The City Magazine
January arrives like an unwelcome visitor after the festivities of the previous month. A somewhat sharp shock following the excesses of New Year’s Eve, the return to the office can be a tough ask for even the most committed of workers, and those long dark months from January to March always feel like a bit of an ordeal. Still, onward and upward... And there will be plenty to look forward to this year – World Cup anyone? Oh, wait... I said look forward to.... Well, there will be numerous other sporting diversions to amuse and distract. Andy Murray will defend his Wimbledon title – likely to be gripping stuff – while the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will see Sir Chris Hoy attempt to compete one last time for gold on home soil before his rumoured retirement. It’s the stuff great headlines are made of. Elsewhere, in the business world, reports of an economic upturn mean good things for UK banks (p. 76) while the opening of American Psycho the musical in Islington should provide a rather humorous look at life (and death) in the rat race, (p. 24). We are honoured this month to feature Pierce Brosnan as our cover star. His exclusive shoot for Hackett with renowned photographer Terry O’Neill has produced a series of striking images, which capture not only Brosnan’s warmth and style, but his charisma and playful side too (p. 12). Our fashion shoot provides inspiration for stylish winter woollens to keep out the cold (p. 40) and Ben Fogle reminds us that, however hard that morning commute might be, it’s nothing compared to walking across cracking crevasse fields, with a mile-long drop beneath you (p. 19). Terrifying stuff.
January arrives like an unwelcome visitor after the
festivities of the previous month. A somewhat sharp
shock following the excesses of New Year’s Eve, the
return to the office can be a tough ask for even the
most committed of workers, and those long dark
months from January to March always feel like a bit
of an ordeal. Still, onward and upward...
And there will be plenty to look forward to this year – World Cup anyone?
Oh, wait... I said look forward to.... Well, there will be numerous other sporting
diversions to amuse and distract. Andy Murray will defend his Wimbledon title –
likely to be gripping stuff – while the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will see
Sir Chris Hoy attempt to compete one last time for gold on home soil before his
rumoured retirement. It’s the stuff great headlines are made of. Elsewhere, in the
business world, reports of an economic upturn mean good things for UK banks
(p. 76) while the opening of American Psycho the musical in Islington should
provide a rather humorous look at life (and death) in the rat race, (p. 24). We are
honoured this month to feature Pierce Brosnan as our cover star. His exclusive
shoot for Hackett with renowned photographer Terry O’Neill has produced
a series of striking images, which capture not only Brosnan’s warmth and
style, but his charisma and playful side too (p. 12). Our fashion shoot provides
inspiration for stylish winter woollens to keep out the cold (p. 40) and Ben Fogle
reminds us that, however hard that morning commute might be, it’s nothing
compared to walking across cracking crevasse fields, with a mile-long drop
beneath you (p. 19). Terrifying stuff.
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feature<br />
Dinner with<br />
the daredevils<br />
Jellyfish don’t like beards, there is Champagne at the South Pole<br />
and the M25 is best experienced on foot. Gavin Haines learns<br />
all this and more at a dinner party with Ben Fogle<br />
Ben Fogle has a lucky cigar. He<br />
rolled it himself in Cuba and since<br />
then the panatela has accompanied<br />
the TV adventurer on his most<br />
dangerous expeditions. He hopes to<br />
never smoke it, because it would be<br />
the last thing he does.<br />
“I have it for that Hamlet moment, just in case it all<br />
goes horribly wrong,” says Ben, sporting a thick beard<br />
and a tan that contrasts rather embarrassingly with<br />
my pallid winter hue. “Luckily, it has never been lit.”<br />
Ben is best known for his gruelling adventures in<br />
some of the most inhospitable parts of the world,<br />
so it seems surreal to be chatting to him in Mayfair’s<br />
sumptuous 34 restaurant. But despite his rugged<br />
reputation, he is a metropolitan man with a taste for<br />
the good life. “People are surprised, but I love London<br />
and I like my luxuries,” he says. “I like restaurants<br />
and parties and the culture London has to offer. Half<br />
my childhood was spent here; I grew up between<br />
Portman Square and a farmhouse in Sussex.”<br />
He still lives in the capital, sharing a home near<br />
Wormwood Scrubs with his wife, Marina, and their<br />
two children. <strong>The</strong> Scrubs is a green oasis in London<br />
and gives Ben the “best of both worlds.”<br />
Although ubiquitous on our screens – Ben fronts<br />
shows for the BBC, ITV, Sky, Discovery and Channel<br />
5 – his punishing schedule makes him a hard man to<br />
pin down. However, Johnnie Walker and Alfred Dunhill<br />
have succeeded tonight where others have failed and<br />
Ben is at 34 to host a dinner party on behalf of the<br />
luxury marques.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lavish reception is designed to promote the<br />
launch of a limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label<br />
and Alfred Dunhill gift pack. Ben knows the drill<br />
and explains the concept. “This dinner I’m hosting<br />
for Johnnie Walker and Alfred Dunhill is about<br />
collaboration and shared journeys,” he says, looking<br />
sharp in a navy three-piece suit. “<strong>The</strong>y said I could<br />
invite whoever I like and my real passion right now is<br />
JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 19
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