Tag Archives: design

Christmas in July? Good Stuff!

Posted on 2014-07-26 by tikichris

Ho ho huh? Here’s a bagful of seasonally premature Good Stuff to stuff keep in mind as 2014 rolls onwards to a hopefully very festive end. With many major brands (and those wishing to be so) hosting sneak preview shows every July to highlight what’s on their nice lists for Christmas, it’s a fun if odd time to be on the consumer end of media. Anyway, I’m never one to turn down an invite to a party – even if I’m not sure if it’s half a month early or late. So, deck the hall and all that jazz as I share some of the more notable Yuletide prospects I came across this past month. Enjoy. Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged Buche de Noel, Buches de Noel, carluccio's, chocolate, christmas, christmas 2014, christmas in july, dark chocolate, design, dunelm, dunelm mill, Food, la maison du chocolat, London, London blog, luxury, maison du chocolat, Shopping, Valrhona, WAITROSE, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 2 Comments

6 Exceptional Museums in Basel (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-07-10 by tikichris

For a city of only about 200,000 people, Basel boasts more museums than cities with more than ten times its population. From the Anatomical Museum of the University of Basel (which was founded by Professor Carl Jung – yes, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Basel, Design, Museums, OneTravel, Switzerland, Travel | Tagged Art, Basel, Basler Papiermühle, design, fine art, fine art museum, Fondation Beyeler, germany, Jean Tingugely, Kunstmuseum Basel, Münchenstein, Museum Tinguely, museums, OneTravel, paper museum, riehen, Schaulager, sculpture, swiss, switzerland, Travel, vitra, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein | Leave a comment

Hello Stan Smith. Still Looking Good!

Posted on 2014-07-09 by tikichris

White on white with a touch of navy – I’m almost afraid to wear my new Adidas Originals Stan Smith trainers out on the streets as they look so nice and clean right out of the box. But that fear will subside soon, and I’m sure I’ll make good use of this new pair of trainers. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Fashion, Shopping, Sports | Tagged adidas, adidas originals, adidas originals stan smith, design, fashion, footwear, JD Sports, shoes, Shopping, sneakers, sports, stan smith, stan smiths, style, tennis, tennis shoes, trainers, wimbledon | Leave a comment

Bis Später Basel

Posted on 2014-07-04 by tikichris

I really had a fantastic time during my city break in Basel. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the highlights of my visit. Continue reading →

Posted in Basel, Basel City Break, Switzerland, Travel | Tagged Basel, Basel City Break, design, free, freebies, mobility ticket, Rhein, swiss, Swiss International Air Lines, switzerland, Travel, travel blog | Leave a comment

See Basel: A City Artfully Designed to Please

Posted on 2014-07-04 by tikichris

Keen to take a city break that’s chock full of eye candy treats by some of the world’s greatest modern architects, designers, and artists? Go to Basel. I was blown away by all the fascinating stuff I got to behold during my few days there. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Basel, Basel City Break, Design, Germany, Graffiti, Museums, Shopping, Switzerland, Travel | Tagged 20th century design, ARCHITECTURE, Arnold Bocklin, Art, Basel, Basel City Break, Basel Fine Art Museum, Basel in Weil am Rhein, Basler Papiermühle, Beyeler Foundation, braque, bruce nauman, Cézanne, Charles Eames, city tour, cubism, design, eames, fine art, Fondation Beyeler, Frank Gehry, George Nelson, German Expressionism, germany, Graffiti, Herzog & de Meuron, Holbein, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Tingugely, Katharina Fritsch, Krištof Kintera, Kunstmuseum Basel, Laurenz Foundation, Léger, modern architecture, modern art, Monet, Münchenstein, Museum Tinguely, museums, pablo picasso, paper mill, paper museum, Paul Chan, picasso, Rattenkonig, Ray Eames, renaissance art, renzo piano, Rhein, Richar Serra, Robert Gober, rudolph suter, Schaulager, sculptor, street art, swiss, swiss design, swiss symbolism, switzerland, Travel, travel blog, vitra, vitra campus, Vitra Design Museum | Leave a comment

Sleep Basel: The Passage

Posted on 2014-07-02 by tikichris

During my Basel City Break, I stayed at The Passage. Only open since February of this year, the sleek and minimalist four star hotel served as a conveniently positioned base for exploring the city and a comfy HQ well worth returning to. Continue reading →

Posted in Basel, Basel City Break, Design, Freebies, Hotels, Luxury, Travel | Tagged Basel, Basel City Break, basel hotel, design, FOUR STAR HOTEL, free, freebies, hotels, luxury, mobility ticket, swiss, switzerland, the passage, Travel, travel blog | 1 Comment

My Basel: Taking the Make My Switzerland App for a Spin

Posted on 2014-07-01 by tikichris

Obviously you’ve heard about Switzerland’s stunning panoramas of and from its mighty Alps. But for my first of hopefully many more visits to this friendly little Alpine nation, I found the views shared via a handy Swiss app to be a real wonder to behold as well. The free to download app, called Make My Switzerland, is available via Google Play and Apple’s App Store and offers a wealth of insider knowledge about the things that savvy locals love best in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich. I gave the app a whirl over an especially fun weekend in Basel, and I’m more than happy to recommend the city and the app to anybody keen to explore a delightful and compact destination that’s big on culture. Continue reading →

Posted in Apps, Art, Basel, Basel City Break, Design, Drink, Food, Freebies, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged app, apps, ARCHITECTURE, Basel, Basel City Break, design, free, freebies, Herzog & de Meuron, make my switzerland, make my switzerland app, mobility ticket, my switzerland, my switzerland app, myswitzerland, Rhein, swiss, swissair, switzerland, Travel, travel blog | 1 Comment

I Did What in Amsterdam? It Wasn’t Me! I Swear!

Posted on 2014-06-22 by tikichris

So, here’s that little eight inch 3D print out of me hanging out in Amsterdam. It’s nice to think that “I” got to go sightseeing via British Airways’ new Last Call range of last minute flight and last minute holiday deals and that “I” apparently chose an especially sunny time to visit this fun loving Dutch city. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Netherlands, Travel, Urban Travel Blog | Tagged #lastcall, 3D printing, amsterdam, BA, british airways, design, Josh Ferry Woodard, last call, Travel, urban travel blog | Leave a comment

Good Stuff

Posted on 2014-05-24 by tikichris

Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. RHS Chelsea Flower Show Did you … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Fashion, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged 2010 Crawford Beck Vineyard, american wine, AW14, brick lane, Burger Shadow 500, Capo Caccia, Capo Caccia Fine Food, Catherine MacDonald, CHARCUTERIE, cheese, chelsea, chelsea flower show, Coffin on Cake, Coffin on Cake AW14, cooking classes, Crawford Beck Vineyard, cured meat, design, east london, END, fashion, Food, good stuff, holloway road, islington, italian cheese, italian food, italian wine, Jenius Social, Joseph Pedicini, London, London blog, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, montebruno, Montebruno Wine Co, old truman brewery, oregon wine, pinot noir, raw, raw wine, RAW WINE FAIR, red wine, Renuso Bianco, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sardinian cheese, sardinian wines, saucony, saucony originals, sneakers, supper clubs, Susannah Hunter, Tenute Dettori, the Artisan Wine Fair, The Massachusetts Garden, The Massachusetts Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, trainers, white wine, Willamette Valley, wine, WINE FAIR, Wine Source Group, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Handmade in Britain – Appreciating British Craftsmanship (CheapOair)

Posted on 2014-05-06 by tikichris

Opening the doors to the beautiful and historic Chelsea Old Town Hall for three days this May, Handmade in Britain will showcase the best of contemporary fine crafts across a range of disciplines. With innovative design to be on display … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, CheapOair, Design, Food, London, Shopping, Travel | Tagged british design, cheapoair, chelsea, chelsea old town hall, cookery school, craft, design, handmade in britain, king's road, London, London blog, pop-up, SW3, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Cookery School Pop-Up Cafe at Handmade in Britain

Posted on 2014-04-28 by tikichris

Just a head’s up to let you know Handmade in Britain’s “Spring Edition” is coming soon to Chelsea Old Town Hall. Of course, the event will be a fantastic showcase of contemporary fine crafts across a range of disciplines. It will … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Design, Food, London, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged british design, chelsea, chelsea old town hall, cookery school, craft, design, handmade in britain, king's road, pop-up, SW3 | Leave a comment

Portugal Please: Suckling Pig Paradise, Bairrada

Posted on 2014-04-18 by tikichris

From Aveiro, I drove south to the town of Mealhada for a meal that had me squealing with piggy delight. Mealhada and its region of Bairrada (still within the greater region of Centro) seem to be the suckling pig capital of the world, where the main drag through town is lined with restaurant after restaurant boasting leitão à Bairrada (as suckling pig is called there). For my feast, I paid a visit to one of the most popular and best established eateries, the rather prosaically named Restaurante Típico da Bairrada. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Drink, Food, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged Bairrada, Bairrada wine, Casa de Santar Reserva, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, Dão, Dão Sul, Dão wine, design, Drink, Encontro 1, Food, Global Wines, Global Wines/Dão Sul, hotel, Leitão, Leitão à Bairrada, mealhada, pork, portugal, Portugal Please, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, QdoE, Quinta, Quinta do Encontro, red wine, Restaurante Típico da Bairrada, restaurants, Shopping, sparkling red wine, sparkling wine, suckling pig, sunvil, Travel, travel blog, wine, winery | 4 Comments

Portugal Please: Charming and Cheeky Aveiro

Posted on 2014-04-17 by tikichris

Know as the “Venice of Portugal,” Aveiro is an attractive little coastal canal-crossed town in the Centro region of Portugal. I spent a couple of days in this part of the country, marvelling at how awesome the region was yet how largely undiscovered by tourists it seemed to be. Pretty, walkable and full of lovely shops, bars and restaurants, Aveiro was a particularly fine place for my introduction to the area. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged Art, art nouveau, aveiro, caldeirada, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, design, Drink, Food, hotel, Hotel Moliceiro, hotels, O Bairro, o bairro restaurante, ovos moles, ovos moles de aveiro, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese fish stew, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurants, seasfood, Shopping, sunvil, Travel, travel blog, venice of portugal, wine | 3 Comments

Tops Sights and Sounds Around Muscle Shoals, Alabama (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-04-06 by tikichris

Nestled along the banks of the Tennessee River, the area of Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama is a nature lover’s dream. It’s a music lover’s dream too, where a small handful of recording studios have been responsible for some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Design, Music, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel | Tagged 20th century design, Alabama, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, ARCHITECTURE, aretha franklin, birthplace of helen keller, colbert county, Deep South, design, do right woman do right man, Duane Allman, Etta James, fame studios, florence, florence alabama, frank lloyd wright, helen keller, ivy green, live music, Lynyrd Skynyrd, mid century modern, Muscle Shoals, muscle shoals rhythm section, muscle shoals sound studio, music, north alabama, northwest alabama, paul simon, Percy Sledge, recording studio, Rock 'n' Roll, rolling stones, rosenbaum house, sheffield alabama, shoals, soul music, sticky fingers, tennessee river, the shoals, Travel, travel blog, tuscumbia, tuscumbia county, Wilson Picket | Leave a comment

Infographic: The Shift in TV Technology

Posted on 2014-03-03 by tikichris

Courtesy of Sony You’ve come a long way, Tellie! From your humble black and white cathode ray tube beginnings to the ultra-wow TVs of today, you’ve entertained families across the globe for generations and you’re still the centrepiece in most homes … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, infographic, Television | Tagged 4K TV, design, infographic, sony, SPONSORED POST, television, TVs | Leave a comment

Dixie Detours: Sweet Shoals Music

Posted on 2014-03-03 by tikichris

Before our visit to the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, I never would have imagined the music of Aretha Franklin could resonate even more with me than it already did. Goosebumps on top of goosebumps – how’s that gonna happen? But there I was standing in Studio A of Fame Studios in humble little Florence, Alabama where the mighty diva recorded such classics as Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, and something clicked in a deep and soulful sort of way. In the few days since Kemey and I checked out the Shoals, listening to Aretha’s songs has been coupled with an even deeper and more satisfying feeling than before. Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Beer, Design, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Hotels, Music, Restaurants, road trip, Travel | Tagged 20th century design, Alabama, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, ARCHITECTURE, aretha franklin, back forty, back forty beer, back forty beer company, bar, beer, birthplace of helen keller, Bob Seger, catfish, Cher, colbert county, CRAFT BEER, Deep South, design, Dixie Detours, do right woman do right man, Drink, Duane Allman, Etta James, fame studios, florence, florence alabama, frank lloyd wright, garden gate cafe, hank williams, helen keller, hotel, ivy green, kodachrome, live music, Lynyrd Skynyrd, marriott, marriott shoals, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, mid century modern, Muscle Shoals, muscle shoals rhythm section, muscle shoals sound studio, music, naked pig, naked pig pale ale, north alabama, northwest alabama, OH! Bryan's Family Steakhouse, Oh!Bryan's, Otis Redding, pale ale, paul simon, Percy Sledge, recording studio, restaurants, road trip, Rock 'n' Roll, rolling stones, rosenbaum house, sheffield alabama, shoals, soul music, spa, steakhouse, sticky fingers, still crazy after all these years, sun ra, Swampers, swampers bar, Swampers Bar & Grill, tennessee river, the Osmonds, the shoals, TOM JONES, Travel, travel blog, tuscumbia, tuscumbia county, Wilson Picket | 5 Comments

Super Yacht Me

Posted on 2014-02-03 by tikichris

So, I left my one bedroom flat in East London (Zone 2) early on a ho-hum Tuesday morning to hop the bus en route to the exclusive five star May Fair Hotel just off the Piccadilly to attend Superyachts.com’s Top 100, an event for mega yacht execs and brand reps to rub elbows and gab about the future of their industry. Featuring a full day of press workshops with “the visionary builders and designers behind the largest super yachts in the world”, Top 100 had been set up for journos to crash “intimate sessions with the heads of the super yacht industry, gain an in-depth insight into the largest luxury yachts set to launch in 2014 and discuss the most vital topics surrounding the world’s most incredible yachts”. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Hotels, London, Travel | Tagged boating, boats, CRN, CRN mega yachts, CRN yachts, custom built yachts, design, Ferretti Group, italian design, London, London blog, luxury, May Fair Hotel, mayfair, mega yachts, megayachts, super yachts, superyacht.com, top 100, Travel, wealth, yachts, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

illy Regent Street

Posted on 2014-01-30 by tikichris

I don’t know about you and your line of work but as for me and mine, I run around all over town all day long. Often I find I’ve got time to kill between meetings and events. Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes, other times it might be a couple of hours. And just because I have time to kill doesn’t mean I have time to dawdle. I need to get in somewhere fast and park it during such spare moments – where I can tackle my inbox, draft my next blog post, maybe grab a bite to eat and (most importantly) have a cup of coffee. With the recently opened illy Regent Street, being able to do all this stuff in a seriously stylish and comfortable setting just became a real option for me. Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee, Design, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged Bauhaus, cafe, coffee, coffee blog, design, Drink, espressamente illy, espressamente illy regent street, Food, illy, London blog, oxford circus, regent street, restaurant, W1, W1B 2HJ, Xanti Schawinsky, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Ancient Frescos and Fresh Mountain Air in Trento, Italy (CheapOair)

Posted on 2013-12-12 by tikichris

With a newly opened museum designed by star architect Renzo Piano; a distinctive sparkling wine with a rich tradition behind it; an exquisite regional gastronomy that’s big on flavour; and of course a stunning backdrop of snowcapped mountains, the lively … Continue reading →

Posted in CheapOair, Drink, Food, Italy, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged alpine, alps, Castello del Buonconsiglio, design, dolomites, Drink, Food, Italy, methodo classico, MuSe, MuSe Science Museum, museum, northern italy, Palazzo Roccabruna, renzo piano, restaurants, science museum, Shopping, sparkling wine, spumante, Travel, Trentino, Trento, trentodoc, wine, Италия, イタリア, 意大利 | Leave a comment

Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: a-MuSe-ing and Bubbly Trento

Posted on 2013-12-08 by tikichris

After an all too short sojourn in Friuli (God, I hope I make it back there before too long), I hit the autostrada heading west to the region of Trentino for an overnight stay to see what sort of wonders its scenic city of Trento had to offer. With a newly opened museum designed by a star architect; a distinctive sparkling wine with a rich tradition behind it; and an exquisite regional gastronomy that’s big on flavour, locally sourced ingredients and seasonality – the answer I soon discovered was A LOT! Continue reading →

Posted in Beer, Design, Drink, Food, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine | Tagged al vo', alpine, alps, antica birreria pedavena, beer, bellaveder, Blanc de Noirs, Bollicine su Trento, brewery, bubbles in Trento, cantine ferrari, Castello del Buonconsiglio, chef alfio ghezzi, design, dolomites, Drink, ferrari, ferrari spumante, ferrari wine, Food, hotel, Hotel America, Hotel America Trento, hotels, Italy, lager, Lager Chiara, locanda margon, mach, methius, methodo classico, michelin star, microbrewery, MuSe, MuSe Science Museum, museum, northern italy, Palazzo Roccabruna, Perlé Nero Pinot Noir, pizza, pizzeria, renzo piano, restaurants, science museum, Shopping, sparkling wine, spumante, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, tavern, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Trentino, Trento, trentodoc, wine, wine festival, Италия, イタリア, 意大利 | 3 Comments

Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern at The London Edition

Posted on 2013-10-01 by tikichris

Exquisite flavours in a lavish setting – Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern at The London Edition Hotel is designed to dazzle. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged Berners Street, Berners Tavern, chef, cocktails, design, Drink, edition hotels, Food, hotel, Ian Schrager, JASON ATHERTON, London, London blog, marriott, new restaurant review, punch bar, restaurant, restaurants, review, The London Edition, the london edition hotel, W1, W1T 3LF, wine, wines, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Golden Lane Estate and Me: Documentary Screening at Exhibit Gallery, EC1

Posted on 2013-09-21 by tikichris

As I told filmmaker Esther Johnson, the year I lived at Golden Lane Estate was “very potent”. That she happened to come round the estate looking for residents to interview for her film, The View From My Window Tells Me I’m Home, just seemed like a fantastic coincidence to have someone there to document it for me. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Freebies, interview, London, Movies | Tagged ARCHITECTURE, barbican, city of london, Clerkenwell, design, documentary, EC1, EC1M 7AA, Esther Johnson, Exhibit, Exhibit Gallery, film, free, freebies, golden lane estate, goswell road, interview, London, London blog, modernism, movie, The View From My Window Tells Me I’m Home, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Popular London Restaurant Teams up with A-List Celebrities to Raise Funds for Children’s Hospital (OneTravel)

Posted on 2013-09-15 by tikichris

A baker’s dozen including some of Britain’s biggest celebrities have teamed up with London restaurant, Daphne’s in South Kensington, to give their own unique interpretation of a pen and ink sketch to help raise vital funds for a worthy cause, the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Celebrities, Design, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged Alan Rickman, Alison Jackson, Art, Bill Nighy, chelsea, design, DRAYCOTT AVENUE, Giles Deacon, Helena Bonham Carter, hospital, Jade Jagger, Jessie J, London, PPQ, restaurants, ronnie wood, Russell Tovey, south kensington, Theo Fennell, Victoria Pendleton, Zaha Hadid | Leave a comment

Review: Sincerely, Mr Toad at Greenwich Theatre

Posted on 2013-09-12 by tikichris

Last night I caught the London premiere of Sincerely, Mr Toad at the Greenwich Theatre. Having toured around the UK with a well received stint at this year’s Fringe, the new musical examines the life of The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame, his icy relationship with wife Elspeth and the tragic early death of their son Alastair – and how these and other factors shaped Grahame’s imagination and writing. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, London, Music, Theatre | Tagged Adam Venus, author, books, Crooms Hill, david hutchinson, David Wilson, design, Frog and Toad, greenwich, greenwich theatre, kemey lafond, kenneth grahame, London, music, musical, new musical, play, review, Sarah Borges, SE10, SE10 8ES, sincerely mr toad, south london, stage, the wind in the willows, theatre, theatre review | Leave a comment

Daphne’s Restaurant Teams up with A-List Celebrities to Raise Funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity

Posted on 2013-09-04 by tikichris

A host of the UK’s best loved celebrities has teamed up with Daphne’s restaurant to give their own unique interpretation of a pen and ink sketch to raise vital funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Celebrities, Design, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged Alan Rickman, Alison Jackson, Art, Bill Nighy, chelsea, design, DRAYCOTT AVENUE, Giles Deacon, Helena Bonham Carter, hospital, Jade Jagger, Jessie J, London, PPQ, restaurants, ronnie wood, Russell Tovey, south kensington, Theo Fennell, Victoria Pendleton, Zaha Hadid | Leave a comment

Win a Modern Design Measuring Cup Set and Spoon

Posted on 2013-08-11 by tikichris

I’ve got a Cuppa set of measuring cups and a Dash 4-in-1 measuring spoon to give to one lucky reader. Both are BPA free silicone, very attractive and dishwasher free and are excellent examples of the practical and modern designs available from Umbra.com. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Design, Food, Freebies, Recipes, Shopping, Social Media | Tagged 4-in-1 measuring spoon, baking, competition, contest, cookery, cooking, cuppa, dash, design, Food, free, freebies, kitchen, kitchen utensils, measuring cup, measuring cup set, measuring cups, measuring spoon, recipes, retweet to win, silicone, social media, tweet to win, twitter competition, umbra, umbra.com, WIN | 1 Comment

Sneak Peek at Chocolat Luxe – New Chocolate Whiskey Liqueur

Posted on 2013-07-25 by tikichris

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being among the very first members of the public to taste a new chocolate and whiskey liqueur called Chocolat Luxe. There’s an embargo on for a few weeks preventing me from saying which brand is behind this new velvety drink. But I can tell you this: Chocolat Luxe is the world’s first fusion of Belgian chocolate, Irish whiskey and cream. It’s the result of three years of development and combines cream, Madagascan vanilla, tripled distilled whiskey and more than 30g of real Belgian chocolate in each bottle. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Shopping | Tagged afternoon tea, belgian chocolate, Bompas & Parr, BOMPAS AND PARR, cakes, chocolat luxe, chocolate, chocolate liqueur, dennis severs' house, design, Drink, east london, Food, HARVEY NICHOLS, irish whiskey, lily vanilli, London, rhea theirstein, spitalfields, whiskey, whisky, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

The Top 5 Sights in Milan (CheapOair)

Posted on 2013-06-12 by tikichris

It’s difficult to think of a more fashionable destination than Milan. It’s also a fantastic place to delve into Italy’s rich history and culture. Here’s a quick look at five of the city’s must-see attractions that will have you envying the luck of the Milanese … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, CheapOair, Design, Italy, Shopping, Travel | Tagged ARCHITECTURE, cathedral, cheapoair, churches, design, designer brands, duomo, Duomo di Milano, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy, L'Ultima Cena, la scalla, leonardo, leonardo da vinci, luxury brands, Milan, milano, opera, painting, Santa Maria delle Grazi, Shopping, The Last Supper, Travel, Via Montenapoleone | Leave a comment

Theatre Review: Mandrake at the Brockley Jack

Posted on 2013-05-31 by tikichris

Adapting Machiavelli’s Mandrake (from ancient Florentine no less) for the English stage came across as effortless second nature for Howard Coyler. However, a brief chat with the playwright after I caught last night’s performance of the play suggested that Coyler actually did need to put some midnight oil along with plenty of head scratching into his London revival of this classic piece of Italian Renaissance entertainment. Continue reading →

Posted in London, Theatre | Tagged alex mitchell, andy mcleod, annie lees-jones, brockley, Brockley Jack, comedy, design, fringe theatre, howard colyer, italian renaissance, Jack Studio Theatre, jade gooch, jean apps, jo clisby, john mcinnes, kemey lafond, lewisham, London, Machiavelli, machiavellian, Mandrake, neil mckeown, piers hunt, rachel illingworth, review, ruth e mortimer, scott le crass, SE4, SE4 2DH, south london, theatre, theatre preview, theatre review, tom boucher, will parrot | 1 Comment

Theatre Preview: Mandrake at the Brockley Jack #MandrakePlay

Posted on 2013-05-26 by tikichris

Opening this week for a couple of weeks’ worth of shows at the Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley is Mandrake – a classic work by Machiavelli revived for the London stage for the first time in nearly 30 years. Adapted by playwright and novelist Howard Colyer and directed by Scott Le Crass, this significant piece of literature from the Italian Renaissance with a plot filled with lust, adultery, corruption and deceit should still hold its own with a modern audience and offer more than a few good laughs. Continue reading →

Posted in London, Theatre | Tagged alex mitchell, andy mcleod, annie lees-jones, brockley, Brockley Jack, comedy, design, howard colyer, italian renaissance, jade gooch, jean apps, jo clisby, john mcinnes, kemey lafond, lewisham, London, Machiavelli, machiavellian, Mandrake, neil mckeown, piers hunt, preview, rachel illingworth, ruth e mortimer, scott le crass, SE4, SE4 2DH, south london, theatre, theatre preview, tom boucher, will parrot | Leave a comment

Sneak Peek at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013

Posted on 2013-05-20 by tikichris

It’s time again for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. Got tix? Here’s a sneak peek from the VIP and press day of what you can expect. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Celebrities, Design, Food, London, Photography, Shopping | Tagged andy burgess, Art, BBQ, beatles, big green egg, carving, Celebrities, chelsea, Chelsea Pensioners, cooking, dame helen mirren, design, drummer, fair trade, flower, flower show, flowers, Food, Garden of Magical Childhood, gardening, gardens, hats, helen mirren, herbert smith freehills, horticulture, jerry hall, joanna lumley, London, NSPCC, pachacuti, Panama hats, photographs, Photography, plants, RHS, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ringo starr, royal horticultural society, Royal Hospital, sculpture, sneak peek, SW3, SW3 4SR, The Beatles, wateraid | 1 Comment

Mandrake – Machiavelli’s Greatest Comedy – at the Brockley Jack Theatre

Posted on 2013-05-04 by tikichris

brockleyjack.co.uk

Posted in London, Theatre | Tagged brockley, Brockley Jack, comedy, design, kemey lafond, lewisham, London, Machiavelli, Mandrake, preview, SE4, theatre | Leave a comment

CRN Celebrates 50 Years with 80 Metre Mega Yacht (CDCLifestyle)

Posted on 2013-03-24 by tikichris

CRN is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year as a luxury yacht builder. Part of the Ferretti Group since 1999, CRN specialises in the manufacture of bespoke mega yachts between 40 and 90 metres long. These boats are customised completely to the client’s specifications and sometimes even their wildest whims. Continue reading →

Posted in CDCLifestyle, Design, Italy, Travel | Tagged adriatic sea, ancona, boating, boats, CDCLifestyle, comte des cierges, CRN, CRN mega yachts, CRN yachts, custom built yachts, design, Ferretti Group, italian design, Italy, luxury, marche, mega yachts, megayachts, Travel, wealth, yachts | Leave a comment

Photos from CRN’s Mega Yacht Shipyard in Ancona, Italy

Posted on 2013-03-23 by tikichris

Yeah, multimillion dollar boats for multibillionaires seeking seaworthy luxury retreats. Apparently back in 1963 when CRN started making mega yachts, clients were eager to buy shiny things to show off at sea. These days – as the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary – its super rich buyers are more keen to splurge on a boat that enables them to slip away from the world and the ogling eyes of all the rest of us less affluent folk. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Italy, Photography, Travel | Tagged adriatic sea, ancona, boating, boats, CRN, CRN mega yachts, CRN yachts, custom built yachts, design, Ferretti Group, italian design, Italy, luxury, marche, mega yachts, megayachts, panasonic, Photography, Travel, wealth, world's largest full HD plasma screen television, yachts | Leave a comment

Barn the Spoon in East London (OneTravel)

Posted on 2013-03-14 by tikichris

It’s refreshing to come across something that’s practical and simple by design. When form and function meet in equal measure, the results resonate with a lasting satisfaction. Rambling along perpetually up-and-coming and increasingly trendy Hackney Road with its speakeasies and new boutiques mingling with stalwart pubs and dwindling wholesaler outlets, a shop selling handmade wooden spoons stands out. Continue reading →