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.”
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Monday's results
- UAE beat Bahrain by 51 runs
- Qatar beat Maldives by 44 runs
- Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait by seven wickets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
