Man on the street 

London’s mews have their origins in the 17th and 18th centuries, when they were built as carriage houses or stables for large houses. As cars supplanted horses and the capital’s population grew, however, most of the mews were converted into residences. Today, they are some of Mayfair and Belgravia’s most sought-after properties.

With the charming Terry Partridge in charge, it’s no wonder. For the past 11 years, Terry has been Head Mews Warden for the Grosvenor Estate, looking after the 46 private mews across Mayfair and Belgravia. He is the man who residents call if someone is illegally parked outside their home, if a bulb in one of the Victorian streetlamps goes out, or if a cobblestone (or granite sett, to be exact) comes loose.

“Along with the two other wardens, who patrol on foot, I am there to help the residents with whatever they need,” he says. “We liaise with workmen and with the relevant authorities to make sure that everything goes smoothly. It’s a little like being a home-beat police officer.”

Terry should know. Before he retired, he had spent 34 years as a police officer, including stints as an armed guard at embassies and political buildings. “I was involved in two armed incidents as a cop and was on the front door of 10 Downing Street for a few years while Margaret Thatcher was resident,” he says.

In comparison, patrolling the mews of the Grosvenor Estate feel like being the local bobby in a quiet country village. “It’s just such a lovely area to work in,” he says. “You get very little crime and 99.9 per cent of the residents are absolutely marvellous.” Anyone who gives him trouble is soon mollified by the Partridge charm. “It’s something I learned in the police,” he says. “You learn how to deal with people and calm them down if they’re stressed.”

The end of summer is always quiet for Terry, as many of the residents are abroad. When autumn rolls in, however, things pick up. “You get the bad weather coming in, and we have to employ extra people to sweep up the leaves and grit the surfaces,” he says.

In the 11 years he’s had the job, Terry estimates that he’s met about 2,000 residents. “Obviously, I can’t remember all their names,” he says, “but they always remember me, because there’s only one of me.”