March 2023

As we drove the rather superb Audi R8 noisily (V10 engine) over the Clopton Bridge across the River Avon we could see the white walls and red clay roofs of the Arden Hotel behind the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The Arden Hotel in Stratford is set in the most perfect location, right on the river across the street from the RSC and the Swan Theatre. You are bang centre in the middle of the richest history in England. 

William Shakespeare's last home and the church where he is buried are a hundred yards away through parkland and quaint narrow streets.

Romania can count back in millennia, when it comes to experience in wine making; in fact it has one of the world’s oldest winemaking traditions and is even one of the world’s largest producers.  

Elise Losfelt is the latest Dame du Champagne. She has just been appointed Chef de Cave at Charles Heidseick.

Thirty-six-year-old Losfelt, who previously worked with Benoit Gouez at Moet & Chandon. Elise comes from a family winemaking tradition going back six generations at the Château de L’Engarran in the Languedoc region and her own winemaking experience includes harvests at Domaine Mortitx in Majorca, Château Beychevelle in Saint-Julien and in Australia at Domaine Dominique Portet.

Wiesmann is launching the first all-electric convertible two-seater sports car, 'Project Thunderball', a bespoke luxury retro styled classic coachbuild on a modern powertrain.

I leapt on a plane to Düsseldorf for the inaugural launch at the Wiesmann factory in Dülmen. The factory itself is straddled by a giant gecko, 15 metres tall and over 110 metres long, the brand logo signifying that the car sticks to the road like a gecko sticks to walls.

Mr Prayat’s T-shirt said it all. It instructed me how to drive an elephant and reminded me how to speak elementary mahout.

“Pai!! (Forward). “Ben Kwa!” (Turn right), “Ben Sai! (Turn left) Toi  Sock!” (Back). There is no elephantese for “Stop!”  An elephant stops when it wants to. It rarely gives way and normally assumes it has the right of the way. Together we walked under the kapok silk trees, river figs and elephant ears and elephant apple trees of north Thailand, beside the River Ruak.

The Goldwing is Honda’s touring flagship. First introduced as a naked 1000cc machine in 1975, It has always represented the ultimate in two-wheeled travel. creating an enduring and unrivalled reputation for luxury, quality and comfort.