This father of six is a media mogul who doesn’t back down. Faced with being labeled the prime culprit in the phone hacking debacle, he battles on. His second wife Wendi packs a mean left hook.
Tag: New York
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Rupert Murdoch
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Samantha Brick
A freelance writer who declared herself to be “beautiful” in a piece for the Daily Mail. Their readership soared whilst she made an utter mockery of herself. Goodness knows what nonsense she’ll spout next. -
Paris Hilton
The great granddaughter of the founder of Hilton Hotels is best known for her phrase: “That’s hot” and a sex tape but she’s the one having the last laugh. She’s only in her early 30s but already worth $100 million. -
W.L. “Lyons” Brown III
One of the Brown-Forman family of booze barons who is now making it on his own. This Laguna Beach resident sold his tequila brand for a profit of $10 million in 2007 and is now educating the world in the Right way to drink gin. -
Sinking television
Sinking television
A review of Julian Fellowes’s “Titanic”
Against better advice, I watched all four episodes of Julian Fellowes’s Titanic television drama. Nothing much happened in the first three episodes but unlike many others, I preserved and watched the final episode on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the White Star passenger liner.
Julian Alexander Fellowes, The Lord Fellowes of West Stafford DL pictured with his “turban-clad” wife Emma Joy Kitchener LVO. The pair, who reside at Stafford House near Dorchester, Dorset, changed their surname from Fellowes to Kitchener-Fellowes on 15th October 1998. Fellowes is a man who has had remarkable success with both Gosford Park and Downton Abbey. After playing bit part roles in such series as Fantasy Island, Our Friends in the North and Aristocrats, his career took off in 2002 when Gosford Park won an Oscar for the Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Since then he has been ennobled and become a darling of the middle classes.
The RMS Titanic which sank on 15th April 1912 at 41°43'57"N, 49°56'49"W 
One of the RMS Titanic's dining rooms 
The RMS Titanic's ornate Grand Staircase Described by John Doyle of The Globe and Mail as “a high-grade nobs-and-slobs story,” viewing figures fell from 9 million to 3.5 million between episodes 1 and 3 with good reason. To me this was a drama that lacked pace and repeatedly rehashed the same tales. It was tediously futile and an utter waste of four hours of anyone’s time.
A scene from Fellowes’s Titanic featuring Toby Jones as John Batley and Maria Doyle-Kennedy as Muriel Batley Fellowes’s Titanic was truly a damp squib of a drama. May it, like the 1,514 tragic souls lost on 15th April 1912, rest in peace.
View ITV1’s official website for Titanic at: http://mip.itvstudios.com/programmes/drama-comedy/618/titanic
For more information on The Titanic Memorial Cruise, go to: http://titanicmemorialcruise.co.uk
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Prospering Paris
Profile: The genius of self-promotion that is Paris Hilton
At a dinner party last week, my guests gasped in horror when I said that I view Paris Hilton to be a genius. Their faces turned ashen and one asked if I had lost the plot. In the ensuing discussion, several described her as the personification of vulgarity and tastelessness. Others complained that Hilton had achieved nothing with her life and one went as far as to say that this young lady was notable for nothing other than an appearance in a sex tape in 2003.
Paris Whitney Hilton (1981 – ) For the few who don’t know her, Miss Hilton is the 31-year old great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. On her official Twitter account she describes herself as a: “Model, Actress, Singer, Brand, Business Woman, Fashion Designer, Author, Philanthropist and Empire.” That, indeed, is certainly quite a collection.
Paris Hilton with her parents Richard Howard and Kathy Hilton and younger brother Conrad Hilton “Life is too short to blend in,” said Hilton in an interview and her philosophy is indeed one that I’d agree with. Hilton may have done some pretty tasteless and silly things over the years and her shows Paris Hilton’s My New BFF and The Simple Life were not my kind of viewing, but her brilliance is that she knows how to turn publicity into dollar returns. Now worth some $100,000,000, she’s the one who is having the last laugh.
In a 2006 interview for Guardian Unlimited, Hilton aptly summed up the reason for her success:
“People can’t believe how hard I work…. I love it. I think it just runs through my veins. My great-grandfather was a bellboy and had a dream to do a hotel chain, so I think I get it from him.”
Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Sr. (1887 – 1979): the “Innkeeper to the World” who was also married to the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (1936 – 1997) Like or loathe her, the determined Miss Hilton’s achievements are impressive and I’ll leave her the final word:
“I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like me that’s lasted. And I’m going to keep lasting.”
View Paris Hilton’s official website at: http://www.parishilton.com
Follow Paris Hilton on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/ParisHilton
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Bricking it
The case of Samantha Brick
This probably will be one of the shortest pieces I ever write, as, frankly, I don’t want to give Samantha Brick any more publicity than she’s already brought upon herself.
Samantha Brick pictured with her gun wielding husband, Pascal
Brick, a Daily Mail journalist, wrote a piece on Tuesday in which she proclaimed that she was “beautiful” and that other women hate her as a result. She arrogantly concluded the piece by stating:“Perhaps then the sisterhood will finally stop judging me so harshly on what I look like, and instead accept me for who I am.”
The article attracted a huge amount of attention and over 5,000 comments. It even trended on Twitter but what the press and public seem to have failed to realise is that this is nothing other than a publicity stunt created by her employers in order to boost sales. Everyone, it seems, has fallen for this hook, line and sinker and the key beneficiary is indeed none other than the Daily Mail.
Ms Brick, when she wrote her article, knew exactly what she was doing and I assume she’s been paid handsomely in return for the abuse that has followed. I, for one, had never heard of her until yesterday and I hope now that she’ll fade back into much deserved obscurity. Those I dined with last night thankfully felt the same.
The Daily Mail created the “beautiful” Samantha Brick. Please, now, can they take her away?
Read Samantha Brick’s original piece at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2124246/Samantha-Brick-downsides-looking-pretty-Why-women-hate-beautiful.html
Follow Samantha Brick on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/SamanthaBrick
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The number one Pig
A review of The Pig at Brockenhurst
When I received an invitation to The Pig at Brockenhurst I seized the opportunity with gusto having read so many rave reviews since it opened last July.
The front elevation of The Pig Another view of The Pig Situated at the heart of the New Forest National Park and owned by the Lime Wood Group, this 26-bedroom hotel is just 2 hours by car or train from London.
I traveled from Waterloo with a group that included The Pig’s delightful PR, Primrose Smith, and two writers and bloggers, Jamie Cotter-Craig and Jassy Davis. Their company was one of the many highlights of the day.
Lt Col The Hon Malcolm Bowes-Lyon (1874 – 1957) pictured with his wife The Hon Mrs Winifred Bowes-Lyon and their dog at Brockenhurst Tennis Week in the 1920s Built as a groom keeper’s lodge and once the home of Lt Col The Hon Malcolm Bowes-Lyon, uncle of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, The Pig was previously known as the Whitley Ridge Hotel. For some time it was operated by Brigadier John Doyle, a nephew of Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Pig is now part of the Lime Wood Group that also includes Lime Wood, also in the New Forest, and the Le Portetta hotel, lofts and lodges in Courchevel, France. The group, I am told, also plan to open further hotels in the Cotswolds and on the coast. Headed by Robin Hutson, best known for having created the hugely successful Hotel du Vin group and for his collaboration in the Soho House Group, Lime Wood have conducted a comprehensive refurbishment of this 17th century building and mixed classic and contemporary styles in a most effective manner.
Designed by Judy Hutson, who previously styled the first seven Hotel du Vin properties, The Peat Spade Inn, The Anchor Inn and The Queen’s Arms, the look at The Pig is “shabby chic.” Touches such as mismatched glassware give the place a really homely and relaxed feel and there is definitely something akin to Babington House about the atmosphere.
After a glass of champagne, we were introduced to The Pig’s knowledgeable head chef, James Golding. Passionate about the source of the ingredients he uses, Golding began his career at the age of 16 and trained at The Academy of Culinary Arts. After progressing through positions with The Savoy Group and at Le Caprice, J Sheekey, the Soho House in New York and at Harbour Heights in Sandbanks, he has created a menu that focuses on the “finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally.”
Head chef James Golding pictured in The Pig’s kitchen garden with Gin and Crumpets blogger Jassy Davis Golding took our group on a tour of The Pig’s grounds and imparted knowledge of the fruits, vegetables and other ingredients he uses to create a “25 mile menu” that changes daily to reflect what is available. This menu is one that is entirely governed by what is currently growing here and in season.
Many of Golding’s ingredients are foraged by “The Wild Cook” Gary Eveleigh, who is also known for taking passengers out into the Solent on his Puffin Cruises summer ferries, but others are grown in the hotel’s fruit cages, greenhouses and polytunnels.
Outside of the kitchen garden, The Pig also has a wild flower meadow but Golding’s clearest love is for the pigs he keeps in their paddocks. His dedication to them is shown in the colourful tattoos that pepper his arms.
Local suppliers include the Newhouse Venison & Game company, the Elling Tide Mill, Hutching Bros Seafood & Game and T. Bartlett & Sons. Detailed information on each is usefully displayed on the rear of the menu that we were given as we were led into The Pig’s delightfully airy conservatory restaurant.
One of The Pig’s pigs 
James Golding’s pig tattoo At this point our group was joined by Jen Weatherley, the charming marketing manager of The Pig, for a jovial lunch that was truly phenomenal. The room was, as I had read in both Lucas Hollweg’s piece for the Sunday Times’s Style magazine and Zoe Williams’s review for The Telegraph, buzzing and packed with happy diners and I especially liked the informality of it.
The Pig’s Marston & Langinger designed conservatory restaurant To begin we shared a selection of “piggy bits” (all at £3.50) that included saddleback crackling that was succulent and flavoursome. The Hampshire red wine salami with Dorset olives, the Bartlett’s air dried “Karma” ham and most especially the Brock eggs with Colman’s were equally enjoyable.
Next, I opted for the duck egg and Bartlett’s black pudding hash with home reared crispy bacon and H.P. jus (£7 starter/£14 main). It was rightly the envy of the table and, for me, the best dish of the day. My stomach rumbles at the thought of returning for a second helping.
My main course had to be The Pig’s slow roasted pork belly that comes served with a roasted squash salad and apple sauce (£17). A signature of the restaurant, the meat was tender and the sides (all at £3.50) of sweet honeyed baby parsnips and the flower pot of triple cooked chips were delicious. The crispy tobacco onions, however, were undoubtedly the biggest hit with the whole table.
A sorbet with space dust was a welcome interlude and for the final course, I chose the selection of local artisan cheeses (£8.50). Served with homemade chutney, grapes and biscuits, the portion was generous and I found it most satisfactory.
An outdoor fireplace in the courtyard Before leaving we were handed a book on pig husbandry. Inside it, cleverly, is The Pig’s cocktail list and it only seemed right to head to the bar to toast Golding and his team. My Negroni, made with Chase Gin, was perfectly made and just to my liking.
In summary, The Pig is an unpretentious place that is passionately run. My experience was faultless. Culinary delights like this are hard to find and as a result it’s joined the top draw of country destinations that, as the Telegraph piece laboured to mention, is even “busy on a Monday.”
The bar at The Pig Go the whole hog and head to The Pig. The only problem you’ll find here is that it’s so deservedly popular that there probably won’t be room at the inn.
The Pig, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7QL. Telephone: +44 (0) 1590 622354. Website: http://www.thepighotel.co.uk
Room rates start at a very reasonable £125 per night.
Follow The Pig on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/The_Pig_Hotel
For more information on forager Gary Eveleigh, go to: http://www.garryeveleigh.com. Learn more about his Puffin Cruises at: http://www.puffincruiseslymington.com
Read Jassy Davis’s Gin and Crumpets blog at: http://ginandcrumpets.com. Follow Jassy on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/ginandcrumpets
Read Jamie Cotter-Craig’s JCC’s Food & Drink Blog at: http://jccrestaurantreviews.blogspot.co.uk. Follow Jamie on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/JCotterCraig
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Keep flying
The suicide of Andrew Embiricos
I was saddened this morning to read the news that my friend Andrew Embiricos (1985 – 2011) had committed suicide.
Andrew Embiricos (1985 – 2011) Andrew, the grandson of Rita Heyworth, was witty and positive and planning a trip to London in the coming weeks. That he decided to end his life is puzzling to say the least and it is just dreadful to think that no one saw the signs that he felt compelled to take this way out.
Passionate about flying and aircraft, Andrew’s Facebook page always provided witty updates about his globetrotting ways and the posts there often detailed amusing street signs and mocking remarks about “scallies” and ASBOs. His humour was dry and his manner always amusing and this indeed makes his passing all the more tragic.
Rest in peace Andrew: you were one of a kind and now you’re in the first class lounge in the skies watching over us.
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Hurricane Heather
Heather Mills puts her Sussex home up for rent
Has Heather Mills, the daughter of a convicted fraudster, spent her entire £24.3 million divorce settlement? We all knew that this lady with an interesting past was a spendaholic but the fact that she’s put her 8 bedroomed country home up for rent for £7,995 per month could be an indication that the former wife of Sir Paul McCartney is suffering like the rest of us during this economic slump.
Heather's crib Mills’ arts and crafts residence in Brightling Road, Robertsbridge, Sussex dates to 1914 and stands in 15 acres of wooded grounds. Bought with part of her divorce settlement, the house includes 6 reception rooms and 6 bathrooms and a childrens’ play area that the former glamour model plainly created for her daughter Beatrice. The kitchen is designed for the cooking of the vomit inducing “plant based raw diet” meals favoured by Newcastle born Mills and features a Rangemaster oven, Maytag fridge freezer and a wine cooler. A cloakroom is appropriately described as featuring a “Crapper’s WC” and the master suite includes an “en-suite” shower room with a “rain sky waterfall shower” large enough for the ego of a woman best known for hurling a jug of water over Fiona, now Baroness Shackleton.
A shower for a woman with an ego the size of Sussex Mills’ lack of business acumen since her divorce has been clearly illustrated several times over. First there was the disaster of the Vbites café she opened in Hove Lagoon in 2009. Diners were not impressed and described the food as “of such poor quality” and “tasting like worms.” Equally the investment of this proven compulsive liar, who was previously engaged to my neighbour Raffaele Mincione, in Redwood Foods hasn’t exactly paid off either.
A kitchen capable of the preparation of the most ghastly meals Brand Heather has never rung true in my mind and yet again her attempt to rent out her home is only indication of another hurricane she must be fronting.
If you do fancy living like Heather Mills, contact Savills of Tunbridge Wells on +44 (0) 1892 314 453. Website: http://www.savills.com
If you can stomach reading her bile, go to Heather Mills’ official site at http://www.heathermills.org
For more on Vbites see http://www.vbites.com
If you really wish to follow Heather Mills you can find her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/heatherofficial