The Steeple Times asks artist and animal rights activist Jess Black: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
I think humour. Life is so blah when taking too seriously. I try to find the humour in everything.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“No one will fight for you harder than YOU”. You will get a lot of advice, solicited and unsolicited, but at the end of the day you have to trust your own instincts.
The Steeple Times asks Blue Boar Smokehouse chef Jon Ingram: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Seasonality, traceability and simplicity.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Green peppers and bad personal hygiene. They both stink.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
My family.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I don’t have any wealth. I’m a chef
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?
Overpaid people that gamble with our money and still get a bonus.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Jambalaya”: I worked with a chef who had it on the menu. I think it is the worst dish I have ever seen or tasted.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I donate to Cancer Research every month.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
I love my phone. It goes everywhere I do, except for my days off. Then, it generally sits there until I go back to work.
Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar chef Jon Ingram
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
It would be a real eclectic mix of people such as Tommy Cooper, Burt Bacharach, Marco Pierre White, Jonnie Boer, Dynamo, Lionel Richie, Frank Bruno, Russell Howard, my kids and most importantly my wife.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Blue Boar ribs to start and a huge roast beef dinner and chocolate
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Pubs open at 11am.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Tea: white peony.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I’m normally cooking for them, so anyones’.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My wife.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
A croissant stuffed with a Cumberland sausage.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
My motto: K.I.S.S.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A Morgan: a small fish in a big pond.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’ve got a 100-metre swimming badge.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
If I had one, I would put my 100-metre swimming badge on it along with a picture of my wife and kids. I would most definitely not put a carriage clock on it though.
Jon Ingram is the chef of the Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar in Westminster.
The Steeple Times asks nightlife entrepreneur Diego Bivero-Volpe: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Get there on time.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Racism and injustice. I travel quite a bit and I am always taken aback by how prevalent both are everywhere in the world.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
My family. They are all spread out, far away in different corners of the globe. It is difficult to see them often.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
The wellbeing of my loved ones.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?
I love that quote but sadly it is indicative of how failed the system is. I used to work in the equity derivatives arm of RBS’ investment bank and I can tell you first-hand it is a cowboy’s game, with a lot of cavalier moves being made at the expense of the general public.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
Racist slurs.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
This is probably true but I think all humans have a primal desire and need to help each other. I personally support Nordoff Robbins and Kids Company, both charities that help and provide support and protection for children.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Unfortunately I am incredibly addicted to my Blackberry. Thinking about it, I don’t think it one has ever been more than 5 feet away from my in almost 10 years. That is disturbing.
Diego Bivero-Volpe
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
So many… A random list off the top of my head: All of Led Zeppelin, Marcus Aurelius, Michelangelo, Rodin, Picasso, Piranesi, Buddy Holly, Hobbs, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and maybe Daniel Tosh because he’s hysterical. It would certainly make for quite the journey all around.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
It’s hard to say, I am a lover of food, but I recently have developed a new obsession with steak, so maybe that and a spinach, avocado and mango salad. In any case, let’s just hope this situation never happens.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
The conventional wisdom would dictate after 5pm. If you are on holiday somewhere sunny, a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz (if in Italy) with lunch is always acceptable.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Vodka martini, dry, 3 olives.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
It’s a toss-up between very close friends and big luxurious bashes thrown by film studios and such. Both have their perks and are fun in different ways.
Who is the most positive person you know?
I am fortunate enough to have quite a few very positive people in my life.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Lazing about in Tuscany for 2 weeks every summer, doing nothing but eating pasta and tanning.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
I strongly dislike tattoos.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A classic Ferrari.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I have a masters in journalism and finance.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Lots of pictures of my family, a handmade sculpture made by Amazonian natives and some invites for events this week.
The Steeple Times asks financier Hugh Warrender: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
I was tempted to put something rude that would be true enough, but there’s a great poem by Rainer Maria Rilke called ‘As Once the Winged Energy of Delight’ (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-once-the-winged-energy-of-delight/) that informs pretty much everything I do or think.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
When it started in the same month in 2004 as Facebook, the social network ASmallWorld was ahead of the game. Founded by Erik Wachtmeister with the help of such people as Rob Hersov, it fast found favour with the so-called “elite” of London, New York and Paris. It was a place where people made fun of one another but also a place where people trusted the advice they were given.
Such esteemed (and not so esteemed) people as Michael Ezra, Uri Schneider, Emma Gibbs (now Farah), Emma Louise Hill (now West), D’Arcy Wyvill, Anthony Mamo, Timmy Grech, William Aitken, Emma Rogers, David Reuben Jr, Jakob Eltz, Payam Ghamsari, Gabriele von Lutzau, the Ceveli sisters and Antonine Sorice quickly became the flavor of the site’s forums and others such as a woman who wore sunglasses and furs in all seasons [who since has demanded her name be removed otherwise she’ll report us to the police] talked about camels, chocolate and basements. A man named Eddy Chabli even went so far as to recount an encounter with “The Donald” (Trump) and much to the mirth of the membership was met with only: “Just have another glass… [of Chablis]”.
The likes of Robert Bell hosted parties in honour of the website and at some oddballs turned up. I remember an “up the skirt” photographer harassing my friend Kerri Moss (now Beaumont) at one but we laughed like drains the day after.
ASmallWorld, in fact, to the majority of the membership back then, was just another link in our already interlinked worlds. Then, with new ownership, as one could only expect, it went south. In came people who talked about what to do about the prostitutes who frequented the corridors of the buildings where they lived (I do not make this up) and a man named, if I recall correctly, Bruno, who worried about which private aviation firm would be able to let his dog aboard. Bruno later asked if anyone wanted to share his “ride” with him. I suspect this freak deservedly flew solo.
Friends renamed ASmallWorld “the small minded world” and we all turned off. I was, therefore, as someone who’d quit several years ago, surprised to receive the following yesterday:
Dear Valued Member
Trust is important to us. How important? Well, as part of our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our membership, we have decided to terminate the accounts of anyone who undermines the unique spirit of openness that serves as the cornerstone of ASW—and sets our community apart. Obviously you are not one of those people! You’re receiving this email because we value your contributions to the community, and we hope you always feel comfortable here at ASW, online and off. The reality is simply that our growth has inadvertently allowed certain members to degrade this trust, and those are the people we’re exiling, effective immediately. It is our hope that this will help you feel even more at ease in sharing your life with the rest of the ASW community.
Warm Regards and Happy Travels,
The ASW Team
P.S. Should you wish to review the conduct expected of an ASW member, feel free to read our rules. In the event that you feel a member is in clear violation of our Rules, please email [email protected].
The team at ASW have not only lost the battle to Facebook, they’ve lost the plot. Not only is their grammar appalling and not only is their use of capital letters awful, they have yet again illustrated all that is wrong about their “world”.
