Commanding a magnificent position between the Blackdown and Quantock hills in the countryside a couple of miles from Taunton is the Mount Somerset Hotel and Spa. The Regency building has a sophisticated elegance and the surroundings afford superb views from virtually all the public rooms and bedrooms. It is set off beautifully by four acres of well-tended gardens, that privacy is not respected by one sheep which regularly jumps the fence from the neighbouring field to join the rabbits gambling outside our bedroom window.

So IX Magazine attended the Goodwood Revival again this summer and once again it delivered a sizzling slice of a glorious age, an anachronistic extravaganza, a fantasy of Britain from a bygone age, enhanced by imagination, wealthy sponsors and superb organisation.

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.
 

Waking up covered completely with a fluffy, white duvet in a cosy, warm flat I groaned and pulled the cover over my face and tried to flick the alarm off with as little effort as possible. It was 7am and the phone case prevented stopping the alarm that penetrated my sleep and shot me into the waking world with little remorse. I had no excuse, I was supposed to be up to catch the best snow and enjoy whatever powder lines were still intact from the previous night’s snow.

Along with Hamptons royalty, the sailing glitterati and the cream of Manhattan, Hunton Yachts has spent a very successful summer in Sag Harbour, where the Hunton XRS43 has been widely acclaimed for its style, looks and performance. Sag Harbour in the Hamptons is an historic sailing hamlet and whaling port since the 1700’s. It is now more famous as a holiday destination for sailing enthusiasts, with its stunning sailboats, impressive power boats and picturesque Main Street with fashionable shops, art galleries and acclaimed restaurants.

The Med’s High-Style Sparkles in Torquay.
We could have been forgiven for thinking we were in Sveti Stefan (now an Aman Resort) – in Montenegro as we gazed out from our ‘deck’, glass of champagne in hand, across the sparkling bay. Sveti Stefan has always been fashionable with a guest list which included Sophia Loren, and when we saw the Cary Arms’ new so-called ‘beach Huts’ we just knew that there will be some notable guests. These potentially design award-winning pavilions are exceptional; they breathe 21st century style into what was formerly tired concept.

Alex Thomson is a British Sailor, and one of the most talented yachtsmen of his generation. Already the youngest ever sailor to win a round the world race, Thomson has three world records to his name. Now, he hopes to add Vendée Globe success to his resume, an accolade which has thus far proven elusive to all British Sailors. Ahead of this year’s Vendée Globe, Thomson shares his thoughts on his career to date and how he feels to be taking on ‘the Everest of sailing’ once again.
Early career

It was a bitterly cold morning in the southern Bulgarian ski town of Bansko and the instant coffee on the balcony had chilled at an alarming pace. In the distance the vague plumes of steam could be seen coming from the figure of a muscular brown horse pulling a cart. On top of the cart was a man with a dark complexion holding the reigns loosely and bobbing up and down as the cart moved forward. The snow was thick with a slight crust on the surface as it had rained a little the previous night.

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.