In third year of uni I took a bit of a mental turn on a night out and was suddenly convinced that everyone around me was a replicant; a robot masquerading as a human, with viscous porridge for blood and a hard-wired hatred for humanity. ‘I’m the only meatbag here,’ I thought, ‘how could I be so blind?’ My mind bucked and waned under the philosophical crisis of it. Then of course there was the physical threat. At any moment...

Iconic whisky distillery Jack Daniel’s celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, and to tie in with the occasion, Master Distiller Jeff Arnett has created a brand new expression. A culmination of 150 years of making great whisky, Jack Daniel’s limited-edition 150th Anniversary expression is luxurious with sweet complexities of butterscotch and toffee joined by flavours of toasted oak and a smooth lingering finish. What’s more, to celebrate the milestone and the new release, Harvey Nichols stores across the country will...

Look at it. Horrifying, right? That eccentric, brazen, cigar smoking, rosy cheeked toff wedged in between two show girls and John McCririck. As harmless as it looks from the outset this picture could well be the face of post-Brexit Britain, and I for one want to get off. It’s like a bad dream. New bookie moves into Mayfair and invites a Conservative’s wet dream along to cut the ribbon and sip bubbles as the rest of the UK figures out...

Venturing out at the weekend for brunch has become incredibly popular in recent years, but with such a great number of restaurants jumping on board, so many of the menus have become implausibly predictable. First there are the various perfunctory takes on Eggs Benedict, from classic Royale and Florentine through to less authentic strands that employ the likes of pulled pork, or substitute English muffins with waffles. When “brunching” it’s also difficult to escape outbreaks of avocado pandemic and jugs...

Get your a capella version of Dragonborn all sung out now (I know you're all doing it), Skyrim in Concert is coming! The first ever orchestral concert dedicated to the music of The Elder Scrolls® V: Skyrim, will premiere at the London Palladium on 16th November. Based on the award winning score by Jeremy Soule, Skyrim in Concert takes concert goers on a nostalgic, musical journey through the landscape of one of The Elder Scrolls’ most popular installments. Performed live by the Winterhold Philharmonic...

I’m 35 and I’m constantly skint, and I have been to university, got a masters etc etc. I should be part of the golden generation in a developed nation; five holidays a year, penthouse on the Thames, Gucci nightwear. I don’t have any of these things, I don’t think I actually want the posh PJs though to be fair. So news that people in their early 30’s (I’m counting myself as early 30s, I don’t care what you say) have...

Sean Sheehan seeks out the good life in Costa Rica The holidaymaker’s dilemma: adventure or relaxation. Do you want to see volcanoes and wildlife or laze around on sunny beaches and experience the joys of spa living? One tiny country has squared this circle: Costa Rica is safe, friendly, ecologically responsible, full of glorious places with flora and fauna you’ll never see at home,  sandy beaches, luxurious spa resorts. Costa Ricans like to use the expression pura vida – the...

It’s increasingly difficult to avoid the feeling that every single day, week and month of the calendar year has been dedicated to some variation of food or drink. This coming Saturday (1st October), for instance, has been named International Coffee Day, which is one of the less crazy dedications given the consistent global interest in coffee. With the progression of time, recent years have seen an incredible boom in popularity surrounding coffee of an exceptional quality – especially given the...

I have been watching too many countdowns on Youtube. Too many. So many I could probably write a Top 100 countdown of the best Youtube countdowns ever. The recommendations algorithm has me ensnared. The little load wheel between videos has become self-aware. It can see me slouched in my chair, just out of reach of my mouse. It can sense my defeat by swirling numbers and static shots of grainy gameplay. What is it? What is number one? Tell me,...