Stepping-out from London Bridge, I crossed the River Thames, admiring London’s defining landmarks ‘Tower Bridge’ and ‘The Tower of London’, alongside several medal waving participants who had - 48-hours earlier – completed the London Marathon and, obviously, decided to stay on in the capital. Just five minutes later, I was stood in front of ‘Onefifty Fenchurch Street', a brand new luxury aparthotel.
British travellers often overlook the Belgian coastline in favour of the medieval centres of Bruges or Ghent nearby. This is a habitual oversight. While the inland cities offer history and canals, the westernmost point of the country provides an environment defined by expansive natural spaces and a specific history. De Panne sits directly on the border with France. It is the location where King Leopold I first entered the country in 1831 to claim the Belgian throne.
One expects many things from a night on the King’s Road. Discreet wealth, theatrical entrances, perhaps the occasional supercar idling with all the subtlety of a champagne cork. What one does not expect is a diesel Mazda causing passers-by to pause, squint, and wonder if they have momentarily mistaken it for something wearing a prancing horse.
Chelsea, Confidence, and a Case of Mistaken Identity
I was recently among a small group invited to the hallowed rooms of Bonhams in London to taste the new Eagle Rare 30 Year Old. This represents the oldest age stated bourbon ever released by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. More significantly, it is a release that challenges the long held perception of exactly how long a Kentucky bourbon can remain in barrel before it loses its soul.
If you’ve ever tried to squint at a vibrating smartphone clamped to your handlebars while doing 70 mph on the M1, you’ll know what a struggle it is. Between the overheating warnings in summer, the fear of rain wrecking your expensive phone, and the constant fear of it taking a dive into the tarmac, phone mounts are a bit of a faff.
LiveWire is a premium all-electric motorcycle brand. It originally began as "Project LiveWire," an initiative by Harley-Davidson to explore the electric vehicle space. In 2019, Harley-Davidson released its first production electric motorcycle under the LiveWire name.
Recognising the distinct market for electric motorcycles, Harley-Davidson spun LiveWire out into its own standalone company in 2021, to give it the freedom to act more like a tech startup. Harley-Davidson remains the majority shareholder.
On a gloomy, damp Friday morning, I was dropped off at the BMW HQ building in Farnborough, with its contemporary design, prominent glass towers and landscaped grounds, ready to pick up the eagerly awaited R 12 nineT tracker.
First impressions were that it was a good-looking bike with striking flat track styling and a great eye-catching colour combination. It was mean, aggressive and charismatic.
Royal Enfield holds the distinction of being the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production. Its journey from a needle manufacturer to a cult icon is a fascinating blend of British engineering and Indian industrial heritage.
It all started in 1891, when Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie purchased the Townsend Cycle Company. They began supplying precision parts to the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, and to celebrate this connection, they created the Royal Enfield brand name.
There are moments in the wine world that remind you just how much remains undiscovered. This April, Coravin leans into that very idea with its Curiosity By-the-Glass campaign—an initiative designed to challenge familiarity and celebrate exploration, one glass at a time.
I experienced this firsthand at Frog by Adam Handling, in the company of Wine Director Kelvin McCabe (no relation), whose thoughtful curation brought the campaign vividly to life.
Ariel Motor Company has revealed the new Atom 4RR, a limited-run, track-focused but road-legal machine that marks 25 years of the Atom and takes the minimalist British performance car to an even more uncompromising level. Built to order and developed as the most focused Ariel yet, the 4RR becomes the quickest and most powerful Atom the company has ever produced.
