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.
November 28, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Romantic island in Ireland complete with its own castle for sale for just £80,000; there is, of course, a catch A 0.54 acre island at the southeastern end of Lough Key, near Boyle in County Roscommon is to be sold this December. A castle was built there first in the 12th century and though … Continue reading “A Castle With A Catch”
April 17, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
The Cambridge Analytica connection you’ve most likely never heard of; meet The Hon. Thomas Borwick, son of ex-Tory MP Lady ‘Call Me Victoria’ Borwick The Hon. Thomas Borwick is a figure in the Cambridge Analytica scandal you’ve probably never heard of. Bizarrely largely overlooked by the mainstream media, the son of the ousted … Continue reading “Analysing Borwick”
October 14, 2017
by General
The “Donald Trump of the UK” (without the power) according to her fans but just a “piss poor Nazi bigot” according to others, Anne Marie Waters failed to become leader of UKIP in September 2017. Born in Dublin, educated at Nottingham Trent University and a lesbian, Waters condemned her loss as “Jihadi – 1, Truth … Continue reading “Anne Marie Waters”
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’)”
September 11, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Part refurbished Irish Georgian stately home for sale for just £136,000; it was originally built by the Fry family What could be one of the cheapest Georgian stately homes ever has been placed on the market for just £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000). Three storey, five bay, mid-18th century Frybrook House in the … Continue reading “A Cheap Mansion”
August 6, 2017
by General
A pioneer of both the Art Deco style and the functionalist Modernist movement, bisexual Irish aristocrat Eileen Gray was best known for designing the Bibendum chair and the E.1027 table. This great tastemaker lived primarily in South Kensington, Paris and the South of France and another of her creations, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, … Continue reading “Eileen Gray (1878 – 1976, née Eileen Smith)”
June 4, 2017
by General
Reclusive yet charming “leisure entrepreneur” Trevor Hemmings owns over 100 racehorses, lives primarily on the Isle of Man and generously funded the SAFE centre to help victims of sexual violence in Preston, Lancashire. This “publicity averse” self-made father of four’s Grand National winning horses have included Ballabriggs, Hedgehunter and Many Clouds and other assets … Continue reading “Trevor Hemmings CVO”
May 14, 2017
by General
Racist Tory councillor Nick Harrington tweeted: “You can keep your f***ing gypsies” after Ireland gave Britain ‘nul points’ in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. The bigot, magistrate and director of Ambay Software Ltd. then added: “Hard border coming folks!” but showed no remorse when contacted at his £400,000 home in Weston-under-Wetherley, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. … Continue reading “Nick Harrington”
May 8, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Apartment in mansion block in Sloane Square for sale for £6.2 million in spite of needing updating; it is within the building from which a Mayor of Chelsea lived and departed to his death on RMS Titanic A third floor flat in a portered mansion block on Sloane Square has gone on sale for … Continue reading “Take Me To The Titanic”
May 7, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
12th century castle and romantic ruin in Herefordshire for sale for £1.495 million; a title to go with it is available also A part restored castle on the English-Welsh border is back on the market after its buyer pulled out at the end of last year. Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye at at Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire’s story … Continue reading “I Capture the Castle”
April 19, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Theresa May’s gamble to go to the country will likely pay off, but is it good for Britain? Theresa May supposedly decided to go call a snap election after a trip to church and a walking holiday with her garden gnome-like husband, Philip, in Wales over Easter. She has taken a gamble but given … Continue reading “Mugged by May”
March 6, 2017
by Jon Vine
New contributor Jon Vine previews next week’s Cheltenham Festival There is no sound in sport that evokes more tension and excitement than the hooves of twenty equine athletes thundering around the final bend at Prestbury Park. Simply remembering all the great names who have bolted up the Cheltenham straight to claim Festival glory makes … Continue reading “The Excitement Builds”
February 10, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Excitement over the 2017 Cheltenham Festival has already begun and punters are already eagerly placing their bets In 2016, our man ‘The Tout’s’ tip for the coveted Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire, Sprinter Sacre, romped home and beat the favourite by seven lengths. This year’s festival is looking equally … Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival 2017”
February 4, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
5,000 acre Irish estate where “anything can happen” for sale for £24.1 million; its current owner would prefer a buyer who’ll allow him to use it for three months a year Michael Jackson hid out at Luggala in County Wicklow, Ireland in 2006 for three months after being cleared of child molestation charges and … Continue reading “Anything Can Happen”
December 8, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Defrocked priest appears outside the Supreme Court dancing a jig without any trousers; he believes Nigel Farage was “sent by Christ” This week, as the Supreme Court debated one of the most serious constitutional cases in history, a strange little man dressed as a leprechaun danced a jig whilst holding placards about Nigel Farage, … Continue reading “Sexing up Brexit”
May 21, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Grade I listed house in Northern Ireland offered for sale for the first time since it was built in 1620
March 14, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost originally owned by Lord Mountbatten to be auctioned; it came back into his possession just months before he was assassinated in 1979
January 12, 2016
by General
Dublin born Donal Skehan morphed from being part of a boyband to being recognised as one of the most popular food bloggers after being endorsed by Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver
December 19, 2015
by steepleadmin
George Appleton identifies three breeds within the shooting classes and urges readers to see which they belong to
August 20, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks former jockey turned racehorse trainer Victoria Haigh: What’s on your mantelpiece?
July 28, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Michael Bloomberg offers £2 million above the £15 million asking price to see off three other bidders and buys George Eliot’s house by the River Thames
May 23, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Duchess of Cornwall samples a gin and champagne cocktail named in her honour
May 9, 2015
April 17, 2015
by General
Worth some £6.5 billion ($9.7 billion) as of April 2015, Toronto and Windsor, Florida based Galen and Hilary Weston control an empire that includes Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason.
March 9, 2015
by General
Despite tweeting just twice, Dublin born actor Aidan Turner has over 21,000 followers on Twitter.
March 5, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Former multi-millionaire Brian O’Donnell fails in his latest attempt to recuse himself from proceedings relating to the repossession of his £6 million South Dublin home
February 9, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks John Paul Murphy, head chef of South Kensington restaurant La Brasserie: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
January 11, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Plated X: 15 more of the best plates spotted by readers of ‘The Steeple Times’
November 5, 2014
by General
A somewhat secretive billionaire who wants to go bust in his lifetime
September 20, 2014
by General
This Irish writer, journalist and presenter describes herself as having “fought ageism at the BBC and won”. Miriam O’Reilly is best known as a BBC Countryfile presenter but successfully sued the Corporation after being dropped in 2009. She subsequently returned to front the Crimewatch Roadshow with Rav Wilding before attempting and failing to become a … Continue reading “Miriam O’Reilly”
September 19, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Former Daily Record chief reporter Anna Smith has covered conflicts from Somalia and Rwanda to Kosovo. She was one of the first journalists on the scene after both 9/11 and the Dunblane massacres and now writes crime novels full time. In September 2014, she summed up the feelings of many when she wrote an impassioned … Continue reading “Anna Smith”
September 18, 2014
by General
Nicknamed “the walking man’s crumpet”, Dublin born, Rutland based television presenter Julia Bradbury has over 50,000 followers on Twitter. She fronted the BBC’s Countryfile for five years and has also presented shows such as Kill It, Cook It, Eat It and Take on the Twisters. Bradbury views the late fell walker Alfred Wainwright to be a … Continue reading “Julia Bradbury”
September 8, 2014
September 1, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
‘The Steeple Times’ chooses five unusual objects that will prove to be conversation pieces in any home This week sees Christie’s South Kensington auction a selection of “unconventional” items in their second annual Out of the Ordinary sale. With the help of them, Salvage Europe and Bonhams, here we choose five of the best … Continue reading “Five of the Best: Conversation pieces”
August 26, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
This British Army officer served in the Boer, First World and Second World Wars. He was shot in the face twice in WWI and lost his left eye and was shot once through the skull, hip, leg, ankle and ear. In 1915, he lost his left hand and tore off his own fingers after a … Continue reading “Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (1880 – 1963)”
August 21, 2014
by General
The daughter of John Betjeman, Candida Lycett Green was English through and through. An author, conservationist and horsewoman, Lycett Green was a bohemian member of the Private Eye set whom lived by the Reverend Sydney Smith’s “take the short view of human life, never further than dinner or tea”. She began her marriage to the … Continue reading “Candida Lycett Green (1942 – 2014; nicknamed “Wibz”)”
August 1, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks Dean and J. Bradley Tramer of lifestyle website Proper Kid Problems: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
December 31, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with Paralympic cyclist Colin Lynch The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? I’m a fiercely competitive person. Many people find it annoying actually. From the need to always be right, to the desire to win and prove myself better than my competition, I always like to push myself … Continue reading “Colin Lynch: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
December 27, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The births, deaths and innovations of the year 2013 has been a year of change. Much new has reached us but sadly many have left us and amongst them have been Iain Banks, Joan Fontaine, Sir David Frost, Richard Griffiths, Cory Monteith, James Gandolfini, Lou Reed and Paul Walker.
September 30, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A website that explains the legal restrictions on the rights to take photographs Knowing your rights when it comes to taking photographs – especially in an age when most have iPhones and other smart devices with camera facilities – has never been more important.
August 30, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
“The most important Irish poet since Yeats”, Heaney’s books accounted for two thirds of the sales of all living poets in the UK during his final years. The recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, this gifted storyteller was undoubtedly “the greatest poet” of our age. “The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it”.
June 2, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Coronation Sixty years ago today, Princess Elizabeth became Her Majesty The Queen. Today we at The Steeple Times join with the nation in celebrating this historic moment.
May 28, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Jilly Cooper defends Rolf Harris In this morning’s Richard Kay column in the Daily Mail, it was reported that the author Jilly Cooper took to the defence of her friend the entertainer Rolf Harris before a television appearance in Dublin this weekend.
March 15, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Belfast born Clugston is known as “The Posh Radio 4 Lady” or “The PR4L” and is BBC Radio 4’s continuity announcer. This witty lady’s voice is familiar to millions as a result of this but she’s also the female Irish voice for TomTom satellite navigation systems and the creator of the “Radio4minus1letter” Twitter based game. … Continue reading “Kathy Clugston”
March 14, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The story of “fallen tycoon” Brian O’Donnell, the differences between bankruptcy in the UK and Ireland and an £11 million mansion In these straightened times, the media in general and the Daily Mail in particular quickly latch on to stories about benefit scroungers living in luxury homes. They’re less quick, however, with the exception … Continue reading “Bankrupt in Barton Street”
March 12, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The future for red telephone boxes The red telephone box is something that tourists often cite as being symbolic of Britain. Just like the red London bus and the red pillar box, though, these Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed kiosks are sadly disappearing from our streets. Killed by the mobile phone revolution, … Continue reading “BT phone home”
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks emerging market investor David Reuben Jr: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? I try to follow the “Golden Rule”. Treat others the way you would prefer that they treat you. Be careful how you are with people on your way up, … Continue reading “David Reuben Jr: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
March 11, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks journalist and author Jessica Fellowes: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? To learn from history – in all senses of the word – but listen to the needs of the present. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, … Continue reading “Jessica Fellowes: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
March 5, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
This Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress came to prominence as Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary Crawley in September 2010 and is now considered “one of the most chattered-about women on television”. Born in Romford, Essex, Dockery has also appeared in television series’ including Heartbeat and Dalziel and Pascoe and films such as Anna Karenina with … Continue reading “Michelle Dockery”
December 4, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Undoubtedly best known as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, Yorkshire born Dench briefly played Pru Forrest in the BBC’s The Archers. She’s an advocate for “more progressive drug policies” and only took the role of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride & Prejudice after director Joe Wright wrote to her and … Continue reading “Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA”
November 5, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Edgware born Costa is best known as a member of the boy band Blue but he actually started out as an actor in the BBC’s Grange Hill. He’s sung with Stevie Wonder and Elton John and thinks that groups created via shows such as The X-Factor achieve fame “the wrong way.” We’d say he has … Continue reading “Antony Costa”
October 30, 2012
by steepleadmin
Christian Huhnt takes his first foray into the world of supper clubs I don’t usually find myself in the east of London. It’s not because I don’t like it but simply because it’s just an awful journey to get there from where I live. Eventually, though, a “secret” was able to convince me to … Continue reading “Blind dining”
October 25, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds This week we must thank Dan Large for having alerted us to an amazing YouTube video showing Her Majesty The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds. Created by “an old retired guy who likes to play with computers” named “HerBunk” and using … Continue reading “Video of the Week: The Queen morphs”
October 4, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Nicky Haslam adds another string to his bow Nicky Haslam is a man of many parts. He’s best known as an interior designer and author but over the years, in chameleon like fashion, he’s variously styled himself as Liam Gallagher, bought a house in Transylvania on the net and once told Vanity Fair he’d … Continue reading “Video of the Week: Total Control”
September 26, 2012
by steepleadmin
Georgea Blakey shares her experiences of Miss World 2012 “Welcome to the holly [sic] land of Genghis Khan. The city of green and pleasant cool.” These are the words written on the side of the car collecting me from Ordos airport. The light summer breeze blowing through this wealthy oil and mineral rich … Continue reading “I’m Miss World, don’t hate me!”
