ONFORM Magazine - Spring 2012

ONFORM Spring 2012

Frost The art of the interview

Viva la Verb

Skiing in Verbier, Switzerland

Strictly Continental

Road testing the new Bentley

Economic Endgame Gerald Celente’s forecast

Country Manner Heritage fashion houses Cover_v5.indd 1

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For more information call 0845 689 1627† or visit www.bentleymotors.com The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © April 2012 Bentley Motors Limited. Model shown: New Bentley Continental GTC, mrrp £149,350.

Price correct at time of going to press and includes VAT at 20%. Price excludes road fund licence, registration and delivery charges. †Calls will be recorded for training purposes.

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Fuel economy figures for the Continental GTC in mpg (l/100km): Urban 11.1 (25.4); Extra Urban 24.9 (11.4); Combined 17.1 (16.5). CO2 Emissions (g/km): 384.

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EDITORIAL

From the

Editor

Right: “Tony Blair made policy up on the air.

Gordon Brown was furious.” Bottom: The W12 engine is a masterpiece of automotive engineering.

If I ever get stuck or draw a blank, I tend to walk. I pace and pace. I even did it before sitting down to write this – in which case, what you’re actually reading is a sort of meta-editor’s letter. But it’s hard to introduce something new without reflecting on the work that went into making it. Where to start? When setting out to create a magazine, you fear the worst – raising money, finding the right people, nailing the editorial tone, sorting legalities, attracting advertisers, securing interviews, raising more money – but in the end, it all falls into place, and you realise that the hardest thing to do is give the bloody thing a name.

Finding a title is by far the most arduous, hair-pulling, dividing and intellectually challenging part of publishing. That’s no exaggeration. A title can make or break you. It can elevate a publication beyond the sum of its parts. Have you ever stared at a white-board for five hours at a time, hypnotically rereading a list of nouns, adjectives, phrases and abbreviations, and scrutinising words until they lose all meaning – not just in English, but in French, Italian, Latin, Spanish – and then, just when you think you’ve got something, it’s already in use, or the website is registered, or someone doesn’t like it, or the connotations are too vague, or it reminds the office cleaner of her estranged, pole-dancing daughter.

It’s a mug’s game.

But one day, after much more thinking and pacing, the telephone rings and someone says “How about ONFORM?” And thus exhales a long-held breath. ONFORM says it all. But it’s out of our hands now – indeed, it’s in yours, and we hope you enjoy the content as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Traditionally, this is the bit where I define the magazine and give you an aloofly cool pitch about how, by reading it, you can lead a fundamentally better existence. Nay, I’ll save the spiel (and your patience) because the combined effort – the feel, the look, the editorial – speaks for itself. What you can expect, however, is incisive writing, stellar design and timeless photography, all connected by a love of classic and modern style.

So, this issue: Robinson turns the table on the world’s most famous interviewer, Sir David Frost – a proper English gent. The two discuss Frost’s past, present and future, the free press, Nixon, and the current economic landscape. Speaking of which, I’m in conversation with trends forecaster Gerald Celente, discussing how the global financial crisis is far from over – imperative reading, to say the least. Also, Morpeth puts leather to metal with reviews of the Bentley Continental and the MG LE50; Inglis meets some of the country’s leading chefs and sommeliers; and Hare waxes horological with the splendidly-named François Le Troquer.

Remember a time of simplicity, when suits were synonymous with style, money had meaning, and our institutions had credibility? A time before ‘LOL’, smiley faces and nonsense proto-speak usurped the Queen’s English, and when technology and the media promised to democratise, not devolve us?

As do we. Enjoy.

“Finding a title is by far the most arduous, hair-pulling, dividing and intellectually challenging part of publishing.”

Laith Al-Kaisy Editor-in-Chief

4 Spring 2012

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CREDITS

Contributors Georgie Corlett

Graeme Morpeth

Corlett is an experienced yachting journalist and editor. She has written on all aspects of the leisure yachting industry, from luxury motor boating to prestigious yachting regattas to elite Olympic sailing. Being an avid yacht sailor and past sailing world championship medallist, she simply loves spending time afloat.

Corlett reports on two of yachting’s most prestigious events, the Superyacht Cup and the Westward Cup, on page 16.

Morpeth is an engineer and has had a love of things mechanical and automotive for many years. His motoring articles reflect this, and a profound knowledge of the oily bits that make them work. A recent move into travel writing has seen even flashier phrasing and peregrinating prose.

Our road warrior reviews the Bentley Continental on page 09 and the MG LE50 on page 46. He also gets his geography and biology confused on 64.

Huw Thomas Thomas splits his time between business and pleasure. As a finance and investment writer, he has written for leading wealth management and financial titles, and is the former Editor-in-Chief of Financial Services Technology Magazine. He also writes about travel and tourism for Reader’s Digest, Insight Guides, among others.

Thomas looks at alternatives to traditional investments, including sustainable forestry and wine, on page 22.

Emma Hare

David Minns

William Montgomery

Something of a renaissance man, Minns loves nothing more than dressing for an occasion, and encouraging others to do the same. In his capacity as Senior Style Advisor for A Suit That Fits, he literally dresses the nation.

For the first in his regular column, The Advisory, on page 67, Minns casts a sartorial eye over men’s style.

Montgomery is a leadership consultant with first class credentials.

Before creating the international leadership consultancy TEN, in 2006, he was a GCHQ code-breaker and navigator of HMS Ark Royal. He is now retained by some of the biggest names in business, media and sport.

Ahead of his regular column, which starts next issue, Montgomery introduces us to his new website 10+ on page 69.

Emma Inglis

Hare may be new to the publishing game, but she has proved that experience isn’t necessarily everything. Aside from writing about travel and style for contract publications, she is a keen jet setter and a selfconfessed acolyte of fashion.

Hare goes tête-à-tête with François Le Troquer on page 74, and explains why Nevsky Prospect is her favourite place on page 65.

Inglis cut her teeth on newspapers back in the nineties. More recently she has returned to freelance journalism after a stint at screenwriting and fiction. She now specialises in travel, food and style, most recently writing for Condé Nast Publications.

Inglis interviews some of the UK’s top restaurateurs and sommeliers on pages 56 and 73, respectively, and discusses the sublime Swiss Cottage on 64.

Ben Brundell

The Usual Suspects

Models: Lotty Benson, Daniel Twiss Photographer: Simon Powell Production Agent: Clare Wilson Hair & Makeup Stylist: Glenn Holmes Stylist: Lauren Miller

Laith Al-Kaisy – Editor-in-Chief – laith@gmmpublishing.com Andrew Hobson – Art Director – andrew@gmmpublishing.com Peter Robinson – Publishing Director – peter@gmmpublishing.com Adam Wood – Director – adam@gmmpublishing.com

Brundell is a cinephile and writes on all matters film. He will put pen to paper on other subjects in the near future too. In addition to fulfilling his duties as a film critic, Brundell has produced his own short films and worked as an editor.

He discusses the latest cinema and DVD releases (as well as the minutiae of date movies and Korean soup) on page 78.

Thanks to: Feisty Consultancy; Chris Bevan; Broughtons Aston Martin; Ston Easton Park; Pilot: Lee Grant, Rise Helicopters GMM Publishing First Floor, Prudential Buildings, 11-19 Wine Street, Bristol, UK BS1 2PH | +44 (0)117 3702 471 | gmmpublishing.com GMM Publishing is a trading name of Get Media Management LTD registered in England at 1st Floor, Prudential Buildings, 11-19 Wine Street, Bristol, BS1 2PH, Company Registration Number; 07663086. All content Copyright © 2012, Get Media Management Ltd ONF ORM Magazine’s content (including any information we publish regarding Third Party Products) is only for your general information and entertainment purposes and is not intended to address your particular requirements. In particular, any content publishing within this magazine, or on onformmagazine.com, does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement by ONF ORM Magazine. It is not intended to be and should not be relied upon by readers in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment, purchase, sale or other decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision, such as from a qualified financial adviser. Any agreements, transactions or other arrangements made between you and any third party named within ONF ORM Magazine are at your own responsibility and entered into at your own risk. Any information that you receive via ONF ORM Magazine, whether or not it is classified as ”real time”, may have stopped being current by the time it reaches you. Share price information may be rounded up/down and therefore may not be entirely accurate.

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CONTENTS

9

Cover Story 42. Sir David Frost Money & Business 20. Gerald Celente 22. Alternative Investments 60. Real Estate: Flims 69. William Montgomery

20

Land, Air & Sea 09. Bentley Continental 16. Yachting Cups 30. Cessna’s Citation X 46. MG’s LE50 Travel 27. Verbier, Switzerland 64. Beautiful Places to Wake up Food & Drink 14. Michel Roux Jr. 56. Exclusive Restaurants 70. Gin 71. Quince, London 73. Modern Sommeliers Style 32. Fashion Shoot 67. The Advisory 74. Francois Le Troquer Culture 48. Rock & Roll’s Myths 51. Damien Hirst 78. Reel Talk

“People look at the world as though they’re the centre of it, rather than as an observer” 6 Spring 2012

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CONTENTS

“Interviewing is about answering the question ‘what makes people tick?’”

4248 32 51 Contents_v4.indd 7

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MOTORING

F

rom the moment that W.O. Bentley’s brand new, three-litre engine roared into life, in his Londonbased New Street Mews workshops, sometime during October 1919, his dream, his passion “To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class” started coming to fruition. This innovative engine, designed by ex-Royal Flying Corps officer Clive Gallop, had four valves per cylinder, and lightweight aluminium pistons. It was good enough to power Douglas Hawkes’s car, in the 1922 Indianapolis 500 race, at an average speed of 80mph.

The 1920s were a golden decade for Bentley. Ettore Bugatti, his greatest competitor at the time, whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley’s rugged reliability and durability, was so annoyed by Bentley’s repeated successes that he referred to them as “the world’s fastest lorries.” W.O’s reply is not recorded, and probably couldn’t have been printed anyway.

Bentley, and the famous Bentley Boys (Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, Wolf Barnato, “Sammy” Davis, and thirteen other wealthy enthusiasts) won Le Mans in 1924, ‘27, ‘28, ‘29(1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th), and ‘30.

Bentleys (4½, 4½ Blowers, and Speed 6s) were big bruisers, nearly 4.5m long and close to 2000kg, with a full load of fuel, driver and mechanic/co-driver on board. They were fast too; the Blower and the Speed Six were both capable of over 130 mph. On cart spring suspension, with rudimentary drum brakes, fitted with a Weymann fabric body offering the all crash protection of a paper bag; el Bentley Boys debe haber tenido las bolas de acero!

From the time that Rolls Royce bought Bentley’s company in 1931, Bentley was subsumed and subject to badge engineering of the worst kind. The 1952 Continental was a great ray of light, and the development of the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo, during the 1980s, did redress the balance somewhat. All that changed in 1998, when Volkswagen AG acquired Bentley Motor cars, and started proper brand resurrection strategies.

Strictly

CONTINENTAL It may be named Continental, but the new Bentley is unapologetically British, as Graeme Morpeth discovers.

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“To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class” ONF ORM 11

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T

he W12 GTC is also a bit of a bruiser: 2500kg of motor car, made with precision and from the finest materials; broad of haunch, elegant in its muscularity, and able to cleave the air at truly improbable speeds. The W12 engine is a masterpiece of automotive engineering, using just two cylinder heads to cover all twelve cylinders, possible only because of the very low angle (15º) between the two crankcases. This quad-cam engine, twin turbo-charged and fuel injected is, therefore, relatively short and lightweight, producing not only 567bhp, but an astonishing 700nm of torque, enough to hurl this Crewe-built beauty to 60mph in only 4.5 seconds, and then onto a terminal velocity of 195mph, open topped if you want. Ally this performance to a sixspeed auto-box (with beautifully made metal paddle-shifts that caress your finger tips) and permanent four-wheel drive, and you can have a slightly surreal battle taking place between momentum and moments of inertia. It can be placed in corners with surprising accuracy, courtesy of the wonderfully weighted steering, and an electronically adjustable air suspension system; hard-charging motoring is entirely possible, though the rear axle will step out if too large a dollop of torque is fed into the equation. With 275/35/R20 tyres, it has to be some dollop. Stopping all this requires something special; this Bentley is fitted with the largest disc brakes of any production car in the world – 405mm at the front The test car had dark sapphire paintwork, with a shine about a foot deep, and a glorious contrasting leather-clad interior, with beautifully matched slabs of Tamo Ash finishing the mix. Visual delights abound;

Fabergé would have approved of the veneered and leather-lined spectacle case; the quality of the stitching on the seats and steering wheel is peerless; the air vents with their organ-stop flow controllers show how it should be done, and the brake pedal is in the form of the ‘B’ from the centre of the badge. It’s almost sacrilegious to apply one’s shoe leather to the pedal. The open-top cabin is the stiffest of any convertible built (anywhere), and this translates to squeak, groan and rattle-free driving over even the most pavé of roads. The folding hood, with its wonderful mechanical ballet sequence when opening or closing, is barely noticeable in either position. When open, it stows

12 Spring 2012

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“The W12 GTC is a bit of a bruiser... elegant in its muscularity and able to cleave the air at truly improbable speeds” below leather-trimmed panels that blend with the car’s lines; when closed, the car is just as cosy and quiet as the hard top.

Bentley has blessed the GTC with a modern navigation system that includes Google Maps and an easy-to-use touch-screen interface, though changing the language, time-zone and map from Spain to the UK involved some mental gymnastics along the way. It doesn’t take up too much space on the dash either.

The Naim sound system, a £5250 option, specifically designed to fit each of the different Bentley cars, produces a ‘voice’, unparalleled in any other motor car, without exception. The system for the GTC boasts ten bespoke speakers, strategically placed around the cabin, über-cool Digital Sound Processing, and an 1100w amplifier located against the rear bulkhead of the boot. Whether it’s Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy soundtrack, or Mozart’s Ein Musikalischer Spass, the results will astound the listener. For the audiophile, it’s an automotive heaven.

Seats, you would imagine, are to sit on. Bentleys have something more in store. Seats that massage your back; seats that blow warm

air around your neck; seats that can roast your rear end, that can be adjusted, electrically of course, in any one of eight directions. To satisfy the most fastidious posterior-placer. Seat-shaped sybaritism.

So, what’s it like to drive? Shockingly fast, if you really want it to be, but that’s to miss the point. The GTC is more about (very) fast, comfortable cruising; an early breakfast in London, lunch in Paris, and a late dinner at a chateau in the Burgundy region would be no problem. It handles all surfaces with aplomb, is unruffled by weather, and is possibly the most civilised place to sit that any driver will ever find.

Bentley Continental GTC W12 V6 Price, as tested: £163,495 Engine: 5998cc W12 quad cam, twin turbocharged, fuel injected Horsepower: 567bhp, 423Kw @ 6100rpm Max.Torque: 700Nm, 516 lb-ft @ 1700rpm Driveline and Transmission: Continuous all-wheel drive, 40/60 front/rear torque split, ZF 6-speed torque convertor automatic transmission with steering column-mounted paddleshift Performance: Max. Speed,195mph / 314km/h; Acceleration, 0 - 60mph - 4.5 seconds, 0 - 100km/h - 4.8 seconds Weights and Measures: Kerb-weight 2495kg, GVW 2900kg; Overall Length 4806mm, Width across mirrors, 2227mm

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CUISINE: MICHEL ROUX JR.

Food For Haute Michel Roux Jr., 51, is the owner of the two Michelin-star Le Gavroche in Mayfair.

He is also the co-presenter of BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals.

You’re one of the world’s leading chefs – was it always meant to be?

I always wanted to be a chef and I couldn’t imagine being anything else. I had one thing on my mind – and that was it.

What qualities are important for chefs to have?

Gosh – it’s rigor, drive, not shirking from hard work. It’s very much a work ethic.

Has food really evolved that much since you started out?

Even more so from the time my father and uncle started in London. I’ve certainly seen a change in products, the quality of the produce has got better, especially English produce.

The offer and quality of restaurants has come on in leaps and bounds too.

You took over Le Gavroche from your father. How did you strike a balance between old and new?

I had to be very careful about it. It’s a question of balance, evolving the restaurant without a revolution. Not changing the philosophy, but tweaking it and adapting it for modern palates. Any restaurant that stagnates, that doesn’t evolve, will die.

Any food trend you’d be happy to see the back of?

I suppose mousses and froths that taste of nothing. They seem to be on their way out, thankfully.

People are cooking at home more and eating out more – why?

I think that’s down to the media. The general public are not as afraid as they used to be. They will cook at home with less trepidation. It’s confidence – which can only be a good thing.

What made you decide to take on more television?

As a family, we’re very keen to pass on our knowledge, to help young chefs achieve their dreams. Masterchef is very much a vehicle for that, because I am nurturing and tutoring young talent.

Have you seen an increase in the quality of the contestants?

Every Professionals winner has been amazing. The show gets better because there’s a better calibre of chefs applying.

They see it’s a very serious programme and a very serious competition. The winner can go on to do great things.

What is key to running a successful restaurant?

You have to feed your customers properly. You have to make sure you’re at the right price level. Consistency is also vital.

It’s a whole melting pot – pardon the pun – of different ingredients.

What’s one thing you’ll never eat again?

I tried whale meat years ago, just before I was about to run the Midnight Sun Marathon in the Arctic Circle. The taste of it was with me for the whole 26 miles. Never again.

What was your favourite dish growing up?

Oh, tough one. My mum’s Shepherd’s Pie. It was very good.

Aside from your own, which restaurant would you recommend in London?

Zuma, the Japanese restaurant. I think it’s got a great buzz to it, the service is good and the food is outstanding.

14 Spring 2012

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16 Premiere Issue • Spring 2012

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YA C H T I N G

We are sailing...

Amongst the many yachting regattas taking place in UK waters this summer, there are two that are set to be particularly momentous thanks to their nostalgic twist.

Georgie Corlett gives an insight.

Superyacht Cup As the Olympic torch nears its final destination and the country holds its breath in anticipation of the greatest show on earth this summer, the waters of the Solent will be set to host a very special international sporting event of its own.

O

n 22 July, over twenty of the world’s most stunning superyachts will set sail in a celebratory and unique edition of the Superyacht Cup. 2012 will be the very first time an edition of this regatta has ever been held in the UK. This one-off competition has sprung from the main edition of the Superyacht Cup, which is staged each June in the Mediterranean waters off Palma, Majorca.

Described by Event Director, James Pleasance, as a “friendly, informal event with a family style atmosphere combined with competitive racing,” it’s a firm favourite in the sailing calendar, and is the longest running superyacht regatta in Europe.

And this year, it has sparked a second gathering, this time in the UK’s yachting epicenter, Cowes. In celebration of the Olympic year, the crème de la crème of the superyacht racing world will descend upon this small Isle of Wight community and prepare to do battle. With four action-packed days of racing scheduled, the Superyacht Cup Cowes promises to be a truly breathtaking spectacle for all involved.

Participants can put aside any thoughts of kicking back and sipping cocktails on the deck as tranquil waters lap gently below – well, at least until after sailing anyway, when owners, friends, crews and organisers gather to celebrate the ups and downs of a day on the water. By night, the yachts taking part may sit pretty in the marina, but by day, expect a first class display of prowess on the water, as the boats are guided around the race course by the well-honed expertise of those onboard.

Overall victory will be decided from a series of ‘pursuit’ races, with the smallest and slowest boats given a head start over the larger, faster boats. The start time for each yacht will be calculated precisely, based on design specifications and the current weather conditions on the day, in order to ensure close-quarter action at every turn.

The pure exhilaration that can be expected from the action afloat – for both participants and spectators alike – will only be heightened further by the evocative setting that has been chosen as the backdrop for this Superyacht Cup. Cowes itself sits at the entrance of a natural harbour that became home to a vibrant shipbuilding industry in Elizabethan times, following Henry VIII’s orders

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to construct twin protective forts there. Queen Victoria made nearby Osborne House her country retreat in the 1840s at a time when yachting was becoming the sport of choice for the Royal Family. Since then, the waters of the Solent have gone on to become hallowed amongst the boating fraternity; its shores washed by the wake of many a yacht undertaking feats that have evolved into the cornerstones of the yacht racing world.

Racing for the Superyacht Cup will commence against the commanding backdrop of Cowes Castle, one of the two original Tudor forts, which, since 1854, has been the landmark clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Host of this edition of the Superyacht Cup, the Royal Yacht Squadron is steeped in a heritage that arguably makes it the most prestigious yacht club in the world.

Of the many illustrious feats that have been achieved in the waters overlooked by the Royal Yacht Squadron, it is the legacy left by one in particular that has shaped the popular face of international sailing to this day: in 1851, the yacht America won a race around the Isle of Wight and with it the Hundred Guinea Cup. This, the world’s oldest sporting trophy, is still competed for today under the better-known title of the America’s Cup. The race of 1851 was reported to be a wondrous sight, with 15 of the most prestigious yachts of that time competing, led by the newly launched America with her twin wooden masts, billowing canvass sails and sleek hull of oak, chestnut and cedar construction.

This summer, competitors for the Superyacht Cup Cowes will replicate that momentous occasion as they set their own course around the island as part of the planned series of races.

Naturally, the yachts competing in 2012’s race will differ dramatically from those that sped around the island in 1851. With sails, spars and hulls engineered from the most advanced materials and the latest navigation technology guiding them, some of the world’s most impressive superyachts ever constructed will be vying for victory.

Star of the line-up will be Hamilton III, an exciting 33 metre newbuild designed for pure performance, which will launch this spring and make her regatta debut at the Superyacht Cup. Super-maxis, Leopard III and Mari Cha III, both record-breaking racing yachts that are well-known on the circuit, are ultra modern designs built for speed that will doubtlessly be in the hunt for the top spots.

At 24 metres, one of the smallest yachts entered is Drumfire, but as overall winner of the 2011 Superyacht Cup in Palma, this sleek-looking sloop will still be one to watch.

Fresh from a winning winter season in the Caribbean, another clear contender is the 55 metre Adela; a beautiful twin-masted schooner of British design dating from the early 1900s, which has undergone recent rebuild work giving her every advantage of modern comforts.

Perhaps the most eye-catching of all the entries will be Hetairos, the largest of all yachts entered to date. Launched in mid-2011, this 67 metre ketch is the largest carbon fibre composite constructed yacht in the world. And yet this cutting edge technology is cloaked in a distinctive hull shape that was inspired by the British pilot cutters of the mid-late 19th century.

From a distance, Hetairos, like many of her fellow Superyacht Cup competitors, appears classic in every sense. Whilst they may be the finest pedigree racing yachts in the world at this moment, these beautiful boats are carefully crafted to exude a timeless elegance that is always in vogue.

As their sails fill the Solent this summer, they will undoubtedly make for a phenomenal sight.

Westward Cup For those captivated by such glamour and elegance inherent in classic yacht sailing, another Solent-based regatta taking place earlier in the summer will further inspire.

T

aking place from 11-16th June, the Westward Cup presents an inimitable opportunity for a fleet of large classic yachts from the early 1900s to take part in a regatta that will replicate in every sense the style and glamour of the golden age of yachting.

This unique event will also be hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, in association with the Yacht Club de Monaco and the New York Yacht Club. It brings together sailors from around the world, and promises

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a rare chance for spectators to see these exquisite craft under sail, representing the heritage and craftsmanship of classic yachting at its absolute finest.

This is the second time the Westward Cup has been held since it was inaugurated in 2010, testament to an increasing appreciation for the role that such traditional yachts have played in the continuing development of yacht racing today.

David Aisher, the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Rear Commodore Yachting and Principal Race Officer for the event, explains the significance of this nostalgia: “The yachts coming to the Westward Cup are many of the best surviving and best replicas that give people an idea of how these boats were built, maintained and raced. Without these boats we would have lost a significant part of our heritage and history. Their continued campaigning is a testament to their owners and crew and is so very important in reminding us where we came from. They are also a magnificent sight to behold out on the water and give a real lift to one’s spirit as they sail by.”

The Westward Cup was conceived as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the launch of the racing schooner, Westward, which first set sail in 1910. Designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff, in Rhode Island, USA, at the time Westward was the fastest schooner in the world, and for nearly 40 years she successfully competed in the most prestigious regattas of her era, often in the waters off Cowes.

On 31st March 2000, 90 years to the day after Westward was first launched, a precise replica of this graceful schooner was unveiled.

Named Eleonora, it was the passion and vision of her owner, Zbynek Zak, that led, ten years later, to the concept of the Westward Cup. The Royal Yacht Squadron swiftly acquiesced to Zbynek Zak’s request that it host the event. Four yachts, including Eleonora, contested the 2010 event, and it was Tuiga – a 15 metre class yacht owned by the Yacht Club de Monaco – which emerged as overall winner of the first ever Westward Cup. As in 2010, the winner of this year’s event will receive the Westward Cup, a perpetual trophy commissioned by Zbynek Zak that has been crafted by English silversmith, Richard Parsons; the design draws on that of one of the many cups won by Westward in her heyday.

This summer, Eleonora will again compete for the Westward Cup. With an overall length of 50 metres, her classic grandeur is evident in

every last millimetre; twin masts sporting over 1100m2 of sails dominate above decks, whilst below, four mahogany-panelled staterooms styled in the décor of the early 1900s accommodate guests.

Eleonora is likely to be the largest of the yachts competing this year, with rivals including Mariquita, the last-remaining 19 metre class yacht which was built in 1911 from the drawing board of William Fife; Altair, a 41 metre schooner design which dates back to 1929 and is also a Fife model; and Mariette, a beautifully restored 42 metre gaff schooner that was first launched in 1915.

The classic status and sheer size of these yachts necessitates that entry to the Westward Cup be strictly by invitation only, but the spectacle and ambience of this special event will resonate across the Solent and throughout the town of Cowes for all to enjoy, as these rare boats show off their form.

David Aisher says “The boats are undoubtedly the main stars of the event. They are complex machines with a huge amount of input evident both in their building and running, but especially when you sail them. Racing just brings that to another level. It is not often that they race together and even less often when they race in the Solent. This really is an event not to be missed. Those able to get out on the water to see it will find this the best way to appreciate what is going on, although from the shore the spectacle will be also be extremely impressive.”

Owing to the amount of room these boats need to manoeuvre, a fleet of safety boats will be on hand to direct spectator yachts to the preferred vantage points, with safety remaining the organisers’ prime consideration at all times. It may take up to thirty minutes to hoist the sails on these boats in preparation for the start, but once the crews have that in hand, the racing will unfold in a dazzling showcase of wellrehearsed skill and all in the spirit of gentlemanly competition.

Finally, as each day’s racing draws to a close, the yachts will return to their berths in Cowes.

“At the end of the day there will no doubt be a lot of tired crews, but they will all come ashore smiling we hope,” says David.

“Once on shore, the attention turns to the social events, with time to chat to the members of the crews of the other boats, remake acquaintances from previous regattas and, of course, make new friends. Many of the people involved in a regatta like this will cross paths again in other social or business contexts; sailing really is a sport for everyone.”

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FINANCE

Don’t Shoot the Messenger Laith Al-Kaisy gets an economic forecast from the man who is never wrong.

“It’s a beautiful spring day in north New York,” chirps a happy-go-lucky voice at the end of the phone. The voice is Gerald Celente, who you may not have heard of, but definitely should have. Celente is the publisher of the Trends Journal and founder of The Trends Research Institute. In America, he’s a big deal. That’s because in 2004 he predicted the housing collapse and global recession.

When it eventually hit in 2007, Celente went from being a ‘pessimist porn dealer’ to ‘the man who knows what he’s talking about’. And for a man who is predicting that the worst is yet to come, he sounds surprisingly upbeat.

“I’m a political atheist,” he begins, “I look at things for the way they are, not how I want them to be.” The recession isn’t the only thing Celente has predicted with frightening accuracy. There’s the dot-com bust, the fall of the Soviet Union, the war in Iraq, the ‘too-

big-to-fail’ trend, the list goes on and on. The pressing question, however, is how he does it.

“Take an economic issue. You can’t look at it as a basket of statistics.

You have to look at social, political and geopolitical issues too. I have a saying that opportunity misses those who view the world through the eyes of their profession. People look at the world as though they’re the centre of it, rather than as an observer. I’m an observer of the world. You can see the face of the future by what you create, and the same thing holds true whether it’s a person, a community, or a country. That’s the way I do it.”

What separates the 65-year-old from other forecasters, though, is his past. He was Assistant to the Secretary of the New York Senate (“the worst job I ever had”), but became disaffected by “watching grown men grovel all day long.” He attributes his political atheism

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and career change to a single event: Jimmy Carter’s support of the Shah of Iran, despite public desire for his overthrow. “The destabilisation would have meant a rise in gold and oil prices. So I started speculating in gold and oil futures. I made enough money to quit my job.”

Which factors, then, helped to forecast the current crisis? “It was so simple,” Celente laments, as if we all should have seen it. “They were lowering interest rates to forty-year lows and pumping the markets with cheap money. And they’re doing it again. Look at Europe – they just pumped about €400 plus billion into the banking system so the banks could borrow at 1%. And now they’re going to double it up again. You don’t have to be a genius to figure this one out.”

Celente’s biggest gripe, however, is how the masses are paying for the mistakes of a few. “The banks made bad bets, but don’t want to take a haircut. Instead, they’re going to screw you and get money from you, from the Greeks, from the Italians, from the French, from the Germans, from everybody. Then there are the austerity measures – raising taxes, cutting benefits, cutting pensions, cutting services, increasing costs, increasing tuition fees. The whole system is collapsing. They’re now downgrading national debts – and you know what that means?”

“People have become enslaved by the banks. This isn’t lefty talk or speculation – it’s a fact” I interject and say that, if this were the case, then we have indeed been “screwed”. The bankers who messed up and took a public bailout – our taxes – are now lowering government credit ratings.

So effectively, we’re paying a higher interest rate on the money we gave them to loan back to us. Ouch. It feels like we’re creeping into some unsettling territory. I dare to ask the begging question: is it architected?

“The moneychangers control the whole show at every level. They just change their name. They’ve gone from moneychangers to loan sharks to bankers. It’s usury – people have become enslaved by the banks. These are money junkies. The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever. The middle class doesn’t exist anymore. The middle class could live comfortably at one time, but it’s gone. Money is concentrated in the hands of the few. This isn’t lefty talk or speculation – it’s a fact.”

Celente’s voice fluctuates between ire and disbelief, as if he’s realising his own theories for the first time. Understandably so; the streets would be rivers of blood if his claims were more widely acknowledged.

But the same question continues to bug me: why would our leaders let this happen? Does understanding the economic situation involve a harsh reality check on the nature of our officials?

“Yes,” he retorts (perhaps I shouldn’t have asked). “And the nature of our leaders is this: they’re the same people you couldn’t stand in high school and college, who wanted to be class president.

Let me tell you something, the senate and congress are allowed inside information of what is going to happen. They then go into the financial markets and make bets based on that information. Take Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, she’s worth over $100 million. You think she got that because she’s so damn smart? They make this money because they are members of a very small club.”

Celente has a knack for making it all sound like the scoop of the century. Speaking to him, though, is a very sobering experience, but not for the reasons you may think. In a landscape saturated by political language and media-speak, it’s refreshing to hear someone with personality and conviction, even if he isn’t the bearer of good news.

Indeed, the most recent Trends Journal couldn’t be bleaker. I ask Celente to elucidate: “It’s actually what we forecast in previous Trends Journals too: class warfare. People are as angry as can be. Everyone knows they’re getting screwed. Where’s it going? Social unrest, as it did this past summer in the UK. When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it. You’re also looking at the beginning of the first great war of the twenty-first century. Look at Iran. The Iranians are not Iraqis, they’re Persians. If anyone attacks them, it’ll be hell.

We’re very concerned about it. This isn’t hyperbole.”

You only have to watch the news to see the war drums beating. If it happens, it’ll be yet another accurate forecast for Celente.

I ask how he proposes we protect our assets and investments. “80% of my money is in gold. I’ve been buying gold since 1978. My first buy was at $187 an ounce, my last was $1702. I buy silver to a lesser extent, and I keep cash”. Prepare for the worst, you have nothing to lose by doing so. We have a bunch of psychopaths and sociopaths running the show. If you’re going to put your trust in these people, you deserve what you get. You need to start thinking for yourself, the information is out there. The Trends Journal isn’t hyperbole – it contains fact after fact after fact. If anyone wants to dispute the facts, let’s talk.”

And with that, Celente hangs up the telephone with a “Ciao-ciao.”

It’s a conversation that still resonates now, a week later. Is it pessimism porn? Has Celente just been lucky with his past predictions, or is he the voice of reason? One thing’s for sure: we’ll find out by the end of this year.

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FINANCE

Different Strokes Does your money need a change of scene? Huw Thomas looks at some alternatives to traditional investments.

P

roperty, long seen as the goose that would lay an infinite number of golden eggs, is not what it was. As house prices stagnate and buyers struggle to secure credit, bricks and mortar seem like less of a safe bet. But property is the picture of reliability compared to the markets. Since the crash in 2008 stocks have been on the kind of endless rollercoaster ride that would give even the sturdiest investor terrible motion sickness.

In such conditions, it’s hardly surprising that people are looking for alternatives to more traditional investment options. Luckily there are a variety of choices for those prepared to think outside the box: classic cars, fine wine and even rare stamps. All provide some very tempting prospects for those looking to do something a little different with their money.

Special Branch A good example can be seen in sustainable forest investments. Timber is something that’s always in demand. As the global population grows so does its need for paper, fuel, packaging and building materials. At the same time we live in an increasingly eco-conscious age. We want to know that we are doing all we can to minimise our impact on the planet. Sustainable forestry investments play to both of these factors, promising a pleasing combination of healthy returns and good karma.

Ethical Forestry is a company carving out its own niche in timber.

It currently owns several large plantations in Costa Rica, where it sustainably grows Melina trees. These fast growing trees are essentially the Central American equivalent of pine, with the advantage that they reach their 100-foot tall maturity in just 12 years.

In order to protect clients’ investments, trees are cared for by highly trained, government-approved forestry engineers. Equal care is taken over the operation’s ongoing sustainability. Areas of forest adjacent to plantations are bought to protect wildlife, while the company offers extensive training and support for its workers and contributes to a range of local community initiatives.

It pays too. A typical investment of £18,000 results a predicted payout of £104,189. “Investors essentially buy 600 new trees which take up approximately half an acre of cleared land,” says Ethical Forestry’s Mark Finn. “At year four, we cut down half the trees. The timber from that wood is sold and investors receive the proceeds. A four year-old tree is 38 feet high. The projected proceeds from sale of that timber is £5,640. In year eight more trees are cut down bringing in a projected return of £15,595, with the strongest being left to grow. More are felled in year 10, with projected returns of £20,518. The final harvest in year 12 produces a projected yield worth £62,436.”

Left: Row upon row of investors’ trees on one of Ethical Forestry’s plantations

Marked trees await harvesting by Ethical Forestry’s government approved forestry engineers Invest the same amount over a 24-year period and the projected returns exceed £1 million. While these figures may sound high, Finn insists all projections are backed up by fact. “Over the course of that investment you’ll grow and harvest 4110 trees with the average sales price for each tree being just over £250,” he says. “It’s all based on forestry statistics and growth data. Lots of people invest in it for pensions and child trust funds.”

Now in its fifth year of operation, Ethical Forestry is in the process of making its first investor payouts, in line with projected return figures. Sustainable timber is clearly a growth industry in every respect.

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Bottoms Up Everybody knows that a good wine can fetch a very tasty price. Case in point: Ch. Petrus 2000 – original price to the UK market was around £3,200 per case of twelve in 2001. To purchase the same wine today would cost you in the region of £36,000 – a profit of 1172% in 11 years, or 102% per annum for 10 years. It goes to show the pull of a particularly attractive wine.

But while many of us are fond of a tipple, few have the knowledge and experience required to make a killing in this undoubtedly lucrative market. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a connoisseur who knows his Lafite Rothschild from his Mouton-Rothschild to get in on the action.

Stacey Golding, investment director of Premier Cru Fine Wine Investments, a company that selects, stores, manages and sells Bordeaux wines on behalf of their clients, commented, “Now is the time to get into the market, especially if you’re a new investor,” she says. “There are a lot of what we would consider to be low risk investments currently available, so you don’t have to go into it thinking you need to have a high risk attitude.”

Ch. Petrus 2000

£80,000

Fine Wine Inv Portfolio £68,153 FTSE 100* (NX) £23,908

£70,000 £60,000

Nikkei 300 Stock Average* (NX) £14,598 Hong Kong Hang Seng* (NX) £30,893 Dow Jones Industrials (NX) £26,453

£50,000

“You don’t have to go into it thinking you need to have a high risk attitude.”

£40,000 £30,000 £20,000

Jun -0 Se 5 p-0 De 5 c-0 Ma 5 r-0 6 Jun -0 Se 6 p-0 De 6 c-0 Ma 6 r-0 7 Jun -0 Se 7 p-0 De 7 c-0 Ma 7 r-0 8 Jun -0 Se 8 p-0 De 8 c-0 Ma 8 r-0 9 Jun -0 Se 9 p-0 De 9 c-0 Ma 9 r-1 0 Jun -1 Se 0 p-1 De 0 c-1 Ma 0 r-1 1 Jun -1 Se 1 p-1 De 1 c-1 1 Jan -12

£10,000

30th June 2005 - 30th January 2012 Investment Chart Index Data provided by Morningstar. © Morningstar & Premier Cru Fine Wine Investments Ltd. All rights reserved. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past financial performance is no guarantee of future results

In fact, wine has proved itself to be a generally very safe place to put your money. It’s a finite resource, resulting in rarity and uniqueness of each vintage. There’s also a growing global market clamouring for the highest quality vintages. Despite occasional price drops, the market has consistently outperformed the FTSE, Dow Jones, Nikkei and Hang Seng over the past seven years. According to Golding, the market currently finds itself at one of its few low points, meaning that 2012 is a great time to enter the market.

“Some of the best current opportunities can be found in the top 2000 to 2005 vintages,” Golding explains. “The quality of those vintages was absolutely outstanding and some of the prices are now very compelling.”

As an added incentive, investing in wine is free from Capital Gains and Income tax. Even better, if stored under bond, it is exempt from VAT and import duty.

“We have clients who invested £2000 in Ch. Lafite Rothschild 2000,” says Golding. “Ten years later, those wines were sold under our management system for £21,500 with which we purchased three cases of wine of younger wine of equivalent quality.” With that kind of profit, you don’t even have to feel guilty if you drink a little of your investment.

24 Spring 2012

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market surges, the trees grow bigger. ‘‘ TheThe stock stock market crashes, the trees grow bigger.

The ride isn’t as exciting, but it’s steady. ’’

dailymail.co.uk

is the only asset class in existence that has risen in three ‘‘ Forestry out of the four market collapses of the 20th century. ’’

MoneyWeek

is uncorrelated to stocks, making it an excellent way to ‘‘ Timber balance your portfolio. ’’ InvestmentU

High Return Timber Investments £18,000 invested over 12 years is projected to return £104,189 with the following payouts: Year 4 £5,640

Year 8 £15,595 - Year 10 £20,518 - Year 12 £62,436 We offer ethical investments with unrivalled returns and environmental benefits for future generations.

• • • •

Projections based on Melina over 12 years Amount invested

Projected returns

If you are looking to invest your hard earned savings or pension, it’s worth considering Ethical

£18,000

£104,189

Forestry’s high return timber investments. Our investments have no correlation to the stock

£30,000

£173,648

market, thereby avoiding the insecurity of unpredictable peaks and troughs. As well as offering

£42,000

£243,108

steady and stable growth, they are ethical and sustainable, giving environmentally conscious

£54,000

£312,567

investors peace of mind knowing their money is growing in safe hands.

£66,000

£382,026

£78,000

£451,486

£90,000

£520,945

£102,000

£590,404

We own and manage our plantations giving investors extra security Plan for the future with regular payouts throughout investment Suitable for savings, pensions and family trusts We monitor investors’ trees regularly

We also tailor investments to meet individual investor requirements

Suitable for pensions • SIPP Approved • HMRC Compliant • Stable & Secure • Sustainable & Ethical Melina Specialists in secure, high-return timber investments Timber is the best long-term investment ‘‘ there is, it is the only low-risk, high return asset there is’’ Jeremy Grantham, Chairman, GMO

Invest direct: for your free copy of our timber investment guide, call

0800 075 30 10

H

M

RC Co an m d p

P lia en nt sio n

enquiries@ethicalforestry.com www.ethicalforestry.com

ForestryAd.indd 25

Ethical Forestry is not regulated by the Financial Services Authority and does not offer any advice about any regulated or unregulated investments, either within this advertisement or elsewhere. Please consult an Independent Financial Advisor prior to making any decision to buy our products. Our products are not regulated investments. Their value may rise or fall and no guarantees of future performance in respect of income or capital growth are given either expressly or by implication, and you may not get back the full amount you pay for them. Ethical Forestry shall not be held liable to anyone for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies within this advertisement under any circumstances or for any loss or damage which may arise from the use of any of the information or detail contained herein. Our projections are based on historical Melina growth data and timber values rising at an average of 7% per annum over the term of the investment.

15/04/2012 11:06

THE 51-30 TIDE

TEAM-DESIGNED, CUSTOM-BUILT, BADASS.

• 3 hand Swiss Quartz with tide sub dial • Custom 300 meter stainless steel case • Custom solid stainless steel band with double locking clasp

Nathan Fletcher

nixon.com

NixonFletcherAd.indd 26 230x297_NIXON_FLETCHER.indd 1

15/04/2012 11:08 12/04/12 10:05

T R AV E L : V E R B I E R S W I T Z E R L A N D

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a v Vi

ae

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By G

peth

or me M

ers. i k s eaten nd. b r o re f witzerla a s e slop erbier, S n e t Bea me to V o Welc

F

irst Great Western provided the first challenge on our journey from Bristol to Geneva, via Heathrow.

We arrived at Bristol Temple Meads to find an empty platform, and a plaintive bleat from the tannoy system advising that the “08:00 to London Paddington has been delayed by 13 minutes.” Bollocks, we thought.

Typical! Consistent though: it was exactly thirteen minutes; obviously trains don’t have tail winds, or a sport setting to help them make up the shortfall. Consequently, we arrived in a mad rush at Heathrow, but the SWISS desk dealt with us quickly, efficiently and courteously, in typical Swiss fashion as we were to find out. If we’d taken them with us, our skis and snowboards would have traveled free, along with 23kg of luggage on this or any other of the 35 daily flights that they manage between the UK and Switzerland.

The flight out was comfortable and quiet, in a brand new A320, and the sandwich (a simple affair with cheese and gherkins) tasted far better than it had any right to. Our cabin staff were cool, unflustered, and managed to make the whole thing a pain-free experience, quite the opposite experience of recent trips with two of the best known bare-fare-plus-extras-for-everything-including-the-air-that-you-breathe

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budget airlines. We could have reduced the fares (SWISS only ask for £109 return to Geneva, and £119 to Zurich) by using one of these “budget boys”, but – and it’s a big but – by the time all the extras are paid for, it’s hardly worth the pain of using them.

Upon arrival at Geneva, we had a seamless transition to our waiting car, courtesy of Vachoux Limousine Service, run by the affable, and eponymous Emmanuel Vachoux. Michel, our driver, was the very model of courtesy, easing us gently into the back of a gleaming S500 4-Matic for the trip to Verbier. We wafted along, safe, secure and relaxed, massage seats on the go, watching Lake Geneva, and generally freeing ourselves from the stresses of the day.

Others were not so lucky, or competent. Maybe, because of the Geneva motor show, everyone except Michel was driving like Schumi competing with Damon Hill. We passed four “craquements” involving numerous cars, each liberally coating the E25/E62 with large numbers of small, expensive pieces of motor car. 162km later, Verbier appeared, nestling in the Val De Bagnes, surrounded by gleaming, snow-clad peaks that, to a non-skier, looked impossible to traverse. The village lies on a south facing terrace at around 1,500 metres, facing the Grand Combin massif, and is part of the Four Valleys ski area, along with Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon. Between them, they boast more 400km of piste. A common ski pass allows access to any one of thirty-five lifts, allowing travel anywhere within this sector. Within it, there are ninety downhill pistes, thirty-three standard ski runs, two snow-parks, one training area, four cross-country pistes and two walking areas.

Verbier though, is recognised as one of the premier off-piste locations in the world, boasting Vallon D'Arby, Tortin, Gentianes, Mont Fort, and Mont Gelé which has no pistes at all. Other notable off-piste 'runs' include the Backside of Mt Fort, Stairway to Heaven, Highway to Heaven, Rocky Garden, Col des Mines, Couloir des Dix, Fontanet

and Creblet. Because of this, Verbier has attracted many of the world’s greatest skiers, keen to take advantage of these steep slopes (flat starts at about 30º) and varied conditions. There are perhaps 3,500 souls who actually live here; in the winter season (December to April), the transient population will add another 35,000 to the figure. The aprés ski is therefore extensive. There are more bars than you can shake a stick at, covering the range from crowded cattle-market to über-cool, cosmopolitan, and even a faux English pub. Truly, “you pays your money and makes your choice.” The Cav&Art Wine Bar, below Chez Martin, is certainly worth a visit.

Thanks to Michel’s expert helmsmanship, we arrived in Verbier early enough to check in to our hotel and go down into the village to collect all our equipment for the following day’s entertainment on the slopes. Courtesy of Ski Verbier, we stayed at the Mont Gelé, a boutique hotel, nestled on the slopes at the end of the blue run from Les Ruinettes, and within 100m of the Médran ski lift. We were welcomed like long lost relatives, made to feel at home immediately, and discovered that we had arrived just in time for canapés. They were perfect as a little pick-me-up, before our stroll down to No. 1 Sports. Afternoon tea, with proper sticky bun cakes and tea, followed by canapés, proved a great end to days spent pounding the piste. In my case, quite literally, as I spent a lot of time practising standing up after having fallen over (yet again). Peter, a far more accomplished skier than me, happily traversed the various red and black runs from Mont Fort, to La Chaux, Fontanet, and Les Ruinettes.

Our ski gear (skis, poles, helmets and boots) was provided by JeanClaude Luyet, and his knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff at No.1 Sports, located about two minutes from the base of the Médran ski lift. Feet were measured, heights and weights determined, ensuring that we had skis the correct length, and that the bindings would break open before our ankles or knees did the same, and that the boots fitted properly.

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‹ Clockwise from right: rest area at Chalet Baroque; sample of their haute cuisine; bedroom at Chalet Baroque; a nearby villa, with views of the resort.

Rather like Moss Bross, they had gear to cover all occasions. We left burdened with kit and ready for the following day’s fun.

Ski Verbier has plenty of experience of looking after snow-sports enthusiasts. The company was founded just over twenty years ago by a chef, who set up what was the first real specialist operator in the region. There are now fourteen handpicked chalets and a boutique hotel, and the emphasis is on the quality of the service; Ski Verbier is proud of its cuisine (of which more later) and the expertise of its chefs. They offer, as standard, fully cooked English breakfasts (The Full Monty, really), afternoon tea, and, in fully serviced chalets, fourcourse evening meals, complete with wine. In addition to the standard chalet-ski-snowboard packages, they can also cater for special requirements: airport transfers, ski schools, massages, baby sitting, and heli-skiing, to name but a few. In amongst all this, the company runs a twenty-four hour driving service for selected chalets, using a fleet of mini-buses – and very convenient it is too.

Our experience of Ski Verbier, at its best, was via an invitation to try a typical dinner in one of their serviced chalets, in this case, Chalet Baroque, just a few minutes from our hotel by mini-bus. We were greeted

by Caroline, our host, who pressed us with glasses of champagne to start the proceedings (correctly we thought), and then by Ash, a marvellously talented young chef, who described the overall menu and some of his variations on the main themes. Between the two of them, and the combination of beautiful cuisine, fine wine and good craic, the

other activity streams: opening multi-national, residential language camps for children during the summer months; and running so-called Gap Courses, aimed specifically at those who wish to train to be ski instructors during their gap year.

Our return journey was even more relaxing: Michel turned up in a Mafia Staff Car (S320 limousine) and after installation in the wide-open spaces of the rear cabin, we were whisked off to Geneva in splendid isolation, in seemingly record time, and without a “craquement” in sight. SWISS had supplied business class tickets for the return journey, so check-in at the separate desk was laughably simple, and the fast-track security entry was easy, though viewed with total disdain by everyone else. I suppose that’s the corollary of paying those extra few pounds for a business class ticket (£295 return to Geneva, and £329 to Zurich, both from Heathrow, for this level of service seems a bargain).

The SWISS lounge is somewhat off the beaten track, but worth the extra few metres: cool, functional, and well stocked with everything that the modern traveller could wish for. Our business class flight back was commendably comfortable, priority boarding meant that we were quickly settled, it arrived on time and was another courteous and painless experience. SWISS seem to have got this down to a tee; other airlines could learn a thing or two from them. Regrettably I could not indulge in any of SWISS’s excellent wines, I was going to be driving back from Heathrow, in something rather special, courtesy of Bentley Motors, who had supplied a GTC W12, with which we were to complete the journey – actually, more of a magic carpet ride in that beauty – to Bristol. The M4 hasn’t ever been as much fun.

“Skiing is one of those sports that either clicks, or takes an age. I fall into the latter category.” evening flowed well. Conversation ebbed and flowed, ranging from skiing tips, to the subtle use of garlic, ginger and lemon in Ash’s extensive repertoire of creations (recipes seems far too mundane a word to use here), and talk of home: Caroline hails from Cork, so Irish humour was high on the agenda, as were their chances in the Six Nations Rugby (no need to rub it in here!). It would be too easy to recommend this as a way of spending a skiing holiday without mentioning the downsides: when I find one I will duly report it.

Skiing is one of those sports that either clicks, or takes an age. I fall into the latter category, I must confess. Fortunately, my instructor, from the appropriately named Altitude Snowsports School, was the very model of patience. Sebastian, an Australian, with seven years experience in Switzerland and New Zealand, gradually coaxed me into some forward motion, and then into the arrowhead stop sequence; the nursery slopes were fine for me. Seb is typical of the Altitude instructors: old head, young shoulders, greatly experienced in both teaching and skiing, and exercising the patience of a saint; I felt safe under his tutelage, and I’m not sure I could have asked for more. My one-to-one lesson with Seb was really the tip of Altitude’s training iceberg. Using English-speaking instructors from all over the world, Jon West, Altitude’s General Manager, has, over a ten year period in Verbier, expanded teaching activities to suit the occasion, covering the spectrum from one-to-one, to group teaching for children, beginners, experienced skiers, or those wanting refresher courses. For the brave, Jon will organise off-piste runs as well.

Altitude do more, though, than just teach skiing and snowboarding to beginners to experts alike. Jon has diversified the school into two

The 'very model of patience', instructor Sebastian in full flow

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P R I VA T E J E T C H A R T E R

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Crew: 2 Capacity: 12 passengers Length: 72 ft 4 in (22.05m) Wingspan: 63 ft 7 in (19.38m) Maximum speed: Mach 0.92 Cruise speed: 525 knots (604mph) at 35,000 ft

X

Marks the Spot

ONF ORM meets Private Jet Charter CEO Hugh Courtenay, and goes for ride in Cessna’s Citation X. Will it live up to the hype?

I

f you could buy a private jet, why the hell wouldn’t you? It makes no sense not to. Ask people without money what they’d spend a hypothetical fortune on, and private jets wouldn’t be far behind dream cars and holidays. So, when jets like the Citation X become commercially available, the question becomes a rhetorical no brainer; an ironic jab at all forms of private travel that preceded it. You see, the Citation X isn’t just another jet; it’s the fastest civilian jet on earth – cruising just shy of the sound barrier, at a teeth-clenching Mach .92. And it’s not just a case of substance over style, because you only have look at the photos surrounding this article to appreciate the craft’s sultry aesthetics and superior avionics.

No one likes an overzealous critic. In fact, it sounds oxymoronic – how can a critic be anything but scathing? Everyone prefers to know how offensively awful something is; how a product or service’s failings can be transformed into a few minutes of textual entertainment. Sorry to disappoint, but you’ll have to wait until next issue. Because who can argue: the Citation X encompasses everything one needs from a private jet. Aside from the aviatic similitude to Audrey Hepburn, this sleek craft is powered by two Rolls Royce turbofan engines, and is diligently put together by Cessna Aircraft Company (based in Wichita, Kansas).

When it comes to business, the X has earned its distinction of being one of the most popular – and therefore most busy – aircrafts.

Hugh Courtenay is CEO and Managing Director of Private Jet Charter, which he set up twenty-one years ago. Since then, through an ongoing commitment to tailored services for clients, it has become one of the largest independent aircraft charter brokers in the world. If anyone knows about jets, it’s Hugh, and he couldn’t be more enthused about the Citation X: “Those who travel on Private Jet are always looking for ways to make their lives more comfortable and more productive,” he said. This aircraft does both.”

Indeed, if the X is good for anything, it’s speed. Not enough hours in the day? Not anymore. London to Moscow in less than three hours, or to Cap Verde in just five – that should give you an idea of the velocity and ferocity of the craft. No wonder it’s one of Hugh’s favourites; the man has a penchant for speed, especially when it comes to cars (his newest is a Jaguar). We ask him what makes Private Jet Charter standout in the market.

“Our Global offices guarantee a quality of service which is personal and local,” he begins, “and at the same time make use of a combined knowledge of the global aviation market, which is unrivalled. When you fly with

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Private Jet Charter we offer an experience, not just a service, and that is why clients rely on us time and time again.”

The Citation X has proved to be amongst Private Jet Charter’s most popular models.

It’s a lazy truism to point out that the X is the most aerodynamically advanced model on the market, with wings swept back at 37 degrees, creating significantly less drag, and thereby improving the jet’s already-modest fuel consumption. The unique design also lessens the

friction of high-speed travel, which in turn increases efficiency, kills time, and ensures gracefully smooth operation.

But enough technical talk; subtleties in design and avionics are something most people take for granted. Once we’re assured of jet’s capabilities, we can forget about them. What matters thereafter is comfort and aesthetic.

The X doesn’t feel much like a midsized business jet, and that’s because it isn’t. The cabin is unique, in that it features the wid-

est, most capacious interiors ever seen in a Citation. It doesn’t compromise on beauty or comfort either; the pillowed seats invite you to recline into the wide-body cushions.

We ask Hugh if the Citation X ranks among his favourites. “My soft spot for the Citation X is borne out of my love for speed,” he confirms. “This super sleek aircraft may not be everyone’s dream, but I guarantee, if you want to get somewhere fast, this is the one you should opt for.”

The Citation X truly deserves the anticipation and hype it has amassed; a sublime jet, capable of handling short journeys and international hauls. The pitch isn’t hyperbole on this occasion; Cessna and Private Jet Charter are both right in their enthusiasm – because, for now, the X is the fastest and most efficient jet on the market.

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FA S H I O N

Suit and shirt by Billionaire Couture; sunglasses by Ray Ban. Dress by Milly at My Wardrobe; gloves by Aspinal 32 Spring 2012

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Country

Manner

W

e could take this opportunity to tell you about our beautiful shoot this quarter, our work with some of England’s finest heritage brands like Crombie, Burberry and Aspinal, and our nod to the Italian greats like Domenico Dolce, Steffano Gabbana, Gianmarco Lorenzi, and Moshino. Or we could let this exquisite work speak for itself. We can, however, tell you what to expect from our fashion team this year.

ONF ORM Magazine is singularly poised to bring the world of international fashion home. With editors and contributors who travel to, and live in, the style capitals of the world, we’re out there on the front lines of fashion. ONF ORM is filled with up-to-the-minute news from the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. From the front row to the shopping addresses of London, ONF ORM Magazine is there.

Each issue, we have a style section filled with everything that fashion and beauty lovers need to hit the streets and stay on form.

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Opposite: suit, belt, shoes and t-shirt by Billionaire Couture; sunglasses by Ray Ban; bag by D&G at My Wardrobe. Dress by Milly at My Wardrobe; gloves by Aspinal; shoes by Gianmarco Lorenzi.

Top: jumper by Burberry; gloves and scarf by Aspinal; trousers by Pal Zileri; sunglasses by Ray Ban. Dress by Milly at My Wardrobe; belt by James Lakeland; scarf by Aspinal; bag by Belen Echandia.

Bottom: jacket by Burberry; shirt by Pal Zileri; trousers by Marc by Marc Jacobs at My Wardrobe; bag by D&G at My Wardrobe; sunglasses by Ray Ban. Dress by James Lakeland; belt and shoes by Burberry; purse by Ettinger; jacket by Moloh; sunglasses by Finest Seven ONF ORM 35

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Opposite: shirt by Moloh; trousers by Burberry; shoes by Moda in Pelle.

Sunglasses by Ray Ban. This page: jumper by Aquascutum; trousers and shoes by Pal Zileri; bag by Ettinger. Jacket by Aquascutum; shirt

by Moloh; trousers by Burberry; shoes by Moda in Pelle; bag by Ettinger

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38 Spring 2012

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Opposite: shirt, trousers, belt, bag and shoes by Billionaire Couture. Top by Aquascutum; scarf

by Aspinal; skirt by Halston Heritage at My Wardrobe; shoes by Gianmarco Lorenzi. Bottom left: jacket by Aquascutum; shirt by Pal Zileri; jeans by Burberry; shoes by Paul Smith at My Wardrobe; umbrella by Aquascutum. Jacket by Burberry; dress by Moschino Cheap and Chic at My Wardrobe; shoes by Aquascutum. Bottom right: dress by Nina Naustadal

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William Montgomery is a leadership consultant with first class credentials. The former navigating officer of HMS Ark Royal and Head of Strategic Change at Lloyds TSB now heads up askten where he has earned an enviable reputation as a powerful catalyst for performance, helping release potential to maximise profit through the creation of a success culture for start-up entrepreneurs to FTSE 100 companies.

We help our clients translate strategy into action.

Organisations fail more often by not implementing their strategies effectively, rather than having the wrong strategy. askten brings together the key components of strategy – business and operating models, structure, culture, leaders, teams and people – into a clear and practical design and execution action plan.

We help our clients make insightful decisions.

With insights based on authoritative research and world-wide experience and expertise, we can help our clients make better, more informed decisions.

We help our clients develop and retain world-class talent and leaders.

Having the right people is vital. We help our clients assess and develop their leaders and implement talent and succession management plans to support their long-term organisational performance.

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We help our clients through all stages of the process, sharing our knowledge and empowering them to succeed in the future.

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15/04/2012 10:57

I N T E R V I E W : D AV I D F R O S T

Talking the Talk ONFORM’S Publishing Director, Peter J. Robinson counts down the minutes with Sir David Frost.

“Well, we’ve done 28 minutes, but we’ve covered the field I hope?” You’re timing it, Sir David?

“No, I just have a clock in front of me. “Well, I have it at 27 minutes and 34 seconds. He laughs, “Well, we’re in agreement on everything then.”

S

ir David Frost had more than 28 hours with Nixon. I had less than half an hour to try and get under this broadcasting institution’s skin.

But how do you interview Sir David Frost, a man who has taken world leaders, royalty and the celebrity elite to task? A man who clearly commands occult-like powers when it comes to getting the truth?

The 73-year-old son of a Methodist Minister, he became a household name on both sides of the Atlantic, and shows no sign of stopping. After studying at Cambridge, he came to

television in the early 1960s, presenting the groundbreaking BBC show That Was The Week That Was. In 1969, he also introduced the much-criticised trial by television, notably of Emil Savundra – head of a cut-price car insurance company that swindled thousands of motorists. I was intrigued as to how Sir David managed to maintain such a disciplined approach and not, like so many interviewers, lose his cool with his subjects?

“I am very fortunate in the sense that I don’t normally get nervous, and even before the vital Watergate sessions of the Nixon interviews, I wasn’t nervous then either. I

Below: with Nixon, following the Watergate scandal

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was concentrating, focusing, lasering in on the subject we were about to discuss and so on, but I don’t get nervous in that sense, which is obviously a great plus for interviewing, because often your first task is to relax the person your interviewing, and if you’re nervous and un-relaxed yourself, that’s much more difficult.”

This leads me onto an area which I’m positive has been covered in excruciating depth. I feel like I should take some advice from Sir David and avoid the subject altogether, as let’s face it, what could be left to tell? I hazard a question: I can imagine that when interviewing President Nixon you made it clear from the outset that you were there to get answers?

“That’s right, obviously some of the famous questions are ad-libbed but others are ones that you know you have to get an answer to, and so one concentrates on getting to those vital questions, but at the same time, in any interview, you’ve always got to be ready for a subject that you’re not expecting to come up that seems very fruitful. For instance, some great material came during mine and President Nixon’s ‘small talk’ time. He had no small talk, yet he insisted upon five minutes of it before each meeting. His verbal clumsiness was odd, because he was such a professional politician. Once he said, ‘Did you do any fornicating this weekend?’ He was trying to be one of the boys with me, but he got the words wrong. Lovers don’t call themselves fornicators any more than freedom fighters call themselves terrorists.”

Nixon may well be considered to be Sir David’s crowning achievement. It’s been said that he sacrificed a lot to get the

interview – be it fiscally, commercially and through existing relationships. I ask whether, from the outset, he had the conviction that Nixon would open up on camera.

“Well I was extremely hopeful that we would get him to open up on some of the key topics, but perhaps not all. In fact, what happened in the end is we went further – he went further – than we could have even predicted in terms of his confessions.”

Even today, Sir David seems every bit enthused as he was some 30 years ago. I pry, asking how it felt when Nixon did utter those infamous words.

“When the president does it, that means it’s not illegal,” he replies candidly. “He is cementing his ignominy there and then. Sometimes you’re delighted when someone is being very frank about a subject. Then your task, obviously, is to persuade them to go further and sometimes that is just by a short pause or a silence and the person comes forward with more things that he’s got to say. So if there is a silence, it’s a question of working out whether it’s potentially a very fruitful silence, or whether they have just forgotten what they were going to say.”

With such a varied history of interviewing high-profile people, one wonders who’s left to interrogate.

“I look forward very much to my next interview with Vladimir Putin, who is a fascinating man to interview. We’ve had two sessions, which were both very fruitful, one when he was acting president at the beginning of 2000, and the other before his state visit to the UK. Vladimir Putin is a very intriguing and provocative figure.”

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I

t should make for an interesting interview given the increased scrutiny on the Russian government, in respect of freedom of speech. I’m keen to ask Sir David what he thinks will happen to investigative journalism given the ongoing Leveson inquiry exploring the boundaries of journalism and notions of privacy.

“I think that obviously there are times when it does appear that investigative journalism is under threat, and given the recent fuss over the bugging and all of that, it has looked as though investigative journalism could be. At the same time, a lot of the pressure has been towards more free speech rather than less. It could go in a way that makes investigative journalism more difficult, or it could make it more free, and I suppose the recent stories that have emanated from the Sunday Times about Peter Krellis show that investigative journalism is alive and well at the moment. It needs vigilance now because it’s very important that the outcome of all these enquiries is not to lessen the freedom of speech in this country, but to increase it. Lessening the freedom of speech would have dire consequences.”

I think it’s fair to say that Sir David has done his fare share for the cause. Choosing Al-Jazeera was a bold choice in 2005. The station was mainly known in the western world for carrying exclusive Al-Qaeda messages. With many news outlets willing to bend over backward for Sir David’s services after leaving Breakfast with Frost, what gave this western unknown the edge?

“The reason that Al Jazeera was such an irresistible opportunity was that I felt that it might be the last time that a brand new news network covering the world would actually

emerge. It made Al Jazeera English’s trailblazing plans very much irresistible. When Al Jazeera English started and when we started our show, Frost Over the World, they had 50 countries and 20 million households in terms of reach. In the six years – it’s amazing that it’s six years – it’s risen to 130 countries and the reach has gone to 250 million households.

So the response to Al Jazeera has in fact been even better than one could have anticipated. It underlined that I felt I had made the right decision to say yes to their invitation.”

In 2011, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the network’s news coverage was more informative and less opinion-driven than American journalism. A great brand ambassador, if ever you needed the US administration’s support.

“Absolutely, that was a really strong endorsement, a very valuable one, and I’m sure that speech that she made did increase the positive impact of Al Jazeera English. The other thing they very wisely did was to say that we want to do a little more from the south of the world rather than the north. We still cover the north of the world, America and Britain and so on, but we do tend, sometimes in this part of the globe, to underplay the rest of the world. So, it’s been a revelation to people – the material from South America and South East Asia and Africa. Africa has been a tremendously fruitful area for Al Jazeera English as well. It’s a very big part of the expansion.”

A credible news organisation opening up to a series of countries that are disenfranchised inevitably opens doors to individuals that the western press has never had the opportunity to gain access to, I would imagine?

Above: Frost interrogates thenSecretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld

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“Yes, I think that Al Jazeera has developed as wide a possible an access and that has been a tremendous help. It really has helped to make it – not just because of the Middle East – the most genuinely, international network. That’s what’s underlined its impact I feel.”

We are certainly living in uncertain times – politically, economically and socially. Al Jazeera has been on the forefront for the last three years, covering a period of mounting unrest. Have you seen anything like this before and are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?

“There was a real parallel back in the early ‘70s when the FTSE Index came down to something as low as 200 or 150, I mean it was a real crisis and in a way it had even more impact that the current one, in terms of the sort of the crash that went around in ‘74. So that was very good training for this one, and in fact it probably had even more of an instant impact, although obviously there’s a continuing impact from this one.”

It seems that the only people weathering the financial impact these days are bankers and footballers, I reply, deciding to change tact. There were stories that, growing up, you were interested in becoming a professional footballer for Nottingham Forest. Actually, I’m told you were rather good.

Does your interest in sport extend to rugby?

“Great material came during mine and President Nixon’s ‘small talk’. Once he said, ‘Did you do any fornicating this weekend?’”

“Yes, but not as passionately as football. Even though at my grammar school, Wellingborough Grammar School, they played rugby, I was playing for the local football team on a Saturday. I had to do my best when playing for my house during the week, but somehow manage to arrange not to be selected for the first or second fifteen at the weekend. It was a pretty good juggling act.”

You always cite your interview with Sammy Davis Jr. as a great moment. My grandfather introduced me to the Rat Pack at a very young age, so I have to ask, was he every inch the entertainer he seemed?

“I’m so glad you raise the question of Sammy Davis Jr., because I think he was undoubtedly the greatest all-round entertainer the world has ever seen. He was so generous, because at the beginning of the ‘70s, I was doing the David Frost Show in New York, and the rules of the talk show were that people got a minimal fee of $350 dollars. I think it’s only $500 odd now. So, $350 – and in addition to appearing for the interview, we had an orchestra, Sammy sang eight songs with the band, did about twenty impressions in the conversation, and did a wonderful dance. At the end of the show, he said ‘Thank you David, I must thank you’. I said absolutely not, I’m the one that should be giving the thanks, because what you have given us here is just magic.

Sammy said ‘Whenever I want to give a friend of mine a present, I never like to just get them something from the shop, I like to give them something of my own’. At which point, he took off his magnificent diamond watch and gave

it to me. It was a breathtaking moment, just incredible and it became my most prized possession for about 12 years, until it was stolen from a hotel room. But it was just a typical example of what a generous soul Sammy Davis Jr. was, as well as a magnificent artist.”

Having interviewed such an eclectic mix of stars from the stage and screen, it’s no surprise that Sir David returned to the BBC this year, with a guide to the art of television interviewing, called Frost on Interviews.

How has the interview changed since you first started?

“Over the last 50 or 60 years, from the very bland interviews that people did with politicians back in the ‘50s, interviewing in politics has got sterner and tougher, which is all for the good. At the same time, in terms of film stars and celebrities, interviews have got softer, because more and more spin doctors are getting involved. Tony Blair made policy up on the air. In 2000 when he was under pressure over the NHS, he told me he was going to boost the level of spending on the NHS to the European average, which was not what he’d told Gordon Brown who, by all accounts, was furious. The next Thursday I went for drinks at Number Eleven and saw two Treasury mandarins. One of them said, ‘You cost us £15bn on Sunday morning’. And the other one said, ‘No, it was much more than that’.”

You say interviews were previously bland, but did anyone stick out? Who influenced you back then?

“The interviewer who most influenced me was John Freeman. His interviews were called Face to Face in the late ‘50s. They were stunning in the sense that they were so in-depth and to the point. He was also a very serious interviewer. But in terms of getting to the basics, which I think a lot of interviewing is about, answering the question ‘what makes people tick’, he was at the forefront of developing the questions on that front.

Freeman’s manner was neither aggressive nor provocative, but the questions were fairly forthright, combining that with the camera work of the show which focused almost exclusively on the face of the interviewee, the interview was more like a session on a psychiatrist’s couch.

“It had an element of that certainly didn’t it,” Sir David replies. “That’s a very interesting observation.”

You have been noted for your friendly, non-aggressive approach to interviewing. How do you view the ‘Paxman’ approach? “[Laughs] Well obviously I never like to comment on colleagues, but the basic point is that it’s no good going into an interview in a really combative way unless you’ve got the goods. I always remember one remark that the late Labour leader John Smith made to me after the last interview we did together. He said, ‘David, you have a way of asking beguiling questions with potentially lethal consequences’. I said I would be very happy to have that on my tomb stone. In other words, yes, of course you can be confrontational, as long as it’s a real confrontation. Doing it in order to sound tough, but without the goods, it won’t work.”

Indeed, Frost’s inimitable style will continue to influence a new generation. It seem as though he’ll be on our TV screens, in one way or another, forever.

At this point, our time is up. Sir David charismatically wishes me good luck with ONFORM and offers to help with anything else I might need. Perhaps an invitation to your garden party, Sir David?

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MOTORING

The MG Renaissance Graeme Morpeth discovers classic charm with modern standards.

T

This in a car that could barely cope with 95bhp when it was first he MGB was launched in 1962 to replace the launched in 1962. Is he deranged? much-loved, though thoroughly antiquated, Absolutely not. The deal here is that Tim is celebrating the fiftieth MGA. MG’s Chief Engineer, Syd Enever, birthday of the ‘B’, by producing a Limited Edition of fifty ‘BGT’ verdesigned an all-new monocoque body, which sions. They are the real deal. In conjunction with the British Motor Chief Body Draughtsman Don Hayter styled.

Heritage, the MG Club, and DLVA, Tim has taken the VIN numbers They had visions of independent suspension, a from fifty scrap bodies, and will be attaching them to fifty brand new range of light-weight V4 and V6 engines, and bodies, manufactured by BMH. The bodies have upgraded sills and whole new levels of performance from the car. floors, and are seam welded, which, at a stroke of the welders wire, creUnfortunately, John Thorley, MG’s brilliant General Manager, lost ates a strong and torsionally rigid body shell, which is then rust-proofed his battle with Leonard George and George Harriman, the ‘make-doto survive a nuclear winter. and-mend’ duo in charge of BMC at the time. To set the scene: Graham The front and rear suspensions have been updated: cart springs Searjeant, Financial Editor of The Times, in a 31 May 2007 article, and lever arm dampers replaced with proper coil-over spring telnoted that Lord was a “foul-mouthed, hard-driving production man,” escopic dampers; cast-aluminium upper wish-bones grace the front, and credits (only some of!) the failures at Longbridge, BMC’s main and at the rear, the live axle has a simple and effective five-link system, factory, to Lord’s “lack of vision” and the “inadequacy” of his protégécomprising two pairs of parallel trailing arms, losuccessor, George Harriman. Between them, they ran cated top and bottom of the axle, to stop it twisting, a company famous for its sprawling and unprofitable and a Panhard rod, to stop it skipping about when product range, weak distribution and feeble manageTechnical Specifications the car is cornering. ment. In its heyday, BMC almost certainly lost money Price: £50,000, (or more depending upon your wish list) The first clue to this potential comes even on every car it made: it is a wonder that the ‘B’ ever Engine: 1,999cc 4cyl twin cam before you’ve pressed the Bakelite starter button, made it off MG’s drawing board. fuel injected which is mounted in a familiar black crackle finish So, the ‘B’ ended up with cart springs, barely Horsepower: 215 bhp @7,200rpm dashboard. The bespoke Smiths dials, which match adequate lever arm dampers, and an engine origiTorque (lb ft): 174@3,600rpm the original design, feature a speedometer, identinally developed in 1952, which can be described Transmission: 6-speed manual fied with the car’s chassis number, which reads to as agricultural, at best. In spite of this, the “B” and 170mph, and a rev counter that reads up to 9000, its bigger brother the ‘BGT’ perfectly matched the Performance with the red line starting at 7200 rpm. These nestle zeitgeist of the sixties, and, almost unbelievably, 0-62mph: 5.1 sec in an Alcantara-swathed interior, with leather trim, went on to become the world’s second best selling Top speed: 158mph beautifully hand-finished by Frontline’s own trimsports-cars (the Mazda MX-5 is first in line), and in Weight: 941kg mer, and enlivened by authentic Lucas switchgear, the process, created one of the world’s most endurwhich control modern components, including air ing classic cars. conditioning, heated seats and a heated front windscreen. Sensibly, the Thorley, Enever, and Hayter would have approved thoroughly of useless rear seats have been ditched and a proper load space created.

Tim Fenna and the changes he has wrought in transforming the MBG Oh, and beautiful Dunlop alloy wheels as first seen on the Jaguar D GT into the LE50. Fenna has taken their design, which the engineertype. The specifications are closely controlled by BMH; three body coling illiterates at BMC forced MG to cobble together, and transformed ours and five interior colourways are offered within the range. For cars it into a Porsche-pounding performance car, with a combination of outside the LE50 range, you can very much name your combinations, proper engineering, contemporary components, traditional styling though ‘Lady Penelope pink’ may not be available. and new materials.

On the road it is brilliant – unbelievably fast and sure footed – light Each car uses a brand-new British Motor Heritage MGB shell, into years away from its leaden-footed predecessor. It’s a visceral experience which Fenna’s company, Frontline Developments, places a 2-litre VVC driving at speed, with engine and wind noise befitting a fifty-year-old Mazda MX-5 engine. It has a new crankshaft and connecting-rods; body design. It moves around the road much like an early Porsche 911, forged, Teflon-coated pistons; an upgraded fuel injection system, and though it’s much safer. And it’s fun, with sharp turn in from the electric importantly, a new exhaust camshaft. All this is allied to a carefully steering system and sure placement from the revised suspensions settuned bunch-of-bananas exhaust manifold, and a bespoke Omex enup. It’s easily controllable, a car you can throw around without too gine management system. This releases 215 bhp, at around 7200rpm, much fear of off-road excursions. and 174 lbft at 3600 rpm. That means 240bhp per ton, more than a Form an orderly queue, with your cheque books at the ready, to buy Porsche Cayman S (the LE50 only weighs 941kg, about 140kg less than a modern classic. the original MGB). Even better, the engine is mounted only 12mm Thanks to Tim Fenna and his MG Magicians at Frontline Developments, from the bulkhead, resulting in almost perfect weight distribution, based in Steventon, Oxfordshire. with great benefits to handling and road-holding.

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“On the road it is brilliant, unbelievably fast and sure footed, light years away from its leaden-footed predecessor�

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MUSIC

Shock Exploring the myths that have become rock ‘n’ roll folklore.

and

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Usually in that order.

There was a time, not so long ago, before the surge in mainstream mediocrity, when being a rock star had merit. If the legends are true, musicians of 60s and 70s, on the whole, spent about an hour each day on stage, and the other twenty-three shagging, boozing, drugging and devil worshipping. Few things compare to the original circus of rock and roll, but what sustains it, what gives it that edge, is its mythology.

The stories behind our favourite rock stars solidify their status and nourish their legacies, allowing us, as fans, to live vicarious lives of destruction and decadence. So, sound-check over, turn it up to eleven – here are the best of the bunch.

Beatles blaze up in Buckingham Palace This tale is still often recounted as fact today. Following a visit to Buckingham Palace (October, 1965) to collect their MBEs, John Lennon claimed that The Beatles had snuck off to the toilets for a quick puff on a joint. Yet another reason to take everything John Lennon said with a pinch of salt (hey, c’mon, the guy once claimed to have written Eleanor Rigby). Lennon later confessed the band would have been “far too scared to do it.” McCartney, on the more truthful hand, recalls a

roll!

“sly ciggie” with the lads, in order to quell the nerves before meeting Her Maj’.

Cocaine blues Recently highlighted by the suavely perverse U.S. drama Californication, the ingesting-blow-via-the-backdoor routine was originally made famous by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. Legend has it that Nicks’ habit was so bad that her nose could no longer sustain the abuse.

“That’s absurd,” she said in 2001. “Maybe it came about because people knew I had such a big hole in my nose. Let’s put a belt through my nose, because that’s how big the hole is.” Whatever the hell that means.

The court remains out on this one, Stevie.

Meeting Mephistopheles Robert Johnson (pictured opposite top) is widely considered the forefather of rock and roll – the king of the delta blues. But his talent supposedly came at a price. Rock and roll has long been synonymous with Faustian deals, but RJ’s story is by far the most curious, namely because, in the space of a few short years, he went from lacklustre gui-

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bovine it is not. Simmons has claimed, however, that said tongue has pleasured over 4000 women. Aside from lingual matters, Kiss, in one of their typically bizarre marketing ploys, insisted that vials of their own blood were mixed with ink and used to colour the first issue of Marvel’s Kiss comic book. Is it true? Absolutely – witnessed by a notary public and subject to a signed contract.

Shark attack Possibly the most infamous rock and roll story of all time took place on 28 July, 1969, at the Edgewater Inn, Seattle, Washington, and involved Led Zeppelin (pictured bottom left). “A pretty young groupie with red hair was tied to the bed,” said music journo Stephen Davis. “Led Zeppelin proceeded to stuff pieces of shark into her.” The variations of this tale vary, with main perpetrator originally said to have been drummer John Bonham. However, road manager Richard Cole soon rectified this: “It wasn’t Bonzo, it was me. It wasn’t shark parts anyway. It was the nose that got put in. We caught a lot of big sharks, at least two dozen, stuck coat hangers through the gills and left them in the closet. But the true shark story was that it wasn’t even a shark, it was a red snapper.”

That obviously makes it okay then, Richard.

Wacko Jacko Among the endless list of accusations thrown at Michael Jackson was that he owned the Elephant Man’s bones. Initially surfacing in 1987, reports speculated that Jackson offered $50,000 for John Merrick’s remains. Although the offer could have indeed been genuine, Jackson never actually owned the bones; whatever was left of Merrick was destroyed by an air raid on the Royal London Hospital during the Second World War. Therefore, this myth can be laid to rest.

No myth, however, is Jacko’s purchasing of the Beatles back catalogue. Paul McCartney thought Jackson was joking when he originally expressed a desire to own it. “The annoying thing is I have to pay to play some of my own songs” he said. “Each time I want to sing ‘Hey Jude’ I have to pay.”

Life on Mars

tarist to landmark musician. And with song titles such as ‘Me and the Devil Blues’ and ‘Cross Road Blues’, it wasn’t hard for people to make the connection. His premature death, at 27, didn’t help matters either.

The ‘official’ reason for his quick-found talent was that he was tutored

by Ike Zimmerman. But frankly, the legend is just too good to dismiss.

This is a devilishly good sixties’ legend – a story that has been appropriated for every generation since: Marianne Faithfull – naked but for a fur rug – was found in a compromising situation with a Mars Bar and Mick Jagger, amidst a drug-bust on Keith Richards’ country mansion. Richards confirms the presence of Mars Bars – “on acid, you suddenly get sugar lack” – but denies any cocoa-based exploits: “She was dressed in this fur bedspread that she’d been all day.” Hmm, very curious, Keith.

Stop breaking down Buggered up from years of self-abuse, and ahead of a European tour, Keith Richards (pictured with Jagger and Bob Dylan opposite) allegedly decided to clean up his act by checking himself into a Swiss clinic in September 1973 – to have a blood transfusion. “Someone asked me how I cleaned up, so I said I had my blood completely changed,” he said. “I was f**king sick of answering that question, so I gave them a story.” And it’s a story they ran with, further cementing Richards’ reputation as the most impervious man in rock.

Making Kisstory Kiss were always causing havoc. Their makeup was mysterious and shocking, evoking such curiosity that ‘unmasking’ them became an American media crusade. There were two big stories surrounding Kiss in their prime. The first concerns bassist Gene Simmon’s abnormally large tongue, supposedly transplanted from a cow. Big it may be, but

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CULTURE

Maestro of the Macabre Since his first seminal show, Freeze, in 1988, Damien Hirst has become one of the most celebrated and influential artists of his generation.

Now, almost a quarter of a century later, Tate Modern will host the first substantial survey of his work in a British institution, collating key artworks from the past two decades. Included will be iconic sculptures from his Natural History collection, including The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, in which he suspended a shark in formaldehyde. The exhibition is open until 9 September, and here are some of its key pieces.

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Previous page: The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991), shark in formaldehyde; Damien Hirst with Mother and Child Divided, which won the 1995 Turner prize.

This page: two of a series of circle paintings from the mid-90s.

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Clockwise from right: Lullaby Spring, a steel cabinet containing painted pills; A Thousand Years, which consists of a glass box full of flies, maggots, a cow’s head and an insect-o-cutor; Sinner, a medicine cabinet from 1988.

“It’s amazing what you can do with an E in A-level art, a twisted imagination and a chainsaw.”

– Hirst on winning the 1995 Turner Prize.

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C U I S I N E : E X C L U S I V E R E S TA U R A N T S

Service Please Emma Inglis investigates the secrets behind restaurant exclusivity.

Konstam was a good restaurant.

Its chef, Oliver Rowe, was a good chef.

The décor was suitably bohemian with metal light fixtures that hung like petticoats from the ceiling. This, after all, was North London, and its staff, young, bright things, all eager to please. It served the best eggs benedict in London. The ham was cured on the premises and the eggs poached just right so that when eaten the yolks floated off into a frothy hollandaise. But perfectly executed eggs benedict and funky light fittings cannot keep a restaurant in business. Last year Konstam shut down. The chef cited a difficult economic climate and a challenging location for its close.

Further west, in Central London, a well-oiled PR machine goes into overdrive at the launch of yet another sleek, swanky restaurant. To be fair, the restaurant looks immaculate and the design team get top marks for creating a sultry, sexy space that deserves to be on the front of a glossy design magazine. An up-and-coming chef is paraded around a team of food writers who are busily quaffing exquisite canapés and an ebullient owner declares that this is now the most exclusive place to eat in London. Pretty PR girls nod in agreement. The chef looks nervous.

The weight of responsibility lies heavily on his shoulders. After all, it is his cooking that will make it so. Or is it?

Restaurateur, Mourad ‘Momo’ Mazouz, owner of Sketch and Momo in London, believes that diners are looking for experiences that go beyond the food. For Mazouz, the atmosphere, design and style of a restaurant are as much a part of its success as the chef. Says Mazouz, “I have always believed that the atmosphere is as important as the food we serve and the way we serve. There always needs to be a balance. All elements must be of the highest standards.”

Certainly Mazouz’s exacting standards have guaranteed his popularity amongst an elite group. Madonna and Sharon Stone have both thrown parties at Momo, and Sketch is no stranger to the celebrity; everyone from Bill Clinton to Victoria Beckham has been through it doors.

For Mazouz the details matter: the lighting, the art, the music, the service, the quality of the cutlery, the glass, even the table linen. Everything is carefully considered. Designers call it the ‘dazzle factor’ and Mazouz certainly knows how to dazzle. A trip to Sketch is a high-octane

fuelled treat for the senses. Whether enjoying tea in the Parlour or dining in the newly refurbished Gallery restaurant – a cacophony of mismatched furniture, colours and zigzags conceived by Turner prize winning artist Martin Creed – Sketch mesmerises. Fabric, furnishings, lighting and textiles are all used to extraordinary effect. Even the lavatories don’t escape the Felliniesque touch. It wouldn’t be practical at home, but at Sketch it is fun, theatrical and highly esoteric.

Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, favoured by the Chelsea-set, is another restaurateur who believes that design and atmosphere should not be understated. But Aikens reckons that today’s diner is after something less formal than yesteryear, and his own restaurant, Tom Aikens, has recently undergone a refurbishment to reflect this. Sharp lines and sleek black furniture have been replaced by stripped oak floors, chunky wooden furniture and a palette of cool taupes.

“Restaurants have changed and evolved over the past couple of years,” says Aikens. “Old school more formal dining has had its day.

People want to be able to enjoy themselves. They want informality in a restaurant, a place which is fun and lively.”

To this end, the design at Tom Aikens Restaurant captures a kind of dressed-down chic. When your billionaires these days are the Zuckerbergs in jeans and t-shirts, you’ve got to let go of some of that stuffy formality. It just isn’t cool anymore. Service reflects that. There’s no pomposity here; Aikens’s staff are some of the friendliest that you’ll find anywhere.

For Aikens and Mazouz, creating the right space has been an essential part in fashioning an exclusive establishment. However, there is no question that the food has got to be up to scratch. Indeed, ultimately, Aikens believes that if a chef is good, he’ll be followed anywhere. “Even if you have somewhere in the Outer Hebrides; if you are cooking amazing food people will eventually hear of it. They will come.”

And there is no doubt that, when it comes to garnering exclusivity, Michelin stars help. They guarantee that the media come calling and that’s all good for business. But both Aikens and Mazouz are aware that theirs is a fickle industry; diners are constantly on the hunt for the next new shiny dining experience. Mazouz claims that his restaurant’s

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Mourad Mazouz, “All elements must be of the highest standards”

Tom Aikens, “Old school more formal dining has had its day”

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refurbishment came from a fear that “people get bored.” For Aikens, invariably there comes a point when there is “a drop off.”

Aikens tells me, “There is always the initial buzz and excitement.

People want to try out new places and new things, and you’ll have a crowd that will go to all these new places. But once that excitement dies down you are left with your regular customers, or tourists.”

If Aikens speaks somewhat wistfully, he has good reason: a few years ago his last restaurant went into receivership. No one had any idea.

Indeed, to all intents and purposes, Tom Aikens Restaurant, mark one, looked like it was doing well. Right up to the last minute, leggy models and high-fliers were seen sashaying through its doors and Aikens’s craggy good looks graced the pages of all the foodie magazines.

There is one final factor in a restaurant’s success. As important as a restaurant’s design, atmosphere, food and staff, is its price point. Every successful restaurateur and chef that I spoke to emphasised the importance of balancing the high costs of running a top establishment with menu pricing. Customers are savvy. If they do not feel they are getting sufficient value for their money, they will not return. Everyone expects to pay a premium for Michelin-starred food, location, ambiance, presentation, and superb service, but no one wants to be taken for a mug.

Yet costs need to be controlled. Winning at the pricing game is no easy task, but, ultimately, incomings have got to exceed outgoings. One of the world’s most successful restaurateurs, Michel Roux, Jr. two-starred Michelin chef at Le Gavroche, is unequivocal about that.

“Key factor number one is making money, because if you don’t make money, you no longer have a restaurant. A lot of gifted chefs don’t realise that. It seems pretty fundamental, doesn’t it? But if they haven’t got a good accountant or good partners who can run the restaurant as a business, then a lot of them fall flat on their faces.’’

As flat as Mr Rowe fell at Konstam last year – despite serving the best eggs benedict in London.

Le Gavroche, London W1K

Momo, London

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TALISKER. LIKE RECEIVING A WARM WELCOME FROM A WILD SEA.

THE SINGLE MALT MADE BY THE SEA The TALISKER words and associated logos are trade marks ©2010

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PROPERTY

Swiss Real Estate.

As good as gold.

Peter Robinson looks at the case for property investment in Flims, at the Graubunden canton.

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or a long time, the Swiss have restricted the sale of property to foreigners. Now the Federal government has set an annual quota of permits for non-resident foreigners seeking to acquire property in Switzerland. In addition, cantonal authorisation is needed before gaining a title.

Each canton has slightly different rules, varying from commune to commune within the canton. With so much legislation passing month to month, is it the right time to be looking at adding Switzerland to your portfolio?

Of all the resorts I have skied, Flims is by far my favourite. Let’s be honest, whether you’re looking for an investment-only opportunity, or a holiday property for the family, location is key. Flims Waldhaus, an alpine resort established in 1864, is only 90 minutes from Zurich.

The village sits behind the vast ski terrain of Flims-Laax-Falera, Switzer-

land’s largest interconnected ski area, some 220km. The resort could be described as Switzerland’s favourite secret and offers some of the best alpine skiing – off-piste and après – I have seen in years. Flims still retains that chocolate-box charm – what you expect from the unexplored alpine region – but has the modernity needed at a ski resort.

I have only ever skied in the tourist hotspots of Switzerland: Zermatt (which has a total fatwa on all foreign property ownership) and Verbier, which is fast becoming a predominantly expat community. They are both beautiful places to ski and relax, but are very different from Flims.

So, how did we find this gem of a resort? It was a recommendation from the team at Powder Byrne, a ski company that has been running for over twenty years.

Powder Byrne was founded by Rory Byrne in the early 80s. After graduating university, he took a job working in the city. But by the age

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of 23, Rory realised he had made a mistake. “I knew I could not wear a suit for the rest of my life and walk in and out of office buildings,” he says. “And I didn’t like being part of a hierarchy. It was like being back at school.” Byrne rented three chalets in Grindelwald for the 85/86 winter season. Within a few months, he had filled the 178 nights he had reserved. Byrne headed back to Blighty, fully intent on turning this success into a fully-fledged business. 26 years later – plus an investment of 25 per cent from Lord Harris – and Rory Byrne is taking Powder Byrne to the next plateau.

Earlier this year, we flew out to meet Nick Williams from Powder Byrne Properties to see what all the fuss was about.

When we arrived at Casa Flumina, Powder Byrne Properties’ first luxury freehold apartments, we were greeted by Nicola, the Flims resort manager. Casa Flumina takes its name from the early Roman visitors who, noting the abundance of mineral springs, named the area Flumina, which eventually became Flims. Casa Flumina is the last Freehold chalet to be constructed in the region, as a law was introduced at cantonal level reducing the construction of Freehold private property in Graübunden.

Nicola showed us around the development, paying particular attention to the “best boot room in Flims” – a boot room that boasts a wooden bar and selection of decanters, room for the cast of Where Eagles Dare, and a revolutionary boot-heating system conceived by Rory Byrne himself. Not to mention the beautiful natural stone floors and leather seats. The wellness area across the hall saw a sauna and steam room, with enough space for you and your brood to relax after a hard day.

The apartments were generously proportioned, with open fires, large entertaining and media spaces, gargantuan balconies and flawless kitchens. Every apartment was different, of course. The top-floor apartment looked like a great place to escape the worries of the world in style. Natural wooden beams and fixtures throughout, sourced by a local carpenter, really help give the development that nostalgic alpine feel, even if the B&O sound-system is perfectly fitted into spruce and oak. To say that it was cold outside would be an understatement; the

“Not surprisingly, these properties sold fast. The perk package alone made it a sizeable opportunity” week we were there, it fluctuated between -16 and -2. Hence the east balcony was laden with a pretty sizeable block of snow, which made for a beautiful backdrop for the media room.

Even more impressive than the apartments themselves is Powder Byrne Properties ability to provide people with turnkey solutions. We toured one apartment that had been styled meticulously, from the couple’s favourite cabernet to the crime thrillers on the shelves. If you’re inclined to, you can also look at a decent ROI, in terms of hiring your property out to one of Powder Byrne’s well-heeled clientele. This is optional of course.

Not surprisingly, these properties sold fast. The perk package alone made it a sizeable opportunity (add to that the freehold status of the development). So, why would we spend a week reviewing an investment opportunity for you, our readers, when the development has already sold? Allow me to introduce the CASA Flumina Haus 2 Development.

Powder Byrne are busy building five new luxury apartments in Flims, from 102sqm to 200sqm.

By Jove – you will have to move fast though.

Most elements of the interior can be fully customised through a bespoke furniture pack, inclusive of delivery and installation.

Casa Flumina boasts the following interior highlights: Lift access between all floors; entrance hall in a choice of natural stone; one (or two) traditional open fireplaces; the choice of traditional handmade or bespoke Bulthaup kitchen; custom bespoke joinery; bathrooms tiled in a choice of natural stone; a choice of chrome sanitary ware from Axor; pre-wiring for audio-visual; underfloor, low energy heating and hot water; private spa with sauna and steam room; private gym; ski room with boot warmers; private underground parking.

Casa Flumina Haus 2 is a very unique investment. The days of the freehold Swiss ski chalet are over in Graübunden; Casa Flumina represents one of the last of its generation. Any chalets that received planning permission after June 2009 are subject to strict limitations.

Flims has no inheritance tax and low capital gains tax. Mortgage rates are some of the lowest in the world, with current rates for a fixed-rate mortgage as low as 1.5%. As an owner, you then join the Powder Byrne ‘Swiss Owners Collection’, which provides unique access to Powder Byrne holiday services. This service includes kids’ programmes, ski guiding, chalet chef recruitment, maid service and airport transfers. If you wish to rent your property, Powder Byrne can assist you in letting the chalet and manage all your tenants’ requirements. A week in Casa Flumina costs from £975 per person, based on six people travelling, including flights, private transfers and full Powder Byrne service.

If you’re looking for a sound addition to your portfolio, or just thinking of spending some time on the slopes, then you don’t even have time to be reading this. The Powder Byrne experience won’t be around for long.

Happy skiing!

For more information about these properties and travelling to Flims, contact Powder Byrne on 020 8246 5300 or find further information and request a brochure at www.powderbyrne.com

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15/04/2012 10/04/2012 11:06 16:32

T R AV E L

The Most Beautiful Places to Wake-up

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onsider travel. Why on earth do we do it? It’s a very masochistic endeavour: deciding where to go, finding time to do it, overpaying agents, waiting at airports, delayed flights, aeroplane food, foreign languages, nowhere looking like it did in the brochure. What are we actually looking for? It’s so obvious, we never think to ask. Perhaps it’s the old cliché of escapism, or even worse, broadening the mind. If you know any holiday reps or air stewards, you’ll know this isn’t true. No matter how many times they work the London-SingaporePerth route, they never get cleverer, more temperate or more rounded.

So, maybe’s it’s for that one moment; that epiphanic snapshot of subjective beauty, forever imprinted on the mind’s eye. Or perhaps it’s just for the sunburn and cocktails. Either way, here are our most beautiful places to open your eyes to.

Swiss Cottage, Emma Inglis When Georgina, Duchess of Bedford, chose to indulge her passion for the Alps and build a Swiss cottage in the grounds of her Devonshire Estate in the nineteenth century, she found a spot of incomparable beauty. Tucked into a wooded fold, high above the River Tamar, her

cottage ornée has breathtaking views of a forested landscape from its eerie position nestled into the hillside.

Swiss Cottage is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

It is basic and simple, and furnished accordingly with sympathetic period pieces a la Suisse. But what it lacks in amenities, it more than makes up for in for charm. On a recent visit, I woke to the sound of the river and opened my leaded window to see the white-winged tips of an egret flit past. There was a pretty Swiss bowl in which to have my coffee and the wooden veranda, with the Tamar glinting below, seemed the perfect place to sit and drink it.

A short walk away is the Duchess’s former home, Endsleigh House, now an intimate hotel owned by a branch of the Forte Group, where I managed to grab breakfast served with deference by bibbed and tuckered waiting staff. I couldn’t help thinking that it was a breakfast of which the Duchess and her Duke would have approved – piping hot tea served in silver teapots and a choice of kippers or devilled kidneys on a hearty breakfast menu. After breakfast, I strolled back along the Gatsbyesque lawn to my Alpine hideaway, passing the Duchess’s ornate summerhouse embedded with shells and crystals, which clearly gave her as much pleasure as her little Swiss cottage.

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A beautiful place, then, is nothing to do with a picture on a postcard, or gilded sands with azure waters, or five-star hotels removed from reality. For me, it’s a city at its most bare and vulnerable; a city with its lid off and its lights out. The most precious and pulchritudinous thing about this little spot in Amsterdam is innate. It’s not contrived, advertised or explicable. It just is.

Too hard to choose, Graeme Morpeth In my lover’s arms, with her satin smooth skin, and long tresses draped over me in languid, post-coital peace… the view across the balcony showing the last vestiges of sunset across the Andaman sea, fading quickly to that wonderful rich purple blackness that is the night sky in the tropics.

The Ed did ask me – though I think he was thinking about geography, rather than biology – to paint the picture. In truth, there are so many stunning places, it would be difficult to name but one, so perhaps a couple of locations to suit the mood might offer a better solution.

For the adventurer in me – and this will be during late August, and early September – a tent on the foothills of the Himalayas, at about 18,000 feet, close to Leh in the Ladakh region; scrambling out of my sleeping bag, rousing my companion (see above) and savouring the crystal clear air, bright sunshine, and the absolute quiet of the moment. A quick dip in the local stream with the water at about 1ºC, enough to blast away the cobwebs of sleep. For miles. And then it’s into the groove: tea and lots of porridge for breakfast before setting off trekking, following in the footsteps of Isabella Bird, the most famous female Victorian explorer.

Not before, nor since, have I woken in such a beautiful, perfect place.

Amsterdam, Laith Al-Kaisy I can’t actually recall a beautiful morning. When I try, I imagine a scene from a postcard or a film – a consensual idea of beauty. It’s not as if I haven’t travelled. On the contrary, I could probably recount every place, every airport, every train, every hotel, every meal, every beach, every crazy local, every woman, every passport confiscation (SerbiaCroatia border, obviously), but I’ll be damned if I can remember waking up to beauty. The closest I’ve come to it is Amsterdam – though it was more a case of staying awake than waking up.

You’d find a prostitute before a pint of milk at the Oudezijds Voorburgwal Canal. This neck of Amsterdam prides itself on being culturally residual, like marooned silt left on the delta of society, as art and intellectualism evolved and escaped to other parts of the city. Its beauty is its honesty – and like any place or person, it’s most honest first thing in the morning.

At 5am, there are two groups of people: the workers and the stragglers; the bakers and the boozers. The atmosphere is paradoxical: the ethereal transition between dusk and dawn is foreboding, yet it’s just light enough to feel safe. Ink blot shadows scurry along the canal and walkways without sound. Quietness pervades the airless, utilitarian streets. If you’ve ever experienced an empty city – a city in a coma – you’ll understand the bliss.

As the sun vies for attention and the moon gently wanes, that’s when the city is aesthetically faultless. The only smell is bread and pastry. Light smothers the canal and glazes the windows of the quaint, gabled buildings – it could quite easily be a village. Thinking back, of course it’s beautiful, in the way that most things beyond presumption are beautiful.

To cater for my sybaritic side (and see above again): waking to the sound of the Aegean slapping gently on the hull of a tall ship moored off one of the countless Greek islands. A skinny dip before breakfast, then up to savour fresh brewed coffee, croissants and fruit to finish. And then another day tracing tales of brave Ulysses in the fabled Aegean sea.

Now, excuse me, I need to go back to the beginning, she’s starting to feel neglected.

St. Petersburg, Emma Hare As a former resident of St. Petersburg, I can tell you with some authority to cast out the image of grey communist tower blocks from your mind.

This is a beautiful, chaotic place – a vibrant collision of modernity and tradition.

St. Petersburg is Moscow’s younger, prettier sister. Called the Venice of the North, because of the network of canals running through it, the city is more accessible and more upbeat than Moscow, which is an eight hour train ride away. (But if you’re looking to take a trip, trust me, in Russia, that’s not far.)

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Zermatt, Peter Robinson There is something about Alpine air that’s really quite distinct. When you’re from England, you’re not used to regular snowfall and as such digress to a very childlike state when presented with stereotypical winter weather.

So, when we arrived in Zermatt late one December evening, despite everyone’s generally chipper demeanour due to the abundance of ‘travelling gin’, my sunny disposition was due to the fact that it was my first holiday on snow.

As we had arrived late that evening under the cover of darkness and cloud, there was little to see of the grand Swiss mountain range.

After the hilarity of the hot-tub, friends slipping on frozen stone and champagne, we fell into bed.

I awoke the following morning to a cup of fresh coffee being placed gently on my bedside table by one of the staff and rolled over to see a truly breathtaking vista; the sun rising over the Matterhorn. At 14,690 feet, the Matterhorn is an impressive site and dominates the skyline of the canton of Valais. I rallied every sober part of my body towards my time-lapse camera and bolted it to my balcony; these were scenes that couldn’t be missed. As I stood there, even though my feet were getting ever closer to that of adventurer Ranulph Fiennes and slowing freezing to the deck, I was transfixed by the Matterhorn. When I ascended the chalet stairs after coffee, it was reminiscent of Spielberg’s scene from Close Encounters when Richard Dreyfuss and Melinda Dillon finally see Devils Mountain. Everyone was transfixed as if they were being called to gaze out the window.

Luckily this moment of cinematic gold was broken by the sound of the chef placing his platter of smoked salmon onto the oak dining table.

Ours was a shared experience – but one that none of us will soon forget.

Cancun, Huw Thomas

Right at the heart of St. Petersburg is Nevsky Prospect, my home for six months, and my favourite place in the world. Nevsky is the main street in the city, with a dizzying array of high-end shops, little cafes and the odd architectural masterpiece thrown in (the Hermitage and the Church on the Spilt Blood, to name just two). In summer, during the White Nights, when the sun literally doesn’t set, my friends and I would happily spend hours taking a sophisticated bar crawl down Nevsky, drinking far too many White Russians.

When winter hits Nevsky, a whole other side is revealed. Whilst temperatures plummet, brave Russian women hit the streets in mini-skirts and furs, and nip into cafes for a cognac to stave off the cold. Tourists scuttle into hotels to hole up away from the snow. Unlike them, the snow was always a welcome sight to me – winter changes Nevsky, and in spectacular fashion. There is no more beautiful place to be in the world than on Nevsky Prospect, watching the snow cover up the dirt of the city at the end of a long day. With a cognac in hand, of course.

When I think back on the best place I have ever regained consciousness, it’s hard to get past the week my wife and I spent in a cabin on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. South of the high-rises of Cancun, it was a glimpse of what the mega-resort must have been like before it was swamped by large-scale tourist development. For someone whose formative seaside experiences revolved around the grey skies and sands of Aberystwyth in Mid Wales, the impossibly blue waters and miles of pristine white beach were revelatory.

The cabin itself, though comfortable, was far from luxurious. Its lukewarm saltwater shower and dim, solar-powered lighting would have been totally out of place in any of the glitzier hotels further up the coast.

The only air conditioning came from gaps between the planks of the wooden walls, which allowed the cooling sea breeze to flow through.

But Cancun’s concrete monstrosities could not rival its setting. Lying directly on a mostly deserted beach, a 30-metre walk from the door would find you up to your waist in the ocean.

The sound of the sea was a constant presence. It lulled us to sleep every night and eased us back into wakefulness every morning. Some days would begin with a pre-breakfast dip in the surf, nature’s own hangover cure. If we were feeling less energetic, it was the work of a moment to open the cabin’s door and watch the crashing waves from the comfort of bed. The unspoilt location allowed an unusual proximity to nature. Pelicans fished along the shore and land crabs would make a nightly pilgrimage from the tree line to the sea. We once found a gecko in our bathroom.

In an average hotel, such a reptilian interloper would be a cause of great concern. There, it felt like part of the experience. It all comes down to what you’re looking for in a place to stay. For some it’s round the clock room service and hot tubs, for us it was the possibility of coming face to face with wildlife while in the shower. In a choice between real or manufactured paradise, I’d make the same decision every time.

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STYLE

The Advisory

“I’m not adverse to the inherent appeal of crumpled linen – it’s very Brits abroad”

Sartorial style with David Minns. occasion. For example: I recently travelled to see my sister and her family in New Zealand (about as long a haul flight as one can take from Blighty). And aside the opportunity to read piles of magazines, sip G&Ts, and catchup on films, I took pleasure in carefully selecting each garment in turn.

Jacket

W

hat a pleasure to be asked to write the first style column for this super new publication, ONF ORM. And my thanks – or condolences – to the Ed for giving this boy, who only ever excelled in English oral at school, the chance to put pen to paper. Fool! After all, it’s not every day that you’re asked to give your views on style, is it? Well, not unless your reputation depended on it. And mine most certainly does.

You see, in my capacity as senior style advisor – the title referring more to my senior years than a life spent dressing OAPs – for A Suit That Fits, I’m actually asked, on a daily basis, what I think people should wear. And though I’m not expecting to receive my bus pass in the post anytime soon, I do have a propensity to dress in, shall we say, a more traditional style than that of my peers.

It would appear that dressing for the notion of travel (by which I mean garments that are not only comfortable, but also stylish, ruling out any type of tracksuit and training shoes) sailed into the sunset with Sunday best many moons ago. And what a pity.

This may sound slightly eccentric, but I actually relish the thought of flying – the longer the haul, the better – as it gives me the opportunity to give some consideration to which garments will be best suited for the

Which jacket would provide enough pockets for passport, phone, wallet, etc.? None of my jackets have less than six working pockets, so it’s only the suitability of cloth that I had to consider.

Whilst the majority of my style conscious customers prefer a cloth that creases less when travelling, I am not adverse to the inherent appeal of crumpled linen – it’s very ‘Brits abroad’. For those who like their linen, but not overly crumpled, heavyweight linen both drapes well and does not crease too easily – just enough. For those wanting a sharper, more elegant ensemble, maybe mohair would be the better option, though it does not provide the warmth. And my tweed, whilst providing ultimate comfort and ever so handy patch pockets, would be far too warm. I plumped for heavy linen.

My blue sports jacket is half-lined in bright yellow satin, providing a more relaxed fit, and is also cut generously around the waist and across the back to make it easier to remove mid-flight. Cut from our heavier linen range of cloth, it not only provides the necessary pockets for passport, mobile phone and pen (required when travelling), but also an extra layer (I often find airlines far too hot midflight these days). It also looks better the more crumpled it becomes – which is less than its lighter-weight stable-mate.

The yellow-contrast stitching on the buttonhole and also the cuff give it a hint of “I’m off on a summer holiday, but I’m British, so let’s not get carried away.” It also matches the internal lining and piping – a nice touch, I thought, especially when fellow passengers are treated to a flash each time it is taken off.

The linen’s inky blue colour is a perfect contrast for my camel coloured flannel trousers, which I enjoy wearing for travel. The jacket

also works well with jeans (not to mention the shorts, which ironically I had made before the jacket) and provides comfort and warmth before take-off, when the air-con is turned on full-blast!

Trousers Which trousers would provide comfort for sitting in a confined space and hold their shape until disembarkation the other side of the globe? Trousers cut to fit you personally will keep their shape for longer, provide warmth before takeoff, when the captain is blasting us with cold air to keep us awake until after the first meal is served, and cool when the captain turns up the temperature again to send us all off to sleep, giving his crew a well-earned rest.

Shirt Assuming one is not to wear a tie, which shirt will look suitably smart, but not business like? One that fits well and will not become untucked for the duration. One that covers your bottom and has sleeves that reach only to the top of one’s hands – they’re sleeves, not mittens – and reveal as much cuff as is desired.

In my case, half-an-inch.

I’ve two schools of thought here: either a thicker cotton shirt, which initially feels crisp and looks sharp, softening as the day progresses and looking oh-so Brit abroad upon arrival; or, a super fine cotton, such as summer plain shirting cloth, which is cool to the touch, requires little pressing and looks as sharp upon arrival as it did when it was put on.

The shirt I’ve chosen is made from our summer checks collection cloth and is incredibly lightweight, does not crease easily, and the brown and blue colourway could not complement the jacket and trousers more perfectly.

Shoes Which shoes would be comfortable from beginning to end and allow for feet to breathe?

Quite simply, my old faithful Car Shoes. Sans socks, of course.

If you have any sartorial travel dilemmas, or are concerned about a fashion faux pas, please do get in touch davidminns@asuitthatfits.co.uk

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LEADERSHIP

Leading the Way William Montgomery created the international leadership consultancy TEN in 2006. ONF ORM talks to the former GCHQ code-breaker and navigator of HMS Ark Royal about his plans for 10+.

Could you tell us a bit about your background?

Having left school in Liverpool at 16 with no academic qualifications, I joined the Royal Navy in 1978. After initially qualifying as a high-speed Morse code operator, I trained as a cryptologist at Bletchley Park and was stationed at GCHQ in Cheltenham as an Arabic Linguist. Upon promotion to officer rank, I graduated from Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and specialised in navigation and naval intelligence.

I retired from active service after 16 years in 1994 as the navigator of HMS Ark Royal, but remained as a naval reservist for a further 10 years and was back in uniform in 2003 to teach colloquial Arabic to doctors and nurses being deployed for the Gulf War. What the story behind TEN? 10 is the magic number. For my PhD thesis, I identified the 10 actions of effective leaders: learning to lead, thinking strategically, being creative, setting goals, managing time, understanding emotions, inspiring motivation, managing change, enabling communication and being fit to lead. TEN was born. In addition, we are constantly bombarded with lists. The media present rankings based on market research and polls, lists of the best place to live, top schools, the greatest films, etc. Ranked lists have become a way of managing what might otherwise be a daunting mass of facts and figures, putting our world into a perspective that we can readily grasp. I do a great deal of research into what makes some people more effective than others and communicate the information in a unique collection of 10s in a diverse array of categories that are, I hope, informative, educational and entertaining.

You say leadership affects everybody – how so?

Leadership skills have now been universally recognised as a key ingredient in management. A good manager is now by definition a leader. Equally, a good leader will also be a manager. After many years of research on the subject of leadership I firmly believe my 10 actions of effective leaders are the key areas that people need to be fully competent in to be considered a good leader.

How did you meet some of your more high profile clients?

I have had an opportunity to help some great people over the years.

Most have come into contact with me through my weekly email “10 Things You Didn’t Know Last Week” that has a readership of 50,000plus subscribers. Steve Jobs was a fan, as is David Cameron. I have also shared speaking engagements with many great business leaders and some, recognising that leadership is both an art and a science that can be learned over time, are now clients of mine.

What are your tailored solutions?

I work with global, national and local organisations on issues such as: the crisis of leadership, talent management, making teams work efficiently, boosting organisational performance, building employee motivation and engagement and rewarding for performance and results. I don’t believe one particular area of expertise is the magic answer. I work with my clients to design a customised solution combining a range of services depending on what is required to make their

“Most people have all the talent and ambition, but it’s often hidden under a cloud of disappointments and doubt” strategies become reality. I cover all the leadership issues companies need to address today and tomorrow.

And you do leadership mentoring on cruises?

Yes, we have partnered with Cunard to offer our clients the best leadership development and mentoring programme on board some of the most glamorous and sophisticated ships afloat. Our cruises with Cunard not only offer delegates the opportunity to participate in our acclaimed 10/10 programme, but also have a relaxing holiday with their partners at no extra cost.

10+ launched in April. How does it help people?

10+ is the best way to define, work on and reach your highest goals. Its unique visual display helps you to identify, develop and communicate the key elements of any complex project: overall structure, relative importance, and progress tracking. 10+ is a simple, tidy, easy to use goal management approach that improves understanding, performance and results. 10+ is so easy and fun to use that goal setting becomes a quick everyday process: your goals themselves evolve as your personal goal setting skills improve. With 10+ you are better organised, more focused and less stressed! And it works equally well for business and personal goal setting.

How important is it for people to set goals?

All successful businesses put themselves through an annual exercise of setting goals and plans for the year ahead. Yet few individuals do this for themselves. Less than one percent of adults have clearly stated goals – and yet those who do earn as much as ten times more! The main thing that separates the most satisfied people from the rest of us is that they’ve stopped to think seriously about what they want to achieve. Most people have all the talent and ambition they need, but it’s often hidden under a cloud of disappointments and doubt, which leads to a lack of discipline. Many others find they’re simply too busy to think about what really matters most to them.

To learn more about TEN and how William Montgomery can help you and your organisation, visit askten.co.uk, where you can also sign up for his free newsletter.

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DRINK

That’s the spirit Over the past few years, gin lovers and aficionados have been blessed with many new and exciting spirits being produced in all parts the United Kingdom. Brett Hirt discusses some of his favourites Sipsmith London Dry Gin At the forefront of the gin revival is Sipsmith London Dry, who distil their own barley spirit in Hammersmith, and infuse ten botanicals, including Macedonian Juniper and Seville oranges. They hand craft their spirit in very small batches using a copper pot, still affectionately named Prudence. Sipsmith gin is rather dry, with firm citrus zest notes, and with a splash of tonic, makes the perfect afternoon refreshment.

Jensen Old Tom Gin Old Tom refers to a sweeter style of gin produced in the 1800s, and Jensen recreated theirs from a recipe dating from the 1840s. Jensen also distil in London, and this gin is packed with classic botanicals and natural sweetness, providing a long, intense experience. If you have to mix it, grab some lemons, sugar and soda, and rustle up an awesome Tom Collins.

Six O’Clock Gin It is not just the Londoners who have been whipping up new and exciting gins for us. In the West Country, Bramley & Gage have given us their excellent new Six O’Clock Gin. The company has become famous for their sloe gin and fruit liqueurs, which have been a staple of the best cocktail bars for years. As you would expect from

Bramley and Gage, no sweeteners, preservatives or nasties get anywhere near their product.

Most importantly, they have kept it simple, using only seven botanicals, including the mandatory juniper, giving a fresh citrus and elderflower flavours. They have even made it simple for you to make the perfect gin and tonic, by supplying their own Six O’Clock Tonic Water.

Blackwoods Vintage Gin In the Shetland Islands, they do not aim to produce a gin which is identical year after year. Instead, the botanicals are picked locally by hand, in amounts that do not disturb the fragile habitat, giving nature the final say in the proportions of each botanical, and the final flavour of the gin. Blackwoods Gin is dry, with excellent herbal and citrus notes. This gin loves being mixed into a Martini.

Williams Gin From the makers of the incredible Chase potato vodka comes a gin worthy of carrying the name. The base spirit for this gin does not come from potatoes, as you may expect, nor grain for that matter. It comes from the apples grown in Williams’ orchard, and its contribution to the flavour is evident throughout. This is a fruity, full bodied gin, which is sure to become a firm favourite among gin lovers.

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R E S TA U R A N T S : Q U I N C E

Quince

London, W1J Laith Al-Kaisy discovers whether Silvena Rowe’s first restaurant lives up to the hype.

I

fell up the stairs of The Ritz the other day. It was a nadir moment of anti-on form, followed by a swift departure, not because of the fall, but because I drunkenly failed to care for the dress code: dinner jacket and shoes. But it’s fine, because Le Caprice was still open, and there’s nothing like propping up its stretched bar, slurping Bloody Marys, slurring spiel, and listening to the mellifluous sounds of a jazz piano. Anyway, it got me thinking about class – not my lack of, but rather the wider context of hospitality and service.

They won’t admit it, but both The Ritz and Le Caprice reek of classism – and it has nothing to do with the food. Dinner may be the great metaphor for life, but where we eat it, as opposed to what we eat, has become the great barometer of class.

The purpose of class is that it’s a conceit. When it comes to food, it used to be quite simple: the working class ate what was affordable, the upper class ate what was desirable. Of course, all of this died with the advent of capitalism and the rise of consumers, the middle class, who assumed control of their stability, growth, culture and food. But the fact is, anyone can be middle class, which is why places like The Ritz are so standoffish. They don’t want to let just anyone in. A reputation like theirs is built on exclusivity. Of course anyone can walk through the door, but the impression given is that only a few can – and that is classism at its core. Today, class definition is more to do with how food is prepared, presented and served, rather than what’s on the plate.

Class also comes at a premium.

So, to Quince, located at The May Fair Hotel, just around the corner from The Ritz and Le Caprice, and which has just surpassed the halfyear mark. Its chef, Silvena Rowe, has forged a career from her heritage and her haircut – decidedly Turkish and cyberpunk, respectively. The interior is as you’d expect from a Mediterranean-cum-Levantine dining room in Mayfair: an innocuous mix of parsimony and opulence, much like the food and the prices.

Though it comes at a premium, Quince is completely indiscriminate. It’s like an open house. The people who were dining that evening

looked as if they’d taken a wrong turn, not only at Soho, but also the gene pool. On that basis, the food had to be the backbone of its existence. We started with lamb cutlets, done in spices, tahini and black truffle. They were cooked perfectly rare and yielded to the bite – all two of them. It only takes one dish to discover Quince’s downfall: not the product, but the portions. Frankly, in its position, Quince can’t charge £14.50 for two lamb cutlets. King prawns with pomegranate butter adroitly walked the tightrope between sweetness and acidity, but again disappointed on portion-to-price ratio: four for £21, which is laughably overpriced. By far the best and most substantial starter was the duck and foie gras parcel, which was well-spiced and textured with crushed pistachios. Oddly, it was also the least expensive, costing half what the prawns did. The price don’t maketh the plate – evidently.

The affable waiter had strongly recommended the rice pilaf. In protest, we ordered fries – a tad reactionary, I know. Lamb and beef kebab, which I assumed would be shish, but was actually kofta, was charming enough. The meat was muscle-bound and tasted Turkish, although, unlike most Turks, it needed more fat. In a parallel dimension, it would have been memorable, but considering my mother makes them tastier and tenderer, I can only give it a half-arsed pat on the back. Belly of pork with blueberry and coriander molasses was unnatural at first, but the flavours persevered, slowly coalesced and eventually worked. The prices and portions were fine, though I suspect if Rowe had been on duty, the mains would have been less forgettable.

Desserts were much better, like the starters. I had baklava made with bitter orange and served with pistachio ice cream. It was balletic: not too heavy on syrup, undemanding pastry, probably the best I’ve ever had. Conceding to recommendation, fellow diner had poached quince, which she didn’t like, but I’ll tell you now: it was peachy and unique, a proper signature dish, and one that should be on the actual menu.

Quince is obviously trying too hard to straddle classes, serving bluecollar food, but in grandiloquent settings, at uneven prices. There are too many contradictions. By all means serve rustic and homely food, but price it according to quantity, calibre and presentation.

An epiphany suddenly overwhelmed me: everyone eating that evening was a hotel guest. If it wasn’t attached to The May Fair, sucking up its hungry punters, Quince would be unsustainable. Again, it’s nothing to do with the food, because not much in Mayfair is to do with the food. It’s to do with the self, the ego, class and status. Quince’s problem is that it opened three miles in the wrong direction, in a place where exclusivity is not only guarded, but justified by quality, quantity and expense. And where they want you dressed in a dinner jacket and shoes to stop you falling up the stairs and contaminating the gene pool.

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WINE

Refined Palate Emma Inglis meets the modern sommelier.

“Restaurants are less formal places than they were and the emphasis is on feeling relaxed”

A sommelier can be an intimidating beast.

French sommeliers are the best at instilling panic. You peruse the wine list, scan the vintages and vineyards, and ask for some advice about a Beaujolais that you believe would work best with the food being eaten at the table – to be greeted by a long pause. Then, “Umm, thiz, purrhaps, would not be the best choice…” and in a flash, Monsieur Scary is at your shoulder, his tastevin bobbing around his neck, flicking through the pages of an encyclopaedic wine list to another bottle – a little more expensive but not so much as to make you baulk – but one that he informs you will be perfect. Hopelessly outgunned, you accept his advice and, with a conclusive sniff through his sartorial nose, he moves off to intimidate another group of diners with his expertise.

Emily O’Hare, sommelier at the River Café in London, thinks it doesn’t need to be that way. Informed, enthusiastic and personable, O’Hare has absolutely no truck with this old school wine snobbery. “Really things are changing now,” Emily informs me, “restaurants are less formal places than they were and the emphasis is on feeling relaxed and enjoying yourself. People are much less nervous around wine; not afraid to try something new; not embarrassed to say how much they’ve got to spend and letting me choose. And I go out of my way then, to make sure it’s a good choice, because they are putting trust in me.’

It attests to O’Hare’s skill as a sommelier that her diners are so open with her. Her gift is that she wears her considerable knowledge lightly; Emily had just returned from a purchasing trip to Italy when I spoke to her and was as informed about the larger vineyards as she was the smaller estates, which clearly gave her huge pleasure discovering and bringing to the restaurant. (At River Café she works with an all Italian wine list.) Her Tigger-like enthusiasm for the subject has seen her set up a ‘pop-up’ restaurant, Whizbangpop, where guests can learn more about food and wine pairings. It has proved hugely popular.

In another part of the country, Edouard Oger, sommelier at twostarred Michelin restaurant Gidleigh Park, is feeling pleased with himself, and so he should. French-born Oger has just become a Master Sommelier, achieving this year’s highest score overall and the coveted Grande Siècle trophy. No mean feat when you consider that there only 186 Master Sommeliers in the world and Oger is still in his twenties.

“There were months of preparation. I was studying three to four hours every day and tasting wines every day.” In one part of the exam Oger had to taste and identify six wines in twenty-five minutes. The pressure must be on? “Yes, the time (limit) can make it very stressful.”

Oger agrees that some sommeliers can be “cold” and “out of date” and, like O’Hare Oger, believes that the art of being a good sommelier “is to be there to help people and to make sure that they have a great time. We should be as flexible, chilled and smooth as possible, using our knowledge to help. We are not there to show-off.” Oger is clearly diplomatic. He tells me a story of how at a wine tasting some years ago, he produced a “fairly classic Fleurie” only to be told by an elderly gentleman that he was lying. “This is not a Fleurie,” bellowed the man.

“You’ve served me something else instead.” What did Oger do? “It’s a

tricky situation. At the end of the day, the customer is always right. I tried to say that, yes, it was an unusual Fleurie, a little bit spicier than usual, but he cut me right off – said, ‘How old are you? Well, I have been drinking Fleurie for the past thirty years and this is not a Fleurie.’”

Oger chuckles. “I was not trying to fight at all.”

Thankfully for Oger such customers are far and few between, and he couldn’t be happier. “In my view, England is one of the best places in the world for food and wine. We can pretty much get anything we want in this country, and that is fantastic for a sommelier.”

Emily recommends “Sicily is an exciting region. Try bright, fruity, compelling reds from Etna in the East and Vittoria in the South West of the country. For whites: keep your eyes peeled for Vermentino. It is a white grape that crops up in Liguria, South of Piedmont, in Tuscany and Sardinia.”

Edouard recommends Millton Clos de Ste. Anne Syrah 2009 Gisborne Full-bodied red from New Zealand with soft tannins and fantastic length.

Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes 2009 Les Clos Perdus, L’Extrême A blend of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc from a small Biodynamic estate in Languedoc, France.

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CARTIER

King of Jewellers...

Jeweller “Cartier has an outstanding backcatalogue of jewellery and watches created for the glitterati”

of

I

Kings Emma Hare meets the Managing Director of Cartier UK, François Le Troquer, to discuss 165 years of jewelling.

t would be foolish to suggest that Cartier is just another jewellery-maker. It can legitimately claim to have invented the wristwatch, has been commissioned to design countless pieces for royalty, and enjoys a strong sense of heritage, highlighted in the many retrospective exhibitions that are shown across the world.

Cartier’s story began in 1847 when Louis-François Cartier took over his master’s workshop. Very much a family company in its early days, his son Alfred Cartier inherited the business in 1874, and his sons quickly set about the brand’s expansion.

“The Cartier brothers opened their boutiques in three cities,” explains François. “Louis ran Paris [opened in 1899] from the Rue de la Paix, while Jacques oversaw the British operations out of the 175 New Bond Street boutique in London. Pierre developed the New World from the boutique on New York’s Fifth Avenue [opened in 1909].”

In the space of ten years, Cartier now had a store in three prestigious locations – all now flagship locations –

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firmly establishing the company as one of France’s most important jewellers.

Called the ‘king of jewellers and the jeweller of kings’ by one Prince of Wales (who would become King Edward VII), Cartier has had a long tradition of attracting aristocratic clientele, even from the very beginning, which François attributes to the “craftmanship and elegance of the pieces.” Certainly, the company can claim fifteen royal warrants that have been uniquely issued over time, from such diverse royals as Mathilde I, Napoleon’s niece, and the Maharajah of Patiala who commissioned a ceremonial necklace.

The brand’s inimitable style was intuitive from the outset, but, François agrees, there have been some defining moments in Cartier’s history. One such mo-

Top left: Wallis Simpson, who went on to become the Duchess of Windsor, was one of the world’s greatest style icons. Left: The Maharajah of Patiala wearing his ceremonial necklace.

ment came from a chance meeting in 1918, with ‘The Panther’ Jean Toussaint, who, in addition to first introducing the panther motif into the company’s works, was responsible for introducing yellow gold into the designs (which had rarely been used in this period).

“She was a strong, elegant woman with a keen eye for design,” says François. Jean also played with colour and texture to produce truly outstanding pieces.

These motifs form part of what is dubbed the ‘Cartier language – the essential words and grammar of design to be continually reinterpreted and reimagined to

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this day’, perpetuated by past, present and future designers. The introduction of the world’s first wristwatch, the Santos-Dumont, in 1919, combined this ‘Cartier language’ of elegance and simplicity with a practical edge. The piece was commissioned by Louis’s friend Alberto Santos-Dumont who (sensibly) decided that a pocket wristwatch was somewhat impractical when flying a plane, and is in fact still in production today.

The company went through a period of major change in the 1970s and became privately owned for the first time. Led by the industrialist Robert Hocq, the company was reorganised as Cartier World.

A hugely successful line – Les Must de Cartier – was launched, and for the first time Cartier’s accessories were affordable to the mass market.

This was daring, and broke the tradition for high fashion jewellery. In fact, it was an action that could have lessened the exclusive nature of the products.

Thankfully, though, the move paid off, and as the Cartier philosophy has never really changed – “we have consistently remained truthful to the vision of LouisFrançois Cartier” – the brand image remains unscathed. The company is also careful to keep in touch with new influences. “The craft of Cartier is a living language,” says François. And like any language, it adapts to a sense of time and place, using creativity to keep its sense of self, as well as evolving over the years.

As a company which keeps its heritage very much at the forefront, historical pieces are integral to the brand philosophy. The Cartier Collection, established in 1973, is dedicated to reacquiring notable historical pieces, essentially archiving the company’s most important works and helping to preserve its heritage. An important part of the Collection, François explains, is to “allow a wide international public to discover the balance between tradition and innovation,” bringing Cartier’s history to the forefront, with a mixture of old and new ever-present in its designs, and to exhibit its creativity.

This is never more evident than when looking at specially commissioned pieces, which are essentially a love story between the client and the designer. Cartier has an outstanding back-catalogue of jewellery and watches created for the glitterati throughout its 160 years, from royalty, such as the Duchess of Windsor, to the greatest celebrities of the age (Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Andy Warhol, to name but a few), all of whom had a special relationship with the company.

The poet Jean Cocteau, François tells us, “requested a ring with three bands in the colour of friendship, love, and fidelity.” This resulted in the famous Trinity ring, an example of how the company works with a customer’s request to create a piece that, in François’s words, is “synonymous with the Cartier vision,” yet becomes personal to the client.

“Historical pieces are integral to the brand philosophy”

So, what’s next? “It’s a wonderful year for Cartier UK,” François tells me with a smile. And indeed it is.

First up is the Tank Anglaise, a personal favourite of François (“a really wonderful piece, I love it”), and a natural successor to the Tank Americaine; itself a riff on the war tanks of World War One, and made in honour of the allied victory. Like many Cartier pieces, the new design pulls together the historical thread between old and new, and is sure to be one to look out for this year.

Cartier will also relaunch the Juste un Clou (which translates as ‘just a nail’), a look back to the Studio 54 days, first produced in the 1970s by the designer Aldo Cipullo, who was also behind the iconic Love bracelet. It’s a beautiful, standout piece that retains its relevance today, and one that François is “very excited to reintroduce this year.” In a move that will coincide with the Diamond Jubilee, the company will also refocus on its long association with polo, changing from the International Cup to the Cartier Queen’s Cup. Of course, it is also a year of looking back over 165 years of heritage. And to this end, Cartier has created a short film, ‘L’Odyssee de Cartier’, which will be on general release by the time this article goes to press. This has been shot through the eyes of the Panthere, moving across key geographic areas for the brand – Russia, China, India, and France – featuring its most notable pieces across time. Indeed, 2012 is an exciting time for Cartier. As François says, “the next chapter for Cartier will be a wonderful adventure, with new stories to tell.”

Above: Cartier’s Tank Anglaise watch, 2012. Right: Flamingo brooch from 1940, worth upwards of £1m

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CULTURE: FILM

Reel Talk Ben Brundell looks at the latest cinema and DVD releases.

Hugo Here’s a fact: if all the critics are saying “you must try this soup – go on, eat soup!” or “you must watch this film, it’s so good, spend your money,” there’s a tendency for people to go and see the recommended movie (or try the soup) and to say they enjoyed the experience. The fact that a movie is recommended makes people more likely to approve. I can’t help but think that this might be the case with Martin Scorsese’s latest film Hugo, recently released on DVD. Hugo Carbret, a 12-year-old orphan boy, is living in the Paris train station with his alcoholic Uncle (Ray Winstone). He spends his time maintaining the station clocks, and working on his automaton, a miniature mechanical man that he’s desperately trying repair. The mechanical man has a special significance to Hugo, as it once belonged to his late father (Jude Law), so he does whatever he can to keep his project alive, even stealing scrappy metal parts from the local toy shop owner, Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley).

Watching Hugo in 3D is a very pretty experience and this makes it worth a watch. But being very pretty should be the icing on the cake, not the main course. There isn’t much of a plot to keep you interested (I found myself glancing at my watch after an hour) and as the story centres firmly on Ben Kingsley’s character, it’s like watching a documentary about the history of cinema. Maybe my expectations were too high (I’m a huge Scorsese fan) but I left the cinema disappointed.

The Artist When I go to a restaurant, like a lot of people, I find it hard to make a decision (being a vegetarian helps as it narrows the options). In order to stop taking an embarrassing amount of time to make selection, I’ve come up with a theory: always pick the most unappetising (and meat-free) choice on the menu. The reason: if the description makes the food sound inedible (for example, last night a Korean restaurant offered cold noodle soup with Kimchi), the taste of food must make up for the unappealing description, otherwise this course would not exist.

Recently, I went to see The Artist (soon to be released on DVD), because like cold Korean soup, the film didn’t look like my cup of tea. (The posters for The Artist show the main characters star-

ing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Disgusting.)

The storyline, in a nutshell: George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a 1927 silent movie superstar who meets a pretty young actress, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). As talkies become more popular, Peppy becomes a big star, but George’s status begins to fade.

Like the soup, The Artist doesn’t try to be anything special, but it doesn’t do anything wrong either. The plot is fairly predictable and also reminiscent of Singin’ in the Rain (a difficult comparison to avoid, considering the subject matter), but somehow watching The Artist is a thoroughly satisfying experience. I sat and watched with a smile on my face and would recommend this movie to everyone.

The Dark Knight Rises So, what is the perfect date movie? * Take someone to a terribly cheesy romantic comedy and they could think you’re soft. See a slow-paced, arty-farty, independent film and you could seem a tad serious – no fun to be around. You want something exciting, with elements of romance and action, something that makes you think, something that makes you a little erotically charged (too far?).

So, what’s the answer?

The Dark Knight Rises (release date July 2012) is set eight years after the previous Batman instalment, The Dark Knight, and fans of the comics will recognise the two new villains threatening Gotham City: Bane and Selina Kyle (played by Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway, respectively). With an increased budget of 250 million dollars (the budget for The Dark Knight was 185 million dollars) and Hans Zimmer back on board for the score (sure to create the required batty atmosphere) this looks like it’s shaping up to be a real summer treat.

The only worry is that Batman will go the same way as the Star Wars franchise, with too strong an emphasis on merchandise. However, with director Christopher Nolan at the helm, it’s unlikely the film will disappoint. Following the success of films such as The Dark Knight and Inception, it’s likely that that The Dark Knight Rises will be the most exciting Batman instalment yet.

Oh, and by the way, I’m sorry for the soup obsession, but it really was delicious. *Some may say the answer is: don’t go to the cinema at all. After all, seeing a movie is essentially saying “I like you so much, I want to sit in a room and not talk to you.”

78 Spring 2012

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C U L T U R E : T H E AT R E

To see, or not to see Laith Al-Kaisy discusses current and forthcoming theatre releases.

I

’m a big fan of Titus Andronicus. In theatrespeak, that’s heretical. Titus, for me, is the most primal of all Shakespeare’s works. It talks at a visceral level, playing like a horror film, with moments of unsubtle irony, tied together by hyperbolic brutality, such as murder, mutilation, self-mutilation, madness, filicide, decapitation and cannibalism. These, however, are the very reasons T.S. Eliot called it “one of the stupidest and most uninspiring plays ever written.” Alright, chap – get back to your lilacs and handfuls of dust.

The ferocity and excess of the play is what makes it so poetic. Indeed, there is an undeniable beauty in the relationship between excessive language and excessive violence. Why am I even telling you this? Because the Almeida Theatre is preparing to stage King Lear in August, and I was considering an interesting claim: that the blinding of Gloucester in Lear is the most shocking moment in all of Shakespeare. Bah, I bite my thumb at that, voting instead for the attack on Lavinia in Titus.

Granted, it borrows heavily from the death of Philomena in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, but it stands quite peerless as one of the bloodiest fatalities ever seen on the boards: after being assaulted, the girl has her tongue and hands removed to prevent disclosure. It’s all “crimson river” and “bubbling fountain stirr’d with wind” – truly perturbing stuff.

It also got me thinking about Lear in context, and how it suddenly became Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. What the hell happened to Hamlet? It was only during the Sixties that Lear was properly rediscovered, and it has been staged more times since then than in its prior 350-year history. Much like Titus before it, Lear was always considered either too epical or too shocking to stage. Writing in 1810, Charles Lamb said: “To see Lear acted – to see an old man tottering about the stage with a walking-stick, turned out of doors by his daughters in a rainy night, has nothing in it but what is painful and disgusting. We want to take him into shelter and relieve him. That is all the feeling which the acting of Lear ever produced in me. The Lear of Shakespeare cannot be acted.”

Two centuries can be kind to a play. The question now is not whether Lear can be acted, but rather what makes a good Lear. Single actors can make Shakespeare shine (that’s the beauty of his soliloquies), but Lear is seldom alone, always bouncing off the other players. Lear is one of those productions that demands a good cast, or at least a good double act: Lear and Fool; Lear and Kent; Lear and Gloucester. Gusty performances from Lear’s antagonists are equally important.

If you’re unfamiliar with the plot: Lear asks each of his daughters to profess their love for him, and is flattered by the feigned hyperbole of Regan and Goneril. When his youngest daughter, Cordelia, confesses to love him simply as a daughter should, his pride is dented and he casts her out of his kingdom. Too late to realise his mistake, and forced from power by his offspring, an increasingly impotent and frail Lear descends into madness.

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Starting in August, Michael Attenborough directs Jonathan Pryce as Lear at the Almeida Theatre. Watch this space for a full review.

And remember: no Shakespeare play has a more brutal murder than the one dished out by critics.

Also on stage:

The Sunshine Boys Savoy Theatre, starts April 27 Kings of comedy, Willie Clark and Al Lewis, aka ‘The Sunshine Boys’, haven’t spoken to each other in years. When CBS call for the vaudevillian greats to be reunited for a television special, past grudges resurface as they take centre stage once more. Ageing ailments aside, can this legendary double-act overcome their differences for one last show?

Directed by Thea Sharrock, Neil Simmons’ The Sunshine Boys stars Danny DeVito (in his West End debut) and Richard Griffiths.

Hay Fever Noel Coward Theatre, until June 2.

Judith Bliss, once glittering star of the London stage, decides to spice up her weekend up by inviting a young suitor to join her in the country. However, her husband and kids have the same idea, and any hope for private flirtation disappears as the family’s guests begin to arrive. Misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous revelations all run riot in an outrageous gathering of characters.

Noël Coward wrote Hay Fever in 1924. Howard Davies’ version sees double Olivier award-winner Lindsay Duncan take the title role.

15/04/2012 12:03

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