Combining a mix of society's last word and both wit and wisdom, The Steeple Times covers food, drink and fine dining as well as luxury, travel, the arts, individuals of influence and current affairs in the United Kingdom, America and elsewhere. We are best described as being akin to "a cross between The Huffington Post and Private Eye".
The magazine's following is affluent, engaged and international. With 41% of readers coming from the UK and 38% from America, The Steeple Times also has strong presence within Canadian, Italian, German and Australian territories.
January 27, 2019
by Matthew Steeples
Reality television ‘star’ and ex-girlfriend of acid thrower Ferne McCann caught hurling drinks at National Television Awards Ferne McCann and chucking things seem to go together. First, the father of her child was deservedly jailed after attacking 22 innocent people with acid and now it has been revealed that this Brentwood born broad chucked … Continue reading “Fishwife Ferne”
January 7, 2019
by Matthew Steeples
Lady ‘Call Me Victoria’ Borwick makes a fool of herself on the BBC’s ‘Big Question’ as it is revealed that the MP who managed to lose the safe seat of Kensington is ludicrously seeking a comeback Yesterday morning, Lady ‘Call Me Victoria’ Borwick nodded her head on the BBC’s The Big Questions as another … Continue reading “Blessed Borwick’s Back”
January 5, 2019
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples celebrates the nicknames of Chelsea’s characters but regrets that the area itself is rapidly being stripped of the very character that made it so appealing In Chelsea well-known barflies and lavish lunchers have long been given wacky nicknames. Amongst my friends and acquaintances are ‘Steve the Lunch’ (known for planning where to … Continue reading “The Collapse of Chelsea Character”
January 2, 2019
by Matthew Steeples
With his marriage to the woman formerly known as Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has morphed into an utter bore Prince Harry used to be a fun loving sort. He boozed, partied and enjoyed playing pranks. Now, having married ‘Murky Mucky Mendacious Meg,’ it seems those days are over. Supposedly, according to “royal insiders” … Continue reading “Moron of the Moment – Prince Harry”
October 22, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Clangers overheard and snippets spotted by readers of ‘The Steeple Times’ Mobile Arabs An Arab sat outside a shisha café on Brompton Road told her friend: “I lost my phone in Harrods today but I went back and they’d found it. Thank God it was Harrods. They’d have been so racist anywhere else but … Continue reading “Overheard – 22nd October 2018”
August 24, 2018
by General
Though considered one of society’s “Bright Young Things,” the “morally dubious” daughter of Sir John and Lady Mullens was just a tempestuous coke addict who got away with murder. Separated from her supposedly violent American singer husband, John Sterling Barney, and living with an “extravagant, bisexual waster” named Michael Scott Stephen in 1932, Elvira … Continue reading “Elvira Mullens Barney (1904 – 1936)”
February 23, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Study reveals old aged folk who get fat and enjoy a tipple or two tend to live longer On Wednesday in society magazine Town & Country, Sam Dangremond revealed that “drinking alcohol could be the key to living past 90.” Quoting The 90+ Study, “one of the largest studies of the oldest-old in … Continue reading “Going For Booze”
November 23, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
As Public Health Wales claims drinking spirits is bad for you, we rebut their frankly stupid study On Tuesday, The Telegraph reported that a completely unscientific study by an organisation named Public Health Wales had found that spirits are more likely to “trigger bouts of depression and unexpected weeping.” Said also to cause … Continue reading “More gin, vicar?”
September 26, 2017
by General
Putney based Shawn Sullivan fled America after being accused of abusing two girls aged 11 and 14 in the 1990s. He was subsequently convicted of sexually assaulting two 12 year old girls in Ireland in 1997 but then moved to London on an Irish passport. Sullivan then married a Ministry of Justice policy manager named … Continue reading “Shawn Sullivan (AKA Shawn O’Suilleabhain and ‘The Putney Paedo’)”
August 15, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
‘Sir Shifty’ filmed in debauched incident in Mykonos; he would do better to sip rather than spray his beverages Sir Philip Green will forever be remembered as a man whose former company, BHS, collapsed with the loss of 11,000 jobs. At that time, in The Steeple Times, the actor and producer Steven Berkoff compared … Continue reading “Moron of the Moment – Sir Philip Green”
August 8, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
One-off 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI cabriolet to be auctioned; originally commissioned by a British playboy turned jailbird with connections to Princess Margaret but only actually completed in 1993 A 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet with bodywork by the renowned Italian automotive stylist Frua is to be auctioned this month. Offered with an … Continue reading “A Con and A Cabriolet”
July 25, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Study reveals drinking alcohol can improve memory A study has revealed that those that drink alcohol after studying recall what they learnt better than those that don’t. The University of Exeter set 88 drinkers a word-learning task and then split them into two random groups. The first were told to drink as much … Continue reading “Brainy Boozing”
June 8, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples asks Conservative candidate for Kensington Lady Borwick five questions; he put the same to the Liberal Democrats Annabel Mullin also whilst Labour’s Emma Dent Coad failed to respond In the final hours of the 2017 General Election campaign, I asked the Conservative candidate for Kensington, Lady Borwick, five questions I considered relevant … Continue reading “A Question of Borwick”
May 14, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Chelsea studio house built for “spiritual artist” Arild Rosenkrantz and later home to the extremely eccentric lesbian heiress and powerboater ‘Joe’ Carstairs for sale for £8.95 million “Spiritual seeker” and artist Baron Arild Rosenkrantz (1870 – 1964) was born in Denmark, studied in Rome and married his Scottish cousin, Louise Mackenzie, in 1901. His … Continue reading “Spirit & Speed”
May 7, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
A dream job for wine lovers; get paid to drink and drive your way across America An Oregon winery is seeking a ‘Canbassador’ to join them on a roadtrip across America to hawk their range of wines – including their ‘pinot in a can’. The Union Wine Company, founded by Ryan Harms in … Continue reading “Jobbing Wine”
September 19, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Gin sales up in the UK as drinkers switch from beer and wine to ‘Mother’s Ruin’ The gin market in the UK has soared to sales of nearly £1 million per day according to new research by analysts Kantar Worldpanel. According to the firm, sales are up 16% to £338 million in the … Continue reading “Gin rockets”
March 22, 2016
by General
Art curator, philanthropist and ambassador’s wife Brooke Barzun is of Pilgrim Fathers ancestry and hails from the family that controls Jack Daniel’s.
March 20, 2016
by General
A lover of parties in Central London, little else is known of The Ranting Crasher.
March 19, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Gin and tonic hater William Hanson frankly has to be the biggest idiot in Britain
November 15, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Chase Vodka founder slates rival brands Sipsmith and Black Cow and refers to them as “crap” products
June 25, 2015
by General
La Brasserie and Stella Artois to host a Wimbledon themed evening where guests can learn to pour the perfect pint
by General
Though convicted and sentenced to a six-week suspended jail sentence for a racist tirade in December 2013 in which she claimed “brown people are ruining London”, Baroness Marie-Claire von Alvensleben continues to parade around as if still acceptable in polite society.
June 20, 2015
by General
Jailed in June 2015 for making false accusations of rape against two entirely innocent men in October 2013, London Underground worker Comfort Yinusa is the kind of woman who makes it harder for genuine victims to get justice.
June 3, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
An evening showcase of Chavín Jewellery with a barbecue by Le ‘Bab
April 5, 2015
by General
The legendary cricket commentator and author Henry Blofeld describes his world as “bubbly and boisterous”.
April 2, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Motcombs Bar & Restaurant offers what could quite possibly be the best set of bargains for drinkers in the affluent area of Belgravia during April – including two G&Ts for just £5.90
February 11, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
As London Underground workers vote to go on strike in support of a colleague who failed two alcohol breath tests, Matthew Steeples argues that it is time to curtail the rights of essential service workers
February 2, 2015
by steepleadmin
Conflict photographer Maximilian Clarke recounts encounters with doctors and drunks in Donetsk and finds that all the people there want is for the world to know what is happening to them
January 16, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Knightsbridge bar and restaurant The Rib Room creates a cocktail using 41 gins (and 9 other ingredients) to mark the release of the film ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’
January 15, 2015
January 14, 2015
by General
Italian bartender and gin creator Danilo Tersigni is the charming general manager of Mayfair hotspot Mr Fogg’s.
January 5, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Nigel Farage giving up drinking is nothing other than an orchestrated publicity stunt
December 23, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
John Goodman models the “Dr Evil” look in as he checks in at the South Florida Reception Center prison
December 6, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
This cheerful barman lives in Chelsea and works at La Brasserie in South Kensington.
November 10, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks Konik’s Tail Vodka founder Pleurat Shabani: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
November 2, 2014
by General
Twice a Labour Member of Parliament (1929 – 1931 and 1940 – 1955) and bizarrely sharing a Christian name with television’s Mrs Bucket, Dr Hyacinth Morgan was a doctor and Labour politician
October 13, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Broadcaster turned author Judy Finnigan tries to excuse the conduct of a convicted rapist
September 23, 2014
by General
One of the finest ever “method actors”, Eli Wallach was a star of the stage and screen between 1945 and 2010 and once had to ask the director John Hutson for advice on how to play a drunk because he was a strict teetotaler. Brooklyn born and the son of a sweet shop owner, Wallach … Continue reading “Eli Wallach (1915 – 2014)”
September 22, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks writer, poet and photographer Amanda Eliasch: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
September 14, 2014
by General
Vineyard owner and French actor Gérard Depardieu admitted to drinking up to 14 bottles of wine a day in September 2014 but also claimed he is “never totally drunk, just a little pi**ed”.
August 6, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The eccentric owner of Old Brompton Road’s Nam Long Le Shaker was famed for creating the legendary Flaming Ferrari cocktail. A favourite of the likes of Lord Archer’s son, James, this lethal concoction consists of 100% proof rum, Chartreuse, Grand Marnier and Blue Curaçao. Of them Dang Cao commented: “If you drink three of them … Continue reading “Thai Dang Cao (1953 – 2014)”
March 23, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A Bactrian camel named Jeffrey who loves a pint When we heard about a beer loving Bactrian camel named Jeffrey, we just had to make an image of him our Picture of the Week.
February 28, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Shamed baroness spotted shopping in Waitrose Belgravia Our editor expected it unlikely to cross paths with the shamed criminal Baroness Marie-Claire von Alvensleben after her conviction on Wednesday. He was, therefore, more than surprised to encounter her in Waitrose Belgravia on Thursday evening
December 29, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with food writer and car collector Morgan Murphy The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Bourbon and bacon, which is, by the way, the title of my next book coming out from Time Inc. next year. No, it’s not a diet book. “Don’t get even, get medieval” … Continue reading “Morgan Murphy: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
December 24, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with businessman Iqbal Latif The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Unlearning the old and relearning the new. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Be an integral part of rising global consciousness”. Seven billion connected minds in this … Continue reading “Iqbal Latif: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
September 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Tesco place a “Back to School” banner above an alcohol display in Swansea Shoppers at Tesco in Fforestfach, Wales were controversially confronted by a display of gin, vodka and whisky complete with a “Back to School” sign in recent days.
August 31, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Educated at the University of Aix-en-Provence and the University of Milan, this scion of the Mondavi wine making dynasty married his wife Megan on the Nippozano Estate in Tuscany. Naturally, after proposing at the Opus One Winery, the wedding itself included a wine pouring ceremony that blended Sangiovese and Merlot varietals. He’s also into snowboarding … Continue reading “Carlo Mondavi”
August 25, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with Xero Vodka founder William Seth-Smith The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? I try never to turn down adventure for the sake of easy apathy. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? Those that mind don’t matter and … Continue reading “William Seth-Smith: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
August 15, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Has booze baron Vijay Mallya met his match? The Indian tycoon and self-proclaimed “King of Good Times” Vijay Mallya has long been lauded as a mammoth success story but finally, as he faces potential prosecution for alleged non-payment of taxes, it seems as if he may have lost his Midas touch.
July 26, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with Marcus Schelbert, food and beverage duty manager of Belgraves – A Thompson Hotel The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? My friends, my family and my passion for my work, drinks and food. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. … Continue reading “Marcus Schelbert: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
July 14, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
This Canadian actor and musician’s life was short but he packed plenty into it. A star of Fox’s Glee, Monteith appeared in 17 different films and attended 16 different schools. Tragically this substance addict was found dead in The Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver in July 2013. A talent lost.
July 11, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The brass of Chelsea Though the characters of Chelsea are changing, the murky world beneath its privileged surface will never disappear.
July 9, 2013
by Fred Sculthorp
Our man in whites Fred Sculthorp looks ahead to this week’s Test cricket series, The Ashes The enemy are at the gates. The time has come. Tomorrow, two of the great sporting civilizations will clash in mankind’s most profound expression of physical and mental endurance- the five day Test match.
July 8, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Sara[h] Al Amoudi: a supposed ‘Saudi princess’ who has a history with the British court faces two property investors who claim she duped them into handing her £14 million worth of properties in Central London We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: “Where there’s brass, there’s muck”.
June 22, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Gilpin’s Gin and a call to save juniper This week it was reported that there’s a crisis in the world of gin. Juniper, the plant that provides the botanical essential to create this remarkable spirit, is threatened by loss of habitat and a deadly new fungus.
May 27, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks Matthew Gilpin, the creator of Gilpin’s Gin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Creativity: The only thing that endures. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? Stay jolly. However bad things get … Continue reading “Matthew Gilpin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
May 21, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A model and “television personality”. The daughter of the former daytime duo Richard and Judy, Madeley appeared in a show named Celebrity Quitters in 2010 but has been banned for causing a car crash whilst drunk and photographed allegedly smoking cannabis. Maybe it would indeed be best if she did indeed give up.
May 6, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks head sommelier of The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant Louise Gordon: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Family, friends and the aim of one day owning my own business. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a … Continue reading “Louise Gordon: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
by Matthew Steeples
The latest bizarre turn in the John Goodman case Rather like the twisters that often hit the coast of Florida, the story of the case of the polo mogul and multimillionaire Goodman stereo manufacturing heir John Goodman has again taken another turn. On Friday, it was revealed that a juror in the case … Continue reading “A twister of a trial”
April 24, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The tale of a thief with taste Nobody likes at an alcohol thief but sadly, here at The Steeple Times have to write about a fair few of them. Most recently, we wrote of the case of Romain Brunot, a man so partial to Krug and Belvedere that he helped himself to some £75,000 … Continue reading “Wanting whisky”
April 11, 2013
by Sarah Tucker
Sarah Tucker tries out Britain’s scariest new attraction 80mph, approximately a mile long, 700 foot above a mountain lake, under clear blue skies in Snowdonia: Today, I became Wonder Woman for 55 seconds.
April 9, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks bass-baritone singer Stephen Bowman: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Gravity mainly, followed by a healthy fear of dying young. Avoiding skydiving tends to keep both of those fears at bay. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble … Continue reading “Stephen Bowman: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
March 12, 2013
March 10, 2013
by steepleadmin
Travel writer Sarah Tucker shares her views on Mother’s Day Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful women who have given birth to little gems. I feel a bit like a travel writer stating: “The people here are all very friendly” when I write that, because although it’s mostly true, it’s not always true. … Continue reading “The truth about Mother’s Day”
March 8, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Their story is a modern day equivalent of that of Romeo and Juliet and Vanity Fair chronicled their deaths as The Golden Suicides. “Handsome” Blake, a digital artist and painter who worked with Malcolm McLaren and Fox Searchlight, and “sexy” Duncan, a writer, game designer and filmmaker best known for the “girl-centric” game Chop Suey, … Continue reading “Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan (1971 – 2007 and 1966 – 2007)”
March 4, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks artist Anna-Louise Felstead: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? My old headmaster Peter Pyemont once said in a Friday assembly: “The more you put into life, the more you get out of it”. I have lived by those words ever since. … Continue reading “Anna-Louise Felstead: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
March 3, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
This former daytime television presenter is now a novelist who somewhat ambitiously compares herself to Dame Daphne du Maurier. Better known collectively with her second husband as just “Richard and Judy”, Judy Finnigan has been beset by rumours about her love of alcohol for many years. She didn’t exactly help put a stop to such … Continue reading “Judy Finnigan”
December 2, 2012
by steepleadmin
The Steeple Times asks model and personality Nicholas Gruber: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force? I try to learn something from everyone I meet. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? Life is short so enjoy a … Continue reading “Nicholas Gruber: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
November 26, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Co-owner of the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills with her husband R. J., Cohen is of surprisingly humble origins. She grew up on a chicken farm in Cleveland, Ohio but moved to LA with her divorced mother aged 13 when she opened a Kosher chicken killing plant on Santa Monica Boulevard. This hardworking lady now … Continue reading “Beverly Cohen”
November 23, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
This Californian became a child star to help solve the financial woes of his family. He excelled in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and received a $15 million cheque for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Aside from acting, he’s been in relationships with Carey Mulligan, Isabel Lucas and Megan Fox but it is bar brawls … Continue reading “Shia LaBeouf”
November 12, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
A gent who operated by routine, whisky and 40 cigarettes a day. This clubman’s knowledge of London history was phenomenal and he was dedicated to his role as parish clerk at St. Michael’s Cornhill. Gaze, a Russian icon dealer with a shop in the Piccadilly Arcade, lived a life full of dramas that included being … Continue reading “John Gaze (1947 – 2011)”
