmer and Patrick Stewart, amongst other luminaries. Not to mention a cracking plot that has it all: an adopted boy who must give up his birth right, brothers torn apart by familial duty, and loyalty versus obligation to what is morally right.

For anyone who doesn’t know the story, Yocheved, a young Hebrew woman, puts her baby Moses in a basket and sends him off down the Nile to escape the slaughter of her people by Egyptian soldiers. Her two older children are taken into slavery but baby Moses is discovered by Queen Tuya who brings him up as her own son. He has a happy childhood, with his rambunctious older adopted brother Ramses, blissfully unaware of his background and well-loved by his father, the pharaoh Seti. After allowing a beautiful Midianite slave, Tzipporah, to escape, he has a chance encounter with his real siblings Miriam and Aaron, who reveal to him his identity. At first enraged, he then demands his parents tell him the truth. Seti tells him he had to kill the Hebrews as they might have risen up against Egypt. Moses begins to notice how the slaves are treated as they build great temples to the Egyptian Gods. He intervenes when Miriam is being beaten and accidentally 6

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

kills a guard. Wracked with guilt, he runs off into the desert, is weakened by hunger and thirst and eventually comes upon the sisters of Tzipporah, defending them against desert bandits. He is taken in by the nomadic Midianites, reluctantly by Tzipporah, who thinks he is still the arrogant, spoiled Egyptian prince. Romance develops between them, Moses becomes a humble shepherd, finds the burning bush, God tells him to free the Hebrews and the rest is history.

It’s a fantastic story, aside from being part of the Bible and much revered by three religions. The writer, Philip Lazebnik, tries to give Moses and Ramses real depth of character, focusing the plot very much on the two brothers and their love for each other.

With the song One Weak Link, Seti makes clear his expectations for his eldest, heir to a Royal line that must be respected above all else, not too dissimilar to plot lines in The Crown. Moses is resigned to always being the second son with little power and no dreams of greatness in his song Footprints in the Sand, again with echoes of Princes Andrew and Harry. Ramses sincerely sees nothing wrong with taking slaves to build the glorious monuments of Egypt as it is something that has always been done. Would Moses have ever had a change of heart if he hadn’t discovered his origins? The dialogue is missing some of the humour of the film but conveys the conflicted emotions of the two brothers well.

The songs from the film are perhaps the strongest, the opening number Deliver Us, the joyful Through Heaven’s Eyes, led by high priest of the Midianites Jethro and the finale When You Believe.

The cast is chock full of talent from the British theatre world. The wonderful Alexia Khadime is underused as Miriam after star turns in Wicked and Book of Mormon, but it is a delight to hear her voice soar in beautiful harmonies with Christine Allado in When You Believe. As Tzipporah, Ms Allado does well in giving a rather stereotypical character, the alluring, strong woman who is a bit “difficult”, a very contemporary feistiness, much like her characters in Hamilton and In the Heights. The wonderful Joe Dixon is always a pleasure to watch and plays an imposing, but beautifully voiced Seti. Adam Pearce’s gorgeous bass hits some astonishingly low notes as the evil high priest Hotep. It was also a nice surprise to see Gary Wilmot, if briefly, as Jethro; he is a big actor who deserves a bigger role. Luke Brady was a perfect fit for cheeky young Moses in the first half but seemed to struggle to find the weightiness of the more mature man as the play went on. Having said that, he has real stage presence and a lovely singing voice, capably holding his own at the centre of the action. Liam Tamne as Ramses was a real revelation, creating a complicated character who despite everything elicits our sympathy.

Not to mention he has an astonishing voice; despite starring in West End musicals, he found fame in 2013 on the second season of reality show The Voice UK, with a rendition of Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work.

Adapting any film for stage is no mean feat and is doubly difficult with an animated film which can create magic through visual storytelling, leaping from one location to the next. For me, this production’s weakest points were the costume design, which dressed the dancers in skimpy clothing no matter if they were playing Hebrew slaves or writhing around as the Burning Bush, and the choreography.

With hints of ballet, the movement seemed to have no reflection of the style of the music which has lovely undertones of traditional Jewish music. The dancers, whether rolling around on the floor as the River Nile carrying the baby Moses or being painfully whipped by slave drivers tended to look showy and attractive throughout.

This production will attract fans of the animated film but probably also those who like their musicals epic. The audience loved The Prince of Egypt, offering uproarious applause after each number. Although not a stand out production for me in terms of originality or music, it will no doubt develop a devoted following and deserves attention for its outstanding cast.

EXCLUSIVE 5% DISCOUNT FOR AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

READERS

EXCLUSIVE 5% DISCOUNT CODE on Theatre, Attractions & Tours with Promo Code AIB5 (enter at checkout)

www.theatredesk.co.uk

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

7

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

TAXING ISSUES

TAXING ISSUES Foreign Tax Credit vs. Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – A Comparative Analysis As an American Expat, you are required to comply with long-standing US tax policy that creates an obligation to continue filing US tax returns, even after a permanent move abroad. With the potential for double taxation to arise, taking advantage of the various tax breaks available in the United States is crucial. To this end, one of the most important tax planning opportunities impacting American Expats at all income levels is often neglected.

The choice between electing the foreign earned income exclusion or opting instead to claim a foreign tax credit can produce a variety of different outcomes that will continue to influence your tax situation for years after this initial decision is made.

While both options may have the ability to reduce your US tax exposure to zero, the nuances of each and the underlying tax planning opportunities will vary. This article will provide an overview of the basic eligibility guidelines for these two important benefits and outline some of the specific scenarios that might lead you to choose one option over the other.

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

The foreign earned income exclusion allows employees and self-employed individuals to exclude up to $107,600 (2020) of earned income from US tax. To qualify, the following requirements must be satisfied: 1. The taxpayer must receive earned income; 2. The taxpayer’s tax home must be located outside the United States; and 3. The taxpayer must meet either: a. The physical presence test, or b. The bona fide residence test.

Earned Income Requirement. For this purpose, earned income means payments for the performance of personal services.

This can come in the form of salaries and wages or other taxable benefits provided through employment. Interest, dividends, capital gains, and other investment income are not treated as earned and not eligible to be excluded. Pension distributions, though attributable to services previously performed, are also classified as unearned income.

This is a straightforward determination for freelance service providers or individuals drawing a salary. However, it can become a bit more complicated for partners in a partnership or owners of businesses that WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

require a substantial initial investment.

Income will not qualify as earned if capital is a material factor in its production.

Tax Home Requirement. Tax home is defined as the city or general vicinity of the taxpayer’s principal place of business or employment, regardless of the location of his or her residence. An overseas assignment that is less than one year generally will not result in a change of tax home.

To this end, one of the most important tax planning opportunities impacting American Expats at all income levels is often neglected Physical Presence Test. The physical presence test is based exclusively on time spent outside the United States. Taxpayers qualify by spending 330 full days in a foreign country during a consecutive twelve-month period. Time spent in international waters or airspace and partial days of presence will not be counted. The 330 days can be spent in any foreign country that is not subject to US travel restrictions. A two-week holiday in Italy would still be counted for purposes of this test for someone living and working in London.

Importantly, the twelve-month period does not need to coincide with the calendar year.

This means that partial exclusions can be claimed when a foreign work assignment commences or concludes during a given year.

If a partial exclusion is claimed, the maximum exclusion amount for that year will be prorated to account for the days from the other tax year that are used to qualify. A twelve-month period that runs from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, would allow for an exclusion of

$53,800 in 2020 (exactly half of the maximum exclusion amount of $107,600).

Bona Fide Residence Test. The bona fide residence test does not require presence in a foreign country for the entire 330-day period.

Instead, it obliges the taxpayer to demonstrate considerable, ongoing connections to that country, looking to the nature of in-country housing, whether family members have also made the move, and general personal and economic connections. Meeting the bona fide residence test requires a full calendar year of residency in that country, though short-term trips can be taken to the United States during the qualifying year.

Notably, taxpayers cannot qualify as bona fide residents if they have taken a position that they are nonresidents of that country for tax purposes. This would be an issue for someone who has taken a treaty-based position that they are not UK residents, but electing remittance-basis in the United Kingdom would not eliminate eligibility as a bona fide resident.

Waiver of Time Requirements. The time requirements for both tests are only waived if one must leave the country due to war, civil unrest, or similar adverse conditions. The IRS publishes a list of the countries where the waiver will be available during any given year. Historically, the list has been limited, including only Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Iraq, and Nicaragua, in 2018; however, whether this list could be expanded in 2020 on account of the recent Coronavirus pandemic is unclear.

The Foreign Tax Credit

The foreign tax credit offers a dollar-for-dollar offset against US tax for UK income and capital gains taxes paid or accrued in that year. The credit can be claimed for tax paid or accrued both on foreign earned income as well as foreign investment income.

Tax Credit Baskets. Although the credit is available for all types of taxable income, multiple “baskets” of foreign tax credits have been established to prevent income tax attributable to one type of income from offsetting tax due from another. The two main baskets are the general category, which applies to wages and pensions, and the passive category, which applies to investment income. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 created a new basket for “foreign branch” income that may broadly impact the calculations for self-employed individuals.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

9

A separate category also exists for foreign tax attributable to US source income for which a credit is available under terms of a US income tax treaty.

Tax Credit Carryovers. Foreign taxes within a given basket that are in excess of the effective US rate on that basket of income can be carried back one tax year and forward ten years. As will be discussed below, these credit carryovers can produce tremendous tax planning opportunities in later years.

Making The Best Decision Under The Circumstances

With respect to earned income, most American Expats living and working in the United Kingdom will be eligible for both benefits. However, credits are not available for foreign tax paid on excluded foreign earned income, meaning that both benefits cannot be claimed for the same earnings.

The option that makes sense for you will depend on the attributes of your specific tax situation, with the following elements driving the decision-making.

1. You want ease of tax compliance – exclusion. If you are working as an employee and your only income source is a UK salary below the foreign earned income exclusion threshold, you will have a straightforward tax compliance obligation. Just report your salary in USD, provide some basic information about your employer and your travel dates, and call it a day. For self-filers looking to easily eliminate their annual US tax liability, this will be the path of least resistance.

2. You receive tax-protected UK income or US investment income below the standard deduction threshold – exclusion.

US source income or tax-protected UK income would generally produce a US tax liability. Nevertheless, the interaction between the foreign earned income exclusion and the standard deduction can shield up to $12,400 (2020) from US tax exposure. For example, if you earn a $100,000 salary, generate $5,000 of US source capital gains and $3,000 in interest from a UK ISA account, the salary would be exempt by claiming the foreign earned income exclusion and the standard deduction would fully offset the US gains and UK interest income. In this scenario, US tax would likely be due if the foreign tax credit were to be claimed.

3. You have already been claiming the foreign earned income exclusion and will soon move to a low-tax country – exclusion. If you have been claiming the exclusion and opt instead to claim the foreign tax credit in a particular year, this is treated as a revocation of the exclusion election. When a revocation occurs, you would be unable to claim the exclusion again for five years without requesting 10

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

IRS consent. If you end up working in a country with lower tax rates than the United States during this window, the inability to claim the exclusion would have serious negative tax consequences.

4. You may be working in a country with tax rates relatively lower than the US in the future – credit. Subject to the exclusion revocation issue discussed above, if a possibility exists that you will be relocating to a country with low personal income tax exposure, being able to leverage the prior ten years of excess foreign tax credit carryovers from your time working in the United Kingdom can produce a considerable windfall. Foreign tax credits for UK tax paid in prior years could be carried over to offset US tax on income earned in a later year in Dubai, Hong Kong, or Zurich.

With respect to earned income, most American Expats living and working in the United Kingdom will be eligible for both benefits 5. You have children and are eligible for refundable tax credits – credit. The child tax credit is available to American Expats and can produce cash payments from Uncle Sam without having actually paid in any US tax. Eligibility for the child tax credit was broadly expanded to higher income individuals with the 2017 tax reform package. Importantly, the credit requires that you have reported earned income on your US tax return. If you exclude all earned income from US tax by claiming the foreign earned income exclusion, you will not qualify for the child tax credit irrespective of whether you meet the other eligibility requirements.

6. You want to continue funding a US IRA account – credit. Funding an IRA also requires that you have generated earned income. This means that you either need to opt to claim the foreign tax credit or have generated income in excess of the foreign earned income exclusion threshold if you still wish to participate. Excess contribution taxes would be due on contributions to an IRA in a year that you have excluded all your UK earnings from US tax.

7. You are funding a UK pension – credit.

Because of the relatively higher rate of tax in the UK, it can potentially be beneficial to forgo treaty-based benefits that would otherwise shield contributions to registered UK pension arrangements from US tax. Instead, using the excess UK tax credits to offset the US tax on the contributions in that year can result in the build-up of an amount that would not be subject to US tax once distributed at retirement age, potentially producing meaningful future tax savings for you.

8. You are receiving equity compensation from your employer – credit. The foreign earned income exclusion is only available for income received less than one year after it was earned. Claiming the foreign tax credit will often be the only way to reduce US tax on the compensation component of stock options and grants that vest over several years.

9. You are working in a self-employed capacity – it depends. For self-employed individuals, the foreign earned income exclusion is applied against gross income with expenses attributable to excluded income being disallowed.

For example, if you were to generate $200,000 in revenue, with $100,000 of expenses, although your net income is below the exclusion threshold, you would still be showing taxable income.

Furthermore, with the new “foreign branch” basket impacting foreign tax credit calculations and carryovers for self-employed individuals, examining the details of the specific business operations is necessary.

10.You have retained state-level residency back in the US – it depends. If you are still filing tax returns at the state level, it will be imperative to first determine whether your state of residency permits its residents to claim one of these benefits. With all states having different rules for handling foreign income, you may need to start the credit v. exclusion analysis with a determination of state tax exposure.

Many American Expats will often be balancing several of these competing intentions. Making a choice that will provide you with the best overall benefit and create the greatest opportunity for future tax planning should ultimately be the goal.

American Tax Partners is a US-based tax services company dedicated to providing expert global tax support for American Expats in the United Kingdom and UK Nationals with business or investment activities in the United States. Offering flat fee pricing, we serve as a single point of contact for managing all your international tax compliance obligations.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at info@amtaxpartners.com or visit our website at amtaxpartners.com.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

11

WEALTH MANAGEMENT Budgeting For The Future By the time this issue of American in Britain has been published, new Chancellor Rishi Sunak will have delivered the first budget since October 2018. At the time of writing major news outlets, including The Times and The Financial Times, have predicted that reforms to pensions will feature prominently in the budget, with the potential for cuts to tax relief on pension contributions.

Whether or not these changes are introduced, the attention being afforded to pensions should serve as a prompt to consider one’s personal position as we end one UK tax year and begin another. Pension planning is particularly important for Americans in the UK as pensions are one of the few ways Americans expats can access the markets in a relatively straightforward, and most importantly, tax efficient, manner.

UK Pensions

There are a number of different types of pensions in the UK, however, it is predicted that defined contribution pensions, the most common type of pension, are likely to be targeted by the Treasury (and if not now, at some point in the future).

Defined contribution pensions are somewhat similar to US 401(k) plans in that contributions made by the employee and/or the employer are invested in a variety of assets by the pension provider, with any subsequent income or capital growth being tax deferred. In addition to serving as a tax efficient ‘wrapper’, defined contribution pensions also generally provide for income tax relief when contributions are made.

As the law stands pre-budget, contributions to defined contribution pension schemes - as well as some other types of UK pension schemes - receive income tax relief in one of two ways: 1. Net pay arrangement Under the net pay arrangement, pension contributions are made from an employee’s gross pay, before the deduction of tax. This results in an employee receiving tax relief automatically through payroll.

2. Relief at source Conversely, relief at source refers to a pension where the employee’s pension contributions are made after the 12

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

deduction of tax. In such pensions, the pension scheme provider claims tax back from the government at the basic rate of 20%. This amount is then added to the employee’s pension.

For basic rate taxpayers no further action needs to be taken to receive full income tax relief. However, in order for higher and additional rate taxpayers enrolled in relief at source arrangements to receive full income tax relief, UK self-assessment tax returns need to be completed. This is because pension contributions made under the relief at source scheme also increase the basic rate and additional rate tax bands (currently at £50,000 and £150,000, respectively) by the amount of gross pension contribution made.

For basic rate taxpayers no further action needs to be taken to receive full income tax relief Rumoured Changes

Reports in the media had suggested that Rishi Sunak’s predecessor, Sajid Javid, was considering cutting pension tax relief for higher earners. Although relatively little is known about Rishi Sunak’s plans for the budget, cutting pension tax relief would help the Chancellor avoid reneging on the government’s pledge to keep income tax, National Insurance and VAT rates static.

Whilst it is uncertain how a cut to pension tax relief would operate in practice, it is thought that individuals in a net pay scheme would not lose the 20% payment from the government, but equally, would not see their rate bands increased. It is unclear how cuts would affect those with net pay arrangements.

Reasons To Maximise Pension Contributions

Even if the Chancellor proceeds in cutting the rate of pension tax relief for higher

earners, making pension contributions is still beneficial for most Americans in the UK. As they serve as a tax wrapper, Americans in the UK can choose from a wider variety of tax efficient funds to hold in their pensions as the IRS’s Passive Foreign Investment Corporation (PFIC) rules and as HMRC’s reporting fund regime generally do not impact investments within a pension.

Because of this, UK pensions can serve as vehicles for Americans wishing to access certain investments that they may not wish to hold directly in their personal name due to tax inefficiencies.

A further tax benefit of UK pensions is that in certain circumstances, Americans may be able to utilise excess foreign tax credits to set against pension contributions made whilst living abroad. This has the benefit of creating a base cost within the pension from a US tax perspective. Should that taxpayer return to the US or move to a jurisdiction with a lower tax rate than the US, an uplifted base cost would reduce any US tax due.

Anyone wishing to explore this planning opportunity should speak to their tax adviser.

IRA Contributions

Even if there is a raid on UK pensions, the extent to which tax relief is restricted is unlikely to be enough to discourage contributing to a UK pension altogether. It is, however, important to be cognisant of other options, should further cuts to UK pensions be mooted in the future.

Two such options Americans in the UK may wish to consider are Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). As their name suggests, IRAs are long-term defined contribution savings accounts designed to help US taxpayers save for retirement.

Although contributions to IRAs by Americans in the UK will not necessarily attract the same income tax benefits as contributions to UK pensions, these accounts can nonetheless serve as useful planning tools and provide a tax wrapper of sorts to hold less tax efficient investment options.

There are limits to the amount one can contribute to an IRA and the ability to make contributions generally does depend on an individual having earned income that is not offset by the foreign earned income exclusion.

In 2020, the total contributions an individual

WEALTH MANAGEMENT can make across their Traditional and Roth IRAs is limited to $6,000 ($7,000 for those age 50 or older). Additionally, like UK pensions, the amount an individual can contribute directly to a Roth IRA is tapered according to their level of income and also depends on their tax return filing status in the US.

Traditional vs Roth IRA

Both Traditional and Roth IRAs are treated as qualified pensions and therefore all investment growth is tax deferred or tax-free, respectively, in both the US and the UK. Additionally, like a UK pension, the underlying investments in an IRA are sheltered from the negative impact of the PFIC rules or HMRC’s reporting fund regime.

The main differences between a Traditional and a Roth IRA are that Traditional IRA contributions can in certain cases be made from pre-tax or post-tax dollars whilst Roth IRA contributions can only be funded with post-tax dollars.

Additionally, distributions from Traditional IRAs are taxed at one’s marginal tax rate whilst withdrawals from Roth IRAs are taxfree in both the US and the UK. In the case of Traditional IRAs, required minimum distributions (RMDs) are obligatory once the holder reaches the age of 72. Recent US pension legislation enacted at the start of 2020 increased the age one must take RMDs from 70.5. Additionally, before this legislation was enacted, Traditional IRA holders who had been required to make RMDs could not contribute to a Traditional IRA. From January 2020, holders who have qualifying earned income can continue to make an annual, Traditional IRA contribution.

Conversely, Roth IRAs do not necessitate RMDs and, as with Traditional IRAs, withdrawals can generally be made freely from the age of 59.5.

When To Invest

Although the topic and content of this article has been spurred by the budget and the tax year-end, the end of the financial year does not need to dictate the point at which one gets their finances in order. Many of these planning opportunities can be implemented at the start of the year to maximise investment return.

For example, since 2016, those earning over £150,000 have had the amount they can contribute into a UK pension restricted, with those earning over £210,000 seeing their contribution limit tapered to £10,000.

In some cases, such as bonuses, these high earners may not be able to determine the exact amount they can contribute into their pensions until the end of the tax year.

Despite this uncertainty, an individual could choose to invest £10,000 as early as possible in each tax year and top up as WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

necessary when their earnings are confirmed.

Due to the compounding effect, were a taxpayer to contribute £10,000 each year at the beginning of the tax year for 10 years in a portfolio averaging a theoretical 7% gross return, they could be more than £21,000 better off than if they were to invest at the end of the tax year, as they would have had a longer period in the market.

The return figures above are purely illustrative and the portfolio performance are not guaranteed and depend on the investments. Additionally, these figures do not take into consideration any charges or taxes that could be due and would reduce the value of the overall pension and the performance.

Despite the changes expected, many planning opportunities still exist for Americans in the UK, especially surrounding UK pensions

Risk Warnings And Important Information

MASECO LLP (trading as MASECO Private Wealth and MASECO Institutional) is registered in England and Wales as a Limited Liability Partnership (Companies House No. OC337650) and has its registered office at Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London WC2R 0HS. MASECO LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the conduct of investment business in the UK and is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor in the United States of America.

This article does not take into account the specific goals or requirements of individuals and is not intended to be, nor should be construed as, investment or tax advice.

Information contained in this article is based on MASECO’s understanding of current regulations and tax law and legislation which is subject to change. MASECO Private Wealth is not a tax specialist and does not provide either tax or legal advice.

The tax treatment of any investment strategy or investment in a financial instrument depends on the individual circumstances of each person and may be subject to change in the future.

You should carefully consider the suitability of any strategies along with your financial situation prior to making any decisions on an appropriate strategy. We strongly recommend that every person seeks their own tax advice prior to acting on any of the tax opportunities described in this article.

Summary

Despite the changes expected, many planning opportunities still exist for Americans in the UK, especially surrounding UK pensions. Due to the tax deferred nature of a UK pension and the income tax relief available on contributions, it is recommended that contributions continue to be made, regardless of any changes made during the budget.

In conjunction with making contributions to a UK pension, Americans should also consider investing in an IRA as these accounts have different rules for withdrawals and, in the case of a Roth IRA, can provide for tax-free growth and distribution.

Additionally, it is recommended that contributions are made as early as possible in the tax year to take advantage of the compounding effect.

Whether approaching retirement age or simply planning for the future, the investment strategy of your pensions, the amount needed to provide for retirement and a systematic drawdown strategy should become a point of discussion with your Wealth Adviser.

Stephen Johnson is a Senior Wealth Executive at MASECO Private Wealth.

Stephen graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in English before moving to the UK to complete his GDL at City Law School and his LLM from University College London. Prior to joining MASECO Steve worked for a number of years as a private client tax adviser.

E: Stephen.Johnson@Masecopw.com T: 0207 043 0455 WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

13

AMERICAN FINANCE & NETWORKING EVENTS DUE TO THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS SITUATION

THE AMERICAN FINANCE & NETWORKING EVENT sponsored by

was postponed, but will be rescheduled shortly.

If you would like to be invited to this event, which is for American Expatriates living in the UK please email helen@theamericanhour.com and I will send you an invitation once a date is finalised.

I look forward to seeing you then, and stay well in the meantime.

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

TAKE FIVE

TAKE FIVE Eating Britain: The World On Your Plate

by Judith Schrut

Chef Sharma of Grand Trunk Road and his sensational sorbet

In Britain, you needn’t travel far to taste the world. Whether you’ve been here a week, a year or a lifetime, you can’t help but notice what an incredibly multicultural place this is. London, for example, is the most culturally diverse city on earth, with more than 270 nationalities and 340 different languages present.

And it’s often said this diversity is what makes eating in Britain great. That’s because wherever folk go, their food goes with them. A back-of-an-envelope survey of our local high street, in a typical North London suburb, found a smorgasbord of delis, bakeries, groceries, cafés and restaurants representing over 40 different cuisines, from Persian to Polish, Indian to Italian, Mongolian to Moroccan, and every nationality and food fusion in between.

So, living here is a fantastic opportunity to sample the world on your plate, to become a global gourmet, to take a front row seat in an astonishing theatre of food. Here’s a Take Five taste of what’s on offer.

1. Flavours of India: Grand Trunk Road Restaurant, South Woodford

Any reputable look at Britain’s culinary habits would be incomplete if it didn’t mention Indian food. Year after year, Indian cuisine tops the nation’s favourite food polls.

Chicken tikka masala is commonly referred to as Britain’s national dish while bhajis, baltis and biryanis are all hugely popular.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

Chef Sharma’s plump, mouthwatering grilled scallops

How did Britain get the hots for curries?

The British love of Indian food dates back to the 19th century days of the British Raj. British colonials adored their curries and pined for them on return to the UK. Even Queen Victoria employed a personal Indian chef. In 1809, customers at Britain’s first Indian restaurant reclined on comfy sofas while enjoying their spicy meat and veg.

Today we have over 8,000 Indian eateries, with more in London than in Mumbai.

As a young boy growing up in India, Dayashankar Sharma, Executive Chef of Grand Trunk Road Restaurant, spent many happy days at his mother’s side in the family kitchen. He watched, smelled, tasted and practised on little bits of dough she would give him to play with. As he grew older, he began looking at his mother’s cooking in a different way– wondering what might happen if he added this spice or that flavouring.

After graduating college and deciding not to become a doctor, Chef Sharma asked himself, “what else can I do ... I can cook!”.

And so began a lifetime devoted to creating imaginative, authentic, memorably delicious Indian cuisine from the freshest and finest ingredients. He’s headed up kitchens at some of the world’s top Indian restaurants including London’s Imli Street, Zaika and Michelin-starred Tamarind, served as Indian food consultant for major international airlines, devised a prizewinning chicken tikka masala and was personal chef to India’s Prime Minister.

Fast forward to 2020 and Chef Sharma is

completely at ease in Grand Trunk Road’s small but perfectly formed kitchen in northeast London.

In partnership with acclaimed restaurateur and longtime colleague Rajesh Suri, GTR opened in 2017 with the single goal of creating 100% authentic Indian food. The restaurant has been named Asian Curry Awards best Indian restaurant in London for the second year running. But for Messrs Suri and Sharma, aka ‘the dynamic duo’, the most meaningful reward is customer appreciation.

And GTR gets that in bucketloads.

The original Grand Trunk Road is an ancient trade route. It’s Asia’s longest road, built for 16th century traders, stretching 2500 kilometers from Kabul to Kolkata (Calcutta).

Before setting up GTR, Rajesh Suri and Chef Sharma took to that very road for six weeks, immersing themselves in its vibrant sights, sounds, smells and flavours.

Every aspect of their restaurant has been thoughtfully, caringly put together– the contemporary design, tables set with flowers, linen and candles, flawless hospitality and service, and most of all the outstanding food and drink. Whether choosing fish, meat, vegetables or spices, Chef Sharma is passionate about sourcing only top quality ingredients, from local suppliers wherever possible.

GTR’s menu is simply beautiful. We had a chance to try several unforgettable dishes. The Delhi Ki Chaat starter delivered toothsome bursts of spicy chickpeas, sweet yoghurt, wheat and lotus root crisps, WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

15

fresh mint and tamarind chutney. Grilled scallops were plump and mouthwateringly fragrant with roasted garlic, red pepper and tomatoes. Kolkata king prawns in a delicate garlic and carom seed marinade were out of this world. One bite and we understood why customers come from far and wide for GTR favourite, Peshawari lamb chops seared in a unique blend of fennel, star anise, papaya and sweet pepper. Other specialties from the mighty grill and genuine tandoor include superb vegetarian options as well as classic Anglo-British dishes like masala, tikka and butter chicken, all given a Chef Sharma twist. And we counted no less than 10 kinds of freshly baked Indian breads, including a sumptuous truffle and mushroom naan.

Full as we were, the Chef wouldn’t let us go without sampling his signature dessert: melting mouthfuls of avocado and rosewater, coconut and pineapple, blood orange and clementine sorbets.

From north to south, the UK is rich in Indian and South Asian eating places. A handful of others you might like to try are Delhi’s Winter and Mother India in Scotland, Lasan in Birmingham, Café Spice in Oxford, and Gymkhana, Dishoom and the Cinnamon Club in London.

Grand Trunk Road Restaurant 219 High Road, London E18 gtrrestaurant.co.uk

2. Modern British with a Twist: Caxton Grill, Westminster

One thing’s for sure. Long gone are the days when British cooking was the butt of jokes, dining out meant meat and two soggy, overcooked veg, paper thin sandwiches and vile coffee, and the UK had a reputation as “the nation that taste forgot”. It’s no exaggeration to say the past few decades have seen a nation’s cuisine truly transformed.

Caxton Grill, flagship restaurant of St Ermin’s Hotel, offers an ideal introduction to what’s known as Modern British cuisine. St Ermin’s is no ordinary hotel and Caxton Grill is no Steak from the Scottish Highlands any way you like it, Caxton Grill.

Photo courtesy WixHill Ltd/St Ermin’s Hotel

ordinary hotel restaurant. With its magnificent courtyard gardens, lobby resplendent with sweeping staircases, dramatic balconies and elegant chandeliers, you’ll forget you’re in one of London’s busiest zones, a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

From its ancient origins as a medieval chapel dedicated to a Christian saint to its more recent conversion to a grand hotel in 1899, St Ermin’s history is filled with secrets.

During the 1930s and through World War II it was the secret headquarters for British intelligence agents. It’s where the notorious Cambridge Five spies, including Guy Burgess and Kim Philby, met their Russian handlers. It’s been a hideaway meeting place for politicians and trade union leaders.

Nowadays it’s one of the Marriott Group’s most luxurious hotels.

We are invited to test drive goodies from Caxton Grill’s new menu, celebrating the best of Modern British and European cuisine. That translates to choice cuts of dry-aged Scottish Highland beef, Welsh salt marsh lamb, freshest Cornish lemon sole, all cooked on the hotel’s unique Josper Grill.

Sustainability is not just a meaningless buzzword here but a fact behind every item on the menu. St Ermin’s was an early pioneer in the London beekeeping movement and is an active member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Not many 4-star urban hotels can claim to source their menu as locally as this one does. Salads and sides are imaginative and wherever possible made with produce and herbs grown on its rooftop gardens or using honey from its 350,000 bees, who live comfortably as permanent guests in the hotel’s Bee & Bee apiaries. Guests can view them safely behind glass on the Bee Terrace or sign up for beekeeping taster courses.

The restaurant’s extensive wine and cocktail menu includes inventive non-alcoholic drinks as well as cocktails named for each of the infamous Cambridge spies. Desserts range from chocolate orange mousse and a first class tiramisu to a tempting British and Continental cheeseboard.

Other top London spots for Modern British food include Hawksmoor, the Wolseley,

Young guests view St Ermin’s Bees at work, photo courtesy WixHill Ltd/St Ermin’s Hotel

Sweetings and Rules. Outside the capital, we’ve heard great things about Home and The Foundry in Leeds, Ginger Fox and Isaac At in Brighton and the Leaping Hare in Suffolk.

Caxton Grill at St Ermin’s Hotel 2 Caxton Street, London SW1 caxtongrill.co.uk

3. East Meets West: Mei Ume, City of London

There’s been a Japanese community in Britain for almost 200 years, although the most vibrant growth came in the 1980s when many Japanese firms set up banks and businesses here. The Chinese population dates back much further than this. The first Chinese to visit Britain was one Michael Alphonsius Shen Fu-tsung in 1687, a Jesuit priest who came to help translate Chinese works at Oxford’s Bodleian Library and was feted by King James II. By 1900, the growing Chinese community lived mainly around the docks in Liverpool and London’s Limehouse, the original Chinatown. The UK’s first Chinese restaurant opened in Piccadilly Circus in 1908.

Of course, you don’t have to be Chinese or Japanese to love sushi, sashimi, steamed dumplings and Peking duck. And should you find it difficult to choose between two cuisines, Mei Ume at the Four Seasons Hotel is there to help.

In no way does Mei Ume’s kitchen produce ‘fusion’ food. Far better than that,

Caxton Grill’s creamy Buffalo Mozzarella with majestic herbs & veg from the garden.

Photo courtesy WixHill Ltd/St Ermin’s Hotel

The wonders of Mei Ume’s Sushi Bar, Four Seasons Hotel, London

16

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

TAKE FIVE

Art on a plate: Mei Ume’s Spicy Tuna Truffle Karashi

it’s a place to savour the best of both worlds, side by side, under one luxurious roof.

Simply entering the restaurant is a special experience, whether that’s through Four Seasons’ palatial front entrance and across the chic Rotunda or via the side entrance with its splendid gardens and design tribute to the building’s past as Port of London Authority Headquarters. We are next to the historic “Pool of London”, the stretch of Thames near Tower Bridge which for centuries was the vibrant heart of London’s global maritime trade, the meeting place of East and West.

Mei Ume is distinctive for many reasons.

The restaurant itself is stunning, with grand ceilings, majestic pillars, period lighting and walls hung with colourful silk screens.

There’s an extensive set of menus which nerdy diners (like the author) will love reading from cover to cover. If dumplings are your weakness, there’s a menu for that. Or better, come on a Saturday lunch when you can peruse the dedicated Dim Sum Menu. Mei Ume’s Peking Duck is the star of the À la carte Menu, served in traditional fashion, we’re told, across two courses. There are also small eats for sharing, a full range of sushi, uramaki and the like, hot stone rice bowls, a variety of seafood, meat and vegetable dishes, each one lovelier to look at than the last.

The Bar Menu is, literally, a work of art, a 19-page booklet exquisitely hand-painted and calligraphed by resident illustrator Jung Ah Kim. The Drinks Menu includes six pages devoted to sake, such as a sparkling sake, several creamy, fruit-rich junmai daiginjos and Tosatsuru Azure Ginjo, made with pure, ancient deep sea water. If you want to have it all, opt for Flavours of Mei Ume Tasting Menu, a selection of 10 or so celebrity dishes. If all those menus seem bewildering, Mei Ume’s gracious multilingual staff appear magically at your side to help, or to persuade you to try dishes you may have otherwise overlooked.

We fall head over heels for the Korean seaweed salad, sesame vinaigrettemarinated to chilled perfection, spicy tuna truffle karashi, salmon tataki gently stroked by the grill and bathed in a heavenly yuzu miso sauce. Shanghai aubergine is melting tenderness scented with the sweetness WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

of fried onions. The thick, buttery sashimi is the best and freshest we’ve ever had.

Even the simplest dishes like jasmine rice, enhanced by toasted nuggets of brown rice, are memorable. The Dessert Menu is tempting, with exotic sweets, teas and afterdrinks, but we only have eyes for Mei Ume’s paradise on a plate— fragrant yuzu sorbet atop scatterings of nibbed coconut and served with a delicate yet crunchy wafer, the whole ensemble evoking a tropical beach.

Longing for more helpings? You won’t go wrong at Manchester’s Live Seafood, Glasgow’s Mikaku, Brighton’s Bincho Yakitori, or London’s Dumplings Legend, A Wong and Sushi Atelier.

Mei Ume, Four Seasons Hotel 10 Trinity Square, London EC3 meiume.com

4. Mediterranean Grills to Thrill: Berber & Q, Haggerston

Turkish, Moroccan, Lebanese, Israeli, Palestinian or Persian, these bold, flavourful cuisines are popping up all over the UK, from restaurant tables and supermarket shelves to cookbooks and celebrity chefferie.

If you’re new to the world of sumac, za’atar, preserved lemons and mangal grills, we think Berber & Q Grill House is the perfect place to discover what all the excitement is about. The food stalls of Marrakesh’s Jma El Fnaa, Tel Aviv’s shipudim and kebab houses of Istanbul inspired foodie entrepreneurs Josh Katz and Mattia Bianchi to create Berber & Q from a lovingly converted railway arch in East London. Since opening day 2015, they’ve had nonstop queues and rave reviews, even from Jay Rayner. The duo haven’t looked back.

It’s all about the food here. Each dish coming from the open kitchen is colourful, fragrant with herbs, hopping with spices and kissed by the “beast of a mangal” charcoal grill and smoker, yet none is pretentious.

B&Q is indeed a grill house, tho’ not as you might suppose. Sure, there’s lots of smokin’ hot lamb, chicken, beef and seafood but plenty of grill-gorgeous veggies too. Select from snacks, ‘bits and dips’, ‘bigs from the grill’, small plates, shares, sides and wellsourced drinks in any combination. Expect bold, interesting results, like the smoked chicken — tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, frisky-spicy but not as an extreme sport, surrounded by preserved lemon salsa, skordalia and tangy house pickles. Coming from a background of Friday night dinners, Bold, interesting and frisky-spicy: Berber & Q’s Smoked Chicken and friends, photo by Jerome Ryckborst

Millions of Brits, including the current Prime Minister, can trace their origins back to countries of the Levant (that’s the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa to you and me), either as a result of Britain’s former colonial presence in the area or because their families came as refugees from war, religion or poverty. These communities have enriched the UK in countless ways, not least with music, customs and food.

We are thrilled by the recent surge in popularity for eats from this region. Whether

Berber & Q’s gobsmacking hummus, butternut squash tahini, pita and laffa breads

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

17

I particularly relished the cheeky pairing of handmade challah bread and juicy, honeyed merguez sausages. But whatever else you choose, absolutely don’t miss B&Q’s gobsmacking hummus, a mélange of tahini, chickpeas, burnt urfa chilli butter, golden raisins and toasted pinenuts served with fluffy cushions of homemade pitta or the butternut squash tahini spiked with n’duja and sided by luscious laffa bread.

If we had to describe B&Q in one word it would be ‘heat’. That’s not just on account of the aromas and flavours coming from the restaurant’s open kitchen and grill, but also the radiant staff, glowing service and warm vibe at its heart. “Your first time?” pipe the Irish couple at the adjoining table as soon as we sit down and ponder the menu, “cuz everything’s amazing.” And they surely know because they dine here several times a week and live round the corner— presumably to be first in line when B&Q opens its doors. By evening’s end we are their new best friends, sharing food, drink and hilarious online dating stories. Berber & Q is that sort of place.

Other Med-style eateries to enjoy include Persian Cottage in Middlesborough and Jasmine in Manchester, while in London there’s Honey & Co, the Palomar, Ottolenghi, Ceru, Balabaya and Gökyüzü (or any of the tasty Turkish picks on Harringay’s Green Lanes).

Berber & Q Grill House 338 Acton Mews, London E8 berberandqgrillhouse.com

5. A Taste of Italy: Lina Stores Restaurant, Soho

For more than 75 years Lina Stores delicatessen has been a beloved Soho institution, the nonna of Italian food shops, London’s favourite place for all things edible and Italian. Lina’s is renowned for its white and pistachio green frontage and interior filled from floor to ceiling with Parmigiano,

LIttle Bites of Heaven, Pistachio Sorbet and Fresh Cannoli at Lina Stores Restaurant

panettone, prosciutto and, of course, pasta.

We pop into the legendary deli for a pack of tubetti and to get in the mood for dinner at Lina’s recently opened restaurant round the corner. The visit takes my companion back to precious childhood memories growing up in Herne Bay where her parents were Punch and Judy artistes on the seaside pier.

On special occasions, her mother served the family a treat known as “Italian dinner”: a plate of spaghetti and tinned tomatoes topped with a crowning glory of Spam fritters. I suspect Lina Stores would have done very well had they opened a branch in 1960s Herne Bay. London, especially its Clerkenwell and Soho areas, has long had a thriving Italian community, from waves of refugees fleeing 19th century Napoleonic Wars to thousands who emigrated after 1945 to escape Italy’s postwar poverty. And, as we’ve said, where folk go their food goes with them. “When Lina Stores was first founded, Soho was home to a thriving Italian community of butchers,

Lina Stores: Everything under the Tuscan Sun, since 1944

18

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

delicatessens, shops, restaurants and bars.

Most of these independent businesses have slowly closed their doors but Lina Stores has remained a constant, a home away from home for many Italians like me in London,” says Lina’s Head Chef Masha Rener.

Lina’s Soho Restaurant continues the same time-honoured traditions as Lina Stores, from the familiar white and pistachio green design, furniture and tableware to the mouthwatering menu. Food philosophy here: simplicity and the very best ingredients. That means pasta handmade daily from Italian flour and fresh eggs, a seasonally-changing menu of regional dishes from family recipes, traditional wines and cocktails and the world’s best cannoli outside Sicily.

Even on the damp cold Monday night of our visit there’s a lively buzz and full house, along with a warm, exuberant welcome from manager Stani and his staff. Our toughest decision is whether to dine upstairs with its counter seating, 1950s retro feel and fun view of chefs at work, or downstairs in the cosytabled basement, a cross between a Soho drinking club and an old-fashioned ice-cream parlour. Far easier to choose our food and drink, because Lina’s menu is comfortably brief and everything looks fabulous.

Our choices were all outstanding.

Antipasti of aubergine, tomato and parmesan polpetti; radicchio and puntarelle in a light anchovy dressing; top notch Gorgonzola twinned with sourdough bread and sweet’n gently spicy pear chutney.

Small plates of double ravioli, their pockets filled with Jerusalem artichoke, parmesan and ricotta; swallow-shaped rondini stuffed with Devon crab and scallop; and a glorious pumpkin and fresh sage ravioli with toasted hazelnuts, as scrumptious as any we’ve had in Italy. From Lina’s short but select wine and beverage list, we adore the white Gavi di Gavi and earthy, red Chianti Classico. Dolci are a matter of four choices, so we obviously need one of each, with extra spoons. There are not enough superlatives for Lina’s remarkable pistachio sorbet (made, we’re reliably told, with just sugar, water and premium Sicilian pistachios), except to say that this alone would have made the visit worthwhile.

Other yummy London Italian eats can be found at Trullo, Boca di Lupa, tiny, brilliant Enoteca Supertuscan and our current pizza fave, Radio Alice. Outside the capital, check out Sarti, Valvona & Crolla or Alchemilla in Glasgow and Marmo, Pasta Loco or Ripiena in Bristol.

Lina Stores Soho Restaurant 51 Greek Street, London W1 linastores.co.uk Take Five is our quarterly feature bringing the best of British to Americans in Britain.

A special thanks to Val, Susannah, Jerome, Emeric, Ariel and our wonderful friends at Fraser Communications, Ryan PR and WixHill. You can get in touch with Judith at judith0777@gmail.com.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

19

TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS The Time To Reach A Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement Is Short - Let’s Use It Wisely It Finally Happened

On the 2nd of March 2020, it finally happened: After a long wait, the United Kingdom (UK) published its objectives for a future UK-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Spanning over 180 pages, the document consists of an impressive bundle, laying out the UK Government’s strategic approach, objectives, as well as comprehensive evidence supporting the case for an FTA with the United States (US).

The Case For UK-US Economic Integration Is Strong

Despite critics pointing out that the economic benefit of a UK-US FTA would not outweigh the economic damage should the UK and the EU not reach a trade agreement by the end of the year, the case for future deeper economic integration between the US and the UK is strong.

For the UK, the US is already the single most important destination for exports. Over 30,000 British businesses export to the US. British businesses are present in every single US State, employing over 1.5 million Americans.

For American businesses, the UK is the 7th most important trading partner. Over 40,000 US businesses export to the UK; over 7,500 businesses have a presence in the UK, equally employing well over a million people.

Building on such an important trading relationship makes sense. Looking beyond the numbers, every single simplification, whether it be less processing time in customs or increased market access can make a difference to a company and to local and regional communities.

Time Is Short

With the UK objectives for a UK-US FTA now released, negotiations are likely to start soon.

Historically, when starting negotiations for a (comprehensive) trade deal, one would look at least several years of negotiations to find compromise, draft and then implement the texts. It is true that both UK and the US have done a lot of work over the past two years towards this. Earlier this year, US Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, said that the US would dedicate a lot of resources to secure a deal. Yet, when looking at successful policy20

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

making through the necessary interplay of policies and politics, time seems rather short.

In particular, the UK has to balance its trading interests with the EU and the US, two economic entities with fundamental differences in some areas. While understandable and economically reasonable, this delicate balancing act will delay decision-making on policy issues between the UK and the US. This is in addition to areas where the UK and the US will most likely have to spend a significant amount of time to iron out differences, such as food safety, sustainability, or online harm protection.

The UK and the US should focus on areas of commonality so that something can be agreed before the summer Second, the UK Government has ruled out a scenario in which both the UK and the EU would allow more time to negotiate post2020 should they not come to an agreement.

This will mean that after summer, business attention in the UK will move back to ‘no-deal’ preparation, taking away momentum and resources from supporting a UK-US deal.

Even if negotiations between the UK and the EU were to make quick progress, the focus of the US will soon be squarely on the upcoming election. No matter who is in the White House come November, political standstill on policy issues is likely towards the end of the year.

This takes us to a final signpost that defines the timeframe the UK and the US have got. By July 2021, the US Congress will need to renew the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the laws that guide the US

Administration in how to pursue trade deals.

Should the new TPA be different from the current version, a negotiated text may have to be amended, if not re-negotiated.

Let’s Use it Wisely

In my view, we are looking at a trade honeymoon of 5+ months. That is short.

The good news is that there is enough common ground between the UK and the US negotiating objectives to be optimistic about an agreement. Areas like digital trade or trade facilitation are particularly relevant to smaller businesses, and can help the UK and the US lead the way. It is these areas where there is common ground that should set the direction.

While ambitious, the UK and the US should focus on these areas of commonality so that something can be agreed before the summer. To acknowledge and celebrate the release of the UK negotiation objectives, BritishAmerican Business published a White Paper making a case for making labour mobility between the UK and the US easier. We know that immigration issues are challenging to include in trade talks, but if the UK and the US can agree on tangible issues like this, then we have truly reason to be optimistic about the future transatlantic economic relationship.

Emanuel Adam is Executive Director of BritishAmerican Business in London. As an influential advocate for transatlantic trade, he has been a leading voice for combining a positive vision for trade with a realistic approach that delivers local, and tangible benefits to businesses. Visit www.babinc.org for further information.

ARTS & ANTIQUES

ARTS & ANTIQUES Decorating A Minimalist Interior

By Abby Cronin

Maison Artefact: www.maisonartefact.com

Linda Jackson Antiques

Think of your modern flat or house as a stage set just waiting for the play to begin. There’s always an interesting story to tell - and you can tell it as you transform minimalist anonymous rooms into your home. When it comes to personalising ordinary empty spaces, so typical of modern flats and houses, basic questions need answers: Do you want to live with ‘antiques’, ‘vintage’, ‘contemporary’ or a marriage of many styles?

Will you recycle or buy new? What furniture, accessories, statement pieces and art are on your shopping list? The choice is endless.

Think of your interior as a neutral stage set that can be furnished to reflect your taste.

Explore fairs, markets and galleries. Keep your eyes open for that ah-ha item. There’s no shortage of dealers specialising in antiques, textiles, ceramics and art. And don’t forget to surf the endless online auctions and websites crammed with an infinite array of period styles, accessories, and basics. Let’s get started: the ‘basics’ come first.

Think of your interior as a neutral stage set that can be furnished to reflect your taste www.katherinepole.com

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

We must eat so let’s begin with ‘basics’.

The market for vintage kitchen cutlery offers an amazing opportunity to collect recycled

Joseph Berry Interiors

beautifully crafted vintage knives, forks, spoons and serving dishes. They will add a period feeling to your table setting. Linda Jackson has been trading in antiques for over 30 years and specialises in unusual and attractive tableware. Every item is in pristine condition. Linda’s true love is silver, and you will find all manner of silver perfume bottles, picture frames, jewellery boxes, enamel dressing table items, christening and wedding presents, boxed cutlery items, tableware and candlesticks. Pictured (left) here is just a snippet of what Linda offers. She has a selection for every culinary occasion at affordable prices. Visit her shop in the Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane or find her stall at many of London’s antiques fairs. Looking for the perfect ice bucket or vintage wine glasses?

Linda has them - plus lots and lots of silver.

When thinking about eating, the dinner hour comes to mind. If you need reminding, why not consider adding a clock to your shopping list. Large or small, clocks are both charming and functional. Roger Lascelles’ (www.clockprops.com) has a collection of over 500 and has been reviving old vintage clocks for 30 years. No need to worry about forgetting to wind the clock because Roger’s skilled craftsmen revive vintage and old electric clocks into fully functional clocks using a modern quartz movement. The original design is retained, and all that is required is to find a suitable place - usually a wall, a table or shelf - to display the time. Some of Roger’s clocks have been made into tables; others are carefully painted tin clocks and Bakelite classics from the 1950s. See Roger here holding a charming German porcelain WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

21

www.clockprops.com

kitchen clock from the 1920s. He said he’s never had one like this before- “It’s a real find at a modest £145”.

Give serious thought to what form of art might suit your bare white walls.

A stunning collection of eight original Constructivist screen-prints in brilliant primary colours by the French artist Jan Albert GORIN (1899-1981) stood out at the recent Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea. Odyssey Fine Art displayed them. Echoing Mondrian’s colours and

Three Vintage Originals from London Transport Museum

Photo Courtesy Sue Norman www.blueandwhitetransferwaresuenorman.com

22

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

Screen-Prints by Jan albert Gorin (1899-1981)

Bauhaus shapes and designs, they would look spectacular in a contemporar y interior. Feature them in a living room, dining room or a spacious hallway and make a powerful artistic statement.

Looking for something more familiar like something you see when you travel around London every day? You may not have realised that the pioneering art and designs throughout London Underground reflect a unique visual history which is more than 100 years old. The London Transport Museum is working with Transport for London to make authentic and exclusive Vintage Originals from London’s transport network available to the public.

Today several vintage items have been decommissioned and can be purchased from the London Transport Museum.

Any one of those familiar logos, signs or posters would look fabulous in an interior setting. If you love London and enjoy travel by tube or bus, what could be better than to feature one or more of these pieces in your home? Several are available, and an original comes with a certificate which authenticates each purchase. You might like to have a Gloucester Road Roundel or a Bond Street Station sign, or one of the many unique posters from the London Transport Museum. Find London Transport Museum Unique Vintage & Retro Posters at www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk.

So far we’ve been thinking ‘small’. But furnishing a living room asks us to think ‘big’. Remember - a minimalist interior is your empty stage. You can let it evolve from shabby-chic, furnished with vintage curtains found in a charity shop, or a sofa from Ebay. Or you might have a period style in mind. Either way, the right pieces can be hard to find. Coordinating a traditional, contemporary style or an eclectic look involves decisions. Pictured here is a minimalist living room filled with a contemporary mixture of chairs and tables.

Modern lighting bathes the space and gives it a Scandinavian aura. Contrast the contemporary with furnishings of fading

grandeur seen here in Maison Artefact’s room set. These pieces tell a story. Patina and colouration tell their own history.

These pieces have travelled and been loved.

Their age adds to their character and the atmosphere of the home. Perhaps they’re even heirlooms for a future generation.

Please don’t forget to accessorise!

Textiles, cushions and ceramics belong in our homes. See how they complement Maison Artefact’s living room (pictured, previous page). You may find them by accident - when you’re just browsing or see something exotic to take home when on holiday. Accessories add the finishing touches to your interiors and are usually found after your rooms are furnished. Take a good look at Katherine Pole’s shelves of antique floral cushions, curtains and pillows pictured here. She features a shelf of exquisite antique textiles from France together with rustic linens and Indigo blues. They are timeless. And-don’t forget ceramics. They are both decorative and functional. Sue Norman, a dealer with a unique collection of early English Blue and White pottery, sells a glorious range. She has footbaths, platters, sets of dishes, in all sizes and design. Sue has a comprehensive inventory: small and large and mainly from the early 19th century or earlier. Create an indoor garden planted up in a few pots from Sue and enjoy the pots and plants all year round. Pictured here is just one example of the how to arrange ceramic jardinières at home. Don’t those flowers look happy?

The stage is now set. The rooms have evolved and their personalities have come to life - just as they do in a play. Anonymity is long gone. Minimalist rooms, flats and houses are no longer impersonal and ordinary. They embody the personalities of the people who live in them. Hurray!

Get in Touch. Contact: Abby Cronin Email: artsjournalist@abbycronin.co.uk Website: abbycronin.co.uk Photos by Abby Cronin Courtesy Sue Norman photo

ARTS & ANTIQUES

Dana Westring - Thin Places Embodying a coalescence of the old Grand Tour tradition, a profound understanding of architecture and the discipline of architectural drawing, combined with the artist’s application of beautiful meditative lines and diffused colour, this group of landscapes is principally the result of Dana’s extensive annual travel in Southeast Asia, and of his artistic practice and research amongst the sacred architecture of the Hindu temples and other Indian structures. Thin Places is a translation of the Hindu word Tirthas which means a place of pilgrimage, and also the cultivation of truth, knowledge and spirituality – literally a thin place, a higher plain.

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, March 2016

Brihadeeshwara Temple, Tanjore India, January 2015

Midsummer 2020, will be the first opportunity to see the remarkable work of American artist Dana Westring in the UK. In his show - Thin Places - Dana’s beautiful, contemplative watercolours and drawings will be curated by VH Projects at Gallery 8, Duke Street, St James from 16-18 June 2020.

Dana has drawn on his personal and multiskilled creative history, bringing freshness and unique sensitivity to the long-held tradition of the depiction of the ancient world.

Dana began his painting career as an illustrator and muralist, with large canvases installed in public spaces and residential projects in the US and Middle East. His works have included an iconic ceiling in the Avalon theatre in Washington DC and architectural and non-figurative wall murals for the royal family in Jordan. He has devoted the last twenty years to drawings and watercolours as an artist, as well as to garden design. Most recently he has shown his images of the coast of Maine and of Cambodian temple studies at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Washington DC. He has also designed gardens in Washington DC and Virginia, and created his own garden near Middleburg, Virginia, which has been published and visited by numerous garden study groups. He is on the board of the Garden Conservancy in the United States. The knowledge and skills developed as an illustrator, landscape gardener and maker of largescale wall paintings have all made a subtle contribution to the creation of this beautiful, deeply evocative body of work.

For further information please visit www.danawestring.com.

The 2020 Expatriate’s Guide to Living in the UK will be Published at the end of March 2020 Pre-order your FREE copy now!

18th Ann

Living and working in the UK can provide a fantastic opportunity to any expatriate individual or family. The UK offers a diverse range of cultures, and if you have relocated for business, family or lifestyle reasons, then the useful information covered inside this Guide will prove to be an invaluable resource.

The 2020 Expatriate 's Guide to L iving in th e UK

ual Edition

Banking, Clothing Topics inclu Convers Embassies de: & Hgh Com ion, Car Insuranc e, Driv miss Serviced Apaions, Expatriate Club ing, Education & Schooling, s, Family rtments, Taxation and Travel Law, Property,

www.expa

tsguidetot

A product

heuk.com

of

Supporting Internationa l HR Profes sionals World wide

The 2020 Guide will contain content covering: Banking & Wealth • Expatriate Clubs Embassies & High Commissions • Driving & Transport Education - Schools & Universities • Property Legal Issues • Serviced Apartments • Taxation To pre-register for your FREE copy please email: damian@expatsguidetotheuk.com, providing the mailing address you would like it sent to.

PLEASE SHARE THE WEBSITE WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, COLLEAGUES OR EMPLOYEES RELOCATING TO THE UK.

www.expatsguidetotheuk.com WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

23

INTERVIEW: VANESSA WILLIAMS Vanessa Williams, On Life & Performing In The UK Interview by Lydia Parker Do you find working in London theatre different as compared to Broadway?

The work ethic and talent level is the same in the West End as on Broadway. The only difference is you have “tea breaks” and we have “coffee breaks”.

What have you found challenging as an American living in the UK and what do you like?

There have been no challenges transitioning from New York to London. There’s Uber, subways, buses and taxis always available, but I tend to walk daily and that’s the best way to get my bearings and discover neighbourhoods. I try to not take the same route often but mix it up.

As a musical theatre major in college, was your ambition always to be on stage?

Growing up within an hour from Broadway, musical theatre was always a tangible goal for me, just an audition away. Being a recording artist, TV and movie star was a dream come true.

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams, renowned American singer and actress, famous for her TV roles as Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty and Renée Perry in Desperate Housewives, as well as for her star turns on Broadway, makes her West End stage debut in City of Angels, which opened in March at the Garrick Theatre.

Theatre reviewer for American in Britain, Lydia Parker, got the chance to ask her a few questions about her extensive performing career and her time in London.

24

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

Have you been to the UK before? If so, what are your favourite things to do here?

I’ve been to the UK several times. I visited my uncle’s family while he was working here in the sixties, I sang on Top of the Pops, and I recorded the strings for my Christmas album at Abbey Road Studios.

My favourite things to do while in London are of course going to the theatre, walking in the many parks and heading out to Bicester Village for designer bargains!

Who are your favourite musical theatre composers? Did you find working on Sondheim musicals a challenge more than other composers?

My favourite composers for the stage are of course my friend Stephen Sondheim with whom I worked twice (Into the Woods, Sondheim on Sondheim) Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Micheal John LaChiusa, Frank Loesser, the list goes on.

Sondheim’s songs are unique, heart wrenching, witty and delicious to dive into and master as an actor.

Besides having the honour of working with musical theatre legend Sondheim, I was directed by Hal Prince for Kiss of the Spiderwoman with music by Fred Ebb and John Cantor and choreography by Rob Marshall in 1994-95.

I’ve appeared in many wonderful Broadway musicals: St. Louis Woman in 1998, Into the Woods in 2002, Sondheim on Sondheim in 2010, A Trip to Bountiful in 2013, After Midnight in 2014 and Hey Look Me Over in 2018.

I also recorded the cast albums for Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Into the Woods, Sondheim on Sondheim and St. Louis Woman.

INTERVIEW: VANESSA WILLIAMS What drew you to City of Angels?

I got an offer for City of Angels in August along with a beautiful note from our director Josie Rourke that expressed her appreciation for my talent and her awardwinning vision for this production. Then we had a FaceTime call and I was ready to fly over and start this amazing journey.

The technology for this production is truly innovative using special effects, projection, automation and a crazy talented cast to pull it all together.

Tell us about the musical and the character you play.

City of Angels is a sexy musical about a 1940’s film noir world that ping pongs from black and white for the fictional film scenes to Technicolor for the reality of making the murder mystery. Sexy because our lead detective Stone sleeps with practically all the leading ladies in the cast. Did I mention Stone is played by Theo James? Plus, the music, choreography and dialogue are super slick.

All of our cast plays double roles in both worlds; I play Alaura Kingsley, a rich wife who has evil intentions, and Carla Haywood, the producer’s wife of the film they are making.

You seem to be typecast playing powerful and beautiful women whom other women love to hate or feel threatened by, like

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

Wilhemina Slater in Ugly Betty and Renee Perry in Desperate Housewives. How will Carla/Alaura be different?

Even though I am cast as strong female characters, there are always differences with making each character come to life. The best thing about musicals is that I get to sing and dance to enhanced characters.

This production of City of Angels has a very specific aesthetic which is reflected in the costume design. Can you tell us about them?

The costumes for the show are gorgeous, glamorous and unforgettable. I am dripping in satin, faux fur and classic silhouettes.

You are also a fashion designer. Is your line available in the UK? My HSN fashion line is not yet available on QVC UK which is unfortunate because QVC owns HSN and it would have been a delight to sell to UK costumers while I’m living here.

You were recently at Drag Con in the UK. How did it compare to the US experience?

RuPaul and Michelle Visage are good friends of mine and I ran into Michelle on Tottenham Court Road after one rehearsal.

She told me about Drag Con UK and I brought my daughter and some cast members to enjoy it on our day off. We had a

ball and Ru gave our show a shout out while he interviewed Bananarama. I’m so happy that the event was so well attended and that people here are embracing Drag Race UK. I’ve judged RuPaul’s Drag Race in the States a few times and always love it.

Are any of your children following in your footsteps?

My daughter Jillian is a recording artist in a singing group called “Lion Babe” that broke in the UK five years ago on Polydor.

My other daughter Sasha just starred in her first TV movie for Christmas last season. My other two children are in very creative fields, pilates instruction and graphic arts.

What is next after City of Angels?

After my run in the West End I have my usual concerts to perform, projects in development and who knows, maybe I’ll do more projects here. I’m loving my opportunities in London and would happily continue to be a part of the magic here.

Vanessa Williams will appear in City of Angels until 25 July. The production runs to 5 September and also stars Rosalie Craig, Theo Stone, Nicola Roberts, Hadley Fraser, Jonathan Slinger and Rebecca Trehearn.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

25

AMERICAN EXPATRIATE CLUBS NEWS CAWC International Women’s Club

CAWC Highgate Cemetary outing CAWC - Thames Boat Trip

CAWC International women’s organisation offers fun activities to all living in the Chilterns including the areas of South Buckinghamshire, East Berkshire, West Hertfordshire, South Oxfordshire and East London. We offer a huge variety of activity groups, events and opportunities to suit your lifestyle such as: hiking, book bunch, lunch bunch, golf, bible study, yoga, tennis, philanthropy, cooking club, stitch-n-chat, moms and tots and movie group. You may enjoy our fabulous outings and events such as attending Royal Ascot, visiting the potteries at Stoke-on-Trent, Christmas and June luncheons and our famous May Tea Party. Planning is also in full swing for our 34th annual charity Christmas Bazaar in November which has raised over a quarter million pounds for good causes.

You are invited to attend one of our upcoming meetings in the Beaconsfield area and meet our members. Here are the guest speakers: 9 April at 9:30am - Jacqui Kolhatkar, founder of Jolly Organsied and Professional House Declutterer. Let’s get jolly organised.

14 May at 9:30am - CAWC Annual May Tea Party - Enjoy a high tea and help decorate a table if you like.

TBD June - End of Year Celebration If you would like to drop in to one of CAWC International’s monthly general meetings or try one of our clubs, please email CAWCmembershipUK@gmail.com.

CAWC International - Ladies Day at Ascot.jpg

26

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

AMERICAN EXPATRIATE CLUBS NEWS

American Women Lawyers in London – AWLL

American Women Lawyers in London (AWLL) is an organisation of Londonbased women with ties to the American legal community. Our aim is to provide professional development support to members through educational events, networking and mentoring opportunities.

AWLL has also partnered with several top companies to offer exclusive discounts and benefits to members.

We have a new website and Facebook page! Visit awll.org.uk to learn about membership benefits, upcoming events and to join our group.

In December, we held our Christmas drinks at the beautiful Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market. We had a great turnout and lots of festive cheer!

In February, we held a workshop with expat psychologist, Dr. Bonnie Wims, focused on the issues that many expats face when relocating to a new country. We had a free and honest discussion about the ups and downs of life in the UK. We really appreciate the openness of our members who attended as well as Dr. Wims’ insight.

This event was hosted by the law firm, Greenwood Hanlon Kendrick Ltd. In March, we also held a yoga and breathing workshop to combat stress in the workplace with our very own AWLL member and yoga instructor, Molly O’Brien.

AWLL

Upcoming Events: • June 8th 2020: London Legal Walk, raising money for the London Legal Support Trust, For more information about AWLL, please visit our website at www.awll.org.uk or contact AWLL President Eryn Hanlon at eryn@awll.org.uk. You can also connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. We look forward to seeing you!

Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club

Kensington and Chelsea Women’s Club is a vibrant organisation of international women offering a variety of social, cultural and lifestyle activities. Our daytime and evening events appeal to those who wish to experience London and the UK at its best.

We invite you to visit www.kcwc.org.uk to learn more about our organisation.

Please also join us for our May guest speaker event on Thursday 7 May 9.30am – 12 noon at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR. Our May keynote speaker is Kate Stephens, CEO of Smart Works. Kate is a dynamic, hard-working and inspirational professional with an extensive communications experience in the private sector. She became the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Works, a UK charity that provides dressing and coaching services for unemployed women. The aim of Smart Works is very simple: through careful collaboration, the transformative power of clothes is used to boost self-confidence and propel women back into the workplace.

Join us at our special Guest Speaker events on Thursday 7 May and Thursday 4 June at the Royal Geographical Society to experience all that kcwc has to offer.

AWLL

AWLL

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

kcwc

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

27

Visit our website www.kcwc.org.uk or email marketing@kcwc.org.uk to find out more about kcwc.

We look forward to welcoming you to join us for a year of fun and engaging activities.

kcwc

AWBS International Women’s Club

Located 20 miles west of London serving the Berkshire and Surrey counties, AWBS International Women’s Club is a social, and philanthropic club for women. We are a resource for transition, learning, connection, friendship and philanthropy. Our Club offers 32 different fun activities and events each month. There is literally something for everyone! There are famous speakers, fun monthly meetings, events, tours, trips, sports and activities.

Activities are led by Activity Leaders who utilise their own personal and career skills in organisation, communications, planning and creativity. We are also a strong supporter of over 50 small local businesses offering our members discounts called the PBN – “Preferred Business Network”.

In addition, our “Best of Britain” group of small businesses, attending our monthly meetings, offering our members the latest in fashion, seasonal and practical items, as well as medical/health products and services. We support several charities within the area as part of our philanthropic charter.

Last year we donated over £20,000!

We are 260+ members strong and look forward to new members as they move to the area and wish to become part of this dynamic organisation!

Check out our website at www.AWBS.org.uk and on Facebook at AWBS International Women’s Club AWBS International Women’s Club. If you are lucky enough to live here, you’re going to love AWBS! 28

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

Junior League of London (JLL)

The Junior League of London (JLL) is a UK chapter of the Association of Junior Leagues International. There are 291 Junior Leagues in the US, the UK, Canada and Mexico, with over 150,000 members. Together we are one of the most impactful volunteer organisations in the world, and we’re 100% powered by women!

Our mission is simple: promote voluntary service, develop the potential of women and improve our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

In London, our 300 members give over 10,000 volunteer hours every year (1 June-31 May).

With only one part-time employee, our charity is almost entirely volunteer run.

From tutoring to serving meals, our impact is significant and tangible.

If you are inspired and interested in donating some time to helping your community, develop new volunteer and leadership skills and connect with brilliant women doing the same, attend one our interest sessions. We accept new members in September and January.

Visit jll.org.uk for further details.

Junior League of London: January 2020 Member Training hosted by Carol Stewart.

Volunteering at Suited & Booted during Junior League of London All-Service Week, February 2020.

Volunteering at SmartWorks during Junior League of London All-Service Week, February 2020.

Fundraising while celebrating at Junior League of London 35th Birthday Soiree: Let The Good Times Roll!

February 2020

The American Society in London

The American Society in London was founded in 1895 by the then US Ambassador Thomas F. Bayard. Indeed, the serving US Ambassador, Robert Wood Johnson IV, remains our Honorary President and we are fortunate to have the generous support of the US Embassy. The intention of our founders was to improve and cement relations between the citizens of our two countries, fostering mutual respect, understanding and affection. Membership is open to both US and UK citizens and draws heavily on the US expatriate community here in London.

This past December the Society held a very special event. Members were invited to Selfridges, the department store founded by the American Society’s most flamboyant past chairman, H. Gordon Selfridge. By gracious invitation of Selfridges, we were treated to a tour of the store’s museum, a fascinating talk and delicious brunch in the stunning Brasserie of Light restaurant. While we soaked up the festive holiday atmosphere, we learned about the intriguing history of the store and its key role in the war effort during the 1940s, as well as its trailblazing retail strategies over the last century. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

We look forward with delight to this year, our 125th anniversary year, which will kick off with a very special celebration in March and the launch of our newly upgraded website. Please visit it at www.americansocietyuk.com.

To learn more about our events or to join the American Society, please email info@americansocietyuk.com and follow us on Facebook @americansocietyinlondon or Twitter @ASL1895.

The American Society in London – Newly upgraded website

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

29

The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire

30

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

HOTEL REVIEW

HOTEL REVIEW The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire As a place to visit, what conjures more delightful thoughts than a name of a restaurant/hotel called The Vineyard?

Personally, as a wine devotee, I imagine a whitewashed manor house surrounded by row upon row of vines laden down with juicy grapes basking in the midday sun, and although The Vineyard in Stockcross is neither whitewashed or surrounded by vines (and no sun in the UK in March!), it did however, exceed all my expectations.

The Vineyard is situated just off the A4, near Newbury, and is about an hour from London and only 45 minutes from Heathrow.

The brainchild of Sir Peter Michael, Founder and Chairman of Classic FM and the Peter Michael Winery in California, The Vineyard was created around a nineteenth century hunting lodge, and opened in 1998 as a luxury hotel and restaurant that has continued to develop an unenviable reputation for quality and style.

It styles itself as ‘a restaurant with luxury suites and a spa attached’, but although strictly speaking it is, it is so much more, and if you found just one of these of such quality as The Vineyard’s you would be delighted, but to find all three in one place is exceptional.

You can, however, understand the emphasis on the restaurant, and the recent arrival of Tom Scade, Executive Chef, has taken the restaurant to even greater heights.

Essex-born Tom Scade studied at Bournemouth and Poole College, in partnership with The Academy of Culinary Arts, graduating in 2004. During his studies,

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

he worked at Langan’s Coq d’Or in London as an Apprentice Chef, progressing to Chef de Partie (2001-05).

Tom then moved to The Ritz Hotel in London as a Demi Chef de Partie, working for Executive Chef John Williams, where he rose to Premier Chef de Partie during his four years with the hotel (2005-08). In 2008, he left London to help launch The Bee in Surrey (on a six-month contract) and the pub was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand within its first six months. Tom was then appointed his first Head Chef role in 2009 at The Mariners Rock in Cornwall, also overseeing the kitchens at Tides Restaurant and The Kensington Arms which were both part of the restaurant owner’s portfolio. In 2011, he was promoted to General Manager of The Mariners Rock and Tides Restaurant.

He was responsible for both restaurants and seven luxury self-catering apartments, during which time he was named South West Chef of the Year by Taste of the West.

In January 2014, Tom was appointed Head Chef by Martin Blunos for the launch of Blunos in Bath, then in January 2015, he launched the Crab and Boar in Chieveley as Head Chef. He then moved back to London in October 2016 to re-join John Williams at The Ritz as Sous Chef. He competed in Le Taittinger Prix Culinaire in 2017 and 2018, winning the UK finals both years, and placing third in the international finals in 2018.

We had the pleasure of meeting Tom after our first course, and he is as charming as his food is delicious.

Personally, to me the dining experience is so much more than just the food, and special food should be served in a special place, and The Vineyard creates just that. The bar is warm and welcoming and sitting around a roaring fire you can make the extremely difficult (because everything sounds so delicious) choices from the menu, before moving to the more contemporary dining area dominated by a sweeping staircase leading to a lower area that looks out over the picturesque garden where in the summer you can relax.

The restaurant offers the choice of either the à la carte menu or a 7-course tasting menu, both of which can be accompanied by a wine flight (more of that in a minute).

We decided on the tasting menu as we really couldn’t decide what to have. We also selected the wine pairing which is based on the story of the high-profile blind tasting held in 1976, where unknown wines were chosen over some of France’s finest known as the Judgement of Paris. What this means is that with every dish you are provided with a French and a Californian wine and you blind taste them, (yes, be aware there are many glasses of wine!!). Deciding which you prefer and guessing which is which is great fun and only adds to the pomp of the occasion, but the dishes are still the main event.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

31

Our amuse bouche set the scene with a wafer thin korabi radish encasing octopus, ginger and coriander, served with an onion broth that combined a light pickle with a rich broth expertly. The first 3 dishes were fish courses, with outrageously fresh Porthilly Oysters from North Cornwall adorned with wafer thin grapes, and this was followed by Chalk Stream Trout with cucumber, caviar and horse radish and Cornish Turbot with an aromatic crayfish bisque. The ingredients are sourced locally from the UK, and the taste combinations tantalised our taste buds. There was just enough heat from the horse radish and creaminess of the bisque to compliment rather than overpower the delicate fishes which were cooked perfectly.

Not only were our taste buds stimulated, the presentation was exact and the dishes were almost works of art, which would not look out of place with the art work on the walls.

The next two dishes were Veal Sweetbreads with mushroom purée in a rich warming sauce, and Roast Hogget with asparagus and wild garlic purée. (There is a prize for those who know that hogget is the meat from sheep aged between lamb and mutton), and the desserts a Blood Orange infused with Rhubarb and hibiscus, then a Dark Chocolate Cremosa.

Each dish was a delight and combined tastes and ingredients expertly and cooked to perfection, and served with style and panache.

We took the wine flight but at ‘a vineyard’ wine is never far away from things, and the owner Peter Michael provides a number of the 30,000 bottles that are available from his Californian winery, all of which are stored in a vast glass walled cellar which dominates the entrance area to the hotel and restaurant.

The Vineyard has 32 suites and 17 bedrooms and are named, wait for it, after iconic wines, and although they are all individually decorated and are different shapes and sizes, they all have large beds dominated by perfectly plumped pillows and soft luxurious duvets which guarantee a perfect night’s sleep. Our suite had a real homely feel and whilst sitting in our connected lounge we could almost feel that we were at home. I am also a devotee of fluffy towels and the towels here tick all my boxes as does the large marble bathroom which had one of the best power showers I have had the pleasure of being in.

Whether The Vineyard is a superior restaurant with a hotel and spa, or a hotel and spa with a special restaurant, I don’t think really matters, as all you need to know is nestling just outside London and Heathrow is a perfect retreat with first class facilities and a top class restaurant. All of this with the largest selection of wines I would guess in the world. What a delight to be able to indulge all of your vices in the same place. As a wellknown advert says, ‘Priceless’.

For further information please visit: www.the-vineyard.co.uk 32

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

33

DAYS OUT WITH THE FAMILY The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience Shaftesbury Avenue, London If you have ever seen The Crystal Maze, a British game show that aired in the 90s and attracted a cult following, then you could not fail to be intrigued by the Crystal Maze LIVE. Even if you have never heard of the TV show, the concept is both exciting and appealing, as it provides a truly immersive ‘team’ experience - something completely different from the usual tourist attractions.

The Crystal Maze LIVE first opened to the public in Islington in March 2016. Due to its success, a second Crystal Maze was opened in March 2017 in Manchester. With continuing high levels of demand for tickets, the parent company Little Lion Entertainment set out to source a larger London venue. After an extensive search, the Trocadero, which has seen almost three centuries of history dating back to 1744, was selected as the maze’s new London home. The building, which began life as a tennis court and vaults and later became a theatre, boxing hall and finally ‘Segaworld’, is located on Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, and features 32 games housed in 4 themed zones, the final iconic ‘Crystal Dome’, as well as a large bar area to relax before and after your experience.

Just like the TV show, the experience is hosted by a ‘Maze Master’ whose role is to guide teams through the adventure zones; comprising the Medieval Zone, Futuristic Zone, Industrial Zone and Aztec Zone. The aim is to win as many crystals as possible by completing various challenges: skill, physical, mental and mystery. Each crystal that is won, represents 5 seconds of time in the final stage of the game - The Crystal Dome; where the whole team must work against the clock to collect as many gold tokens as possible from the air. The memorable words “Start the fans please!” indicate the beginning of this final frenzied climax of the entire experience. The more crystals your team have won, the more chance you have of amassing enough gold tokens to make it onto the leader board … but if only it was as simple as it sounds.

We arrived as a slightly nervous, but excited team of 5 - made up of 3 teens, and middle-aged (but young at heart!) parents. We were introduced to another group of 3, making a combined team of 8.

34

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

Our new team mates were die-hard fans of the 90s TV show and revealed it was their childhood dream to tackle the maze, so no pressure there at all! However, their contagious enthusiasm and friendly banter soon bonded us together like long lost friends. We quickly appointed our team captain whose job it would be to delegate team members to the various games, and made our way into the maze to meet our Maze Master. True to the ‘Crystal Maze’ tradition, our hostess was suitably eccentric and charismatic. One of among 100 maze masters selected from an enormous pool of hopeful actors; “Mumsie” was a cutesy girl with American accent who used her sarcastic wit and dry humour to lighten the mood when things got intense, and things do get very intense as we were about to discover.

Stumbling down dark narrow corridors and crawling through tunnels, Mumsie whisked us off to the Medieval Zone. I felt like I had stumbled onto a film set as I took in the surroundings; cold brick walls,

candelabra and the odd skull were visible in the dim-lit corridor where we were to encounter our first challenge. Everything was fast-paced, and adrenaline quickly kicked in as the first team member, my husband, was thrust into a small room to tackle a 2 minute ‘skill’ challenge, with nothing more than a few explanatory lines on the wall to read. The rest of the team members are encouraged to look through hatches in the wall and shout advice, which turns out to be both a help and hindrance in equal measures! His challenge was to follow coded musical notes on the wall to play tunes for us to guess - he managed the first of these, before time ran out, and a mad scramble to get out of the room, sadly with no crystal. With no time to take on board what had happened, we were off to the next game and then on to the Futuristic Zone. My 14-year-old son, bravely took on a physical game, that involved dodging lasers to complete an obstacle course to retrieve the crystal. He completed the challenge and emerged with a crystal to a hero’s welcome!

The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, Shaftesbury Avenue, London

DAYS OUT WITH THE FAMILY

The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, Shaftesbury Avenue, London

There were many other challenges, including riddles to be solved, enormous jigsaw puzzles, an alien autopsy and perhaps the most memorable game of our experience in the Aztec zone, where my eldest son had to fill a bag with sand and cross ‘the pit of despair’ via a precarious twisting pole, whilst sand poured through holes in the bag. His aim:

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

to fill a receptacle on the other side with sand and release the crystal. He took a spectacular tumble in his race against the clock, and faced the dreaded ‘lock in’.

We magnanimously agreed to pay for his freedom by giving up one of the precious crystals we had won.

Our final destination, having completed 16 games in total, was the Dome itself.

Having won a respectable 7 crystals (excluding the one we lost in the unfortunate incident) we had earned 35 seconds in the dome. Donning our shiny ‘Crystal Maze’ regulation bomber jackets we entered, and awaited the frenzy - a mad scrabbling in the air to catch as many tokens as possible and stuff them into the collecting pot. Sadly, we did not make the leader board, but felt proud nevertheless with our total of 120 gold tokens!

You can’t fail to come out of the experience on a high, with adrenaline still pumping through your veins. It’s an intense 75 minutes, filled with highs and lows and an exhilarating journey through the twists and turns, tunnels, slides and crevasses of the maze itself. If, like us you are comparing the experience with its TV counterpart, you will not be disappointed.

At no stage during your ‘experience’ do you feel like you are on a tourist-attraction conveyor-belt. The maze master has the difficult task of cleverly avoiding bumping into any other teams, making you feel like you have the maze to yourself. Having only experienced some of the 32 games, we would love to return and try to improve on our performance, and master that pesky Aztec sand game!

Tickets can be booked online at www.thecrystal-maze.com and are from £54.99 per person, with VIP packages available.

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

35

ELECTIONS Voting Begins For Global Primary Democrats Abroad For US voters who are members of Democrats Abroad, the official Democratic Party arm for the millions living outside the United States, voting in the closely-watched Presidential Primary Race of 2020 began in February.

Remote voting - by email, postal mail or fax - helped ensure all American voters participated in the global primary, regardless of where they live.

“Voting in-person in the primary is exciting for lots of our members. For many of them, it’s the one chance they’ll have to vote in-person during this critical election year”, explained Julia Bryan, Chair, Democrats Abroad, “Remote voting helps our voters who can’t reach our voting stations, and ensures that every Democrat living outside the US has the same chance to participate, regardless of where they live”.

The results of the Global Presidential Primary will determine the number of delegates that each presidential candidate will receive from Democrats Abroad at the Democratic National Convention this July - thus helping determine the Democratic presidential nominee for the 2020 elections. Democrats Abroad sends 21 delegates to the Convention, 13 of which are pledged delegates.

All Americans residing outside the United States may participate in the primary and run for a convention delegate position, provided they are 18 or older by November 3, 2020, are Democrats Abroad members, and have not voted in another presidential primary

36

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

or caucus in this election cycle. Same-day registration is available for Americans who have not yet joined Democrats Abroad.

Interested voters should head to democratsabroad.org/gpp to find out more information.

Key Dates: • 10 March 2020: Remote ballots were due • 23 March 2020: Global Presidential Primary results announced • 16 May 2020: Democrats Abroad Global Convention • 13-16 July 2020: Democratic National Convention • 3 November, 2020: United States Presidential Election.

Democrats Abroad is the official organisation of the Democratic Party for United States citizens living permanently or temporarily abroad. The organisation is given state-level recognition by the Democratic National Committee, with eight positions on the Democratic National Committee, and sends a voting delegation to the Democratic National Convention to select our presidential candidate. For more information, visit www.democratsabroad.org.

Voting in-person in the primary is exciting for lots of our members

Republicans Overseas UK With over 1,000 members nationwide and with chapters in London, Scotland and Oxford, Republicans Overseas UK represent and organise Get-Out-the-Vote efforts and events for Republican expatriates living in the UK, as well as, defend the American centreright position on all media platforms. Come early Autumn, Republicans Overseas UK will be holding absentee-voting information sessions in preparation for the United States Presidential Election on the 3rd November 2020, and will be announcing other electionrelated activity come the summer.

For instructions on how to vote absentee, we recommend that our members visit the Resources page on our website here: www. republicansoverseasuk.com/resources “Republicans Overseas UK is a big tent organisation for American expatriates on the centre-right of all stripes. Our aim is to provide a community for them here in the UK, and to help assist Republicans have electoral success in the US,” says Sarah Elliott, Chair of Republicans Overseas UK. Republicans Overseas UK is its own organisation, while being informally a part of Republicans Overseas worldwide, but not associated with the Republican National Committee. You can best follow Republicans Overseas UK on their Twitter page: @ UKGOP; Facebook: www.facebook.com/ republicansoverseasuk/; and sign-up to receive notifications of their events at their website: www.republicansoverseasuk.com.

HOTEL REVIEW

CHELSEA AND SOUTH KENSINGTON Chelsea and South Kensington are two of the most celebrated districts in the capital, with prestigious schools, luxury shops and plenty of open spaces and amenities to enjoy.

They’re also just a few short stops on the District or Piccadilly lines from the West End. There’s a lot of history in this area too. The Manor of Chelsea was already established by the time of the Norman invasion and this has always been an area with a certain cachet; in the 16th century, two of King Henry VIII’s wives (Catherine Parr and Anne of Cleves) lived in the Manor House, as did the future Queen Elizabeth I. And King’s Road was originally just that: a private road built so that King Charles II could travel between St James’s Palace and Fulham.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

The village of Chelsea was absorbed

by London in the 19th century, and during the Victorian era it was best known as a bohemian quarter, home to artists and writers. In the 1960s they were replaced by pop stars, actors and models as Chelsea became the centre of Swinging London.

Even living there today, you’ll soon get used to seeing celebrities in the street.

South Kensington, a mile to the north, was farmland until the mid-19th century, when the organisers of the 1851 Great Exhibition built the museums and institutions that form the heart of the district: the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College and many more. Around

this area, known as Albertopolis, streets of grand white stucco houses were laid out, and from the beginning they attracted the wealthy and the famous.

The reputation of Chelsea and South Kensington extends beyond the UK; this is one of the most cosmopolitan parts of London. In particular, South Kensington has a large French population centred around the Lycée Français and the Institut français, while Chelsea has one of the world’s largest American expatriate communities.

Wherever they come from, there’s plenty for the locals to enjoy; shopping in Sloane Square and the King’s Road, eating in one of the many world-class restaurants, strolling in Hyde Park or along the riverside, or visiting WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

37

store; journey down the road and you will find contemporary furnishing stores and smaller, independent clothes and shoe shops. There is also a Chelsea Farmer’s Market on Sydney Street – a selection of independent businesses and restaurants.

Getting Around

a museum or art gallery. It’s a lively area and a special place to live. We hope you’ll enjoy exploring some of the suggestions for making the most of it in this guide.

Chelsea and South Kensington are easily accessible by train, plane, bus and car; Underground: Gloucester Road, South Kensington, Gloucester Road for Circle, District & Piccadilly Lines and Earl’s Court for District & Piccadilly Lines and West Brompton for District lines.

Train: London Victoria and London Paddington are nearby; the latter offers links as far south as Penzance and as far north as Aberdeen.

Car: The M25 transports you all around the outskirts of London; you’re also close to the A1, M1 and M4.

Houses In Chelsea And South Kensington

Restaurants, Pubs And Bars

With beautiful townhouses and period conversion apartments surrounding green squares of urban oasis and redbrick mansion blocks, not to mention the impressive garden sizes, properties in Chelsea and South Kensington are ever-popular. Often period on the outside, and modernised on the inside, they’re a wonderful representation of what London has to offer.

Shopping

The King’s Road, once the heart of ‘1960s swinging London’, is world famous for shopping. At one end is Sloane Square and the curved façade of Peter Jones department

The Bluebird – An art deco icon on the King’s Road, with a café in the courtyard and bar and restaurant on the first floor serves a range of wine, spirits and cocktails.

Knight Frank’s Relocation Service

We understand that moving home is a stressful and time-consuming process at the best of times, without the added challenge of that move being to a new country. Our relocation team are on hand to help you with this new chapter, offering a bespoke service with no cost or obligations and full access to London’s property market, to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – the famous chef’s three Michelin star flagship restaurant serves elegant French food in an intimate setting.

The Ivy Chelsea Garden - offers all-day dining with an extensive garden, terrace and orangery and live music on a Tuesday evening.

Colbert – A Parisian inspired Chelsea institution. A high-end French café menu with art nouveau and Victorian features.

The Anglesea Arms – Voted one of the top 10 pubs in Central London.

The Chelsea Pig – ‘A proper pub’, once owned by Frank Lampard is hidden in the back streets of Chelsea.

Sacha Pryor Associate, Relocation Inspired by my parents’ love of property, I started out my real estate career in Cambridge, first working as an estate agent. I jumped at the opportunity to move into the world of corporate relocation and now have over eight years’ experience working in the dynamic and global London market. A vital part of what I do is to listen to my clients’ individual needs, so that when they are matched to their perfect property, they have the best start to their new journey in London.

For any of your property needs or advice, please get in touch. I’d love to help you.

E: sacha.pryor@knightfrank.com T: +44 20 3504 7337 www.knightfrank.co.uk 38

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

FREE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

AMER I IN BRI CAN TAIN Servin

g the A

MAGAZINE

merica

n Com

munit

SPRIN

G 2020

y in th

e UK

Americ FEATU RES IN Embas an Expatriate CLUDE sy Corn Club N er • E ews • le Arts c ti ons • Taxing Hotel R & Antiques • Issues • T eview • Eating heatre O P • W ealth M roperty • Ta ut ke Five anage ment

I would like to take advantage of the free annual subscription to American in Britain Name: ........................................................................................................................................................

Address: .................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................... Post Code: .................................................

Telephone: ........................................................................... Date: ..........................................................

Email: .........................................................................................................................................................

Nationality: ...............................................................................................................................................

Would you like to receive our monthly email newsletter? YES

NO

ccccAMERICAN IN BRITAIN

To apply for your free subscription please complete this form and return to us at Subscriptions Department, American in Britain, PO Box 921, Sutton SM1 2WB or email your details to helen@theamericanhour.com.

Your details are confidential, and will be shared with no other third parties. Your subscription is annual, and requires renewal each year.

WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

SUBSCRIPTIONS

✁

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

39

USEFUL CONTACTS EDUCATION - SCHOOLS TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN ENGLAND Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE Contact: Sarah Travis Telephone: 01932 582316 Email: ukadmissions@tasisengland.org Website www.tasisengland.org The educational pathways TASIS England offers to day (3-18) and boarding (13-18) students include a broad-based American curriculum, AP courses, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and EAL support.

Taught in small classes, every student in our diverse community from 50 nations is encouraged to reach their academic potential.

Participation in co-curricular activities, the arts, athletics, and leadership programs provides balance, fosters curiosity, and develops Individual talents. With excellent exam results and one-to-one college counseling, 97% of TASIS graduates gain acceptance to their first- or second-choice university in the US, the UK, and worldwide. Extensive summer opportunities are also offered to students from all schools. Located close to London on a beautiful and historic 46-acre estate.

LEGAL MUNDAYS LLP Surrey Office: 400 Dashwood Lang Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT15 2HJ London Office: 2-3 Conduit Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2XB Contact: Oliver Taylor Email: oliver.taylor@mundays.co.uk Telephone +44 (0)1932 590523 Website: www.mundays.co.uk Twitter: @MundaysLaw Mundays LLP are a top UK law firm based in Surrey and London. Ranked in The Legal 500 UK, Chambers & Partners UK and Chambers HNW legal directories as a leading law firm in the South using expertise to deliver the full range of legal services to individuals, families and businesses. Our highly experienced friendly team offer a range of knowledge. Delivering not just legal advice, but tailored advice that is appropriate to your specific circumstances.

PET SITTING SERVICE SECURE HOUSE PET SITTER 11c Compayne Gardens.

West Hampstead, London NW6 3DG Telephone: UK Cell - 0776-837-4677 USA Toll Free: 1-866-290-0504 Contact: Winston Hayles Email: SecureSitter@hotmail.com Website: www.SecureSitter.com Adding colour and fun times to your pet’s lives in their own home whilst you are away.

40

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN

I am Police checked. Insured. Home security conscious. Fantastic client Testimonials.

Trusted, reliable overnight, or Drop-In service.

All-Inclusive - walks, play, feed, administering of medication. Photos, videos WhatsApped for your peace of mind. Ask for details.

service team with many years of big 4 US/ UK tax experience (FATCA, Tax Treaty, 1040 tax return, UK tax return, ITIN, Foreign Bank Account PFIC Reporting, US/UK Tax treaty claims). Our team aims to provide personalised professional service at affordable fixed fees.

TAXATION

US TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES 3 Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GE Telephone: +44 20 7357 8220 Contact: Joni Trulock Email: j.trulock@ustaxfs.com Website: ustaxfs.com Twitter: @ustaxfs With over 30 years’ experience, our US/UK expat tax specialists provide US and UK tax return preparation, planning, compliance, and expatriation as well as all US business tax services, wherever you are in the world.

AMERICAN TAX PARTNERS Website: Amtaxpartners.com Telephone: +44 330 808 7539 Contact: John Carlos Sabates Email: john@amtaxpartners.com American Tax Partners provides bespoke tax compliance services to American expats, US investors, and global entrepreneurs with US activities. The company offers transparent, flatrate pricing while delivering unique solutions that address the filing obligations you face as a global taxpayer.

EXPAT LEGAL SERVICES GROUP Website: Expatlegal.com Telephone: 1.888.502.8579 Contact: Roland Sabates Email: roland@expatlegal.com Expat Legal Services Group, with its background in international taxation, offers unique legal services for American expatriates and foreign nationals with financial interests in the United States. We leverage a suite of modern technology solutions that enable us to bring our international expertise directly to you no matter where in the world you might be living.

FRANK HIRTH 236 Grays Inn Rd, Holborn, London WC1X 8HB Telephone: 020 7833 3500 Contact: Michael Lewis Email: Michael.lewis@frankhirth.com Website: www.frankhirth.com Twitter: @Frank_Hirth With years of experience in helping owner managed businesses to expand overseas, as well as advising individuals on their personal tax needs, Frank Hirth has established itself as the leading US/UK tax compliance and consultancy provider. We focus on providing high quality tax advice and compliance services for those with the most complex needs.

TAX AND ACCOUNTING HUB Hallings Wharf Studio Office, 1A Cam Road, London E15 2SY Telephone: +44 (0)208 221 1154 and +44(0)7914393183 Email: Kader@taxandaccountinghub.com Contact: Kader Ameen, US Tax & ITIN/EIN Specialist Website: www.taxandaccountinghub.com Website: www.itincaa.com We are UK based American expatriate personal tax and ITIN (IRS approved CAA) specialist

WEALTH MANAGEMENT LGT VESTRA US LIMITED 14, Cornhill, London EC3V 3NR Telephone: +44 20 3207 8181 Contact: Paul Nixon, CEO Email: info@lgtvestra-us.com Website: www.lgtvestra-us.com Twitter: @LGTVestraUS A fresh approach to wealth management with a global, personalised and transparent service designed around our clients’ best interests. We are a specialist subsidiary of wealth management firm LGT Vestra LLP, set up specifically to help clients with personal and financial connections to the US. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and a Registered Investment Adviser with the Securities & Exchange Commission in the US. MASECO PRIVATE WEALTH Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London WC2R 0HS Telephone: +44 (0)20 7043 0455 Email: enquiries@masecopw.com Website: www.masecoprivatewealth.com MASECO Private Wealth gives peace of mind by providing expert guidance to US families on how to simplify their cross-border wealth management needs. We serve and care for Americans living at home or abroad through the planning and implementation of rational, practical and tax efficient wealth management strategies.

To discuss advertising or annual print & digital promotional packages in American in Britain magazine and www.theamericanhour.com, please email Damian at damian@theamericanhour.com

EMBASSY CORNER Overseas Voting Are you an US citizen living in the United Kingdom? Think you may be eligible to vote? Wondering how you can vote in the US elections from the UK this year?

Great news! US citizens living overseas can participate in all general, primary and special elections for federal offices. All you need to do is submit an absentee ballot. Registering to vote and submitting a ballot is fast, easy and can be done from anywhere in the UK. Follow these simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the 2020 US elections: 1) Request your Ballot: The Federal Voting Assistance Programme (FVAP) has some useful tools to help US voters get information on their state’s absentee voting process, key election dates, deadlines for registration, etc. Most states provide the option to request ballots through their state election portals. But don’t worry if you can’t find your state: every state’s portal can be accessed via FVAP’s website at FVAP.gov.

Pro tip: Choose to complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections during the calendar year, including the primaries, making the process a whole lot easier and less time- consuming. Not sure how to complete the FPCA? FVAP’s easy online assistant guides you through completing the form, one step at a time. We recommend that you request your ballot via email, as this is by far the fastest way to receive your ballot.

2) Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office, and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections.

Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online.

3) Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM

the diplomatic pouch at US Embassy London, US Consulate General Edinburgh, or US Consulate Belfast.

But for faster service, use the British Postal System: Place British postage on your completed, signed, dated FPCA or voted ballot, and mail it directly to the local election officials in the state where you vote.

Make sure USA is indicated at the end of the address of your US board of elections. Then, mail it from any Royal Mail post office.

And that’s it! Fast, easy and can be done anywhere! Get registering!

Online Resources: • For election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap. gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook (@DODFVAP), Twitter (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov) • You can learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov • Follow the US Embassy on Twitter (@ USAinUKConsular) for voting information and other news for US citizens living in the UK.

EMBASSY INFORMATION US Embassy, 33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US uk.usembassy.gov Switchboard: (020)7499 9000 Business Hours: 8:30am- 5:30pm, Monday-Friday.

Closed on American and UK holidays.

An officer is available via the switchboard all day, every day, for a life or death emergency involving a US citizen in the United Kingdom.

Passport and Citizenship Services: By Appointment Monday - Friday Notary Services: By appointment Appointments available only online at uk.usembassy.gov Federal Benefits Unit: uk.usembassy.gov General Social Security information: ssa.gov Travel Advice: travel.state.gov

WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK

41

42

AMERICAN IN BRITAIN