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Coordinates: 51°30′35″N 0°12′15″W / 51.5096°N 0.2043°W / 51.5096; -0.2043

Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill  Notting Hill shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ245805
London borough	Kensington & Chelsea
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	W11 & W10
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
London Assembly	West Central
List of places: UK • England • London

Notting Hill is an area in West London, England close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a cosmopolitan district known as the location for the annual Notting Hill Carnival, the setting for the 1999 film Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, and for being home to the Portobello Road Market.^[1]

Notting Hill has a contemporary reputation as an affluent and fashionable area;^[2] known for attractive terraces of large Victorian townhouses, and high-end shopping and restaurants (particularly around Westbourne Grove and Clarendon Cross). A Daily Telegraph article in 2004 used the phrase the 'Notting Hill Set'^[3] to refer to a group of young Conservative politicians, such as leader David Cameron and shadow Chancellor George Osborne. However, the large houses have also provided multi-occupancy rentals for much of the 20th century, attracting Caribbean immigrants in the 1950s who eventually clashed with the indigenous Teddy boys in the Notting Hill race riots.

Notting Hill has had an association with artists and "alternative" culture since its development in the 1820s.^[4][5] There are also areas of deprivation to the north,^[6] sometimes referred to as North Kensington, or Ladbroke Grove, from the name of the street.

History

Origin of the Notting Hill name

The origin of the name "Notting Hill" is uncertain^[7] though an early version appears in the Patent Rolls of 1356 as Knottynghull,^[8][9] while an 1878 text, Old and New London, reports that the name derives from a manor in Kensington called "Knotting-Bernes,", "Knutting-Barnes," or "Nutting-barns",^[5] and goes on to quote from a court record during Henry VIII's reign that "the manor called Notingbarons, alias Kensington, in the parish of Paddington, was held of the Abbot of Westminster". For years, it was thought to be a link with Canute, but it is now thought likely that the "Nott" section of the name is derived from the Saxon personal name Cnotta,^[10] with the "ing" part generally accepted as coming from the Saxon for a group or settlement of people.^[11]

Potteries & Piggeries

The area in the west around Pottery Lane was used in the early 19th century for making bricks and tiles out of the heavy clay dug in the area. The clay was shaped and fired in a series of brick and tile kilns.^[12] The only remaining 19th-century tile kiln in London is on Walmer Road. ^[13] In the same area, pig farmers moved in after being forced out of the Marble Arch area. Avondale Park was created in 1892 out of a former area of pig slurry called 'the Ocean'. This was part of a general cleanup of the area which had become known as the Potteries & Piggeries.

19th century development

The area remained rural until the westward expansion of London reached Bayswater in the early 19th century. The main landowner in Notting Hill was the Ladbroke family, and from the 1820s James Weller Ladbroke began to undertake the development of the Ladbroke Estate. Working with the architect and surveyor Thomas Allason, Ladbroke began to lay out streets and houses, with a view to turning the area into a fashionable suburb of the capital (although the development did not get seriously under way until the 1840s). Many of these streets bear the Ladbroke name, including Ladbroke Grove, the main north-south axis of the area, and Ladbroke Square, the largest private garden square in London.

The original idea was to call the district Kensington Park, and other roads (notably Kensington Park Road and Kensington Park Gardens) are reminders of this. The local telephone prefix 7727 (originally 727) is based on the old telephone exchange name of PARk.^[14]

An antique dealer on Portobello Road

Thomas Allason's 1823 plan for the development of the Ladbroke Estate, consisting of a large central circus with radiating streets and garden squares, or "paddocks".

Ladbroke left the actual business of developing his land to the firm of City solicitors, Smith, Bayley (known as Bayley and Janson after 1836), who worked with Allason to develop the property. In 1823 Allason completed a plan for the layout of the main portion of the estate. This marks the genesis of his most enduring idea - the creation of large private communal gardens, originally known as "pleasure grounds", or "paddocks", enclosed by terraces and/or crescents of houses.

Instead of houses being set around a garden square, separated from it by a road, Allason's houses would have direct access to a secluded communal garden in the rear, to which people on the street did not have access and generally could not see. To this day these communal garden squares continue to provide the area with much of its attraction for the wealthiest householders.^[15]

1841 map of the Environs of London, showing the Hippodrome on the upper left hand side.

In 1837 the Hippodrome racecourse was laid out.^[16] The racecourse ran around the hill, and bystanders were expected to watch from the summit of the hill. However, the venture was not a success, in part due a public right of way which traversed the course, and in part due to the heavy clay of the nieghbourhood which caused it to become waterlogged. The Hippodrome closed in 1841, after which development resumed and houses were built on the site. The crescent-shaped roads that circumvent the hill, such as Blenheim Crescent, Elgin Crescent, Stanley Crescent, Cornwall Crescent, and Landsdowne Crescent, were built over the circular racecourse tracks. At the summit of hill stands the elegant St John's church, built in 1845 in the early English style, and which formed the centrepiece of the Ladbroke Estate development.

The Notting Hill houses were large, but they did not immediately succeed in enticing the very richest Londoners, who tended to live closer to the centre of London in Mayfair or Belgravia. The houses appealed to the upper middle class, who could live there in Belgravia style at lower prices. In the opening chapter of John Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga novels, he housed the Nicholas Forsytes "in Ladbroke Grove, a spacious abode and a great bargain". ^[17]

Early 20th century decline

Nos 1-9 Colville Gardens, now known as Pinehurst Court, showing All Saints' church in the background

The reputation of the district altered over the course of the 20th century. As middle class households ceased to employ servants, the large Notting Hill houses lost their market and were increasingly split into multiple occupation. During the Blitz a number of buildings were damaged or destroyed by the Luftwaffe, including All Saints' church, which was hit in 1940 and again in 1944. In the postwar period the name Notting Hill evoked a down-at-heel area of cheap lodgings, epitomised by the notorious racketeering landlord Peter Rachman. The area to the north east, Golborne, was particularly known for being, in the words of Charles Booth, "one of the worst areas in London".^[18] Southam Street had 2,400 people living in 140 nine-roomed houses in 1923, and the slum children from this street were documented in the 1950s photographs of Roger Mayne. Nos 1-9 Colville Gardens, now known as Pinehurst Court, had become so run down by 1969 that its owner, Robert Gubay of Cledro Developments, described conditions in the buildings as "truly terrible".^[19]

The slums were cleared during redevelopment in the 1960s and 1970s when the Westway Flyover and Trellick Tower were built. It is now home to a vibrant Mediterranean community, mainly Portuguese, Spanish and Moroccan.^[20]

Late 20th century revival and gentrification

By the 1980s, single-occupation houses began to return to favour with families who could afford to occupy them, and parts of Notting Hill are today among London's most desirable areas.^[21] The parts of Notting Hill near Holland Park are characterised by well-maintained stucco-fronted pillar-porched houses, private gardens, communal gardens, access to the public parks at Holland Park and Kensington Gardens, and smart shops. The area's newer, wealthy residents are satirised in Rachel Johnson's 2006 novel Notting Hell, which is set in grand houses surrounding a fictional communal garden.

Notting Hill provides the setting for novels by G. K. Chesterton (The Napoleon of Notting Hill), Colin Macinnes (Absolute Beginners), Michael Moorcock (the Jerry Cornelius quartet) and Alan Hollinghurst (The Line of Beauty). The area is also the setting of the 1965 Richard Lester movie The Knack …and How to Get It and Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg's 1968 film Performance, starring Mick Jagger.

Geography

The hill from which Notting Hill takes its name is still clearly visible, with its summit in the middle of Ladbroke Grove, at the junction with Kensington Park Gardens.

Notting Hill has no official boundaries, so definitions of which areas fall under Notting Hill vary. The postcode "W11", centred on the Post Office in Westbourne Grove, near the junction with Denbigh Road, is the one most closely associated with Notting Hill, although the postcode immediately to the north, "W10", covers that part of North Kensington which would fall within a broader definition. The local historian Florence Gladstone, in her much reprinted work "Notting Hill in Bygone Days" defines Notting Hill as the whole of that part of Kensington which is north of the road known as Notting Hill Gate.

Notting Hill therefore forms the major part of North Kensington, and is considered an alternative name;^[22] though estate agents differentiate North Kensington as a distinct area including Notting Dale and the area east of Ladbroke Grove leading up to Harrow Road.^[23] That part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea roughly encompassed by the electoral wards of Saint Charles, Golborne, Notting Barns, Colville, Norland, and Pembridge,^[24] which is bounded on the north by Harrow Road and on the south by Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park Avenue, includes all areas known as Notting Hill, including Notting Barns,^[25] the centre of the Notting Hill race riot.^[26] David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, is known as part of the "Notting Hill Set", though he states he lives in North Kensington.^[27]

There are four tube stations in the area: Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove, Latimer Road and Notting Hill Gate. Ladbroke Grove tube station was called Notting Hill when it opened in 1864. The name was changed in 1919 to avoid confusion with the new Notting Hill Gate station.

Notting Hill is split between the parliamentary constituencies of Kensington and Chelsea & Regent's Park and Kensington North, represented by Conservative Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Labour's Karen Buck respectively. From the 2010 general election the area will be wholly within the new Kensington constituency; Sir Malcolm is the Conservative candidate for this safe seat.

Areas of Notting Hill

Ladbroke Grove

Ladbroke Grove is a road in the northern part of Notting Hill, stretching up to Kensal Green, straddling the W10 and W11 postal districts, and also the name of the immediate area surrounding the road. Ladbroke Grove tube station is on the road where it is crossed by Westway.

Notting Hill Gate

A turnpike gate was constructed at the foot of the hill on the main road from London to Uxbridge, now Oxford Street, Bayswater Road and Holland Park Avenue along this part of its route. The point at which the turnpike gate stood was known as Notting Hill Gate. The gate was there to stop people passing along the road without paying. The proceeds were applied towards the maintenance of this important road. The gate was removed in the 19th century.

Portobello Road

Portobello Road

Portobello Road runs almost the entire length of Notting Hill from north to south. It runs parallel to Ladbroke Grove. It contains Portobello Road Market, one of London's most famous markets, known for its antique section and its second-hand, fruit and veg and clothing stalls. It was originally a lane leading to Portobello Farm in the north of Notting Hill.

Westbourne Grove

Westbourne Grove is a retail road running across Notting Hill from Kensington Park Road in the west to Queensway in the east, crossing over Portobello Road. It contains a mixture of independent and chain retailers,^[28] and has been termed both "fashionable" and "up-and-coming".^[29]

The Notting Hill Carnival passes along the central part of Westbourne Grove.

North Kensington

North Kensington

North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill. It is where most of the violence of the race riots occurred, where the Notting Hill Carnival started and where most of the scenes in the film, Notting Hill were shot.

The area’s main transport hub, Ladbroke Grove tube station, was called Notting Hill from its opening in 1864 until 1919. The name was changed then to avoid confusion with the new Notting Hill Gate station.

Estate agents now call the super-rich area to the south Notting Hill when referring to Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park.

North Kensington was once well-known for its slum housing, as documented in the photographs of Roger Maine. Property prices have now reached dizzying heights as hordes of international investment bankers buy up the stuccoed Victorian houses.

However, North Kensington still has high levels of poverty and unemployment and a high-proportion of social housing for rent. This means that it retains the cultural and class mix that has always made it a vigorous, exciting and, at times, dangerous neighbourhood.

Waves of immigrants have arrived for at least a century, including, but certainly not limited to, Irish, Jews, West Indians, Spanish, Moroccans and many from the Horn of Africa and Eastern Europe. This constant renewal of the population makes the area one of the most cosmopolitan in the world.

Though Ladbroke Grove is the area's main thoroughfare, its best known street is Portobello Road with its street market. Many locals say that Golborne Road, at the northern end of Portobello Road, is a good representation of what Portobello Road was like before companies like Starbucks and American Apparel colonised Portobello Road.

Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event in August, over two days (Sunday and the following bank holiday). It has continuously taken place since 1965.^[30] It is led by members of the Caribbean population, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s. The carnival has attracted up to 1.5 million people in the past, putting it among the largest street festivals in Europe.

It attracted press attention in 1976 for clashes with the police,^[31] which continued for several years. These died down more recently, until 2008 when approximately 500 youths clashed with police on the Monday. The carnival also attracts press attention for its attendance figures.

As the event grew, concerns about the size of the event prompted Ken Livingstone to set up a Carnival Review Group to look into "formulating guidelines to safeguard the future of the Carnival".^[32] An interim report by the review resulted in a change to the route in 2002. When the full report was published in 2004, it was recommended that Hyde Park be used as a "savannah"; though this move has attracted some concern that the Hyde Park event may overshadow the original street carnival.^[33]

In 2003 Carnival was run by a limited company, the Notting Hill Carnival Trust Ltd. A report by the London Development Agency on the 2002 Carnival estimated that the event contributes around £93 million to the London and UK economy.

Riots

The Notting Hill race riots were a series of racially-motivated riots over several nights in late August and early September 1958.

The riot is thought to have started on 20 August when a gang of white youths attacked a white Swedish woman, Majbritt Morrison, who was married to a West Indian man.^[34] Later that night a mob of 300 to 400 white people, many of them "Teddy Boys", were seen on Bramley Road attacking the houses of West Indian residents. The disturbances, rioting and attacks continued every night until they petered out by 5 September.

Another riot occurred in 1976 at the conclusion of the Notting Hill Carnival after police arrested a pickpocket and a group of black youths came to his defence. The disturbance escalated and over 100 police officers were injured.^[35] Two notable participants in this riot were Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon, who later formed the seminal London punk band The Clash. Their song "White Riot" was inspired by their participation in this event.^[36]

See also

• Bayswater
• Holland Park
• James Weller Ladbroke
• Kensal Green
• Kensington Hippodrome
• Ladbroke Estate
• Paddington
• Pottery Lane
• The Napoleon of Notting Hill
• Thomas Allason
• Westbourne Grove
• West Kensington
• White City

References

External links

London/Notting Hill-North Kensington travel guide from Wikitravel

• Notting Hill Nonsense, a website about life in North Kensington, the true heart of Notting Hill.
• Golborne Life, the community website for the Golborne Road area of North Kensington.* Portobello Village - Illustrated map guide to Notting Hill
• Westbourne Grove - Shopping Guide
• Clarendon Cross - Shops and map
• Notting Hill Guide created by local residents
• All Saints Road - Shopping map guide
• Open Guide to Notting Hill
• Portobello History website

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Districts Belgravia · Brompton · Chelsea · Earls Court · Holland Park · Kensington · Kensal Town · Knightsbridge · Ladbroke Grove · North Kensington · Notting Hill · South Kensington · West Brompton Attractions Albert Memorial · Chelsea Physic Garden · Holland House · Kensal Green Cemetery · Kensington Palace · National Army Museum  · Natural History Museum · Olympia · Royal Albert Hall · Science Museum · Victoria & Albert Museum Theatres Chelsea Theatre · Finborough Theatre · Gate Theatre · Royal Court Theatre Royal Parks Brompton Cemetery · Kensington Gardens Street markets Portobello Road Market Constituencies Kensington and Chelsea · Regent's Park and Kensington North Squares and streets Belgrave Square  · Cadogan Square · Chester Square · Hans Place  · Lowndes Square · Redcliffe Square · Sloane Square · Sloane Street · Thurloe Square · Wilton Crescent Parks and open spaces in Kensington and Chelsea

From Wikiquote

Notting Hill is a 1999 film about a Notting Hill bookstore owner and a well-known American actress who fall in love.

Directed by Roger Michell. Written by Richard Curtis

William Thacker

• Would you like something to eat? Something to nibble on? Apricots, soaked in honey? Quite why, no one knows, because it stops them tasting like apricots and makes them taste like honey... and if you wanted honey, you could just... buy honey. Instead of apricots. But nevertheless they're yours if you want them.

• [to Martin] If I were to employ a wet rag would I have to pay it as much as I pay you?

• Actually, apart from the American, I've loved only two girls. The first one left me faster than you can say Indiana Jones, and the second one, who seriously ought to have known better, casually marries my best friend.

• It's as if I've taken love heroin, and now I can't ever have it again.

• [after hitting his shin on a fence while climbing over it] Now what in the world in this garden could make that ordeal worthwhile? [Anna kisses him] Nice garden.

• [about Anna's new film project] Any horses in that one? Or hounds for that matter; our readers are equally intrigued by both species.

Anna Scott

• "I am just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

• "For June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her." Some people do spend their whole lives together.

• Hi. I'd just like to apologize for my friend, he's really sensitive. Don't worry about it! I'm sure it was harmless. I'm sure it just friendly banter. I'm sure you guys have dicks the size of peanuts! Enjoy your dinner, the tuna's really good.

• Why does a man take it for granted that a girl who flirts with him wants him to kiss her - when, nine times out of ten, she only wants him to want to kiss her?

• Well happiness wouldn't be happiness without a violin-playing goat!

• Rita Hayworth used to say: "They go to bed with Gilda, they wake up with me"

Spike

• Just going to the kitchen to get some food, then I'm going to tell you a story that will make your balls shrink to the size of raisins.

• I knew a girl at school called Pandora. Never got to see her box, though.

• Bugger this for a bunch of bananas.

• Well, isn't this a good opportunity to... slip her one?

• [comes in after being photographed by the press] How did I look? [looking in a mirror] Not bad, not at all bad. Well chosen briefs I must say. Chicks love grey. [clenching his bum] Nice. Firm. Buttocks.

Others

Honey: Oh, God, this is one of those key moments in life, when it's possible you can be really, genuinely cool- and I'm failing 100%. I absolutely and totally and utterly adore you and I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world and more importantly I genuinely believe and have believed for some time now that we can be best friends. What do YOU think?

Jeff King (to Will) Can you adios those dishes and take out that trash?

Max: James Bond never has to put up with this sort of shit.

Dialogue

William: (Spike is wearing his wetsuit) Can I ask you why you are wearing that?

Spike: Combination of factors. No clean clothes.

William: There never will be, unless you actually clean your clothes.

Spike: Vicious cycle. And I was rooting around in your things and found this and thought groovy.

Bernie: I'm sorry I am so late. Bollocksed up at work again, I fear. Millions down the drain.

Max: Well done.

Spike: There's something wrong with this yogurt.

William: Ah, that's not yogurt, that's mayonnaise.

Spike: Ah, right-o then. [continues to eat it]

William: I enjoyed the movie very much. I was just wondering, did you ever consider having more horses in it?

Anna: Well, we would have liked to. But it was difficult, obviously, being set in space.

William: Did you identify with the character you're playing?

(Actor's translator asks actor, actor responds.)

Actor's translator: No.

William: ...Oh...why not?

(Actor's translator asks actor, actor responds.)

Actor's translator: Because he's playing a psychopathic, flesh-eating robot.

William: Classic.

William: Is this your first film?

12-yr-old Actress: Well, actually it's my 22nd!

William: Any favorites among the 22?

12-yr-old Actress: Working with Leonardo.

William: DaVinci?

12-yr-old Actress: DiCaprio.

William: Of course. And is...is he your favorite Italian director?

Writer: Oh, I see she took your grandmother's flowers.

William: Yeah...bitch.

William: Sorry about the "surreal but nice" comment.

Anna: Don't worry, I thought the whole "apricot honey" thing was the real low point.

William: Would you like a cup of tea before you go?

Anna: No.

William: Orange juice? No, probably not...something else cold? Coke? Water? Some disgusting sugary drink pretending to have something to do with fruits of the forest?

Anna: No.

William: Do you always say no to everything?

Anna: (thinks) No.

William: Calm down, have a cup of tea.

Anna Scott: No! I don't want any goddamn tea!

Anna: You know what they say about men with big feet.

William: No, I don't, actually. What's that?

Anna Scott: Big feet...large shoes.

Anna: What is it about men and nudity? Particularly breasts? How can you be so interested in them?

William: Well...

Anna: I mean, seriously- they're just breasts, every second person has them. They're odd looking, they're for milk from your mother. What's all the fuss about?

Anna: What's so annoying is now I'm so totally fierce when it comes to nudity clauses.

William: You have clauses in your contract?

Anna: Yeah. "You may show the dent at the top of the artist's buttocks, but neither cheek, or, if a stunt bottom is being used, artists must have full consultation".

William: You have a stunt bottom?

Anna: I could have a stunt bottom, yes.

William: Are people tempted to go for better bottoms than their own?

Anna: Well, yeah, I would. This is important stuff.

William: Hell of a thing to put on your passport- "Occupation, 'Mel Gibson's bottom.'"

Anna: Actually, Mel does his own ass work. Well, why wouldn't he?

Anna: What do you think?

William: Gripping. It's not Jane Austen, it's not Henry James, but it's gripping.

Anna: You think I should do Henry James?

William: I think you'd be wonderful in Henry James but this writer- writers- they're pretty good, too.

Anna: You never get anyone in Wings of a Dove saying, "Inform the Pentagon we need Black Star cover."

William: And, for me, the book is the poorer for it.

Anna: Wait, what about me?

Max: Sorry, you think you deserve the brownie?

Anna: Well, a shot at it, at least, huh?

William: Well, you'll have to fight me for it- this is a very good brownie.

Anna: I've been on a diet every day since I was nineteen, which basically means I've been hungry for a decade. I've had a series of not-nice boyfriends, one of whom hit me. Ah, and every time I get my heart broken, the newspapers splash it about as though it's entertainment. And it's taken two rather painful operations to get me looking like this.

Honey: Really?

Anna: Really. (indicates nose and chin) And, one day, not long from now, my looks will go, they'll discover I can't act and I'll become some sad, middle-aged woman who looks a bit like someone who was famous for a while.

Max: (long pause) Nah, nice try, gorgeous, but you don't fool anyone.

William: Pathetic effort to hog the brownie.

Bernie: What's the pay like in movies? I mean, last movie- how much did you get paid?

Anna: 15 million dollars.

Max: You haven't slept with her, have you?

William: That is a cheap question and the answer is, of course, no comment.

Max: "No comment" means "yes."

William: No, it doesn't.

Max: Do you ever masturbate?

William: DEFINITELY no comment.

Max: You see? It means "yes."

Martin: Did you know, and this is pretty amazing, that I once saw Ringo Starr?

William: Where was that?

Martin: Kensington High Street. At least I think it was Ringo...um, it could've been that guy from Fiddler on the Roof. You know, Toppy.

William: Topol.

Martin: Yes, yes, that's right, Topol.

William: (thinks) Mmmhmmm- actually, Ringo Starr doesn't- doesn't at all look like, uh, Topol.

Martin: Yes, but, he was- he was quite a long way away from me.

William: So, it actually could've been neither of them.

Martin: Yes, I suppose, so.

William: It's not really a classic anecdote, is it?

Martin: Not a classic, no.

Bella: Do you want to stay?

William: Why not? All that awaits me at home is a masturbating Welshman.

Keziah: No, thanks, I'm a fruitarian.

Max: I didn't realize that.

William: And, ah, what exactly is a fruitarian?

Keziah: We believe that fruits and vegetables have feelings, so we think cooking is cruel. We only eat things that've actually fallen off a tree or bush- that are, in fact, dead already.

William: Right, right. Interesting stuff. So, these carrots...?

Keziah: Have been murdered, yes.

William: Murdered? Poor carrots. How beastly!

William: Whoopsidaisies!

Anna: What did you say?

William: Nothing.

Anna: Yes, you did.

William: No, I didn't.

Anna: You said, "whoopsidaisies".

William: I don't think so. No one says "whoopsidaisies," do they? Unless they're-

Anna: There is no "unless." No one has said "whoopsidaisies" for 50 years and even then, it was only little girls with blonde ringlets.

William: Exactly. Here we go again. (falls off the fence, again) Whoopsidaisies! It's a disease I've got, it's a clinical thing. I'm taking pills and having injections. It won't last long.

Anna: I can't believe you have that picture on your wall.

William: You like Chagall?

Anna: I do. It feels like how being in love should be. Floating through a dark blue sky.

William: With a goat playing the violin.

Anna: Yes, happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat.

Anna: Rita Hayworth used to say, "They go to bed with Gilda, they wake up with me."

William: Who's Gilda?

Anna: Her most famous part. Men went to bed with the dream, they didn't like it when they'd wake up with the reality. Do you feel that way?

William: You are lovelier this morning than you have ever been.

Anna: Oh, really. So the entire British press got up this morning and said, "I know where Anna Scott is, she's in that house with the blue door in Notting Hill." And then you go out, in your goddamn underwear!

Spike: (walking in) I went out in my goddamn underwear, too.

William: (Anna's left after the press showed up on the doorstep) Was it you?

Spike: I may have told a few people down at the pub...

Anna's Co-Star: God, that's an enormous arse.

Anna: I'm not listening.

Anna's Co-Star: No, honestly- it's so sad, all those anorexic girls. She has enough to share around and still be big-bottomed.

Anna: I'd think looking at something that nice, you and your bony little excuse for an arse would be well-advised to keep quiet.

William: Please, sod off.

Anna: OK.

William: No, no, no! I thought you were someone else. I mean, I thought you were Spike, but I'm thrilled you're not.

Anna: Busy tomorrow?

William: I thought you were leaving tomorrow?

Anna: I was.

William: I live in Notting Hill, you live in Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world knows who you are, my mother has trouble remembering my name.

Anna: I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

Max: Let's face facts, this was always a no-win situation. Anna's a goddess- you know what happens to mortals who get involved with gods.

William: Buggered, is it?

Max: Every time.

Bernie: But she said she wanted to go out with you?

William: Yes...sort of...

Bernie: That's nice.

William: What?

Bernie: Well, you know, anybody saying they want to go out with you is...pretty great...isn't it?

William: It was sort of sweet, actually- I mean, I know she's an actress and all that, so she can deliver a line, but she said that she might be as famous as can be, but also...that she was just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. (pause) Oh, sod a dog. I've made the wrong decision, haven't I?

Honey: William just turned down Anna Scott.

Spike: You daft prick!

P.R. Chief: Dominic- if you'd like to ask your question again?

Journalist: Yes. Anna, how long are you intending to stay here in Britain?

Anna: (pause) Indefinitely.

Anna: Can I stay for a while?

William: You can stay forever.

Cast

• Julia Roberts - Anna Scott
• Hugh Grant - William Thacker
• Richard McCabe - Tony
• Rhys Ifans - Spike
• James Dreyfus - Martin
• Tim McInnerny - Max
• Gina McKee - Bella
• Mischa Barton - 12-year-old Actress
• Emma Chambers - Honey
• Hugh Bonneville - Bernie
• Alec Baldwin - Jeff King

External links

Wikipedia has an article about:

Notting Hill (film)

• Notting Hill quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Notting Hill at Rotten Tomatoes

From Wikitravel

Notting Hill-North Kensington is a district in west London.

Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill is a popular destination for its lively market, gorgeous streetscapes, interesting history and diverse population. It has acheived a level of fame from the eponymously named Hugh Grant film, the world famous Portobello Road market and of course from the annual carnival.

The area was rural until the 19th century when it was developed as an upper-middle class suburb with quite large homes. During the early 20th century, these large homes were divided into low cost housing which often degenerated into slums. In the 1950s, many Caribbean immigrants settled in the area. In the 1960s it attracted musicans and artists and Portobello Road became the centre of English hippy culture. Portobello Road still hosts a very eclectic weekly market and is also home to a similarly off-beat set of permanent shops.

The Notting Hill carnival was first staged in 1964 as a way for the local Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions. After some rough times in the 1970s and 1980s when it became associated with social protest, violence and huge controversy over policing tactics, this is now Europe's largest carnival/festival event and a major event in the London calendar. It is staged every August over the Bank holiday weekend.

During the 1980s, the Notting Hill proper area of the district was largely gentrified although areas in the north west of the district at Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park remain deprived and run down. In local mythology, these more recent residents of Notting Hill are assumed to live from trust accounts, giving rise to the practice of classifying locals as either Rastafarians or Trustafarians.

Further west from Notting Hill providing a natural buffer between the north and south of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, is Holland Park. This is the least well known of London's Royal Parks and locals would like to keep it that way. A real a gem of a park which is off the tourist tail but very much worth a visit.

Get in

By tube

The district is serviced by the following stations:

• Notting Hill Gate (Central, District and Circle lines)
• Queensway (Central line)
• Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith and City line)
• Westbourne Park (Hammersmith and City line)
• Bayswater (District and Circle lines)

Get around

The area is best explored on foot and lends itself well to walking.

Holland Park

• Holland Park (short walk south-east from Notting Hill Gate tube station), (5-min walk S from Holland Park tube station), [1]. Holland Park is a mixture of open spaces, woodland and formal gardens. It includes a large field dedicated to Soccer and Cricket and tennis courts. It was originally the private garden of Holland House, much of which was destroyed. As you walk around the park, you can see bits of the building dotted around the place which give you some idea of how grand it used to be. In the summer this is a great place to catch outdoor opera. An ecology center is located near the police station that provides information about the ecology of the park and arranges various activities for children. A cafe is located nearby that provides ice creams and hot food. The park is an ideal way to walk from Notting Hill Gate to Kensington High St.  edit

• Kensington Palace, Palace Green W8 4PX, (Tube: Queensway), ☎ +44 20 3166 6000, [2]. daily, Nov-Feb 10AM-5PM, Mar-Oct 10AM-6PM. A royal residence which is still used by some members of the ruling family. Much of it is however open to the public and it is a very popular tourist attraction perhaps due as much to its association with Princess Diana as anything else. The King's Gallery here is a magnificent Regency period court drawing room and contains some impressive paintings including a Van Dyk. Also a nice restaurant on site called The Orangery. £6.25-12.50.  edit

• Leighton House, 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ (tube: Kensington Olympia), ☎ +44 20 7602 3316 (museums@rbkc.gov.uk), [3]. The former Victorian home of artist Frederic (Lord) Leighton. Regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian residential architecture, it is now a museum showcasing works of many famous artists of that period. Combines well with a visit to Holland Park.  edit

• Electric Cinema, 191 Portobello Rd (tube: Notting Hill gate or Ladbroke Grove), [4]. Recently restored cinema boasting all leather armchairs (most with footstools) and a bar in the theatre - this is definitely a Notting Hill experience. The Electric shows a wide range of films from cinema classics, cult and independent films, to regular Hollywood blockbusters. They also have the Electric Scream session, specifically for parents with screaming babies! Ticket prices vary depending on how fancy your seat is. More expensive than a normal cinema but a fun experience.  edit

• Film Walk, [5]. Notting Hill's diversity and streetscapes have earned it a place in many films. Time Out has put together a walk encompassing some of them.  edit

• Gate Picturehouse, Notting Hill Gate W11 3JZ (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 7727 4043 (http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/). Repetorty/arthouse cinema with a very varied programme.  edit

• Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising (MOBPA), 2 Colville Mews, Lonsdale Road, W11 2AR (tube: Ladbroke Grove), ☎ +44 +44 207 908 0880, [6]. A history of consumer culture arranged by decade. Over 12,000 exhibits.  edit

• Musical history tour, [7]. Tom Vague - a local music journalist and historian has put together an excellent do-it-yourself tour of Notting Hill focussing on its rich musical history. You can download it to you mp3 player from the Council web-site.  edit

• Notting Hill Carnival, [8]. Two day carnival which takes place every year on the August Bank Holiday weekend. It is said to be the largest carnival of its type in the world, attracts over a million people and is a great celebration of London's modern multi-cultural identity. What really gives it flavour is the large local Caribbean and Trinidadian population. This occurs in an almost circular route north of the Notting Hill, Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove areas. If intending to visit, see Transport For London's website in advance as many tube stations are closed for the duration and bus routes diverted. Driving into the area is highly discouraged - many streets are closed.  edit

Portobello Road Antique Gallery

• Portobello Road Market, [9]. During the week this is the place to go to buy your fruit and veg but on Fridays and Saturdays there are hundreds of stalls selling clothes, antiques, jewellery and lots more.  edit

• Westbourne Grove. Smart boutiques, food shops and outdoor cafes.  edit

• Travel Bookstore, 13-15 Blenheim Crescent, [10]. Great place to browse. Its other point of interest is that it was the inspiration for Hugh Grant's store in the movie Notting Hill.  edit

Eat

Food-wise there is so much to choose from, and something to suit all budgets. If you are budgeting then there is great Malay food, bangers & mash, falafel and German sausages. For those with a bit more money to burn there is some seriously swanky bars and restaurants including E&O and 192. Some of the most popular dishes sold along the route of the carnival are jerk chicken and goat curry.

• 192, 192 Kensington Park Road W11 (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 7229 0482. Popular with locals and been around since 1982. Mains £15-20.  edit

• E&O, 14 Blenheim Crescent W11 1NN, ☎ +44 20 7229 5454 (eando@rickerrestaurants.com), [11]. Pan Asian food About £30-40 per head.  edit

• Fresco's, 25 Westbourne Grove (tube: Bayswater or Queensway, or buses 7, 23, 27), ☎ +44 20 7221 2355. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-10:30PM. It may not look it at first but this is the best Lebanese food in Notting Hill, and certainly the cheapest. Delicious food with a huge variety of fresh juices make this place a must. Eat in or take away. £3-10.  edit

• Geales, 2 Farmer St W8 7SN, ☎ +44 20 7727 7528 (info@geales.com), [12]. M-Sa noon-3PM 6PM-11PM, Su 6PM-10:30PM. Fantastic, premium fish and chip restaurant, much favoured by local and out-of-town celebs. Main courses £10-15, cover 50p.  edit

• Kahn's, 13-15 Westbourne Grove W2 (tube: Bayswater or Royal Oak). Very popular and large Indian restaurant, probably not as good as the Standard though.  edit

• New Culture Revolution, 157-159 Notting Hill Gate W11 2LF (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 73139688, [13]. Part of a chain specialising in northern Chinese food and noodles and dumplings especially. Good value and popular with students and budget travellers. Mains £5-7.  edit

• Notting Hill Brasserie, 92 Kensington Park Road W11 2PN (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 7229 4481 (enquiries@nottinghillbrasserie.com), [14]. Decidly swanky restaurant (one of the few in Notting Hill serving mixed international food About £60 per head.  edit

• Standard Indian Restaurant, 23 Westbourne Grove (tube: Bayswater or Queensway, or buses 7, 23, 27), ☎ +44 20 7727 4818. noon-3PM, 6PM-midnight. Just what it says on the label: consistently good Indian food. Currently closed, possibly permanently.  edit

Drink

Populated by the young, hip and rich it is unsurprising that Notting Hill has so many trendy bars. Expect to pay prices that match the location though.

• The Lonsdale, 48 Lonsdale Rd, ☎ +44 20 7727 4080. Like a cocktail bar from the future, the decor in this place is too good to miss. Relatively strict door policy; turn up earlier rather than later if you are not a famous celebrity.  edit

• Beach Blanket Babylon, 45 Ledbury d, ☎ +44 20 7229 2907. Beautiful bar with fantastical decor. Quality and service at the restaurant seem to vary wildly, but the bar is usually a safe bet.  edit

• E&O, 14 Blenheim Crescent, ☎ +44 20 7229 5454. Japanese influenced restaurant with a stylish bar attached. Great cocktails.  edit

• Elbow Room, 103 Westbourne Grove, ☎ +44 20 7221 5211. A bar with pool tables too, rather than the other way around. Relaxed and friendly.  edit

• The Cow, 89 Westbourne Park Rd, ☎ +44 20 7221 0021. A small and trendy pub/bar with a focus on Guinness.  edit

• The Electric Brasserie, 191 Portobello Rd. Attached to the Electric Cinema this trendy brasserie is a good place for a drink before or after your movie. Very busy Fr/Sa evenings especially.  edit

• Trailer Happiness, 177 Portobello Rd, ☎ +44 20 7727 2700. Intimate and kitsch lounge bar, den and kitchen with the feel of a low rent, mid-60s Los Angeles valley bachelor pad.  edit

• Holland Park YHA, Holland Walk, Kensington (tube: High Street Kensington), ☎ +44 870 770 5866. Spectacular location in one of London's most prestigious areas. From £17.95.  edit

• Blue Bells hotel, 14 Pembridge Square W2 4EH (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 4257 3379 (info@bluebellshotel.com), [15]. In a converted early Victorian building. 30 rooms on four soteys but no lift. Five minutes walk to Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Rd. From £60.  edit

• Notting Hill Hotel, 2 Pembridge Square W2 4EW (tube: Notting Hill Gate), ☎ +44 20 7727 1316, [16]. Old converted Victorian building in a quiet square only 5 minutes from Notting Hill Gate. Single, double and family rooms. From £60.  edit

• Abbey Court, 20 Pembridge Gardens W2 4FE, [17]. Boutique hotel in a converted Victorian house and decorated in that period style. 22 rooms, no lift. From £90.  edit

• The Gate Hotel, 6 Portobello Rd (Near Notting Hill Gate tube at Pembridge Road end of Portobello Rd, only a few steps away from Portobello Market), ☎ +44 20 7221 0707.  edit

• Westland Hotel, 154 Bayswater Road W2 (tube: Bayswater), (info@westlandhotel.co.uk), [18]. Good location on Bayswater Road very close to Kensington Gardens and five minute walk to Notting Hill Gate. From £110.  edit