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.
February 1, 2019
by Matthew Steeples
Donald Trump’s son and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle – the ex-wife of the Democrat ‘Gavinator’ and governor of California – should be utterly ashamed of themselves for associating with the alligator, bear, goat and sheep slayer Larysa Switlyk Opportunist of the first order Kimberly Guilfoyle and her recently acquired elephant slayer boyfriend Donald Trump … Continue reading “Shame, Sheep and Trumps”
December 2, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
6,000 acre Scottish estate that offers the perfect opportunity to bag a ‘Macnab’ for sale for less than a price of a poky Knightsbridge flat John Buchan’s 1925 novel John Macnab is a must read and centres on three successful but bored friends – lawyer Sir Edward Leithen, Conservative politician John Palliser-Yeates MP and … Continue reading “The Modern Macnab”
April 27, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
International Space Station astronaut captures a truly amazing cloud free photograph of the Scottish Highlands Photographs taken from aeroplanes and spacecraft are generally blighted by cloud cover but an image shared this week in the Daily Mail captured by the International Space Station of the Scottish Highlands in February is without flaw. Taking … Continue reading “Picture of the Week – High Above The Highlands”
February 8, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Scottish farmer Bruce Grubb caused an armed standoff after calling police to “tackle a tiger on the loose”; it turned out to be a giant cuddly toy An Aberdeenshire farmer panicked and brought in armed police when he saw what he thought was a tiger in his cowshed. Bruce Grubb, 24, told The … Continue reading “Tigger Bounces into a Cowshed”
November 17, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Circular shaped Scottish holiday cottage with just one room for sale for staggering sum of £250,000 A five-star holiday cottage on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast with just one room has gone on sale for offers over £250,000 ($331,000, €281,000 or درهم1.2 million). Shaped like a seashell and of a style … Continue reading “The Seashell”
September 8, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Delightful West Country estate with Elizabethan manor house and 450 acres of land for sale for £7.95 million Launched to the market in May for £8.75 million ($11.55 million, €9.60 million or درهم42.42 million) with 538 acres of land, Higher Melcombe Manor at Melcombe Bingham, near Dorchester in Dorset is now available for a … Continue reading “A Magnificent Manor”
August 17, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Scottish castle on sale for just £130,000; it comes without a roof and is located near the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire A castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland is for sale for £130,000 ($168,000, €143,000 or درهم616,000) in spite of being nothing other than a roofless shell. Reduced in price from £150,000 ($193,000, … Continue reading “A Castle for £130k”
August 15, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Two and apartments and a bothy within one of Britain’s remotest lighthouses in Sutherland for sale for £371,500 Two apartments and a bothy that form part of a lighthouse designed by the acclaimed author Robert Louis Stevenson’s (1850 – 1894) designer father Thomas (1818 – 1887) and his brother are for sale. Stoer … Continue reading “Let There Be Light”
August 8, 2017
by General
‘Songwriter to the Stars’ Bill Martin to perform for first time at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; he will enlighten his audience about his successful career Glasgow born Bill Martin MBE – whose chart topping hits have included Congratulations, Puppet on a String and Shang-A-Lang – is performing a nightly show at The Dome during … Continue reading “Congratulations Bill”
June 27, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Theresa May’s deal with DUP is dangerous, irresponsible and about nothing other than her personal quest for power Our Lady Macbeth-like Prime Minister has once again proven her personal desire for high office is all that matters to her. In handing over £1 billion and then posing with the DUP’s Arlene Foster looking like … Continue reading “DUPed”
May 27, 2017
by General
With such a name, this suave gent just had to design landmarks. University of Westminster educated and Hampshire based Robert Adam (born 1948) followed his more famous namesake (1728 – 1792) and became a designer of “progressive neo-classical style buildings” in 1975. He won “the richest prize in architecture” in January 2017 and counts the … Continue reading “Robert Adam”
May 25, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Scottish sporting estate, once home to Sir Walter Scott, for sale; it comes with nearly two miles of fishing on the River Tweed, 863 acres of land and seven houses The Scottish estate where Sir Walter Scott, Bt. (1771 – 1732) wrote his narrative poems Lay of the Minstrel and The Lady of the … Continue reading “An Epic Estate”
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
Born in Banchory, Aberdeenshire in 1985, Pete Cashmore founded Mashable, a “one-stop-shop” digital media news and blogging site, in his bedroom in 2005 with the aim of “changing the world”. The firm now has over 120 employees, is based in New York and has 9 million followers on Twitter and achieves over 45 million unique … Continue reading “Pete Cashmore (AKA ‘The Sage of Media’)”
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 21, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
That a man who raped a 12-year old child has walked free is an utter disgrace Daniel Cieslak met a 12-year old child in a taxi queue in Edinburgh city centre at 4am on 31st July 2015. He took her to a friend’s flat, had sexual intercourse with her and on being arrested “became … Continue reading “A Right to Rape”
March 18, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Pair of striking red Rolls-Royces with Scottish connections to be auctioned at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Rolls-Royces tend to be noticed wherever they go but a pair to be auctioned later this month are especially stand-out examples in that they both come in especially bold shades of red. The first car, a … Continue reading “Red Rollers”
March 14, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
As Nicola Sturgeon lobs a grenade at Theresa May’s “red, white and blue Brexit”, Jeremy Corbyn is met with equal derision Yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon pulled a blinder and threw a spanner in Theresa May’s plan to announce a “red, white and blue Brexit” with immediate effect. Undoubtedly the reason hapless Mrs May didn’t … Continue reading “Singleminded Sturgeon”
August 12, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
A tribute to Gerald Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Westminster (1951 – 2016) Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster was a man of duty dedicated to his country, its military and to the countryside he so loved. Described in a poignant tribute on the Grosvenor Estate’s website as “distinctly down-to-earth” and … Continue reading “The Duke of Westminster”
May 14, 2016
April 18, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Super-injunction on reporting of a story of a ‘celebrity’ threesome lifted (but for now the individual still cannot yet be named)
March 6, 2016
by General
Fly-fisherwoman Marina Gibson is an ambassador for amongst others Orvis and Indigo Ivy and describes her passion as an “unreachable itch”.
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?
August 19, 2015
by General
Yorkshire based broadcaster turned farmer and cashmere and mohair retailer Selina Scott once declared she’d “like to steal Donald Trump’s hairpiece and bury it in the sand dunes of Aberdeenshire”.
June 10, 2015
by General
Described as being “born to make soup”, Ena Baxter was anything but a “sweet old dear pottering around her kitchen”.
June 6, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Rolls-Royce allegedly used to smuggle Wallis Simpson into Balmoral for sale
June 4, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Royal Academy surpasses themselves in the choice of including a stunning staircase as part of their Summer Exhibition 2015
May 24, 2015
by General
“Baby of the House” Mhairi Black is the youngest MP since 1880. She is a lesbian, Bible reader and supporter of Partick Thistle Football Club.
May 21, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Five British mansions that require new owners with bottomless pockets for sale at prices from £950,000 to over £10 million
March 4, 2015
March 2, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
200 acre Scottish estate for sale for the price of an 800 square foot flat in Knightsbridge
February 28, 2015
by General
Accompanied everywhere by her much loved “urban gun dog” Lola, public relations guru Claire Zambuni won The Field magazine’s Shooting Personality of the Year in 2012.
February 4, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples suggests Gregory Lauder-Frost, the vice president of the Traditional Britain Group, as the second The Steeple Times ‘Moron of the Moment’
February 2, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Scotch Whisky Association calls for a reduction in duty on spirits and highlights that the tax on a £12.50 bottle of Bell’s Whisky is a staggering £9.98
January 15, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Cairness House, “Scotland’s most important Greek Revival house”, heads into its fourth year on the market
January 11, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Plated X: 15 more of the best plates spotted by readers of ‘The Steeple Times’
January 4, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
This renowned art sleuth co-presents BBC1’s Fake or Fortune? with Fiona Bruce.
December 31, 2014
October 30, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A director of Jermyn Street’s famous Tramp nightclub, affable Brian Crawford trained at Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel and also worked at the Dome and Acanthus in Edinburgh.
September 30, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The case of Donald Trump being tricked into retweeting an image of serial killers Fred and Rosemary West is a lesson in the perils of social media
September 20, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The senior co-heir general of King Charles I of England and Scotland came to public attention during Scotland’s independence referendum in September 2014. The Duke of Bavaria has never married and lives in a wing of Nyphenburg Palace in Munich and Berg Castle in Upper Bavaria. A prisoner of the Nazis at Oranienburg and Dachau … Continue reading “His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine (born Franz Prinz von Bayern)”
September 19, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Gamblers are the winners and losers of Scotland’s independence referendum Whilst Great Britain was undoubtedly the winner when the result of Scotland’s independence referendum came in at 6am on Friday, there were other clear winners and losers. United as gamblers, the first comes in the form of a punter who bet £900,000 on a … Continue reading “Won and lost”
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”
by Matthew Steeples
Scotland has taken the right decision Yesterday the Scottish came out in force and voted ‘no’ to independence. Though the ‘Better Together’ campaign’s win is by a relatively small margin and though their campaign was poorly orchestrated, it is a victory nonetheless and we should all celebrate the common sense of this decision.
September 17, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A screenshot of a letter to ‘The Telegraph’ offers an amusing view on Thursday’s Scottish independence referendum
September 15, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
England hating designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has the right to leave Vivienne Westwood was born in Derbyshire and made her supposed £114 million ($185 million) fortune in Great Britain. Yesterday, in using her London Fashion Week showcase to denounce the Union, she yet again showed herself to be nothing but bonkers.
September 14, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Queen breaks her silence on Scotland’s future Can the Queen succeed where the hapless ‘Better Together’ campaign has failed? Today, as she left church in Scotland the monarch reportedly told a member of the public: “I hope people will think very carefully about the future” according to Sky News.
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples suggests that David Cameron needs to show his hand Yesterday, David Cameron attended the wedding of his wife’s half-brother, Jake Astor. Unlike others, we have no problem with that but at a time when Isis have beheaded a British hostage and when the Union teeters on a knife-edge, many have called for … Continue reading “Where is David Cameron?”
September 12, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
What will become of Scotland’s ability to defend itself if it becomes independent of the rest of the UK? Shared by Ahmed Khalil on Facebook, our Picture of the Week mocks up what might happen to Scotland’s ability to defend itself if the ‘yes’ camp secure a win on Thursday 18th September.
September 11, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Orkney and the Shetland islands could remain part of the UK even if Scotland votes ‘yes’ to independence
September 8, 2014
September 5, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The late Joan Rivers on success Yesterday’s news that the comedienne Joan Rivers passed away is sad but she’ll long be remembered for her wit and acerbic comments.
September 3, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Britain’s Prime Minister needs to get a grip Parliament is back in session and we’re now in September. The ‘Silly Season’ should be well and truly over but in fact we’re sinking into a quagmire that can only be described as ‘stupid’ and ‘irresponsible’.
August 26, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
This former Scottish Television cameraman and his ex-nurse wife won £161 million on the EuroMillions lottery in 2011 and “believe that things do happen for a reason, and that with great wealth comes great responsibilities”. Chris and Colin Weir set up a foundation, the Weir Charitable Trust, to support small, local charities and as SNP … Continue reading “Chris and Colin Weir”
August 16, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Scottish castle for sale for just £28.90 per square foot They say that owning a grouse moor is equivalent to burning £50 notes but the buyer of the 41,433 square foot Carbisdale Castle in Sutherland will take on an altogether bigger burden.
August 12, 2014
by steepleadmin
Mr Gus Instinct calls for Britain to wake up and respect itself once more
August 9, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Confused.com founder puts castle on market for £1.5 million less than she spent on it “Wild haired” Kate Armstrong, the Australian founder of Confused.com, bought the medieval Scottish castle Cassillis House in Ayrshire from the Kennedy clan in 2009 for £3 million. She spent four years and £3.5 million updating and improving it but is … Continue reading “Confusing a castle”
August 8, 2014
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?”
July 15, 2014
by steepleadmin
The Tout’s tips for The Open 2014 It’s that time of year again when the world’s best professional and amateur golfers turn up for the toughest tournament in golf. The crucial word is links play which is so different from every other top course that they play on.
July 5, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
This Danish cracker shoots competitively worldwide and runs a bespoke shooting agency named Fie’s Club. In June 2014, the Financial Times’ ‘How To Spend It’ described Gordonstoun educated Anne-Sofie Lucan as having “an unpronounceable [Danish] surname that “through some linguistic quirk her speech is utterly unaccented”. They went on to add that “she seems to lead … Continue reading “Lady Lucan (AKA “Fie”, née Anne-Sofie Foghsgaard)”
July 1, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Buy a private island in Scotland’s Summer Isles for a knockdown price The Scottish independence campaign has been in the main funded by EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir. If their desire doesn’t come to fruition, however, there’s another option for them: They could buy themselves a private island.
June 19, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
An English country house that sold for a £1 and a Scottish mansion with an asking price of just £1 Downton Abbey addicts take note: For the same price as a double cheeseburger on McDonald’s saver menu you could live like the Earl and Countess Grantham if you bought a Georgian mansion in Chirnside … Continue reading “Mansions for £1”
June 5, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
An appropriate description of the SNP leader The biggest donors to the campaign for Scottish independence thus far have been Colin and Chris Weir, a couple who won £161 million in the EuroMillions lottery in 2011. They’ve funded 79% of the ‘Yes’ campaign and now as Scotland prepares to vote on this stupid gamble, … Continue reading “Picture of the Week: The Lying Scotsman”
April 20, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Republic.org.uk are wrong to attack the travel arrangements of The Prince of Wales In an image already shared by 1,280 on Facebook, a shameful organisation named the Republic Campaign attacked the travel arrangements of Prince Charles and his wife. We think their comments preposterous and thus make them our Wallies of the Week. In … Continue reading “Wallies of the Week: Republic.org.uk”
April 18, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The mother of the Academy Award winning film director Anthony Minghella CBE (1954 – 2008) was a matriarch who lived by the philosophy: “You put in what you can, no matter how little that is, you don’t know how far the ripples will go”. Dedicated to community service and charity, Minghella herself was famous for … Continue reading “Gloria Minghella MBE (AKA “the Queen Mum of the Isle of Wight”, 1930 – 2014)”
March 16, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
This thrice married aristocrat and landowner allegedly once said that he prefers the company of horses to people. After dining in a Sloane Square restaurant that served food that wasn’t to his liking, Earl Cadogan – a first cousin of the Aga Khan – revoked their lease in 2010 and also tried to give his … Continue reading “Charles Cadogan, The Rt. Hon. the 8th Earl Cadogan, KBE, DL”
March 4, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A redrawn map of Scotland sums up the perils of independence It’s always been our belief that the sum parts of the Union are worth more together than apart. Great Britain is great because of the diversity brought together in uniting England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth and with their attempt to … Continue reading “Picture of the Week: Skintland”
December 16, 2013
by Fred Sculthorp
Fred Sculthorp tests Tesco’s Everyday Value Chardonnay Growing older, one is almost always inclined to question what legacy one will leave. This is a particular dilemma for someone who has journeyed through life being fortunate enough to have tasted some of the finest wines on offer. As one who critiques rather than makes, what … Continue reading “Valuing Chardonnay”
October 14, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
This Scottish producer’s life was immortalised in the 2013 crowdfunded film, The Last Impresario. Jewish and educated at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, White moved from being a Wall Street runner in the 1950s to the pinnacles of showbusiness in the 1960s and 1970s. Known for working on projects as diverse as Monty Python, The Rocky … Continue reading “Michael “Chalky” White”
October 4, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Scotland’s most expensive estate comes to the market In Downton Abbey last week, the Grantham family talked about selling off parts of their estate to cover the costs of death duties. In Scotland, the death of Sir James Cayzer has led to his family selling off one of their estates.
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.
September 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
As a cousin of the 13th Duke of Argyll is revealed to be an escort, we suggest that there’s nothing new about it This week, the Mail Online revealed Charlotte Colquhoun, the eldest daughter of Sir Malcolm Colquhoun Bt. and a cousin of Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, to be an escort.
September 1, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
This week, Mrs MILF deals with a party invite with a clause, a husband who wants his wife to buy “gear”, an Old Etonian with a complex, a wealthy couple who have sex but no relationship and a wife who’s worried about Katie Hopkins.
August 24, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Rolls-Royce shooting brake commissioned by John Entwistle of The Who goes to auction In the manner typical of a rock star, The Who’s John Entwistle never learnt to drive. Instead, the legendary bass player bought cars because he liked to “drink in them”. One – specially adapted to suit an Irish Wolfhound named Fits … Continue reading “Who’s shooting?”
August 21, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples suggests TripAdvisor needs to reform its ways I’ve written about the ‘Trippies’ (those who write reviews on TripAdvisor) before and just like the ‘Groupies’ (voucher loving Groupon users), I’ve had direct experience of their type. They’re an accursed nuisance.
August 9, 2013
by steepleadmin
Fred Sculthorp delves into the mysterious world of Saturday night television There’s something dark taking place on the BBC’s Saturday night entertainment slot, or so the Internet would have you believe.
August 4, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Jack Vetrianno puts painting on the market (and throws in a flat) Whoever buys Scottish artist Jack Vettriano OBE’s £2 million flat in Pont Street, Knightsbridge gets not only a one bedroomed flat, but also a painting titled Suddenly Last Summer.
July 22, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
French fashion brand mocks Jimmy Savile’s victims A French fashion brand bizarrely named Brooklyn We Go Hard has used the former Scottish holiday home of the deceased paedophile Jimmy Savile as the location for one of its photoshoots.
July 15, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Covent Garden’s Loch Fyne Restaurant In May 2004, the car park of the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at Clachan in Argyll, Scotland became famous after Gordon Brown and John Prescott met there to discuss and agree who would be Tony Blair’s successor.
by Matthew Steeples
The Tout’s tips for The Open Championship 2013 at Muirfield This year it is Muirfield’s sixteenth opportunity to host The Open Championship, which retains its status as the number one event in European golf.
July 8, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Andy Murray’s place in history is much deserved If he’d lost he’d have been remembered as a “Scottish nearly man” but with his historic victory yesterday at Wimbledon, Andy Murray OBE became a “British superstar”.
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 18, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
When her husband left her, she could of ‘moaned’ but instead she got on with it and paid her now ex-husband some £24 million for his share of her lingerie business. Glasgow born, Mone “”grew up a Scottish, Labour voting Protestant and is now a Conservative voting Catholic” but it is for her patented Ultimo … Continue reading “Michelle Mone OBE”
May 17, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Nigel Farage comes under attack from all quarters Yesterday, Nigel Farage came under attack from a bunch of yobs whilst visiting Edinburgh to support one of his candidates, Otto Inglis, who is standing in a by-election.
May 16, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Jimmy Savile’s cottage to be sold at auction “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is the motto Glasgow based auctioneers Ross Harper. This is indeed apt given that they are to sell the late paedophile Jimmy Savile’s cottage in Glencoe on 30th May.
May 7, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The sale of a £400,000 castle owned by a man who was an inspiration for the creation of James Bond’s nom de plume Sir Hilary Bray, Bt and for many elements of 007’s character also Count Robin de la Lanne-Mirrlees (1925 – 2012) is largely thought of as the man whose persona Ian Fleming … Continue reading “Lord of the Bond”
April 9, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks actor Jules Knight: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Vino, feminae et Carmen. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Ask, believe, receive”. Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who … Continue reading “Jules Knight: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
