A legion of new poppies has sprouted, thanks to some rather dubious rebranding.There’s no denying that all monies raised are in aid of a very worthy cause, but shouldn’t a little more respect be paid to the timelessly understated and universally recognized, bog standard Royal British Legion poppy? Personally, I ... Read More...
Style
Here are the highlights… they were twinkling all over the ceiling in 1980s wedding reception style. There was even a DJ spinning disco tracks to buy art to - and the room was rocking. Whether or not they had money to spend, on Thursday night, The Affordable Art Fair was ... Read More...
Entry to Frieze, (£27), entitles you to buy: a catalogue and a canvas bag; overpriced art books in the bookstore - and actual works of art, if you are gullible enough can afford them. You can also buy drinks/lunch/dinner in the designer café, or restaurant – all a bit of ... Read More...
When I read AA Gill’s searing review of the Gilbert Scott restaurant at the new St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, I wondered why he hadn’t gone to Rules instead. Anyway, without further ado, here is my top 10 list of old fashioned eating houses in central London: 1) Rules Sources say: Established by ... Read More...
This post will be short and sweet as I’m rather pressed for time: London Fashion Week, the London Design Festival, London Open House and my birthday party are all happening at the same time this weekend. I've just a few moments to share a some photographs taken at Somerset House, when ... Read More...
The unfortunately named Harry Crook established Kleeneze in 1923. It was the era of door to door sales: the genuine Encyclopedia Britannica vendor, the original man from the Pru. They were all shiny suits and polished briefcases. If you heard them walking up the garden path, there were evasion tactics. ... Read More...
Despite the furore over loans, today’s university students are a privileged lot. As recently as the 1980s, we were locked inside our halls of residence at night, had to share bathrooms and make do without the luxury of even a landline telephone. I was in one of the first years of ... Read More...
Occasionally, you'll get lucky and be pleasantly surprised – but, before you even walk through the door, you know when you’ve picked a lemon. It’s usually a hotel where the rooms cost around 100 Euros a night, as opposed to the sort where the simplest of breakfasts will set you ... Read More...
Susan is taking a well-earned holiday this week - her first since The Dabbler's inception last year - so here's one from the Retroprogressive archives... Rumour has it that fashionably retro-progressive gents are investing in the priceless heritage of a bygone era. For those who want to go one better than ... Read More...
A few months ago I was sitting in a boat during Antigua’s ClassicYacht Regatta, a little too close to the racing for comfort. Many of the sleekly designed sailing craft had been fitted out with sails made from a new type of go-faster fabric. The aesthetic effect wasn’t that appealing, ... Read More...
