The Steeple Times

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  • Diego Bivero-Volpe: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Diego Bivero-Volpe: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks nightlife entrepreneur Diego Bivero-Volpe: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

    Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    Get there on time.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?

    Racism and injustice. I travel quite a bit and I am always taken aback by how prevalent both are everywhere in the world.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    My family. They are all spread out, far away in different corners of the globe. It is difficult to see them often.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    The wellbeing of my loved ones.

     

    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?

    I love that quote but sadly it is indicative of how failed the system is. I used to work in the equity derivatives arm of RBS’ investment bank and I can tell you first-hand it is a cowboy’s game, with a lot of cavalier moves being made at the expense of the general public.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    Racist slurs.

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    This is probably true but I think all humans have a primal desire and need to help each other. I personally support Nordoff Robbins and Kids Company, both charities that help and provide support and protection for children.

     

    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?

    Unfortunately I am incredibly addicted to my Blackberry. Thinking about it, I don’t think it one has ever been more than 5 feet away from my in almost 10 years. That is disturbing.

     

    Diego Bivero-Volpe
    Diego Bivero-Volpe

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    So many… A random list off the top of my head: All of Led Zeppelin, Marcus Aurelius, Michelangelo, Rodin, Picasso, Piranesi, Buddy Holly, Hobbs, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and maybe Daniel Tosh because he’s hysterical. It would certainly make for quite the journey all around.

     

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    It’s hard to say, I am a lover of food, but I recently have developed a new obsession with steak, so maybe that and a spinach, avocado and mango salad.  In any case, let’s just hope this situation never happens.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    The conventional wisdom would dictate after 5pm. If you are on holiday somewhere sunny, a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz (if in Italy) with lunch is always acceptable.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Vodka martini, dry, 3 olives.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    It’s a toss-up between very close friends and big luxurious bashes thrown by film studios and such. Both have their perks and are fun in different ways.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    I am fortunate enough to have quite a few very positive people in my life.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Lazing about in Tuscany for 2 weeks every summer, doing nothing but eating pasta and tanning.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    I strongly dislike tattoos.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    A classic Ferrari.

     

    Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I have a masters in journalism and finance.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Lots of pictures of my family, a handmade sculpture made by Amazonian natives and some invites for events this week.

     

    Diego Bivero-Volpe is a partner in Conduit Brands. For more information, go to: http://www.conduitbrands.com
    Follow him on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DiegoB_V

     

  • Boars and politicos

    Boars and politicos

    A review of Westminster’s Blue Boar Smokehouse

     

    Westminster is one of the most intriguing parts of London but it can also be one of the most soulless. It’s an area that is inhabited by politicians and civil servants and it is the haunt of tourists. It’s a place of regal pageantry and ceremony but equally, it’s not a place that true Londoners flock to for food or drinks. Yes, of course, the tourists head to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and 10 Downing Street, but locals don’t venture to these historical landmarks all that readily apart from if summoned by Her Majesty, the Archbishop of Westminster or David Cameron.

     

    With the opening of the Intercontinental London Westminster next to Scotland Yard, city centre residents truly have good reason to reconsider their reluctance to consider the culinary offerings of this area. The restaurant and bar at this new hotel, the Blue Boar Smokehouse, is, I would suggest, a great addition to the London restaurant scene and head chef Jon Ingram’s “testosterone-fuelled menu” of meaty delights is most definitely innovative, unusual and spectacular.

     

    The dining room at the Blue Bar Smokehouse & Bar
    The dining room at the Blue Bar Smokehouse & Bar
    The bar area is typical of those found in most hotels other than it boasts an amazing collection of gins
    The bar area is typical of those found in most hotels other than it boasts an amazing collection of gins

    I dined at the Blue Boar on a quiet Monday lunchtime with their vivacious PR Jennifer-Anne Sutcliffe. I had sadly missed the launch party Sutcliffe had organised earlier in the month and it was fascinating to learn from her that The Steeple Times roll call and party loving stalwart David Pun had turned up with Mick Jagger’s ex, Jerry Hall. We did laugh about how such an odd union could have come to being. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to conjure up a suitable explanation.

     

    The restaurant itself is named after the 14th century Blue Boar’s Head Inn that stood on the site until it was demolished in 1899 but apart from its name, it bares little resemblance to a public house. The decoration is simple yet elegant and one could just imagine Francis Urquhart of House of Cards legend plotting the downfall of his contemporaries here. No doubt budding future Cameronites and Millibands will indeed be spotted whispering over pulled lamb shoulders and perhaps, even, a Blair-Brown style Granita pact could even happen at a table at the Blue Boar.

     

    Artwork depicts many political subjects including the eras of Blair and Major
    Artwork depicts many political subjects including the eras of Blair and Major

    Mayor of London Boris Johnson even makes an appearance
    Mayor of London Boris Johnson even makes an appearance

     

    The art collection of the Intercontinental London Westminster has been sourced by a specialist curator named Peter Millard. It is described as capturing “the essence of British political life” and is themed around being “knowing about the way the world works”. Alongside Gerald Scarfe and Martin Rowson cartoons are two works by Agamaria Pasternak. These contain the faces of every current Member of Parliament and in addition montages of the eras of Tony Blair and John Major before him illustrate memories of recent political history. Much thought has plainly gone into this collection and it is indeed appropriate given the setting.

     

    The restaurant’s menu cleverly combines the use of the best quality British produce with the American pit style cooking of Tennessee and the Deep South. Slow cooked meats and wood-grilled steaks are the order of the day and Ingrams’ 12 spice rub is certainly his signature.

     

    To start, we began with sautéed wild mushrooms served with a crispy duck egg on toast (£8). This simple dish was well executed but the true highlight were the Blue Boar ribs that followed (£8/£15). Spicy and not too sweet, these were as far away from what you’d traditionally expect of ribs as Ken Livingstone is from ever owning a Rolls-Royce. The tender, fleshy meat, which is smoked for some 24 hours, was exceptional and I can genuinely state that I’ve never had ribs as good before.

     

    Though the option of a “carpetbag” Hereford fillet steak stuffed with oysters sounded tempting (£27), I opted for a Yorkshire rose T-bone veal steak. I very much enjoyed it and other dishes such as glazed pork belly served with Coleman’s English mustard and honey (£14.50) sounded equally tempting. To accompany the steak, I tried a portion of the smoky bacon baked beans recommended by Miss Sutcliffe and the restaurant manager. The flavor was perfectly balanced and these are well worth trying.

     

    To conclude, the offering includes options very much suited to the political classes. With dishes similar to what might be found in the dining rooms of the Houses of Parliament, diners can try Cambridge cream (£7), vanilla baked pineapple (£7) or sticky toffee pudding (£5). I plumped for a bread and butter pudding served with marmalade ice cream (£5) and found it most satisfactory. All in all, I’d conclude that this was a meal deserving of a mention in anyone’s edition of political dispatches. Jon Ingram is a chef worthy of great accolade and a plot will no doubt ensue to ensure that this restaurant receives the accolades that it truly deserves.

     

    An old bottle of Booth's Gin is on display in the bar along with a number of other more unusual examples of this spirit
    An old bottle of Booth’s Gin is on display in the bar along with a number of other more unusual examples of this spirit

    The wine list at the Blue Boar offers a mix suitable for both wealthy lobbyists and those suffering as a result of George Osborne’s latest budget. Wines start at around £26 a bottle but what truly impressed me – and what I shall certainly return for – is the collection of vintage gins. This is a paradise for any gin lover and with Booth’s Gin topping the list, it is plain that much research has gone into this element of the bar’s conception.

     

    Additionally, for those looking for a new place to brunch on a Sunday, the Blue Boar has a “feasting table” each week. Available from 12.30pm to 3pm each week and priced at £45 per adult and £15 per child, the deal includes unlimited Bloody Mary’s and Buck’s Fizz. In addition to what the Blue Boar call a “butcher’s board” featuring ham hocks, venison and smoked chicken, the offering also includes a seafood bar with oysters, prawns and herrings and a whole selection of salads.

     

    A scary looking boar's head looks over the political plotting at the Blue Boar
    A scary looking boar’s head looks over the political plotting at the Blue Boar

     

    If you are passionate about fine meats, make a beeline for the Blue Boar. Just be sure also to keep an eye out for Bo-Jo under a hog’s head in a hidden corner. It’s probably not as surreal as it sounds.

     

    Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar, 37 – 45 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9LQ. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3301 1400. Website: http://www.blueboarlondon.com

     

    Follow the Blue Boar Smokehouse on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/blueboarlondon

  • Video of the week: Bond’s Range

    Video of the week: Bond’s Range

    The launch of the 2014 Range Rover Sport

     

    Tomorrow, 26th March 2013 at 7.30pm EDT, the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport will be unveiled at the 113th New York Motor Show. In a departure from the traditional way in which cars are launched, Land Rover have drafted in James Bond star Daniel Craig to star in a video advertising campaign that will accompany this. It will conclude with a live-stream movie shot in “secret locations” around Manhattan.

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  • Jessica Fellowes: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Jessica Fellowes: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    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, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “No man lives by bread alone – he needs his bit of crumpet”.

      (more…)

  • Josh Henderson

    Josh Henderson

    Josh Henderson 350This Texan actor and singer is a rising star who first found fame in Desperate Housewives before taking a lead role in the TNT revival of Dallas. Henderson is heterochromatic and has one green eye and one blue eye. He lists his style icons as James Franco and Ryan Gosling and of them states: “I take a lot of my fashion tips from those two. In my opinion, they’re the ones getting it right”.

  • Michelle Dockery

    Michelle Dockery

    Michelle Dockery 300This 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 Jude Law and Keira Knightley. Of her future ambitions, she states: “I love singing live, actually. And I’m dying to sing in a role, whether it’s in a musical or a biographical film about a singer. It’s always been one of my aspirations”. In the meantime, the nation will continue to celebrate watching this rising talent as she morphs into Downton’s merry widow.

  • The Royal Borough is alive with the taste of fondue

    The Royal Borough is alive with the taste of fondue

    An evening of fondue at Bodo’s Schloss in Kensington

     

    Bodo’s Schloss, a restaurant, bar and disco reminiscent of an Austrian alpine lodge, opened late last year and became an instant hit with the Chelsea set. For them and personalities such as Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow, in fact, it’s rather like a little slice of Lech and Zürs has come to London.

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  • Helping the homeless in the snow

    Helping the homeless in the snow

    A call to action if you spot a rough sleeper in the snow

     

    This morning the power of social media was used for good by many when they shared a link to the pages of the homeless charity St Mungo’s.

    The homeless are especially vulnerable when it snows
    The homeless are especially vulnerable when it snows

    Those Tweeting and writing Facebook messages realised how fortunate they are and urged their followers to report sightings of rough sleepers in the snow so that St Mungo’s can send their outreach team to help them. We at The Steeple Times wholeheartedly agree so should you spot someone needing help, email the charity at [email protected] or call +44 (0) 870 383 3333.

     

    For more information or to report information about a rough sleeper, go to: http://www.mungos.org/how_you_can_help/cold_weather_support

  • The death of the typewriter, the death of an era

    The death of the typewriter, the death of an era

    Gina Miller reports on the death of the typewriter

     

    I noted that Britain’s last ever typewriter rolled off the assembly line at Brother’s factory in Wales last week, the Brother CM1000 electronic typewriter. This was one of 5.8 million typewriters made at the factory since 1985 and it has been donated to the Science Museum in London.

     

    The power of words

    Over the weekend, whilst perusing the Sunday newspapers, I shuddered at the disgraceful dumbing down of language. Then, last night, whilst watching the evening news, I was appalled by the grammar being used by newsreaders as my radar is now fully focused on honing in on grammatical sabotage.

     

    It has struck me that with the death of the typewriter we are also experiencing the death of an era. An era in which the art and craft of writing, grammar, attention to detail, concentration and a love of words was celebrated has passed. Gone is a time where cutting and pasting required dexterity and glue. A time when mistakes, typos and bad grammar all had consequences; and when people enjoyed a romance with words has indeed moved on. Words that could be simple yet sophisticated have been sadly forgotten. I love the power of words. They are an amazing form of self-expression that can convey such beauty and such emotion. They have the power to make or break a person. They can lift or depress the spirit, they can make us rejoice or cry.

     

    As a young girl I would sneak into the back of a courtroom and marvel as my father, a noted criminal barrister, defended a client.  Years later reading the John Mortimer play, A Voyage Round My Father, I found the exact words to express my childhood wonderment. ‘He sent words into the darkness as if they were soldiers into battle,’ Mortimer wrote.

     

    In the work environment we now use computers, which often means people are less productive and lack concentration as they are distracted by the Internet and auto spell checks which dull the intellect. Typewriters used to be chained to desks so they were not stolen or thrown out of windows. But now staff can steal time by using office hours to communicate with friends on Facebook or Twitter, shop online and book leisure activities and holidays.

     

    Outside of work, letter writing is dying; people text to say thank you, to make up – even to break up. Communication lacks emotion, style, considered phrases and politeness. Written communications have been reduced to rough, short, sharp, harsh expressions of functionality.

     

    I love how words taste just before you say them, how some of them have to roll around your mouth for a while before they can be uttered and how others explode off the pad of your tongue, excited to be leaving your thoughts and heading out into the world. Words like ‘strident’, ‘garrulous’, ‘mosquito’, ‘svelte’, ‘sanguine’, ‘parlour’. The word ‘rat’ that you can’t say and be tearful at the same time – it’s a great word to repeat several times when you can’t control your emotions. I love coming across words that I’ve never heard before – sometimes just hearing them is enough to satisfy my appetite but more often than not I need to get the full effect of them by thinking of how to use them. This I explore with my children where we have rhyming games, opposite games; if a word was a colour, what colour might it be?

     

    There are some words that you can’t help but ‘feel’ as you say them – say the word ‘whisper’ and the very air around you changes as you say it. Words are beautiful to say and hear but they really come into their own when they are written down.

     

    I’m certainly not as clever with the use of words and language as I would like to be and I probably use each and every forbidden type of style and grammar error known to man. But I firmly believe that in these fast-paced, hectic times we should all encourage a wider expansion and usage of vocabulary so that generations to come can enjoy the pleasure of words and language.

     

    Like the health message of ‘eat 5 a day’ in terms of fruit and vegetables, I would encourage parents to ensure their children to ‘use 5 a day’ – at least 5 adjectives a day to ensure the beauty of language is kept alive.

     

    Gina Miller is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and lover of words.

     

    For more information about Miller Philanthropy, go to: http://www.millerphilanthropy.com

     

     

  • Picture of the Week: Journalism and public relations

    Picture of the Week: Journalism and public relations

    A George Orwell quotation sums up the current media firestorm perfectly

     

    We at The Steeple Times thought this image of a lady holding up a piece of cardboard summed up the events of the weekend perfectly.

     

    As a debate rages about the future of the BBC and the role of social media in the “outing” of personalities in connection to alleged stories of abuse, the words of George Orwell ring utterly true:

     

    “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.”

     

    For this simple reason, we make it our picture of the week. This scandal should not be brushed under the carpet.