The Wrapped Issue

Volume two | Issue FIVE | FREE

The Wrapped Issue Goodbye 2012! Hello 2013!

A loving farewell to the highs of the year and unwrapping the year ahead in culture and luxury

James Butterwick Russian and European Fine Art

Alexander Rusakov (1898 - 1952)

‘Still Life With A Samovar And A Flower’, (1925-8) Oil on canvas, 53 x 71cm

jamesbutterwick.com

Welcome to the latest issue of Kensington & Chelsea Review. Filled with art, auction, culture and luxury, Kensington & Chelsea Review is the magazine for the rather discerning resident of the Royal Borough.

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Publisher Talismanic Media Founder and Managing Director Sid Raghava Editor Coco Khan art Director Max Wilson of O.W.H. Creative Publishing Directors Stephen Slocombe, Michelle Bryant Advertising Sales Zoya Berkeley Books Editor Danny Arter Theatre Editor Alan Fielden Sub Editor Mia Bleach Office Manager Lee Marrero

The year the Mayans feared/got bored of has come to a close, and what a monumental twelve months it has been. Between the Olympics, the Jubilee, and of course Kensington and Chelsea Review’s summer rebrand, 2012 has truly been an annus mirabilis. This is a year of Great Britishness and we’ve been proud to cover events in the very Royal Borough of London. However, it’s not all over yet- despite a number of fat ladies singing in the coming weeks as the theatre guide will tell you- and in the spirit of savouring these last moments, we’ve devoted our entire issue to Christmas decadence, and the year ahead in culture. We’ve had a lot of famous friends help us on this mission. Marie Guerlain, heiress to the Guerlain empire reminds us of the true beauty of giving, while Mark Hix is saving us from the embarrassment of improper carving over in the food pages. The drinks section will provide you intoxicating information in every which way, while the real spirit of Christmas can be found in fashion, with some serious musings on the playful Christmas jumper. Over in KCReview HQ, we have some high hopes for 2013, though if it only matches the wonders of this year, we’re sure to be entering 2014 smiling. Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

Coco Khan Editor

Writers Shula Pannick, Annie Vischer, Adrian Foster, Sid Raghava, Ben Osborn, Dave Drummond, Stefan Nicolaou,Tamlin Magee, Sarah Jackson, Kate Weir, Alexander Ducasse, John Underwood All material in Kensington and Chelsea Review is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission of the publishers. Colour transparencies and photographs submitted for publication are sent at the owners’ risk and while every care is taken, neither the publishers nor their agents accept liability for loss or damage however caused. The publishers can accept no liability whatsoever of nature arising out of nor in connection with the contents of this publication.

Opinions expressed within the articles are not necessarily those of Kensington and Chelsea Review and any issue arising there from should be taken up directly with the contributor. page. 5

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Contents 8.

News News curated from the worlds of art, culture and intrigue.

10. Interview:

Marie Guerlain

Heiress to the Guerlain empire, philanthropist and artist Marie Guerlain talks frankly about what it means to give.

12. From

Christie’s, With Insight

The fourth instalment in Christie’s monthly column with tips for buyers.

14. Theatre

2013

It’s been a monumental year for theatre and performance. But what can we look forward to for next?

18. The

Year in Books

A round up of 2012 in books, and what this tells us about the shape of things to come.

20. Tech Which tablet will be shaking things up in 2013?

22.

Making a Statement Long live the Christmas Jumper!

27. Beauty Tis the season to shimmer and shine- we show you how.

30 . Food

and Drink

Tips from Mark Hix, the perfect mulled wine, and restaurant reviews.

38 . Happy

New Where?

Our guide to wine and dine in style this New Year’s Eve.

42 . Travel Stay here or go..to Egypt?

50 . Motoring Celebrating 25 years of Land Rover

38.

17.

30.

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14.

NEWS

Read All About It A rundown of London news from the worlds of arts, culture and the plain intriguing, all handpicked for the Royal Borough resident. writers: Coco Khan, Steve Slocombe, Holly Black, Sid Raghava, Adrian Foster, Kate Weir

Mary Katrantzou Christmas Tree at Design Museum Highly acclaimed fashion designer Mary Katrantzou has designed this year’s Christmas tree for the Design Museum. Incorporating patterns from her Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection the tree will be a 2D design on the museum’s outer wall.

Katrantzou’s Autumn/Winter 2012 collection included collaboration with Swarovski and Lesage to create masterful embroideries elevating the mundane to the sublime, as part of the Swarovski Collective. Measuring 3m in height the tree will combine Katrantzou’s trademark bold patterns with Christmas sparkle to create this inventive take on a Christmas tree.

Mary Katrantzou comments: ‘The print was inspired by formal gardens and artful box parterres, these were layered and overlaid to create an intricate maze-like print reminiscent of a hand embroidered lace motif.’

The collaboration marks the exciting rise of Mary Katrantzou as one of the foremost fashion designers in the world. www.designmuseum.org We Like

The Appleton Estate…

Property

Oscar Wilde’s Chelsea Home for Sale Commemorated by a blue plaque, part of Oscar Wilde’s family home on Tite Street in London’s Chelsea is for sale through Savills for £1.15 million.

It was here, in his library, that Wilde wrote some of his best known works including The Picture of Dorian Gray, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest.

In the late 19th century Chelsea was home to London’s bohemian quarter.

Popular with painters and poets famous neighbours on Tite Street would have once included artists John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler. Wilde moved into the property with his new wife Constance in 1884 and left after his fall from grace and imprisonment in 1895 when the Marquis of Queensberry accused the famous playwright of homosexuality due to his affair with her son Lord Douglas. www.savills.co.uk

For these devastatingly luxurious products: The oldest rum in the world created to commemorate 50 years of Jamaican independence. Only 800 of these bottles were made and they are worth £3,500 each.

Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Truffles – joining forces with the Queen’s chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker, to bring you indulgent, handcrafted Jamaica Rum truffle. Not so damaging to the wallet at £11.95 www.appletonestate.com

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New ethical and art-inspired clothing label, Nungapunga, launches New Year’s Eve celebrations are just around the corner and for one night of the year grown women can don the sparkliest of costumes without shame, but there’s a fine line between sparkling chic and outshining the disco ball, so what’s a vibrant social butterfly to do? Step up new clothing line Nungapunga, the brainchild of Jo Young, an avid eBay hunter with a background in fashion illustration and Janette Pyke, whose background spans both retail and fine art - experience which has made the eagleeyed style mavens a dab hand at spotting the most unique and wearable shapes for their first collection. Nungapunga may take its name from an Indian saying for running around in your birthday suit, but you’ll want to do anything but when their first collection launches on the 10th December. Shunning fast fashion’s

need for often mediocre filler, Jo and Janette have elected strong, yet sparkly statement pieces, which will turn heads without blinding admirers. The exclusive range is still veiled in secrecy, but word is that sophisticated silhouettes such as palazzo pants, tuxedo trousers, velvet suits and kicky shift dresses will feature, embellished with unabashed glitter, but finished in muted hues of purple, navy and ivory for a grown up twist. Many of the pieces are inspired by one-off vintage finds sourced by Jo and Janette, and with a limited run leading up to New Year’s, you can be sure you’ll own something achingly covetous.

Of course at such a decadent time of year it’s important to consider more philanthropic gains, so take note that Nungapunga’s clothing is ethically produced in India using

embroidery techniques handed down from generations. Proud of their skilled craftsmen, Jo and Janette want to invest their profits in these artisan’s local communities and are involved with the Ted foundation, which supplies Indian children with school equipment and helps to re-integrate them into regular schooling. So, you get a nifty little number to shimmy around West London’s slickest bars and a struggling community in India gets a wealth of support and growth, making the new year shinier, smilier and all the more splendid all round.

For further details and Nungapunga updates visit https://nungapunga.jux.com/ or follow them on Twitter @nungapunga. To donate to the Ted foundation visit www.tedfoundation.org/

Photo: New Safari Five at Jongomero Camp in Tanzania No news page would be complete with a bit of an ‘awww’ factor, so we thought we’d draw your attention to Tanzania’s Small Five. Africa is known for its phenomenal wildlife, in particular the Big Five of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino. But Jongomero Camp in Tanzania are highlighting some lesser known critters can be just as (if not more) interesting to discover. Nominees include the Jewel Beetle- a creepy crawly that has evolved to detect flames of a forest fire from 50 miles away and the Leopard Tortoise- so-called because of its leopard-like markings and armoured shell that is impregnable to most predators, even Lions. Our favourite has to be the Dik Dik, Tanzania's smallest antelope. At just 40cm tall with its cuter than Bambi eyes, the little angel wins the cute factor as one of the few creatures that is entirely monogamous.

Highlight

Isa Genzken, Hauser & Wirth London Long revered for her intelligent use of sculptural form, mixed media and photography, Isa Genzken uses precarious assemblages and frantic photomontages to a produce a chaotic yet subtly balanced critique of contemporary society. Nefertiti busts in designer sunglasses and concrete radio transmitters rest alongside upturned designer chairs lashed together with gaffer tape and acrylic paint. By subverting these ancient symbols of beauty and revered forms of ‘high art’ Genzken succeeds in combining the sinister with the absurd, thus producing an interesting critique regarding the modern icons we choose to worship and an ominous depiction of urban apocalypse.

The exhibition runs until Jan 12th 2013 www.hauserwirth.com/

Win a Haynes Desk Diary The Haynes Desk Diary is now in its seventh year and much loved by all who use it, so the 2013 edition is sure to be in great demand. The format is the same as the time-honoured Haynes Manual and each month features an evocative, classic cutaway car diagram from the Haynes archive along with a summary of the vehicle portrayed. All housed in a robust, 'Haynes Manual' style cover, it's quite simply the perfect gift for all motoring and classic car enthusiasts.

Just three lucky readers can each win a copy of the Haynes Desk Diary 2013 simply by carefully studying this issue of Kensington & Chelsea Review and counting the number of car emblems that are hidden within these pages. The first three correct entries drawn on 29/12/12 will receive their copy by post. Good luck and good counting! Enter by tweeting @KCReview or by emailing competitions@ kensingtonreview.co.uk The Haynes Desk Diary 2013 is available from all good bookshops and direct from Haynes at www.haynes.co.uk, priced £9.99.

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Art

Marie Guerlain Managing parenthood, professional ambitions and selfless endeavours all at once is no mean feat. This is true for both the humble and the heirs of the world.

Marie Guerlain, descendent of the highly regarded Guerlain cosmetics and perfumery institution, trumps most in attitude, amiability and humility.

Stefan Nicolaou interviews.

Marie very recently became the patron of child cyberabuse charity The Marie Collins Foundation. Foundation founder and long-time activist for the protection of children Tink Palmer met Marie through previous charity involvement. A week into the role, Marie is facing the challenges of coordinating fundraising. “I’m honoured to be patron of this amazing charity”, she enthuses. “It’s all very new. There’s a lot of pressure in [raising money], but it’s fantastic when you do.” While clearly a daunting role, the compulsion to work in charity has long been instilled.

“I was raised with that sort of philosophy, definitely, but it’s also something that’s part of me and who I am. It’s something I’ve always felt passionate about”, she says.

The foundation aims to counsel children who have experienced internet or other technological abuse, and offers advice and guidance for professional bodies.

The sensitive area of child abuse is a primary concern with her philanthropic work. Dedication to different causes has amplified since Marie became a mother. “It’s made the feeling of wanting to protect children who have been harmed even more intense”, she says. “They don’t know any better and need to be protected.”

Another contribution is the donation of her artwork to charities. Marie’s career as a campaigner is tinged with a similar gumption to her career as an artist. “It’s kind of always been something within me”, she says.

“My mum says I’ve been drawing since I was able to do anything else. I never had any reservations – I always knew it was what I was going to do. If I’m not creating, I feel stagnant inside.”

Past collections have been muted red, brown and orange hues. The images have visible figurative subjects page. 10

and Marie colours over the proverbial lines. Inspiration is drawn from her admired artists such as Frida Kahlo. “I love her and I’ve been talking about her a lot recently. I love all the emotion and passion and the story that goes behind it: that she was able to create, in all that suffering, such beautiful portraits. They have surrealist elements to them and that’s what fascinates me: the imagination.”

Stories and presenting the visceral auras of subjects are key components to her work. The browns, golds, okras, oranges and reds were the result of the particular exploration with colour at the time, but the choices of tones are not necessarily indicative of a brooding creative state of mind. “If I’m under pressure and not feeling so good within myself, it blocks me”, she says. “If things are a little bit crazy in my life, I find it hard. I can still paint, but it just won’t flow. As an artist, sometimes

clockwise [from top left]: Woman in Disguise, Buddha I, Woman Pretty and Grooming

anxiety and worries can work to your advantage, and sometimes they can block you.”

Without pressure and in relaxing locales, Marie says she can create unrestrained pieces. Her artistic projects, as is the pattern with other avenues of her life, have seen the benefit from travelling and personally experiencing the uncertainties and splendours of the world. “I remember travelling as a child and seeing all these places, like Morocco, when I was eleven”, she smiles. Marie recalls the “eye-opener” of “the silks, the colours, the smells, the different life, the culture and the food. We went travelling around the Atlas Mountains and to Fez, where they naturally dye leather.”

Carrying globe-trotting into adulthood widened Marie’s perspective further, especially a trip to “mystical, spiritual” Asia. “It’s where I created my Buddha painting, my most well-known piece.

For me, that was a huge thing. My art organically grew with the environment I was in.” In time, Marie will travel with her own children to gift them the experience of very different cultures.

As an artist, sometimes anxiety and worries can work to your advantage, and sometimes they can block you.

Marie Guerlain

The terracotta palette will change in time, as will her medium, technique and “vibe”. “Artists evolve”, she says. “I think my next exhibition will probably be very different. I want to mix different mediums together. It may very well be black and white photography and visually, it’ll be very different.” With regards to charity work and other projects, there are things in the pipeline still to be revealed.

There is an ipso facto element to Marie Guerlain. She is passionate and dedicated, and a person who counts her blessings and reflects on past triumphs and experiences. “For me, in my thirties, life is more balanced. Things are great right now”, she says of her family and artistic life. Seeing the value in commitment and engagement with worthwhile pursuits, Marie is the perfect choice as patron for the Marie Collins Foundation.

The foundation website mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk is coming soon. To view Marie’s art, visit marieguerlainart.com

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[Right/left] Elizabeth Price: Elizabeth Price, The Woolworths Choir of 1979 | Courtesy the artist and MOTInternational, London

[Right/left] Spartacus Chetwynd: Spartacus Chetwynd, Odd Man out 2011 | Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London

Art on the Dancefloor Ben Osborn heads to the Turner Prize Award’s afterparty to take stock of the results.

The Turner Prize was awarded on Monday 3rd of December.

Elizabeth Price won for her film The Woolworth’s Choir of 1979. Price had been widely praised by critics, though the competition was fierce. She beat a shortlist that consisted of Paul Noble, who draws and sculpts an imaginary world, Luke Fowler, who created a 90 minute film using archive footage of controversial psychiatrist RD Laing, and Spartacus Chetwynd, the first performance artist ever nominated for the prize.

Despite the strength of her work, Elizabeth Price was probably not the most striking candidate for the prize. In fact, she sat comfortably in the middle of the aesthetic extremes that the artists represented: obsessive, monomaniacal introversion in Paul Noble’s drawings, an intense fascination with and dreamlike embodiment of another’s ideas in Luke

Fowler’s film and the indefinable, all-encompassing sprawl of Spartacus Chetwynd’s performance. Price’s energetic, carefully crafted film was representative of the both the ambitiousness and work ethic of all four artists – this year, you really couldn’t say ‘my five year old could do that’ (although the annual despairing tabloid journalists did their best). It’s a work that I couldn’t quite get into, though it was undoubtedly impressive and interesting.

There was an austere, politicized atmosphere to the award ceremony itself. Price’s speech praised state-funded institutions and warned against the dangers of cuts and regressive reforms in education in the arts. It was a timely warning, coming only days before the announcement of the chancellor’s controversial plans to continue and deepen

government spending cuts. In a year when the Turner Prize showed it could promote a range of strong, original art and inspire lively debate in the art world, it also showed it a relevance to and understanding of its own social context.

However, it was the joyful spirit of Spartacus Chetwynd that dominated the exhibition; it was fitting that it should dominate the after-party also. Wearing black make-up and bin bags crafted into dresses, kimonos and ponchos, her troupe cheerfully moshed and headbanged in the centre of the dancefloor to live music from duo 100% Beefock and the Titsburster, brilliantly abrasive and energetic, before boogying to a string of girls-night-in eighties hits. It was if Chetwynd’s performance had relocated to the party.

The exhibition continues until the 6th of January at the Tate Britain.

Culture with Christie’s Chairman of Christie’s South Kensington, Nic McElhatton returns to Kensington and Chelsea Review for Christie’s monthly instalment of insight into their world of auction At Christie’s we are privileged to work with some of the most important and celebrated collections in the world and this December we will be holding two particularly special auctions in South Kensington. Harewood: The Attic Sale on Sunday, 9 December will present a fascinating array of diverse works from Harewood House’s crowded storerooms - few of which have ever been on public display - including furniture,

pictures, porcelain, textiles and silver; estimates start from just £300-500 for two engraved George V hunting whips. And a very different style of collection is brought to life with Peter Langan: A Life with Art on Tuesday, 18 December which will offer over 200 artworks from the core collection of legendary London restaurants Langan’s Brasserie and Odin’s having been part of their much loved mise-en-scene and

the backdrop to many a memorable evening.

Estimates start at just £800, but two of the top items are works by David Hockney including the artist’s first portrait of Langan in 1967 (estimate: £15,000-25,000) and Peter Langan and JeanMarc Moussis (estimate: £15,000 - 25,000). We hope to welcome many private collectors to Old Brompton Road to peruse, perhaps in search of a unique Christmas gift or two!

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Th e at r e 2013

This year has been unparalleled for London theatre.

Taking cue from the Olympics, our capital became a glorious nexus for the world’s greatest theatre, with World Shakespeare Festival, LIFT Festival, GATZ and Cate Blanchett’s mesmerising performance in Gross und Klein. It was also a near-faultless showcase of home-grown talent with Matilda’s Olivier triumph and new plays from Crimp and Churchill, as well as a fertile ground for international collaboration (Three Kingdoms, The Wooster Group and RSC’s Troilus and Cressida). Exciting appointments in Josie Rourke as artistic director at the Donmar and Indhu Rubasingham at the Tricycle mark a significant shift at the top level, with Vicky Featherstone hot from the National Theatre of Scotland to take over at the Royal Court in 2013. So what else is there to look forward to? And what’s likely to sell-out in seconds?

Alan Fielden predicts.

Beyond January (see Editor’s Picks) the Barbican pulls no punches with a one-off production of John Cage’s seminal Lecture on Nothing (February 25th 2013) performed by none other than legendary auteur Robert Wilson. This should be one of the exceptional performance events of the year.

In March, Riverside Studios will host Yael Farber’s production of Mies Julie (March 7th – May 19th 2013), which amazed Edinburgh Festival audiences almost unanimously with its raw power. Set in post-apartheid South Africa, this “sensational”, “devastating” adaptation was lavished in fivestar reviews. “The best Miss Julie I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.”

(Lyn Gardner) April sees a curious Royal Court production originated

by Anthony Neilson entitled A New Play (April 5th – May 4th 2013), which will be written only after the actors have been cast, and under their unique influence, “I want to write for the actors I’ve cast, not cast the parts I’ve written... Because risk is everything... Because I want to surprise myself...

Because I want to surprise you.”

Elsewhere, the Donmar Warehouse will be staging Conor McPherson’s supernatural, folkloric The Weir (April

18th – June 8th 2013) with artistic director Josie Rourke at the helm. A play that tied with Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge and Samuel Beckett’s Endgame at 40th in an NT poll of the 100 most significant plays of the 20th century.

Back at the Barbican is another rare performance gem will play out in the form of Quizoola! (April 12th – 13th 2013), a 24-hour durational performance from Forced Entertainment.

Seemingly simplistic in format – performers smeared in clown makeup asking each other a great multitude of questions and improvising the answers – the show has a deeply hypnotic charm. “What is the capital of Spain? Why are people afraid to die? What is a tree? Was John Wayne really brave?” Ticket holders are free to come and go as they please.

In May, the Almeida hosts Chimerica (May 17th – June 29th 2013), a show co-produced with Headlong (Enron, Earthquakes in London), written by Lucy Kirkwood (currently working with Katie Mitchell on Hansel & Gretel at the NT) and directed by Lyndsey Turner (Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Posh). Chimerica follows photojournalist Joe from 1989 Tiananmen Square to the 2012 US elections, exploring the changing fortunes of “two countries whose futures will come page. 14

to define our own” and discovering the truth behind the unknown, ubiquitous Tiananmen hero.

Spring will also mark the official first season of the brand new Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. Recent guests to a fundraising gala included Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Poliakoff and The Hour’s Romola Garai, so it’s certainly in good company.

Elsewhere throughout the year, Theatre503 (“Arguably the most important theatre in Britain today” – The Guardian) will be busy enacting its new Artistic Policy under the direction of Paul Robinson, enlisting literary assistance from Caryl Churchill, Howard Brenton and Timberlake Wertenbaker, and the Globe will turn mystic. Throughout the year, the Globe will be featuring “the three plays of Shakespeare’s which deal most directly with the supernatural”; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and Macbeth, while showcasing three new world premieres and continuing their tradition of hosting international Shakespeare tours from South Africa, Georgia, Belarus and India.

As long as the world doesn’t end, we’re in for a theatrically electrifying 2013.

Clockwise from top: John Cage Lecture on Nothing - Robert Wilson - copyright Wonge Bergmann Ruhrtriennale, 2012 The Weir Quizoola!- copyright Hugo Glendinning

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Th e at r e

Editor’s Picks For those seeking unadulterated sanctuary from Christmas cheer.

Julius CaesaR [RIGHT] Donmar Warehouse, November 29th – February 9th 2013 Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady, Mamma Mia!) returns to theatre direction, with an all-female cast featuring Frances Barber and wave-making young-blood Cush Jumbo performing Shakespeare’s bloody dramatisation of the Roman Emperor’s fall from grace.

The Architects The Biscuit Factory, November 27th – February 1st 2013 The Architects marks its first production in an away space. Taking place in Bermondsey’s labyrinthine The Biscuit Factory, Shunt’s take on the Minotaur myth should be a pleasing yet disorientating experience.

In The Republic of Happiness The Royal Court Theatre, December 6th – January 19th 2013 “A family Christmas is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Uncle Bob”. Catch this violent satire penned by Martin Crimp and directed by Dominic Cooke, for a violently alternative Christmas.

A Clockwork Orange [LEFT] Soho Theatre, November 19th – January 5th 2013 This five-star “outstanding all-male ensemble” version of Anthony Burgess’ gruesome tale directed by Alexandra Spencer-Jones is a testosterone-fuelled “force-of-nature” performance. A supreme horror show of physical theatre.

Don’t Miss!

La Bohème Royal Opera House, December 17th – March 12th 2013 The grand Puccini classic of doomed love and bohemian pleasures returns just in time for a white Christmas. John Copley’s production, to be conducted for a time by Mark Elder, brings 18th-century Paris bustling into evanescent life. There will be snow.

Fuerzabruta was the show that re-opened the Roundhouse in 2006 and was a serious contender for best production of the year, if not the entire decade. The show remains Roundhouse’s fastest selling run, and we can understand why. The visual spectacular utilises the latest technologies in theatrical special effects and, with its bombastic, Hollywood-style indulgences (humans running through walls and an underwater scene hung from the ceiling above the audience) occupies a rare position that is somewhere between the finer points of a Las Vegas magic show and the seamless, cinematic execution of an arthouse movie. Visceral, sensual and and fantastical, this is a production that is not to be missed.

0844 482 8008 www.roundhouse.org.uk/fuerzabruta | Tickets start from £20

For The Family Christmassy evenings out for the cultured childerbeast Hansel and Gretel National Theatre, December 7th – January 26th 2013 Following on from the Olivier-nominated Beauty and the Beast and The Cat in the Hat, Katie Mitchell, Lucy Kirkwood and Vicki Mortimer return to the National Theatre stage with an adaptation that promises to be jolly Grimm. 7-10-year-olds.

The House Where Winter Lives Children’s Story Centre, November 29th – January 13th 2013 Site-specific legends Punchdrunk create this “immersive, interactive storytelling adventure” that’s sure to amaze and enchant. Two tree dwellers with a winter feast in jeopardy ask you to journey into the secret forest to help find a key. 3-6-year-olds.

Cinderella Lyric Hammersmith, November 24th – January 5th 2013 This year’s Lyric panto, with Artistic Director Sean Holmes at the helm, should be a cheeky laugh. Steven Webb, Mel Giedroyc and Julie Atherton retell the fairytale with a modern, Hammersmith twist. 6+

59 Minutes to Save Christmas [RIGHT] Barbican, December 15th – January 6th 2013 “A great alternative to panto” (The Guardian). For hands-on families, Slung Low presents an interactive, headphoneimplementing quest around the Barbican, where parents may prove useful so as to “reach the high stuff”, all in the name of saving Christmas. 7+ Midnight’s Pumpkin BAC, December 8th – January 13th 2013 Kneehigh take over the BAC’s Grand Hall to throw a magnificent Royal Ball, “but with a guest list that includes an evil step-mother, ugly sisters and Prince Charming, you are in for a night of mischievous magic all before the clock strikes twelve.” 6+

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Books

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

Borges

The Year in Books words: Danny Arter

Another year in books brings another hoard of ‘Books of the Year’ lists. The publishing calendar becomes wafer-thin after the industry’s ‘Super Thursday’ – the day on which a swathe of big-name books are released in the hope of securing the coveted Christmas number one – before being resuscitated in the new year.

It’s been quite a year for women writers: Hilary Mantel became the first female to win the Man Booker Prize twice; J K Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy sold by the shed-load; and E L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey sold by the suburbload, prompting a full-blown publishing frenzy. Maggie Shipstead won the prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize for her excellent Seating Arrangements, and Madeleine Miller bagged the Orange Prize for The Song of Achilles (admittedly, the latter is a prize exclusively for women). While these bounty winners may have hoarded the headlines, some of our picks have an altogether more niche feel.

A.M. Homes may be familiar to many readers already (This Book Will Save Your Life), and her ambitious May We Be Forgiven is a magnificent piece of postmodern fiction.

Heavily influenced by Don DeLillo, whom the protagonist bumps into in a couple of comic encounters, Homes’ novel explores an America obsessed with technology, detached from nature and, increasingly, witnessing the break-up of the nuclear family. It’s irreverent, dark and hilarious in equal measure.

Keith Ridgway may be less familiar, but his Hawthorn and Child is one of the most ambitious crime novels

to be released in recent years. Numerous characters piece together a scattered patchwork of a narrative as an unsolved crime sees police partners Hawthorn and Child at the centre of an increasingly tangential, expanding web of a plot. The ‘whodunit’ isn’t the real mystery; it’s the reliability of the narrative itself.

Another investigative novel with serious scope is Graham Rawle’s The Card. The story of a neurotic card collector is not merely a compelling story; it’s a beautiful hardback with wonderful illustrations courtesy of Rawle himself. Typography and layout experiments complement the eclectic narrative, which follows Riley on an adventure to seek card number 13 in the Mission Impossible set. A compelling chase penned in absorbing prose, The Card is a brilliant read.

Zadie Smith’s NW has been a long time coming. Though the author is now a resident in New York, her eye (and ear) for London is second to none. Not since her debut White Teeth has she tackled the capital with such sharp wit, succinctly capturing the dialects of north-west Londoners to recount a coming-of-age tale through four distinct characters. It’s a gripping narrative, perhaps more experimental than her previous fare, but it’s

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pulled off with aplomb. Judges of this year’s major prizes may have overlooked NW, but it’s certainly added a severe heft to Smith’s reputation as one of the country’s most eminent literary talents.

For readers more inclined towards non-fiction, Leanne Shapton’s Swimming Studies is essential. This memoir of her youth as a competitive swimmer is far more than selfindulgence. The clue is in the title; her approach to swimming is methodical, forensic, even. The meticulousness that she grants minor details, such as her numerous swimming outfits, is equal to her structured approach to life.

Shapton may no longer be in swimming’s deep end, but its impact upon her everyday adult life makes Swimming Studies a wonderful read.

To compliment Zadie Smith’s NW, readers might like to take a look at Nick Barratt’s Greater London, a sweeping look at the capital’s suburbs and outskirts. Barratt explores how the capital expanded, creating pockets of community which have unique, distinctive characteristics of their own, all the while remaining a part of the capital. It’s abundantly illustrated, and big enough to occupy you all over the festive period.

Christmas Recommendations words: Ben Osborn

The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro Everyman Library Hardcover The new Everyman’s Library edition of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 1989 novel The Remains of the Day is a thing of beauty, cementing the novel’s position as one of the key works of the late twentieth century.

An Everyman book feels the way a book is supposed to. Their hardbacks decorated in red, gold, white and black are elegant but not too fancy. They are light, hardy and reasonably priced, supposed to be carried around and picked up anywhere, and feel good in your hands while you’re reading.

They’re also a really interesting selection in general, reviving canonical classics while embracing a glorious variety of cultures and styles. The introductions and timelines give the works literary and historical context, making each edition a thorough and satisfying read.

The Remains of the Day is a perfect addition to the library. It is, as Salman Rushdie says in his excellent introduction, “both beautiful and cruel”. The story – an ageing butler realises he’s reached the end of his career and has to revaluate his life – is beyond being a brilliant turning-on-itshead of literary and cultural traditions, as it’s also a gorgeous narrative experiment.

The narrator will always avoid telling you about the important things, providing compelling hints to the complexity and intensity underlying every moment.

The style has pitfalls; it is at times, quite purposefully boring, particularly at the start.

In a recent interview, Ishiguro said he tries to make his novels impossible to film, and despite the success of the film adaptation

of this novel, you can feel something of that intention in this book. He makes the reader work, giving them the option of disregarding the text for what it appears to be on the surface. Within a matter of pages, the force of the novel is inescapable, but you must work to get there.

The importance for the reader to penetrate this surface makes me unwilling to say too much about the narrative itself, as the developments within the text need to be discovered in their own context. The strength of the writing means it doesn’t rely on shocking plot twists, but instead makes you gradually aware of the unsaid reality. The subject matter, like its narrator, is complex and human. I will say, though, that the historical portrait the novel provides of what Rushdie calls “the British aristocracy’s flirtation with Nazism” is striking because it doesn’t just show you what happened, but how it happened, leaving the reader to wonder whether it was the product of a crisis of British identity, or whether it may have been inherent within that identity all along. Ishiguro’s novel gives evidence for either argument.

Ishiguro’s timeline, of course, goes right up to today. Key recent events in his career – the film adaptation of Never Let Me Go, a stage musical of The Remains of the Day – are put in the context of the publication of Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, political upheaval in Greece and Italy, civil wars, mass protest across North Africa and the Middle East, and the growth of China’s economy. The publisher is asking us to read beyond the page, just as Ishiguro is asking us to read between the lines. An exciting way to revisit a great work for those already familiar with it; a brilliant introduction for those approaching it for the first time.

Dadaoism (An Anthology) Various Authors Edited by Justin Isis and Quentin S. Crisp Chômu Press This is the first anthology from innovative independent publisher Chômu Press, and it’s brilliant. Chômu has already gained something of a cult following for the string of fascinating, genre-defying novels and short story collections it’s released, all with impeccably high standards of writing, and all in beautiful, cooler-than-cool editions. But with this book, which it’s describing as “a literary manifesto for the 21st century”, it’s cemented its aesthetic into something like its own movement.

The stories, poems and various things in between the two that make up this collection are ‘Dadaoism’ – a wordplay fusion of Dadaism, the modernist literature and art movement that embraced chance, chaos and selfdestruction, and Daoism (or Taoism), the ancient Chinese religion. For readers familiar with Daoism though the book of Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching, this might seem an awkward pairing – Tao Te Ching is an attempt to describe an indescribable ‘way’ of being (or, perhaps, a way that runs through being). But if you’ve read the other great text of Daoism, the book of Zhuangzi, this will make much more sense. Zhuangzi is hilarious, mad and profound – an eloquent attack on hierarchy and order, and one of the best books ever written. Chômu, in fact, takes its name from Zhuangzi – as editor Quentin S. Crisp explains in his introduction, “it translates as ‘butterfly dream’, a reference to the fable of

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Zhuangzi. In brief, Zhuangzi fell asleep and dreamt he was a butterfly flitting happily from flower to flower. Then he awoke and remembered he was Zhuangzi, who had dreamed he was a butterfly. Or – it suddenly occurred to him – was he a butterfly now dreaming he was Zhuangzi?”

Transformations, instabilities, inversions and perversions; these recur throughout this collection, both in content and form. The short story is often the site of generic instability, being somewhere between prose and poetry and therefore having a unique ability to bend our idea of what is real (think Kafka, Schulz, Lovecraft, Borges). The Dadaoism anthology fully exploits this, ranging from beautifully crafted fiction like Katherine Khorey’s Autumn Jewel and co-editors Quentin S. Crisp and Justin Isis’s collaboration Koda Kumi (a kind of Proustian Banana Yoshimoto, and one of the highlights of the collection), to the mad sci-fi of Jimmy Grist’s Jimmy Breaks Up With His Imaginary Girlfriend and Isis’s M-Funk Vs. The Futuregions of Inverse Funkativity, which reads like a merging of William Burroughs and Douglas Adams. Delicate, experimental pieces like Michael Cisco’s The Visiting Maze pre-empt two poems from rock’n’roll poet legend Jeremy Reed (Björk’s favourite poet) to finish the collection.

This is a great introduction to Chômu and the exciting world of independent publishing and original work. But aside from that, in a year of bestsellers from established authors, this is a very strong contender for your best book of the year.

Left: Android Nexus 10 Right: Kindle Fire

T e c h Ta l k s

A Case for Android When late Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the first-generation iPad in 2010, it was met with a mix of enthusiasm and confusion.

It looked like an overblown, comedy iPhone – except you couldn’t make calls. What could you use it for apart from watching films and as an extraordinarily expensive doorstop? Most detractors were silenced when the sales figures began to speak for themselves and since, Apple has largely dominated the tablet market. Now, however, there’s genuine competition available at a cut-rate price. So with Christmas fast approaching, which tablets will be worrying Apple? Tamlin Magee investigates.

A strong case for something different is Google’s Nexus 10.

Google commissioned Samsung to build them a ten-inch tablet, and the reception has been phenomenal, with the first batch selling out in days. With an incredibly high screen resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, Google’s device outguns even Apple’s third-generation iPad. Running the latest version of the Android operating system, Jelly Bean 4.2, shipping with speedy 1.7 GHz dual-core Cortex A15 and a Mali graphics processor, the device is easy on the eyes and comes in 16 or 32GB, storage flavours at £319 and £389 respectively.

The Android operating system was once popularly seen as a geeky alternative to Apple’s sleek iOS, minus the features that gave the iPhone and iPad their appeal, but the tables have been turned somewhat. While it’s still heavily customisable, there’s clearly been a lot of investment, and since the Android-based Samsung Galaxy phones took the UK by storm, climbing past the iPhone on the sales charts, it has demonstrated its strong consumer appeal. What Apple had going for it was a long list

of apps and a well-connected ‘ecosystem’ of content that can be accessed between Apple devices. Android has caught up: it offers many of the same apps and more. The usual staples for discreetly killing time, such as Angry Birds, are readily available, while Google has its own content store that also offers music, films, rentals, and books. Popular apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Google Maps are available too. Like Apple, you can access whatever you buy on Android through any other Android device by signing into your account, although the syncing is arguably not as polished. Google Play Music is a new feature that has been available in the United States for a while and has just made it over to the UK. Apple and Google are still the two most prominent players in mobile computing right now. But, as with Microsoft’s newly released Windows 8 and Windows Phone, vendors are playing the game. They want to keep their customers, and by offering so much great and affordable content on their platforms, they’re making it more challenging for the consumer to leap from one

operating system to another. A dedicated Apple fan is less likely to jump over to Android if it means they’ll lose all the apps they’ve already bought. For new buyers, though, or those who are yet to fully take advantage of the content on offer, there’ll be an increasingly attractive array of options.

Another alternative stocking filler is Amazon’s Kindle Fire which has just recently become available in the UK for the Christmas rush. At £129, the device is a bargain. Cutting its teeth on hugely popular Kindle, Amazon took its family to the next step with the Fire by offering web browsing, its own online marketplace, and an all-round cheaper tablet that can do more than books. It doesn’t pack as much punch as Apple or Google, and the screen is just seven inches, but for what you get, it’s a good bet.

Though they might not be snatching the high-end market from Apple this year, rival brands are beginning to realise they really must differentiate in order to have a significant impact on the consumer, and it won’t be long before one of them gets it right.

Tech Gift Guide

Rubiks Cube If you can’t decide on speakers for your workspace or home look no further than your friendly neighbourhood tech-wiz Science Museum and pick up the Rubik Speaker. It boasts quality decibels, compactness and is whisker weight. Besides all of the aforesaid, it boasts a killer retro style. Oh yes, a childhood icon supplying you sounds powered by a USB cable. The only puzzle here is how cool can it get?

To purchase this little puzzle for £20 visit http://www.sciencemuseumshop.co.uk

Mutewatch Mutewatch is a true trendsetter - the world’s first silent,vibrating watch which works as a reliable personal organiser whilst being an absolute stunner in the looks department.

Winner of the Red Dot Award for Product Design 2012, Mutewatch has a hidden touchscreen which activates when you turn your wrist 90 degrees. The luminous numbers adjust in brightness depending on the surrounding light adding to a design that delivers a perfect mix of fashion and technology. This Christmas you can also pick a special edition in conjunction with celebrated Swedish designer Jesper Nyren for £249. RRP £200 www.mutewatch.com

Ferrari by Logic3 If there’s one name that you can trust when it comes to high performance, state of the art technology and precision, it’s Ferrari. The latest additions to the Ferrari by Logic3 collection are testament to this legacy. In keeping with the trend for fashion headphones, Cavallino T350 emanatedelectable sound with active noise cancelling technology that reduces unwanted ambient noise and prevents loss of music dynamics. Immaculate!

The ANC headphones are available for £299 at: www.ferrari.com

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Braun The new Braun Series 5 is an all-terrain shaver complete with a full array of technical features, designed to power through your daily shave with expert handling and effortless control.

With new FlexMotionTec™ technology and an upgraded motor delivering 20% more power, it seamlessly combines turbo performance and outstanding design for significantly better skin contact even on difficult areas of the face, with less skin pressure.

What’s more, the Braun Series 5 5040s features wet & dry functionality, giving men the versatility of using it in the shower, with foams and gels. RRP: £189.99 www.boots.com

urn your home into a boutique hotel.

Without even having to fold your toilet paper.

If you own a distinctive home it could now become a boutique hotel while you’re out of town. We offer a hassle free service which allows you to earn extra income from guests while your home would otherwise sit empty.

Find out more at oneďŹ nestay.com/hosts or call 020 7097 8948

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Fa s hi o n

Making a Statement Mark Darcy has a lot to apologise for. When the eventual romantic hero of Bridget Jones’s Diary meets our narrator at a grim Christmas get-together, she overhears him insulting her. Is there anything worse? Well, towards the end of the novel, Mark feels the need to atone for more than just that. He laments, “I was unforgivably rude, and wearing a reindeer jumper.� So, when did dressing festively become the cardinal sin of Christmas? Shula Pannick muses. page. 22

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This much we know. When autumn appears, it is with a faint sense of anticipation that we go through the approved motions: trading light jackets for coats, wedged sandals for boots, and sunglasses for umbrellas. We get the challenge of dressing well whilst dressing warm.

Yet, around the corner lies more treacherous ground: the ultimate contest of winter wear. How do we prosper in the battle of festive fashion? With the Christmas Jumper traditionally lambasted as the reserve of the sartorially challenged, seasonal motifs have long been avoided. But, with ‘geek chic’ evermore popular, maybe it’s possible to go ‘statement’ without feeling silly.

Online designer fashion emporium Net-A-Porter is certainly doing its bit to quash any reservations about wearing your Christmas heart on your sleeve. The website has opened its very own festive knitwear department, offering exclusive jumpers from the most influential names in the biz.

Mark Darcy favoured the homemade variety, but Bridget fans can now save up their pennies and go one step further with a reindeer jumper of their very own from Stella McCartney [.1].

The fluorescent festive beauty, an irresistible reindeer-intarsia wool-blend sweater (£695), is a real must-have for the holiday season. For other classic Christmas symbols, pick Richard Nicoll’s [.2] star sweater in metallic red-and-green (£350), or

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give the gingerbread man a makeover with Moschino’s [.3] wool turtleneck offering (£396).

To really indulge, amp up the glitz and glam and embrace your inner bauble with a glittering red knit by Meadham Kirchhoff [.4] (£945). Inspired by the 1960s gift paper that Benjamin Kirchhoff wrapped Edward Meadham’s presents in last year, it recreates striking motifs by hand with intricate Zardozi embroidery. For a similar aesthetic, head to Avenue 32, an online collection of emerging design talent and established global brands. The Mother of Pearl Millenium [.5] Cashmere sweater (£400) has its own take on decorative design.

Bear in mind that it’s possible to take a more muted take on the trend. Tone it down with a traditional bubble-stitch jumper in a classic Christmas hue by cult favourite Markus Lupfer [.6] (£344).

Or, stick to what you know and don a checked design in festive red and green from Marc Jacobs [.7] (£580). Even Parisian style doyenne Isabel Marant is in on the action, with a stunning ecru wool-blend sweater mixing her characteristic chic with a bit of festive fun.

So, with bold-statement jumpers no longer the embarrassing reserve of yesteryear, there’s no danger in letting your jumper do the talking. Throw a covetable Christmas garment on with a pair of jeans and focus on the celebrations in hand. Mark Darcy may need to rethink that apology…

s h o ppi n g

Christmas Indulgence The Christmas lights are up, and store windows everywhere are offering a veritable feast of delights. Shula Pannick picks the best of temptations.

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1. Zagliani Trolley in Crocodile - £17420 www.zagliani.it Stocked at Harrods 2. Shamballa Jewels Ring - £4436 www.shamballajewels.com 3. Starbucks Verismo 580 Brewer Coffee Machine - £149 www.selfridges.com 4. Diptyque Large Indoor/Outdoor Figuier Candle - £170 www.diptyqueparis.co.uk 5. Kartell Bourgie Table Lamp in Gold – £353 www.selfridges.com 6. Givenchy Medium Size Antigona Bag in Black, Brown and Ivory Mink Patchwork 7. Givenchy Gloves in Red, Brown and Black Nappa Leather

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8. Azature Black Diamond Nail Varnish - £160,000 www.azature.com page. 25

drawings • watercolours • prints • posters • photographs

Don’t miss the 2013 Loan Exhibition: “The Conquest of the Skies”

A selection of original works focusing on the fascination of ballooning, chosen from the Science Museum Art Collection.

This is a rare chance to see these works by artists such as Rowlandson, Gillray, Seppings-Wright and Tissandier. They have never been presented to the public before and will be on show for 4 days only.

Early • Modern • Contemporary Thurs 31 Jan: Fri 1 Feb: Sat 2 Feb: Sun 3 Feb:

11am - 9pm 11am - 8pm 11am - 6pm 11am - 6pm

info@worksonpaperfair.com

01798 861 815

www.worksonpaperfair.com

Beauty

Fairytale Glamour As a little girl, Annie Vischer knew Christmas was on its way when things began to sparkle. Luckily, the beauty world shares her enthusiasm for shimmer as takes us through the host of delights to play with this party season.

The Eyes DSquared SS13 showed how to inject a smoky eye with serious shine. Try using the metallic tones of Bobbi Brown’s new Black Pearl Eye Palette (£42.00) or the Dior 3 Couleurs Ready-To-Wear Smoky Eyes Palette in Smoky Black (£34.00). Take the lightest silver shade up to just below the eyebrow. Layer up with the darker shades then use a fine eye shadow brush to take the deeper colour along the lower lash line for a metallic kohl effect. This look is deep and dramatic and should be matched with understated lips and blush to maintain sophistication.

For a more subtle sheen, follow James Kaliardos’ look for the Diane von Fürstenberg SS13 show. Kaliardos lined the lower lash line with a warm brown, and kept peachy hues on the lid.

Use a shadow such as Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Rose De Mai (£18.00) to blend across the lid and give a pearly glow that will make your look evening-ready in an instant. A sheer rosy lip colour such as Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Colour Balm in Pudgy Peony (£16.00) is the perfect accompaniment to this softer effect.

The Lips If you’re getting sparkly with your eyes, use a matte lip colour to refine the look. For darker eyes, follow Pat McGrath’s lead with nude lips in keeping with her creation that hit the runway for the Versace SS13 show. Avoid very chalky matte colours as they’ll make winter-worn lips appear dryer.

Moisturise where possible with hydrating lipsticks such as Bobbi Brown’s Treatment Lip Shine in Nectarine (£18.00) or

Chantecaille Hydra Chic Lipstick in Trillium (£29.00).

Using minimal colour on eyes gives you the chance to experiment with this season’s new berry lip tones. Tom Pecheux used Mineralize Lipsticks by MAC (£14.00) in Glamour Era and Lush Life to blend a purple stain for the Marni SS13. The look is both modern and tinged with British heritage, evocative of biting into freshly picked blackberries during a country walk. Try blotting on CK One Pure Colour Lipstick in Velvet (£13.00) or Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte Lip Colour in L’Impatiente (£25.00) with fingertips and layer up to your desired depth.

The Body The art of party dressing can only be perfected once the importance of glowing skin is understood. We all know it’s impossible to simply whip off those winter layers and step into your dress without some serious preening beforehand.

Cinderella really had no idea how lucky she was: one wave of the wand and she was ready for her Prince.

We may not have a Fairy Godmother to hand, but an experienced spray tanner might just be the next best thing.

Visit The Chelsea Day Spa for The A-List Sunless Spray Tan

by Vita Liberata (£30.00). Conveniently placed along the Kings Road, The Chelsea Day Spa offers impeccable service and soothing surroundings whilst the Vita Liberata Spray Tan is odourless, organic and paraben-free. For a true fairytale princess glow, look to this season’s must-have body shimmers. Here’s a pick of the best for your very own bibbetty-bobbetty-boo moment! page. 27

The Sanctuary Bidadari Shimmering Body Souffle (£9.74) The Body Shop Sparkler in Enchanting Gold (£14.00) Givenchy L’Argent Celeste Starry Loose Powder (£43.50) NARS Body Glow (£44.00) Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in 24 Karat (£45.00) The Hair You will have gathered by now that I am devout hairlong-and-wavy girl, but I do have a legitimate reason to fly that particular flag this Christmas. It’s true that the long line of parties and events means the glamour has to be increased to red-carpet levels, but those that succeed in the style stakes do so with a little contrast. Guido Palau created thick, tousled waves to soften the dark eyes of the Versace SS13 show. Prep hair with Percy and Reed Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse (£12.00) before blow-drying and finishing with a few thick sections curled around a large wand – the Nicky Clarke Desired Ceramic Tong (£22.99) is ideal. Run fingers through hair to separate the sections.

Palau put the models’ hair in top-knots until the beginning of the show before undoing so the waves fell naturally. This is a perfect trick to remember for maintaining that just-styled bounce if you’re travelling to your event. Either part where desired and wear however it falls, or twist into a loosely secured up-do such as those seen at Holly Fulton, Jenny Packham and John Galliano SS13. It won’t take long before you’re championing the loose-waves look yourself.

Beauty

Christmas Beauty Gifts Of course you’re far too organised to have any need of Christmas gift suggestions, but just in case, here are some little goodies you might like to try.

Clinique Chubby Stick Gift Set £30.00 | Crème de la Mer The Radiance Collection £210.00 | Benefit She’s So Jetset Make-Up Kit £29.50 | Illamasqua Nail Duo in Throb & Spartan £24.00 red and gold | Diptyque Amber Oud Candle £45.00 | St. Tropez Backstage Bronze £15.00 | Green & Spring Relaxing Bath Set £25.00

HydraFacial Treatment at Karidis Clinic Freshen your face for the festive season with this contemporary water-based quick-n-easy treatment It's that time of year again, when the travails of never-ending cold'n'grey bleakness and night-time drawing in just as you digest your lunch are offset by the joys of the festive party season. Be it obligatory office party or supremely decadent New Year's Eve Gala, aside from laying off the free sherry and donning a new sparkly outfit, one of the ways you can make yourself suitably more impressive to your audience of assorted colleagues, family and friends is by rejuvenating your skin and livening up your complexion through the super-modern, non-invasive process known as HydraFacial.

In the name of research, I headed off to the Karidis clinic in St John's Wood to try out this process and see how it works for myself.

The Karidis clinic was founded by Mr Alex Karidis, one of the UK's best known cosmetic surgeons. Born in Canada, Karidis graduated in Greece before coming to the UK, where he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, before specialising in plastic surgery and setting up his own clinic, which has recently expanded to include a range of non-surgical treatments, including said HydraFacial.

Located on the top floor of The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, the Karidis clinic is all cool, clean lines and subtle, reassuringly contemporary tones. For firsttime clients, they are keen to emphasise how important the consultation phase is – to really understand what is desirable, what is possible, and to give a realistic understanding any of potential process in its entirety. Given that I am here specifically for the HydraFacial, thankfully I don't need to reveal my innermost thoughts about my appearance, although there is an extensive conversation and form-filling process that does make me a tad nervous anyway, despite the fact that this particular treatment is designed to be suitable for pretty much anyone and everyone and is fairly risk-free.

Evolved from the Microdermabrasion, the HydraFacial is, as its name suggests, a waterbased treatment that essentially removes the outer layer of dead or damaged skin cells on the face using a specially shaped spiral tip that both exfoliates and applies various serums that cleanse and hydrate the skin. It is amazingly quick – around 15 minutes in total – and although it feels a little bit like getting

rather too intimate with a particularly highpowered Dyson appliance, it is incredibly straightforward and painless.

Aside from its speed, another key attraction of the HydraFacial – particularly for party season – is that it leaves little or no after-effects, and the results are visible pretty much immediately.

As someone who has fairly sensitive skin, and is not particularly used to such treatments, I went for the most gentle setting and, although I had a small amount of redness afterwards, this cleared up in just a few hours. Once this had subsided I was left with my skin feeling amazingly smooth

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and radiant, almost to the point of shinyness.

Karidis generally recommend six treatments at one per week to get the full effect, but even if you're just looking for a quick pre-Xmas party pick-me-up that doesn't involve a swanky outfit or extra sherry, I'd say the HydraFacial is definitely one to try.

Karidis Non-Surgical Third Floor The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth 60 Grove End Road St John's Wood London NW8 9NH http://www.karidis.co.uk HyperFacial treatment from £120, course of 6 treatments recommended 1 week apart

Not just This Morning... but every morning

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner at Stowe Family Law and resident family law expert on ITV’s This Morning.

Leading the UK’s largest dedicated family law firm, she has more than 30 years’ experience handling divorce cases and family law proceedings.

· One of the first solicitors to qualify as a family law arbitrator through the newly-formed Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA).

· The first Chief Assessor and Chief Examiner of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel.

· A Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers: a global association of lawyers recognised for expertise in their respective countries.

Located in WC1, Stowe Family Law specialises in family law issues and covers a wide range of cases.

From divorce to cohabitees’ rights, with dedicated international and children’s teams.

The team also offers mediation, arbitration and collaborative approaches and benefits from a specialist in-house forensic accountancy department that tracks down hidden assets and can provide immediate financial advice.

If you need family law advice, early support can be essential.

Stowe Family Law can help.

Contact 0207 7421 3300 or email chiefexecutive@stowefamilylaw.co.uk 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk www.marilynstowe.co.uk

R e sta u r a n t R e vi e w s

Naga 2 Abingdon Road, London W8 6AF www.nagarestaurants.co.uk words: Sid Raghava Naga means King Cobra in the ancient languages of Sanskrit and Pali. A revered species in Buddhist and Hindu circles, the Naga symbolises a holy entity, snake in form, which can assume human form and exercise magical powers.

Metaphorically speaking, a little magical bite of his holiness has been planted on the shoulder of Abingdon Road just off Kensington High Street. Eddy Lim, the well known veteran of the Chinese/Pan Asian scene for the last thirty years, Paper Tiger being his most famous offering in the past, has masterminded Nága with renowned mixologist, Tri Van Dang, the creator of the Flaming Ferrari cocktail and contributor to the birth of Brompton Club. Having reopened after a major refurbishment and a new Indonesian chef, Fachri Syarief, Nága offers the best in Pan Asian creativity and hospitality. A standard night at Nága would be incomplete without first sampling the heavenly cocktails made with the freshest of ingredients. There’s plenty to choose from - Chinese Martini’s with a hint of Sake or the Naga Fire Bowl - a deliciously vicious mix of Don Alvero tequila and Sake and Tonic . Personally, the cocktails were excellent but the star of the show was the Chinese Tea Pot which s Grey Goose La Poire shaken with Pear, Elderflower Cordial, Lemon Juice, topped up with Pink Champagne and served in a teapot. Sipping tea in utre little teacups whilst eating food never felt more elegant or fun. And then there is the small matter of food. Safe to say, you couldn’t do much wrong choosing from the extensive menu with a blindfold on with the index finer randomly approximating starters from the mains. There’s Vietnamese Spring Rolls wrapped in lettuce and mint or the Crispy Shilli Salt Squid to start with. The mains feature highly recommended heavyweights including Black Cod, Mongolian Lamb Chops with pickled vegetables and Flash Fried Pork with Lemongrass and Chilli. There is a fitting end to this Asian feast in theKueh Dadar. The Naga take on this classic is a doughy , sticky pastry filled with peanut sauce and served with Coconut ice cream and salt on the side for maximum confluence of flavours. It is reminiscent of the treasure that is the dessert menu at Awana in SW3. And quite like Awana, dining at Nága is experiencing Asian food at its finest.

The Cube

The Cube On top of Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 www.electrolux.co.uk/Cube/London words: Steve Slocombe Apparently over 50% of all Michelin-starred kitchens use Electrolux products, and last year, to both celebrate and promote this fact, the Swedish appliances giant decided to create a pop-up concept restaurant that would tour Europe.

So far, so PR. However, what they have created is simply stunning, and one I can safely say is up there in the once-ina-lifetime-memorable dining experience stakes.

For a start, there’s the location. Perched atop the Royal Festival Hall, The Cube offers incredible panoramic views across London, from the Houses of Parliament and the Eye all the way to the gleaming towers of the City.

And of course, as any fule kno’, any restaurant is only as good at its chefs, and here The Cube delivers in style, with a top notch rotating roster of Michelin-starred chefs from across the UK, including the likes of Claude Bosi, Sat Bains, Tom Aitkens and Tom Kitchen, to name a few.

For our visit, the chef in residence was Tom Kerridge – the portly, shaven-headed, infectiously jolly one familiar from TV foodie hits such as The Great British Menu and Masterchef. As the first ever chef to win two Michelin stars for a gastropub – The Hand and Flowers Pub he runs with his wife in Buckinghamshire – Tom Kerridge’s approach to food is typically hearty and accessible yet sophisticated and innovative.

We went for lunch, which is a six course taster menu (dinner is ten courses). Once you’ve taken the singing elevator up to the top floor and negotiated the spectacularly vertigo-inducing walkway, you reach the outside balcony with its epic backdrop, where you’re greeted by courteous staff proffering champagne (we had Joseph Perrier 2002) and canapes – succulent Pigs Head with Rhubarb Puree morsels, and tasty but unspectacular Whitebait with Marie Rose Sauce.

After consuming a generous amount of all three, we are ushered inside into the Cube itself. The food was perfectly befitting the rest of the experience. Roast chicken bouillon with mussels and morels were light and fresh with an incredibly deep flavour; smoked haddock and parmesan omelette, and salt cod scotch egg with chorizo – true to Kerridge’s MO – were both humble and homely yet utterly divine; warm sesame pudding and green tea sorbet an explosion of contrasting flavours, temperatures and textures.

Without doubt the real star of the show was the treaclecured 38 day aged Wiltshire sirloin – a giant, dark, rich, sticky slab of beef. Delivered to the table as a whole, we were encouraged to show our carving skills and serve up to each other – another example of the unique nature of this dining experience.

So if you’re in the market for a unique and memorable dining experience, we suggest you give The Cube a try – but you better hurry, as in true pop-up style it won’t be around for much longer.

Open daily, The Cube by Electrolux offers a lunch at 12:00 for £175 and dinner at 19:00 for £215 (prices includes champagne reception, a minimum 6 course tasting menu and matched wines).

Bentley’s Sea Grill Within Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X words: Coco Khan

Naga

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It takes a lot to please a spoiled restaurant reviewer- a lot.

Having misunderstood my assignment, I turned up to Bentley’s Sea Grill in Piccadilly expecting (and looking forward to) a seat in a white table clothed restaurant, a peaceful environ with top British cuisine as I had come to expect from the chef behind the place, Richard Corrigan. Having been blown away earlier in the year by a dinner seating at Corrigan’s, Richard’s flagship restaurant in Mayfair, I was considering turning on my heels and heading home upon hearing my seat this evening was in fact booked at Bentley’s Sea Grill Harrods, the new luxury fish diner contained within the

Bentley’s Sea Grill

Food Hall. Dinner with tourists during the busy Christmas period?

I wasn’t convinced. Thank God for the potent feelings of crippling embarrassment as I, unwilling to admit I was wrong the next day, made my way red-faced to Harrods.

It couldn’t have been better. Yes, it was dinner sat on a stool- a fancy stool, but a stool nonetheless. Yes, it was brightly lit, noisy, and yes, it did shut frankly far too early for a restaurant (8pm) in order to keep in line with the Harrods opening hours, but this is an eatery with conviction. Doing away with cliche-comforts, Bentley’s Sea Grill at Harrods aims to emphasise one glaringly beautiful thing; the cuisine.

The critical property of Corrigan’s hand is freshness, traditional flavours and heartiness. These all might seem like unimpressive qualities compared to words like ‘trendsetting’ or ‘inventive’ but in the hands of this chef, the words are truly elevated to a higher state. We start with a selection of oysters that draw their flavours from as far as the States (Rockefeller) and the Orient (Vietnamese) all unmistakably fresh, all deliciously delicate. We move onto the mains. I order a traditional fish and chip dish that I am surprised isn’t more unfamiliar looking. No strange food mountains or deconstructed sauces? I wonder, but as soon as I push my fork in and watch my cod fall away in almost snowflake-like chunks I see where the artistry is. Smooth, paste-like mushy peas warm the palette while the emphatically fishy tartare sets every mouthful alight.

I am half way through and decide its the best fish and chips of my life...but I don’t get much further than halfway through.

Like my partner whose Dover Sole was almost meaty in its vast size and generous proportions, I was full. Bentley’s is a place you can really feel indulgent and despite what should be a cold and inappropriate environment, the food brings such a comforting joy that there were moments I considered unbuttoning my jeans to make more room, public or otherwise. In short, Bentley’s at Harrods is unpretentious, but never forsakes top quality for tradition. If there was a British cooking heaven, it would be run

by Richard Corrigan. The man just can’t put a foot wrong.

The Restaurant at La Suite West 41-51 Inverness Terrace, W2 3JN www.lasuitewest.com words: Coco Khan When thinking of ‘big names’ in food, most people think of celebrity chefs. Yet whilst our modern preoccupation with food has meant that those celebrities can be selected from the ever-increasing TV amateur chef competitions, to even unlikely endorsers of products, the entrepreneurs behind the trend rarely get the attention they deserve. One exception to

this rule is Victor Garvey, serial exec-chef-cum-restaurateur of a number high-end Marbella eateries whose celebrity crowd and innovative styles drew attention from all over the world.

The Restaurant at La Suite West is the brainchild of Garvey and Marcello Kaminski and encourages a Spanish style of eating.

To say tapas, with all the connotations that entails, seems almost an injustice to eating in this terrifyingly chic restaurant. With its black wooden furniture and sterling silver fixtures, the small restaurant has the kind of bold and brassy design style that seems more familiar as the setting of a fashion shoot. The dishes are nevertheless small sharing plates yet proudly use only top ingredients in the latest trends of food. Their Christmas menu currently boasts plates such as Lobster Afternoon Tea and Eggnog Custard in a shell. Let’s just say Garvey has always had quite the imagination...

priced and genuinely enough to win you over from any mood, even if they do call a Beef Pastry a Cow Pie. Think steaming and aromatic sauces jam packed with a selection of fresh herbs that tease the nostrils before its even come out of the kitchen. Think handmade pastry in all its golden and rustic glory and hallelujah, an upmarket place not afraid to stock HP sauce! Bumpkin might be too kitsch for some, but it sure as hell has conviction.

Bumpkin Kensington

Day & Night

Breakfast: Balans 187 Kensington High Street, W8 www.balans.co.uk Balans first rose to fame as one of the first all-night restaurants to cater to the tasteful but decadent night-owl crowd of Soho.

Serving certain brunch dishes all-day such as their well-regarded Eggs Benedict (with a hollandaise sauce that we’d love the recipe of- hint), Balans always has something to cater for everyone; be that one in need of hangover comfort, a vibrant place to grab a family friendly bite for lunch, or a soothing-place to enjoy a cocktail in the evening. The Kensington division is no exception to the rule and whilst in might not keep exactly the same hours, it still boasts one of the best, uncompromising, and reasonably priced breakfast-brunch menus in all of London.

Lunch: Bumpkin Kensington 102 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 www.bumpkinuk.com It’s very easy to understand why some diners get annoyed with Bumpkin. Bordering on the forced, this country-inspired eatery has a tendency to play to stereotypes of rural retreats.

Flowers in watering cans line the windows (when did you really see that last in a country house?) while the menu is littered with cutesy buzz phrases such as ‘from the garden’ (what garden? On Brompton Road?) not to mention a constant and uncomfortable repetition of the word ‘British’ at any given opportunity. Unsurprisingly, roasts, pies and fish make up the menu, but what is surprising is how bloody good it is. No cheesy cliches in the cooking itself here, just warming, generous and traditional food that is reasonably page. 31

Dinner: Mele e Pere 46 Brewer St, London, W1F www.meleepere.co.uk This casual Soho eatery can be easy to walk by without noticing. With a breezy and well-visited bar/nibbles area upstairs, and a more formal diner downstairs, Mele e Pere follows the same formula of many of the Italian trattorias in Soho- but we must urge you to take good notice of this one. At Mele e Pere, the homely, friendly, relaxed and often sumptuous trattoria vibe is still very much in the air, but the food and decor has been modernised. The dishes are more challenging, resembling in appearance presentation closer to the fine dining experience, while boasting more complex flavour combinations and cooking practices. It really is an island of Italian cooking that is the best of both worlds- your desert might not come out on a trolley, but you can eat in the traditional opentable style of small dishes (we can’t recommend enough the freshly made gnocchi with black truffle and white truffle oil) with an aperitif or glass of wine.

This of course, makes an experience at Mele e Pere quite often a very affordable opportunity, and whilst the restaurant hasn’t quite reached Bocca di Lupo levels, it’s clear aspirations in that direction, at a cost that is manageable make it a real gem in the London dining landscape.

Food

Cutting It John Underwood taps into his inner hunter-gatherer as under the careful eye of celebrity chef Mark Hix, he learns to carve like a master.

Mark Hix

I’m not very good at being a man. There, I said it – I can’t change a tyre, I don’t really know how to be sexist to shop assistants and I certainly didn’t risk trying to grow a Movember moustache in case it turns out that I can’t. But worst of all, given both society’s expectations and my own, I never learnt how to carve meat. I can hack apart a steak along with the best of them, but I somehow missed out on acquiring the one skill which denotes manliness on every occasion, from a barbecue to Christmas dinner – the skeleton key of socially acceptable machismo. That is, until this week.

When I was invited to attend an intimate carving masterclass run by A-list chef Mark Hix, I very nearly declined. Sure, it would mean the chance to finally tackle a truculent joint and work out what to do with a carving fork, but what if I turned out to be too incompetent for even Hix to handle? I needn’t have worried; not only did I turn out to be semi-competent (for a southpaw), the atmosphere couldn’t have been more congenial. Mark’s carving masterclasses are held at the gloriously plush Brown’s Hotel, which has welcomed guests from Napoleon III to Bram Stoker – the staff are obviously used to blood being spilt, which is just as well – and now houses one of Hix’s several

London restaurants. However, my fellow carvers and I were steered away from the public dining room and into one with just six places laid, where Mark joined us for a Hix Fix cocktail (Julian Temperley cherries steeped in eau de vie, plus champagne) before we got down to the real business of the evening.

It might seem a little obvious, but only serious carnivores should consider attending one of these nights. The class size never exceeds ten people, and with three substantial meat courses plus wine, appetisers, wine, dessert and possibly some more wine, you’re well advised to fast for a while beforehand. The meats tackled vary from class to class, but regulars include rib of beef, saddle of pork and leg of lamb – in deference to the season, we missed out the beef and tackled a turkey instead. There are probably more refined ways to spend an early evening than by picking at bone marrow baked with oysters and bacon while Mark Hix shows you how to deftly butcher a massive fowl but frankly, I’m not interested in them. Dispensing wry quips at the expense of the one guest who admitted to cooking her Christmas dinner overnight in the Aga (there’s always one…), Hix showed us how to turn the troublesome legs and wings into a caul-wrapped Swiss roll packed

with herby chicken stuffing, neatly making the turkey manageably fridge-sized, varying the flavour and evening out its cooking time in one fell swoop.

The bleeding bird was replaced with a crisp and steaming doppelganger in true Blue Peter fashion, and once we’d demolished it, it was time to step up and try our hand at carving a hay-roasted leg of Welsh lamb. The bravest guests had already taken their turn by the time I reluctantly took up Hix’s ridiculously huge knife, and what met my eyes was a bloodied battlefield dotted with occasional hummocks of bone and sinew. “There is no way,” I thought to myself, “absolutely no way on God’s Earth that I can do this without cutting off my hand. Or possibly Mark’s.” It’s not often in the course of my job that I genuinely worry about maiming a celebrity chef, and I’m here to tell you that the feeling is not a comforting one.

Imagine my surprise, then, when under Mark’s guidance, my knife slid through the lamb like a bendy bus through a cyclist! A combination of excellent coaching, Dutch courage and fear of public humiliation had the desired effect, and I sailed through my portion of leg before retaking my seat and tucking in. Finally, we were talked through

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the easiest dish on the menu, a saddle of pork – even I could get my head around cutting between each rib. It’s jolly nice of pigs to portion themselves, isn’t it? We closed on a light-as-air baked Alaska, the perfect foil for our protein endurance course, and as Hix was whisked away to another engagement, my fellow guests and I gloried in a few minutes of comfortably overfed silence before tottering to the taxi rank.

After years of being conveniently ‘on the phone’ until the Christmas joint is plated up, this year I finally feel brave enough to tie on an apron and earn my spurs. If you or a friend could do with brushing up on your carving skills or starting from scratch, I can hardly think of a better Christmas present – the combination of an expert and affable host, the intimate dinner-party feel and the thrilling experience of actually coming away with a new skill are unbeatable. All I need now is to find a wolf-whistling workshop hosted by Bear Grylls.

The Hix Carving Masterclass takes place at Brown’s Hotel on December 15th, January 11th and 25th January, February 9th February and March 15t 2012.

Prices start from £150. For more information visit www.brownshotel.com.

Imbibe and Dine in Impeccable Style Spend a memorable evening in the stylish surroundings of Aubrey Bar & Restaurant. Sip cocktails from our award winning mixologist Alessandro Pizzoli, and experience fine dining from Chef Byron.

109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5LR at the

For more details please visit doylecollection.com/kensington

Li d g at e s’ C u l i n a ry E x p e ri e n c e

Brandy Roast Grouse Holland Park treasure Lidgates is one of the UK’s most acclaimed butchers, and for over 150 years, this family run institution has been supplying only the finest meats to top chefs, restaurants, the famous and the foodies. Now, the masters share some of their secrets, tricks learned from five generations of painstaking love and attention for the butchery craft This recipe is for one grouse, which will feed one or two people, depending on how hungry they are so for larger recipes simply multiply quantities according to party size.

The ingredients: 1 dressed young grouse 135 ml double cream 1 tablespoon Brandy 4 strips streaky bacon

The works: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Remove the grouse from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature.

3. Roast the grouse covered in bacon for 15 minutes.

4. Remove bacon and roast for a further 5 minutes.

5. Cut grouse in half and trim out the bony back.

6. Set aside 7. Pour 135ml double cream per grouse into the roasting dish, mix with contents and bring to the boil on the hob.

8. Add the tablespoon of brandy and simmer.

9. Pour contents over the set aside grouse and serve. page. 34

D R I NK

Mulling It Over Mulled wine is amazing in its ability to encapsulate so many elements of Christmas: the spices of freshly made mince pies; the excitement of gathering with family and loved ones; and most importantly, the kick of a drink that warms your body and soul. The number of ingredients involved for making this happy little cup can vary from two to two dozen, but the right balance of flavours can be achieved using any combination. Alexander Ducasse discusses.

Many are content to bung all their ingredients in a pot, wait and serve, but a little care will result in a nicer drink. I recommend making a spiced syrup that you can incorporate into the wine. By making a syrup at a medium-to-high heat, you can extract more flavours from your spices without the risk of boiling away your precious alcohol. Once chilled, you can strain the spices out of the syrup to remove any bits that might get caught in your teeth.

I like to think of mulled wine as having three basic flavour components: fruit, sweet spice and booze. For fruit, I like to start off with the wine itself. It doesn’t have to be amazing but should definitely be something drinkable. I like to go for ripe examples such as Aussie Shiraz or Italian Primitivo, unoaked wherever possible. This will give your wine a bold, brambly fruit base from

which you can layer your other tastes.

Oranges are the staple fruit for mulled wine and I rarely stray, but other citrus fruits like kiwi are worth a try for the adventurous.

Spice is the next and most complicated part of the mulled wine process. The Holy Trinity is cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Clove is the unheralded champion of the three and gives a deeper, rounder flavour profile. Cinnamon gives the most recognisable flavour and nutmeg is the undeniable aroma of Christmas. I’m particularly fond of star anise as it gives the wine a delicate lift. It also looks amazing as a garnish, and I find myself adding a piece on a cup-by-cup basis for that extra touch.

If you’re a bit daring, try some all-spice. Use it sparingly though, as it gives it quite a kick.

Making your winter warmer even warmer with a carefully chosen spirit

will give a firm backbone to your mulled wine. Sloe gin is a great touch to add extra botanical qualities and fruitiness - even better if you’ve macerated it yourself.

Brandy is my choice, and I generally go for Cognac, Armagnac, or even Spanish Brandy for a bit more sweetness.

Alexander’s Mulled Wine Recipe 500ml water 200ml sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 3 whole cloves 2 star anise 1 vanilla pod, split A good grating of fresh nutmeg 1 orange 1 bottle of red wine 1 bottle of brandy Using a canal zester, zest the entire

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orange (if you’re good, you can do this in one go). Cut the orange into wheels and put to the side.

Pour yourself a glass of brandy.

Combine the water, sugar, orange zest and spices in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes then remove from heat. Allow this to infuse for 30 minutes. The orange zest will give your mulled wine a lovely candied peel flavour.

Pour yourself a second glass of brandy.

Strain this into another saucepan and add your wine, orange slices and a couple of good glugs of brandy. Bring your second saucepan up to 70-75 degrees. Pour into cups and garnish with cinnamon sticks and pieces of star anise.

Merry Christmas!

Co c k ta i l s

Shaken, not stirred There’s more to Christmas than the material. Friends, family, peace and charity, these are the qualities that create the festive spirit – although we can name a few more: gin, rum, brandy and whisky. For all your overindulgent needs this Christmas, Coco Khan presents her most decadent cocktails.

1961 Fashion illustration by Larry Salk titled Summer Cocktail Party with English Butler Bridgetown Daiquiri Ingredients 50ml Mount Gay Extra Old Rum 10ml Maraschino Liqueur 10ml Sugar Syrup 25ml or 1/4 Ruby Grapefruit 20ml Lime Juice Glass: Coupette Method: Shake well all ingredients with ice, then fine strain into a coupette. Garnish with a perfect circular thin grapefruit disc. Zest High above surface and float Why? Oh baby, it’s cold outside! And if there’s one spirit that knows how to warm those cockles it’s Mount Gay Rum. One of

the oldest rums in the world (established 1703 we’ll have you know), and long associated with the Seven Seas, this authentic Barbados spirit packs all the sunshine you need for dreaming away to pink sands and clear blue seas. The Extra Old variety is the more opulent spirit in the store bought range. Still packing the same exotic hints of banana, this Kentucky-oak aged drink has more of a bite to its silky smooth taste.

Johnnie Walker Blue Embers (Created by Dav Eames - Bar Manager at The Gilbert Scott) Ingredients: 50ml Johnnie Walker Blue Label 10ml St Germain elderflower liqueur page. 36

10ml creme de apricot Dash of peach bitters 50ml Ruinart blanc de blancs Glass: Flute Method: Shake the Johnnie Walker Blue Label over ice with all ingredients except for the Ruinart. Double strain into glass then top with the Ruinart.

Why? Johnnie Walker is the famed whisky that is Highland by namel; but it’s the Blue Label that is high brand by nature. A commemoration of the original 1867 Old Highland Whisky, the Blue Label is a streamlined blend that is frankly, gobsmacking. In a cocktail like this it gets to sing out, it’s own sweetness brought to the fore by the elderflower liquer.

Bombay Sapphire Bramble Ingredients: 50ml Bombay Sapphire 20ml fresh lemon juice 1tsp caster sugar 15ml berry liqueur - Crème de Mure / Chambord / Crème de Cassis 1 blackberry Wedge of fresh lemon Crushed ice Glass: Tumbler Method: Add the Bombay Sapphire, lemon juice and caster sugar to a short glass or tumbler and stir. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Drizzle the berry liqueur over the top and watch it ‘marble’ through the drink. Top up with more crushed ice and garnish with one blackberry and a wedge of fresh lemon.

Why? There’s something quintessentially English about Bombay Sapphire. The most London of drinks given the most exotic name, paired effortlessly with Indian Tonic Water (named so as it combined quinine, thought to ward off malaria in India) like generations before all over the world drank, united by one thing: Blighty. As tradition is in the air in this festive season, a bit of Bombay cannot be left off the menu, and the Bramble, with it’s sweet forest tones, is perhaps the most perfect gin cocktail.

Wine

KCReview Recommended For when you just need that perfect bottle... words: Coco Khan

WHITE Alsace AOC, France, 13%, £12.99 per bottle Laithwaite’s Wine’s Domaine Bott Geyl Pinot d’Alsace 2008 has honeyed notes and mineral touches making it a perfect palette cleanser for bold flavours- particularly accompanying a Christmas dinner where each part has it’s own hugely different tastes. From minted peas to roasted garlic this white cannot be perfect enough.

Courvoisier Spiced Apple Warmer Ingredients: 50ml Courvoisier VS 15ml maple syrup 20ml lemon juice 60ml apple juice Ground cinnamon/allspice Method: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until it’s piping hot. Leave to cool for five minutes, then decant. Serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkle of cinnamon or allspice.

Glass: Mug Why? This is precisely the kind of drink that Santa baby himself would need after a long day delivering goodies. It’s homely and familiar flavours of cinnamon and spice (and all things nice) make it the perfect comfort drink in these bleak biting days. This is the only warm drink in our collection, and could only work with a distinct and bold spirit such as Corvoisier. This well-rounded, sturdy cognac can still smell and taste decadently boozy even at a higher temperature that might burn the alcohol off.

RED Hunter’s Pinot Noir 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand, 13.5%, £16.99 Named ‘Best with Turkey with Sage & Onion Stuffing’ over £10 at the What Food What Wine awards, this deep berried wine with its lingering spicy notes makes Hunter’s Pinot Noir mingled with the juices of Christmas meat a sublime dinner winner.

Christmas Pudding Vodka Ingredients: 300g/10½oz mixed dried fruit (sultanas, currants, raisins) 75g/3oz caster sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 2 tsp ground mixed spice 6 cloves ½ whole nutmeg, finely grated 1 orange, zest only, finely grated 1 unwaxed lemon, zest only, finely grated 750ml/1 pint 5fl oz bottle of Purity Vodka 300g/10½oz mixed dried fruit (sultanas, currants, raisins) 75g/3oz caster sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 2 tsp ground mixed spice 6 cloves ½ whole nutmeg, finely grated 1 orange, zest only, finely grated 1 unwaxed lemon, zest only, finely grated Glass: Bottle Method: Mix the dried fruit with the sugar, cinnamon sticks, mixed spice, cloves, grated nutmeg and citrus zest in a large bowl. Pour over the vodka, and cover tightly with cling film. Place in the fridge and leave for 3 days, stirring once each day. Line a sieve with a double layer of fine muslin and place over a large, clean jug. Pour the dried fruit and vodka mixture into the sieve and allow to drip through into the jug. Pour into a sterilized bottle.

Why? This drink is liquid Christmas if prepared correctly. Much like Christmas pudding it does have the potential to become sickly which is precisely why a highly distilled, smooth and top notch vodka is needed. We selected the aptly named Purity Vodka whose filtration and careful distillation process (34 times filtered we’ll have you know) has made it one of the most award-winning vodkas in the world.

BUBBLES Codorníu Reina Maria Cristina Vintage Reserva Brut, £14.99 Despite Cava’s reputation, there is much finesse in the sparkling ‘Spanish Champagne’ and in terms of readily available Cavas the latest range from Codorniu is smooth, sleek and a worthy edition to even the must luxury of dining tables.

With hints of citrus this is a perfect aperitif before the traditional Christmas dinner and all it’s heavenly bombast.

OH GO ON THEN Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2000, £535 | Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut, £35 A name synonymous with fashion and popular culture, Jean Paul Gaultier has joint forces with Grande Maison Champagne Piper-Heidsieck resulting in two new exclusive bottles: Black Cancan and French Cancan. Black Cancan features a bottle of the Piper-Heidsieck Millesime Vintage 2000 seductively dressed in noir fishnets and crowned in dazzling Swarovski crystals though at £535 per bottle we wouldn’t blame you for considering the former.

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The Clarendon, Notting Hill

N e w Y e a r’s Ev e G u i d e

Happy New Where?

If the anxiety of trying to pick just the right spot to prop yourself up in when 2012 becomes 2013 is proving to be more trouble then it’s worth, don’t panic. Sarah Jackson and Kate Weir have done all the hard work for you with their top 8 spots (in no particular order) in Kensington and West.

Beach Blanket Babylon, Notting Hill www.beachblanket.co.uk In three words: Bombastic, bling palace Beach Blanket Babylon’s Notting Hill incarnation is a little taste of Versailles in West London, and during the Christmas period and New Year’s Eve the outré splendour of this popular venue’s gilded chandeliers, sculpted fireplaces, Louis XVI chairs and Rococo fixtures comes into its own, making it a perfect venue for those who want a New Year’s Eve fit for an aspiring sun king. The New Year’s Eve theme takes its cue from the upcoming Baz Luhrman adaptation of The Great Gatsby, with a 1920s theme so add some kiss curls, dust off your spats and apply some kewpie doll lips to Charleston the night away to the DJ’s mix of modern and vintage grooves. For £85 guests can enjoy the four-course menu with festive dishes such as bone in fillet steak with port sauce and mulled wine pear, or if you’d prefer to wine rather than dine, bar entry is £25 with tables secured for a £500 minimum spend. Beach Blanket Babylon’s cocktails are as decadent as their surroundings, with a range that covers everything from the surprisingly splendid fizz – the dubiously named ‘Paris Hilton’ with

Bitters and Hennessy VS – to the festive – a gloriously unctuous chocolate and ginger martini. Of all the venues on our guide this one may come the closest to asking a king’s ransom, but the palatial surroundings will more than justify your out-turned pockets.

Extra details: Contact venue for opening times 3 course set menu with canapés and a glass of champagne, £85 Bar Entry £25 minimum spend £500 for a table of 10.

Roaring Twenties theme, dress code black tie and cocktail dresses, party in the bar followed by a DJ. Juju, Chelsea www.jujulondon.com In three words: Slick, sexy chic Juju’s sleek gold and black surfaces are a perfect foil for the reveler who wants to spend New Year’s in surroundings as sleek and beautiful as their party buffed selves. The venue’s charm may not be subtle, attracting a mix of moneyed Chelsea-ites and a horde of sophisticate out of towners, with its up-to-the-minute DJs and brightly hued – but legitimately delicious – cocktails; however, the venue page. 38

manages to retain a carefree vibe with plenty of leather banquettes to recline on, pitch-perfect, approachable staff and a flavorsome range of Eastern influenced canapés.

Alongside a roomy dancefloor and a well-groomed crowd, Juju’s striking yet informed menu makes this après dinner bolt hole the chic choice for welcoming in the New Year, with everything from aromatic passion fruit and lychee cocktails (the Rapaska is a real treat), to more esoteric choices such as the avocado and, ahem, pornstar martinis. Their eclectic, crowd-pleasing selection is artfully accompanied by snacks such as prawn and crab dumplings, gooey duck spring rolls and moreish chili calamari. Bestowed with a reassuring variety of awards, including Best DJ Bar and Outstanding Mixology, and offering very reasonable table and bar tickets, Juju promises to deliver a night where the bold and beautiful can preen and those with more modest desires can watch the night unfold amongst burnished splendor.

Extra details: New Year’s Eve opening times: 8pm - 4:30am Tickets on the door are £30 entry, or you can book a table for £20 with a minimum spend.

Venue capacity 300

inspired oyster martini (containing molluscs warmed over tea) and a glorious but deadly Old Fashioned.

Extra details: No door charge and guests can order a set menu with champagne for £60 or enjoy cocktails from £7.50 in the upstairs bar.

New Year’s Eve opening hours are 6pm-2am and the venue will have a DJ throughout the night.

Barts, Chelsea www.barts-london.com In three words: Discrete, quirk-laden den.

London’s speakeasies are usually the realm of Billy Childish wannabes - mustachioed hipsters in brogues who whittle canoes for fun. For those who enjoy bygone quirk but balk at spending New Year’s Eve negotiating the winding streets of Dalston for a mythical venue, Barts offers a well-heeled take on the pseudo-illegitimate drinking hole, ensconced in the elegant surrounds of Chelsea Cloisters. Barts’ is holding some of its (marked) cards close to its chest regarding the hijinks planned for its Belvedere Vodka and Veuve Clicquot sponsored ‘Uncle Barts House Party’; but £100 secures a table for a group of revelers with free wine, beer and house spirits (‘for a house party’) from 9pm ‘til 5am, a truly worthwhile spend for a night of stylish hedonism. Bar tickets are a slightly more wallet-friendly £85 and allow guests to get up close and personal with some of the staff’s more outlandish creations, including the Yogi Bear with rum, Goji berry liquor and Haribo sweets, or tobacco liquors and the venue’s special stilton-blended cocktail for the brave, yes stilton. A selection of around the world delicacies, from Italian delicatessen to down home mac and cheese are also available to snack on and satiate any flailing partygoer. Bart’s essential thrift store aesthetic - comic book papered walls in the entranceway, mounted stuffed teddy bears, faux luggage racks and other bric-a-brac will lull you in to the venue’s laid-back space, but the curiously inclusive sensation of being ushered in through a shuttered door, a bijou terrace and attentive and unpretentious staff will make you feel truly at home.

Extra details: New Year’s Eve opening hours: 9pm-5am A table ticket, which includes free wine, beer and house spirits is £100 or £120 on the door, a bar ticket is £85. No minimum spend.

Entertainment will be a ‘Best of Barts’ time warp, with DJs playing everything from 1920s dancehall tunes to 1980s cheese.

The Clarendon, Notting Hill www.theclarendonlondon.com In three words: Cosy, characterful, au courant.

The Clarendon is the polar end of Portobello, situated on, where else - Clarendon Road - giving the pub a good windbreak from the heavy influx of tourists, and allowing the vibrant yet laid back venue to provide a truly local feel, with personal, tailored service; a thoughtful rapport with clientele; and the odd glimpse of fabled Notting Hill characters. A bar upstairs and restaurant downstairs provide areas for both relaxation and more raucous pursuits. The venue holds up to 200; but past parties for the Royal Wedding have seen as many as 500 flock to the unassuming yet welcoming space, so New Year’s Eve could be a knees up of rather grand proportions. It’s highly recommended that guests sample the Clarendon’s menu, where classic pub grub is interpreted in truly luxurious ways, with elegant choices such as foie gras, rabbit and truffle terrine; bouillabaisse; and very fresh flashfried squid. The Clarendon burger and seafood (championed by owner Mikee, who hails from Margate, thus knows his fish), are just some of the recommended eats, but for the true gourmand, the Chateaubriand is the only way to go.

As of yet, the Clarendon’s New Year’s Eve plans consist of a DJ and dancing – perhaps not terribly unique, but you won’t find a friendlier place to ring in 2013. Of course once you’ve befriended maestro barman Tom Lenko, you can ask him to mix you one of his splendid, off-menu cocktails , including his

mention. Not open on New Years, but from all the buzz, well worth a visit come the new year. Of course one doesn’t want to give too much away, but in short, gin is “blates” involved. And remarkably good gin as any knowledgeable gent would agree.

Ceviche, Soho www.cevicheuk.com In three words: Urban, Original, Passionate Of all the places the KCR reviewed for this article, Ceviche has got to be a personal favourite. Unique, creative, exuberant and unassuming, it’s the kind of place you can have a fantastic meal, a relaxing evening and a whole lot of fun into the bargain. The word Ceviche actually refers to a style of cooking fish, where it’s marinated in a concoction called “tiger’s milk” (typically a mixture of lime, salt and chilli peppers, although there are other combinations). The “tiger’s milk” cooks the fish – in some cases within five minutes, although patrons can leave their fish to steep for as long as they like. For anyone

who likes sushi (i.e., me) it’s absolutely bloody delicious. Top dishes on the menu are the “Drunk Scallops” (tiradito of thinly sliced king scallops, pisco, pomegranate, limo chilli, lime and coriander - £11), the “Corazon” (tender beef heart marinated in panca chilli anticucho sauce with choclo corn - £5) and the “Causa Santa Rosa” (beetroot salad with coriander on Peruvian potato cake - £5). As for cocktails, Ceviche bases the majority of its beverages on the Peruvian spirit pisco, based on grapes (according to the bar manager you can “forget about grappa” once you’ve tasted it). The classics are the Pisco Sour (£6.50), the Soho (£7.50) and for the sweet-toothed, the Padrino Limeno (£7).

Extra details: Opening times are regular until 1am, Free entry DJ plays a mixture of 60s/70s Peruvian music (think super cool Latin American funk) Capacity of around 80 people Portobello Star, Notting Hill www.portobellostarbar.co.uk In three words: Hipster, Hipster, Smashed This place reeks of cool. Joe, the manager was wonderfully unimpressed by my arrival, informing me casually that New Year’s would be like any other night and that no they weren’t putting anything special on. I was feeling a little underwhelmed until they brought out the cocktails... They might not exhibit much flare in the conversational department, but you can’t argue with the product. The Portobello Road Martini (No171 Portobello Road gin stirred with Lillet Blanc, Orange Bitters and a dash of Gammel Dansk with a twist of grapefruit - £8) formed the first part of a brilliant and admittedly rather incoherent evening. Their most popular cocktails, as I (drunkenly) extracted later, are The Sally Cinnamon (Absolut apple vodka, lime, cinnamon, gingerbread syrup and ground nutmeg - £8), The Raspberry Marcianno (Absolut Kurrant Vodka, Rasberry Liquer, fresh raspberries and redcurrants and ginger ale - £8) and The Bramble (No 171 Portobello Road Gin with sugar, lemon and Blackberry Liqueur, mint and berries - £8). As a Bramble fanatic, I can assure you, it’s worth visiting this venue simply for this one perfect and potent cocktail.

Extra details: Opening times are 11am-1.30-2am, Free entry, DJ NB: As a side note, the infamous GINSTITUTE deserves a page. 39

The Lonsdale, Notting Hill: www.thelonsdale.co.uk In three words: Classy, Luxurious, Atmospheric With gorgeous décor, seductive mood lighting and a food and cocktail menu to die for, if you’ve a spare £65 in your pocket, it’s all about booking a table at the Lonsdale for New Year’s.

For your money you’ll get three sumptuous courses plus a glass of Perrier Jouet Grand Brut. Highlights on the menu include Seared Brixham Scallops (with textures of cauliflower, smoked raisins and curry oil), Roast Gressingham Duck Breast (with puy lentils, parsnip pureé, and confit garlic and lemon thyme) and the mouth-watering Coffee Parfait. Cocktails start from £7.50 and the list is extensive. The White Lady cocktail (£9) is divine and consists of equal parts Cointreau, white crème de menthe and fresh lemon juice. Other favourites include the Carpe Diem (£10), an original Lonsdale concoction dreamed up by Marco Perrotti, the bar manager. This little beauty combines No.3 London Dry Gin with Plymouth sloe gin, a fresh rosemary sprig, egg white and a splash of soda. And you can happily round your evening off with a superb classic of the Lonsdale, the Russian Spring Punch (Stolichnaya vodka stirred with lemon juice and sugar, topped with champagne then crowned with Merlet crème de cassis - £11) Extra details: Opening times are 6pm-3am Costs £15 on the door (£10 guest list) Resident DJ playing from 9pm-3am Capacity of around 175 downstairs (private room upstairs, already booked for New Year.)

Shochu Lounge, Goodge Street: www.shochulounge.com In three words: Sumptuous, Extravagant, Experience This delicious slice of Japanese decadence literally beggars belief. With so many potential treats on one menu, it’s hardly possible to pick out even a handful of things to recommend amongst the throng. Grudgingly I have to point to the obvious and drool-inducing starter, Sashimi-Nigiri-Zushi. There are no less than fourteen types ranging from £4.90 to £11.60 for 2/3 pieces, and include but are not limited to tuna, yellowtail, scallop, salmon roe, sea bass, sea bream, octopus and sweet shrimp.

Once you’ve got your chops around those delicate delights, it’s time for a literal food orgy. From the Premium menu we have: Maguro To Cavier No Tartar, Uzura No Tamago Zoe or Tuna Tartar, Oscietra Caviar and Quail’s Yolk – £12.60. From the Roka dishes we have the Yaki Hotate or Scallop Skewers with Wasabi and Shiso - £10.90 and finally (my personal favourite) from the Robata Seafood menu, the Gindara No Saikyo-Yaki or Black Cod Marinated in Yuku Miso - £29.30. And we’ve not even started on the cocktails... Spark it up ladies with the acerbic and sweet Twinkle (Vodka, Elderflower, Champagne - £8.60), or the popular Fig Manhattan (Anitca Fomula, Fig, Bitters and Rye Whiskey - £8.60), or perhaps really sweeten the evening with a Singapore Cherry Bling (gin, plum shu, triple sec, cherry and lychee - £8.60). Let me tell you, I have barely scratched the surface with this review - top notch evening and one of my top picks.

Extra details: Opening times are as usual, Free entry, Resident DJ

F OOD

Tea Tutelage Dave Drummond gets to grips with the inner workings of our greatest national treasure with a visit to Chelsea’s Tea Palace.

For such a popular drink – a drink which the foundations of this very country are built upon – tea is a beverage to which we pay little respect. We drink a lot of it, apparently four cups per head per day in the UK. And yet the foodie renaissance, by which we now consider what we ingest and what we buy with greater scrutiny than ever before, seems to have ignored one of the very most basic and consistent items of the British menu. But then, perhaps that’s why we’ve taken to pay it little thought – if it ain’t broke, and all that. But, it turns out there’s a lot more to know about it than that.

I visit Tea Palace on a particularly rotten day, soaked to the nethers by rain and passing buses. It’s a day where all

you want to do is sit in your dressing gown in your front room necking mugs of tea, and there’s a hint of irony in that I’ve travelled across the city to do just that. But it’s worth it.

The term ‘tea shop’ might prompt images of rustic furniture, tiered scones in windows and doddery WI members stewing brews in stainless steel urns. Tea Palace is anything but – it looks more like a branch of the The Body Shop. Sleek, with the different teas displayed elegantly and separated into different varieties, it’s sparse, attractive and importantly, easy to navigate for a tea novice like myself.

Tara Calcraft, founder of Tea Palace, is there to meet me. Having just opened the Kings Road store, page. 40

her second store in total, Tara believes that like the coffee boom in the ’90s, tea is going through a period of rejuvenated interest. One of the points that Tara brings up as imperative to tea’s impending growth in popularity is education: letting people know that there is more to tea than just the usual mug and teabag.

“We’re not in any way snotty about the standard bag and mug,” Tara says. This is something she reiterates throughout my visit, perhaps aware that while tea is a national drink, the difference between a mug of PG Tips with 14 sugars and loose-leaf jasmine tea from a single estate in India, is perhaps far greater than

coffee and tea ever were. With my personal education stretching little further than Twinings and endless mugs of complementary Wagamama green tea, Tara talked me through the basics.

Black Tea Black tea is the most fermented and most aged variant available. It’s also the most common, and the tea we typically find in our teabags. Our common teabag tea isn’t quite the same as the leaves Tara brandishes before me, however. Teabags often use offcuts from the leaves rather than the leaves themselves. She likens it to “going into a supermarket and asking for carrot scrapings instead of an actual carrot.”

Made through a process of drying and rolling out the leaves, black tea is oxidised fully – which also gives it the strongest flavour – and then goes through a fermentation process which Tara tells me first became of use when the British began to ship tea from the East.

Finding that without fermentation the leaves would rot and end up rancid on the long journey back West, the fermentation process became increasingly important in preserving tea.

Brewing Black needs hot water – ideally somewhere just under boiling point – and a decent amount of time to brew, ideally about two-three minutes.

Green Tea

White Tea

“Green tea is the fastest growing drink in the world,” Tara tells me, something largely down to the booming iced green tea market in Asia, but in the UK it is steadily growing too. It’s the variety which gives rise to the most questions at Tea Palace and the one that Tara appears to think we need the most education on. “To label a tea ‘green tea’ is like labelling a wine ‘white wine’” she says, as we stand in front of a cabinet stocked with a dizzying array of small glass jars labelled ‘Organic Green Sencha’, ‘Gyokuro Asahi’ and ‘White Monkey’.

She says people often believe that they don’t like green tea when in fact, it’s often either poor quality (which often include storks and other offcuts), or brewed incorrectly. The result is that bitter, astringent taste that too often drives people away.

Unlike black, green tea is heated to stop the oxidisation process, but is still partially rolled to release flavour. As a result, it’s a far more delicate leaf, has a lighter flavour, and being fresher, is rife in antioxidants such as polyphenols, which are said to fight free radicals.

White tea is “the Champagne of teas”, says Tara. It can be picked for only a few weeks of the year and is sourced from only the Fujian region of China. Not only is this tea the rarest, it is also supposed to have the most beneficial health attributes, containing antioxidants which are claimed to be anti-ageing. Plus it tastes very good – like a crisper green tea

Brewing The trick to brewing green tea is not to over-brew it and to use water that’s not scalding hot. The ideal water temperature is somewhere in between 80 and 85 degrees, and should take no more than three minutes to brew. I try a couple, all with surprisingly delicate, smooth, savoury tastes, devoid of bitterness yet with a hint of sweetness. page. 41

Brewing Not oxidised at all, white tea is best brewed with water cooler than that used for black and green tea (the more oxidized the leaves, the higher the water temperature required). The process behind brewing loose-leaf tea is often a deterrent to the teabag faithful. Admittedly, it is not as simple as sticking a bag in a mug of boiling water, waiting around for a minute and then drinking it (or forgetting about it and then microwaving it two hours later when you find it cold and pondy). But with the right equipment, which can be as simple as a tiny mesh spoon to dunk into a cup, it’s far quicker and cleaner than making a decent coffee, and far healthier, too.

With a basic understanding of tea and a tin of White Monkey under my arm, I make my way back into the monsoon. www.teapalace.co.uk

Two Boys on the Nile by Sarah Gitlin

Tr av e l

Egypt is open Crying out for winter sun or pining for a Christmas you’ll remember for a lifetime? The answer isn’t as unfamiliar as you might think. Stefan Nicolaou finds a festive home in Egypt.

Ubiquitous Christmas paraphernalia fills you with a rousing, festive cheer. Various mulled liquors put fire in your belly.

But both are a sign that it’s time to bid farewell to late nights sitting in the garden, and hands will be perpetually blue, never the sky. If you consider the winter months and

all the unappetising trimmings that come with it a fate akin to coal, you may be considering a jaunt abroad. Finding the triptych of the permissible seasonal indulgence, a scorching climate and equal activity and recuperation is easy: the answer is Egypt. page. 42

“Who else has the pyramids?” Egyptian Minister for Tourism Mohamed Hisham Abbas Zazzou asked rhetorically, when I asked him to sell Egypt as a must-go destination.

Running concurrently with its marvellous history – from Antony and Cleopatra to Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile

Diving Sharm El Sheik

– Egypt is unique from the Cairo experience to the cuisine.

I visited in September during mango season and sampled the fruit in mousse, rice pudding and puree form. Is it safe?

Put simply, yes. In lay terms, life since the revolution is back to normal. In fact, that phrase in particular is as common, casual and sincere of many of the other ubiquitous phrases including, “Would you like a refill?” “Another portion?” and “Can I get you anything else?”

On my whistle-stop tour of Egypt across the metropolis of Cairo and stunning Red Sea resorts El Gouna, Hurghada and The Four Seasons, Sharm El Sheik (room prices start at US$380.00), the only dangers for a voyager are over-indulging and mispronunciations of Arabic names. Cairo is a city that truly never sleeps; it sounds cliché but, in Cairo, it’s not unheard of to book a doctor’s appointment at 11pm. Every hub of activity feels like an event and every interior an exploration. Despite an appetite for unceasing activity and fabulous restaurants, such as the delectable Abu El Said, there was no real reason to leave The Four Seasons. The First Residence and Nile Plaza branches of the trove hotels (rooms start at $330.00 on a bed-and-breakfast basis) deliver objects of whim and use from phone adapters to cigarettes, and multiple cuisines 24 hours a day by amiable room service

staff. The former has an attached shopping mall and a Club 25. The hotels house a rotation of beautiful artwork from local and international artists The deciding factors that determine the recreational tranquillity on a trip to Egypt is where you hop on a cheap, domestic EgyptAir flight, or what hotel floor you decide to take a gilt lift to. If staying indoors in Cairo, treat your body to a Pharaonic massage (priced US$120) or punish it in the gym. The decision to spend a day on the water can be a speedboat and snorkelling expedition in Sharm el Sheik (45 minutes from Cairo) or a traditional Fulleca boat ride on the Nile (US$20 per hour). In both instances, the respective Four Seasons in both Egyptian districts can arrange a gourmet packed lunch or Nouveau cuisine dinner (novel, elaborate platters such gazpacho in jugs and pudding in shot glass starting at US$55 per person).

Incidentally, flying and sailing really are the most mesmerising way to see the world’s longest, only backwards-flowing river or the largest desert in the world. Conscientious travel firm Abercrombie & Kent are the preferred tour operators of the Four Seasons in Cairo, the other being Four Seasons Nile Plaza. The firm’s manoeuvring and logistical prowess through the snaking city’s traffic resembles a swift military operation. page. 43

Abercrombie & Kent provides tour guides who are the sentinels of Egypt’s remarkable history. The shrines, artefacts and dwarfing monuments are more than objects, with an animated, fully qualified Egyptologist in tow around Cairo museum and, of course, the Pyramids of Giza. From the first known sandwich and sieve to King Tut’s burial chamber, we were guided through humbling cornerstones of our shared history. The objects left behind are an imprint of a culture that permeates vibrantly in every hotel foyer, over every restaurant table, and in any interaction. For strangers to the Middle East, the atmosphere and attitude to life are visibly different and are deliciously imbibed.

An unlimited terrain of luxury, Egypt is an exploration and an experiment. The coastal regions are alcoves spoilt with sun and resemble small Arabian towns rather than repetitive and confined hotels. The ancients worshipped the sun, and the sun worshippers should flood in for the 36-degree heat. As Minister Mohamed Zazzou commented, “Egypt is open, it’s never closed.” Enjoy the winter with double the indulgence and not a drop of the inclement weather.

For further information on Egypt contact: The Egyptian State Tourist Board, +44(0) 207493 5283, gotoegypt.org, egypt.travel

Stonehill House Charmian Hislop discusses one country retreat that nourishes the mind as much as the body. A country manor, an open fire and a selection of lectures on a superpower’s most defining era – The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde series at Stonehill House.

Russia in 1913 was poised on the brink of change. Tsar Nicholas II, celebrating 300 years of the Romanov dynasty, sat largely unchallenged on the throne, but fervent political views were beginning to be heard and Russia’s sharply polarised society was diversifying, liberalising and broadening out.

Alongside the political tremors, Russia was witnessing a vibrant flourishing of the arts and sciences. Huge and important players were emerging, scientists such as Pavlov and Sikorsky, as were a dazzling list of composers, painters, dancers and poets: Rachmaninov, Pavlova, Chekhov, Akhmatova, Kandinsky, Mandelstam, Stanislavsky to name a few. Meanwhile in Paris, audiences rioted in response to the avant-garde music and choreography of The Rite of Spring composed by Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.

The centenary of this extraordinary year, pivotal in the history of Russia and its last year of peace before the dark clouds of war and revolution descended, is celebrated in a series of Russian Cultural Weekends, hosted by Stonehill House, near Oxford, in February and March 2013.

Guest speaker is Rosamund Bartlett, writer, translator and lecturer, specialising in Russian and European cultural history. Her publications include Tolstoy: A Russian Life (Profile, 2010), Wagner and Russia (Cambridge UP) and Chekhov: Scenes from a Life (Free Press).

Under the heading of The Rise of the Russian AvantGarde, Rosamund will lecture on The Roots of Russian Modernism, Modernist Moscow, Modernist St. Petersburg and 1913 – Annus Mirabilis of the Russian Avant-Garde.

Stonehill House offers cultural weekends with a difference: an opportunity to learn something new in a peaceful and beautiful environment, with good food and comfortable rooms. They are hosted by Anthea NormanTaylor, who has been visiting Russia for over 25 years.

“Sadly many people have a blinkered view of Russia” she says. “It’s so rich in history, art and culture, but Russia struggles against other European cultures to gain attention and it’s still the negatives, corruption and the oligarchs, that steal the headlines.”

She has already successfully run weekends looking at the works of Boris Pasternak, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Tarkovsky and a selection of 20th Century Russian poets. “There exists a hugely rich mine of Russian literature, music and art yet to explore. I also plan a series next year on contemporary culture in Russia.”

Less than an hour from Paddington, located just outside Abingdon in Oxfordshire, Stonehill House is a large family home set in several acres of gardens, woodland and meadows. The talks are held in the beautifully restored Grade II listed 17thC barn, made cosy with underfloor heating.

Guests can come for the day or make a weekend of it, staying in one of Stonehill‘s generously-sized rooms, in the house or adjoining cottage. The property is a unique marriage of original features and a carefully considered modern touch, with Russian contemporary art on the walls and a superb collection of Andrew Logan sculptures, many inspired by Russia.

After the talks, guests can gather in the large livingpage. 44

room, retreat to the comfort of their bedroom, snuggle by the open fire or wander the grounds where scatterings of tables and chairs offer little pockets of tranquillity among the trees. Dinner, prepared on the premises by Stonehill’s in-house chef, is served around the large sociable diningtable in the company of the guest speaker.

“It’s not generally realised how close Russia is,” says Anthea, “less than 3 hours by plane – and that there is this amazingly varied, vast country right on Europe’s doorstep.”

Charmian Hislop is co-founder of The PA Club, of which Stonehill House is a Partner Member. Visit http://www. stonehillhouse.co.uk/ for more information The Rise of the Russian Avant-Garde Stonehill House, Nr Abingdon OX14 4AA Saturday 2nd February 11:00 - 17:00 Saturday 9th February 11:00 - 17:00 Saturday 2nd March 11:00 - 17:00 Saturday 9th March 11:00 – 17:00 Rates from £200 for a double/twin room including, for 2 people: evening meal, breakfast, buffet lunch and talks. Please enquire for details for 2-night stay and for day-only . www.stonehillhouse.co.uk Tel: 01235-520732 or 07793240867

Stonehill House photograph by Brenda Gratwicke

STONEHILL HOUSE, near Oxford invites you to a series of talks on

THE RISE

1913 RUSSIAN 2013 AVANT-GARDE OF THE

Russia 1913 . . . the year marked the end of an old regime and the emergence of the new

Rosamund Bartlett

(translator, author, biographer of Tolstoy and Chekhov) Guest Speaker on:

NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED - TALKS OPEN TO EVERYONE

Stonehill House, OX14 4AA 07793 240867 www.stonehillhouse.co.uk

“This is a haven. A weekend is not long enough.” - Elise Valmorbida, May 2012 Rates from £200 for a double/twin room including, for 2 people: evening meal, breakfast, buffet lunch and talks.

Please enquire for details for 2 night stay and for day-only rate.

Ellenborough Park

Stay Now...

We all know that the Great British Holiday, aka the staycation, has had a reinvigoration in recent years, and whilst trips to Butlins haven’t quite been escalated to the same heights as a week in the awe-inspiring Peak District, the image of the UK as an inbound destination for Brits and tourists alike has never been better. But it’s not always about where you stay, rather how. We select our top three Staycation destinations.

Ellenborough Park & Spa, Cheltenham The story behind Ellenborough Park is an unusual one. When first entering the property which spans nearly 90 acres, there is an unmistakable air of history. That comes as no surprise seeing as the manor house has been under the guise of nobility since it was first built in the 1500s, but it’s purpose as a luxury hotel seems so implicit, so seamless, so curated in its very being that it’s hard to believe the place wasn’t always the romantic refuge of the tired city worker.

Originally built as Southam House, Ellenborough Park takes its name from a former owner, the 1st Earl of Ellenborough. Mr Ellenborough, who I am assuming looks exactly like Colin Firth as Mr. D’Arcy, was the former Governor General of India, and the décor pays homage to the great page. 46

man with Indian inspired hints; secret harem style nooks and crannies are set amongst the grand tea rooms, not to mention the steaming spa whose intoxicating fragrance and Indian massage practice permeates the tranquil air. The main building itself still has all the fittings of a wealthy home from way back when. The good people at Ellenborough are somewhat devoted to the history of the building and we cannot urge you enough to have them take you on a tour of the house. There’s something naughtily delightful about being shown the original bells on a rope the ladies of the manor would ring to attract the attention of their chambermaids, knowing full well you’d had your breakfast brought to you in bed, also by a ring (to room service).

And this is where the magic happens at Ellenborough. It

was as though somewhere in history, someone blinked and suddenly, you or I, tired aching Londoners were swapped so we could experience the life of nobility, of historical Britain in all its Austen-esque beauty. I’m still not 100% sure how it’s done, how we and all the luxury modcons were transported back in time for the pleasure, but it’s something that makes this hotel a destination in and of itself.

If you do happen to visit Cheltenham for other reasons, perhaps race day (they incidentally have their own private entry to the course) or as a stop in a Cotswolds tour, make this a destination. Stop in for a few hours in the spa, one of the only spas in Cheltenham, or even for dinner in any of the restaurants that range from fine dining with good old fashioned British porcelain, or enjoy something from further off (France) in the more laid back brasserie. Leave your shoes in the dedicated bootroom and borrow some wellies to walk around the acres, indulge in some clay pigeon shooting or horse riding organised by Ellenborough. Whatever you do, make an excuse to see the place, it is a sight you will remember for all your travels.

Rooms start from £230 for the Christmas period. Book ahead, it’s so magical, it will be snapped up. www.ellenboroughpark.com/ words: Coco Khan

Travel by train in under 2.5 hours with First Great Western. Departing from Paddington, the direct train to Cheltenham Spa can be snapped up from as little as £49. Don't worry, First Great Western do offer a first class carriage for those who can't tear themselves away from the leather-seat-luxury treatment www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

Ellenborough Park Istabraq Suite and Great Hall at Christmas

Luxury in Lake District For those looking to explore the Lake Districts and its environs in style, head straight to Tottergill Farm. Owners Stephen and Joyce will most generously welcome you to this most shangrilaesque of locations - a median point between the Lakeland, the Scottish Hills and Solway Plain or a ‘spectacular retreat for (onward) exploration’ as their own brochures put it. Nestled above the hills of Castle Carrock, this Cumbrian winner is, by itself, a perfect residence for a restful time in pristine tranquillity

or maybe even a getaway for meditative introspection. All of the cottages offer a luxurious home away from home whilst being superb value for money. So expect warm fireplaces, jacuzzis, and super huge screen plasma televisions. People in the surrounding countryside are famously friendly and there are plenty of quaint little shops and pubs dotting the lovely drive from Castle Carrock to Carlisle. An ideal residence for a restful week or a cure for that writers block!

If you’re not driving to Tottergill Farm, journey time from

page. 47

London to Carlisle is around four hours twenty minutes.

Single Advance fares start from £16.50 in Standard and £50.00 in First Class on Virgin Trains. Trains depart from London Euston. There are plenty of cabs for hire from Carlisle – 30 minute drive http://www.virgintrains.co.uk Special offer! For a limited period, you can now book 2013 holidays with a 5% early booking discount! Go to www.tottergill.co.uk and click on the ‘book now’ button words: Sid Raghava

Beach House in Broadstairs You know you are on to something special when the enchanting Tunisian Blue door in a charming flintfronted house opens to the smiles and laughs of Peter and Jenny, the most gracious of hosts, who then take you into the most salubrious of rooms you could expect from a friendly, traditional B&B. Broadstairs House is a must go for lovers of the English seaside, visitors to Isle of Thanet (Broadstairs, Margate or Ramsgate) or indeed fans of romantic and homely B&Bs. There is plenty that sets it apart from any other in the area then the generous hospitality of the owners. You can run up to the fourth floor to amaze yourself with the most gorgeous 360 degree views of the sea and the town itself – maybe catch a glimpse of the French coastline on a clear day? Or perhaps head to the beach to lounge in the complimentary Beach Hut facing the magnificent shoreline? There’s always Peter’s famous breakfasts that will whip you into shape in the mornings and the lovely talk to be had the bits and bobs of Broadstairs and history of the area or just hilarious banter about Cricket or local public houses. Londoners can now head to Broadstairs House for a quick weekend break especially now with Hi-Speed Trains from St. Pancras International darting away to the Isle of Thanet every 15-30 minutes and getting you there well within an hour and a half. You could wait till Spring 2013 or maybe head down there for a little retreat early in the year to ease off good old January blues. The sun and warmth might be missing but it will be more than made up for at Broadstairs House.

Note: 9.6 rating on www.bookings.com, #1 on Tripadvisor in Broadstairs If you’re not driving to Broadstairs House, book in advance at http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/ for High Speed Connections to Broadstairs from St Pancras International. http://www.broadstairshouse.co.uk words: Sid Raghava Knott Room and en suite [left]

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The new Range Rover

m oto ri n g

So We’ll Go A-Roving Adrian Foster takes a nostalgic look at that most British of motoring institutions, the Land Rover.

Few things epitomise ‘Britishness’ more than Land Rover does. These tough-as-old-boots workhorses have been earning their keep for farmers, firemen, explorers, rescue teams and AA patrols for more than 60 years. I can remember driving almost every Land Rover model then available while working with a construction company on the Cambridge northern bypass as a student during the 1970s: long- and short-wheelbase, petrol and diesel engines, four and six-cylinders - I drove the lot. And what fantastic memories they were.

The story started when the first Land Rover made its debut in 1948. Sixty years ago, farmers would use horses to work the land and utility vehicles were mostly used by the military. All of a sudden, here was a plucky little vehicle that immediately changed all that. Land Rover originally intended their car for use as a military vehicle with the emphasis on designed-in simplicity, off-road ability and unrivalled strength and durability. In fact, six decades on it is estimated that two-thirds of all these incredible vehicles are still at work – many of them in some of the most extreme conditions and inhospitable places on earth.

The Land Rover underwent continuous evolution and refinement throughout the 1950s and 1960s, a period during which Land Rover took the lead in the emerging market for four-wheel drive vehicles. As a tough, reliable mobility platform countless organisations came to depend on these vehicles to get personnel and equipment into the most challenging arenas - and then safely out again. From organisations such as the Born Free Foundation to The Royal Geographical Society and Biosphere Expeditions - we enter the second decade of the 21st century with them still relying on Land Rovers.

Range Rover Equally radical in its own way was the Range Rover, which repeated motoring history by inventing a whole new genre of luxury off-road motoring. There have been no less than four generations of Range Rover: the original, now known as the Classic, went on sale in 1970 and continued in production,

with numerous upgrades and a multiplicity of variants, for just over 25 years.

When the Range Rover made its debut it was available in just one guise - a three door estate with four speed manual gearbox and permanent four wheel drive. The Range Rover was, and still is, unique, so much so that one model was exhibited at the Louvre as an example of modern sculpture.

However, despite its more luxurious image the emphasis was still on practicality - the original brochure extolled the virtues of a hose-able interior while the British Trans Americas Expedition proved the new vehicle was every bit as tough as the Land Rover by crossing the Darien Gap in 1972.

The second-generation vehicle, known as the P38a, went on sale in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 by a face-lifted model. The continuing success of the Range Rover ensured that other premium makers jumped into the booming luxury SUV market; recent versions have enjoyed higher annual sales than any previous models and continue to be universally popular. Sold all around the world, from London to Los Angeles, Sydney to Shanghai, Turin to Tokyo, the Range Rover remains the ultimate choice for the luxury SUV customer in the face of stiff competition from many premium manufacturers including Bentley.

Important Discovery It quickly became apparent to Land Rover that they needed another vehicle to slot in between their workhorse and their luxurious off-road limousine. The Land Rover Discovery was unveiled in 1989 and marked a major departure from previous Land Rover models by targeting the passenger and family 4x4 markets. Although this market barely existed when the Discovery was designed, the timing was perfect for the British who quickly took to the new vehicle.

Unlike Land Rover’s previous models the Discovery was capable of competing against the family saloon, boasting a comfortable ride and an interior designed by Sir Terrence Conran, and performance was further enhanced with the availability of Rover’s now-legendary 3.5-litre V8 engine. page. 50

Even though it was aimed at an essentially family market, the Discovery still boasted the essential off road ability that the Land Rover has come to symbolise.

Sea change The Land Rover brand has undergone a sea change in recent years. Once the choice of welly-booted farmers, it was soon seized upon by the ‘county set’ before moving further upmarket as an aspirational label for a new generation of wealthy, fashion conscious socialites. Where pop stars and rags-to-riches celebrities once turned up at award ceremonies in Rolls-Royces, nowadays the ‘new money’ wafts to its red carpet destinations in highly polished Range Rovers with designer interiors with names like ‘Westminster’ and ‘Autobiography’.

Designer-led Evoque The pinnacle has perhaps already been reached with the arrival of the latest, fourth-generation Range Rover and the more affordable Evoque model, launched last year.

The Evoque was developed from the LRX concept vehicle with the goal of producing a smaller, more environmentally friendly vehicle. Engineers used advanced weight saving techniques to bring the kerb weight down with the use of aluminium for the bonnet and the roof and composite plastics for the tailgate. Bizarrely, the design-led Evoque can be specified with exterior cameras to give the driver added visibility for off road maneuvers and compensate for the sloping roofline design which limits rearward visibility.

Rumoured to have been designed in consultation with Victoria Beckham, who has probably never trodden the sod in her entire life, the Evoque comes in 12 different colour schemes, three roof colours and five optional wheel choices.

Land Rover also offers a ‘designers choice’ of predetermined combinations on most models, while their Dynamic model incorporates more aggressive bodywork including a different front fascia and lowered suspension.

For information visit: www.landrover.com

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