What, who, how: The position of the gentleman in modern society
Gender relations in the early 21st century are, to put it mildly, a tricky business, fraught with the possibility to offend or be offended, to patronise or be patronised. I thought, given the title of this column, I might take a few words to consider the position of the gentleman in modern society: what, who, how? I cannot promise to offer definitive answers, but I will offer some observations. A gentleman should, of course, be polite, courteous and considerate. That...
Book Review: Young and Damned and Fair, The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII
There are few dimmer endorsements to be made of the human psyche when we consider the historical figures chosen for repeated examination and thus de facto celebration in biographies, novels, films, plays, and multi-part BBC series. By and large we are drawn to the Bad Guys. Send armies into battle for slaughter, execute the enemies, live in appalling decadence, and abuse women; do any of those in combination with one or two others and your name will live forever. Hitler...
Forgotten Film Friday: Little Fugitive
By Michael McNulty Why not Celebrate Good Friday with a good film? Here’s this Friday’s Forgotten Film. Written, edited and produced by Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin and Ray Ashley, Little Fugitive is a stalwart of American independent cinema. Using only their experience in photography and a miniscule budget they produced a film that was welcomed by audiences, enjoyed financial success, won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and picked up an Oscar nomination, ultimately proving that films could...
The Weekly Cocktail Recipe – Swift’s ‘Liberty’
Launched at the end of last year, Swift is the latest project from Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansoon, having partnered with husband and wife duo Rosie Stimpson and Edmund Weil – the team behind Nightjar and Oriole. In the heart of Soho, the venue is a statement bar that focuses on serving an elegant, grown-up cocktail offering. A number of traditional serves with a contemporary twist are on offer, with prominent leanings towards favouring dark spirits. What’s more, the bar...
5 Films from Booker Prize Winning Novels
By Linda Marric Film adaptation of well loved books haven't always had a good reaction from fans of the original source material. However, when an adaption is well crafted, it can sometimes add a whole other layer to the story and might even motivate those unfamiliar with the books to delve deeper into the writer’s other work. To celebrate the release of Ritesh Batra's brilliant adaptation of Julian Barnes’ Man Booker Prize winning novel The Sense Of An Ending, here’s...
Multi-billion pound Bakerloo line extension will have devastating impact on New Cross
A TFL public consultation that includes proposals to "compulsory purchase" a retail trade park in New Cross Gate in south east London has mobilised a community into to action, lead by the political party Lewisham People Before Profit. Marie Duggard, a local resident and activist in PB4P, says that the consultation fails to address the huge numbers of crucial local jobs the wider community would lose and its devastating consequence on the entire community, highlighting the 239 jobs alone at...
Beer of the Week – Weird Beard Brew Co. ‘Black Perle’ Coffee Milk Stout
Strength: 3.8% ABV Brewed: Ealing, London Launched at the beginning of 2013, Weird Beard Brew Co. operates from a site near Ealing and produces a number of hop-driven beers alongside classic styles. With the aim to “satisfy, enthuse and be enjoyed by whoever the drinker,” Weird Beard offer a number of core beers as well as some occasional specials and one-off brews that push creative boundaries. Brewed with Perle hops, traditionally from Germany and more synonymous with lagers and pilsners,...
TLE Meets: Billy Howie – The Sense of an Ending
By Linda Marric Last week I had the chance to meet with Billy Howle, star of a new film adapted from Julian Barnes’ Booker Prize winning novel The Sense of An Ending. The film is directed by the brilliant Ritesh Batra and stars Billy as the younger version of Tony, who also played by Jim Broadbent in later years. We spoke about the casting process Billy went through and a number of other things relating to his character in the...
Grotty basement room in Kensington sells for £175,000
A grotty basement room with exposed pipes and no planning permission has been sold for a staggering £175,000. The pint-sized space is on the lower ground floor of a large terraced property in upmarket Kensington, London. Enter the building and you're met by a lavish communal hall with impressive tiled floor, grand chandelier and imposing staircase. But the room offered at auction by Allsop doesn't have the same character features found in the of the property. With just 205sq/ft of...