Kit List

Ties

Briefing notes: Silk or wool. Printed, woven or knitted. Tipped (lined) or untipped (unlined for less bulk). Nothing 'fun' or childish unless given as a present to someone you do not care for. My recommendations are Hermes or Ferragamo for printed ties and a continental approach or Drakes of London for woven offerings for a 'British Gentleman' look. 

Further Information: http://uk.hermes.com, http://www.drakes-london.com

A Speech To Saviour

Robert Kennedy on the death of Martin Luther King Jr.



Briefing Notes: Bobby Kennedy's eulogy to Martin Luther King Jr. given in Indianapolis. That night riots took place in 60 cities across the USA in reaction to the assassination of Dr. King. Indianapolis was not amongst them which has been put down to the calming rhetoric of Kennedy.

Further Information: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/rfk-mlk.htm

January

Happy New Year

Watch
The Magistrate - National Theatre
New Yes, Prime Minister - UK Gold
Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino
Zero Dark Thirty - Kathryn Bigelow 
Ripper Street - BBC 1

Visit
Manet: Portraying Life - Royal Academy

Eat
Bounce - Holborn
The Moral Fox - Notting Hill


Read
Raffles and the Golden Opportunity - Victoria Glendinning
The Essential Spike Milligan - Spike Milligan

Listen
Forever - Haim
Tuesday Morning - The Pogues

Image
Edouard Manet - Races at Longchamp

A Carol For Christmas

The Pogues
Fairytlae of New York



Briefing Notes: The finest song ever written about Christmas. A tale of Irish immigrants, dreaming of happier times in holidays past whilst sleeping of their intoxication in a New York jail cell. The protagonists' hopes and dreams, once held in youth, have eroded and died. A different side to the usual Christmas sounds and imagery.

Further Information: The Pogues are playing at the O2 tonight!

Contrarian To Celebrate

Christopher Hitchens

'Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.'

Briefing notes: Much missed erudite author, orator, teacher, iconoclast and polemicist. Not afraid of challenging authority, faith or even Mother Teresa. His clarity of argument is astonishing to hear or read along with his total believe in humanity itself. His passing at the hands of cancer was a great loss to the world, although the wretched disease did inspire him to pen a series of beautiful pieces on his experience in fighting off death.

Further information: Hitch 22: A Memoir - Christopher Hitchens 

Mortality - Christopher Hitchens 

God Is Not Great - Christopher Hitchens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-s9AyNQyCw

Bounder!

Terry Thomas

Briefing notes: Comic actor celebrated for playing cads and rotters. Highlights of his career include School For Scoundrels, Private's Progress and voicing the character Hiss (the snake) in Disney's Robin Hood. Always superbly outfitted and sporting a gap in his front teeth and his trademark cigarette holder. Thomas notably exclaimed  hugely popular catch-phrases including 'what an absolute shower' and 'hard cheese' which are sadly underused in the present day. Thomas suffered from Parkinson's disease and existed for many of his later years in virtual obscurity until his suffering was uncovered and a benefit gala organised in his honour. 

Further information: Bounder! The Biography of Terry Thomas - Graham McCann 

School For Scoundrels - Hal E Chester 

Kit List

Boxer Shorts

Briefing notes: Must always be 100% cotton. Plain, striped or check print acceptable. No cartoon characters, 'jazzy' motifs or slogans. No buttons, labels or branding on the outside of the waistband. Waistband to be covered on both sides by the same cotton as the rest of the short. Best I have found are Turnbull & Asser who fulfil all the criteria specified above. Expensive but if bought in the Winter or Summer sales worth the investment.

Further Information: http://store.turnbullandasser.co.uk