David Brown Automotive’s Speedback is a stunning vehicle
David Brown shares not only his name with Sir David Brown of DB Aston Martin fame but also an ability to create the most stunning of cars. The contemporary Brown, though not related to Sir David or Aston Martin in any way, has plainly taken inspiration from his namesake in creating a new sports car that will be launched at the Top Marques show at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 17th April. (more…)
Lapo Elkann redefines himself
In recent days the former socialite and Fiat heir Lapo Elkann has redefined himself as a ‘JewBu’ or Jewish Buddhist. (more…)
20 questions with founder of The People’s Book Prize Tatiana von Saxe Wilson
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Pursuit and success.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Make the best better”.
Fiat’s latest creative campaigns show pure marketing genius
Lapo Elkann is regularly described as “Fiat’s own fashion icon” and yet again recently he pulled off a coup when he was photographed in Milan in a striking black and white 500 Arbarth.
The former home of John Lennon and his first car come to the market
After passing their driving test, most young people start with a clapped out Mini or a bashed up Beetle. John Lennon, though, began as he meant to go on and bought a Ferrari.
When The Beatles singer-songwriter passed his test in February 1965, it made the headlines in Britain and within hours, a queue of motor dealers had congregated outside the security gates to his home, Kenwood in St George’s Hill, Surrey.
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 opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day” – I’m very sure it’s a brilliant ancient proverb, but I stole it from Withnail and I.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Kerry Katona has redeemed herself greatly since 2007, so I’d say that after his little tantrums in London recently, Justin Bieber is the next in line who needs a little humility injected into his life.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
I miss long misspent summers in the south of Spain. Long, lazy, hazy days of doing nothing more than sleeping off hangovers and chasing girls. Both were far less painful as a teenager and much less expensive.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
A trip to the moon. I wanted to be an astronaut just before I wanted to be a rock singer; 4-year old children can be so flippant about career choices.
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?
The stupidity and greed of the few created a bed that the rest of us sleep in every day. It’s affected every industry, including music. We now perform most of our big private shows overseas, the UK is very slow and no one wants to be seen spending money on entertainment.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“It’s like…”: Massively overused and makes it near impossible for half the population to explain what a simile is.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Once you have a smidgen of public profile you have the opportunity to help charities with fundraising and it’s something I jumped at. Over the last 6 years of Blake we’ve got behind many amazing charities, including the British Legion, Variety the Children’s Charity, War Widows’ Association, Help For Heroes, Make A Wish and Nordoff Robbins to name a few. It’s great to think you can make any difference.
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 travel by tube quite a bit, where you regularly see the scary sight of an entire carriage of commuters with heads bowed in deep reverence to their ‘iThingamajigs’. The art of conversation on the tube has all but been lost. No one ever looks up long enough to make eye contact. Sad.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
I’d invite the top 50 speakers from TED, the best panel from QI and Emma Thompson. Between them I’d have enough fantastic conversation to last a train journey to the moon and back, although I’m sure at least a few of the TED company would quickly explain that said journey wouldn’t be technically impossible.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
The finest meal I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in the Philippines called Antonio’s. It’s up in the jungle surrounding a mighty volcanic crater in the Tagaytay region about an hour from Manila. The owner is obsessed with sourcing the best meat and vegetable produce in the world. A meal is in the region of £120 a head in a country where £120 rents a room for a year. If it was my last meal though, what the hell!
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Sadly alcoholism runs in my family, so when it comes to how early in the day you can drink, I’m rather conservative on the subject. As a rule I’d say that a gin and tonic at 6pm is a safe start. Earlier, not so.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
I’d be lying if I said I knew what either was, showing my lack of knowledge in both classic cocktails and speciality teas. I must study harder in both areas, but never before 6pm for the former of course.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Over the last 6 years with Blake I’ve been to some truly wonderful parties, including film premieres, summer car festivals and polo days a plenty. The best yearly event for me is the Audi Royal Polo. We watch the Audi team lose to William and Harry (every year, strangely), Blake perform a cappella on the mainstage (a yearly tradition now, always after a few drinks and with a few slight ‘alterations’ to the lyrics of our songs) and finally dance till 1am. We go all topped and tailed with a private chauffer from Audi there and back. I have an Audi S8 as my personal ride and these parties alone warrant the investment into their fine automobiles.
Who is the most positive person you know?
A rather wonderful lady who works as both celeb booker for Variety the Children’s Charity and as Mike Oldfield’s personal PA. Caroline Monk can giggle you out of the worst depression and bring sunshine to your dullest day, a great friend and an amazing lady with many stories to tell. She’s battled many things in life and will help you find some perspective on those days when all seems against you.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Have you ever stumbled across one of those really old episodes of Top Gear on YouTube, with a silly number of views and thought: “Who the hell watches this stuff”? It’s me. I’ve got this thing about watching old car reviews, convincing myself that it’s developing ‘automotive knowledge’ when in fact it’s as pointless as watching ‘talking cats’. Although I can tell you what Jeremy Clarkson’s hair looked like in any year of the last two decades, admittedly a skill in short demand.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
Probably the Maserati or Alfa Romeo badges. I’ve almost got petrol running through my veins, such is my love for engines and speed. I might as well wear the permanent mark of the two marques who in my opinion and have made the most beautiful machines ever to live.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
I’d love to be a Maserati, but in reality I’d be one of those cars made in a barn by an eccentric German, using English body parts and a teutonic engine; generally reliable but with occasional breakdowns.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m no where near as ‘British’ as the PR and marketing of Blake would have you believe. My father is German, my mother is English but descended from the family which Napoleon married into. I got married to a Guatemalan girl when I was 21, divorced when I was 26 and have only dated 2 English girls in my life. All the others were Latino. I almost turned full-tilt ‘Eurotrash’ in 2004 when my hair reached my shoulders in a swept back slick hairdo, a style low point!
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
As I travel the world singing with Blake (we’ve sung in 22 countries to date) we meet fans who present us with ever more unique personal presents. On my mantelpiece I currently have a Russian Babushka doll with my face painted on it, alongside a crystal reproduction of my Honda Fireblade superbike. Both were given to me by a fan from Russia. I also have ‘fans’ from fans in China and Japan, along with a wooden ‘love spoon’ from the Mayor of Cardiff. It’s useful for tossing salad apparently.
Stephen Bowman is a member of the Blake, the vocal group widely known for having been formed on Facebook in 2007.
View Blake’s official website at: http://www.blakeofficial.com
Follow Blake on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/TheBandBlake
Follow Stephen Bowman on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/StephenBowman
‘Like’ Blake on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/TheBandBlake
Andreas Kirchberger captures guests and performers at a private view of Zoobs: Hallowed Be Thy Name
On 31st October, Mews42 gallery and Northacre Plc hosted a private view titled Zoobs: Hallowed Be Thy Name in Battersea’s iconic Albion Riverside development.
As well as showcasing a variety of artworks, Ilona Pacia of Mews42 also displayed a range of bicycles from innovative manufacturers United Cruiser.
Guests at this Thameside event numbered Sonia Excell, Ray Henley-Smith, Klas Nilsson, Alex Peto, Masheed Shariat and Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, RDI.
For more details about Mews42, go to: http://www.mews42.com
All images © Andreas Kirchberger/Photography-Factory 2012
A £15 million mansion fit for a self-made tycoon or an upwardly mobile WAG
While the youth of the Kings Road and Loughton have featured in the reality shows Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex, their counterparts in Cheshire have yet to undergo the same social experiment. Having come across a fair few of their number though, I can only imagine their antics would result in television of comparable car crash proportions.
Cheshire itself is a county of contrasts: there’s the farming and hunting set and then there’s the new money. From the 1950s onwards an invasion of nouveau riche footballers and self-made business people came to Alderley Edge and Wilmslow and it is said that there are more Rolls-Royces per square mile here than anywhere else in the UK.
Though today’s Coronation Street actresses and Man United players generally favour brand new homes in Prestbury, the new wealth have not just consigned themselves to such. The likes of Take That’s Gary Barlow, for a time, owned Delamere Manor at Cuddington but sold it in 2005 due to his ever-growing commitments elsewhere. Equally, Neil Hamilton, whilst MP for Tatton, lived at The Old Rectory at Nether Alderley with his formidable wife Christine but when their days in politics came to an end, they too moved on. For a time, David and Victoria Beckham were the undoubted glitterati of this manor, but of those footballers still resident Wayne and Coleen Rooney are definitely now the best known.
In a “grey area between old and new” sits Swettenham Hall at Swettenham near Congleton. This 12,590 square foot Georgian mansion dates to 1795 but since it was acquired by Brian Kennedy, a double glazing, home improvements and mobile telephone entrepreneur, the house has been given a total makeover. The colourful style he’s given the house can best be described as being akin to: “Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen meets Austin Powers.”
Swettenham Hall is most definitely a party palace and along with the addition of a leisure wing consisting of a swimming pool, Jacuzzi®, plunge pool, steam room and gymnasium in 2004, Kennedy has also constructed a 47ft by 44ft helicopter hangar complete with a retractable helicopter pad.
Standing in 100 acres of grounds, the house does seem a tad expensive at £15 million especially since that the adjoining former farm buildings were sold off and converted into eight homes in 1999. The driveway is partly shared with these homes and for those seeking the ultimate in privacy, this could indeed be an issue. It is perhaps why Swettenham Hall has yet to sell.
Brian Kennedy is someone I hadn’t heard of until I came across Swettenham Hall but here is a fascinating man whose meteoric rise is frankly very clearly linked to windows. The son of a window cleaner from Edinburgh, this self-made tycoon started his career as a trainee manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland. He subsequently briefly worked as a trainee accountant but left when offered the chance to become youngest branch manager of Moben Kitchens at the age of 20.
At around this time, Kennedy acquired a stake in Farouche Kitchens and with a Rochdale born property entrepreneur named David Russell, he was transformed from a door-to-door salesman to a pioneer in direct sales. In 1988, when Farouche was sold, Kennedy netted circa £1 million. From here, this entrepreneur returned to his family’s roots by venturing into double glazing with Weatherseal Windows and then home improvements with Space Kitchens & Bedrooms.
In 1999, with the help of funds raised by private equity investors 3i, Kennedy paid £42 million for the well known brand Everest but sold part of his stake to the management for £63 million in 2003. In due course he added to his shareholding and then sold 21.5% of the company to Hutton Collins in a deal which valued the company at £150 million in 2007.
Ever the empire builder, Kennedy paid £29 million for a conservatory manufacturer named Ultrafame in 2006 and then also added another double glazing brand, Zenith Staybrite, to his portfolio in 2008. Many other business ventures followed but not being afraid to diversify, Kennedy formed Patrick Properties, whose portfolio is now valued in excess of £100 million, in 2002 and Kennedy Renewables, which specialises in wind energy, in 2009.
In the technology sector, a chance conversation in a Knutsford wine bar in 1995 led to him venturing into the mobile telephone market with a company named Genesis Communications. The business was sold to Dixons in 2002 for £31 million.
In January 2012, Kennedy merged his main Latium Holdings business with Jim Rawson’s Epwin Group to form Epwin Holdings. The merger resulted in a company with more than 2,500 employees and brands numbering Spectus, Swish, CET and Kestrel.
Of his success, Kennedy states:
“Business is common sense [and] dealing with people is common sense. I don’t think I have any particular flair. I think it is about common sense, taking the opportunity when it comes and hard work.”
Brian Kennedy’s wealth has allowed him to indulge many of his passions. A period of semi-retirement “drove [him] and [his] kids nuts,” but this Scotsman’s love of rugby resulted in him acquiring the Sale Sharks Rugby Club in 1999. He is said to have set the “club on a sound financial footing” and turned it into “one of the leading rugby clubs in Britain.”
Philanthropy is something that Kennedy, a Jehovah’s Witness, has also dedicated his wealth to. Through his Brian Kennedy Trust, he has supported a number of charities and organisations but it is for his role as the main backer of Find Madeleine Fund that he has come to public attention. Of his reasoning for backing the missing child’s parents financially, he stated:
“In light of the quite literally incredible accusations against Gerry and Kate McCann, which are clearly exacerbating their emotional torture, I felt compelled to offer, along with other like-minded businessmen, financial support and the full logistical support of the Latium team. That support is principally our in-house lawyer Ed Smethurst and [official spokesman] Clarence Mitchell.”
Kennedy’s donation attracted much press attention in 2007 in the weeks following Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and he continues to support them to this day. A very public spat involving him, Gerry and Kate McCann and a campaigner named Tony Bennett, who also was involved in The Madeleine Foundation, has been the subject of various legal actions. In October 2011, Mr Bennett was forced to publicly apologise to Mr Kennedy and separately an August 2009 Evening Standard article by Mark Hollingsworth “investigat[ing] the investigators,” was pulled because for “legal and editorial reasons.” In it, “someone who worked closely with [Kennedy]” was quoted as saying:
“He was appalled by the Portuguese police, but he also had visions of flying in by helicopter to rescue Madeleine.”
Angelina Jolie, another avid aviator, once commented: “Wherever I am I find myself looking out of the window wishing I was somewhere else.” We do not know why Brian Kennedy is selling Swettenham Hall, but Jolie is indeed one of the few with the resources to take these particular windows off his hands.
For more information about Swettenham Hall, Swettenham, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 2JZ, contact Edward Welton of Knight Frank on +44 (0) 20 7861 1114.
For more details about Brian Kennedy, go to: http://www.brian-kennedy.co.uk
For more details about the Find Madeleine Fund go to: http://www.findmadeleine.com and for information on The Madeleine Foundation: http://www.madeleinefoundation.org.uk/
Kerri Moss Beaumont tells of the joys of being a mother of four who also manages to enjoy life to the max
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were at an end of summer barbeque. We got chatting to a glamorous couple in their early 30s and we were asked: “So when do you guys plan on cracking on and having kids?’’ When we replied that we had four children, under the age of seven, we were looked at with utter disbelief.
In fact, I personally was challenged by the dashing young chap, as he really couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that I had physically carried and given birth to four children. So there you have it folks, one of the best compliments around – to be told you look like you don’t have children. After all, who wants to look tired, worn out, frazzled and caked with mango puree? Um, not me.
So the inevitable question of: ‘How do you do it?’ came out and we managed to boil it down to two things. First off, we have fun. In fact we have fun whenever possible. Whether that means going out and dancing a few times a month in nightclubs that cater for 20-something hipsters or having dinner parties and turning the kitchen into a disco, or going to a silly West End musical, we put fun at the top of our relationship agenda. Life can be serious enough with bills to pay and school fees to lose sleep over. Put date night in your diaries at least twice per month. Mandatory stuff.
Secondly, I put myself first. As a woman, this is paramount. Because, in case you haven’t worked it out yet my dear, you are the heart and soul of the family. You hold it all together. It’s like you are the “Mama glue.” Now, I’m not dissing the boys here, but let’s face facts – the Wife, the Mother … well, she really is the Boss. And too often, once women have children, we get overwhelmed by this new ‘Boss’ position and respond by putting everyone else first.
But I think this is the wrong way of going about things. By putting yourself and your inner-diva first, you have the best chance for tackling day-to-day life. Consider it like your armour. You wouldn’t go out to battle without your gear on, so don’t even think about hitting the school run unless you are feeling at the top of your game. If you aren’t at the top of your game, you become a drain. It happens quickly and sometimes without you even having any idea. All of a sudden, you are two sizes bigger, wearing tracksuit bottoms and drinking too much white wine to console yourself.
So ladies, to make sure you’ve got your armour on – go to the gym, keep yourself in the best shape possible. Eat right. Treat yourself. Dress with flair. And don’t forget the reason why you fell in love with your husband. This will keep you feeling the love and feeling sexy. Keep a little note in your underwear drawer along these lines, and make sure that you don’t lose sight of who you are. Be yourself first, wife and mother second.
It’s a circus out there, so do yourself a favour. Take the challenge, and walk the tightrope. Sure it’s a little dangerous. But by looking at things from a different perspective, it’s easier to look down at the three rings of chaos and laugh. Oh, and then and go and have some fun. Your children will thank you for it.
The Agnelli “crown prince” is also nicknamed “Lapo of Luxury.” Regularly voted as being one of the best dressed men on the planet, he’s worked as a personal assistant to Henry Kissinger and for the family business on brands including Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat. Not without controversy, Elkann’s presence at any event leaves the girls swooning.