April 2020

L’Hotel in the Rue des Beaux Arts on the left bank in Paris is utterly exceptional, the perfect bijou, boutique hotel. We pulled up in the opaque white Ferrari 488 convertible right outside the door, popped the front trunk and handed our bags over to the concierge. The entrance is discreet and easily missed, but once inside there is an impressive hall that extends past the front desk, though the bar, into the restaurant and ends in the exterior garden with its wonderful scalloped fountain.

The Victoria Palace Hotel is just off the Boulevard Montparnasse, behind the FNAC in the Rue Blaise-Desgoffe. It is an ideal location and laid back pied a terre close to the Jardins de Luxembourg, the Cartier Modern Art Museum and Odeon with all its fabulous restaurants and bars. It has a terrific parking space, which is a huge plus when you arrive in a Ferrari 488 Spider. The parking is at ground level next to the hotel and there is plenty of room.

Best New Watches: Chopard Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition

In a recent case, the Supreme Court in London (which is the highest court in the UK) was asked to decide on a matter in which a reference, given by a bank to its customer, was entirely incorrect. It is common for a party to ask a bank to give their opinion on the financial standing of another party, as part of a commercial transaction. Playboy Club, who asked the bank for an opinion on one of its casino gamblers via a third party, claimed that the bank had been negligent and sought compensation.  

Doesn’t it feel like watch brands emerge on Kickstarter like sand on the beach? They are all jostling for position with taglines like “revolutionary design”, “affordable luxury” or the promise to “disrupt the industry”. With Alpina successfully launching their latest smartwatch on Kickstarter, they demonstrated the crowdfunding potential for established watch brands.

The Ferrari 488 Spider in Italian opaque white (or Bianco Italia Opaco) with the Nero (black) interior is refined, almost discreet for a hyper-car. Glamorous without being flash, with curves in all the right places. The matt white keeps it low key so you can appreciate the curvaceous wheel arches and sinuous body without sunglasses. The elegant lines convey stately sports car sophistication. So it should as this mobile masterpiece comes out at £335,197 with the extras.

Let’s face it, most Rosé wine cannot be made for people’s pleasure.  It is a surprise if it is well made which is a good starting point but character rarely features.  No wonder some people say they do not like wine.  They should be saying that they do not like badly made wine which so frequently can be applied to Rosé.  We visited a major winery in Sancerre and were shown around by a rather arrogant young member of the family who explained where the grapes were grown for each of their wines.  When it came to Rosé, he was very dismissive and said they were grown on their north facing slopes

Veterans from the British Army's 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment, ‘The VIKINGS’, are set to hit the catwalk this coming September during London Fashion Week (LFW). They will include and feature two amputees - walking wounded - as part of efforts to challenge the stigma associated with war wounded in society at large.
 

Recently, we worked with an engineering company in the Midlands who use additive manufacturing - 3D printing to you and me - extensively. One of the key applications for this, they explained, was to re-manufacture parts for classic cars when the originals are no longer available. They digitally scan and rebuild original components and then 3D print new parts in metal, using techniques pioneered in the aeronautical industry.

International Excellence Magazine photographed its latest fashion shoot at Worplesdon Golf Club, a gorgeous 18 hole golf club just outside Woking, known for its classic Surrey Heathland layout and superb short holes. 
The greens are excellent and amongst the best in Surrey. Built on predominantly Bagshot sand, the course drains well in the winter and becomes very much the inland links course the heathland courses are famed for in the summer.