Archive for October, 2009
avalonia October 25th, 2009
On the whole I shy away from bar and restaurant reviews – more than anything for fear of being tarred with the same brush as the plethora of writers who shamelessly strive to post the newest, and supposedly hottest venues. However in this case I decided to make an exception. The Avalon isn’t especially new, nor is it necessarily hot through the eyes of genuine or wannabe trend spotters. It is however fantastic, and well worth a mention here.
I had been meaning to go for a while, and can say for sure that it was worth the wait. The décor is classical and quintessentially British – reminiscent of an opulent sporting lodge or old boys club – with all the characteristics you’d hope for in such a setting: butcher shop style white tiled walls - adorned with taxidermic trophies - and deep weathered chesterfield furnishings. One glance at the bar and my already high regard for The Avalon was compounded: Belvedere Vodka [Pure and Citrus], Appleton Estate [including a previously unseen 3L bottle], and Patrón [Añejo and Coffee]. It was by now plain to see that this was a venue after my own heart. The menu was equally inspired, with home made wild boar sausage rolls, and Wright Bros oysetrs the pick of the crop on the day I visited. If you find yourself south of the river, a visit to The Avalon would be well worth your while…
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leaf fall 09 October 14th, 2009
These are the Country Club [above] and Leaf [below] fitted caps from Elm Company’s Fall ‘09 collection. Season after season Elm Company - whose Letterman cap I featured back in March - continue to put out a quality product. Especially when it comes to caps…
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pain in the neck October 6th, 2009
Whether you love autotune or hate it, whether you love Jay-Z’s D.O.A or hate it, and whether you love T-Pain or hate him, what he said about Jigga while on stage in Las Vegas last weekend was foolish and shortsighted. However, this apology - in the form of a remix of Drake’s Successful - is sincere and humble. For that he deserves respect - despite his lack of dignity earlier in the week. If you didn’t know about the bad blood between T-Pain and Jay you may well have missed the storm [in a teacup?] by now - but listening to this, especially the 3rd verse [3minutes 07seconds], will fill you in on the latest [and possibly final] chapter in the story…
And if you like it enough, you can get hold of the download here
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yes sir i’m cut from a different cloth October 6th, 2009
When it comes to the question of sports car versus four by four I tend to sway towards the convertible more often than not. As a rule it’s hard to beat a classic convertible [although the Land Rover Defender does come close], and the Range Rover - as much as I love it - has been played out. Even the Project Kahn versions are relatively commonplace these days, and with the last days of summer seemingly fairly close behind us, like I said more often than not I’d favour the sports car right now. Until I saw the Limited Edition collaboration between gunsmiths Holland & Holland and Range Rover customisers Overfinch. Limited to only 100 cars per year, the sublimely designed Holland & Holland Range Rover is available in 4 different colourways [including Holland & Holland's Tintern Green] and the 31 piece wood veneer interior comes in a choice of Olive Ash Gloss, European Burr Walnut, Matt Gunstock Wallnut, or Piano Black lacquer with silver inlays. The car seats four people - with a custom built centre console [below] between the two back seats, which houses an integrated fridge. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better comes the coup de grace: the boot. The veneered ‘cupboard’ [to match the rest of the interior] features three drawers fitted to carry eight matching Holland & Holland crystal tumblers and flutes, as well as your shotguns, cartridges, and cartridge bag. Oh and the drinks cabinet [featuring 6 premium spirits including Hendrick's Single Batch gin] is re-stocked free of charge for the first year. This really is the ultimate British sporting accessory [or showpiece depending on how you look at it], or as they put it the most luxurious off-roader ever: the embodiment of unique sporting heritage and bespoke craftmanship. And to cap it all off, for the base model you can choose from a TDV8 Diesel or 5.0L 503HP Super Charged petrol engine - the Range’s metrosexual cousin, the Range Rover Sport, is nowhere to be seen. How much? Only £140k…
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dirty cash i want you / dirty cash i need you more October 1st, 2009
Please forgive me. Tim ‘The Big Dog’ Westwood doesn’t really deserve one line on here - but in this special case I’m going to break that unwritten rule and post one of his videos. For the plain and simple reason that no matter what anybody says, for some inexplicable reason he attracts the biggest names on his show, and by the law of averages every now and then he’s bound to host something special. Like this freestyle from Dylan the Villain. Not only is Dizzee freestyling over New Boyz’s You’re a Jerk, but he continues to mention Patrón and his fitted cap collection. For those reasons - plus the fact that his album has just dropped - here it is…
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