The Gentleman Magazine Issue 14 | April 2019 | Page 52

Award winning theatre director, filmmaker and criminologist
Roger Graef OBE To Sell London Regency Home
Award winning theatre director, filmmaker and criminologist
Roger Graef and his wife have put their Westbourne Park Villas
Regency home up for sale, with leading estate agent Beauchamp
Estates. This is the first time that the property has come to the
market in thirty five years: the stunning four bedroom, period
property, is spread across four floors with a wealth of period
features and an enviable garden.
Born in New York, Graef started directing plays while attending
Harvard, directing some twenty-four plays along East Coast
America before being chosen by CBS to direct a new television
drama. Moving to the United Kingdom in 1962 he directed
Tennessee Williams’ Period of Adjustment at the Royal
Court and Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End, before
starting his career producing documentaries. His first film,
One of Them is Brett produced for the Society of Thalidomide
Children to demonstrate to head teachers of primary schools
that the physical handicaps of the children did not stop them
from being active mentally, won the Silver Dragon Prize in
Krakow, Poland that year.
Graef ’s documentary work investigating institutions, including
Government ministries, particularly that involving police
forces and issues of criminality often deploys a ‘fly on the wall’
technique, has had substantial impact on a wide range of social
and political issues, with many having been nominated for and
winning leading national and international awards: film work
has included documentaries for leading shows such as Arena,
Panorama and Omnibus.
Graef has also directed many films/television specials,
including the first three Amnesty International comedy galas,
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in 1976, ‘77 and ‘79: the last of which became the first and
seminal Secret Policeman’s Ball and in 1984 he co-produced
the first ever Comic Relief.
The mid-terrace Regency style property is located in the
vibrant Notting Hill area of London: with an imposing blue
door and charming blue exterior colour scheme, in-keeping
with the brightly coloured houses in the area. The spacious
accommodation is spread over four floors:
Set back from the road, with a paved front garden, a small flight
of steps lead up to the front portico and main entrance, while
discrete steps to the side lead down to the lower ground floor.
Leading off the main entrance hall are two principal receptions
rooms: the larger overlooking the rear garden and the smaller
(currently used as a study) looking onto the front garden.
Both rooms benefit from floor to ceiling period windows, with
working shutters, coving, and period fireplace and mantle
piece.
To the rear of the main hall stairs lead down to the lower
ground floor: a large family kitchen with windows to the front
of the property and separate utility room, with external access
to the front of the property. Towards the rear of this floor is
a guest cloakroom, a large dining room and conservatory/
further reception room, with direct access to the 60 ft (18 m)
rear garden: a mature garden, mostly given to lawn and large
specimen planting, this delightful oasis of green contains a
charming summer house and store. The garden is substantially
larger than many gardens in the area as the current owner
purchased a portion of the neighbouring garden when he
initially moved to the property.
, Security in Motion”