A blue plaque house where Herman Melville researched and wrote the first drafts of his novel Moby-Dick is on the market for £9 million.
The five-bedroom, 4,371-square-foot Georgian townhouse near The Strand and the River Thames in central London is on Craven Street, which was once home to a whaling ship wharf which dealt with the distribution of whale oil, blubber and other products.
It is one of several features that inspired details of the mid-19th century novel, which was based on real-life events and tells the story of Captain Ahab’s obsessive search to kill the whale that bit his leg off on a previous voyage.
The blue plaque initiative, which is run by the English Heritage charity, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked. The plaque to Melville at 25 Craven Street says he lived there in 1849.
The original owner of the townhouse, John Lucie Blackman, a sugar plantation and cargo ship owner, rented rooms to sailors, travellers and people working in local theatres and restaurants.
Melville rented a room on one of the property’s upper floors, offering views of the Thames, while he was in London looking for a publisher for the book that would become Moby-Dick.
He would write notes for the novel while gazing out at the Thames, the nearby wharf and passing whaling ships.
It is believed Melville partly based the character Captain Ahab on Capt Archibald Buchanan, a Royal Navy captain, who also lodged at 25 Craven Street while Melville was there.
The author used to hear the captain walking on the timber decking of the terrace above him, using him for the inspiration for Captain Ahab pacing on the Pequod whaling ship as he scanned the ocean looking for Moby Dick, while the bow-shaped drawing room overlooking the River Thames provided the inspiration for his cabin.
“When you’re in the house you have a feeling of belonging that you are part of old London,” Peter Wetherell, founder and executive chairman of Wetherell estate agents, told The National. “The Thames would come literally right up to the houses.”
Melville also drew on his experiences working on a sailor on whaling ships, which is when he first heard the story of about Mocha Dick, an albino sperm whale that attacked ships in the Pacific during the early 1800s.
The author returned to the US in 1849 to write the book based on the notes, research and drafts from his time in London. He finished it 18 months later, publishing it as The Whale in October 1851 and Moby-Dick in New York in November 1851.
The current owner obtained full planning permission to extend and remodel the property to create a roughly 5,500-square-foot luxury residence with several reception rooms, VIP bedroom suites, private cinema and a wine tasting room and display cellar. Selling agent Wetherell believes the property could be worth up to £16 million once refurbished.
Plans include a passenger lift connecting all four floors, with an entrance hall, dining room and drawing room on the ground floor and a main reception room, library and a study on the first floor. The transformed basement would have a private cinema and a display cellar.
“The owner battled away to get planning permission to bring it in to the modern world,” said Mr Wetherell. “It gives someone the opportunity to put their own mark on a house that’s been improved and changed throughout its history.”
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELong-range%20dual%20motor%20with%20400V%20battery%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E360kW%20%2F%20483bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E840Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20628km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh360%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
