Art Deco Icons

David Heathcote checks into Claridge’s Hotel in London’s Mayfair and explores the Art Deco makeover of the 1930s, which transformed the old Victorian hotel into a fashionable destination for the rich and famous. He enjoys the glamour of the Deco fumoir, which made smoking sexy and glamorous, even for women.

Explore the dramatic 1930s London Transport HQ in St James’ London. When it was built in the1930s it was the highest skyscraper in London. Heathcote goes behind the scenes and uncovers the story of a building so controversial that Frank Pick, who commissioned it, offered to resign from the London Underground Company, because there were so many complaints about its ambitious design.

Spend the weekend at Casa Del Rio - a remarkable Art Deco fantasy house hidden away in rural Devon. He uncovers the story of Walter Price, a baker from Devon who went to visit California in the1930s and who was so impressed by Pickfair – the glamorous residence of Hollywood stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford – that he decided to create his own Deco mansion back in rural Devon.

David Heathcote boards the Orient Express at Victoria Station in London and heads off for Venice. He settles into his perfectly restored sleeping cabin and then explores the decadent charm and the extraordinary history of the train.