Nicholas Van Hoogstraten by Mike Walsh

Author:Mike Walsh [Don Jordan and Mike Walsh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781857826371
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Published: 2011-12-27T05:00:00+00:00

10

NOTORIOUS

As the Kensington and Chelsea case unfolded, Van Hoogstraten was now under the spotlight not just in the courts but in the Houses of Parliament, too. Yet another new government Housing Bill was going through the House of Commons aimed specifically at boosting the private landlord. Rent controls were to be eased still further. It was a highly contentious measure, and the latest accusations against the tycoon were manna from heaven for its opponents in the Commons. Van Hoogstraten’s name dominated debate after debate. So he decided that it was time he changed his image. He sent Tony Browne to consult the public relations people.

Several turned Browne down flat. They didn’t explain why. Others, however, were ready to accept the commission. The most impressive was fronted by a former SAS officer. He won Van Hoogstraten over with descriptions of how the dinner parties he’d arrange and charity functions they’d attend would be Van Hoogstraten’s entree to new and influential people, the first step in changing the image.

‘Then he mentioned the price,’ Browne recalls. ‘He planned to charge £10,000 a week.’ Van Hoogstraten turned him down. It was the same with the other PR men. They were only prepared to take on Van Hoogstraten if he paid top dollar, and as a point of principle he would never do that.

So Van Hoogstraten and Browne conceived a strategy of their own. Van Hoogstraten would present himself as a reformed wrongdoer who was tarred by mistakes that he’d made decades before. The picture he’d present would be of a tough man, yes, but a strictly legal, totally straight one these days. A man to be feared? Yes, but only by those who themselves broke the law in their dealings with him. A bad landlord? No.

The heavyweights of the media and television were now nosing round, and the new PR strategy was tried on them. It did not pan out remotely as planned. Van Hoogstraten and Browne would chat the strategy through first, before the journalist or TV crew turned up, and then Browne, watching from the sidelines, would see it all unravel.

Browne was ‘the fixer’ for press interviews. Journalists called him on the phone and an evening meeting would be arranged in London. If it was the reporter’s first meeting with Van Hoogstraten the venue would probably be an expensive Park Lane hotel. A favourite place of Van Hoogstraten’s was the Inn on the Park.

It became a standard routine. The journalist met Browne in the lounge and then, five minutes later, Van Hoogstraten made his grand entrance. At the time he favoured smoked-glass sunglasses, black pinstripe trousers, a starched white shirt, black jacket, black waistcoat, black tie, black pocket handkerchief, black built-up shoes and over all this a full-length white or black mink coat. He had three minks to choose from.

This apparition advanced down the hotel’s staircase and up to Browne and the journalist. ‘Mr Van Hoogstraten,’ Browne announced deferentially. If he hadn’t been warned what to expect, the journalist would be transfixed. He’d be treated to the hard Van Hoogstraten stare, and then a diatribe.

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