THE
REVIEW ‘LIFE. STYLE.’
The Fallout Edition TWISTED
ATLANTIC NA V8
HUMEN HAWKINS HEALTHY MIND
TRIUMPH
TENGRI
CELLAR DOOR
INTO THE WIND
THE TIGER KING
THE ICHINOSE COLLECTION
NOBLE FIBRE
CLASSIC CHARTER
A20
THE REVIEW 2013 3
From the desk of
THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LAITH AL-KAISY PETER J ROBINSON JOHN STERLING MAT HAMILTON GREEN
MIKE LEVY STEPHEN KATZ
KIMBERLEY SAWYER DAVID MAHONEY SUSAN RICE CLAIRE TINDRED
Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor North American Editor Publishing and Technology Director Director of Marketing Digital Business Development Manager Director, Finance & Operations Business Manager Advertising and Marketing Coordinator Sales Director
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I used to enjoy writing this letter. But it seems the world has nothing to smile about right now. We lost our friend and colleague Greg Roscow in June. Not to the virus, not to an accident, and not to cancer, but to the biggest killer of young men in the UK. I won’t use the S-word, because it’s a blanket term that refuses to deal with what’s really going on. Greg, like so many others, succumbed to his own mental health. Some of you will understand what that actually means, others not, but I won’t attempt to spend the next 1,000 words trying to explain the nuances of psychological turmoil. You’ve either been there or you haven’t. And I certainly won’t try to make sense of what Greg was going through to decide, ultimately, that hope had become hopeless. I’ve always hated the phrase ‘the coward’s way out’. Such a banal, sweeping dismissal of something profoundly complex; a denialist way of ignoring the human condition, of not facing up to traditionally emasculating subjects like strife, pain, judgement, unhappiness, the burden of conformity, and the absence of love. But whatever situation drives someone to take that fathomless decision to escape their pain forever, it’s certainly not cowardice, and it’s certainly something that we, as humans, should want to understand and prevent, not wrap up neatly in a head-burying platitude. That’s why this issue of The Review is the most important we’ve done. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we wake up to the reality of mental health; a time when the suicide rate is at an all time high, and we emerge from the darkest, most isolated summer of our lifetime. We’re left with the void of never knowing Greg’s – or indeed others’ – challenges with mental health. Many of us have our own story. Think hard, reach down, look back. Mine is barbed with anxiety; a preoccupation with illness and the fear of imminent death. I spent much of last Christmas thinking it would be my last, certain that a worsening gastroesophageal reflux, along with stomach pains, tension headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite, and the onset of tinnitus were a rubber-stamp for the spread of cancer – instead of recognising what they really were: symptoms of a declining mental health and spiralling alcoholism, mainly due to my inability to deal with a succession of upheavals in my life: big changes in one of my businesses, problems
Laith Al-Kaisy Editor-in-Chief
with a property I’d recently bought, the sudden responsibility and life-changing effects of parenthood, all whilst still trying to reconcile the recent death of my father – none of which I was mentally prepared for. Life, it felt, had sucker-punched and steamrolled me, and it went on and on and on. Weekly visits to the GP, each time a new symptom, each one met with that heard-it-all-before expression, while I pleaded for a miracle cure to an inarticulable ill. I was desperate – and she understood that I wouldn’t get better without some proof that I wasn’t dying. So she referred me privately for an MRI, then an endoscopy; a horrendous experience that left me reluctantly satisfied – and somewhat purged – when nothing sinister was found. Only then could I focus on what the GP had been asking all along. Are you okay? How’s work? How’s family life? Is anything up? And I finally had to admit – at least to myself – that I was a fucking mess. The jigsaw of life, my brain, had shattered, and I was scrambling for the pieces, trying to put it back together with my eyes shut. And finally, I understood it. My descent into the mental abyss obviously didn’t end in death. Indeed, it was the thought of leaving this world that riddled my days with fear. The point being, everyone’s struggle with mental health is both personal and different. I haven’t written this as some sort of comparison – but it is a warning. Because we seriously need to ask ourselves if we’re okay to carry on living in a system that’s not set up to look after the inconvenient things that make us human. That’s why we need to start treating this as the emergency it is – because whatever form it takes, that thing you read about and see on tv, that thing you never thought would happen to you might suddenly come knocking – and it could change your life forever. So, please take care of yourself. If you’re not feeling right, talk to someone, see a professional, take some time off. Do whatever you need to – just don’t suffer alone. Until next time, keep fighting the good fight.
THE REVIEW 2020 9
the agenda
NAUTICAL MOTORING INTERVIEW JAMES HASKELL
P-18
ASTON MARTIN
P-26
CLASSIC CHARTERS
P-36
INTERVIEW RIVER HAWKINS
P-46
INTERVIEW TOM MAXWELL CEO TWISTED NA
P-54
M
C
P
MOTORING
CLASSIC ESCAPES
P-62
STYLE TENGRI
P-68
TIME DIVING WATCHES
P-80
CHINA CULTURAL DEVOLUTION
P-88
PROPERTY PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
P-94
LIBATION BENJAMIN ICHINOSE
P-100
THE REVIEW 2020 13
TIME
FINANCE FINANCE
FISCAL THOUGHT
THE GENEVA COLLECTION
PROPERTY
RURAL RELOCATION INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
P-126 P-136 P-144 P-122 P-116 P-108 TECH
ANDERSEN EV
SCREENHITS
BIKING
MOTORING PANAMERA
TRAVEL
P-170 P-178 P-162 P-154 P-184 BEAUTY CBD
TIGER KING
CLIVEDEN
TRAVEL
HAVEN HALL
INTERIOR LIGHTING
P-190
THE REVIEW 2020 15
Contributors
AARON EDGEWORTH FEATURES WRITER
Gregarious, opinionated, and a destroyer of cocktail menus, Aaron provides automotive content stemming from years of passion and work in the industry. A keen eye for design and a horder of factoids are combined with a love of architecture, good food and the occasional party. Mostly found avoiding public settings.
PAUL TAYLOR BIKING WRITER
NAOMI LAKE BEAUTY WRITER
Lake is a makeup artist, hair stylist, model and creative director. She comes to the table with over a decade of knowledge in the industry. When she’s not on set or in a meeting, she’s in a yoga class, checking out a new restaurant or exploring the menu of a cocktail bar, in the pursuit of the perfect Negroni.
BENJAMIN MITROFAN-NORRIS FEATURES WRITER
These days, most often found tinkering in the shed or out wasting petrol. Paul endured a fruitful career in the travel industry, working for hotel and shipping companies and a number of tour operators. Happiest when combining travel with motorcycling, he has ridden, fallen off and broken down all over the world. Bored with writing travel brochures, he now concentrates on all things biking.
Norris is a copywriter and journalist from Bristol, England. He works regularly with some of the world’s leading luxury brands, and splits his time between the UK, Germany and Hungary. Norris also has a penchant for Alsatian wines and dodgy 80s synthpop.
SARAH MORGAN
OLIVER SMITH
PETER J ROBINSON
Sarah’s career spans three decades across travel, hospitality and leisure campaigning. When she’s not in the capital consulting for the travel industry, she’s working on launching a new travel series. With a firm belief in holistic therapy and healthy living (well, to a point), a yoga retreat in some exotic, far-flung place is never far away.
By day, he is the lead man at Twisted North America looking after an array of prestige vehicles and clients. By night... well... just don’t give him cigars and a magnum of champagne. The Hangover doesn’t come close. Pointer lover and Series 2 driver, all he needs is a Chesterfield, a decent side by side and a country pile and he could well retire.
Rebel without a cause. Robinson has spent the past seven years working in lifestyle and finance publishing. This we feel may have jaded him slightly. He also heads up film production with The Review’s partner film company and so you are more likely to find him on set than at an editorial meeting.
IAIN BEAUMONT
ALEX JASKOWSKI
Iain Beaumont is the founder and managing director of Venues and Ventures. Since ditching the City, Iain has worked on some of the UK’s grandest country estates and leading luxury venues, refining his eye for new opportunities and helping businesses realise their potential.
Alexander is an automotive and travel eccentric, and excessive in the extreme. His adoration for Italian sports cars and engines, coupled with his pursuit of air miles keeps our editors on their toes. Alexander likes nothing more than to put on his deck shoes and head out to St Peter Port.
GLOBAL TRAVEL EDITOR
MIKE BURKE
FEATURES WRITER Burke is a seasoned academic more at home in the debating society than as the occasional journalist. His interests include snowboarding, cigars, drinking too much whisky, international affairs and debating the woke folk online.
MOTORING EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
FEATURES WRITER
MOTORING WRITER
THE REVIEW 2020 17
LIFT THE
#LiftTheWeight
F E AT U R E : L I F T T H E W E I G H T
WEIGHT
The Rugby Players Association launched the ‘Lift The Weight’ campaign in 2017. A Professional Players’ Federation (PPF) survey of retired players revealed 62 per cent experienced some sort of mental health issue. The RPA offers transition development programme for players, and its services are Haskell and Damien Hopley, RPA Group Chief Executive, to Words: Peter J Robinson
THE REVIEW 2020 19
Damian, can you tell us why the RPA launched Lift the Weight three years ago, and more importantly, how it’s helped? The Why. At the time we launched Lift The Weight, we were aware that one in four people in the UK would experience mental health challenges. We on development managers supporting roughly 20% of players nationwide each month, who were seeking support with wellbeing related issues. Players listen to players. Sport is an alpha environment where mental fragility can, wrongly, be seen as a weakness. We wanted to raise awareness, reduce the stigma and signpost to support available. The 2017 Lift the Weight campaign, resulted in 700,000 online video views, more than 150 articles and features, reaching more than 33 million people. Alsom, a 67% increase in
You need only look at the prevalence of players speaking openly about their mental health, recognising the challenges faced by their peers and, crucially, willingness to help them see how far the awareness has been raised. The increasing player demand on also testament to players being more aware and taking positive action.
“Mental health is no longer a topic to tell players about focusing on mental illness only. It’s as much about positive wellbeing and recognising when you and your teammates need to get support with mental health.” It has also helped engage clubs and the wider game on the need to do more in this area. Mental health is now better understood
charity, Restart. raised awareness, it has provided a platform The How.
group – for example, Academy, Transition, Alumni, Injury etc. We also work hard to deliver preventative education, such as resilience training, transition preparation, addictive behaviours, to name a few. Mental health is no longer a topic to tell players about focusing on mental illness only. It’s as much about positive wellbeing and recognising when you and your teammates need to get support with mental health. A really good example of this is the peer to peer ‘team talk’ cards which promote healthy discussions between players. Players are now part of raising awareness, reducing the stigma and signposting to support. The Mental Health First Aid courses delivered at clubs for players and due to be rolled out nationwide is a great example of this. Players are now training to upskill themselves in how to provide mental health support to others. James, what does the Lift The Weight campaign mean to you? The Lift the Weight campaign is something I think is really important – especially in a male dominated environment like rugby, because men are pretty terrible at voicing their issues around mental health and being honest around that. It’s really important that players of all shapes and sizes are able to speak up. I’ve
F E AT U R E : L I F T T H E W E I G H T one-to-one relationships with players that are consistently supported from pro-player induction all the way through to transition and beyond. We prioritise knowing our players and being there for them. On average, each month, 18% of players nationwide have sought wellbeing advice from their RPA development manager. All development managers are mental detection and crisis management as part of a robust higher welfare protocol. Over 350 Counselling Service since 2008 – funded solely by RPA Charity, Restart. We promote player-led storytelling, use innovative and constantly evolving engagement approaches with players – team talk cards, resilience training, MHFA training, as well as preventative education: gambling awareness, addiction, alcohol awareness, mental health team talks, resilience training, Playing It Safe (sexual consent), cultural diversity, social media. The RPA also does extensive research, including psychological load research, past player wellbeing and transition research, as well as a member welfare survey. Global best practice is also essential – for example,. vital world players, IRP and PPF collaboration and learning networks inform good practice.
issues myself. I’ve always spoken to sports psychologists to help with performance and I’ve always been very open about voicing my current mood and my mindset and how I’m feeling. I think a lot of people say everything is the Lift The Weight campaign, I was one of the only people there who hadn’t had major issues in comparison to someone like Wilkinson or Ollie Phillips. But I thought it was important as I’m often seen as – and I use this word tentatively – an alpha male, who normally might not be open about my experiences. I was very clear that it’s important to speak up. What advice would you give someone struggling? The advice I would give to someone who needs help with their mental health is pretty simple. Don’t be scared to reach out and understand that everybody is going through something, even the most successful people, even the happiest people, even the people who post all the best photos on social media. Everybody has something – and you should never be ashamed of it. If you don’t want to reach out to a professional, then pick up a phone to a friend and share it, because talking is really helpful. Also, with Restart, there’s an anonymous helpline you can call. Just voicing your
problems and concerns can make a massive
Why do you think there is such an incredible stigma surrounding people speaking out about their hopes, dreams and fears in modern society?
Damian, do you think we’re turning a corner to give people the mindset to speak out about how they feel to others?
Vulnerability (role models), understanding (support access) and responsibility (clear pathways).
I believe there is much greater awareness about the topic in rugby than previously, thanks to the Lift The Weight campaign, and in the media and society in general than a few years ago. We have players who openly discuss their own mental health in the media to help others, and this creates discussion and a deeper peerto-peer support network. There is always more that can be done to give people the support to
place to speak about it. It takes real strength to be vulnerable with someone, but the places and resources.
Arguably, mental health issues can
If a person feels able to discuss their vulnerabilities and the space is created to share, how that space is managed by the person listening is crucial to what happens next. Understanding how to listen, be empathetic and provide helpful support comes naturally to some. But often that space is managed by trial and error, so empathy can be dominated by a lack of understanding and fear of not knowing what to do or not wanting to take the time to understand.
From injury to the pressure to perform
Sharing a vulnerability and being there to support is uncomfortable and exhausting. The
experience a mental health condition at some point in their life. It’s important to understand that athletes and rugby players are human, and they make up this statistic. This motivates us to make the subject even more prevalent.
about the support systems the campaign uses to keep players healthy Damian? The RPA Development Managers have trusted
involved. It’s easier to avoid the responsibility to act if one is not sure how to manage the steps that follow.
THE REVIEW 2020 21
and support must be a key point of the program James? Every player has a dream of playing rugby forever – to be super successful and not have to will change soon dawns on you, and you need for what you are going to do outside of rugby. act. If you live and breathe rugby, then when it’s going well, that’s brilliant. But when rugby isn’t going well, then all you’ve got is that and you’re unhappy. So, having an opportunity to further your studies, to get work experience, to develop a business yourself – it brings a really advisers and services, look at saving plans, taking a section of your salary and, however little, putting it away for later down the line. You need to build a foundation.
only restarts their lives after injury, but also gives them a blanket of security in terms of mental health and other issues they may be
to rise over the coming months as players might recognise they need support. Reasons might be Players might have used the resources
service has essentially saved lives and it’s funded solely through fundraising events. Nothing from clubs or the RFU goes towards it, and it’s there for players. You may not think you will ever need it and you take it for granted, wear the t-shirt, tweet about things, but never really look into it until you desperately need it – and so many players desperately do. There’s 50 or 60 players who are consistently using that helpline every season to aid their mental health and stop themselves from doing something stupid. It’s a lifesaving organisation and it is something that we all need to focus more on.
talk during lockdown and an understanding of ‘not expecting to feel normal’.
The ONS reported this month that depression has doubled in the UK has Lift the Weight reacted to the step change in operations?
Restart supports players Damian? Restart has invested over £1.7million into player support since 2005, having supported over 300 players. support by providing help with the cost of long-term or ongoing medical treatment;
improvements to help with rehabilitation or unable to work as a result of illness or injury. life changing injuries, such as Andy Blyth, Matt Hampson, Ed Jackson and more recently Michael Fatialofa. Restart also supports players and their families when illness strikes, such as Tom Smith and Paul van Zandvleit – the latter passed away in 2017 having lost his battle with cancer. Nearly 2 out of 3 players struggle with mental health issues post-retirement. On average, 50 current and former players every season are
“Players never fail to surprise you. Their depth of courage, strength of character and overwhelming willingness to help others is a privilege to witness.” All the RPA development managers spoke to every player they have in their club cohorts on multiple occasions during lockdown. anything from ideas on teaching children at home, to how to develop sleep patterns and routine. We had a regular series of interactive career insights to wellbeing concerns. We
to receive support by a trained professional providing help around issues such as anxiety, depression and stress, coping with injury, relationship issues, career transition, addiction and bereavement. Restart fully funds the up to £60k every season So you must see the support network alike James? For me, Restart is the silent hero that really helps players in the professional game. It not
lockdown, so provided a pathway for players to text or email their worries or concerns over updated weekly with a variety of education options and courses and we saw a rise in our members engaged in education during this time. The Professional Players Federation reported that most of the Player Associations haven’t experienced a huge increase in use of their helplines during lockdown, but it’s expected
healthcare system to better cater for issues? existing UK health care system by strength of leadership to prioritise funding; role models across society; champions networks; clear opportunities and access to specialist support – not just mental ill health, but proactively supporting people to help themselves achieve education – targeted and current. What’s the plan for the organisation moving forward into 2021? More centers, more support, a larger network? Secure funding for the game to continue to use the existing infrastructure support. Continue support. Develop opportunities for more peerto-peer support. And club engagement and collaboration. the players involved? Did any of their stories surprise you? The players and the development managers in the clubs have a great relationship. Understanding them as people, not solely as rugby players, is the key for the trust and connectivity in those relationships. During lockdown, these relationships with that pastoral, holistic and independent support that the RPA gives, and then our members wanting to help others were key. The range of stories we were able to tell under the Lift the Weight banner was incredible. Each story illustrated the strength of that player to share their darker moments to help other players who may feel the same. We are so grateful to all the players who bravely shared their stories. Key takeaways are transparency – we knew the players well already, explained why we were doing it and how. Players never fail to surprise you. Their depth of courage, strength of character and overwhelming willingness to help others is a privilege to witness. support, what’s the best way?
Restart receives no government or lottery funding, so the charity relies entirely on Any donation, big or small, will make a To donate, take on a fundraising challenge or organise your own fundraising event, please visit restartrugby.org for more information. We all know that life after the game goes
address that? Preventative education. Informed decision
making and consistent access to support. Life after rugby preparation starts for professional
F E AT U R E : L I F T T H E W E I G H T and Barclays, so players can have access to
in the academy at 18. Players need to be proactive and have realistic expectations of what life after rugby looks like and we can help them understand this from day one of their professional career. Alongside a game-wide mandate for players to be supported in pursuing a dual career approach while playing – investing in themselves for the future – they also have access to targeted life skills learning opportunities to make responsible choices about money. Financial awareness education is an essential part of the support we provide to all players.
them make informed decisions about their money. What advice would you give someone their distress? You are not on your own and you always have what you are thinking. It doesn’t need to be someone you know. There are some wonderful organisations who know how to listen and are in place to provide you with a trusted place to share what you are thinking. TR
with the most common being depression and anxiety. Often the pressures and strains that can act as a catalyst to mental health issues are Don’t suffer in silence. Lift the weight. 01373 858 080 if you are not a member go to: therpa.co.uk/lift-the-weight THE REVIEW 2014 23
DBS-SUPERLEG
AU T O M O T I V E : A S T O N M A RT I N D B S S U P E R L E G G E R A
GGERA\
This edition Aaron Edgeworth runs the Surrey gauntlet with the Aston Martin DBS SUPERLEGGERA. Words: Aaron Edgeworth Photography: Sam Moores THE REVIEW 2020 27
A
ston Martin is a brand synonymous with the British sports car industry. They gave James Bond his ride and can still tug on the heartstrings of many a petrolhead. Occasionally they seem to skirt the line between success and failure with only millimetres to spare. From humble beginnings to a series of curious ownership structures and slightly wayward direction to their model line up (please Google the
Lagonda).
their history. The DBX is the long awaited and much vaunted foray into the SUV market
Superleggera Volante, not try and throw a crystal ball at their future. The DBS is a car whose name leads you into the detail of its performance, intent and form. DBS were Towns designed original, created to replace
everywhere in the automotive landscape. Having secured the requisite 1,200 orders to allow for the cash injection required to move forward with the production of the car itself. They have also now taken up residence at the vast production facility at St Athan, built (in part) to produce the DBX itself.
again. Since 2018, in coupe form, and now also the car I have possession of for the next six days, the Volante.
However, I’m here to discuss the DBS
utilise their superlight fabrication methods
Carrozzeria
Touring
Superleggera
were
AU T O M O T I V E : A S T O N M A RT I N D B S S U P E R -
The lightweight tubular creations for which they were famed now fall foul of pretty much every safety test you could throw at them, so the name is, at least in part, an evocation rather than a determination. What the car does have now is the only inhouse drivetrain which they produce, their supplied parts adorning much of the interior, they also supply a twin-turbo V8 to the Vantage and DB11, variants of which can be found in many of Mercedes’ own products.
No bad thing, perhaps? Major manufacturer supplied parts are invariably less glitchy and come from an R&D budget that would dwarf
powerhouse of a powertrain. On a blindingly bright and hot July day in my sunny corner of Surrey, sat nursing my morning espresso, a rap at the door alerted me to my suited (and masked) delivery driver, Ken. We found a quiet part of the street to go over incidentals and to acclimatise myself with the car.
metres in length and just shy of two metres wide, it is certainly no shrinking violet. The big, aggressive front air intake is huge, a cavernous mouth eagerly gobbling all the air it can to cool and feed the twin turbos in a paint from their contemporary palette, xenon grey: a colour so sparkly, it did cross my mind that someone had perhaps slipped example. It is in the bright sun that one gets this full effect, which is quite a sight in itself. In duller lights, it returns to a gunmetal grey:
THE REVIEW 2020 29
understated, but set off well with the optioned black screen surround. The aggressive lines continue through the arches where the curlicue behind the front wheels and downforce, directing air to the sills. Huge rear arches provide amusement and fear in equal measure as driving to negotiate some of the smaller surrey lanes and tighter one not be accustomed to a car so, so… cavernous reformed rear diffuser, special to the volante add both drama and cache. But the front splitter is the thing to be most aware of, as the car as tested did not come with axle lift and is deceptively low at the front. Speed bumps require some manoeuvrings, but for the most part the aggressive drama of the exterior by far outweighs any of the negatives. A theme seemingly oft repeated with this car. My aim was to use the car as much as possible to take in as many sights, sounds, smells and drive-in movie courtesy of the ever-dynamic vibe for pizza and movies, was enjoyed with the top down as it should be. And in the best of company, being parked directly behind a Bugatti Veyron Vitesse. A couple of forays into central for meetings and the quintessential English weekend break at Oatlands Park. Newly refurbished and, of course, covid-ready. The Surrey Hotel having been the starting point and rest stop for many classic rallies of yesteryear, and with such proximity to Brooklands, it seemed an apt location and provided a wonderful setting for the photography that accompanies these words. The hotel was the location for many a car tour in previous years, including a meeting of the Rolls Royce VIII Surrey hunting lodge, the Hotel were kind enough to provide their wonderful grounds for photography, and, of course, a couple of rounds of evening cocktails with which to ruminate on the performance of the car. What, therefore, were the enduring memories from the time I had the car. What I will remember from the time is undoubtedly the drivetrain and aural note that it produces. I made the mistake of taking in my surroundings before considering what they delivered. For a day and a half, I almost felt aggrieved that it wasn’t the easy, placid supercar that perhaps I and may others have become accustomed to. Foot down, its wide eyes, white knuckles and the feeling that
you’re a passenger as the exterior blurs past you.
means the car is rarely in the incorrect gear. Either through paddle use of allowing the
No four-wheel drive system means that the car feels slippery, greasy underneath you. It sounds rather cliched, but it truly feels slightly alive as you grip the fat, leathered steering wheel and modulate the accelerator.
oneself making uninterrupted progress as
the seat of your pants. Nor is this a McLaren, razor edged and electronically minded. I’m not sure that I would have wanted any of those sensations, because It does feel inherently Aston Martin, and that has to be one of its
to be one seriously skilled driver or at least have a good long stretch of straight road. It is addictive under acceleration and, on more than one occasion, I may have deliberately spaced to the Yaris in front, just to be able
quad cam engine is mated to a new 8 speed
in the visceral experience that it delivers.
seem to cut in when not desired.
prop shaft, reinforced to cope with the DBS’ from as little as 1800rpm. This, coupled with a surprisingly-intuitive electronic set up
sure who measures these runs at Gaydon, but the brutality of the delivery makes me think
for the two. Perhaps it was the same guy who
sanitised speed, a return to the barnstorming ways of the past are a very welcome return. Each input needs to be reasoned with and
Last issue I used the DBS as a comparison to this feels every bit as quick, if not quicker. I used the word ‘greasy’ earlier, and whilst it’s an effective term for the sensation, it doesn’t tell the whole story or do the car justice. The information provided to the driver through chassis feel is not as connected as the previously mentioned Porsche, but it does tell the driver enough to be able to understand and engage with the car’s limits. Front engine, rear wheel drive is a classic combination and I think that ‘classic’ feel is one of the car’s greatest attributes. The car isn’t easy to drive at speed; it’s a car to be reckoned with. Not feared exactly, but certainly respected. In a market of relatively
convertibles is always an issue, yet the DBS feels in no way wallowy or heavy. Having not statement in comparison, but as a standalone product, I didn’t feel like the Volante was The roof itself is a supremely well insulated product, though if I’m completely honest, I may have only completed a handful of miles with the roof in place. Retracting in a mere easy mechanism and for a little added down from the key fob when within a twometre radius of the car. Anyway, mere incidentals; back to that
drivetrain, that noise. The exhaust is electronically valved and gives various levels of noise and aural excitement. In GT mode, it’s as unassuming as any V12 can be. One is aware of the undoubted power, but no pops, no crackles, no thunder on the overrun. Sport lifts this a little, providing more voice to the shrillness of the V12, into Sport+ where one is introduced to a note so savage and entertaining that I let out a heady noise exits by a quad pipe set up, and with suitable right foot timing, it can be played like it’s Mussorgsky. Thunderous on the overrun and explosive bangs on well-timed downshifts. There is provided a ‘Quiet Start’ button for those not wanting to disturb the other residents of the mews, alert security or a lover’s partner. This three-mode setting is replicated in the suspension set up. In GT it’s truly relaxed, not searching tramlines
THE REVIEW 2020 31
or ironworks, little intrusion of road noise through wheels and enough damping response to make it a genuinely comfortable place to be.
feels more hunkered down and as a result will translate more of the surface undulations and imperfections than in GT, but the ride is by no means harsh, and I found this to be the optimal setting for the car.
and one probably best reserved for the track (likely trailered alongside the owners obviously huge testicles) or on surfaces this nation’s capital. The time spent in London passed with many a head turned and probably many an ear surprised. As a yardstick for some people’s views on cars, it performed admirably through Sloane Street and beyond.
Given that any given metropolis will probably be the home of a car like this, it’s important that it can perform well in a clogged city setting such as London. Post rumination, my thoughts: the Aston Martin DBS Volante is an absolutely
ultimately it uses all of the Aston Martin DNA to produce a truly compelling package. A rarity in that I could imagine a long journey would be completed in comfort and, at the the car could bewitch and beguile on a B-road like few others. It is a car for Aston Martin fans, a car for supercar fans, a car for drivers. Its appeal is that it’s not perfect; its allure is in its form and function that is delivered in a package that is certainly deserved of the monikers that it bears, and also to sit atop the range both for today and historically.
So, the infotainment is slightly antiquated, one can’t see much out of the rear aperture with the roof up, and the interior could feel a little more special. The front splitter is annoyingly low and the vents are unfortunately plastic. However, that powertrain really does trump all of that. And if you’re the type of buyer that would allow those things to dissuade you, then quite frankly, I’m not sure that you deserve one. TR
PRICE: £247,500 ENGINE: 5.2-litre bi-turbo, V12 0-60: 3.6 seconds TOP SPEED: 211 LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: 4,715 x 2,145 x 1,295 WEIGHT: 1,863kg unladen POWER: 715bhp
Words: PETER J ROBINSON
@classic.yachts
Sailing yacht Columbia heading for shore
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“Eros was built in the UK in 1939, and commandeered by the Royal Navy to help with the evacuation of Dunkirk in WW2.”
Sailing yacht Eros on a bluebird day
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MARINE : CLASS I C C H ART E R S
“Classic yachts really are a window into the past. They’re resplendent with a traditional look that is indicative of a bygone era.”
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Sailing yacht Sunshine on the lean
MARINE : CLASS I C C H ART E R S
“Sunshine is an extremely popular modern classic and the third sister, built to the design (No. 468) by W. Fife.”
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Eros
For further details on classic yacht charter, please visit: www.classic-charters.com
MARINE : CLASS I C C H ART E R S
Columbia
Sunshine
Sailing yacht Columbia fully rigged
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Ri
@HUMENorg
I N T E RV I E W : R I V E R H AW K I N S - H U M E N
River Hawkins :
Being Humen
Words: Peter J Robinson
In 2019 Actor and Director River Hawkins founded HUMEN. A unique men’s mental health organisation based in Neal’s Yard, London. The charity’s focus is on creating a non-clinical, comfortable environment for men to discuss their struggles. It’s about time.
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C
an you tell us about your journey to seek help?
“Societal conditioning of what a man is considered to be teaches us to reject what has been feminised, including vital emotions, such as empathy, compassion and vulnerability.�
Why do you think there is such an incredible stigma surrounding men speaking out about their hopes, dreams and fears in modern society?
As an actor working in an industry known for its somewhat outdated opinions on masculinity and perpetuation of stereotypes, did that push you to suppress your vulnerability during your formative years?
Did you have the mindset to speak out about how you felt to others? 75% of suicides are male, yet men only make up 36% of GP referrals. You
RIVER HAWKINS ON SET
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RIVER WITH BILL NIGHY ON THE SET OF THE HUMEN SERIES
launched HUMEN last year as a safe space where men can meet regularly in a non-clinical environment. Can you tell us about how you approached the setup?
the existing UK healthcare system, so mental health issues?
reported this month that depression has doubled in the UK during lockdown and isolation. How has HUMEN reacted to the step change in operations?
What’s the plan for the organisation more support, a larger network?
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documentary series with Bill Nighy, Carr, David Gandy and Tom Odell. I have to say, it’s a really powerful piece of work. Where did the idea come from to develop the project?
I understand Bill Nighy has been a mentor and more than that, a great source of personal support over the years. We can both agree that Bill Nighy is an incredible individual. Can you talk a little about that relationship and what helped you?
How did you go about approaching the men involved? Did any of their stories surprise you?
If our readers want to reach out to the what’s the best way?
TR
For further details please visit: wearehumen.org or contact hello@wearehumen.org Social: @humenorg
TWISTED NO
Words: Peter
As Twisted arrives at the ‘ Peter J Robinson sits down Twisted North America to t and what it means to be b
AU T O M O T I V E : T W I S T E D N O RT H A M E R I C A
ORTH amERICA
r J Robinson
‘home of the brave’ this year, n with Tom Maxwell, CEO of talk about the NA-V8 line-up bringing an icon to ‘Murica.
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E
veryone remembers
Too many occurrences to count. Growing up in the north of England, everyone had one, or knew someone who had one. I distinctively remember a brown D90 that used to rattle around the village where I went to school. Its paint was actually white, but it was always rim to roof in muck – used like a Defender was originally intended.
THE NA-V8 AT REST IN NEW YORK
200TDi LT77 D110. I was still young and hadn’t driven many cars, but I remember thinking the gearbox was unlike anything I’d used before. The way you feed the gears rather than force them – an active driving experience. Nothing quite like it.
110 Station Wagon in Willow Green or Nara Bronze. Cream or ivory leather interior up
front, for a touch of comfort. Empty load area – high level storage for throwing my climbing gear in, and an integrated sleeping solution so I have somewhere to pitch up for the night. Drivetrain-wise, if you had asked me a year ago, I would have said a big V8 – nothing quite like with being slow and bulky. However, now that we have our electric solution, I like the idea of being a little more under the radar. Same performance capabilities but a little less shouty. Also, people’s faces are a picture when you pull up to a charging point in a Defender.
all sorts of vehicles – but nothing makes me feel the way I do when I’m driving a Defender, and I know I’m not the only one. That’s why Defender fans are so passionate and why the vehicle has been so successful. Undoubtedly, its personality. Look, there are lots of reasons: style, capability, more recently iconic status, but simply put, it is the personality of the thing. If you love Defender, you get it. Others get it. You are part of the club, the little Defender wave you get when one comes the other way, that’s what it’s all about. I’ve been lucky enough to drive
Focusing on function over form – a Twisted is not a collection of bolt-on bits, but a precision, completely reengineered vehicle.
value, everything is added for a purpose and uncompromising attention to detail, and you are on to a winner. When you sit in a Twisted you know that every interaction the user has with the vehicle has been considered. Everywhere you touch, soft and forgiving. Everywhere you brush, kick, use; hard-wearing. Every angle, every option, every element; diligently contemplated. We’ve taken a true British legend and added new elements of everyday drivability, reliability and usability – while retaining and celebrating the soul of the original. You cannot argue with that ethos.
THE BEATING HEART OF THE NA-V8 IS A GM6.2L V8
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and its production correctly, lead times should not grow. Our COO, Bruce Riggs, has a proven track record of delivering productions on much larger scales than ours, so I am completely I met Charles at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2017. We stayed in contact whilst I was working on other projects. In early 2019, both to catch up. I was looking for the right brand to work with, and Charles was looking for someone with the right level of experience in the market. He invited me up to the Thirsk HQ and we ended up talking an afternoon away, recounting Defender tales, thinking up ideas, building the vision. It is easy to work with someone when you are both deeply passionate about brand integrity and user experience. It just made sense to do it.
“Our first NA-V8 demonstrator, a Defender 90, is available to see and test drive in Austin.”
Of course. We love Defender – it is that simple. Whilst we are excited to be building ground-up Twisted vehicles, we also know there is a plethora of owners in the US and Canada who want to restore, rework, modify – ‘twist’ – their own vehicles. We would be foolish to miss an opportunity to work with them. The retail space we have in Austin, Texas will be a showroom by day and an event space by and Yorkshire tea in the AM and alcohol in the
done right.
I think I can answer this question best by outlining the allocations I have made for the NA-V8. Of the 200 we are building over the next 5 years; 25 are D90 Soft Tops, 25 are D90 Station Wagons. 70 are Defender 110 Station Wagons, 10 are Defender 110 Double Cabs and 10 are Defender 130 High Caps. That makes 160 – with the remaining 40 allocated to special projects. We are building an EV Defender to do a NORRA electric run, a and some vehicles for the Gumball Rally. Then we have some brand partnerships in the works, with some vehicles for our ambassadors. We are also building lots of demonstrator vehicles for various locations across the US. I am passionate about showing rather than telling. The best way to understand our vehicles is to experience them.
It made sense as a good starting point. Good port access, varied terrains as you head west, availability of land and facility. Where we are in South Boston, we have the space to do what we want and an incredible pool of local engineering and racing talent to hire from. As we grow, we will be expanding, as you would expect. We have secured further production facilities close to the showroom in Austin, and are in discussion phases for our California, New York, and Miami retail spaces.
Smiths on tap, but that may be wishful thinking!
6 months from initial order – and it will stay that way. I am the worst when it comes to buying something and having to wait for it, like a kid at Christmas. I would not want to wait longer than 6 months and I do not expect our clients to. Whilst the nature of a custom vehicle means there is always a lead time, nobody should have to wait 12 to 24 months for their Twisted. When you scale a business
Whilst the Defender is clearly steeped in British heritage, I believe that, for the US, the Twisted an alternative to the often-soulless choice of performance 4x4s in the market. I have started and run disruptive companies in the past, and
TWISTED NORTH AMERICA CEO TOM MAXWELL
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us. It’s not really a Land Rover anymore; it’s a
and quickly growing a brand.
managed another business in the same niche; more restoration than reengineering, but I got to know the Defender very well across this time. I’m not sure of the exact number, but I would say so far, I have been involved with more than 200 custom Defender builds into the US and Canada.
D90 series – and will be building the next NAS-E series. Probably in 110 wheelbases with some inspiration from the Midwest.
is available to see and test drive in Austin. Come October, the grand opening of the showroom will take place, featuring two more demo Clients can expect the usual Twisted features: California Series.
I’d hope that by the end of year 3 we’ll have sold the entire run of 200 NA-V8s, and will be considering what we’re going to do next in the ICE space. We are on target to achieve this. Then we have our NAS-E electric vehicles, which have been hugely popular. By year 3, we
top-quality interiors. Other aesthetic changes are reasonably limited: we don’t do any whacky body kits or aftermarket gimmicks. Again, it is about function over unreasonable form. From an engineering standpoint, it is easier to describe what we have not changed, which is the body panels. These are all new, typeapproved, OEM e-coated. Literally everything else on the vehicle has been reengineered by
TR
For further details on Twisted North America: twistedautomotive.com
NA-V8. KAYAK SOLD SEPARATELY
Words: Cambridge & Counties Bank
With many lockdown restrictions slowly starting to ease, it won’t be long until we will be able to explore the world completely carefree. As more countries open their borders to foreign travellers and air bridges are announced, travellers will inevitably start to plan their next trip – and classic car enthusiasts will be deciding where they will be revving off to next. So where to go in your classic car when we can explore the world again?
F I NA N C E : C L A S S I C C A R S
Scotland’s North Coast 500
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Gro
The Atlantic Highway
Route 66
North Coast 500, Scotland
ossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria
Stelvio Pass, Italy
Cote d’Opale, France
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Grossglockner Austria
For further details on classic car www.classiccarbank.co.uk
Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria
TENGRI
The Search for Noble Fib
For thousands of years, the nomadic herders of the Khangai Mountains have stewarded the land home to the Khangai yak. These semi-wild indigenous species roam the rugged grassland steppes of the remote far reaches of Mongolia. Its intense wild landscapes are capped by glacier-tipped mountains, separated by green river valleys and shadowed by soaring peaks. So speak to Nancy Johnston, Tengri’s founder, about how she created a company designed to be one of the world’s leading sustainable business solutions. Words: Peter J Robinson
@HOUSEOFTENGRI
STYLE : TENGRI
bre
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L
et’s start at the top. You’re born and raised in the concrete jungle of LA, what inspired you to work in the
“Despite being raised in a concrete and cosmopolitan city, I had an acute awareness of the environmental lifestyle choices from a young age.”
You founded Tengri in September 2013, can you tell us a little about the origin of
In terms of brand heritage, Tengri lives has your life story and Asian-American
STYLE : TENGRI
Nancy Johnston - Founder - Tengri
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STYLE : TENGRI
Can you outline Tengri’s supply chain Between writing Tengri’s business plan on the back of a chocolate wrapper all those years ago, what changes have you seen in the fashion industry and how has
Did you seek any seed funding when setting up or was this as is usually the case, pouring one’s own sweat and
Luckily the trend towards fast fashion is dissipating, how are you championing
what was it like to enter the luxury
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socio-economically and can you speak to do you price something of such
“The word ‘Tengri’ means a pantheon of sky gods that govern human existence and natural phenomena on earth.”
Did you have a shorthand list of brands you wanted to work with in the early
I understand that Tengri means Sky God and the use of the word carries with it an incredible responsibility. How does one go about adopting such
STYLE : TENGRI
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face of tailoring, and the evolvement of some of the world’s most prestigious
STYLE : TENGRI
Could you explain how the Tengri Innovation Partnership started and what
Can you tell us more about Tengri’s fabrics and how these have been
Recently, you were awarded part of the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Creative R&D Partnership fund. In what way do you think the from your use of technologies, and
Have you found that your customer appreciated the very transparent nature think this should be the future for any
As opposed to many contemporary, “hype” luxury brands, Tengri doesn’t seem to focus on creating demand for its products through the use of “namedropping” and overt logos. Could
garment production and its heavy
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Can you expand on the Khangai Experience and is there any room left on
What does the future have in store for in the fashion industry moving forward
For further details on the world of Tengri, please visit: www.tengri.co.uk
IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”
T I M E : D I V I N G WAT C H E S
into the deep Words: Benjamin Mitrofan-Norris
Forged in the spirit of exploration and perfected across decades of innovation, the luxury diving watch is nothing short of a benchmark when it comes to matching elegance with technical mastery, and pairing precision with durability, sleekness, and beauty. While the diving watch may have had its heyday in the 1960s - an era in which deep sea exploration was as manly a pursuit as was imaginable - this particular horological sub-genre commands as much admiration today as ever. Indeed, certain luxury diving watches are considered essential items for any gentleman’s timepiece collection, with many gaining something of a mythic status across the ages. Imbued with the essence of adventure, and featuring pioneering complications and timeless design features, cannot be missed.
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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms GMT
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 5015
IWC 50 Years Aquatimer
IWC
Aquatimer
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Jaegar-LeCoultre Master Compressor
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph Ceramic
The Omega Seamaster Pro 300
Omega
Seamaster
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Rolex
Sea-Dweller
Rolex Sea-Dweller 1967
China’s Cultural Devolution Words: Mike Burke
For the best part of the last 40 years, the Chinese economy has been exploding, growing by an average of 10% per year, with 800 million Chinese lifted out of poverty. Many commentators believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is behind this economic miracle and that Communist China will eventually surpass the United States as the world’s most powerful economy. Some even go so far as to claim that its authoritarian system of governance is a credible alternative to democracy.
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his narrative must be disputed, not least because it is patently a false one. The CCP are not the authors of the Chinese economic miracle, quite the contrary: the Chinese people lifted themselves out of poverty in spite of the authoritarianism they laboured under, not because of it. History shows that the less the CCP has interfered in the lives of the Chinese, the richer China has become as a consequence. As long as Xi Jingping, who is the CCP’s most
authoritarian leader since Mao Zedong, remains in power then, the more the hard won gains of the Chinese people are under threat.
out of touch with the needs of his country
Success in the ruling CCP was relative
he could succeed in the impossible task of coordinating hundreds of millions of people. This had an absolutely disastrous impact upon China. During Mao’s so-called Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), for example, between 18-65 million people starved to death or were murdered by the state.
obsequious praise and unyielding support of Mao was, not the merit of their ideas or their desire to improve China. As a consequence of all the fawning praise and unyielding support Mao surrounded himself with, he grew ever increasingly
praise to Mao was extremely dangerous. For example, in 1966, Mao sent then CCP luminary Deng Xiaoping, the man who would later become the leader most commentators credit as being the architect
“In 1976,” American economist Steven Radelet writes, “Mao single-handedly and dramatically changed the direction of global poverty with one simple act: he
P O L I T I C S : C H I NA of China’s present economic success, to labour as a worker in a tractor factory. Deng’s son, meanwhile, was tortured by the Red Guards, who forced him to confess to being a counter-revolutionary and then story building in Peking University, leaving him paraplegic as a consequence. Deng’s offence was that Mao suspected him of not being supportive enough of the collectivist agricultural and economic policies that led to so many deaths during the Great Leap Forward. Contrary to Mao’s approach to ruling, there is a wealth of research to suggest that good leaders are not authoritarian, they diversify power across their organisations. A
leader’s challenge, then, is allocating tasks according to strengths the leader does not have or, due to workload, cannot apply. Identifying the best path forward requires the free and frank exchange of ideas between subordinates and their leaders. Good leaders depend on the wisdom of the specialists they employ in order to offset their own shortcomings. One way they do this is by incentivising their subordinates to think of new ways to improve their organization; be it a tennis club, a multinational corporation or a country. The more arrogant, dependent upon praise and authoritarian a leader is, the worse off their organization will be as a consequence. In China, Deng began the deliberate and systematic erosion of CCP authoritarianism. Beginning in 1977, following the death of Mao, under Deng’s guidance, the CCP began a process of liberalisation. Criticism of the Cultural Revolution, for example, was now permitted. State censorship remained, but within the party itself members could increasingly disagree and debate ideas. Meanwhile, Deng opened China up to foreign investment and the global economy. Deng divided power among the president, the premier and the politburo. Deng was by no means perfect—he ordered the Tiananmen Square Killings, for example—but no one in the CCP, Deng hoped, would ever have the kind of power that was once concentrated in the hands of Mao. During the 1980s-2000s, the CCP may have been repressive by Western liberal democratic standards, but as the freedoms the CCP afforded its citizens grew, so did the country’s wealth. While Mao’s totalitarian planned economy led to famine, Deng’s market-based reforms meant that the Chinese people were less restricted. They were more able to manage their own affairs, as individuals, than Mao allowed. It was this relative lack of interference in the economy that enabled the Chinese people—as opposed to the CCP—to apply their cultural values of perseverance, endurance and efforts to improve their lives as individuals. 800 million people lifted themselves out of poverty. The economy boomed as a consequence. Chinese immigrants and their descendants have achieved even more for themselves outside of China, which shows why the CCP cannot, in fairness, take the credit for the Chinese economic miracle. In America, for
example, Chinese immigrants and their descendents outperform whites in spite of whatever structural barriers they may face. In Malaysia, where the descendents of Chinese immigrants are routinely and systematically discriminated against, they still outperform all other groups in terms of their economic contribution to that society. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Chinese have achieved the economic miracle wherever they have gone. The only thing that has managed to hold the Chinese back during this period is CCP authoritarianism in China itself. Among the greatest successes of the Chinese people, in recent history, has been Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s famous economic power throughout
“While Mao’s totalitarian planned economy led to famine, Deng’s market-based reforms meant that the Chinese people were less restricted.” much of the 20th and early 21st century came as a consequence of the Chinese people operating within a free market economy with relatively little government intervention from Britain and from 1997, the CCP. In 2014, however, things began to change. By demanding to pre-screen candidates for the democratically elected position of Chief Executive of Hong Kong, to undermine the democracy it promised to Hong Kong under the terms of the “One country, two systems” agreement. Six years later, in mid 2020, criticism of CCP policy in Hong Kong is now a criminal offence, punishable by extradition to mainland China and life in prison there. The former mercy of resurgent CCP authoritarianism. The economy continues to nosedive as a consequence.
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In mainland China, the decline in CCP authoritarianism ended in 2012 when Xi Jinping assumed control. In the name of ending corruption and returning China to preeminence, Xi has assumed direct control of all aspects of the party, military and state apparatus. He has made himself “chairman of everything” and targeted the CCP for purging. He has abolished the term limit on his own position, making it possible for him to remain leader for life and enshrined himself into the CCP are no longer valued for their ideas and
“As under Mao, no longer valued for their ideas and sycophancy.”
effort but rather their sycophancy. Wang Guosheng, Qinghai’s Communist Party boss, for example, recently praised Xi as a “living Bodhisattva”. In the 20th century, the biggest impediment to the success of the Chinese people was Mao. In the 21st century, Xi is beginning to look a lot like the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. Power in China is devolving away from the Chinese people and back towards a leader who is imposing himself upon them. If Chinese history is anything to go by, this will not end well for China. TR
Property Portfolio Management in the Age of COVID-19 Knight Frank’s view on property investment in these extraordinary times. Words: Benjamin Mitrofan-Norris
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o say there’s been a degree of nervousness, hesitancy, and confusion in the property investment scene this year would be quite the understatement. Indeed, the chaos and unpredictability of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its dramatic effect on the markets, has brought about changes which will be felt for some time. Investors have been – not entirely atypically – receiving a whole host of contradictory words of advice regarding what to do with their funds and assets. Many are being advised to massively diversify their portfolio, some are being instructed to spend their way through the storm, and others being told to grit their
areas. In fact, Knight Frank’s assessment of
“what drives your
motivation is the same old emotions that drive the markets - greed and fear, carrot and stick.
”
remarkably and unexpectedly sunny picture for the city’s investors, with July 2020 showing Knowing what’s best for your portfolio is tricky accepted offers on homes up 132% against a at the best of times, and it’s fair to say that times. However, property investors and members of the general public alike were surprised, and doubtlessly happy, to read leading prime estate agency Knight Frank’s summer 2020 report, which outlined an unanticipated
While this uptick in sales suggests that the coronavirus crisis might not herald the property market devastation proclaimed by many, both investors and the general Furthermore, sales of leafy Dulwich family homes have little to do with the majority of investors’ portfolios right now, which have
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scope in recent and less dramatic years. In order to gain a deeper insight into what’s happening across all sectors of the property market in the latter half of 2020, The Review reached out to Knight Frank’s Global Head insights into the positive movements within both domestic and commercial properties, regarding property portfolio management in this most turbulent of modern times.
The lay of the land: highs and lows in an extraordinary year When asked for a broader picture of the property market during the tempestuous clear on how Covid-19’s impact was felt in the industry.
“Covid hit all markets hard, and the impact was felt as soon as the pandemic struck. The fact that most markets completely shut down meant that the second quarter of 2020 was, essentially, a non-event; investment, sales, take-up, and even development all ground to a halt”. With the impact of coronavirus on the market impossible to gloss over, he was keen to point out that rather than looking back at the
key piece of advice for investors right now: to take a deep breath, a big step back, and not allow themselves to be buffeted by daily news and contradictory reports. Neither Knight Frank or any one of us really knows the long-term impact on property (especially have been disrupted to the extent that the the past) will be. One thing seems for sure: we can all expect the prevailing narrative
year, property investors should be keeping
“The real test is how markets go on to perform through the recovery phase. For example, residential markets here in the UK are primed for boom conditions, thanks to the government’s move to cut stamp duty. Commercial markets, on the other hand, suffering from considerable uncertainty.”
new normal, and opportunities to arise in places and investments perhaps previously overlooked. The Knight Frank view on the notion that the commercial property market will never again be the same, however, is far from dim. As
“The city centre isn’t over. The need for and
P R O P E RT Y: P O RT F O L I O M A NAG E M E N T ideas and innovations can be shared, has not come to an end. We can expect the long-term outcome for property to be considerably different from the knee-jerk reactions we’ve seen over the past few months”. Questions regarding the luxury property market, long since thought to be among the most robust sectors for investors, were met with a similarly optimistic and forward-looking luxury market, despite common belief, was far from immune to downturns, pointing out that
However, he went on to say that the longerterm backdrop and global trends do tend to support luxury property investments. “For example, there were almost no Chinese decade ago. Today, they are the single biggest buyers of such assets in the city. The spread of economic growth and wealth creation tends to favour luxury property in the best locations.”
Seeking opportunity amid the crisis In times like these, turbulence, confusion, and wild speculation abound. Knight Frank have long since posited themselves as one of the most trusted voices when it comes to real estate trends, market predictions, and advice in property portfolio management. So what’s
the company line on what investors should do with their portfolios right now?
come in all stripes, and each has their own objectives, time frames, and preferences when it comes to expanding their portfolios. As such, there’s no single strategy to follow.
“Bailey points out that short-term trends have shown a seismic swing; buyers now want space the Hamptons have overtaken Manhattan.” Despite this, Covid-19, like all unpredictable periods, has presented investors with possibilities which would not have arisen otherwise. “It’s clear to us at Knight Frank that those with cash are taking a long, hard look at the opportunities coming forward which wouldn’t have presented themselves without the occurrence of a crisis.
Think of the sectors which have seen the greatest changes over the past decade - the game-changing shift from retail to home delivery, the rise of logistics, and the development of specialist residential sectors such as retirement homes. All of these trends appear to have been considerably accelerated by Covid-19, and in our view, they’re the ones which investors should be revisiting”. The lifestyle changes brought about the Coronavirus lockdowns, popularised by a mass public interest in baking and vegetable patches, have also seen investors shift their attention in the domestic sector, too.
shown a seismic swing; buyers now want space, and in order to attain affordable space, the Hamptons have overtaken Manhattan, and Surrey has overtaken Chelsea. Whether this is a direct result of an urbane form of cabin fever, or whether the crisis simply focused the minds of buyers and brought forward the move to rural locations, however, is open to debate.
Commercial property investment in post-Covid market If there’s one area where investors are struggling to see the light at the end of the and commercial property. With remote working enacting a huge role in the way the Covid-19 pandemic has played out, and
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with the growing sense that working from home is set to become the new normal, can commercial property investment – typically seen as a safe sector with bountiful returns – retain its power? The Knight Frank stance on this particular claiming that, in actual fact, the need for even with the dramatic increase in homeworking. In the long term, however, the picture may well be quite different. “In the longer run, it seems a safe bet that the
this decline will almost certainly be less than that which is currently being discussed. What will come to the fore, though, will be a focus on quality. As home-working becomes a more investors behind them will want to make their real estate work harder: this means more training hubs, better meeting spaces, and better shared spaces, too.
better and more attractive environment in order to retain workers, and that’s where a lot of investment funds will be going”.
regarding property investment and portfolio
lot of us are thinking and feeling. With – hopefully – the worst of the crisis now behind us, it’s time to start putting far-reaching plans into action, and to maintain an open mind says: “Investors should be thinking carefully about the long-term impact of Covid, as the world may well feel like a very different place in six months, or in a year’s time. Property is, after all, a long-term investment… and yet change always creates opportunities.” TR
W: www.knightfrank.co.uk T: +44 2076060606
the
Benjamin Ichinose collection
Words: Chris Munro - Head of wine at Christie’s Americas Photography: Christie’s Images Ltd
“I bought wine like crazy,” admitted Dr Benjamin Ichinose, who went on to build a dream cellar of perfectly stored wines. His extraordinary collection was sold in online auctions at Christie’s between 16 and 31 July 2020, to wide acclaim. The sale realised over $2.3 million – the highest total achieved for an online wine sale at Christie’s, and setting an impressive 76 world auction records. Chris Munro, head of wine at Christie’s Americas, discusses this important collection and highlights some of the most compelling vintages ever offered at auction.
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“
It was perfection,” wrote the late Michael Broadbent MW. The legendary wine critic and author, not to mention the man who launched Christie’s wine auctions more than 50 years ago, was describing the equally-legendary private cellar of Dr. Benjamin Ichinose at his home in Hillsborough, California. The cellar was, he insisted, “Absolutely perfect in every sort of way.”
collector in 1972, and had been so impressed with what he’d found that he was moved to write as I had heard and expected. I only wish more people were as dedicated and scrupulous in the way the wine is stored.”
Gourmet of the Year’. As Ichinose’s collection began to develop, so too did his friendship with Michael Broadbent. wines in his role at Christie’s proved the perfect resource for the collector to expand his own knowledge and the quality of the cellar. Many of the greatest bottles were the old wines from the most important Christie’s wine auctions of the previous two decades, at which Ichinose had
As well as buying wine at auction and from leading importers, the collector placed orders directly with many California wineries: Beaulieu Vineyards, David Bruce, Hanzell, Heitz, Inglenook, Mondavi, Ridge, and Stony Hill. He also bought champagne directly from
In 1973, Henri de Villaine, the late coproprietor of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, wrote to congratulate Ben Ichniose for his “Rich knowledge of wine and as a collector of art masterpieces, which are the great bottles in your cellar.” Three years earlier, Harry connoisseur, had pondered in his book, Pick of the Bunch, whether “There could be a better privately stocked modern cellar anywhere in the world.”
The Collector Born in Koloa, Kauai, and raised on a 13acre farm, Ben Ichinose experienced an idyllic childhood. After high school, he attended UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, where he got
Lanson, Ayala, and Bollinger – the latter two creating special labels for Ben’s bottles as ‘Cuvee Ichinose’. While he collected mostly French, Californian and German wines, as well as ports, sherries and madeiras, Ichinose also collected birth-year vintages: esteemed vintages of 1929, the year Dr. Ichinose and his wife were born, and 1961, 1964 and 1965, the birth dates of their children.
The Cellar The collection eventually reached over 55,000 bottles, and expanded to include another underground temperature-controlled cellar he had constructed for case storage only – mostly younger California wines.
his dentistry degree. He was then stationed in Yokohama, Japan, as a US Army Captain practicing orthodontics, before returning to the Bay Area in late 1959, when he and his wife Mayon embarked on a new interest: wine. Ichinose spent the early 1960s learning as much about wine as possible. His zest for educating himself was matched by his eagerness to taste as widely as possible. He joined the Berkeley Wine and Food Society, a small group of enthusiasts that also had its own wine cellar, and was exposed to some of the most discerning palates of that era. He later joined the Society of Medical Friends of Wine, the Wine and Food Society of San Francisco, and the Confrérie de la Chaine des Rôtisseurs, where he held the 1980, the Bacchus Society named him ‘Mr.
Ichinose had learned early on from Jim Guymon, an oenology professor at the University of California, Davis, that storage is of utmost importance to preserving wines. Determined to create optimal storage conditions, he constructed three underground rooms for his wine: the anteroom, for younger ports, sherry and madeira, was kept at 58 degrees (natural ground temperature); the main cellar was maintained at 52 degrees; and the second cellar, which stored older reds, whites and sparkling wines, was at 48 degrees. As a result, wines were allowed to age gracefully vintages or lesser-known properties were surprisingly better than expected. If creating perfect storage conditions was one part of his
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FINE WINE:CHRISTIES wine philosophy, the other, equally-important tenet was his belief that “The real beauty of wine is best enjoyed in the company of friends.” Ben and Mayon, whose palate was said to be equal or even superior to her husband’s, hosted many luncheons and dinners in order to share wine from the collection. The friends they welcomed to their table included great names from the leading wine estates in France, early wine-industry pioneers and connoisseurs with legendary palates.
The Auction
The top lot of the sale was a jeroboam of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti 1970, which achieved $75,000. The top wine from what is regarded as the greatest pinot noir producer on earth. In this format, a true unicorn. Exceptionally rare, purchased by an American burgundy collector, and certainly to be drunk with friends.
Vogüé, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Musigny 1971, which fetched $43,750 against a low estimate of $9,000. From one of Burgundy’s classic vineyards and one of the greatest vintages of the twentieth century, indeed a perfect marriage. A
A magnum of Château Mouton-Rothschild 1929 sold for four times its low estimate, at $16,250. Michael Broadbent MW. In this exceptionally rare magnum format this promises to be a delightful drink. And two bottles of Château Haut-Brion 1929, which went for over four times its estimate, selling for $17,500. Another classic wine from one of the greatest vintages of the twentieth century. A wine of this quality, given the impeccable storage, is a collector’s dream.
This collection represented one of those rare opportunities to acquire great wines from an impeccable source, and our clients responded The July 2020 Christie’s sale invited ‘new friends’ given Ben’s obsession with perfect storage. with enthusiasm. Well-cellared, bought with strict to the table: 34% of registrants were, in fact, guidance from importers and producers from a A bottle of Petrus 1961 achieved over three times hugely knowledgeable and loved collector, we a-lifetime opportunity for someone to acquire its low estimate selling for $18,750 – considered are delighted to report that nearly every bottle priceless wines with the perfect provenance. one of the greatest wines ever produced. Petrus has a truly global following. This vintage along a new home. The exceptionally strong results, The extraordinary element of the sale was with the 1945 and 1982 is considered to be one including a number of world record prices, that many of the wines can no longer be of the greatest wines ever made at this esteemed witnessed in this sale demonstrates the success of found elsewhere. And what makes them truly estate. Christie’s Online platform’s ability to showcase remarkable is that most have been stored in the important collections to the broadest possible same superb cellar, untouched for decades. global audience. Some of the most remarkable bottles in the sale went on to establish new auction records – 76 in of the wine world’s greatest collectors. total – as they have not been on the market in generations. TR
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ANDERSEN Words: Peter J Robinson
When I opened up the boot to the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, I was faced with a tug-of-war-grade bundle of power cables, converters and instructions. It wasn’t just the intertwined mess of it all that struck me so much as the idea of running cables in through the kitchen window. Not a problem when caught short once, but not exactly something you want to do every time you get home. It was, in fact, so primitive that I decided the best way to charge the battery was in full sport mode using the car’s braking and acceleration to power up. Until I met Jérôme Faissat – co-founder & CEO of Andersen, who showed me the electric light.
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ou’ve arguably got a tenured career within the IT industry, having led major projects across Banking and Retail. How did those years of large-scale, blue-chip stack-wrangling prepare you for the move to a startup?
What sparked Andersen’s inception and led to its founding?
Can you tell us about the early years at Andersen – forging the early designs and the R&D process?
The A2 is arguably at home in both Scandinavian cabin and country pile alike, with even a range of Accoya wood fronts.
TECH : ANDERSEN EV from Mobeus, Andersen shows no signs of stopping. With the EV Market growing 132% in the year to May 2020, what does that partnership and support do for the company?
What’s the design ethos behind the product?
The management team is made up of yourself, David Simpson, Rob Mouser and Mandy Simpson. What are your daily drivers?
2CV)
What’s the install time from order to implementation, and is there a waiting list?
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It’s an incredibly sleek design and deceptive facia, as the A2 packs a considerable technological punch with SMART controlled connectivity and 22kW power. How did you marry the aesthetics with such strong technological development?
I understand you’re predicting there will be a spike from the current 120,000 homes with EV chargers up to 350,000 by 2025? What’s in the pipeline for the A2 moving forward?
“We really see 2020 as being the tipping point for electric vehicle uptake. The EV market grew by 132% in the year to May 2020.”
As an organisation pushing the EV movement, how viable do you think stopping the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is by 2035?
We all understand the ecological impact of EV. Which countries do you feel are leading the charge in uptake?
What does the future hold for the Andersen product Range?
For further details on Andersen, please visit: andersen-ev.com
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E N T E RTA I N M E N T : R O S E A D K I N S H U L S E
The Future of Television Has Arrived The streaming wars are heating up and the television landscape is experiencing one of the most disruptive periods in its history. We watch with excitement the launch of new streaming platforms, such as Peacock, Disney+, Starz Play and HBO
abundance of content will exceed consumer demand or be just enough to get us to cut the cord. Words: Rose Adkins Hulse - Founder & CEO of ScreenHits TV Photography: Sophia Spring
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“Content discovery, endless scrolling, switching between apps, subscription fatigue, and customer retention are just some of the challenges�
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Rose Adkins Hulse - Founder & CEO of ScreenHits TV
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“While the streaming wars are in full bloom, the battle over the super aggregators have just begun.�
TR
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Fiscal Thought
The best decisions I have ever made were emotional ones, not logical. That’s not to say they didn’t have other hidden costs, money for money. It motivates me. Excites me. Why else would I
Words: Hugh Matthews - Crystal Wealth Management
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here is your ‘here’? How did you get here and where, realistically, can I help you propel your future self to? Roughly how much money are you going to require for that intrepid journey? Equally important, what are your values, your goals and ambitions, and what sort of legacy do you
meaningful encounter with money? What does money really mean to you? What if your family home was repossessed when you were a teenager because your father’s business failed? How could that person’s relationship with money ever be a normal one? Financial That type of pain and humiliation can create a subsequent need to impress, that is the
Funnily enough, what drives your motivation motivated and some of the wealthiest self is the same old emotions that drive the markets: greed and fear, carrot and stick. They either repel you away from bitter suffering or attract you towards some kind of sweet prize. Risk is a dangerous blade that carves your
“what drives your
your comfort zones. Get it wrong and she is a cruel, sadistic teacher.
motivation is the same old emotions that drive the markets: greed and fear, carrot and stick.
I have no right to tell you what to do with your money if I don’t understand you and your journey. I grew up in a generally comfortable middleclass family in the 80s and 90s and was blessed to dine at a Beefeater restaurant a couple of times a year for special occasions. I was handed down my mother’s Ford Fiesta as made individuals I have ever worked with. It is however, an itch that it seems can never properly be scratched. school teacher, and dad was a structural engineer who built superstores. One of the On one level, money is a megaphone; an few times I have ever seen him weep was during the early 90s recession, when I came down to breakfast one school morning and he and the wealthier you become, the greater the announced that he had been made redundant mo’ problems… life will always test you like and that this would affect our lifestyle for that. You make plans, God laughs. If you were the foreseeable future. Desire and an innate a rotter before you were rich then a leopard ambition gave me a hunger for freedom and doesn’t change its’ spots now that you have my own attitude to money. it all and rebuild yourself from scratch to humble and purify yourself. I won’t pretend I How did you make your wealth? Are you ‘old
”
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know how the universe works, but curveballs are guaranteed.
increase your options beyond just shiny materialistic stuff. It opens doors and will get you recognition, upgrades, nicer shoes, a slicker motor, a bigger house, a different social group, private education, free gifts (ironically), even a more attractive partner if that’s what you feel you need. But however wealthy you are, there will always be someone richer than you: fact. You won’t even have heard of the richest families because they don’t want you to know about them. True wealth consists not in having great possessions
but in having few wants. Who is the rich man? He who is content. So, what’s the takeaway? Our strapline is ‘Create, grow and preserve your wealth’. Save for the future, but also live in the now because, more than ever, we never know what the future holds. Discipline: ensure that you are insured, protected and invested appropriately for your preferred future self
almost. Work smart, but rather than working the hard work for you. The only people that
understand what money can’t do are people who have it. People who don’t have it believe that it can do things that it cannot. The most rewarding thing I do is show you how to best use the money you have accumulated to live the logical decisions so that you can make those important emotional ones yourself. Crystal Wealth Management Limited is an appointed representative of The On-Line Partnership Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of units can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back all of your original investment. Tax Planning Advice is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
For further details, contact Crystal Wealth Mangement W: www.crystalwm.co.uk T: 0117 923 2320
Precious time: Geneva's rare watches Photography: Christie’s Images Ltd
Even before Covid-19 started to take a toll on the global Indeed, last year, the Federation of the Swiss Watch
“Despite these challenging times, the watches and jewellery market remains resilient and collectors continue to pursue the rare and beautiful,” explains Aline Sylla-Walbaum, the global managing director of
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“
The Geneva sale season, which operated under strict government guidelines, saw global participation of buyers from 42 countries over the phone and online. The auctions totalled $43 million, with strong prices realised across the board. The sales were led by a fancy vivid blue and colourless diamond ring by Reza, selling for over $9.2 million.
The pink gold version is extremely rare, with a maximum of 15 examples ever made and its enhanced white dial with Roman numerals make this watch very likely to be the only example of
The Rare Watches sale totalled $9,785,522, with the majority of timepieces consigned by private collectors and we witnessed strong competition for the very best timepieces, including a Patek Phillippe Gold 3974R, which achieved $728,220.
auction before, and only a handful of the 300 examples cased in gold, carried a champagne Paul Newman dial. The appetite for collecting remains and we are very much looking forward to bringing collectors the rarest and most unique jewels and timepieces this upcoming season”.
Released in 2015 to the great awe of the audience, it was created by A. Lange & Söhne to showcase their prowess and leading position
balance cock and an incredible level of hand-
exclusive is this watch that only 100 were made (the present example being numbered 037). Essentially speaking, it manages to combine a
A further highlight was the 18K gold ‘Paul Newman’ reference 6239, which realised $702,780. To the best of our knowledge, this timepiece
mind. Two subtle yet complicated mechanisms underline just how intricate calibre L952.2. is. Firstly, pulling the crown out to adjust the time instantly stops the movement, halting the tourbillon, allowing the time to be displayed
chronograph, tourbillon, moon phases and the tachymeter scale), all driven by a stunningly
balance, which now oscillates at a slightly lower frequency.
case back. As beautiful as the watch’s dial side is, it is the movement that is truly impressive and characteristic of Lange’s technical perfectionism and attention to detail. Not only simply aesthetically astounding (with a hand-engraved
Datograph Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon,
Secondly, and perhaps most impressively, is the watch’s unique ability to advance every single display on the perpetual calendar once (moon phases, date, day) by one single activation of the pusher at 10 o’clock. To prevent accidentally pressing it and needlessly activating the
The present Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is no. 37 of the limited edition of 100 examples of the model in platinum. Consigned by the original owner it is preserved in excellent overall condition and sold with the full set of accessories. The Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is doubtlessly one of the most technically and functionally brilliant timepieces ever conceived.
instantaneous display adjustment, Lange has designed the watch in such a way that the function is locked unless the crown is pulled out. This not only protects the movement itself but also ensures that the function is only used when the watch truly needs correction – i.e. when the power reserve has depleted (an idiosyncratic yet ultimately incredibly thoughtful and important feature).
precious metals have been used: the hands are rhodium-plated and solid gold and the case is made of platinum. The present example is a must-have for the avid collector, and for those desiring to experience how far the innovative and technical boundaries of horology can be pushed.
T I M E : C H R I S T I E S G E N E VA R A R E WAT C H E S
A. Lange & Sรถhne Platinum Datograph Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon, No. 37/100 Price realised CHF 225,000
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F.P. JOURNE Chronomètre à Résonance No. 72/99-01R The Property of an Important Swiss Private Collector Price realised CHF 212,500
and 2003, numbered 1 to 99.
The Property of an Important Swiss Private Collector Consigned by a private Swiss collector, the present Chronomètre à Résonance is preserved in very good overall condition. It is no. 72 of the limited edition of the Chronometre à Résonance “Ruthenium” model, produced between 2001
The Chronomètre à Résonance is one of the exceedingly rare and fascinating timepieces based on resonance, a natural physical phenomenon. The two closely positioned balance wheels synchronise each other by
and body movements are hence considerably reduced.
who made clocks with two pendulums beating in resonance. The idea was taken further by Abraham Louis Breguet, who successfully completed pocket watches with twin resonant balances. Ruthenium is the sovereign among precious metals. Derived from platinum, its sheer rarity means it can only be used for certain limited series and exceptional creations, such as the Chronomètre à Résonance.
T I M E : C H R I S T I E S G E N E VA R A R E WAT C H E S Patek Philippe Pink Gold Ref. 3974 with White Roman Dial & J.P. Hagmann Case Price realised CHF 687,000
Furthermore, at the request of the present owner, it has been enhanced with a stunning white dial with Roman numerals. The bold, large black Roman numerals set against the white background gives the timepiece an entirely Undoubtedly one of the most visually arresting
In fact, this watch is very likely to be the only
the present watch has been consigned by an important private collector. Carefully looked after as a cherished highlight of the owner’s collection, it has not been seen on the open market since it was acquired over 13 years ago.
combination. Naturally, the original silvered dial as supplied in 2000 has been carefully retained and accompanies the watch.
watches ever to be made in series by Patek Philippe, a modern classic epitomizing the strengths and wonderful acoustics that have The pink gold version is extremely rare, with a maximum of 15 examples ever made – so far only 4 have returned to the open market. The impressive case of highest quality was made
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Pierre Hagmann is the point of reference for case making and without doubt the most skilled
artisans of yesterday and tomorrow in pursuit of a common goal – exquisite watchmaking. Reference 3974
Manufactured in very small numbers, the Hagmann set up his own company in 1984, majority in yellow gold, the reference 3974 was specialising in the manufacture of custom-made produced in 1989 to celebrate Patek Philippe’s high-quality watch cases. He worked for several 150th anniversary. This sought-after timepiece of the world’s most famous watch manufacturers, ceased production in 2002 and is regarded today notably Patek Philippe, to whom he supplied as one of the most desirable minute repeaters of amongst others, cases for references 3974, modern production.
repeating and perpetual calendar mechanisms in a proportionally small 12 1/2’’’ movement. The reference 3974 is famously the one important complicated Patek Philippe watch that the grandson of Henry Graves, Reginald ‘Pete’ Fullerton, was unable to obtain. Fullerton’s aim was to collect an example of every Patek Philippe perpetual calendar wristwatch ever made. On 29 August 1988, Fullerton wrote to Patek Philippe: “I noticed a picture of a wristwatch to be made in 1988 and numbered 3974. Obviously, you are holding out on me. What can you tell me about
Complication’ series.
joined forces with the young brand AKRIVIA in Geneva. Their partnership unites distinguished
1’906’000. The ingenious calibre R 27 Q impresses not only by its remarkable number of 467 parts but also by Patek Philippe’s masterly tells me to look into this matter.” performance of combining a micro-rotor, minute
Gold ‘Champagne Paul
the popularity of the chronograph soared throughout the years, leading it to become an icon and source of great fascination.
Only a tiny number, thought to be around 300 pieces – a fraction of the approximately 14,000 watches made during reference 6239s production Not only incredibly good looking and superbly run – were cased in gold. Of these gold 6239s, preserved, this privately consigned 18k gold ‘Paul justy a handful are known with a champagne Newman’ reference 6239 has, to the best of our ‘Paul Newman’ dial with gold graphics in the subsidiary dials. auction before. Its rarity is further enhanced by the presence of the original Guarantee issued by The present ref. 6239 has survived in remarkable the celebrated Orologeria Pisa in Milan in 1972. condition and it is evident that it has not been Launched in 1963, the Rolex Cosmograph reference 6239 was named following the fervor surrounding outer space travel. Later bearing the inscription Daytona, due to Rolex’s involvement with the celebrated International Speedway,
champagne ‘Paul Newman’ dial which shows almost no signs of aging, all but one of the luminous dots remain intact and full and the luminous plots and hands match perfectly. The aesthetic of this late 1960s watch is simply beautiful, exuding luxury, the gold case with polished tachymeter bezel harmonizes with the pale champagne of the dial, the raised gold indexes sparkling as they catch the light. The overall look is completed by the black outer minutes/seconds scale and black subsidiary dials with gold graphics that achieve the perfect colour contrast.
worn for some time. The gold on the right-hand Hardly ever does such a sublime specimen of this side of the case body has the distinctive blueish patina that develops only after many years being rarest variation of the reference 6239 appear on stored away and is so highly-prized by collectors. The numbers between the lugs and the hallmarks to obtain the almost unobtainable. are crisp and sharp. Equally impressive is the TR
T I M E : C H R I S T I E S G E N E VA R A R E WAT C H E S ROLEX Exceptional 18K Gold ‘Champagne Paul Newman’ Ref. 6239 Price realised CHF 663,000
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l a r u R
RELOCATION
P R O P E RT Y : R U R A L R E L O C AT I O N
Iain Beaumont is the founder and Managing Director of Venues and Ventures. Since ditching the City, Iain has worked on some on England’s grandest country estates eye for spotting new opportunities and helping businesses realise their potential. Words: Iain Beaumont
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venuesandventures.co.uk
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he hedonism of city life isn’t what it used to be. The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. The great appeal of living in a melting pot of social, economic and artistic endeavour is slowly beginning to lose its shine, and the itch at the back of everyone’s minds is starting to become ever more pronounced. Conversation around garden party rattan (indoors just hasn’t been de-rigeur this summer) has shifted, and invariably someone throws a once unimaginable statement into the mix. ‘So, we’ve found this charming place in the shires. Reuben and I are looking at upping sticks and moving to, well, the sticks’. Change is a-coming, and it’s easy to understand why. The opportunity to realise
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a large sum of capital from a metropolitan residence and buy a small part of Britain is very appealing. Whilst there are limited opportunities to stylise your own Wentworth Woodhouse (don’t even think about it, the annual maintenance bill will be crippling), there are a multitude of small estates and country properties that offer solace and escape from the city. But moving to the countryside isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. I mean, it’s just the polar opposite to the West End and the bed of roses can give you a nasty prick if you don’t know where to lie. However, for those looking at relocating, there are substitutions to the bastions of
our major cities. It’s just knowing where to
The House of Bruar has long been a staple stop off for the well-heeled heading north along the rather spectacular A9.
choice is the South Hams, with Dartmouth, Salcombe and Noss Mayo ticking every highs of motorsports and some of Europe’s best vineyards, the South Downs is hard to beat. With Goodwood on your doorstep and magnums of Nyetimber so close, you could almost siphon them into your new party barn – it’s not hard to see the appeal.
The one aspect that is harder to replicate is music and the arts. Whilst there are a multitude of sensational venues across the country, invariably we hear the daydreams of someone who really wants to set up something themselves, right on their own doorstep. If you’ve got the land and the passion, the daydream can turn into a reality. And why not. Is there anything that comes as close to being as cool as hosting your own festival. And it might make you a few quid, too. So, in the spirit of getting the events industry back up off its knees and rekindling memories of long sun-kissed evenings,
P R O P E RT Y : R U R A L R E L O C AT I O N
camping. face paint, a headline sponsor, and those
As with any new venture, getting off the starting blocks can be one of the most into renovating an underutilised barn into a hedonistic cavern where Led Zeppelin a step back and put together a number of ideas based on your aspirations, market trends, investment capital and operating costs. Whilst it may take some time to
the reality is that most people will skim read at best.
Social media Once you have determined the type of cultured hedonism you want to pursue, you are likely going to have to obtain consent from a number of different statutory bodies. If you’re looking to sell alcohol or play music into the small hours, you’ll almost certainly need a premises license. It is important to deal with these aspects early on, as once they’re sorted, you can really start to focus on energising your idea.
outdoor weddings and concerts are far more
You’ve run the numbers, you have a plan and the licenses are in hand – so far, condition of your site and its facilities. If you already have good facilities and a structurally-sound site, it may just be a simple requirement of getting things tested to ensure that you’re safe and compliant. If it involves knocking down the internal walls of a listed building, you’re going to need to get consent to make it happen. If your idea involves opening up rooms to provide it is necessary to upgrade your heating and plumbing – 8 baths running at once from a single boiler might prove too much, and the days of squeaky pipes are no longer acceptable.
Get marketing
If you have not embraced social media already, then you will need to get this established early on. The key platforms which will help inspire a large cohort of your market are most likely to be Instagram Twitter following closely behind. If you’re post fresh, relevant and timely content, I would recommend outsourcing this aspect to a trusted agency or freelancer who is able to manage this on your behalf. If you’re looking to appeal to a younger audience, you need to get on TikTok. However, if you’re a total newbie to this, take a deep breath before opening the platform and entering a bizarre world of home videos.
Online platforms and agencies and cost-effective way of promoting your venue or event to a far-reaching audience. Typically, each directory enables people to parameters, but you are often able to pay a supplement to secure a premium listing if you want to promote your venue to a much wider audience. If you have a rather from working alongside agencies who are matching clients with their ideal location but be prepared to pay a commission for any bookings.
It is likely that you will have already understand who you need to reach out to.
about your offering.
marketing investment. It will be your primary platform from which you can promote your offering. It should be slick, easy to navigate and professionally built.
Good PR can be huge for business, and I would suggest reaching out to media organisations to identify opportunities for building brand awareness and potential collaborations.
has added another avenue which you may wish to pursue. Whilst it is not necessarily a new concept, the reach of the modern-day giving you an opportunity to promote your offer to a massive audience. Before you
you focus on imagery and video to really show your idea off. A 90-second video clip will give visitors to your website a great overview of your site and get them curious about what you’re up to. Whilst words are important to help build your search
your venue or b) giving away too many freebies, do consider who their audience is and whether you will be able to get a decent return on your investment.
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Unless you are intending to run an event or venue by yourself, you are most likely going to require a number of staff to support both the sales and operational aspects. My tip, if you’re going big, get a promoter to buy into the idea and they will take all that pain away.
aspects of the events world is being able to use a multitude of different suppliers to support your client’s needs. Pretty much everything you can imagine is on offer, from Michelin-starred chefs and organics academies and international DJs. It is important to establish a good relationship
with your most important and regular suppliers, as they will know how to operate on your site and will ultimately be one of your biggest advocates.
Contracts As with most business arrangements, you will need to enter into a contract with your key stakeholders in order to set the terms of the event and protect yourself against cancellations, damage and event ‘creep’ (e.g. where an outdoor party starts to morph into something much more and a well-drafted contract should be easy to manage without being overly restrictive for either party. If a client refuses to enter into a contract or agreement, I would walk away from the proposition without hesitation. There are plenty of bandits out there, so you
need to be quick off the mark at identifying them.
Setting up your own venue or event is enterprise. As with all new ventures, taking the time from the outset to ensure that you build the right foundations will ultimately pay huge dividends in the future. The shift away from city streets to green pastures will likely become more pronounced as we see urban centres. The commute and desk are being laid to waste, the most progressive are embracing the change. So, dig out your wellies, go wild with your imagination bohemia is no longer valid when you can create it yourself. TR
THE BEAUTY OF
I N T E R I O R D E S I G N : T H E B E AU T Y O F I N T E R I O R A R C H I T E C T U R E
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE Words: Emily Smith
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TBC
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I N T E R I O R D E S I G N : T H E B E AU T Y career by studying Interior Architecture? Perhaps to avoid the seven years of minimum study to become an Architect, or even because there is an innate beauty in existing buildings. I’ve always loved buildings, from a very early from my beauty or at least how you perceive age. I’ve been gifted with an eye that can quickly identify good taste, well-proportioned beautiful or not lies within each of our hands. A and high-quality workmanship within building or a design within it is only the creative architecture and the components that make expression from that person who was appointed to alchemise a thought into a physical entity. A building that does this well is Villa Copenhagen hat is beauty? Something that pleases the eye, something we call attractive? Your beauty
Copenhagen, Denmark. The city’s most eagerly awaited hotel, originally designed in 1912 by Architect Heinrich Wench, has recently launched in July, after an extensive internal renovation. Peter Høgh Pedersen, managing director of Villa Copenhagen highlights, “This project has proven to be a labour of love. The vision behind the build was to create an authentic destination - for the many and not the few.” Villa Copenhagen is an architectural landmark located adjacent to the famed Tivoli Gardens and Copenhagen’s train station. The existing building is designed in Neo-Baroque style which displays important aspects of the Baroque architectural traditions. This style is famous for contrast, exuberant detail, grandeur and surprise to achieve a sense of awe. As a transformative process, Interior Architecture pays respect to that rich tapestry of creation a dialogue between old and new, within the building itself and around it, forming a new district that is regenerating for the city. The hotel compromises of 381 guest rooms, as well as nine exclusive suites all individually designed, 5 restaurants and bars, meeting
“The city’s most eagerly awaited hotel, originally designed in 1912 by Architect Heinrich Wench, has recently launched in July.” up a building. I want to saviour these stunning features that are now becoming rare. Today, we want to be more sustainable, more mindful of how we use our planet and most of us have a desire to reduce waste or reuse what we already have. This is why I am an advocate for Interior Architecture. The beauty of Interior Architecture as a design discipline also lies within its mystery. Interior Architecture sits in between famous Architecture and sometimes gets muddled into the umbrella discipline of Interior Design. But essentially Interior Architecture is a discipline that bridges the gap between architecture and interior decorative design yet encompasses both of those elements into its entirety too. Interior Architecture is
adjacent to a rooftop pool with cabana service. There are outdoor and interior “green spaces” promoting wellbeing and tranquillity which
the new design draws notably on the buildings former use. From a design perspective guests can “expect a contemporary and classic Scandinavian design that accentuates the original architecture in both the communal spaces, room and suite interiors to create an inspiring and playful ambience.” Why does one choose to open up their design
Interior Architecture is the process of sensitively analysing an existing building, with a clear
natural context and microclimate around a building, designers can positively improve the functionality for the user and as a knockUniversal Design Studio were appointed to design the 381 room suites as well as The Penthouse Suite at Villa Copenhagen. Richard McConkey, Associate Director, recognised that “Copenhagen has a beautiful quality of light, which, alongside the feeling of quiet beauty in the artwork of Hammershøi, became a key reference point in our design process.” The design featuring a balance of materials that are calming, fresh and everlasting. Simple design tricks in the room, include a feature a walllength tinted mirror with a textured glass façade that invites natural daylight into the bathrooms period windows, enhance the natural light and beauty of the building’s heritage. Filtering through the historical features and characteristics becomes a vital part of the regeneration process to add value and interest to a new design. This is something Universal have honed in on to inform the contemporary design for the rooms which consist of warm, muted colour palettes using soft ochre, brick and copper tones. The original building of with a range in ceiling heights, so every single design process by “mapping” the interiors of the building and made the decision to either reinstall or restore original period features. Architecture - and therein lies the beauty of the design discipline. The rooms all have to naturally take on their existing surroundings providing unique experiences for guests. The
being like a jewel to attract in tourists, business entrepreneurs and the local city dwellers too. With Interior Architecture, there is a clear starting point: the existing building. Either a building has to be preserved due to regulations or the building is too beautiful not to reform it. Just look around the central streets of Belgravia & Mayfair in London for example. The new hotel is situated in the Danish capital’s former
OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE Interior Design within existing buildings.
TBC
are housed in the converted attic meaning the exposed timber beams accentuate charm and cosiness for guests. Rather than being a hindrance within the design process, constraints and parameters of a building are used as a driving force to impact the design strategy. Also part of Universal’s remit, are the original grand staircases, waiting areas and hallways throughout the hotel which have been restored back to their original quality to link hotel users to the communal areas. Epicurean, the sister company to design house Goddard & Littlefair, were responsible
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TBC
INTERIOR DESIGN : THE for designing the restaurants, bars, wellness and pool and various meeting event spaces. TBC In contrast to the calm bedroom suites, the communal spaces of the hotel are eclectic, rich in deep colour and material, with a quirky play on texture. Drawing on inspiration from the Neo-Baroque existing architecture and unexpected surprises. Check the bar in T37 Bar with hanging satchel straps made from former post bags! Epicurean’s design ethos is to experience sensual enjoyment, which is captured across the 5 dynamic restaurants and bars within the hotel.
B E AU T Y O F I N T E R I O R A R C H I T E C T U R E Bloom by Haberdashery haberdashery.com From £3,270 Available in 5 set compositions, each configured to complement different spaces Finishes: white glazed porcelain petals, gold plated brass petal fixings, powder coated ceiling hub, gold silk braided cable.
In design - form always follows function, but initial creative stages are fun because the history of the building is implemented into the design With the external parameters of the walls set in place, you are working with an existing volume to maximise the potential of a space, you have the beauty of the architecture around you to ever-changing modernity. The copper archways strategically placed in Public and Rug Bakery are an immediate striking insertion seen in the Danish bakery. Here we see the modern design from the hotel rooftop. Referencing original panelling and original glazed brickwork, when in the space, you are embodying the experience of being in the revitalised sorting room. A space that used to sit alongside the railway tracks where the post was historically distributed by train. These are extremely subtle insertions into the existing building. So subtle, that the the experience overall. The intricacy between old and new is always expressed with respect, to breathe. The Pool Bar is inspired by the shapes cast from old panelling, and similar to the bakery, copper from the roof has been used to form the bar front. The yellow tiles referencing the sorting room have been used to create a cohesive design language throughout. What is lovely is each layer of time from the building’s history is woven together intricately allowing each aspect of the design to express its individual beauty.
TBC
With technology and ideas ever-changing, the industry also continues to expand and grow to so unavoidably the design team consisted of building, but also because each designer brings seen in the very distinctive design expressions of the hotel’s executive suites. Eva Harmou has designed the Earth Suite which is feminine, selective and sedative. Every single material and
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TBC
I N T E R I O R D E S I G N : T H E B E AU T Y O F I N T E R I O R A R C H I T E C T U R E the thought, devotion of idea and energy from eco-friendly making this very pink, cool, serene suite fully sustainable. The seven remaining suites designed by Shamballa Jewels are in contrast, dark, moody and a sophisticated sense of home. Existing features have been designed around, with contemporary panelling used to enhance the volume of space but also create intimacy. throughout this hotel that is intriguing and exciting - not overbearing. Each designer brings their interpretations and creative thought into the design process developing an abundance of changing spaces. It is through the clever teachings of blending old and new where the constraints of an existing building provoke beauty. The original building initiates brief. Whilst I love the variation of design throughout the building and it always thrills me to see the heritage meticulously restored and revitalised, my favourite aspect is the 25 metre lap pool, simply because it is heated by the excess heat from the hotel’s cooling system. There is nothing more beautiful than being
The beauty of internal remodelling is that when you discover the discipline, it opens up a whole new dimension of possibility to be working with existing volumes, proportions, character, paying homage to history where relevant and drawing on the context around the building to design a space that functions science of Interior Architecture are so quietly clever it doesn’t disturb your experience, example of how history is brought forwards to reinvigorate a building to enable community and business regeneration. It is within the design process and the inevitable end outcome, that beauty is unravelled yet created. As a result of carefully considered design and renovation, the spaces look beautiful but also provide a sense of beauty through the new experience. Spaces should be there to allow you to feel. To feel excited, to feel charmed, to feel welcomed. At the heart of Villa Copenhagen’s hotel experience, they promote conscious luxury, conscious dining, conscious retreat, happiness and contrast. These attributes would not be possible without
to regenerate this extraordinary building. To at over 2 million US$, this is a place not to be missed. I believe we need more Interior Architects and we need more people to be aware of Interior should be sung about from the rooftops of these heritage buildings. We should be creating to regenerate, allowing explorative and captivating experiences, for both designer and dweller. I’m passionate about playing with what is already in existence. Interior Architecture is less ephemeral than interior décor, it stands a longer test of time and more of us should want to save all forms of architecture and pull it into the next modern era. Interior Architecture is a discipline that generates and sustains beauty by preserving more of what we have. In the famous words of Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Beauty is what we make of it. We can make more of it, through this beautiful discipline.
TBC
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When we read these advertising posts and the backs of aestheticallyready bottles, we ask: are these fundamentals new or is it just good marketing? I had heard friends mention CBD in passing (who hasn’t these days), with uses ranging from easing aches, pains and anxiety through to helping moderate metabolism. But why was it now having its moment in beauty too?
W H A T S T H E D E A L W I T H
CBD?
Words: Naomi Lake
I
t’s a strangely sunny afternoon in late March. I’m looking longingly at the garden with dreams of topping up my
reading a third press release in as many days, dedicated to the new beauty buzzingredient CBD. My interest is piqued. Beauty and wellness are always rapidly moving forward with R&D. Hyaluronic Acid, squalane and bakuchiol (hydration, hydration and anti-ageing, respectively) are new, powerful additives we have seen brands enthuse over in recent years. But even long-standing disciplines such as gua sha massage are running the mainstream gauntlet again. Whilst bakuchiol has been used with a thorough understanding as a constituent of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for far longer than the recent buzz would indicate. When we read these advertising posts and the ready bottles, we ask: are these fundamentals new or is it just good marketing? I had heard
B E AU T Y : C B D friends mention CBD in passing (who hasn’t these days), with uses ranging from easing aches, pains and anxiety through to helping moderate metabolism. But why was it now having its moment in beauty too? I had just restocked a favourite skin-soothing facial oil, CBD Booster by Bibi, when I started giving thought to how well established the ingredient was. Is this the reworking of something we’ve seen before – a come-and-go fad which would fade with the summer and the next spin of the marketing wheel? After all, hemp seed oil has been used as a hydrating ingredient in cosmetics for years. Or is CBD here to stay – poised and ready to change the landscape of beauty and wellness? Whilst looking into CBD, it became apparent that I needed some help with the terminology in this brave new cannabinoid world. I managed to steal some time from a specialist to offer some clarity. How she came to be
an insight into where this rabbit hole could eventually lead me. “After a few years of working in the traditional medical system, I realised that not only was I making myself sick with stress, but I was also not able to help my patients who came with various chronic diseases, stress, and mental health problems in the way I wanted,” Julie explained. From her medical training, she undertook further research into areas currently seen as more holistic. “I started to focus on mental health, stress management and sleep. Within the medicinal cannabis industry I realised that a more holistic approach was what I felt lacked in the conventional system.” Her work is now wide-reaching, and her methods intuitive to each client she sees. Most recently publishing her book, A Quick Guide to CBD, she also founded the London-based health, wellness and cannabis science publication, Getthedose, as well as The Holistic Medicine Podcast. “I prescribe
“the ECS consists of receptors, which are spread out over the body, including high density in the brain, the skin, bone, immune cells and internal organs including intestines and reproductive organs.” medicinal cannabis at the pain clinic, Clinic Horsted in Denmark, I offer holistic consultations, I am a public keynote speaker, and a yoga and mindfulness teacher. I also run a retreat centre at my farm in southern Sweden. I see this as one of my most important tasks to help bridge the gap between the conventional and more alternative worlds and bring a more holistic view into healthcare in the west. At the end of the day, everyone deserves to be seen for everything that they are, and not only as a symptom with a diagnostic code.” In order to help me better understand CBD, Julie proffered a quick yet specialised science lesson. I started simple. Firstly, what is CBD? “It is one out of more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. The cannabinoids are active ingredients that are produced in
famous cannabinoid molecule; the one with intoxicating and euphoric properties. CBD, on the other hand, is non-intoxicating and even though it works by modulating systems in our brain, it does not change our state of consciousness”. Secondly, what does CBD do? I had seen so many different products across this new sub-industry, but I was still unsure how it would work for the body and mind. Almost every bit of research and brand information mentioned the endocannabinoid system (ECS). “The ECS is the key to all the magic and can explain why CBD and medical cannabis can have so many system, a bit like the main butler in a grand hotel, it makes sure that everything in our body is kept under tightly regulated control. It controls mood, memory, appetite, fertility, immune function, and reward among others.” How this relates to our bodies’ use of CBD,
Julie explained. Most of us know of THC, but that’s very different: “THC is the most
ECS consists of receptors, which are spread
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out over the body, including high density in the brain, the skin, bone, immune cells and internal organs including intestines and reproductive organs. Then there are the messenger molecules, our body’s own internally produced cannabinoids that help regulate the above functions. CBD and other cannabinoids work in our body by interacting with the ECS and thereby help balance some of the functions controlled by the ECS.” My interest was now bordering on enthrallment. I was struck by the revelation that, despite all this being present in our key processes, ongoing research into CBD’s potential was still so hampered by current guidelines and legislation. Having learned a little more about the what and why, I was intrigued by the range of terms
“I obviously needed to try CBD at some point with a more critical eye. But where to start?” I was seeing when sampling CBD products. Alongside varied terms for the type of CBD itself, different products offered a range of ‘milligrams per recommended dose’ which seemed inconsistent at best.
of the brands I spoke with as a ‘micro-dose’. Indeed, depending on who I spoke to, I was hearing anecdotal evidence that the daily dose which suited individuals best was generally up to the individual themself. With something of a trial-and-error factor involved in working it out. Across the plethora of products I was dabbling with, ensuring my doses were acceptable and consistent meant I had to look closely at the ingredients list, as well as the concentration. I noticed different names for CBD too: isolate, broad-spectrum and full-spectrum were all popping up regularly, with no real indication as to what the terms meant. Cue the next wave of questions.
Finally, CBD full-spectrum: “You guessed it: a full-spectrum contains all the molecules in the THC and CBD.” Despite Julie reassuring me that all serious brands labs test their products and will offer these results on their website, I felt that, as THC remains illegal in the UK, it was broad spectrum or isolate CBD, with undetectable levels of THC that I needed to look for.
I went back to my guru, Julie, in order to look these different products. “CBD comes from the cannabis plant, but it isn’t quite that simple” Julie explained. The plant consists of more and terpenoids.” I hoped that looking at what different components offered may indicate why they were selected for different products. As such, back to class with Dr Moltke. What is CBD isolate? “When buying a product with CBD isolate, you are only getting the CBD molecule and nothing else. The CBD has been extracted, either by CO2 or ethanol extraction, from the plant and only the pure CBD crystals are left. When getting a product on isolate you minor cannabinoids.”
At the time of writing, UK government guidelines recommend a maximum of 70mg per day. This amount was referred to by one
all the contents of the cannabis plant, except THC,” she said. “The THC has been removed to make it legal to sell in the many countries in the world where there is a 0% tolerance for THC in high-street CBD.”
Moving on to CBD broad-spectrum: “Broadspectrum indicates that the product is based on
Having done far more research than I had anticipated, merely to understand the various products available, and with only a little ‘incidental dabbling’, I obviously needed to try CBD at some point with a more critical eye. But where to start? The range of available products was already so diverse that I was more than a little tentative when deciding which product was the best for me to begin my personal exploration. OTO are big in the CBD world, with a wide product offering which includes skincare, aromatherapy scented oil roll-ons, (alcohol free) drink shots, oil-form tincture sleep drops and even a brand new pillow spray. The range was developed by husband-and-wife founders Gemma and James Bagley, who had come across CBD whilst working and living in San Francisco. Upon moving back to the UK they
B E AU T Y : C B D products available in Britain. As such, creating their own was the logical next step. The CBD Bitters by OTO are a very unusual product, but one I’ve immensely enjoyed for its uniqueness. An easy and palate-pleasing way to incorporate CBD into your day, with simple dosing instructions, the bitters can be mixed in iced water and tonics or in cocktails and juices, with the recommended dose of three dashes providing approximately 50mg of CBD. Taste-wise, the cacao and lemongrass offered a rich sweetness with a herbal depth, packed with overpowering in any one drink and working perfectly with a slimline tonic and ice. Another mine (as a newly converted advocate of scented oils) is their Amplify 20% CBD Roll-On Oil. Offering a 15mg transdermal application of CBD isolate per roll, the mix also contains a soothing blend of bergamot and uplifting bitter orange aromatherapy oils. On reaching out to the brand, I was reassured that CBD isolate is used in all of their products, ensuring no risk of THC presence.
Drops by BeYou has since become a permanent addition to my daily routine, with my morning and evening self-care regime now including their sublingual CBD drops. The
the knowledge that in a hugely-crowded marketplace, people just aren’t sure who to trust. Before we did the survey, CBD wasn’t a research was relatively scarce for any female-
research as we grow. But all my research on
the theory strongly supported the anecdotal
shared theme: their journey into CBD had
of working in the industry, this revelation was a
despite all my research and the wealth of hadn’t personally seen much of a difference.
the cupboard between the coffee and tea, an easy grab for a twice-daily pipette of oil under my tongue, held until it dissolves. I had been warned by a few individuals I spoke with that
in response to the CBD revolution. They shared
to come across as grassy or overly strong. I was
pain killer and it’s not a glass of wine. You won’t
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this wasn’t unhelpful, as it allowed me to see just how many brands were stepping into the ring.
of a veritable buffet of organic plant butters, waxes and oils, and contains vitamins A and E and, of course, cannabidiol. A vegan-friendly Superboost Facial Oil moves us over into facial skincare, with hydrating vegan squalene After a little more reading, I found Kloris, and cucumber oil being complemented by a British brand offering a wide range of (you guessed it) CBD. An oil based serum its CBD-based products. But Kloris was a little full-bodied texture melts into the skin, offering themselves seemed luxurious; classic medicinal deep hydration with a light herbal scent. For the body, they excel with their spectrum of brown bottles to preserve the product, with monochrome labelling and kraft boxing adding relaxing bathing options, with bath bombs and an air of minimalism and calm. Their products bath melts through to their Uplifting Body Oil with vanilla, bitter orange and oud. It’s divine range from CBD sublingual oil (in 5% and 10% strength) through to a Luxury CBD balm. to smother on after the shower for its light feel The latter, a topical salve for aches and pains favourite for days I don’t necessarily want to (or generally stressed-out skin) is made up
wear a perfume, for its calming, lingering scent. Their hand sanitiser, in particular, showed a pleasant consideration for the pitfalls of such products, with the skin-soothing effects of topical CBD regulating and preventing much of the harm of regular alcohol application our days now entail. Always looking at the ingredients lists, I was seeing isolate and broad-spectrum used seemingly interchangeably across their range of different products and applications, but what was behind the decision to use different extracts? On speaking to one of the founders of Kloris, Kim Smith, I received an enlightening
explanation. “This is largely down to what CBD brands are allowed to use across the different types of products, she explains. “EU and UK regulations state that CBD in topicals and cosmetics has to be isolate. We use isolate in our Superboost face oil and body oil, for example. For our oral drops, we choose to use broad-spectrum CBD. Full spectrum oil is basically not feasible within the legal regulations in the UK. This means our entire range is compliant 100% of the time and has zero psychotropic properties.” From an industry that promotes the use of
natural ingredients, Kloris takes it a step further in their mission to create high-quality CBD products with an ethical business strategy. “The other founders, Matt and Pedram, and myself were all using CBD for differing reasons, ranging from day-to-day anxiety, sleep issues, period pain and so on. We were frustrated at the lack of ethical, science-backed brands out there so we decided to do something about it.” Self-imposed sustainability and zero waste practises are of utmost importance for Kloris, achieve in the beauty industry. Despite setting such lofty standards, the company appears
B E AU T Y : C B D to have been resoundingly successful thus far. All packaging is 100% recyclable, whilst 95% of the product and postage materials are biodegradable, with no plastic outer wraps. For the customer, the full lab reports are available on the website, and their blog hosts a multitude of clear, yet science-based articles to learn more about CBD with complete impartiality. I looked back at my initial notes on the topic: was this still a marketing spin or a promoting products they believed in? I’m au fait with the term ‘wellness’ as a tool for sales, but with Kloris (once again) I found that it was not just a buzzword or marketing term.
and punchy, but not overly sweet, the oil is so much more than just functional. The story behind the brand is touching and, again, personal. Developed by Olivia and her husband, Dan, an injury weeks before their wedding left him worried he may not be able to walk down the aisle. Their discovery of CBD in this time led to amazing results for his injury, even with Dan dancing the night away at their reception. When continuing to use CBD as part of their day-to-day, the couple wanted something that avoided any of the stereotypical of CBD in an enjoyable and (with their drinks
Every brand I had spoken with had been founded and nurtured as a result of the founders’ personal interest in the use of CBD, leading to the development of brands and products intended to share the ingredient’s potential with the world. For many, Kloris included, it seemed that the organic, ecoconscious soapbox was being used as much for
brand had just launched two new CBD oils when lockdown started… well… locking down. With the products receiving an accidentallyperfectly-timed release, Olivia explained that they saw a 500% increase in their sales during this period. The sublingual oils use broadspectrum CBD and also call upon the natural adaptogen chamomile for increased calming
I spoke to Olivia Ferdi from Trip. Having started with canned cold-brew CBD coffee and
and orange blossom, and coming in 300mg and 1000mg strengths, the oils are sold in aesthetically-perfect pastel bottles, which could (and should) take pride of place on any drinks
light but tangy ‘peach ginger’ with a pop of so enjoyable it seems, if anything, more akin to a herbal hit of lemon balm and rooibos), the
especially) refreshing way. I had time to take a break from sublingual CBD during my research and was amazed at what I found, now in mid-June. The friend I mentioned previously had been right: anxious tics I had, possibly from years of not quite enough therapy, had dissipated. I had only noticed they had gone when they returned in my dosing break. No longer had I been chewing my lip when I was worried or picking at my cuticles whilst in thought. But let us move back to beauty, which is where this journey started. How did CBD make the move from wellness to our skincare shelf?
Launching in June 2020, fresh as the proverbial daisy to the beauty scene is Ohana. The Full Set of skincare holds the All In One Wonder Balm, a multi-purpose skin-rescue salve, comforting dry patches and calming the mind with the relaxing scent of lavender and palo santo. Their Daily Defence serum brightens skin with the help of vitamin c-rich cucumber seed oil. This light oil-based serum works against for radiance and hydration. Finally, the Night Repair face oil is antioxidant-rich to aid skin repair overnight, whilst the soothing blend of essential oils promote overall restfulness. All three contain CBD isolate, known to be the
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best extraction of cannabidiol for skincare, but overall I wanted to know why they had chosen CBD as their key ingredient.
to know more about the industry as a whole. I spoke to Julie Scheurl, marketing lead at Alphagreen, a leading online market platform
I reached out for more information and was again touched by a personal story from Ohana’s founder, Jasmin Thomas. In 2015, Jasmin was told she has Multiple Sclerosis. A life-changing diagnosis, for sure, and one which led to the creation of the brand.
see in the CBD industry, behind the scenes, and what they are doing to further it. “We quickly grew the enterprise and shifted from pure e-commerce to offering our brands support for their marketing and sales activities, emulating players in other industries such as The Hut Group.”
“After years spent searching high and low for a functional CBD skincare brand that really works, I realised there wasn’t one, so I decided to create my own.” It was true, with Ohana separating itself from the crowd by its focus purely on functional and luxurious facial skincare products. “Throughout my personal CBD journey, I’ve explored what ingredients and plant-actives have the most effective properties and Ohana CBD is my way of sharing
It’s the end of July and my CBD journey for this article is almost over, but my use of CBD will not be ending here. Having noticed the usual symptoms of anxiety melt away the biggest effect had over time shown to be the round-themonthly pain related to chronic illness, as an endometriosis sufferer. Whilst used to a week of
Further to sales, they assist brands with techenabled services in data and analytics across consumer behaviour and product performance, increasing customer reach via SEO and publishing networks. Moving forward, Alphagreen Med, their Dusseldorf-based subsidiary, is in the process of receiving an import and distribution license for the provision of medical cannabis within German pharmacies. Julie explained that “this shift came with the need to create more stability in the industry by helping brands to become established players in an oversaturated market. As a SaaS-based platform and thanks to a large network of partner companies, we have the expand upon them.”
B E AU T Y : C B D Their May 2020 survey projected a 50% increase in sales within the CBD market for 2020, but measured very early into COVID-19, it’s likely the market will grow even further. From a business perspective, a recurring theme throughout my research has been the knowledge of how each company entered the CBD industry. On speaking to Alexej Pikovsky, CEO of Alphagreen, he explained how he, too, had made the move into the arena. “My personal experiences were related to my father improving his arthritis using CBD tinctures and several of my friends using CBD drinks and oils to improve their sleep. I was also very closely watching the stock market evolution related to the big names in the US and Canada and saw how huge the market was becoming in North America. Not just on the CBD front, but all cannabis-related medical, recreational and wellness. Having been studying the market more than 50 brands in Canada and the US, I understood the customer experience can be improved by introducing a vetting and curation system and building a technology business similar to Farfetch or Etsy. This was the inception moment of Alphagreen.”
So what about beauty, if separated from wellness? Just rising in the industry now, I
team behind it includes a senior executive from Chanel.’’
future holds. “Given the lack of maturity in the CBD beauty segment and a smaller product selection of beauty on our marketplace, we can say a 20-80 split between beauty and wellness, respectively, at most. However, we’re listing leading brands in the cosmetic space, so we expect the beauty line to grow.”
On top of every brand I spoke to, special thanks are passed to Dr Julie Moltke. Her book A Quick Guide to CBD: Everything You Need to Know is available now. It’s a guide that will
I was offered a heads-up on brands I should be looking out for, such as MGC Derma, offering a full range of luxury skincare for different concerns, all including CBD, “We are seeing increasing interest in beauty products from our customers, so this space is one to watch as new players enter and established brands widen their product ranges to include skincare and cosmetic products.” I asked Alexej what we should expect next in the industry. “There will be much more change and evolution in this market. We are just in the the top FMCG brands will enter this space in the next 3 years. Celebrities are also launching their own brands and top executives from luxury brands are leaving to launch their CBD brands. We recently launched Antedotum, the
suitable for everyone from clinicians learning about the EDC to new CBD users buying their look at holistic stress reduction, and she has health. It’s been six months since I started thinking about CBD and why I may be seeing the been a revelation – from initially struggling stepped into, through an education on biology
discovered products created with true love and passion for health and wellness, and adopted a new, life-long routine along the way. It may be the end of my research for The Review, but this won’t be the end of CBD for me. TR
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TIGER 900 RALLY PRO
THE Tiger KING Words: Paul Taylor
With the Tiger 900 GT at his command, Paul the toolman Taylor takes the Triumph’s feline femme fatale on a tour of glorious South Wales in search of adventure.
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I
t’s funny how life changes. Time takes its toll on everything. I was tidying up the other day and found my chrome, sliding Nokia 8810. I really loved that phone. It was sleek and stylish, impossibly
pocket of my jeans, and you answered it by pressing the sides until the body slid sensuously upwards into your palm.
the job. But boy, this one hits the spot – it’s a hell of a bike. It does everything that you ask of it really, really well. It’s an extremely competent adventure bike, it’s a splendid fast tourer, it’s perfect for a Sunday morning blast with your mates, it’s fast, agile, well-mannered, yet it’s a bit of a hooligan. It steers well, brakes well and handles better-than-well. The clutch is marvellously light. It has sensible weather
I thought about getting a new battery and bringing it back to life. Which was a really, really, stupid idea. It wouldn’t store anything or connect to anything, and the screen was so tiny that trying to follow the sat-nav would be even more bloody ridiculous than it already is. So, I’ll stick to my Samsung, thanks. It well. It’s not stylish or sleek or sensuous, and it’s certainly not the status symbol that my 8810 was back in its day. But it does everything that I need it to do, and it does most of those things jolly well – form follows function, as they say, is the law. ‘Adventure’ bikes are a bit like that. As bikes go, they aren’t the prettiest thing imaginable, but they do everything they are supposed to do much better than the average bike used to. Big torquey engines eat up the miles, they are great for carrying luggage, high ground clearance facilitates forays off-road and the peaky plastic bits keep the worst of the weather at bay. Boorman and McGregor have a lot to answer for. Their wonderful ‘Long Way Round’ trip popularised the style, and the consequence was a huge increase in demand for big BMW GSs and KTMs. They are brilliant bikes, but they are the ‘Chelsea tractors’ of the motorcycle world: good for looking over the top of the cars along Kensington High Street but, to my mind at least, a bit heavy and tall for everyday needs. The new Triumph Tiger 900 GT ticks all the Adventure Bike boxes, including the one that says ‘none of the above’. It’s not big and heavy, or tall or particularly powerful or expensive. I’m usually nervous of a bike described as an ‘all-rounder’. It’s a bit like using an adjustable spanner (or as the Spanish call them, an English spanner) – just about useable in some circumstances, but never exactly right for
protection. It copes supremely well with anything that you throw at it and, If I had to choose a bike to ride to Kazakhstan, without doubt, this would be the one I would take.
out how well your suspension, steering
Wales.�
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Actually, I took it to Wales. If you want to and brakes work, then spend a few days riding the sublime roads of mid-Wales. Glorious sweeping corners, decent tarmac, demanding hairpins and switchbacks, spectacular scenery – and precious little from Aberystwyth to Rhayader via the Devil’s Bridge (detail on the VisitWales website – look for ‘hjighways to Heaven’), but frankly, I would have enjoyed taking this bike anywhere. The Tiger 900 has an all new triplecylinder engine with a T-Plane crank irregular intervals with the intention of giving the bike the torquey feel of a twin at low revs, and the ‘wizziness’ of an in-line four when getting a shift on. The pauses in the power delivery also allow the rear tyre to dig in better, which helps with control when riding off-road – or so the theory goes. I’m a bit inclined to reserve judgement. It’s a lovely engine and nicely characterful, but to me it felt a tiny bit lumpy in the lower ranges. I didn’t really ride it off road,
except for a couple of gravelly lay-bys and a muddy drive or two, so perhaps I didn’t get to know it in its favoured environment. My bike was the GT i.e. the road-biased version, committed mud-pluggers will prefer the ‘Rally’ on/off-road edition. There is also a ‘Pro’ version of each with lots more electronic wizardry and adjustable stuff that I would probably never get to grips with.
looked back over your shoulder at when you left it in the car park. At the time I agreed with him. Then I rode it for a few days. That form-follows-function thing means that the shape of an object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose, and that means that I started looking at the Tiger 900 in a completely different light. If it has to be the shape that it is to do what it does, then in my eye
I have an admission to make: I’m not particularly tall. So, my Tiger 900 was the LSH version: low seat height. It has been a bugbear of mine for ages that a lot of bikes that I would otherwise love to ride are just too demanding in the inside-leg department, and I’m just so much more comfortable when I can get at least one foot all the way down to the ground. At last (roll of the drums), a proper adventure bike with a version that the shorter half of the population can buy and properly enjoy. I understand that there is a bit of a waiting list for the LSH version; testament that Triumph have accurately anticipated a demand.
beauty: the beauty of functionality.
When I picked the bike up my mate told me that it wasn’t the sort of bike that you
So, I parked up, took off my helmet and gloves, and walked away. And as I left the car park, I couldn’t resist a glance back over my shoulder. TR
PRICE: £12,800 ENGINE: Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, in-line 3-cylinder TOP SPEED: 135 WHEELBASE: 1557 mm WEIGHT: 198 kg POWER: 94 hp TORQUE: 64.17 lb-ft
West Wales or Arizona? TIGER 900 GT PRO
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A U T O M O T I V E : P O R S C H E PA NA M E R A T U R B O S E - H Y B R I D
OFFSHORE Words: PETER J ROBINSON
January was the last time I purposefully wielded a vehicle in anger. January. ‘Don’t let that sink in’, I say to myself. Too late. 2020 feels like the number of days we’ve lived through this year. It’s become a global lesson in ‘winging it’. Governments, captains of industry, and the one per cent are all watching as history plays Jenga with civilisation. The shortlist of life’s pleasures that pull me out from under the on four wheels which is what would usually whiten the eyes. A weekend in Vegas sounds about right but the liver won’t take it again this decade. Life was starting to steam off what little glue was left of the envelope that was Peter J Robinson. So, the question was, could I really mount a surfboard to the roof of Porsche’s Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and head off-shore.
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I
n short, I couldn’t. You can, you really can. I am sure there are a range of roof racks available for all manner of family-based ephemera, but I don’t care. I am never going to carry anything on the roof. That’s what the Discovery is for. And honestly, why would you – the modern-day Panamera is an absolute beauty unladen. Those classic lines, the headlights, that
rear lighting strip. And you can hire anything anywhere with enough negotiation. Except for ski boots. Life has taught me that some things are sacrosanct.
Estate on the Isle of Wight and fall sideways into the nearest bar. It was a relatively shorthaul mission in the grand scheme of things, but it just felt good to be covering ground again.
So the plan was to collect the Panamera, hold an impromptu lunch in Reading, secure the masses and load up in regency Cheltenham. Then drive the four hours south to the Steephill
Bordeaux, Bruges, Paris, Amsterdam, Antibes, Cannes. In the preceding decade, I had toured extensively across France, the Netherlands, and Belgium on arguably ‘grand tours’. From
London down to Burgundy with a boot full of in a svelt 356 A 1600 Speedster on a beautiful summer’s morning. It had been a decade of impulse, of reckless abandon, a time spent trying to squeeze the last few drops of high octane fuel
though still aligned with some biblical stretches of A-road, perfect for a weapons-grade test drive.
and the badge?” Oli asked. “That’s ‘acid green’ and I am honestly a fan, truth be told. Sure it’s bold, but better to be in fortune’s favour”.
“Yes mate,” Oli remarked as I pulled up. My circle of friends has managed to squeeze the art of conversation into some wry facial expressions and a few muttered salient details for clarity. “What do you think of the green on the calipers
At this point, audible consensus was replaced with a nod and a stroke of the beard. “Let me show you one of the bragging rights”. I slipped back into the black and bordeaux red two-tone leather interior and launched the supersaloon’s
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adaptive rear spoiler. It quietly deploys from a hidden panel above the rear lights on the rear lip – blink and you’ll miss it. “Mate”. Translation: “Well, that’s the coolest thing I have seen today, shut up and take my money”. Looking back at it now, you could write anything on that wing and have it serve as your 850 Nm of torque behind you. Our initial concerns were not achieving Mach 1. They were playing Tetris with the 405-litre boot and the array of suitcases and weekend bags our group of four had amassed. Had we wanted to jettison some guests, we could have folded the with the care and poise of a Heathrow baggage handler. However, passenger discharge wasn’t on the agenda, so we carefully stacked the Rimowa suit bags and headed south. The last time I was in a Panamera as a passenger was in New York, in 2011. I had just checked out of the Gansevoort on 29th Street and Park Avenue bound for JFK. If you don’t plan on getting behind the wheel, there is an executive version complete with rear stretch, wave, lumbar, shiatsu and shoulder massage options. I can If you’re only going to traverse the highway E-Hybrid Executive LWB.
already thinking “what’s an ioniser”, pick up a book. Please. You owe it to whoever contributed to your trust fund. If you stumble at that hurdle, you won’t want to work out the adjustment of
hours. I advise buying an Andersen charging system for your home and cutting that charge time in half. For reference, you can add the e-hybrid system to the full Panamera range. But neither the 4S or Diesel 4S has the theatrical switchblade spoiler. A must for my money.
digital world. The 14-speaker, 710-watt Bose system is also a tour de force. I am biased, though – I have a Bose system back at base and It’s not too bad, if you like phenomenal. “Do you mind if I take over the music?” I looked at Oli for a moment,
are designated driver and you’re solo, play what you want. If you are driving a group of friends, fervently still play what you want. But let someone else DJ. The driver gets veto powers
“The 14 speaker, 710 watt Bose system is also a tour de force. I am biased though, I have a Bose system back at base and It’s not too bad, if you like phenomenal..”
being driven by a ‘professional’ was motoring editor Oliver Smith’s 930 Turbo. Which we can all comfortably call a proper classic. I still in a way I wouldn’t if it was modern. So, I had my benchmark for ‘proper fast’. The old military road on the south coast of the IOW is a mythical stretch of tarmac, originally laid in 1860 as part of the islands defence network. As you would expect from a four-door super saloon, launch control has become a must-have on the school run. 0 to 60 comes at you through Turbo clocked the Nurburgring in the same count as a previous gen 911 GT3. I know. It is seriously fast. Not for a four-door saloon but for anything. 3.4 seconds is all the acceleration you could ever need in reality. Throw it through the corners and the Panamera is hungry for as much tarmac as you can feed it. It didn’t put a foot wrong with me in the space of the week. I didn’t disengage the traction control, though, as I am not a swivel-eyed loon, and I didn’t have a driver’s car. But remember, it weighs 2385kg. So the internally vented Porsche ceramic composite brake discs are thoroughly needed.
down to Portsmouth, which would hopefully give everyone enough time to become acquainted with the handling and controls of the marque. It quickly transpired that the boys were keen to play and the girls were fervid in their need to be champagne or no champagne, what would you opt for? The front cockpit is a cleanly designed and well by the landscape-oriented touch-screen panel. Haptic buttons line the top of the raised tunnel and are rather satisfying to press. The feedback
over any song. This is the way. We arrived at Portsmouth 30 minutes early for the Wightlink to Fishbourne ferry, so after a short wait, boarded with ease. There was a moment as we left the car deck. It gave me time to admire the Panamera’s rear. It’s all gone rather 911 at the back with a familiar strip of coupe. After the briefest of crossings, we arrived on the Isle of Wight with its 62 response and patrol
with various Porsches without cruise control. journey, and it doesn’t leave me in need of rest and recuperation. But I had always wondered what the civilised option might be. Porsche’s combination of lithium-ion and petroleum is a supreme example of engineering prowess. It’s war in eight gears, but the best bit, no one will know until they challenge you at a set of lights. It’s a bloodthirsty wolf in a sheepskin bodice. It’s a modern classic of a car. TR
a selection, but at the same time, it’s rather regular detailer or driver know to white glove it has topped the range so you can be safe in the knowledge that all the usual suspects are in place. From ambient controlled lighting to the adaptive sports seats and privacy glass. As you would expect, this car is heavily optioned. edition in my experience. I highly recommend adding the ioniser. It might sound like snake oil,
there be a better place to put a combined 680hp V8 through its paces? After a good night’s sleep, we were ready to put the Panamera to a more meaningful test. We had, however, failed entirely to use the provided chargers for the 14.4 kWh battery. The rated range on full electric is about 31 miles. I already preferred charging the battery using the regenerative braking, which could be achieved at only half a hooligan. A full charge, 10 amp via a 220v household plug is going to take 5.8
PRICE: £159,760.00 ENGINE: 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 0-60: 3.4 seconds TOP SPEED: 192 LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: 5,049 x 1,937 x 1,427 WEIGHT: 2385kg unladen POWER: 680bhp THE REVIEW 2020 175
Cliveden House Words: Oliver Smith
We’ve all been there: wanting to impress a woman who we thought was beyond our reach and, on occasion, a slightly tenuous plan will formulate in order to win her affections. Well, if you’re the Second Duke of Buckingham, then you take things a little further to say the least.
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B
ack in 1666, George Villiers (the then Second Duke of Buckingham) found himself rather taken with a young lady called Anna, the Countess of Shrewsbury. As with any hopeless romantic, poor old George was at a loss as to how he would impress and ultimately capture the heart of the buxom Anna. Until an idea came to him. He employed William Winde, a famous architect to build Cliveden: a 48-bedroom leviathan, set in 160 acres, would not only show off his fabulous wealth but would also be sure to loosen the corset strings of the fair
Anna. One small element did stand in his way, by the valet who, without prompt, welcomed however, and that was Lord Shrewsbury. So me by name. After alighting the car, I walked in through the grand frontage to a cool, calm the Duke shot him. A dramatic entrance into the world, then, for both misleading and inappropriate to refer Cliveden, a house that seemed to be forever to something with such splendour merely as destined to be the centre of scandal, high ‘reception’). times and endless romance. The very able Laura gauged the length of my journey through polite conversation, saw that Then I arrived. refreshment was needed and offered me a It was a steaming hot day in early August, and spot in the bar while my check-in was taken rolling down the long, white gravel driveway care of. The details matter – but more on that betwixt two immaculate lawns, the majesty later. that is Cliveden loomed into sight. I was met
Cliveden’s 376 Acres Of Grounds
After drinking a wonderfully stiff Old Fashioned, I was collected and shown to my room. We headed back out of the main door and across the courtyard over towards the clocktower. On my left, we passed the stables where the Astor family kept their horses during their tenure. Nancy and Waldorf (yes, Astoria) were both very keen equestrians and this was captured in speechless beauty by Sir
Alfred Munnings, with his piece ‘A Summer like a gaudy footballer’s watch – but don’t Evening, Cliveden’, which still hangs there. I forget, we’re only an hour’s drive from central London. implore you to spend a few minutes with it. The stables have now been converted into the Astor Grill, which is a jolly smart lunch spot for both residents and non-residents alike. An enormous Veuve Cliquot Airstream trailer dominates one of the outdoor spaces
I’m to spend the night in a room called ‘Chaplin’, a nod to one of the seemingly endless famous names who have, at some point, been guests at Cliveden (breath not held for the Oliver Smith suite). The room is
cool as I enter and the decor is aching with quality and expense. An enormous bed and bathtub that should have its own lifeguard is just the ticket. Strolling over to the window, I’m struck with a wave of excitement. Now, you may not be familiar with the Profumo affair – but if you are, then my excitement will be shared. My room is overlooking the swimming pool where John Profumo and Christine
I, so a glass of champagne and a spell by the It was almost four and my massage beckoned, pool was just what I needed. As my mind so off I toddled to the spa in my comically wandered off to thoughts of 1960s glamour small slippers (ask at the desk and they will and political scandal, my eye settled on the
spent in absolute bliss; a state between sleep and consciousness which is rarely achieved. They allow you to choose your oil and opt for relaxing or vigorous. Relaxation was my aim and that is exactly what I got. The therapist told me to drink plenty after my massage. To do research it, as it’s truly enthralling. \ my chagrin the following day, I learned that Otherwise, those of you in socks and sandals she meant water. may be interested to learn that it’s the only A couple of hours stood between dinner and listed outdoor swimming pool in the UK.
on from an £8 million restoration, it is truly resplendent. Designed by the same chap who did the Houses of Parliament (how apt) and still accommodating the water tank to feed the hotel via gravity, it really punctuates the setting around Cliveden. Impressive stuff. A speedy splash-and-dash before dinner, after a little unplanned snooze by the pool (still hoping now that it wasn’t a head-back, mouth-
The French Dining Room open, dead-cow affair) and I was off to be fed. The evening was cooling, and as I crunched across the gravel en route to the main section of Cliveden, it felt very much as though the buzz of the day had given way to a sense of calm. A few well-dressed couples circulated, laughing and chatting and the excitement of not to be disappointed.
would expect from a classical dining room. After a weapons-grade Vesper in the bar, I was Crisp, white tablecloths, crystal glassware and shown through by an excited young lady who the very light background chatter of diners was very proud to seat me at what she called the best table in the house. She was not telling drapes frame the windows all along the front of the room, and my window just so happened to be smack-bang in the middle, gazing out The grandest of rooms (that used to be the across an enormous lawn zig-zagged with box old library) was now everything that you hedging, and then rolling off into the evening
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with a distant view of the Thames. One caveat to all of this is that, as wonderful as grand surroundings are, they should never overshadow the offering of the establishment. In short, the experience had better be jolly good.
immense pleasure of my inner eco-warrior, out for yourself is half of the fun. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in some very special locally sourced. places and I’m enormously proud to say that My one tip for anyone staying here, though, one of those is in the UK. is to make an effort for dinner. Sitting there in a polo shirt and shorts doesn’t make you Decadent, unashamed, effortless, and just a look rich. It makes you conspicuous. And little bit racy. Swot up on your scandals and furthermore, it is insulting to the staff who then go to Cliveden to start your own. take such pride in what they offer that you are unable either through upbringing or otherwise to appreciate it. TR
Every single detail counts when you’re staying at a place like Cliveden and there are certain times of day when those details are condensed and are the sole focus. One of those times is at dinner. To highlight the quality of the evening, the timings, attentiveness, the food, the setting and the friendliness of that staff was exemplary. I indulged myself and went headlong into the menu which was populated
After a blissful night’s rest, the following morning I was treated to a tour of the hotel by Fransicico, the manager. A more affable and
For further details please visit www.clivedenhouse.co.uk or telephone 01628 607107
The history of Cliveden is truly stunning, and
The Cliveden Spa
The Thames Launch
Afternoon Tea
The Great Hall
SAFE HAVEN Words: Peter J Robinson
T R AV E L : H AV E N H A L L
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H
aving frequented the Isle of Wight for many years to visit family, I have never needed to enquire into formal lodgings. Such is the nature of my family that an invitation is never issued nor is it required. One may arrive shirtless and destitute and be put to work in the grounds of the old estate. This season, I was arriving en masse by that could facilitate three-phase and escapism. A safe haven if you will. In 2012, I visited Château de la Barre to meet the Count and Countess de Vanssay. Reviewing any property whilst the owners are in attendance is always a diplomatic exercise. “Could I hold Kakou over the Ferrari for a picture?”. What do you say to a Countess holding a four-pound Macaw aloft your press car when she’s hosting you for the weekend? An cellar and many vintages of DRC from 1404 the Countess and spending the weekend being
“Of course, Countess, Graham will even take the picture for you.There’s a good boy, Morpeth, you spry turncoat”. The Macaw in international relations. Luckily for everyone, my lodgings at Haven Hall would be an equally
We pulled up to the formidable black and gold gates in the Panamera on a humid July evening, having made our crossing to Fishbourne. The Edwardian Haven Hall was built in 1908 across Bay. The views are unlike any I have ever seen from the Island; vast and unspoiled in their entirety. As I took in the vista, across the gravel sprung David Barratt, owner and restorer of the property. David and Arielle purchased the estate in 2013 to restore Haven Hall to its Edwardian glory. The property was acquired from the original family in 1950 and turned into a 16-bedroom hotel and, in true luddite fashion, many rooms were divided to allow for more guests.
This wouldn’t do. David and Arielle set to entirely redesigning the property with care and adoration. Everything in the hall was curated down to the antiques, chandeliers and handcrafted quilts in each bedroom. Such is their passion for the property, after an hour spent searching old archives for the history of the estate, I realised David had, of course, researched it in-depth and uploaded it already. A whistle-stop tour of the grounds ensued from the pool house to the regulation-size tennis consider that mode of transport with Wingly,but it would have left us devoid of a touring vehicle be anything more rewarding than watching a table of elder ladies taking tea, bowled over by a Sikorsky S-92 in a fast touch-and-go landing? “Just open the bomb bay doors and push all the Rimowa’s out at ten-foot above the lawn, Morpeth”. With the light fading, David welcomed us into one of Haven Hall’s sitting rooms to relax during check-in. Within moments, it was quieter than an Oxford Union sit-in. Books were
T R AV E L : H AV E N H A L L were in the opening scene of a John Grisham novel. Check-in tends to be a platitude-ridden even borders on what I would call honest human communication. The only times I have had a genuinely impressive arrival experience has involved being handed a drink and directed somewhere calming with a suitable view. They are few and far between. Haven Hall is certainly one of them. The property has 14 bedrooms across 2 acres, in a variety of suites and apartments (if you’re looking to spend a little longer). Our lodgings were the Winston Churchill room. What struck that had been carefully curated into the room. I’m sure if I’d asked politely, Arielle would have been more than happy to give me a debrief.
“The two-acre private estate is resplendent, from the gazebo to the Victorian cherub fountain and a replica of the Lutyens Steps from Great Dixter House in Northiam.”
Our hosts, whilst available, were also pressing so I didn’t think it fair to monopolise. Many a morning was spent sat by the window, morning gardens and ocean. Gardens that have won Best
Hotel 2017 and 2018 I might add: an award presented by the venerable turf botherer, Alan Titchmarsh. One wonders if such an accolade comes with a trophy, silver salver, or miniature
bronzed wheelbarrow. I sadly never got to see the silverware. The two-acre private estate is resplendent, from the gazebo to the Victorian cherub fountain and a replica of the Lutyens
As we hadn’t eaten since departure, some four hours prior, we stowed our bags and made for the Porsche for night manoeuvers. Without a reservation or formal plan, supper was secured and served on the seafront, which seemed rather lodgings were. The following morning, I was up early as my body clock hasn’t done me a favour since 1983. need to rise at dawn, so we both made a plan to meet at the pool house at 7.30am. As Oli was wearing the tightest shorts of the group, he volunteered to play pool boy and began the process of sifting the four leaves from the surface of the water, whilst the females in the group looked on in awe. The pool house and sauna came with everything you would expect except a formal drinks cabinet. I suspect the
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to continue to advise people to drink vodka on ice poolside alone. Though the fully-stocked fridges with a selection of wines and beers would suggest not, perhaps. We had worked up a suitable appetite with at least ten laps,so returned to the garden terrace for an à la carte breakfast and to dry out. Breakfast was faultless, delicious and abundant. Later in the week, we would dine in the formal breakfast room, a light and airy vision of a space that I rather wish I had time to enjoy more. I also rather lunch menu as I think there is someone in the kitchen with talent. Though breakfast is the only dining option at Haven Hall, the Isle of Wight has the sort of restaurant numbers per capita coastal location. David will be more than happy to remotely shepherd you to the isle. Consider the lovely couple as a repository of information that comes with a personal recommendation. You shan’t regret it. As our small group was committed to a daily ocean swim, breakfast was dispatched leisurely as we waited for walk down the coastal path and, as the Isle of Wight has over 60 miles of beaches, I implore you to see as many
the afternoon. Prime real estate where the annual costs are that of a small family car. We spent three nights in total in David and Arielle’s company, at their safe Haven on the Isle of Wight. This modern-day Hemmingway could certainly see himself sat in the Victorian gazebo, glass in hand, surveying the coastline on a longer engagement. Haven Hall is more than beautiful architecture; more than a manicured garden. It’s a home; a warm welcome in from the storms out at sea. TR
For further details, please visit: www.havenhallhotel.com or call +44 7914 796494
Luminous Living Words: Emily Smith
The light within us is a universal language we all have access to. We are drawn to the light because it is just that – weightless, illuminating, radiant. Being immersed in our own light and surrounded by it creates a freedom we all want in life. So, I’ve picked some of my favourite your interior dreams and home makeovers.
INTERIOR DESIGN : LIGHTING
“Simplicity talks; subtlety walks.”
Light impacts our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing and can create an interior atmosphere that magically uplifts its space. Style and placement are key to achieving effective layers and intimacy where required, by adding warmth, interest and fun with one of these playful and striking sculptural pendant chandeliers
Bianca Chandelier by Porta Romana portaromana.com From £4,266 Dimensions: 900mm H x 680mm W Weight: 5kg Drop: 1985 mm Finishes: fired copper with bright gold or plaster white
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Disc Chandelier by Tom Kirk Lighting tomkirk.com From ÂŁ2,200 Dimensions: 420 mm H x 500 mm radius Weight: 16kg Drop: customisable, bespoke Metal stem and plate available in different finishes: polished chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel, powder coated.
INTERIOR DESIGN : LIGHTING
Tom Kirk Lighting Simplicity talks; subtlety walks. Feel immersed in a waterfall of borosilicate glass – the same instruments and bottles. Made by hand, the Disc Chandelier is hard not to fall in love with. This is an intriguing statement piece that is elusive and graceful but holds attention within the space. A seamless solution for over your circular marble dining table. If you are looking for something smaller, this is also available as a mini pendant.
VeniceM Strike a pose with this wonderfully diverse pendant designed by VeniceM. The Spear Chandelier is a contemporary sculpture paying homage to traditional Venetian craftsmanship available in a handmade from murano glass. A strong architectural structured piece to add linear rigid lines. You can be sure to rely on meticulous animated light feature.
Spear Chandelier by VeniceM uk.hollyhunt.com From ÂŁ10,140 Small: 940 mm W x 980 mm D x 980 mm H Weight: 11.3kg Large: 1600 mm W x 1600 m D x 980 mm H Weight 14.1kg Finishes: light burnished brass, polished black nickel and matt black nickel
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Bloom by Haberdashery haberdashery.com From ÂŁ3,270 Available in 5 set compositions, each configured to complement different spaces Finishes: white glazed porcelain petals, gold plated brass petal fixings, powder coated ceiling hub, gold silk braided cable.
INTERIOR DESIGN : LIGHTING
Haberdashery The delicate drape of Haberdashery’s latest product launch calms and intrigues the
73.20 BloombybyBocci Haberdashery bocci.com haberdashery.com From From$15,000 £3,270 Spec based inon5the canopy (square Available setround compositions, each and rectangle also available) configured to complement different spaces Dimension: 20 pendants approx. 120mm Finishes: white glazed porcelain petals, gold 150mm H x 260mm – 350mm W plated brass petal fixings, powder coated Drop: lengths varysilk frombraided 3000mm standard to ceiling hub, gold cable. 30,500mm maximum Weight: 69kg
translucent porcelain petal shapes. Each stylised Bloom bud, like teardrops softly cascading down, is lit from the inside, creating a soft glowing illumination adding serene, understated composure to your space. An ideal solution to complement your spiral staircase.
Porta Romana Interlocking minimal shapes create a sophisticated multidimensional centrepiece. When lit up, the soft geometry and curves accentuate to provide an ingenious radiance. entrance space with a modest but this could be your answer. Be sure to look out for the sister product, Bianca Lamp, launching in September
Bocci Interlocking minimal shapes create a sophisticated multidimensional centrepiece. When lit up, the soft geometry and curves accentuate to provide an ingenious radiance. entrance space with a modest but this could be your answer. Be sure to look out for the sister product, Bianca Lamp, launching in September
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Kuulas 55 and Kuulas 110 by Cameron Design House camerondesignhouse.com Price on application Each sphere is up to 400 mm diameter Dimension: customisable, bespoke length and height Drop: fully adjustable drop height on chandelier Finishes: 24 carat gold, black chain, steel chain
INTERIOR DESIGN : LIGHTING
Cameron Design House A bold statement for any home, Kuulas is a breathtaking way to bring colour into your lighting scheme. Available in two distinct sizes and a range of different colours, each glass pearl is handblown by artisans. Almost mistaken for an array of balloons, this remarkable chandelier effortlessly bring fun and mischief into the atmosphere of your entertaining spaces at home.
Cameron Design House handmade meaning no two pieces are ever the same. If you are then this special lighting sculpture is one to consider. Inspired by Lake Inari in Finland, the a continuous light beam that is organically intertwined yet suspends harmoniously at home to complement the surrounding architecture.
Inari by Cameron Design House camerondesignhouse.com Price on application Sizes: customisable, bespoke length and height Drop: fully adjustable drop height on chandelier Finishes: polished or brushed metal or a variety of powder coated finishes
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BLENHEIM PALACE Words: PETER J ROBINSON
What is the reward for a war well fought? For a battle planned with strategic fortitude, for the
T R AV E L : B L E N H E I M PA L AC E
@blenheimpalace The Saloon
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The view from the South Lawn
S
T R AV E L : B L E N H E I M PA L AC E hortly after his victory at Ramillies, the Duke of Marlborough returned to England, at which point parliament acclaimed that his estates and titles should be made perpetual upon his heirs, be they male or female, to ensure “the memory of these deeds should never lack one of his name to bear it”. Be under no illusion, curtailing the ambitions of Louis XIV was no mean feat.
born on 26 May 26 1650. If you wish to understand what elevated him to a position to secure quite so many titles, you really should visit his ancestral home,
country house in England to hold the title of palace. Built by Sir John Vanbrugh between 1705 and 1722, with a modest grant of £240,000. The Duke himself
“The Palace was Built by Sir John Vanbrugh between 1705 and 1722, with a modest grant of $240,000” committed 60,000 when work commenced. Seems fair really, John.
gardens – designed by famed English landscape architect, Capability Brown – during summer parties and events, I decided it was time to go beyond the rope line.
the twelfth Duke of Marlborough, the palace is open daily from 9.45am to 4.30pm to visitors. Yes, social distancing measures are in place, but to my mind, that only enhances the experience. Rather than seeing the palace state rooms in a blur of tourists, we were able to enter the tour in small family groups, which makes for a much calmer visit. After all, this masterpiece of baroque architecture is steeped in 300 years of history, you’ll need a lifetime to really understand the depth and breadth of world events that have taken place. Its world class portraits, tapestries and furniture in the lavish state rooms alone are a timeless pleasure. Upon entering the great hall, it’s clear that its
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inspiration came from another age – that of the Roman Empire. The classical statues, arches and towering columns were all designed to compare the Duke of Marlborough to a Roman emperor. The vast saloon is now only used by the Duke on Christmas Day, for which Sir James Thornhill penned the
his costs were excessive and he was replaced by the Frenchman Louis Laguerre, who was paid the modest sum of £500.
but what caught my eye was the idea of a picnic in the Even that had been considered in a time of social
which takes place in a tasteful setting in the shadow of the palace. Tickets include a picnic hamper with lunch or afternoon tea from suppliers, such as Gatineau, Cocktails were available in the evening, served from
I could easily spend an age regaling you with the pure unadulterated pleasure I got from seeing a painting of Mary the tenth Duchess, by Becker. A fragment of shrapnel which narrowly missed Winston Churchill and his cousin the ninth Duke during the Boer War that they kept as a memento of their escape and had monogrammed as a token of union. The chaperone sofas in the Red Drawing Room. Churchill’s cigar box made from English oak, used for the restoration 13 August 1704. Queen Ann’s statue in the library, holding 10,000 books. The list, as one might expect, is reassuringly extensive. Whilst there, I would urge you to speak to the guides and custodians looking after the palace. To say they are incredibly knowledgeable is a vast understatement. Richard in the library was a fountain of knowledge and a very warm gentleman, indeed. With minds boggling at the sheer tonnage of historical fact that had availed itself, it was arguably time for a
“I could easily spend an age regaling you with the pure unadulterated pleasure I got from seeing a painting of Mary the 10th Duchess by Becker.”
an outdoor picnic on the lawn framed by Blenheim
and a whole host of other musicians and comedians had been lined up.
The Great Hall Ceiling
Ultimately, visiting Blenheim is a grand day out for any and all. Whether you’re coming for the history of its 187 rooms, or simply to walk its 2,000 acres of beautiful grounds, Blenheim arguably eclipses the homes of many of the British monarchy. Find the time, why don’t you, and drop in on Charles James
For further details on Blenheim Palace pelase visit: www.blenheimpalace.com
to art exhibitions from the likes of acclaimed British Artist Cecily Brown. As would be expected, refreshments from the
The Great Court
The Long Library
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The Green Writing Room
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Heavenly Health Hideaways Never before has seeking out places far from the madding crowds been so on point. Our current desire for a deeper sense of wellbeing has sparked a need to escape from this wellness at its core. distanced adventures to reconnect with yourself and your loved ones in inspiring new places Words: Sarah Morgan
T R AV E L : H E AV E N LY H E A LT H H I D E AWAY S Forestis, The Dolomites, Italy
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Our second heavenly hideaway has its sustainability and wellness credentials perfectly in order. Located in South Tyrol, on the Southern slope of the Plose mountain, 1800 metres above sea level, Forestis is a new 5-star mountain retreat. Its doors only opened in July 2020, but the resort is already experiencing a Pied Piper effect. For centuries there have been tales about the healing properties of the mountains and the positive effects of clean fresh mountain air. Visit and embrace the pure spring water, pristine mountain air, countless hours of sunshine and mild climate. Forestis is the vision of owners Stefan Hinteregger and Teresa Unterthiner, a team committed to creating ‘peace as a new luxury’. Native materials have been hand-selected by architect Adam Sader and the interiors team
to create a feeling of expansive space that hotel. The team are extremely proud, and rightly so, of the CO2-neutral building whose energy sources are all 100% renewable. The retreat, which is surrounded by dense mountain forest and features 62 luxury suites, has panoramic views of the massif of the UNESCO world heritage Dolomites. This remote health hideaway has developed an impressive range of year-round wellness packages, including a relaxation and regeneration experience featuring Wyda Celtic yoga and health-focused ski in/ski out experiences. The core theme is on time, nature and simplicity. After a day in the mountains the spa welcomes guests as the perfect sanctuary for a tired mind and body. As expected, the treatments have been inspired and curated from local resources. In fact the healing properties of four native trees have been harnessed to create
the signature treatments. Mountain pine, spruce, larch and Swiss stone pine become the core ingredients with each tree yielding four different woods, four healing stones and four different tree frequencies, each apparently supporting the body in different ways to regenerate and restore balance. Finally, if we are what we eat, head chef Roland Lamprecht is equally attentive to our wellbeing with his ‘forest cuisine’, a range of dishes created using the mantras of variety, naturalness and authenticity. This is a refuge for relaxation and a place for contemplation, calm and to help restore your inner sense of power and strength.
forestis.it
This brand new, chic, ecologically-designed, in August 2020 and is located on the Croatian island of Hvar. Surrounded by olive groves and terraced vineyards, the resort stretches across two hectares of lush pine forest overlooking the crystalline Adriatic Sea. Billed as a mindful luxury resort, Maslina offers just 50 rooms and three private villas for those seeking a retreat that delivers the perfect blend of divine remoteness, with the reassurance of a full staff on hand. Maslina’s core offering is to restore a feeling of wellbeing and family connection in an environment brimming with natural purity, local culture and authenticity. I’m all in. Designed by Croatian architect Tomislav Alujevic, with nature as his brief, the resort has been created to unpack all man made tensions the moment you arrive. They
assure us that a day spent in the Pharomatiq Spa, outdoor ‘salas’, Aqua Thermal area, aromatherapy steam bath, Turkish Hammam and cold plunge pools will reboot the senses fully. If a deeper restorative dive is needed, guests can delve into the personalised spa experiences inspired by ‘garden to skin’ treatments that use island grown ingredients and locally sourced essential oils. The body can be further nourished by award-winning, two-star Michelin chef Patricia Yeo. Yeo embraces the wellness philosophy using a healthy, organic and ‘zero-kilometer’ approach by only creating her divine dishes using produce that is grown and sourced in the immediate area. The Wine and Culture Club is the perfect accompaniment, giving guests access to some award-winning local and international wines.
accommodation and unparalleled views bedroomed villa comes with its own 55-meter BBQ terrace. This is the ultimate castaway experience, with lashings of luxury thrown in. Maslina sets out to restore you to your true nature and nature truly is part of Maslina’s DNA.
speedboat takes 30 minutes maslinaresort.com
All rooms, suites and villas offer spacious
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If doing nothing is your idea of hell, this may be the health hideaway for you. Tucked away in its own secluded Kalemya Bay in Fetiya, Turkey is the beautiful Hillside Beach Club, a resort dedicated to delivering a healthy break for families or couples alike. An idyll that offers a wealth of activities and adventures for all ages. Hillside prides itself on having something for everyone from mountain biking, hiking, off-road jeep safaris, beach volleyball, scuba diving, as well as a variety of more adrenaline fuelled water sports, such as water-skiing and knee boarding. And at the end of the day, you can round off the fun with a more gentle sunset boat tour to discover 12 hidden islands along the coast line or snuggle down at Hillside’s open air cinema on the beach.
inner sloth, choose a daily beach yoga class before heading to the resort’s treetop spa to immerse yourself in nature’s powerful healing through a menu of over 60 treatments. Then there is the Fresh Start Package at Hillside, a menu plan created by an expert dietician as an immune-boosting wellness plan, prepared on a daily basis with fresh local ingredients and served with a refreshing cold pressed juice. So, whether you feed your health nutritionally or with sport or spa, or on a 360 basis, this hideaway is the perfect tonic with a combination of private beaches, treetop spas and the open ocean to help you rebalance.
or Antayla hillsidebeachclub.com
Wellbeing is as much about feeding your soul with transformational experiences as it is switching off from the everyday onslaught of a zillion emails, Whatsapps and social media posts. Not to mention never-ending to do lists and Zoom calls. No greater place to experience that transformation than in the richness of the African desert. Clearly there is a unique euphoria witnessing one of the Big Five, but there is also a less obvious imprint that sinks much deeper. With Lankester White, safaris are no longer sedentary jeep-bound experiences. Wellness adventurers can choose from walking, hiking, cycling and riding safaris, as well as healthy bolt-on with top yoga, pilates and wellness coaches. Each trip is created to focus on individuals travellers’ inner and outer wellbeing, as well as igniting an appreciation of nature in all her glory.
The digital hounding of everyday life dissolves, time expands and balance is restored under the great African sky.
comfort and solitude as it gets. Wolwedans allows you the space to breathe, be yourself and enjoy a profound wellness journey, as the peace and tranquillity of the deserts sinks in. Making it onto our list of Health Hideaways After a drive you can simply lie with a book, is the extraordinary Wolwedans Camp in or watch the shifting sands that stretch out Nambia, a retreat that boosts some impressive from beneath you to the horizon, dotted with statistics. Namibia is the second least populated stunning dune landscapes and fascinating country on earth with just 2 million people. Wolwedans Lodges and camps are situated giraffe, zebra, hyena and over 170 bird species. in NamibRand Nature Reserve where there is just 1 bed to every 1000 hectares of nature. Would you believe in this oasis, guests can also This means that guests have about two million square metres of wilderness to themselves. produce, grown in their very own organic NamibRand Nature Reserve is acknowledged gardens onsite. And to top it off, after a hard as an International Dark Sky Reserve. day at one with nature, lie back and enjoy a relaxing massage. Heaven is a place on earth. Wolwedans is a shining example of a destination whose core philosophy and A rich transformative experience, that commitment has always been to a sustainable reconnects you to your pure senses. approach to operating its camps and lodges people.
Lankester White lankesterwhite.com
The camp is as close to the desert, in utter
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Lake Garda, in northern Italy, has inspired poets for generations. Its Mediterranean the local aromas, create the most beautiful landscape in which to escape, restore and rebalance. Embedded around the crystal clear waters is a smorgasbord of leading health hideaways. Lefay Resort and Spa is one such haven, located in Gargnano, one of the most picturesque villages on the lake.
superior rating on Lake Garda, Lefay is situated inside 11 hectares of natural park in the heart of the spectacular and renowned Riviera dei Limoni, surrounded by gentle hills and natural terraces, rich in olive trees and woods overlooking the lake. “Even before Covid-19, academic studies a connection with nature and the great outdoors,” says Dr Carlo Barbieri, president of “,Physical issues such as joint pain and obesity, as well as mental states of anxiety and connecting to nature and outdoor activities.” Lefay prides itself on its innovative wellness programme that blends the best of eastern and western health philosophies. Whilst its
insomnia. The spa is divided into three areas: the World of Water and Fire includes all areas connected to swimming pools, saunas and grottos and small lakes, with ranging levels of temperature and humidity, that have been designed seamlessly with the surrounding environment. There is an indoor gym area, but for me, Natural Wellness trails within the park that surround the resort, with spectacular views overlooking the iconic Lake Garda. Each trail guides guests through the Energy and Therapeutic Garden to individual stations where the symbolism of shapes, colours and aromas are combined with recommended balancing exercises, meditation and massages, based on the principles of classical Chinese medicine. The trails are all romantically named the Green Dragon, the Red Phoenix, the White Tiger and the rather cute Black Tortoise. Each trail has been designed with incorporates ancient wellbeing activities such as meridian stretching, tai qi, yoga, qi gong, and meditation.
and yang. nods more to a medical convention than an holistic wellness approach, the health programmes and treatments genuinely appear to offer a powerful blend of medical,
lefayresorts.com
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Adgestone Vineyard
Words: Peter J Robinson
D I N I N G : A D G E S T O N E V I N E YA R D
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T
he beginning of things. On a bright summer’s morning in August, a group of
bikes from Shanklin. They packed their rucksacks with sandwiches and apples and headed out for the day via the Red Squirrel Trail by the railway. There were four of them, Peter was the eldest. Of course, mothers never have favourites, but if their mother did, it might have been Peter. Next came Oliver, who wished to be an engineer when he grew up. Then Georgie, who was adamant she could rule the world. And the youngest was Florean, who meant extremely well. If this is all sounding like an extract from the Railway Children, you’d be right. Except Enid’s
characters weren’t looking to get thoroughly soaked through by sinking several cases of wine on their travels. After a brief stop for some oddly palatable garlic ice cream, we arrived at Adgestone, where the party was in full swing. It looked like it had been for going full-tilt for some time. The cafe and garden terrace was packed (though socially distanced) and the fantastic Ollie Ducie’s dulcet tones were wafting out across the vines. “Ladies and gentleman, Chris Hemsworth has been so kind to join us this weekend,” Ollie announced to the crowd. Our Thor lookalike, also named Oli, span around to look at me as we parked the bikes. “It’s going to that kind of afternoon, alright,” he said in a typical West
Country drawl. “I think it is, mate, yeah,” I replied with a smirk. We snaked through the other patrons already enjoying the scorching weather and found white, full bodied red, dry white, and something blue. I’ll be honest: I’m not sure what we were didn’t end there. I believe it was the blush, which was as light and refreshing as any Provençal Rosé I’ve ever had in the Cap d’Antibes.
Russ, the owner of Adgestone, arrived laden with meat, cheese, and antipasti platters – each piled dipping sauce?” asked Russ, as he opened a bottle
D I N I N G : A D G E S T O N E V I N E YA R D of the vineyard’s red. “It goes really well with the red, I will grab you some.” Russ, Pippa and Ellie were turning out to be about the best hosts I have ever encountered: down to earth, warm, and fundamentally up for a good time. But this sunny disposition didn’t come without hard work. In 1968, Ken Barlow, a tobacco scientist for B.A.T, planted bacchus, phoenix, scönburger, gewürztraminer, seyval blanc, regent, orion, pinot noir and rondo, in the hope of bringing the region back to its historic glory. This makes Adgestone vineyard the oldest continuously operating vineyard in Britain. And that isn’t just a strong marketing reference; their red wine is incredible because of the age of the 10-acre site on the edge of Brading Down. Its chalky, south-facing slopes are almost entirely frost
“Adgestone vineyard is still the oldest continuously operating vineyard in Britain.”
free making it near perfect conditions. An advantage not seen in many English counties already producing commercially. I feel releasing a wine named Tacitus would be facetious, but warranted. Russ took over in 2013, and not only acquired the land and property, but also the entire 2012 wine stock. He forever painfully sold his 55a Porsche Spyder. vines ,along with 120 vines at the Brading Roman Villa, 200 metres down the road to rejoin the ancient ties. They eventually refurbished the cafe, shop and kitchen, and began to look towards accommodating guests. This became two double bedrooms in the farmhouse and a self catering shepherd’s hut which boasts stunning views across the island.
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enough to climb into the vineyards petting zoo to feed the Pygmy Goats. Thus the King of the Goats was born. There is a whole host of wildlife in the miniature farm yard to keep children and sauced adults superbly entertained for hours. You can, of course, tour the vineyard with a full audio tour. I suggest you buy a bottle and head up to bread whilst looking out over the ocean. By this point, we had been guests for most of the day, sat laughing in the midday sun. We showed no signs
a long hard week and were more than happy to continue the shindig. Once the guests had left, the music had wound seemed like the perfect time to have the family descend in the Discovery. Complete with octogenarian grandmother and birthday cake. Russ and family took it all in stride to their eternal testament, cementing them as surrogate family. Which means, at some point come harvest we’re going to have to return, with our best secateurs and put the ground work in.
It pains me in some ways to recommend you visit Adgestone Vineyard on your travels to the Isle of Wight. Having just found it, part of me wants to keep it for myself; pure and unchased. A polite but potentially raucous drinking den on the most idyllic acreage. A venue I can arrive at already in full swing or bring the occasion with me, knowing that they’re equally ready to go. In many ways, I feel like I have only scratched the surface of Adgestone, with such strong history, fantastic wine and a team shepherding the business so well, a longer session is certainly in order.
For further details on Adgestone Vineyard, please visit: www.adgestonevineyard.co.uk
TR
@palmermaja
I N P R O F I L E : M AYA PA L M E R
in profile Just when we thought we had seen everything the culinary world had to offer in the way of Ă la carte confectionary, Pastry Chef Maya Palmer shows us some mind bending creations from her kitchen at New Forest Hotels.
Words: Gillian Montgomery
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Maya, you’ve had quite an illustrious career – the Commonwealth Games, the Halkin, and now New Forest Hotels. When did you realise that you wanted to be a pastry chef ?
at you.
My beginning as a chef wasn’t typical. I didn’t go to college like most chefs do. I was a rebel. My mum wanted me to become an accountant and work for a large corporation, have life all set between Excel spreadsheets.
away from family, trying to work with other
What are the greatest challenges working as a pastry chef ?
also temperatures – for example, when working with chocolate. Where have you trained?
Archaeology at the Jagiellonian University of
as you can imagine. Life always throws some challenges ahead for us to discover. I came over I started working in a restaurant, but sometimes struggled with understanding the processes mentioned on the menu. Eventually I asked the head chef – who incidentally is now my husband – if I could come into the kitchen to work for free, and see what is going on behind the scenes.
chef and never looked back. I felt a belonging behind the pass – the rush of adrenaline during service. Pastry came a little bit later. It was least favourite section to work in the kitchen – no one wanted to work there. All the chefs wanted to
“I felt a belonging behind the pass – the rush of adrenaline during service. Pastry came a little bit later ”
foraging, the pleasure of sharing your passion with others – customers – because to me, even a simple plate of food made with a proper
inspiration. What is the most challenging technique to master?
Your creations are one of a kind – like nothing we’ve ever seen. Are there any plans to release them to the public as a brand?
lots of plans for the future. We’re still working – so watch this space! Also, if you ever stay with as part of the stay. What is your favorite dessert to eat, to make, and to teach?
a passion fruit ice cream, served with a glass of
I have completed several courses at the My favourite dessert to make and teach is called
as a position became available, I went for it. I have discovered that becoming a pastry chef requires a lot of patience – following the recipes is to practice, practice, practice. Pastry has its
dish with the help of my managing director, truly grateful for their time. And with the help from Yumii Patisserie, I am working hard to become an even better chef.
created by nature is simply perfect, so the end result was to reconstruct a true experience
kitchen. Were there unique advantages/
Is there anyone in particular that pushed you on your culinary journey or any personal hero’s in the chef world?
environments?
teas to large sporting events. You start to feel comfortable with whatever challenge is thrown
One person helped me realise that I love cooking for people – my husband, David, who has been a chef for over 38 years. He has not only mentored me as a chef, but also introduced me to the world of connections,
of the white chocolate mousse and served with pecan, cinnamon and golden syrup crumble. I fresh apple, lemon, ginger and tonic water, so that when you cut into the ‘fruit’, it will ooze memory to the classic apple crumble.
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How do you go about conceptualising and designing your new creations?
combination to date?
It’s in our nature to be going back to the memories of home cooking – comfort food made by someone we love. In my life, the
I look for inspiration in art and nature. chocolates, I try to inspire people, make their imagination run wild, but also to slow down and
What inspired you to create the beautiful geometric milk chocolate bars?
his rouge waves, vibrant green and blue tones, our connection to nature and place. As a child, I used to love painting. What gives you the most satisfaction?
made someone happy – through giving part of you, your work. If you are true to yourself, the customer or guest will feel that as well. It’s worth waking up for in the morning.
We often relate tastes to memories. Are there any that are sentimental to you?
white chocolate shell.
Granny Irena’s recipe for pickles 2kg fresh cucumbers, cut into ribbons 1 large red peppers, cut into long stripes 250g white onion, cut lengthwise into stripes 1 garlic 2 spoons of salt For the brine 750ml water 250g sugar 250ml vinegar 250ml vegetable oil Mix all the brine ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Wait until it cools down. In a large bowl cover the rest of the ingredients with the brine and leave covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours, move into jars and pasteurise for 7 minutes – or just enjoy fresh.
used to say. My granny loves to pickle fresh cucumber, red pepper and onions in sweet, covered in butter and spoonful of dill, and thyme roasted chicken. Share with us some favourite sweet haunts around the world?
the Mandarin Oriental and Dominique Ansel
Modesto Amaro. And for some true modern TR
I N P R O F I L E : M AYA PA L M E R
“It’s in our nature to be going back to the memories of home cooking – comfort food made by someone we love.”
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D I N I N G : N O RT H H O U S E
North House - PO31 Can you fathom living in Glastonbury or Henley when the annual festival comes to town? Arguably that’s enviable real estate, but at the same time, I would be looking for a way to immediately defect. Around Gold Cup week each year, I liberate myself from my corner of the Cotswolds and head for the Isle of Wight to take refuge from the siege of the southwest. With family on the isle, I head straight for the south coast, rarely stopping off in any of the local towns en route. But with guests in tow, it’s my role to play the cultural emissary and show them exactly why Cowes is so highly regarded by all who frequent it. August, of course, plays host to Cowes week, but with 2020 declared a fallow year, it was business as usual for the raft of bars and restaurants on the Esplanade and Egypt point. Words: Peter J Robinson
I
the reason for the change in name. You’re thinking moon pointers, aren’t you.
occupant took up lodgings and has become a royal stalwart for the region.
The Isle had an enviable location and was repeatedly attacked by French invasion
Knowing where the main tourist attractions are, and that Cowes throws a party of biblical proportions in August, is about the extent of my knowledge. This was evidenced by the fact that we passed three signs that forewarned the chain-link ferry that connects east and west Cowes was closed. I am not a complete
centuries, until 1539 when Henry VIII river mouth. The castle on the west side was continually occupied by the military, until 1854 when the Royal Yacht Squadron acquired it. And so Cowes most famous
before to get from east to west. It saves a
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30-minute, 11-mile journey, and is a quaint
and quickly begin to prostrate myself to the maître d’. The staff are not phased by our late arrival at all though.
late for lunch at North House once we
the steep hill that shoots up from the Cowes
bowels of the house, opposite the open plan
The Oyster Store restaurant is at the back of the house, in the orangery that overlooks the sizeable garden and pool. There is, indeed, a subtle nod to the nautical heritage of the region, of course, but done incredibly tastefully. The odd ensign cushion or restored and polished deadeye adds character. The large, deep red leather banquette in contrast to the F&B grey walls are minimally adorned with the occasional seafaring image. It has a relaxed Soho with half of the City of London on a weekend break. It’s certainly a place I could spend a romantic weekend or entirely alone, just
Oli seeks out somewhere to park the portly good book and a glass of port.
D I N I N G : N O RT H H O U S E As we had pushed back our Wightlink ferry out of Fishbourne, the pressure was off and so we ordered a magnum of the 2019 Château La Tour de l’Evêque. Due to bat plague, the restaurant is running a limited menu, which given the circumstances seems more than fair.
who’s worthy of the last two. The only item I thought wouldn’t be as high a commodity was the anchovies – often an acquired taste. Sadly our group appreciates all seafood, so I was told I had to share.
We order the chorizo croquettes, anchovies, lobster bisque, frites and crevettes to start. The group tells engaging stories of the weekend, whilst I quietly drift and begin to intently people-watch. A group of well-to-do elderly ladies in one corner; a power-dressed woman, head to toe in red, reading a book in another. Eventually, a family arrives with, as expected, very well behaved children kept on a short lead. Before I can continue my Freudian assessment, the bisque arrives. It’s
one dressed crab and one sirloin. After the lobster bisque, I was aiming for the caesar salad anyway. It had been a long weekend
The chorizo croquettes are coveted by everyone, so we have a tough time deciding
With only a brief window before our planned departure time, we took a moment to see the hotel’s tastefully-designed 14 bedrooms. These come in cosy, comfy and spacious. I was particularly taken by the minibars, silver tea sets, freestanding baths, french windows and juliet balconies. Tasteful. It was all very, very tasteful. The muted tones, antique furniture and soft lighting all deftly appeal to me.
As we had arrived late, there was little of the
something marginally healthy. It’s also worth seeing how some of the more staple dishes are prepped, to see what kind of a chef or kitchen team is in situ. The lettuce was crisp, the chicken tender and the marinated anchovies were all mine to keep.
With a shared pudding of lemon tart dispatched and the Porsche waiting outside,
“the pressure was of the 2019 Château La Tour
TR
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T R AV E L : I S L E O F W I G H T
The Island is Waiting Images: WWW.VISITISLEOFWIGHT.CO.UK Words: PETER J ROBINSON Research: STEVE KNIGHT LIBRARY
‘England in Miniature’, ‘the Diamond in the Solent’, ‘the Gem of the South’. I think Karl Marx summed it up best: “This island is a little paradise”. Covering 147 square miles, the island has a small private
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1. THE HUT About as close to al fresco on the Med as you’ll get. The Hut is a moment’s drive from the harbour town of Yarmouth and plays host to Colwell Bay. We arrived on a rather wet afternoon, which turned sunny eventually. Now in its sixth season, there are anchorages aplenty and a
2. ADGESTONE VINEYARD Adgestone Vineyard is the oldest continuously working vineyard in the UK. Take an audio tour and go underground into one of the oldest commercial wine cellars in England. Enjoy something to eat at the cafe, whilst the kids play with the freerange chickens and pygmy goats.
3. THE GARLIC FARM I remember going to the garlic farm seven or eight years ago and buying some garlic truffle oil and obligatory garlic mayo. A lot has changed in that time and the farm is now a fullyfledged tourist hotspot, complete with cafe, garlic ice cream and garlic beer. Did I mention the luxury yurts on the farm.
4. CYCLING TRAILS The Isle of Wight boasts 200 miles of cycle tracks, byways and bridleways. We hired four bikes on our trip, not because there were children in tow, but because it makes day drinking seem much more acceptable. Use the island’s inland routes to get from beautiful beach to stunning shore.
3. THE NEEDLES Without fail, I always visit the famous Needles. Though I always manage to time it when the attractions and the chairlift are closed. Instead, I head up to the Old and New Battery. It’s worth it for the Victorian coastal defence and secret rocket testing site, perched high above the Needles. It’s quite a stroll mind you, but the views make it absolutely worthwhile.
4. BEACH LIFE With more than 60 miles of beaches, you are bound to find a shoreline that suits you. Try Colwell Bay, Compton Bay, Cowes and Gurnard, Shanklin and Ventnor. If you want the inside track on where to go for the best surf and restaurants, you’ll have to find me privately.
“Wightlink offers short breaks from £90 for up to 7 passengers in a car. Choose from two-vehicle ferry routes departing from Lymington or Portsmouth or travel on the dedicated FastCat passenger route from Portsmouth Harbour Train Station which takes just 22 minutes. Travel out before 09:01 on a Tuesday and return after 17:59 on Thursday the same week, with prices starting at just £90*. Prices are valid on travel taken by 30 September 2020 and bookings made before 31 August 2020 For further information: www.wightlink.co.uk
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The Scents of Isolation Words: Naomi Lake
Soon after the start of lockdown, I found that I was never quite settled and rarely at ease. I know this isn’t a groundbreaking statement on the situation. But the daily hustle and bustle – on set or running between meetings, packing or travelling, organising my diary and my kit in a constant perpetual motion – had just… stopped. A couple of weeks of this uncomfortably relaxed pace had passed when a wave of realisation washed over me. I could not change the situation; the lockdown beast had edged beyond the crawling stage and, before we knew it, was running a marathon. But what I could change was my use of this time. I could change what I did with this new-found freedom, time and space. I realised I had to learn to be still; to be happy totally in my own company, away from the dizzying speed of normal daily life and its charming distractions.
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I
t was only after another fortnight or so of embracing this new routine that I observed the most curious of changes within my reactions to occurrences and stimulus around me – and nowhere was this more apparent than in my sense of smell. I noticed how strong and pervasive any new scent in my home space appeared to be. The alluring emanations of my fresh ground coffee in the morning; a needed cliche, which was somehow so much stronger than
Aromatherapy played a big part in my self-led ‘crash-course’ in scent. My only experience of using essential oils beforehand had been the odd oil for a home remedy. But the notion of how truly mood-altering essentials oil could be was revealed to me by the Tisserand X National Geographic collaboration. On
bought to cheer up my now-frequented desk were not only beautiful, but scented the whole house from their post downstairs. Sure, I’ve always burned the odd candle now and then (always Diptyque Noisetier for the bedroom), but during some moments, the reach of them, whilst still unburned and idle, was enough. Indeed, my nose was now so sensitive that when an otherwise very lovely man came out
“It is hugely rewarding to see the fragrance world waking up to the wonders of natural perfumery”
and deeply refreshing for the mind. With the freedom of travel restricted by
peppermint and invigorating cardamom
Kellett (Tisserand Aromatherapy’s Essential opportunity of bringing together three essential oils in each range to inspire and transport you the simple addition of a shower gel or a mist accompanied by calm and centring that comes with it.
sense of smell so sensitive? The basics of how we detect an aroma (be it good or bad)
to a faraway place.” to call upon a neighbour for the favour of a shower), I only just managed to wait until he had left before opening every window to air his aftershave out of my apartment. I couldn’t understand what was happening, so I started looking at the importance of scent – a revelation of scent and sensibility, one could say.
interesting research on the topic. Dr Johan
of grapefruit and the warm beguilement of the olfactory system contains specialised nerve cells that “link back together with the olfactory
B E AU T Y : T H E S C E N T S O F I S O L AT I O N showed that these nerve cells die and are replaced in a lifecycle much shorter than ours, being continually replaced throughout our lifetime. Dr Lundström notes that “the sense of smell is the only sense that is renewed every month.”
My most reached for reliever from Rabot 1745 is the Cacao and Kaolin Clay Thermal Body Mask. With its macadamia seed oil-infused formula, smoothing on the mask after working out and before showering is an indulgent treat. Kaolin clay and cacao seed butter combine to create the Goldilocks of textures; easy to apply, So, at this point in my journey of self-discovery, not too sticky and not too dry. Something I basically had a brand new sense of smell. What you might want to leave a little longer before washing off, if only to enjoy its magical selfbetter time to take my exciting new nose and heating formula and its sweet-but-not-sickly learn what really makes my senses tingle. warm and soothing scent. The delicate cacao aroma carries through the rest of the range of As observed by Strava, exercise has taken a luxurious body care and homeware. Musky and sharp upturn over the last few months, with a smooth, but overall deeply relaxing, the Cacao threefold increase in the average time spent and Vanilla Candle from their range of candles on the app. My account has shown nothing is a new pick to accompany my evening yoga. different to that curve. Combine that with a determination to eat healthily and you have With the use of aromatherapy in my householda girl who is suffering a few more aches and pains than should be expected at 30, who is ways of easily taking this with me when I did very much missing her evening treat of dark happen to step over the threshold. Victoria chocolate. A new favourite for downtime Beckham reportedly has her favourite candles (whilst taking these important revelations into from Diptyque lit backstage at all her fashion account) has been the cacao-based offerings shows, but I’m thinking something a little from the Rabot 1745 Beauty collection. You might know them better for their parent brand, more handbag-friendly and maybe a touch less Hotel Chocolat, not only as a chocolatier, but Scentered was exactly what I was looking for. for their boutique Rabot Eco-Escape resort, a bucket-list destination on the Rabot Estate a travel-friendly balm, with ‘Focus’, ‘Escape’, itself, found in the rainforest paradise of Saint ‘Love’, ‘Destress’ and ‘Sleep Well’, it reads like Lucia. the to-do list for an overdue holiday. Even with
my toe-dipping in the realms of aromatherapy, I was starting to learn how scent can be layered and how I react to it. As an avid fan of trivia and tit-bits of information, I was thrilled to learn that in evolutionary psychology it’s thought kissing may have developed from the act of tasting the scent of a potential partner. Love, the scent I’ve found myself drawn to most from their range of bams and candles, balances the uplifting tang of orange and the grounding warmth of the rich headiness of jasmine, all reminiscent of the haze of a late summer’s eve. The scent is patchouli, sweet vanilla and stimulating sylvan undertones of cabreuva wood and cedarwood. Who couldn’t fall for that? This concept of tailored combinations in scent led me to discover Layers, the off-theshelf collection of perfumes born from the Experimental Perfume Club. The concept is simple yet beautiful. I spoke to the founder,
with EPC with the activities we offer at our perfume Lab, which is primarily workshops [in perfumery]”. My excitement levels upon were, to say the least, pretty high. This was
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especially the case when I learned that their lab was reopening in mid-August for face-to-face services. Emmanuelle explained that despite the reopening of their lab, the company would be continuing their online course to extend the available options for learning about perfumery, allowing avid amateur perfumers to overcome ongoing limitations.
Even within the brand’s ready-made offerings, the consumer still has creative input. Layers collections consist of three pre-blended unisex scents, equipped with an empty bottle in the box to decant your blend from the trio, offering a way to play and learn about fragrance at home. “Layers was only born after a couple of years hosting workshops to the public, and the concept inspired by what we did with our visitors”, explains Emmanuelle.
For something that can seem so secretive, it seems that the company has retained a borderline-altruistic approach. Emmanuelle says “Sharing knowledge of perfumery is really the essence of everything we do at EPC. Perfume is a fascinating world for so many people, but if you are not from the industry,
stationery (for fear of imperfect application or a u-turn on my aesthetic intentions), the idea of mixing from three bottles down into one was, for me, terrifying. Emmanuelle reassured me, explaining how the foolproof process works. “Essentially, we created Layers so that whatever combination you choose... you can’t get it with an elegant minimalistic signature.” The from Layers 02 Blending Collection, the top layer of Fig-Neroli is crisp and botanical, the mid-layer Rose-Rhubarb is sweet and inviting, and the base layer, Amber-Iris, rich and warm, spicy and lingering. I now
As part of my journey of scent-and-self discovery, I’ve realised that my slight anxieties and strange habits may not have only appeared in recent years. Growing up as a child who could never commit to using stickers on
adore them alone and, following a brave concession of control, combined. To start with, I experimented by layering the scents on my skin, with differing numbers of spritzes from across the set. But what if I mixed in the wrong amounts? For someone whose job title is ‘artist’, I’m adamant about measured decisions and the ability to change or reverse decisions. But again, I was reassured by Emmanuelle, “It works like an art triptych, each individual part in the trio works individually and is enhanced when combined with one another. If you wanted to do this with your usual fragrances, it wouldn’t work.”
The process of learning about how these fragrances worked, interacted and… well, layered, was an incredible journey which I found to be both enjoyable and inspiring. Indeed, it is a rite of passage that everyone should enjoy. And now the Experimental Perfume Club has opened the wardrobe doors, inviting you into this Narnia of scent, take the step through. Delving further into natural perfumery had already been an eye-opening experience. However, I realised quite rapidly that my quest of scent exploration could take me into the new decade that is my thirties. After
B E AU T Y : T H E S C E N T S O F I S O L AT I O N years of sticking with the same bottles (from liquorice-based Lolita Lempicka through the well known Chanel Allure to the complex fruity yet musky Dsquared2 Potion) I felt it was time for a change. I wanted something new, I wanted something exclusive, and I wanted something that aligned with what I look for in my skincare.
with a new-found focus on (and the wider availability of) cruelty-free and vegan, organic, naturally-derived ingredients being offered to, and demanded by, the consumer. I learned that fragrance is no stranger to this movement, to my delight, when I discovered Ffern.
makers, we have always championed this way of working and creating and we place great value on provenance.” On hearing more about the lengths the brand goes to for each release, it draws you into the true story behind their fragrance and the attached human emotions. “We want to celebrate where our ingredients have been grown,” Emily continued, “to tell the stories of our farmers – our bergamots, for example, are sustainably grown in an orchard in southern a learning curve, for sure, and arguably more thoughtful than the creation of another cream product tells a story that will be different for everyone who savours the lingering scent. But Ffern ensures that this does not come with an unreasonable carbon footprint cost. “Much of our time is spent sourcing the best organic ingredients in the world. Sometimes always ensure that our oil is extracted at source and transported by sea. Being so small, our quantities are tiny which means we have a very limited ecological footprint, however, we are aiming to become carbon neutral by the end of the year.” Whilst relatively new, the brand has a fascinating history. “Our mission to celebrate
Creative director Emily Cameron spared some time to talk to me about this. “At the heart of Ffern is a deep respect for natural ingredients. We believe that their complexity and beauty is unmatched by anything synthetic and that the process of wearing a natural scent is a far more exciting experience – each ingredient reacts differently with each wearer, and evolves and develops throughout the course of a day.”
dew brushing my ankles, on an early summer morning as the sun crested the trees, picking blackberries as I walked to the water meadows to tend to the horses. Starting crisp and green, but warming as I wore it, like the idyllic summer day itself, the scent simultaneously encapsulated the complex emotions of the season and uplifted me.
I was offered the opportunity of an exclusive olfactory ‘peek’ at their most recent launch, Summer 20. And it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was instantly transported to my grandparents’ farm in my childhood, with fond memories of stepping through long grass,
of natural perfumery, but instead actively leads the journey. “It is hugely rewarding to see the fragrance world waking up to the wonders of natural perfumery and to the importance of sustainable production and responsible sourcing,” explained Emily. As small, artisan
and champion natural ingredients is led by Elodie Durande and Francois Robert – who are our noses,” explained Emily. “Francois is a fourth-generation perfumer, the son of renowned perfumer Guy Robert and the grandson of Joseph Robert who, in 1884, developed the process for extracting absolutes – pure perfume oils – from natural ingredients.”
Ffern has another element that is different to other brands: their ledger. Not only forwardthinking in the products themselves, but in the way the product is brought to the client, Emily
Once again changing the landscape of perfumery, the brand’s passion for innovation of the industry has always been at the company’s heart. This enviable ethos harkens back to the early artisans of perfumery whilst also expanding its space within the art. I was intrigued to know more about the ingredients and their properties. From aromatherapy to natural perfumery, there are many similarities – but where do they overlap “We’ve been mindful of the calming properties research has shown just how close the link is between the olfactory system and cognitive function.” This stitching of disciplines can be seen by the response to their scents, with the house style of bergamot rind, red juniper and vetiver root... we see how deeply it can affect our ledger members, with many describing in detail what the scent evokes for them and how.”
our commitment to small batch production processes was not compromised by scale, we introduced a ledger… we only make limited runs... the ledger acts as a guide for volume before we begin blending, ageing and bottling the fragrance.”
the only way to receive a bottle from Ffern being to snatch a place on their ledger. And through obtaining such a coveted place you are welcomed into the fold and can opt to receive a bottle for each season, released on the biannual
With something so personal as scent, how can you buy without a try? Ffern have that covered. packaging, arrives with a sample vial – our ledger members try the sample before deciding
the innermost intentions of the brand are met: our production process and eliminate waste, something we believe in strongly.”
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A timeline of release like this in fragrance is exhilarating. I had seen summer versions of a known fragrance, but seasonal releases, always moving forward, no do-overs... I was enthralled by their move. After all, I had a fragrance I had re-purchased for many years, how could I balance between the lure of new experience and savouring what cannot be replaced? Emily once again adjusted my thinking: “With natural perfumery there are myriad variations and ingredient combinations to play with and at Ffern, we often feel as though we could keep
could be involved in, too. We are continually innovating, rather than settling on one signature scent. It’s highly liberating and allows for greater creativity and experimentation.”
by my journey through fragrance and its effect on my mood, has been a learning experience I won’t soon forget, in a time where so much has changed. Whilst ushering in my thirties fragrance has been a welcome distraction.
wanting to make a change to my cache of fragrances, as well as embracing my newfound appreciation of scent generally: “As humans we change constantly – our tastes evolve, new experiences shape us -– so to have one scent
out of hibernation and into a new phase of my newfound appreciation of these scents – and
perhaps, a little outdated.” date that prevents us. We turned each fragrance into a journey, one which our ledger members The discovery of my new nose, accompanied
TR
S T Y L E : FA S H I O N V I C T I M
FASHION VICTIM Words: Bobby Reyes
While we usually start the new year setting goals full of hope and optimism, the coronavirus pandemic came in like a storm and 2020 quickly turned into a year that will go down in history as...the absolute worst in the 21st century. In times of such uncertainty, the fashion industry is facing many unpredictable challenges. We’re in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and on the industry. Designers have had to rethink their collections, adapt their campaigns, and alter presentations and fashion shows to comply with the safety standards according to their market. Although it seems grim, it’s not all bad. Fast fashion has been diverted to the slow lane – thank God! It’s about time that the “Zaras” of the world stop hijacking the designs of others and collecting the praise. Creativity is pushing new heights. People are realising what’s important in life, and a real sense of community is being established within the industry. THE REVIEW 2020 247
Fashion has been one of the hardest hit industries during the Covid-19 pandemic. With so many people around the globe
to take on DIY projects and cooking trends
With retailers simply not selling as much as
aren’t at liberty to shop like they used to. Rather than vying for this season’s latest The turbulent state of the fashion industry has retailers taking desperate measures advertising are experiencing rate slashes together. made the hard choice to close their doors most non essential businesses altered their operations to function remotely. Although
Lord + Taylor revealed that the pandemic also caused a disruption to its supply chain the fashion industry are experiencing
it’s not the same. Shopping for materials
S T Y L E : FA S H I O N V I C T I M furloughed so many agents as there simply seeing models passed up on jobs over an
of muted tones that felt light and airy. The
fashion brands are beyond important in it provides a platform to promote a given product and keep marketing costs to a hour than per post; that’s the reality. A lot at their social media game to ensure that more opportunities are available to them.
a stronger more effective media vehicle. The
alleviates the costs of hiring production measures high.
cure for Covid-19. Fashion house Celine got
“The fashion industry isn’t new to collaborating
media posts and videos is that in-person sanitation measures. Productions have been
precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. It permeates a sense of safety and makes people feel more comfortable for in person shoots. With travel restrictions been as many options to bring international models in for campaigns and other fashion projects. That’s unfortunate in some cases
but is this going to be the new normal? London. It’s kind of like a music video and I have to say that it’s absolutely one of the
models as it increases their odds to book jobs and excel in the regional market they’re based in.
the fashion industry to push the boundaries of creativity. Shoots have been done on
and video projects being shot on peoples
the simplest of tools being used in such With various countries reopening their it’s encouraging to see that brilliant minds has been one of the designers brave enough to debut the SS21 collection in a
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FA S H I O N : B R A D F O R B R I O N I
Brad for Brioni The style editor looked at me with wide-eyed panic. “There is only a month left of the SS20 season”. It was a fair point.
“You’re basing that on the assumption that the readership is going to stay in their hemisphere, which we know they aren’t, Bobby,’’ I replied. “But it’s incredibly tailored and it’s evening wear.” “Which will be relevant in Cap Ferrat, Nantucket and Tokyo, no matter what time of year it is, Bobby’’. Bobby had already covered swimwear and linen shirts earlier in the calendar, so I thought it was about time we preempted the AW push for tailored sophistication. Better to be overdressed than underdressed. Having secured Brad Pitt as an ambassador in late 2019, Brioni created a tuxedo for him for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. “It’s about wearing super-luxurious garments, but not caring too much buttons on a jacket sleeve are ‘carelessly’ unbuttoned, the tie underpart is slightly showing. He wears the clothes in the right way. The clothes don’t wear him.”
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‘Essential’ Policleto Tuxedo Suit ‘Essential’ Evening White Shirt with Plastron Essential’ Black Bow Tie
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‘Leggera’ Dark Green Double-Breasted Jacket Essential’ Grey Crew-Neck Sweater White Crewneck T-Shirt
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Beige Blouson White Linen Shirt ‘Essential’ Grey Tigullio Trousers
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Helping to create an equitable world where land, animals and people are cherished, nurtured and respected. tengri.co.uk | hello@tengri.co.uk | @houseoftengri
Cut from a different cloth
Uncompromising style. Our limited-edition fabrics are made with rare, sustainably sourced natural fibres. Available at selected tailors and makers worldwide.
Map Print Silk-lined Pleated Skirt A pleated skirt lined in silk crepe de chine, printed with a reworked 18th century world map.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR TO PURCHASE, CLICK THE IMAGE.
FA S H I O N : B U R B E R RY AW P R E
AW
PRE-COLLECTION Assessing Riccardo Tisci’s pre-fall collection at Burberry is as tough
March 2018, he promised to expand and develop the brand’s evening-
an enormous respect for Burberry’s British heritage and global appeal Fast forward two years, Burberry suits and evening attire are now the red carpet staple and their female repertoire is a set piece for stylists
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Pocket Detail Double-faced Cashmere Wrap Coat A double-faced cashmere coat with a relaxed wrap silhouette, cinched with a smooth leather belt. The style is accentuated with exaggerated foldover pockets.
Mini Leather Title Bag A refined silhouette in Italian-tanned grainy leather, accented with polished triple-stud detailing. Carry it by the top handle or on the shoulder using the detachable strap.
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Two-tone Merino Wool Silk Roll-neck Sweater A form-fitting roll-neck sweater knitted from Merino wool and silk. The two-tone design is subtly embroidered with
Unicorn Print Silk Twill Shorts and Crepe De Chine Shirt Italian-woven silk crepe de chine, highlighted with an abstract unicorn print.
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Knot Detail Check Wool Pencil Skirt A form-fitting pencil skirt in check wool, highlighted with a knot detail at the hem.
Sleeveless Map Print Silk Shirt A sleeveless shirt in Italian-woven silk, printed with a reworked 18th century world map. A chain-link button secures the point collar.
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An Italian-made trench coat, reimagined in supple leather and cut to our classic Kensington fit.
The Curator
Artist: Ken Howard OBE Title: Self Portrait With Merika Medium: Oil on canvas Gallery: Cheffins
FOR MORE DETAILS ON EACH LOT OR TO CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, JUST SELECT THE IMAGE YOU WANT TO VIEW THE FULL CATALOGUE.
Artist: Richard Corman Title: Muhammed Ali, Eyes Closed Medium: Photograph Gallery: Bonhams
C U LT U R E : A R T
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Portrait de Jacqueline au chapeau de paille fleuri Medium: Linocut in colours, on Arches paper. Gallery: Phillips
Artist: Richard Avedon Title: Veruschka, Dress by Bill Blass, New York Studio Medium: Photograph Gallery: Bonhams
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“By the time I met Elton John, I had been taking pictures for more than a and I thought, ‘Wow, this guy is going to be the next big thing.’ He just had it. I don’t know what you would call it, magic?”- Terry O’Neill
Artist: Paul Cézanne Title: Nature morte avec pot au lait, melon et sucrier Medium: Watercolour over pencil on paper Gallery: Christies New York
FOR MORE DETAILS ON EACH LOT OR TO CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, JUST SELECT THE IMAGE YOU WANT TO VIEW THE FULL CATALOGUE.
Artist: Terry O’Neill Title: ELTON JOHN, DODGER STADIUM, 1975 Medium: Chromogenic print, printed later. Gallery: SOTHEBY’S
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“For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.” - Paul Cézanne
Artist: Brice Marden Title: Card Drawings Medium: Ink and gouache on paper Gallery: DOYLE
Artist: Irma Stern Title: Swahili Woman Medium: Oil on canvas Gallery: Bonhams
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LOVE’S LABOUR During languid summers around forty years ago (it’s the era of Madonna and Eric Fischl), a young Sergio Purtell crisscrossed Europe searching for scenes where marble mixes with skin. Passing through a landscape of fountains and classical piazzas (and on occasion dropping in on a café), Sergio made frames full of sensuous gestures and complex relationships. With Sergio captured in silver so long ago can be seen again. - Mark Steinmetz
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E
very summer from the late 1970s through the mid ’80s SERGIO PURTELL would buy an inexpensive roundtrip ticket from New York to London, and from there get a Eurail pass. Traveling cheaply, he could move freely around Europe.
at the local bar with a glass of wine. SERGIO PURTELL
LOVE’S LABOUR
Wandering made sense to Purtell. At the age Chile. He fell in love with photography, and his art history classes convinced him that he needed to see Europe. When he got there, he was reminded of his life in Santiago: the mannerisms, the customs, the architecture, the relaxed attitude towards life, the mornings in cafes, and afternoons lounging by the
STANLEY / BARKER
he traverses the European continent, he learns to forget the past, live in the present, and appreciate the journey. How does one fall in love? By being present, an act that is unavoidable when making pictures in the world. In photography, love is not blind—although many things can, deceptively, go unnoticed: a small gesture, the radiance of a glance, the texture of skin, the shape modest grace. Love can be a connection to something greater than ourselves, or the thing that shows us who we are. It requires relentless dedication. The fountains merge with the river and rivers with the ocean and the waves embrace each other.” - Sergio Purtell
FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR TO PURCHASE, SELECT THE BOOK SLEEVE ABOVE.
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T R AV E L : S U M M E R S A N C T UA RY
Words: Sarah Morgan
Back when the world felt reassuringly normal and the only place that facemasks were fashionable was at the dentist, I was lucky enough to witness the impressive transformation of a traditional Savoyard chalet into a stunning luxury boutique hotel.
L
’Armancette Hotel, Chalets and Spa is situated in the beautiful and remote Saint Nicolas de Veroce. A spot handpicked by its owner, thanks to happy childhood memories of family holidays in this tucked away village – a perfect location for a remote, luxurious stay.
outdoor life in the summer months. L’Armancette has created a series of ‘themed’ breaks, with mountain experts: yoga and wellbeing and trail running weekends, plus a stay to coincide with the annual music festival Musique and Patrimoine in August 2021.
you can head to the spa for a massage or plunge into the indoor-outdoor spa pool before dining at ‘La Table d’Armante’, with a menu designed by Michelin star Chef Antoine Westermann, prepared using fresh local ingredients.
And as the hotel sits on the site of the former village bakery it honours this tradition with its For the ultimate mid-year sanctuary, there are own onsite bakery serving fresh-baked bread and three individual chalets that sit on a plateau above pastries to locals and guests each day. Named after a local glacier, L’Armancette has the hotel: Chalets Silene, Carline and Aster, just 17 intimate, en-suite rooms all individually catering for between 8 to 14 people. Guests can Local highlights include: Saint Nicolas de Véroce Mont Blanc, the Dôme de Miage and the Aiguille either self-cater, or have dinners brought up from village, Saint-Gervais Thermal spa, Tramway du La Table d’Armante, by the hotel concierge. Mont Blanc, mountain lunch next to a glacier, de Bionnassay mountains. Beautifully furnished, sumptuous quality bed stand-up paddle yoga on Lake Passy. Whilst traditionally the Alps have been the perfect haven for winter sports, a new tribe of arrival as do breath-taking views of Mont Blanc. Summer 2021, here I come. merry travellers are now looking to experience After a hard day mountain biking or hill walking, the delights of this bountiful area and its great
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RELAXATION
YOGA IN THE MOUNTAINS
MUSIC FESTIVAL, AUGUST 2021
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• • • •
• •
• • •
FIVE NIGHTS INCLUDING BREAKFAST FREE ACCESS TO THE SPA, TWO 1-HOUR MASSAGES AT THE SPA ONE HALF-DAY AT THE THERMAL BATH OF SAINTGERVAIS YOUR DAILY GOURMET BREAK AT THE TEA ROOM TWO 45-MINUTE SESSIONS WITH A COACH FOR A PERSONALISED FITNESS SESSION
DAILY YOGA AND MEDITATION SESSIONS MOUNTAIN WALKS COMBINED WITH YOGA STAND-UP PADDLE YOGA ON LAKE PASSY SPA IN L’ARMANCETTE
HIGH MOUNTAIN AND EXTREME SPORTS • • •
FOUR DAYS OF ACTIVITIES WITH A MOUNTAIN GUIDE CLIMBING, HIKE IN GLACIER, MOUNTAINEERING, RAFTING, CANYONING, MOUNTAIN BIKE ACCESS TO THE SPA L’ARMANCETTE
• •
DAILY CONCERTS IN A DIFFERENT LOCATIONS EACH DAY JAZZ CONCERT MID-WEEK IN LA TABLE D’ARMANTE WITH A SPECIAL DINNER CONCERT IN THE STUNNING SAINT-NICOLAS’ CHURCH FULL PASS FOR THE MUSIC FESTIVAL
MOUNTAIN PLEASURES • • •
FIVE NIGHTS INCLUDING BREAKFAST FOUR DAYS OF ACTIVITIES WITH A MOUNTAIN GUIDE ACCESS TO THE SPA L’ARMANCETTE.
DISCERNING TASTES Now, we aren’t going to tell you how to live your life. But things that will potentially hold their value.
ANDERSEN EV We’ve already waxed lyrical about Andersen in this issue, but they’re our pages, so there we go. The Andersen A2 is a stylish charge point that hides an integrated cable. The A2 enhances the charging experience for the enthusiast EV driver with increased levels of 3-phase, 22kw power and SMART controlled connectivity.
D I S C E R N I N G TA S T E S
THE RAKER Raker has a laser-cut monocoque aluminum frame, which won it an IF Design Award. Powered by a 25-Ah lithium-ion battery pack, the Raker’s brushless 2,000W motor can take it up to a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). One 5-hour charge from a standard outlet should be good for a range of about 50 miles (80 km) of urban use.
FOOD PROCESSOR 2.1 L You might never use it but the chef will certainly thank you. Chop, purée, knead, mix, shred, and slice. Or at least watch your kitchen staff use it. You never know, one evening you might be desperate for margaritas. Whilst a 1500rpm KitchenAid processor might seem like overkill for a cocktail, think of the minutes you’ll save by the pool.
DATATRAVELER 80 USB FLASH DRIVE I know USB sticks are household items these days, but I am still impressed when a OEM brings out a device that pushes the standard. I remember the days of the 128MB USB stick and I still have a handful in the draw in case Antiques Roadshow wants me to make an appearance in 2070. Kingston’s DataTraveler 80 supports Type-C be it lap, desk or smartphone. Transfer speeds of up to 200MB/s read and 60MB/s write, and is available in capacities from 32GB–256GB.
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SAMSUNG ODYSSEY G9 You’re looking at a curved 49-inch screen with 5120 by 1440 resolution. The QLED display should be pin-sharp, HDR 1000 promises the blackest of blacks and whitest of whites. A 250Hz refresh rate means motion should also appear buttery smooth. We’ll let you know once we get our hands on one.
REGA PLANAR 3 RECORD PLAYER Look, you either need a streaming microphone or you don’t. It’s that simple. Most laptops do not come with decent microphones as standard. The sound quality is clear and the internal pop filter clears out any annoying blips in script. You can pick between cardioid, stereo, face-to-face or omnidirectional.
SIRUI 35MM ANAMORPHIC LENS Anamorphic lenses are tough to weild and costly by anyone’s standards. So when SIRUI launched a campaign for a 35mm+50mm anamorphic lens set for $1,299, we were all pretty surprised. What are they like you ask? How are the optics? Do they come in a range of fixtures? We couldn’t tell you, trying to reach the team behind the product or their parent company is like a high-stakes game of pass the parcel, with only one loser.
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NEMESIS ONE Earlier this month, the team at Nemesis Yachts announced a 332 feet (101 meters) hydrofoil catamaran able to break the 50 knots speed barrier. It’s a tall order. Even without wind, the Nemesis One will remain a zero emission vessel, powered by a retractable hydrogen-electric propulsion. That’s in addition to 8,073 square-foot of solar panels able to generate up to 150kW of power. We look forward to coming aboard.
OURA RING The Oura ring contains infrared LEDs that measure your heart rate, temperature and a 3D accelerometer that can track day-time activity. In December, it secured £15.5 million after closing an investment round led by Michael Dell’s MSD Capital.
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