The case of a Ferrari FF driver with more money than sense
Last November, on my way to a lunch at The Stafford Hotel with The Steeple Times restaurant critic, Anthony Brown, I took a photograph of one of my favourite vehicles, a Ferrari FF, in Curzon Street, W1.
Emblazoned with a Westminster City Council parking ticket, this particular FF, baring an Arabic registration “66 C,” was especially noticeable as it was “wrapped” in orange and black and I took a photograph of it.
My photograph of the orange-black “wrapped” Ferrari FF in Curzon Street, Mayfair, London, W1 in November 2011
After sharing the image on Facebook, I received, in Margaret Thatcher style fashion, the following reply from the renowned designer, Bruce Oldfield: “No, no, no!” Another friend, Anne Marie Legault added: “It doesn’t fit with the neighborhood.” Karen Ashworth, a Mercedes SL 500 driver and friend from my school days, summed up the thoughts of the majority though when she stated of the car: “I’m not a fan to be honest!”
I subsequently saw the car a few times in the months that followed but never imagined that I’d see it on the Mail Online website and would certainly never have predicted that it would have ended up as an advert against uninsured drivers outside New Scotland Yard.
The very same Ferrari FF outside New Scotland Yard todayInstead of a parking ticket, this Ferrari FF now has a police notice glued to it’s windscreen28-year old His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi. His nickname is “RRR,” which supposedly stands for “rich in real estate resources.”
The Steeple Times picture of the week, following on from this morning’s coverage of it, therefore, has to be of this particular FF. It turns out that it is owned by His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the 28-year old son of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, the ruler of Ajman, and was recently impounded in South Kensington, London after he hadn’t bothered to insure it. Having paid £227,000 for such a magnificent vehicle, one would have thought he’d have the brains and finances to have done such. Plainly the age of excess and stupidity is still with us.
One costs £10,000 and the other £35,000. They are, unbelievably, essentially the same vehicle and that the streets of Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia are stuffed with the more expensive version is, in my humble opinion, an utter misdemeanor.
A Toyota iQ that is being used as a Response Vehicle pictured outside The Ecuadorian Embassy in London. An ideal escape vehicle for Julian Assange perhaps.Aston Martin’s Cygnet in British Racing Green pictured with a Toyota iQ in the foreground. You could play a game of spot the difference.
Toyota’s iQ is a clever little vehicle. My friend happens to own one and I’ve been in it several times. It is practical and far better than a Smart fortwo in that it has a little more space inside and does a very reasonable 64.2 mpg. This perfectly zippy little beast does exactly what it says on the tin and is an ideal city car.
Aston Martin have taken the very same vehicle and essentially rebadged it the Cygnet. At more than three times the price, you do get get a proper Aston paint-job and a stylish hand-fitted interior with as many leather hides in it as are needed to trim a DB9. It’s also, however, with a top speed of just 106 mph, the slowest Aston Martin in history and most of the components in it are made by Toyota.
The good people of the Royal Borough may well think they’re making a statement in buying a Cygnet. In reality, they should develop their IQ’s and buy the Toyota.
Last month I visited a house I’d heard much about over the years in the company of Ed Burrows, the personable managing director of Barnsdale Lodge in Rutland. That house, located a few minutes from the hotel that Burrows so ably runs, was Burley-on-the-Hill House.
Asil NadirBurley-on-the-Hill House
Now converted into apartments, this mansion was built in the 1690s to designs supervised by Sir Christopher Wren and was sold to Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir in 1991 for £7 million. Nadir planned to turn Burley-on-the-Hill into a luxury hotel and conference centre with two golf courses but this failed to come to fruition when his Polly Peck empire collapsed following a Serious Fraud Investigation. In 1993, he breached the terms of his bail and fled to Northern Cyprus and as a result Burley-on-the-Hill was sold to the property developer Kit Martin.
Sick of being a fugitive, Nadir took the gamble of returning to Britain to finally face a trial in July 2010 but this has indeed been his very own nadir. Plainly believing that most documents had faded and his alleged theft of £150 million from the empire had been forgotten, this twice married Turkish Cypriot former business mogul was yesterday convicted on three charges of theft totaling £5.5 million. Aged 71, he now faces a lengthy jail sentence.
At the end of the day, Asil Nadir, the man who had it all, had nothing.
The Steeple Times asks private aviation entrepreneur Tom McLoughlin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
7th January 2013: When we published this interview on 16th August 2012, we were unaware of the real identity of Thomas McLoughlin. He told us he was an ambassador for American Express and all manner of other tales. Our readers responded in their droves and he has now been identified for what he truly is. His answers will remain here as illustration of his persona. The man is an obnoxious fake. If you spot him, contact Chelsea police station as they are very interested in his activities.
Update 13th February 2013: Thomas McLoughlin pleaded guilty to two charges on 28th January 2013 and is due to appear again at Isleworth Crown Court on 11th March 2013. Readers may wish to attend to witness his departure. It’s almost certain they’ll be waving him on his merry way to a Serco prison truck rather than to a Learjet or a Mercedes AMG.
Update 12th April 2013: After having his sentencing delayed for health reasons, Mr McLoughlin is back in court again this morning. We await news with baited breath.
Update 17th May 2013: Mr McLoughlin’s sentencing has been delayed until 12th June whilst the courts await medical evidence.
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
My belief in God and my own God.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Don’t get mad, get even.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Tony Blair trying to resurrect his political career.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
A golf course when I can’t get to one.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
To live out my life on a desert with a certain Italian actress.
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?
Everyone knows that the City has been full of crooks for years. Unfortunately most of them are American now.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Actually.”
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Children’s causes here and around the world. Adults can take care of themselves.
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?
I wish I could position my mobile phone to assassinate some political leaders in the world.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
All my ex-business enemies with one or two assassins. Several girlfriends would accompany. The ex-business enemies would be disposed of at the first stop.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
My last meal would be Welsh lamb at No. 11 Cadogan Gardens.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Champagne at breakfast but nothing else before midday.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini with Stelios. I leased him his first five jets for EasyJet in 1994 and then he didn’t need me anymore.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
The after-party at the New Year’s Day concert in Vienna that I go to annually.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My daughter, Alexandra, aged 14.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
A bottle of white Burgundy and a punt on Betfair.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
It would be a butterfly on the arse of a girlfriend.
If you were a car, what marquee would you be?
My car, a Mercedes CL63 AMG.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
As a private jet captain, I flew 3 plates of Nobu sushi to Baku, Azerbaijan. The sushi cost £2,000 and the flight £78,000.
This stylish Anglo-Italian entrepreneur was one of the founders of Quintessentially. Charm personified, Del Bono now assists wealthy foreigners invest in London’s finest homes and businesses. His most talked about venture is a £100 million project that will turn 50 St James’s Street into a member’s club, spa and hotel. In the residential sector, he represented a Ukranian who purchased Hanover Lodge in Regent’s Park for £120 million: Britain’s most expensive single family residence. His is a Rolodex that is second to none.
Yesterday, at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale at Goodwood, near Chichester, a 1912 Rolls Royce Double Pullman Limousine achieved over double the estimate when it sold for £4,705,500.
Considered to be one of the rarest Rolls-Royce cars in existence, this 100-year old vehicle acquired the “Corgi” name in the 1960s when toymakers Corgi® copied it as part of their range. Undoubtedly the most recognisable Rolls-Royce “Silver Ghost” produced, it now is thought to be the only car of its type left in the world.
The 1912 Rolls-Royce Double Pullman Silver Ghost Limousine, registration “1912 RR”A Corgi® model of the 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Designed in the style of a Pullman railway carriage, this 40/50hp 7.3 litre masterpiece was delivered new to John M. Stephens of South Croydon, a known connoisseur of Silver Ghosts, and then passed through the ownership of John C. Sword and Denis de Ferranti in the UK and Richard Solove and most recently John M. O’Quinn in the USA. The vehicle came to auction following the death of Mr O’Quinn, a lawyer who also owned the 1975 Ford Escort GL once owned by Pope John Paul II and John F. Kennedy’s 1962 Lincoln Continental Bubble Top Limo, in a car crash in Houston, Texas.
Of the “Corgi,” James Knight of Bonhams commented:
“Back in those days, customers would buy the engine and chassis and would employ coach builders to do the bodywork. The first owner of this car hired the best coach builders of the day and the car epitomizes the upper echelons of Edwardian society.”
What makes this vehicle especially rare is that it is in perfect condition. Most similar vehicles were converted into ambulances during the First World War and suffered inglorious fates. Whoever purchased this car has undoubtedly added a treasure to their collection.
This Mayfair based property tycoon was born in Tehran and owns a Mangusta motor yacht named “Veni Vidi Vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”). His Rolls-Royce Phantom, numberplate “2V,” is often spotted outside London’s finest establishments and an SFO investigation into his business affairs has now been sensibly put to bed.
The accessory of choice for fashion agnostics or a healthy two fingers to style? By Claire Rubinstein
London is in the midst of an epidemic. So widespread is the affliction that it seems no area has escaped its advances. From St James’s to the Square Mile, from Notting Hill to Belgravia, the normally stylish urban gent is gripped by rucksack ruin. Precise tailoring – check, bespoke shoes – check, luxury timepiece – check, get a little closer and inhale the Creed Aventus. So far, so stylish until the aesthetic is shattered – Ninja Turtle style it’s a hero in a half shell, namely on his back is a Millets rucksack.
The archetypal rucksack look
Once the domain of terrorists, one glimpse was enough to induce fear on such a scale that instant vacation of a tube carriage or any public place was guaranteed. Now rucksacks are commonplace. Want proof? Look no further than the cluttered window space at Cecconi’s or under the tables at The Wolseley. Rucksacks are everywhere.
Once upon a time the only bulge a man was politely allowed to have in his suit was his wallet, and so the classic briefcase or attaché case reigned supreme. But now a man is required to carry more than just his wallet and a few documents, likewise the resistance to carrying bags has become a thing of the past. Attitudes are changing and so are the bags. There is a huge variety of personal styles and even influential designers are embracing the trend with satchels, messenger bags, organiser bags and of course the controversial rucksack all in a range of materials from classic leather, fabric, canvas and even vegan-friendly hemp for the fashion conscious with a moral conscience.
Matching jackets deserve matching bags and even a matching dogA casually discarded satchel
But our obsession with bags is nothing new. Men once carried coin purses, with the oldest known purse dating back more than 5000 years, it was worn by a man known as Ötzi the Iceman. It can only be a matter of time before ‘The Ötzi’ becomes a coveted waiting-list only piece of male arm candy.
So what lies behind this devil-may-care attitude to accessorising? Chatting to the culprits, I found that it is nothing more than simple practicality. One Mayfair “hedgie” told me he eschewed his very stylish new Mulberry briefcase in favour of the rucksack as the offending item was much more practical when riding a scooter. A health-conscious West End property tycoon used a similar excuse reasoning that a briefcase made cycling impossible and was also not spacious enough for the extra grooming essentials needed for his daily sessions at The Royal Automobile Club’s pool.
But out of everyone I asked, there was one over-riding factor – the weather. So it seems that just as the iconic British Mackintosh has evolved for our rainy climate so too has the rucksack. And perhaps there is something rather charming about this stealth wealth with the cherished rucksack off-setting the traditional trappings of elegance.
As all that glitters is not gold, indeed the only man I knew who ticked every style box possible and never to be seen with a rucksack would proudly dress up in 3-piece suit and briefcase for ‘meetings’. This big-talking small-fry’s important appointments turned out to be meetings for one with the nearest bottle of house red and his briefcase contained nothing more than an Oyster Card and a clutch of court summonses for non-payment of bills.
I rest my case.
The author, Claire Rubinstein, with a gentleman who prefers a Harrods bag in juteA manbag in miniature
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 the assistance of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gareth Malone, Sing also features Prince Harry on the tambourine, Hayley Westenra, Alfie Boe and the Military Wives choir. Sing will be performed this evening at a special concert at Buckingham Palace in the presence of Her Majesty.
Another tribute I was alerted to came from a singer named Anton Lorien who contacted me via Twitter. He was approached in 2011 by the British Monarchist League who asked him to produce a song for a lady he describes as having: “Given her life selflessly to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth.”
Mr Lorien’s song, Like A Diamond, is available to download on iTunes but I wholeheartedly recommend that you watch the video clip available above. It contains some wonderful footage of The Queen and the clip at 3:33 where our Monarch runs to watch her racehorse is especially worth seeing.
Gary Barlow pictured with Prince Harry on the tambourine working on Sing
Both Sing and Like A Diamond capture the feelings of our nation brilliantly. Be sure to sing along tonight.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II governed as constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states and headed the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. Supported by her gaffe prone husband, “Brenda,” as Private Eye nicknamed her, served steadfast through good times and bad. She liked to drive a little quickly when given control of the wheel of a Range Rover and also found washing up relaxing. This monarch like no other will never be forgotten.
