Luxury

The briolette is one of the oldest cuts used in gem faceting, reaching its height of popularity in the 17th century. A briolette cut is a pear shaped stone whose surface is entirely cut with small, triangular facets. It was developed in India and before the full refractive properties of diamonds were fully understood, in the 16th century it was probably the cut that reflected most light out of the stone. The name probably comes from the Italian word ‘brio’, or vivacity, which is probably the most loquacious way of describing the way this cut reflects light, especially in diamonds.

After an informative morning steeped in oenology, and a lot of spitting and no swallowing (well in my case anyway) we got back in the Bentley V8 S, placed our Blanc de Blancs 2008 in the Bentley’s wine cooler, with its two designer glasses and Star Trek swooshing glass door, and headed back out on to the country lanes. We were now bound for Ridgeview Estate Winery, a vineyard in the Sussex Downs and official suppliers to Downing Street. Rolling along in the Bentley was as usual a distinct pleasure. The comfort specification now coming into its own as we had been driving a few hours.

Russell Kane has a new show out entitled Right Man Wrong Age which we caught at Glive in Guildford. His performance is as energetic, hilarious, electric, hysterical and as explosive as ever. However one thing has changed, he now has a baby daughter and like most great comedians (he is one of the very best of this generation) he takes his material from his own experiences and life. Clearly having a baby was a life changing moment and Russell is keen to share this in all its glories and vertiginous pitfalls.

What better way to tour the best English vineyards producing award winning sparkling wines than in the Bentley Flying Spur V8 S? The Flying Spur is without doubt one of the most comfortable luxury cars ever made and ideal for a luxury tour of the chalk and clay landscapes of southern England that now host some of the finest wines in the world.

Design Dodge 2016

Baroness Gail Rebuck, Chair of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, said: “There will be a chance to meet some of the leading figures in film, art, design and food – while also discovering fresh literary voices. And Cheltenham, Britain’s oldest literature festival will also showcase millennial talent from bloggers to spoken word poets, offering up yet another year of inspired curation and intellectual challenge.”

I attended an illuminating book event hosted at RAF Museum Hendon this past weekend (17 September), which saw the relaunch of 'One of The Few', containing the memoirs of Group Captain ‘Johnny’ Kent who joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1930.
This fascinating event was graced by the attendance of Alexandra Kent, daughter of the RAF hero born at the outbreak of the First World War in Winnipeg, Canada.
 

This year’s fair will be held, for the third time, at the Old Granada Studios. The venue was the home of Granada Television between 1956 and 2013, before its move to MediaCityUK in Salford Quays and Trafford Quays.  Brideshead Revisited, King Lear with Sir Laurence Olivier and, most famously, soap opera, Coronation Street were filmed at the studios. The studios are now a ‘platform for creativity, innovation and urban exploration. Mixing commerce, events, arts and culture’.

The LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair returns for its eighth year to the suitably breathtaking surrounds of Berkeley Square, Mayfair. Sponsored by Delancey, the LAPADA Fair offers an unmissable opportunity to source and buy some of the world’s most coveted works of art, antiques, design and decorative arts. This year, it will take place from Tuesday 13th September until Sunday 18th September 2016, marking the start of London’s fashionable Autumn art season.

We seemed to be driving forever down single track lanes with high hedges on either side, but we had been warned that one mile might feel more like ten. Then there it was tucked away on the border between Somerset and Devon; a fairy tale semi-moated house with ducks floating on the lake in the front. Just like the sleeping beauty when the veil has been lifted and all is revealed.