Spectator Life

It’s official – in the words of ’60s R ‘n’ B duo Sam and Dave, I’m a Soul man. A Kia Soul man, that is, after driving the decidedly impressive new electric version of the funk-laden four-door which became available to buy….. just as we were told not to make any journey not regarded as ‘essential’.

Around 17.7 million people are celebrating their birthday on any given day of the year. For the millions of us who will be marking birthdays, celebrating wedding anniversaries or throwing baby showers while in lockdown, there are still ways to make the day special. With just a bit of creativity and the power of technology, here’s how to throw a top party from self-isolation. Wine and cheese nightTell all of your guests to purchase the same cheese selection box and ask each to pick a wine or two to pair with them. Then organise a video call so everyone can explain their selections and discuss the merits of a Somerset goat versus a Cornish Yarg. Selections of artisan cheeses can be ordered online from specialist retailers such as Pong Cheese and The Cheese Society.

For some reason I unwaveringly support unearned wealth, but only if you are one of the Windsor children or any titled subjects who have somehow managed to keep a few pennies together. Frankly if in 2020 you’ve figured out how to monetize your ancestral money pit then all power to you. Other than this lot, the moneyed scions of the international parvenus can bring out my inner comrade. They come from all over and when you edit a luxury magazine, they pop up on the radar a fair amount. Each year, I am required for work to spend a week in Los Angeles to get covers booked and do some groundbreaking journalism on local hat makers and tailors.

“I don’t like dropping names,” says Haks Oscar, when I ask him about his celebrity clients, “but we’ve got several – from Hugh Grant to Jose Mourinho.” The Chelsea based barber has been cutting hair for 33 years, and the tradition has been in his family for five generations. “We are, what I call, the old school real barbers,” says Haks, who’s transported by private jet to attend to the tresses of Saudi royalty, “whenever they require.” His King’s Road barbershop in Chelsea has even had princely posteriors in its seats. “We have members of royalty from various countries that, as a family, come over on their private jet, just for their haircuts, then go back.” Crikey.

I was at a straight forward shooting weekend up in North Yorkshire in early January. During elevenses, passions around Brexit and the general election were fiery even before the sloe gin had kicked in. From the estate owner to the gamekeepers and beaters, they all said the same thing, “we saw it coming”. They poured scorn on some MPs who had returned their seat, from both sides of the political divide. Most fascinatingly, they all agreed on something one of them said, “well we have Rishi Sunak as our MP and he is terrific.” I’ll take their word for it.

Tucked away in an unassuming street near Borough, you’ll find Volt Bikes – who were one of the first UK bike companies to spot the growing appetite for electric commuting. The Volt Metro is the company’s newest folding bike, pitched directly at the commuter looking for a great quality, compact electric bike at a competitive price. At just under £1400, I think this is a very well priced bike when compared to the rest of the market. For the kit you get, the fully folding functionality, the performance and range, it’s worth it. It’s kitted out very nicely with a Velo Plush saddle, ZOOM and SR Suntour suspension (more on this later). Combine Shimano disc brakes and it’s notably a step above in terms of spec.

“Do not waste a single vertebra,” says Major General Paul Nanson CBE, in Stand Up Straight, his book of life lessons from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he serves as Commandant. With a career in the British Army spanning more than 30 years, Nanson is no patchouli-scented shaman. His Sandhurst hacks have seen him through The Troubles, the Gulf War, the Bosnian War, the Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan. So I reckon he’s reasonably well qualified to dish out advice. “I’m a great believer in healthy body, healthy mind. If you’re physically fit, you’ll be more mentally fit,” says Nanson, who takes his morning run as an opportunity to reflect.

Nuraphone headphones From £9/month, Nuraphone I confess – the idea of buying headphones on a subscription plan is daunting. But one 60-minute session with these headphones and you’ll understand why people are raving about them. A fun ‘pairing’ session configures the headphones to your personal heading tastes (I can’t emphasise how cool this was) – before letting you flick between your ‘personal profile’ and neutral audio. Having tried these headphones out, it’s hard to go back to listening to music the normal way again. A must-buy for the music-lover in your life. Larq self-cleaning water bottle From £78 from Larq The market for cool-looking, hip water bottles is fairly saturated right now (excuse the pun).

This review is part two of a two part series on picking the right bike for the city-dweller’s electric commute This bike came into being thanks to a terrible London commute. One of the founders of AnalogMotion saw his daily trip to work go from five minutes up in Scotland to an hour when he moved to the capital. And, rather than shrug his shoulders and pack himself onto yet another tube train, he set up this East London electric bike company after raising £350,000 on Kickstarter. The lookIt’s a bike so good-looking I took it out for coffee The AnalogMotion is a stunning bike – so much so that people asked to take pictures of it when I rode it to and from work.

The X2 electrified is the latest from VanMoof, the Dutch company looking to (in their own words) ‘redefine cycling and open it up to the masses’. The X2 is the sister to the slightly larger S2, and both have a non-electrified variant. Owned and loved by an increasing number of London commuters – including, I was reliably informed, Lord Russell of the APPG on cycling – it’s a clear eye-catcher at traffic lights. RideThe VanMoof X2 in Thunder Grey As electric bikes go, it’s fast. A 250-500W motor in the front hub gives this bike all the maneuverability you could ask for. Head into the settings and tell it you live in the US – this disables the daft European speed limiter, which means you can cycle up to 32 km/h instead of 25 km/h.

I was taken by surprise last month while holidaying in Biarritz. As I splashed through the surf towards the beach I passed a woman paddling. She was topless and it struck me that this was a sight you don’t often see any more in France. I first came to France on summer holiday as a young boy and recall asking my mother, who is of Scottish presbyterian stock, why French women didn’t wear bikini tops. She replied from behind her sturdy one-piece swimming suit that it ‘was just the French way’ Not any more. In 1984, a survey found that 43 per cent of Frenchwomen bathed topless on the beach. But a similar poll last month revealed that figure had fallen to 19 per cent.

Last week I walked along Jermyn Street, spiritual home of the gentleman’s suit, and noticed something shocking. The jackets in the shop windows had lots of materials — tweed, cotton, wool — in all colours, shades and checks. But every single jacket had two buttons. When did tailors get so boringly uniform? Why has the three-button suit — the classic style that dominated the 20th century — been wiped off the map? As a diehard three-button man, am I a fogeyish dinosaur, a walking Bateman cartoon: ‘The Man Who Wore a Three-Button Suit in the 21st Century’? I seek solace (and a new three-button suit, in storm- grey, 13-ounce birdseye wool) from Tina Loder, a tailor for more than 30 years, and one of the few women tailors on Savile Row.