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.
December 18, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Repossessed Grade I listed Dorset mansion once worth circa £15 million for sale for £3 million; the catch? It’s burnt to the ground An “exceptionally important,” Grade I listed, 38,000 square foot, 16th century country house in Dorset with 131.6 acres for just £3 million is certainly something that sounds like a bargain. Sadly, … Continue reading “A Fire Sale”
November 11, 2018
by General
The 100th anniversary of Armistice Day should be marked by remembering those that gave their lives and how lucky our generation truly is It can be put very simply: Today, we will remember them. #WeWillRememberThem #ArmisticeCentenary #ArmisticeDay100 #LestWeForget #RemembranceSunday #Armistice100 #RemembranceDay2018 #TheyShallNotGrowOld ‘For The Fallen’ by Robert Laurence Binyon: With proud thanksgiving, … Continue reading “We Will Remember Them”
November 3, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Waitrose Belgravia respond to ‘The Steeple Times’s’ expose of their not selling Royal British Legion poppies and allow them into their store After The Steeple Times reported on various high street retailers in Belgravia, Chelsea, Fulham and Knightsbridge not selling Royal British Legion poppies, our story went viral. Shared on Twitter by countless … Continue reading “Waitrose Wake-Up”
October 29, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples names and shames the retail giants who won’t be selling Royal British Legion poppies this year; they include Boots, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Tesco, Waitrose and Wholefoods Even ‘Murky’ Meghan Markle – down under in New Zealand on tour – is sporting one right now; the humble poppy. A mark of respect to those … Continue reading “The Poppy Pariahs”
September 18, 2018
by Matthew Steeples
Bonhams to auction two Enigma machines at their science and technology sale for six figure sums Tomorrow in Knightsbridge, Bonhams will auction two Heinsoeth Und Rinke enigma enciphering machines at a sale of instruments of science and technology. Produced in Germany in 1941 and 1943, the two devices offered feature QWERTY keyboards … Continue reading “A Bit Of An Enigma”
November 29, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
1931 Bentley Tourer nicknamed ‘The Harem Saloon’ because of its first owner’s penchant for taking spins with his lady friends for sale for £1.15 million A 1931 8-litre Bentley Tourer that got the nickname ‘The Harem Saloon’ because it was first used by a Chinese Mau owner to take his girlfriends to the races … Continue reading “The Harem Saloon”
November 12, 2017
by General
In spite of being born in 1925 in a castle in Austria, West London based mother of two Lotti Henley spends days feeding the homeless and destitute. Enthusiastic and dedicated to “caring for food,” this nonagenarian community heroin co-founded the Plan Zheroes charity in 2011 as part of her “vision of a world where no … Continue reading “Lotti Henley (born Princess Windisch-Graetz of Austria)”
October 17, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million A 125-acre Oxfordshire estate with Humphrey Repton landscaped grounds has gone on sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order.” The Coombe Park Estate at … Continue reading “A Derelict Doer-Upper”
September 26, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Tower house on Isle of Man that was home to the Romantic artist John Martin for sale for £3.95 million Described as “the most sublime and extraordinary pictures in the world” by critic Simon Wilson and “the most popular painter of his day” by fellow artist Sir Thomas Lawrence, English Romantic painter John Martin … Continue reading “A Romantic’s Tower”
September 10, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Convicted former pharmaceuticals executive Martin Shkreli offers a bounty for Hillary Clinton’s hair and threatens to smash up a £1.5 million work by the Wu-Tang Clan Martin Shkreli is getting madder and madder. Convicted of securities fraud in August and awaiting sentencing, the troubled former drug company executive took to Facebook on 4th September … Continue reading “Martin Gets Madder”
September 9, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Kitsch San Francisco mansion turned private museum that houses everything from Hitler memorabilia to a portrait turned down by Prince Philip for sale for £9.5 million The collection of a former advertising executive turned San Francisco based bon viveur named Robert C. Pritikin – better known as ‘Bob’ to his friends – includes everything … Continue reading “Pritikin’s Folly”
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 13, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Dame Paddy Ridsdale, as she generally known, was an intelligence operative, secretary to Ian Fleming during WW2 and the inspiration for the Bond character Miss Moneypenny. A Conservative Party stalwart and married to Member of Parliament for Harwich from 1954 to 1992 Sir Julian Ridsdale CBE (1915 – 2004), Dame Paddy – or Vicky, … Continue reading “Lady Ridsdale DBE (1921 – 2009, née Victoire Bennett)”
March 30, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Summing up Britain beginning its road to Brexit and an amusing take on the Prime Minister’s letter to Donald Tusk Yesterday, Theresa May found her date with destiny and triggered Article 50. With no more restrictions on bendy bananas (a total myth) and the start of a long goodbye, Britain reached a “historic moment” … Continue reading “The Baloney of Brexit”
by Matthew Steeples
Tiny 2.5-foot deep Knightsbridge “corridor house” sells for £810,000 at auction Yesterday, at an auction in London, a 2.5-foot deep (at its minimum) and 3-foot deep (at its maximum) mews house sold for £810,000 ($1 million, €936,000 or درهم3.7 million) despite being nothing more than a very long corridor. Extending to 275 square … Continue reading “Narrow in Knightsbridge”
March 27, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Rare 1938 Austin taxi to be auctioned; it is one of just four known to survive On 29th March, the very day Theresa May taxis towards Brexit and triggers Article 50, H&H Classics will auction a 1938 Austin 12/4 Heavy Low Loader Taxicab with coachwork by J. & H. Ricketts at their Imperial War … Continue reading “Taxi!”
January 7, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Rare 1954 Kaiser-Darrin roadsters to be auctioned in Arizona and Paris; they come complete with unusual sliding doors
November 4, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Sole surviving Morris-Commercial International ‘Upright Grand’ taxicab – nicknamed ‘Uncle Lima’ – to be auctioned after surviving crashes and mortar bombs
July 10, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Spitfire smashes £1.5 million pre-sale estimate and soars to sell for £3.1 million for charity in London
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
January 15, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Cairness House, “Scotland’s most important Greek Revival house”, heads into its fourth year on the market
December 24, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Buy an Eaton Square flat for the equivalent of £146 per day – and get the bonus of living next door to James Stunt
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 18, 2014
by General
Credited with bringing French cooking to Americans, Julia Child was a lady who once stated: “I believe in cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food”. A female equivalent of Keith Floyd and born in Pasadena, California, Child was too tall to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps in the Second World … Continue reading “Julia Child (1912 – 2004)”
September 5, 2014
by James Murphy
James Murphy lauds Roald Dahl as a literary hero My last article focused on Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl provides a natural sequel. Like Fleming, Dahl’s work continues to film and television from beyond his grave.
by Matthew Steeples
Frankie Dettori puts his Voysey designed country house up for sale Champion jockey Frankie Dettori is best known for his “flying dismounts” and for having won seven out of seven races at Ascot in 1996. He currently lives at Stetchworth on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border near Newmarket but is now selling his home there.
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 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.
July 25, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Norah Docker’s yacht, Shemara, has found a saviour in Charles Dunstone When spendaholics Sir Bernard and Lady Docker took ownership of a 65-metre yacht, the Shemara, in the 1950s, little did they know that it would ultimately become part of their nemesis. The very same boat – after languishing for many years – has … Continue reading “From Docker to Dunstone”
November 21, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Repossessed Somerset mansion goes to auction for just £250,000 It’s rare to find Grade I mansions in the hands of the receivers, but Halswell Park in Somerset is an exception to that rule. Now, Clive Emson auctioneers on behalf of Citi Private Banking, seek just £250,000 to £500,000 for the main house and £635,000 … Continue reading “An orgy of a mansion”
September 18, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
1928 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 shooting brake comes to the market Here at The Steeple Times we love unusual shooting brakes and in a 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, we’ve discovered an especially fantastic one.
September 13, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
One of Chelsea’s most important modernist houses comes to the market Built for the parliamentarian and playwright Benn Levy and his actress wife and designed by the Bauhaus school founder Walter Gropius, 66 Old Church Street is one of Chelsea’s most significant modernist houses. It’s no wonder that, even though in need of renovation, … Continue reading “If I Were You”
July 12, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Where will the world be without Whicker’s World? The answer: “A hell of a lot poorer”. Born in Egypt, this “broadcasting genius” shot footage of the body of Benito Mussolini during the Second World War before beginning a career interviewing the likes of John Paul Getty, the Sultan of Brunei, ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier and Peter … Continue reading “Alan Whicker CBE (1925 – 2013)”
May 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
One of the greatest traders ever to have lived. This thrice married American was famed for making and losing several multi-million dollar fortunes and once stated: “People who look for easy money invariably pay for the privilege of proving conclusively that it cannot be found on this earth”. Bankers today should pay heed. Nicknamed the … Continue reading “Jesse Livermore (1877 – 1940)”
March 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of the St. Ermin’s Hotel I first visited the St. Ermin’s Hotel close to Scotland Yard in St James’s in June 2012 for the first Intelligence Book of the Year Awards. Today, I will return there to attend a reception to announce the second winner of this annual prize by judges Andrew … Continue reading “Spying bees”
March 10, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Is it time for “Keep Calm And…” to “Sod Off And Get Lost”? Since 2001, whatever the situation and whatever the context, three words, “Keep Calm And…”, can and often have been applied. The rediscovery of what was originally a British wartime propaganda poster in a secondhand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland set about this … Continue reading “Keep Calm and Get Certified”
March 3, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A singer, actress and composer who has been a star all her life. Brought up in Epsom, Surrey and best known for Downtown, Petula Clark surprisingly made her radio debut aged just 9 and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall when she was only 11. She now lives between Switzerland and Chelsea and can occasionally … Continue reading “Petula Clark CBE”
December 17, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
This genius of British design was told by leading bicycle manufacturer Raleigh that his lightweight, small-wheeled bicycle wouldn’t sell in the early 1960s. He proved them utterly wrong and his work with Sir Alexander Issigonis on the Austin Mini created a car that will be remembered forever. This unmarried and utterly eccentric engineer was also … Continue reading “Dr Alexander Moulton CBE (1920 – 2012)”
December 7, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
This “Boswell of the bluebloods” was a writer whose tips came from unnamed sources and “waiter[s] serving [him] risotto at dinner parties”.
November 29, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
The story of a 1929 bi-plane with a truly fascinating pedigree Britain’s best-known wartime Prime Minister piloted a Gipsy Moth aeroplane that will be sold by auctioneers Bonhams in February 2013 at a guide of £120,000. The same craft was also featured in an iconic 1980s film and was also supposedly flown by a … Continue reading “A Gipsy flies”
November 20, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
A marine residence with a history tied to the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy, the Special Operations Executive and Babycham The House on the Shore on Thorns Beach at Beaulieu in Hampshire is a home that wouldn’t look out of place in the Hamptons or Rhode Island. Dramatically situated next to the Solent waters to … Continue reading “Ecstasy and Babycham”
October 29, 2012
by steepleadmin
Charles Mitford Cust asks: “Do the clocks really need to go back?” Yesterday, once again, the clocks went back and now we are officially in winter. As is always the case on this sad annual occasion, I am left asking myself why we have do something so apparently illogical and what are the origins … Continue reading “Cows don’t wear Rolexes”
October 28, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
A different side to Peter Rachman is revealed Whenever the name Rachman is mentioned, the first things that come to mind are greed, extortion and intimidation. The word is so engrained in such that “Rachmanism” now features in the dictionary, defined as: “The exploitation of tenants of slum properties by unscrupulous landlords.” … Continue reading “Redefining Rachman”
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 9, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and television personality Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force? “Independence and the life choices that come with it.” “Never regret, never explain, never apologise” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? As … Continue reading “Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
June 10, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
The sale of the former home of Dame Rebecca West Ibstone House at Ibstone in Buckinghamshire has recently come to the market at a price of offers in excess of £15 million. Now owned by Ariadne “Ari” Getty Williams, the daughter of Paul Getty and Abigail Harris, Ibstone has also been home to Sun … Continue reading “Written in the sun”
June 4, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Music fit for The Queen In recent days, Gary Barlow’s albumn Sing has topped the UK album charts with sales of 40,000 copies. Two hundred and ten musicians, including the African Children’s Choir and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Band, helped record this special tribute to The Queen. Produced by Barlow with … Continue reading “Singing for a Diamond”
by Matthew Steeples
This British actress is best known for playing Joy Adamson in the true-life film Born Free alongside her real-life husband, Bill Travers (1957 – 1994). She’s also starred in the Ring of Bright Water, The Camomile Lawn and Swallows and Amazons but it is for her work as a wildlife campaigner that McKenna is best … Continue reading “Virginia McKenna OBE”
June 3, 2012
by Matthew Steeples
Her Majesty has governed as constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states and heads the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. Supported by her gaffe prone husband, “Brenda,” as Private Eye nicknamed her, has served steadfast through good times and bad. She likes to drive a little quickly when given control of the wheel of a Range Rover … Continue reading “Elizabeth II, Queen of the Commonwealth realms”
