Tag Archives: John

A Celebration of Craftsmanship, Style And Generosity: Introducing Chivas 12 ‘Made For Gentlemen’ By Bremont

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Craftsmanship, style and generosity are at the heart of the recent collaboration between Chivas Regal and award-winning British watch company Bremont. Known for crafting beautifully engineered chronometers, Bremont has partnered with Chivas to design the latest Chivas 12 Made for Gentlemen by Bremont limited edition gift tin alongside 12 collector item ‘Chivalry’ watches to celebrate excellence and precision in luxury.


 

The Chivas 12 Made for Gentlemen by Bremont limited edition gift tin houses a bottle of Chivas 12 blended Scotch whisky and boldly features deconstructed watch elements to showcase the elegant and complex engineering of Bremont chronometers. The classically stylish, polished steel Bremont ‘Chivalry’ watch, with alligator strap, features a piece of oak cask used in the maturation of whiskies for Chivas Regal, the signature of James and John Chivas etched on the rotor of the timepiece and the Chivas crest subtly embossed on the dial.  An engraved copper plate, taken from a retired Scotch whisky copper still, sits on the leather presentation pouch.

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In the spirit of generosity, the Bremont ‘Chivalry’ watches will be auctioned exclusively for charities around the world.  Admirers of luxury watches and whisky will have the opportunity to participate in an online auction for one of these watches from 22nd October to 9th November, 2014 via www.chivas.com/bremont.  Proceeds will go to The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme.

 

Explains Richard Black, Global Brand Director of Chivas Regal: “In seeking luxury experiences and products, modern gentlemen demand substance and style. We felt there were many synergies between Chivas and Bremont as award winning British brands that reflect the desires of the modern gentleman. What both Chivas and Bremont do is incredibly complex but the art is to present it simply and stylishly and give our customers distinctive luxury items and experiences.”

 

Nick English, Co-Founder of Bremont, adds: “For me, the collaboration with Chivas was a genuine meeting of minds.  We are all dedicated and passionate about keeping traditions of craftsmanship alive and we are also focused upon leaving a positive legacy.  Bremont watches are ‘Tested Beyond Endurance’ and Giles and I have been blown away by the level of skill that Chivas Master Blender, Colin Scott, deploys in channeling nature and time in blending their Scotch whiskies.”

 

The Chivas 12 Made for Gentlemen by Bremont will be available globally from September with RRP of £28.45.

 

 

Twiglets, Cocaine and Formaldehyde

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Co-opera Co presents Don Giovanni at John McIntosh Arts Centre

This is the second production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni I have seen this year (I reviewed the production at Heaven back in April – see One Night in Heaven). Although Co-opera’s was not as hilariously smutty as the gay offering, it was nevertheless a very sexy, and funny, performance.

Right from the outset the orchestra set the tone – the playing was flawless and evocative throughout the evening, led by conductor Tim Murray.

The standard of acting in this performance was high from the start: David Milner-Pearce played the Don as a dissolute Damien Hirst-type artist to perfection, whilst Yair Polishook (Leporello) made an excellent sidekick. The opening rape scene was very effective with Lisa Wilson (Donna Anna) playing the victim very well. Susanna Fairbairn (Donna Elvira) made a good jilted lover, whilst Jerome Knox (Mazetto) gave a solid performance throughout the show, with the stage combat between him and David Milner-Pearce being particularly well executed.

I had been told that the production was to be anything but traditional, and that was certainly the case. Much of the action was set in the Don’s art gallery where naked shop dummies (with pubic hair) continued the Hirst theme. There were many amusing and interesting touches such as the Don photographing the dead father on his mobile phone; a smartphone ap (Leporello’s) which keeps a record of all the women the Don has seduced – Yair Polishook singing very well on this aria; the Don singing a serenade to the backing of a ringtone (aptly rendered by the orchestra); the Don’s lines “I find the working class is only turned on by clothes that come from Primark” and “Since I’m spending so much money, I expect to be amused” as he is eating take away chips and pizza from yellow plastic boxes. Twiglets and cocaine also make appearances.

Vocally, there were many wonderful moments. Some of my favourites were Donna Elvira’s “Rip out that Heart with Glee”, the chorus number “Pleasure Tonight”, Robyn Allegra Parton (Zerlina)’s first duet with the Don, Don Ottavio, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, disguised Ali-G style, singing “Avenge my broken heart,” Don Giovanni and Leporello’s “Glorius I shall return.” For my money the best male vocal performance was by David Menezes (Don Ottavio), but overall the women outshone the men, with Donna Anna’s solo “The God I cherish will come and grant me rest” being hauntingly beautiful.

The opera finishes with Il Commendatore (Matthew Tomko) returning to the grave to drag the Don down to hell, and this he does in a suitably menacing and eerie manner. The chorus close by singing “That’s the fate of evil men” as Don Giovanni goes to join his own artistic creations, becoming yet another glass case dummy in a rather Roald Dahl-esque ending.

Don Giovanni’s second night is 24 August 2012, Hansel and Gretel is on 23 and 25 2012, all shows at 7.30pm at John McIntosh Theatre, Seagrove Road, London SW6 1RX. Tickets are priced between £10-25 and can be purchased online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=co-opera. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available next to the John McIntosh Arts Centre. Both operas, along with The Magic Flute, will then go on tour nationwide. For more information, please visit www.co-opera-co.org.

The Soon to be Famous Five make a big Splash in the Great Big Monster Sea Swim

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A FIRST: Five ordinary guys in wetsuits take on a swimming relay race and attempt to cross the English channel from Guernsey in the Channel Islands to South Devon in England in 48 hours = The Great Big Monster Sea Swim.

The FIRST EVER swim relay crossing from Guernsey in the Channel Islands to South Devon in England called the Great Big Monster Sea Swim (GBMSS) is announced today. The five man team; Paul, Karl, John, Bruce and Jon will swim the non-stop relay from 27-29 August 2012 and attempt to make the crossing in only 48 hours whilst raising funds for Teenage Cancer Trust. The Great Big Monster Sea Swim is the headline event of The Sanofi 1000 Mile Challenge which centres around health and fitness activities and encourages all Sanofi Group employees in the UK and Ireland to challenge themselves to achieve over 1000 miles collectively over the next year thereby raising over £100,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Paul Irwin, GBMSS team member comments, “Training has been underway since January as we have to be seriously prepared for what we will face – anything from tankers in the dark to mental exhaustion. The team are really excited and slightly apprehensive about the challenge as there will be tough decisions to make that may hurt the individual but benefit the team”.

Six time world swimming champion and Teenage Cancer Trust supporter, Mark Foster comments, “The Sanofi 1000 Mile Challenge for Teenage Cancer Trust is a great initiative centred around promoting wellbeing and personal growth. As well as inspiring and encouraging participants to challenge themselves, they will also be raising money for an important cause.”

The GBMSS team is proud to be wearing sailfish wetsuits and Saltrock Surfwear and grateful for the support of both Enigma Charters who are providing a 72ft boat and skipper to carry the support crew and Lifedge for providing equipment.

To sponsor the Great Big Monster Sea Swim and help raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, please go donate by going online at www.justgiving.com/GBMSS or text GBMS 81 to 70070.

To follow the swim team’s journey visit Paul Irwin’s blog here, http://sanofi-inspires.co.uk/blog/12 and also follow the team’s progress on twitter @GBMSS.

Amanda Knox Freed, Kercher Family: “We are back to square one.”

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The Brother of Meredith Kercher has said that the family accepted the Italian court’s decision to clear Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of killing his sister Meredith.

Lyle Kercher went on to say that there were now fresh questions about what “truly happened” on the night she was murdered in November 2007.

“While we accept the decision that was handed down yesterday and respect the court and the Italian justice system, we do find that we are now left obviously looking at this again and thinking how a decision that was so certain two years ago has been so emphatically overturned now,” he said.

“If the two released yesterday were not the guilty parties, we are obviously left to wonder who is the other guilty person or people. We are left back at square one.

Meredith’s parents John and Arline are said to be in shock

He, Meredith’s sister Stephanie and her mother Arline had been in court hear the judge’s decision.

After the verdict they held a press conference in Perugia before flying home to the UK.
Stephanie said the court’s decision was “a shock” and that forgiveness was impossible until the family knew what happened.

“It’s very upsetting… We still have no answers. Until the truth comes out, we can’t forgive anyone. No-one has admitted to it,” she said.

She said the “biggest disappointment” was knowing that there was someone else out there who had killed her sister.

“We don’t want the wrong people put away for a crime they didn’t commit,” she said. “It may be a case of waiting another year to get the truth.”

Her mother Arline said what had happened to her daughter was “every parent’s nightmare”.

“We are still absorbing it. You think you have come to a decision and obviously it has been been overturned. I think it is very early days really,” she said.

Meredith’s father John stayed in London, from where he said the court’s decision was “ludicrous” and “crazy”.

John Kercher said the family are “shocked” and were wondering if anyone else would now be brought to justice.

He told the Daily Mirror: “It is ludicrous. How can they ignore all the other evidence?

“I thought the judge might play it safe and uphold the conviction but reduce the sentence. But this result is crazy.

“There were 47 wounds on Meredith and two knives used. One person couldn’t possibly have done that.

“What happens now? Does that mean the police need to look for more killers?”

Stephanie had said on Monday that her sister had been “hugely forgotten” in the furore over the appeal.

Miss Knox and Sollecito had been jailed for 26 years and 25 years, but have now been cleared.

The American has already started her return trip to her hometown of Seattle and was with her parents at an airport on Rome in the last hour.

Rudy Guede, 24, was convicted of the murder and had been jailed for 30 years but his trial concluded he did not act alone and his conviction was upheld on appeal but his sentence reduced to 16 years.