20 questions with singer-songwriter Tom Bem
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Success and positivity.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
I’ve adopted the Olympic motto ‘Faster Higher Stronger’. It’s mine now.
The wife of Roman Polanski committed a serious fashion faux pas at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival when her Alexandre Vauthier low-cut silk jersey “gown” left nothing to the imagination. An actress, model and singer, Seigner claims Frenchwomen are jealous of her “success, beauty and money”. She’s certainly nothing other than modest.
The Steeple Times asks The Palm’s barman Fillipe Ricchi: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
“Happiness and success”.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Trust yourself”.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Racism.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
I don’t miss anything. I’m very, very lucky.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I’d love to open a business. I’d love to open a bar.
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?
Banks are not very trusting.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Don’t”.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
It’s good to support charity but too many people do it for themselves rather than for whom it will benefit.
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?
They are very important but when I was young no one had one. Now everyone has one, it isn’t good.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
My family.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
I’d like mustard filet at a restaurant by the sea.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
11.30am.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A Negroni.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
House parties because I am in the company of friends.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My dad.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Shopping.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
I have a tattoo and it is of a baseball and sunglasses. I have it because I played baseball for ten years and I got the tattoo to remind myself of my love for the sport.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
An Aston Martin because it is elegant and aggressive at the same time.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m romantic.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
A bottle of cognac.
Fillipe Ricchi is a barman at The Palm, 1 – 3 Pont Street, London, SW1X 9EJ. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7201 0710. Website: http://www.thepalm.com/London
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The youngest woman to have become a self-made billionaire ever. A former comedian and door-to-door fax machine saleswoman, Blakely founded the privately held Spanx undergarment business at the age of 27. Sales took off in 2000 when Oprah Winfrey endorsed the product and then when she signed a contract with QVC, 8,000 pairs were sold in the first six minutes. Married to a former rapper named Jesse Itzler, Sara Blakely intends to leave at least half of her wealth to charity and of her success comments: “In my wildest dreams I never thought I would have started with their butts. As it turns out, that was a great place to start”. A truly inspirational and decent lady.
The story of “fallen tycoon” Brian O’Donnell, the differences between bankruptcy in the UK and Ireland and an £11 million mansion
In these straightened times, the media in general and the Daily Mail in particular quickly latch on to stories about benefit scroungers living in luxury homes. They’re less quick, however, with the exception of the case of Grant Bovey (“Mr Anthea Turner”), to make reference to stories of bankrupt individuals remaining in multi-million pound mansions.
A most newsworthy example, though, has to be that of Irish property investor Brian O’Donnell and his psychiatrist wife Dr Mary Patricia “Pat” O’Donnell. Mr O’Donnell, who bought the Sanctuary Buildings in London for £170 million and paid $172.5 million for a 199,000 square foot property on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington in 2008, started his career as a solicitor and eventually founded his own firm, Brian O’Donnell & Partners, in 1999. In time, he and his wife diversified into property investment and at the height of his success, Mr O’Donnell was described as “the Celtic Tiger poster child”. With the recession, however, came problems and by 2011, they owed Morgan Stanley €457 million, Aareal €235 million, and the Bank of Ireland circa €75 million.
A 1954 Pegaso Z-102 fails to sell at Amelia Island
Earlier this week we reported that a one-off Spanish supercar, a Pegaso Z-102 Series II cabriolet by Saoutchik, was to go to auction at the RM Auctions sale at Amelia Island today, Saturday 9th March 2013.
A rare Spanish made supercar heads to auction at Amelia Island
Spain is not a country that one naturally associates with supercars but between 1951 and 1958, Pegaso, a company known for producing buses, trucks and tractors, manufactured approximately 84 state-of-the-art sports cars. One of these rarities, a one-off 1954 Z-102 Series II cabriolet with bespoke bodywork by the renowned French firm Saoutchik, goes to auction at Amelia Island this Saturday, 9th March.
Undoubtedly best known as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, Yorkshire born Dench briefly played Pru Forrest in the BBC’s The Archers. She’s an advocate for “more progressive drug policies” and only took the role of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride & Prejudice after director Joe Wright wrote to her and said: “I love it when you play a bitch. Please come and be a bitch for me.” There’s barely a role she hasn’t conquered.
Andreas Kirchberger captures guests and performers at the Champions in the Community fundraising dinner
On Thursday 10th November 2012, Gina and Alan Miller and The Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP hosted a dinner at London’s Hurlingham Club to raise funds for the charities supported by Miller Philanthropy and The Centre for Social Justice.
Guests at the event numbered Aliona Adrianova, Carlos Bey Fisher, Jackie Branston, Bridget Convey, Karen Cummings Palmer, Diane Henry Lepart, Katie Gerrard, Hannah Gerrard, Iain Gibbs, Mariana Haseldine, Christian Huhnt, Francesca Mathieu, Ferdinand Miller, Georgina Moffat, Charles Mitford Cust, Claire Rubinstein, June Sarpong, Angelo Valentino, Timo Weber and Haydn Williams.
Performances by Antony Costa, Beverley Craven, the Magpie Dance group and Derek Paravacini were interspersed with speeches from Gina Miller and The Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP and items sold in the auction numbered a couture dress by Ralph & Russo, a long weekend on a country estate in Devon and a Rolls-Royce experience.
Of the success of the night, Gina Miller commented:
“The Champions in the Community dinner acknowledged the underappreciated individuals involved in charity in the UK. The evening was a great success in terms of raising funds and awareness for these unsung heroes and we thank all who attended and supported our efforts for those working at the coalface of the negative trends in our society.”
For more details about The Centre for Social Justice, go to: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk
For more information about Miller Philanthropy, go to: http://www.millerphilanthropy.com
All images © Andreas Kirchberger/Photography-Factory 2012
