Paris at any time of year is simply magical and a post-Valentine shopping and culinary trip is always the highlight of our calendar. On our annual trip we chose to stay in the 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord, Paris, opposite the Gard Du Nord, its location is super handy for navigating one’s way around Paris. For example the fabulous Galeries La Fayette is within thirty minutes walking distance, some might say it’s faster than actually hopping in a taxi!

I mention the Maldives and already you are conjuring up a far away paradise, powder white sandy beaches, crystal clear turquoise sea and the bluest of blue skies you have ever set your eyes on. Yes certainly it is paradise but what sets the Sun Siyam resort group apart from the others is the staff. The minute you arrive the staff greet you with the words “welcome home”, well if your home is heaven you have returned. 

We embarked on a quest to find a challenge worthy of the Toyota Hilux Invincible. We needed an adventure that would make it sweat… or at least mildly perspire.

Our initial foray took us to Essex, the spiritual homeland of the pickup truck. Think of it as the Hilux's boot camp, a place where it could limber up and show off its moves on icy roads and varied terrain.

I’VE embarked on a fair few snowboarding holidays in winters past, and they’ve been either tight-budget affairs or entailed trying to arrange every part of it myself and cutting corners where I could – neither ideal for when you just want to let your hair down and enjoy the slopes of a long weekend. 

On this four-day trip to Avoriaz, France, however, my every whim and worry were taken care of from start to finish, and in some style, meaning the bar is now raised forever.

The motoring universe moves fast. But every so often, I realise it’s shifting even faster than I give it credit for. Take the new Black Badge Spectre for example. In my mind, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have spent the last century meticulously evolving and refining the perfect V12 grand tourers. And yet seemingly, just like that, we are now fully electric. And the Black Badge represents the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce’s boldest evolution yet.

Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill is one of London’s most iconic restaurants, blending sophistication with timeless elegance and reflecting the hotel’s rich heritage. Reimagined by Gordon Ramsay, the restaurant reopened its doors in April 2023, revitalising a space that has been a favourite of actors, politicians, and influential figures for generations. The subtle updates were well worth the investment, as the buzzing dining room now welcomes a new demographic of passionate foodies alongside its regulars.

Valentine’s Day has long been associated with grand gestures and sentimental traditions, but at its core, it’s simply an occasion to slow down and share something meaningful. Few things do this as effortlessly as wine. Whether opening a bottle for a quiet dinner at home or selecting something special to toast an evening out, the right choice enhances the moment without needing fanfare. This year, rather than reaching for the predictable, I have chosen 8 wines that you might not ordinarily choose - it is good to be adventurous after all!

The British have always harboured a faintly masochistic love affair with queuing. We queue for Wimbledon tickets, we queue for airport security, we queue - often with existential regret - for a lukewarm G&T at the theatre bar. And in Marylebone, a particularly dedicated breed of diner queues, rain or shine, for steak frites at Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte.

Introduction