Even if the weather hasn’t played ball recently, June was still pretty special. I was lucky to have some amazing luxury June adventures, travelling to Hampshire, Hamburg, Windsor and enjoying a brilliant staycation in London. Here’s hoping for some proper sunshine in July! One thing that London has in abundance are great cafés, and you could win 1 of 5 copies of Café London to help you choose the very best ones – read on to be in with a chance of winning one.
CULTURE VULTURE
I was excited to attend the new Tate Modern preview. I used to be a member here and it’s fascinating to see how the building has evolved over the years. On the whole, I was impressed with the design of The Switch House, the new wing, although some sections feel a little empty for now – no doubt they’ll be filled up quickly with works from the vast art collection. It’s nice to see a whole room dedicated to Louise Bourgeois, the late great sculptor. Make sure to check out the viewing platform on level 10.
I also popped into the opening of the Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels – definitely worth a visit if you’re in Hyde Park. I’m also planning on visiting the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, there’s always an interesting mix of artworks! Today I’m heading to Masterpiece London, it’s always a great selection of art, design and antiques.
SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
One of the highlights of the Summer season is polo and for a relaxed take on it, you can’t beat Polo in the Park at the Hurlingham Club. I was invited by La Martina, the famous polo lifestyle company. They had the most popular stand with an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, enabling visitors to experience a polo match up close. Of course, I did the obligatory stomping the divots at half time!
STYLE FILE
Wedding season is in full swing so I rounded up some tips on setting up your gift registry which will hopefully prove helpful to brides or friends of the bride. This month, I tried out an exceptional aesthetic treatment, CoolSculpting, at Lazeo Clinic in Notting Hill. It’s the only FDA approved procedure for stubborn fat that remains after you’ve achieved your ideal weight. I should be seeing the results within a few weeks so will be sharing details with you.
We also popped into the launch of Lalique’s new men’s fragrance, L’Insoumis. Taking place in what could well be the nicest roof terrace in London at Ham Yard Hotel, it was a lovely evening of cocktails and canapés. Both Paul and I love the bottle’s Art Deco design, based on a fern motif used on Lalique’s Tourbillons vase in 1926. The scent is an aromatic fougere, combining basil, bergamot and rum with lavender, moss, vetiver, black pepper, sage and patchouli.
TRAVEL TALES
We had a truly inspiring visit to The Greyhound on the Test in Hampshire – the interior designer has overcome horrendous adversity and created a welcoming retreat for guests with his partner, the owner of the inn. I’ll be telling you all about my trip to Hamburg, an elegant city with some fantastic cultural and sporting attractions.
I had a really relaxing stay at The Landmark London in Marylebone and a tour of 4 Accor hotels finishing at a secret location that I will reveal later <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f609.png" alt="