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A R A C I N G M A C H I N E O N T H E W R I S T

High-risk strategy

If travel broadens the mind, then

adventure surely invigorates it. When your daily

work life is about playing with risk and taking

big decisions, allocating some downtime to face

diferent kinds of challenges – both physical

and mental – adds up to a healthier lifestyle.

The particular thrill sought out is a personal

choice, but, whatever it is, it will help you to stop

slowing down and make you walk that little bit

taller. That, in turn, spills over into your working

life, as our columnist David Charters wisely

observes. He suggests taking time out of our

careers to explore our limits. This issue, we go

looking for adventure and find some exciting and

inspirational stories. We meet the man who jumped

from a plane at over 700m; another who cycled

around the world; and a third who followed a three-

decade career in the City by setting up a mountain-

guide company in Chamonix. We ofer suggestions

for intrepid travel at high altitude and in rough

water; and gather together the most stylish and

fit-for-purpose kit to help you on your way.

Joanne Glasbey, Editor

welcome leTTeR | BRUmmell 07

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Suitcase, Victorinox. Trainers, Kris Van Assche. Wallets, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton. Belt, Louis Vuitton.

Holdall, Alfred Dunhill. Jumper, Joseph Abboud.

Sunglasses, Dita at Dover Street Market. Goggles, Oakley. Scarf, Hermès

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CONTENTS | BRUMMELL 11

Foreword

More senior City figures should make time to

go on an adventure, says David Charters –

the benefits of testing your mettle are huge

Money no object Aston Martin celebrates its centenary with

limited editions of its most famous models,

with special paint finishes and upholstery

BeaumondeNews

New luxury concierge services; a pair of

boots inspired by Mount Everest; and the

camping stove that can charge your phone

Technology

Cameras, communications and other

rugged gadgets for the most arduous

expeditions (including on Thameslink)

PropertyWith so much living space now available

close to the financial heartlands, new

developments are competing to ofer more

After the CityWill D’Arcy has completed a 30-year trek

through the world of finance. Now he

explores the Alps in his ski guiding business

FeaturesAdventure watches

A selection of timepieces that are designed

to face the toughest tests –from deep-sea

diving to space travel

TravelA silver mine, a salt lake and a bowler-hatted

witchdoctor – welcome to the Bolivian Andes

Round-the-world cyclingOnce Rob Penn had circled the globe, he

simply set of again – this time looking for

the components to build his perfect bike

Charity

ICAP’s annual Charity Day is a chance for

fun between brokers and celebrities –and

has raised millions for good causes

Wild swimming

For strokes a bit more inspiring than doing

lanes at the lido, immerse yourself in the

Dardanelles or San Francisco Bay

Action accessories

Tackle desert, mountains or sea in style

By George

We meet stuntman, Queen impersonator

and scourge of cardboard boxes Gary

Connery at Bremont’s Adventurers Club

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Contents

Show Media Brummell editorial 020 3222 0101

Editor

Joanne Glasbey

Art Director

Dominic Bell

Chief Copy Editor

Chris Madigan

Managing EditorLucy Teasdale

Deputy Chief Copy Editor

Gill Wing

Designer

Jo Murray

Picture EditorJuliette Hedoin

Editorial Assistant Charlie Teasdale

Copy Editor

Tanya Jackson

Style Director

Tamara Fulton

Creative Director

Ian Pendleton

Managing Director

Peter Howarth

Advertising & Events Director

Duncan McRae

duncan@flyingcoloursmarketing.com

07816 218059

showmedia.net

brummell@showmedia.net

Visit Brummell’s website for

more tailor-made content:

brummellmagazine.net

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Cover illustration by Borja Bonaque

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Celebrating The World’s Greatest Love Stories

Since 1837

foreword | BrUMMeLL 15

How brave are you? In my case, the answer is not very, although I am stubborn, and the two can sometimes be confused. Most of us are never really tested, and probably a good thing too. Where we take physical risks, it tends to be on terms of our own choosing, in circumstances where the danger is measured, assessed and appropriately mitigated by professionals who are paid to know what they are doing.

If you do a charity parachute or bungee jump, or go white-water rafting, the thrill is real but the risk should be minimal. Going further afield – climbing mountains say, or expeditionary travel to remote parts of the world – the risks become harder to predict and control, and the experience more testing.

It is important that we do face genuine challenges. It is all too easy to allow ourselves to slip into a privileged, insulated cocoon where the only bad things we face are the everyday dangers of middle-class life: lifestyle-related health problems, divorce, redundancy and boredom, broken only by the odd moment of road rage or returning from the country on a Sunday night to find the house has been burgled.

I was fascinated recently to hear a very senior, long-retired civil servant lamenting the calibre of today’s civil service. His generation were tested in war. They were diferent. They had faced real danger and had a diferent outlook on the things that crossed their desks each day, and on the standards they imposed and the risks that they took.

My generation has never been truly proven. Our wars are delegated to relatively small numbers of professionals who sufer for their country, and most of us never experience the fear or the triumphs that they do. At its worst, we live our lives within

Maybe the City would be a

better place if promotion only

came if you could prove your

mettle beyond the trading floor

a narrower spectrum of experience and emotion than past generations.

And it shows in our daily and professional lives. Our willingness to stand up and be counted is diminished by our level of comfort. We don’t get involved when there is an incident in the street. Too many of us walk on by, looking the other way, when someone collapses, or a bunch of rowdy drunks is occupying the pavement. Is it right? Does it make us feel good? Of course not. But we have important things to do and we are in a hurry.

Sean Fitzpatrick, the much-capped All Blacks captain, writes in his book Winning

Matters of his own father driving the family through town at night, and stopping when he saw a man lying on the ground. He got out, checked him over, found he’d had a few drinks too many but was basically okay, came back to the car and drove on. It was a tiny incident but it stayed with the future rugby international and he has carried it with him all his life.

When I first heard about the LIBOR scandal and read the transcripts, I was bafed. Anyone who has ever worked in a regulated market environment knows you never, ever conspire to create a false market. What did these people think they were doing? And boasting about it? That was when I wondered again where the people of principle were, individuals with integrity and values who

Facing danger and tests of character is not only a good source of

the adrenaline we tend to require like one of our five a day, says

David Charters, it can also improve our outlook and the way we work

Illustration Brett Ryder

Duty andthe beast

would stand up and be counted, however unpopular it made them. Perhaps only a few people orchestrated what went on, but an awful lot knew about it. Are we all really so scared, so cowed, so worried about our jobs or the perceived stigma of being a whistleblower?

Easy for me to say. I had the luxury of starting my City career at SG Warburg, a firm grounded in principle and integrity. That is not to say it was an easy place to work, but there were any number of exceptional individuals who would bend to nobody in defence of their values and those of the firm. Whatever happened to them? Most seem to have retired, many are dead, and the new City, with its gigantic, soulless finance factories seems to favour lesser souls.

When I see these scandals unfolding – and we seem to be nothing if not accident-prone these days – does it make me angry? You bet. As a generation, we haven’t for the most part been blooded in the way our predecessors were. So maybe we need to do something else instead. Something genuinely hair-raising that takes us out of our comfort zones and gives perspective. Maybe the City would be a better place if no one could be promoted beyond a certain level without showing clearly that they have some mettle beyond the trading floor. Go and walk to the North Pole. Spend a month working with the homeless in Mumbai. Take a career break and sail around the world. Bankers might become more interesting people to meet, and their perspective on their business might be a little diferent. We might even be trusted again, eventually.

The Ego’s Nest, by David Charters, the fifth

novel in the series about City anti-hero Dave Hart,

is published by Elliott & Thompson, £6.99

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BRUMMELL 19

It was a century ago this year that Lionel Martin

and Robert Bamford got together to found their

own car company, renaming it ‘Aston Martin’

a year later after combining the former’s surname

with the ‘Aston’ from Buckinghamshire’s Aston

Clinton hill climb. The 10 decades since have

been an adventure, to say the least – the

company has had numerous owners and been

on the verge of bankruptcy on several occasions

– but it remains one of the best-loved car

marques in the world, with clients as diverse

as James Bond and the Prince of Wales. Now

thriving as never before, Aston Martin enters

its second century with an eight-car range (if you

include the Cygnet ‘city car’) and is marking its

centenary with a series of special editions of

its Vanquish, V8 Vantage, DB9 and Rapide

models. Just 100 examples of each will be made,

all with a graduated paint finish and solid-silver

Aston Martin badges. Inside, you’ll find black

leather trim with silver stitching and embroidered

head rests. Each owner also gets a pair of silver

cufinks and matching pen – and a polishing

cloth to keep the whole lot sparkling.

astonmartin.com

The world’s favourite car brand

celebrates its centenary by

releasing 100 special editions

of its most loved models

Words Simon de Burton

MONEY NO

OBJECT

NEWS | bEAumoNdE 21

Camping gadgetry, explorer footwear and a luxurious new residence in the heart of London

Fire it up ↑Invented by Alexander Drummond

and Jonathan Cedar, the Biolite

Campstove is an innovation in

clean, safe and energy-efcient

cooking. By converting heat from

the burning of twigs and other

biodegradable fuels into useable

electricity, the Campstove allows

you to recharge your phone (or any

other gadget) while cooking your

dinner. Compact for travel, fast to

light, quick to boil and easy to use,

the Campstove is a camping

essential, and it’s no bigger than

a large water bottle. Aside from its

obvious recreational capabilities,

the Campstove is an incredible

breakthrough in emergency aid

during natural disasters. In the

aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,

Biolite engineers took to the

streets of New York to set up

improvised charging stations,

allowing people to power-up their

devices when the mains electricity

went down. $130; biolitestove.com

At your service

Luxury tour operator Abercrombie

& Kent is launching its global

Lifestyle Club, a bespoke concierge

service that’s available 24/7,

worldwide. Members will enjoy

VIP treatment at every stage of

their meticulously planned

holiday, and will be assigned

a dedicated lifestyle manager who

acts as their local expert and fixer,

whether at home or abroad. Instant

access to logistical, security and

medical advice around the clock

provides Lifestyle Club members

with peace of mind at all times.

aklifestyleclub.com

Get your Sea Wings ↑Built to withstand the rigours of deep sea

diving, the Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk is

water-resistant to 1,000m, has a helium valve

for use during decompression and features an

anticlockwise-turning bezel for dive-time

calculations. The Sea Hawk boasts a number of

intelligent features, including the positioning

of the crown at four o’clock for greater comfort.

From £6,905; girard-perregaux.com

In the shoes of the Sherpa ↑Bally’s involvement with Hillary and Norgay’s

ascent of Everest isn’t very well known, but

without the shoemaker’s input, the two intrepid

climbers may never have made it to the summit.

When Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, he

was wearing a pair of Bally-designed boots made

of reindeer fur. Bally’s new Everest capsule

collection features a series of vintage-styled

boots that illustrate the company’s alpine

heritage. Each boot is constructed with a

lightweight, injection-moulded lug sole that

combines comfort and performance with the

re-engineered ‘360 Degree Non-Slip Bally

Grip’, first patented in 1919; bally.com

Timepiece of the action ↑Founded in 2002, Linde Werdelin combines

mechanical and digital technologies, creating

limited-edition timepieces that can have

interchangeable sporting instruments attached

to them. One of Linde Werdelin’s most recent

releases is the SpidoLite II Titanium Blue.

Limited to only 75 pieces, it boasts a fully-

skeletonised case and dial structure, making it

super-strong and ultra-light. The movement is

visible through the transparent sapphire case

back and the dial consists of two skeletonised

layers. It’s built for extremes, but it looks as good

at a dinner party as it does on a mountain top.

However, if you are at altitude, you could attach

the ‘Rock’ – the only skiing-dedicated instrument

with an external air-temperature sensor that has

been tested on Everest and in the South Pole.

£7,300 (+VAT, watch only); lindewerdelin.com

beAumonde | neWS22

Ring for service ↑The new Vertu TI is a triumphant blend of

masculine design and forward-thinking

technology, and comes with exclusive services.

The TI has a titanium case, a 3.7in sapphire

screen and is the first Vertu to use an Android

operating system, combined with an impressive

1.7GHz processor. The TI also provides instant

access to Vertu’s collection of bespoke

services, including its Concierge; Certainty –

keeping your information safe; and Vertu Life

– a collection of lifestyle articles and benefits

from around the world. From £6,700; vertu.com

Address to impressDescribed as the most significant

development in W1 for more than

50 years, Fitzroy Place is causing

quite a stir on the luxury property

scene. Not only is it located in the

heart of the West End but it’s built

around the first new square in the

illustrious London postcode for

over 100 years. Residents will

enjoy a 24-hour concierge service,

membership of the Fitzroy

Residents’ Club and close

proximity to the exclusive stores

and restaurants on the ground

floor. The 230 private residences

range from generously appointed

suites to stylish duplexes, with

proportions that emulate the area’s

beautiful Edwardian mansions, but

with contemporary interiors. What’s

more, when it opens, you’ll be just

a five-minute walk to the new

Crossrail service that can whisk

you from Oxford Street to

Heathrow in just 30 minutes.

Apartments from £900,000;

fitzroyplace.com

A feel for fashion ↑The tailor Anderson & Sheppard

has been creating sharp suits for

royalty, rock stars and businessmen

at its shop on Old Burlington

Street since 1906. Now it has

opened a second establishment,

just around the corner in Mayfair,

on Cliford Street, that it is calling

its haberdashery. It ofers a

selection of trousers, shirts and

knitwear, ties, belts and just about

every other sartorial accessory.

The 1,200sq ft space is a relaxed

afair, with scarves and sweaters

out on display, available to touch

rather than being cooped up in

glass cases, making the shopping

experience altogether more tactile.

anderson-sheppard.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY | bEAumONdE 25

Sony Walkman NWZ-W27 Although designed very much with the fitness-obsessed

in mind, Sony’s latest wearable MP3-player is equally

suited to more workaday pursuits: there are no trailing

headphone cables to get caught up in the luggage of

fellow commuters, and no need to keep retrieving an

iPhone from one’s pocket to change tracks. With 4GB of

memory built in to its slender silhouette, expect it to hold

around 1,000 songs (which can, rather handily, be dragged

and dropped direct from iTunes). A three-minute quick

charge will provide an hour’s use, although at full capacity

it will play non-stop for a lung-bursting eight-hour workout

– or a week’s worth of Tube journeys. The most entertaining

feature of this music player though is its water-resistant

casing. Shower time will never be the same again.

£59; sony.co.uk

Jawbone big Jambox At almost twice the size of the original Jambox (yet still

surprisingly compact), this little brother that’s outgrown

its elder sibling is not only the last word in portable

speakers but also an excellent conference call hub to

boot. Its stereo acoustic speakers and twin bass drivers

pump out a desk-shudderingly generous volume, backed

up by the excellent LiveAudio software – which adds

a realistic sense of depth to music and speech. It also

plugs – either literally or wirelessly –into pretty much

anything, while the concealed speakerphone brings

welcome clarity to hands-free Bluetooth calls. Thankfully,

Jawbone’s vivid geometric patterns and colour schemes

are still in evidence, as is the reassuringly robust – and

tactile – steel and rubberised finish.

£260; jawbone.com

Tool of hard knocksWhether heading into the wild or on to the Northern line, these days

your kit needs to be more high-tech than just sturdy shoes and mint

cake – and gadgets for the intrepid need to be tough and compactWords Henry Farrar-Hockley

beAumonde | technology26

Sony Xperia ZConsidered one of the star turns of the annual

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las

Vegas in January, this phone’s stunning 5in

glass display behaves like a miniature Bravia

HD TV, with eye-popping resolution and admirable

screen contrast. A quad-core Snapdragon

processor, 13MP camera and invisible, water-

repelling ‘skin’ add to its glossy appeal, as does

a neat application of the much-vaunted – but little

employed – Near Field Communication (NFC)

technology: simply ‘touch’ the phone against a

compatible Sony TV, and you can instantly enjoy

any of your handset’s photos, videos, music or

games on an even larger canvas.

Price varies with contract; sonymobile.com

casio g-Shock gb-6900AAThere is no shortage of reasons to avoid

conspicuous overuse of mobile phones, from

basic etiquette to presenting yourself as an

easy target to the light-fingered. One way of

avoiding screen dependency and its pitfalls is

to invest in a Bluetooth watch like this G-Shock

model from Casio. As well as discreetly informing

the wearer of incoming calls, texts and emails

to their phone, it automatically syncs its clock

with your handset and even vibrates to let

you know if you’ve left your mobile behind.

While only compatible with the iPhone 4S

and 5 at launch, it will soon also work with

Android-operated devices.

£160; g-shock.co.uk

Kingston datatraveler hyperX Predator uSb driveElevating the humble USB Flash drive to the

level of desirable gadget is no mean feat. Some

manufacturers opt for novelty to market these

ubiquitous storage solutions (cue Star Wars

figurines, plastic sushi, etc.) while others aim

for sheer volume. Kingston’s curiously christened

DataTraveler HyperX Predator family belongs

firmly to this latter category; its remarkably

capacious new 512GB stick is able to back up

not just a few files, but the contents of an entire

computer at impressive transfer speeds, and

comes enclosed in a retractable metal casing

to protect the fragile USB connector. An even

greedier 1TB version is imminent.

From £725; www.kingston.com

lenovo thinkPad twistThe design of the very first IBM ThinkPad,

launched back in 1992, was inspired by a

Japanese bento box, but it more than compensated

for its ungainly appearance by being a tough,

reliable workhorse. The new ThinkPad Twist

is almost unrecognisable from its ancestor.

It is, unsurprisingly, far more streamlined and

lightweight. Then there are its hybrid credentials:

the 12.5-inch display can transform from an

Intel-powered Ultrabook into a free-standing

Windows 8 tablet in seconds. This technological

sleight of hand has not come at the cost of the old

ruggedness – the touchscreen is made from Gorilla

Glass, while the chassis is a magnesium alloy.

From £800; lenovo.com

olympus Stylus tough tg-830Last year, Olympus managed the improbable

feat of manufacturing a hardwearing yet cutting-

edge camera that was also easy on the eye: the

Tough TG-1. For 2013, the brand’s Tough class

sees three new additions to its ranks including

this, the daintily dimensioned yet brutishly

sturdy TG-830. Beneath its shock-, water- and

freeze-resistant shell sit a highly accomplished

16MP processor and 5x optical zoom which,

when paired with an optional FlashAir memory

card, will wirelessly beam photos and full HD

video direct to your smartphone – so avoiding

the chore of backing up your precious

memories when you get home.

£250; www.olympus.co.uk

goPro hero 3 black editionBeloved of extreme-sports enthusiasts, GoPro

has rightly established itself as the acme of

life-proof camcorders, and its Hero 3 Black

Edition further underlines these credentials.

It’s a remarkable thing that a gadget smaller

than a cigarette packet can shoot video in

the next big thing in screen resolution, 4K –

four times the quality of the current full-HD

standard. Add to this the fact it’s waterproof

to 60m, and you have a video camera you can

be assured will survive any earthly scenario,

from scuba-diving to hyperactive children.

Battery life is comparatively poor, however,

so carrying spares is a must.

£360; gopro.com

A short stroll from Bond Street and the vibrancy of Regent Street lies one of central London’s hidden gems. A village of boutiques, independent traders, beautiful squares and an eclectic mix of cafés and restaurants. Welcome to Fitzrovia.

Now something new is coming to Fitzrovia that’s as unique as the area itself. Fitzroy Place, a collection of prestigious homes gathered around a stunning landscaped square.

Apartments from: £900,000 to £15,000,000*

For further information or to register your interest please contact:

Fitzroy Place Marketing Suite19/21 Mortimer StreetLondon W1T 3JE

T +44 (0)20 7323 1077E enquiries@fitzroyplace.comfitzroyplace.com

*Prices correct at time of going to press

A development by Sales representation by

property | beAumonde 29

Living forthe City

Transformers may be a lucrative entertainment

franchise, but it could just as easily be a description

of some of the new and proposed residential

developments within striking distance of London’s

financial district. As well as towering sky-high

and being full of gadgets and amenities, many

of them claim they’ll transform lifestyles.

Take the Panoramic Collection in the luxury

residential development The Heron at Moorgate.

This 13-strong ensemble of two- and three-

bedroom apartments located above the 30th

floor ofers the usual heady mix of sumptuous

living space and slick appliances, but goes

a step further. Residents need scarcely leave

home to enjoy club lounges, dining areas and

rooftop gardens. And for all its state-of-the-art

modernity, the building’s concierge, valet-parking

and butler services also ensure they benefit

from the kind of old-school pampering Jeeves

lavished upon Bertie Wooster.

‘People want to go to work and come home

to find their deliveries have arrived and their

shirts have been dry-cleaned for them,’ says

Lisa Ronson, commercial director at The Heron,

nearly 90 per cent of which has sold of-plan,

despite the fact the building doesn’t open until

later this summer. Some one- and two-bedroom

apartments still remain, with prices starting at

£500,000. For the Panoramic Collection you’ll

spend upwards of £3.25m (theheron.co.uk).

Before the Ballymore Group’s 2008 launch

of its Pan Peninsula waterside development

adjacent to Canary Wharf, much of the housing

soAring heron

The upper reaches of The Heron development

in Moorgate are reserved for serviced apartments with club lounges, dining

and rooftop gardens

Not only handy for work, these

new developments also come

with Mayfair-style amenities

beAumonde | property30

Much of the property in the

Docklands was vertical rabbit

hutches – but the bar has been

raised, along with expectations

in the Docklands area was a shoe-boxy warren

of vertical rabbit hutches produced by volume

house-builders. But since the success of Pan

Peninsula, with its opulent cinema, restaurant

and penthouse-level cocktail lounge, the bar

has been raised for what people, mostly working

in the financial sector, have come to expect. Now,

more luxuriously distinctive schemes perched

by East London’s old quays and waterways are

coming on to the market fast and furious.

As well as New Providence Wharf, which

includes the high-rise Ontario Tower, the

Ballymore Group has launched sumptuous

developments at Baltimore Wharf on the Isle of

Dogs and at 21 Wapping Lane. There are also

pipeline plans for a 1,600-unit residential scheme

as a part of a large-scale development on the

Leamouth Peninsula. (ballymoregroup.com)

Planning has also just been granted to luxury

developers London Newcastle for Dollar Bay, a

slender 31-storey crystalline tower at West India

Docks’ waterfront. Uninterrupted views of the

City and Canary Wharf can be enjoyed from the

‘sky gardens’ in all of its 121 high-specification

apartments. (londonnewcastle.co.uk)

Those looking to live closer to the old Square

Mile, and whose taste leans more toward classic

stone facades than sheer glass shards, might

prefer one of five lavish new apartments in a

Grade II-listed building previously remodelled

by Edwin Lutyens, overlooking Lincoln’s Inn

Fields, the largest public square in London. Not

only does each fully modernised, high-ceilinged

space occupy its own floor, but it is also connected

to Club Quarters, a new private hotel ofering

24-hour services and facilities. (savills.co.uk)

Also within easy reach of the City is the

Tapestry building on New Street, right opposite

Liverpool Street Station, where just two loft-style

apartments remain, priced at £2.7 million.

Constructed by the East India Company as a

warehouse in 1771, the remaining two- and

three-bedroom residences combine the

understated panache of a Georgian exterior

with spacious, bright interiors that absolutely

epitomise urban cool. (savills.co.uk)

Another landmark development site in the

City of London is that of St Dunstan’s House

on Fetter Lane, within the Square Mile. Previously

occupied by Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals

Service, the building was put up for sale and

bought by Taylor Wimpey Central London, who

fought of stif competition for their proposed

development of 76 residential units plus private

gym and secluded landscaped gardens.

(taylorwimpey.co.uk)

The scarcity of space within or close to

the City means any contemporary development

featuring a residential aspect garners a lot

of media speculation and attention. Nowhere

does that apply more than to the properties at

the apex of The Shard at London Bridge, where

the release of 10 luxury penthouses is hotly

anticipated. As it stands, the Shard’s Qatari

owners ‘have not decided whether to sell or lease

the apartments’, according to a spokesman.

Whichever option is chosen, a penthouse in

The Shard overlooking the whole city, not just

City, is the stuf of aspiration – although not for

vertigo suferers, perhaps.

Words Catherine Moye

vistA Accepted

Views from a bathroom in The Heron, top, and a penthouse at Baltimore Wharf on the Isle of Dogs

people usually have to trek for hours for this kind of sighting.

We were on our verandah.

Abercrombie & Kent has been perfecting the art of

tailor-made travel for 50 years. To talk travel with

people who have first-hand experience please call

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Alternatively visit us in Harrods or at

our new store in the City of London

abercrombiekent.co.uk

WORLDWIDE TRAvEL • vILLAS • CHALETS

bRUMMELL | AFTER THE CITY32

After 30 years at the top in finance, Will D’Arcy is scaling new heights as a mountain guide

Living the high life

‘I haven’t been this fit since I came back from

climbing in the Himalayas when I was 32,’

chuckles 55-year-old Will D’Arcy, referring

to his new role as the principal of a mountain-

guiding business in Chamonix. D’Arcy left the

City for the mountains in September 2012,

and his new company, Elite Mountain Guides,

is already gaining a reputation – his first client

arrived at his door with a bunch of tulips and

a hand-written note after a day skiing with

D’Arcy and his business partner and guide,

Phil Ashby. ‘I’ve never been given flowers for

services rendered before,’ he admits. ‘But then

I’m working with Phil, who’s the very best.’

Both Ashby and Mark Thomas, D’Arcy’s

other partner, are IFMGA (International

Federation of Mountain Guides Associations)

guides. Ashby was awarded the Queen’s

Gallantry Medal when a Royal Marine in Sierra

Leone, has been a lecturer at the British Army

Jungle Warfare Training School in Brunei and

is on the motivational speaking circuit. ‘I’ve built

Elite Mountain Guides around Phil – without him,

it simply wouldn’t exist,’ says D’Arcy. ‘City people

work in a team, superficially speaking, but many

are out for themselves, so I’m enjoying being in

a business run like the Army, in which you go

into battle trusting the people alongside you.’

D’Arcy arrived in Chamonix after a long

City career that began in 1980, when he joined

Phillips & Drew to sell gilts. He worked as an

investment banker in fixed income for the next

pEAk CondITIon

Will D’Arcy in Chamonix

15 years. He recalls, ‘I was 38, with six big

clients, climbing the greasy pole and in the ofce

at 7.15 every morning. When the bond markets

sufered a meltdown in 1994, five stopped

doing business and I was down to one client.’

What followed was a rollercoaster ride as

D’Arcy bounced from one venture to the next.

First, he tried his hand at media finance; then,

after a brief stint in financial training, he turned

to headhunting, setting up an investment-

banking subsidiary for Hanover Search before

going independent a year later with D’Arcy & Co.

‘We were very successful for a couple of years,

but then came the dot-com crash and 9/11. So

I studied for a law degree. Then Lehman Brothers

collapsed. Suddenly, there was a huge dislocation

of capital markets. I saw an opportunity and set

up a fixed-income department for WH Ireland.’

D’Arcy took redundancy in 2011. ‘I’d jumped,

but had no lifeboat. I was 54, with responsibilities,

and we were in the worst recession the world had

ever seen. To cheer myself up, I went to Chamonix

to ski and see my friend Phil,’ he recalls.

On asking Ashby how he found his clients,

he realised he had hit on something he really

wanted to do next. So, last summer, he used

his City contacts and knowledge of the SEIS

(Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) to raise

finance. By the autumn, he had settled in

Chamonix and set up Elite Mountain Guides

to provide a premium guiding service for skiiers,

walkers and climbers.

‘The most valuable lesson I’ve learnt from the

City is that getting business is hard and it takes

longer for it to come through than you anticipate,’

says D’Arcy. ‘The competition’s tough, but our

guides are superb. We charge a lot, but it’s

more fun for senior corporate types to spend

three days with people who can talk their

language, and the range of life experiences that

Phil and I have between us is second to none.’

D’Arcy is enjoying the challenge of a new

kind of selling: ‘I’m used to business-to-business

dealing, which is cyclical, whereas a business-

to-retail company has a more dependable, if less

steep, trajectory. People are always going to want

fun, however dire the economic climate, but when

businesses cut back, they cut to the bone. I was

in recruitment and what’s the first thing they do

when there’s a recession? Stop recruiting! But

I’ll always have someone wanting an adventure.’

D’Arcy describes himself as ‘humble but

passionate’ and says, ‘My ambitions are to scale

the business and build it up without losing the

personal touch. It’s difcult but achievable and

I’m prepared to work my butt of to satisfy clients.

We’re already seeing results by exceeding their

expectations and that’s a good feeling. There

are plenty of mountain-guiding businesses making

money, so we know the model works. It’s a matter

of persisting and, after the City, no one can say

I don’t have the necessary perseverance.’

elitemountainguides.com

Words Charlotte Metcalf

The global perspecTive on prime properTy and wealTh

Find out the answers in The wealth report from Knight Frank.

To requesT your free copy go To knighTfrank.com/wealThreporT

which luxury property markets are going from strength to strength and which are still in the doldrums?

which investment of passion has outperformed even gold?

is london or new york the most important city to the world’s wealthiest people?

coming

soon

Adventurous pursuits require

hardy watches designed for

the task –whether you’re

facing high altitude, extreme

depth or a likely battering

words Simon de Burton

Photography Bruce Anderson

Rock

faces

watches | BRUMMeLL 35

Bell & Ross WW1 MonopoussoirIt was when things began to get a little too exciting

in the Great War trenches that someone decided

it might be a good idea to move watches from

pocket to wrist in order to keep both hands free

for more pressing matters. Many of those early

wristwatches were simply converted pocket

watches, with the crowns moved from 12 o’clock

to three o’clock. Now Bell & Ross has taken

inspiration from their large-dialled, highly legible

appearance to create this understated, aviator-

style chronograph. The ‘monopoussoir’ in the

name refers to the fact that the chronograph

can be started and stopped using a single button

set in to the winding crown.

£4,900; bellross.com

Omega Spacemaster Z-33 Omega has a long-standing association with

space travel through its Speedmaster

chronograph, which became the first watch to

be worn on the surface of the moon – on the

arm of Buzz Aldrin during the historic Apollo XI

mission of July, 1969. Were the adventure

to be re-enacted today, there’s a good chance

the crew might be issued with Omega’s

Spacemaster Z-33 which has a titanium

case and a multi-function quartz movement,

providing alarms, a perpetual calendar,

flying log book, multiple time zones and more.

The digi-analogue display is controlled by

no fewer than five push pieces.

£3,720; omegawatches.com

Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari chronographThe Ralph Lauren watch collection has been

getting steadily better since its slightly uncertain

launch in 2009. This version of the Sporting

chronograph allegedly came about after Ralph

himself wore a prototype while on safari, during

which the case became worn through in places.

Most designers would demand an improvement in

the coating material, but not Lauren. He suggested

such ready-made patina should be supplied on

every watch, much like a pair of pre-washed

jeans (with which the Safari looks rather good).

Potential buyers can rest assured that the

Jaeger-LeCoultre chronograph movement lying

within is, of course, in immaculate order.

£6,850; ralphlaurenwatches.com

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun MiramarIWC made its first Top Gun pilot’s watch in

honour of the legendary US Naval Fighter

Weapons School in 2007 – but, last year, the

line-up was extended to include the ‘Miramar’

range, named after the school’s former base

outside San Diego. One of the best variations

is the imposing 48mm Big Pilot, which features

a tough ceramic case with a titanium back

complemented by a classic military dial with

buf-coloured hands and markings. Inside,

you’ll find IWC’s lovely in-house 5111 Calibre

self-winding movement with seven days of

power reserve. An olive-green textile strap

completes the rugged ‘aviator’ look.

£13,900; iwc.com

Hublot King Power Oceanographic 4000‘How low can you go?’ is a pertinent question

when it comes to Hublot’s decidedly serious

dive watch, a monster of the deep that is

guaranteed waterproof to a lung-crushing

4,000m – more than 200m deeper than the

final resting place of the Titanic. Available in

a variety of case materials ranging from

titanium to Hublot’s very own ‘King Gold’, the

watch has a mammoth 48mm-diameter case

and a heavily engineered crown guard to ensure

the inner timing bezel can’t be accidentally

moved mid-dive. It also has two screw-down

crowns and a helium escape valve and is

supplied with ‘town’ and ‘diver’ strap options.

£17,000 to £32,400; hublot.com

Louis Vuitton Tambour RegattaSeveral watch brands will be demonstrating

their seagoing credentials as backers of

boats taking part in this year’s America’s Cup

challenge races – but only Louis Vuitton can

claim to be the ofcial timekeeper. LV has been

a serious player in high-end regattas since the

celebrated French yachtsman Bruno Trouble

asked the brand to step in as a backer for the

1983 America’s Cup when the event looked set

to sink without trace due to lack of funding. The

association is now the longest-running in the

history of sport, and Vuitton continues to celebrate

it with an ever-expanding range of Tambour

Regatta watches designed specifically for sailors.

£6,550; louisvuitton.com

BRUMMELL | WaTCHES36

INTRA - MATIC

AUTOMATIC SWISS MADE . WWW.HAMILTONWATCH.COM

royal exchange promotion | BrUmmell 39

Precious

timeOMEGA recognises that it is as much defined by

its ethical business practices as by its social and

environmental conduct, and takes its social

responsibilities seriously. From sustainable energy

projects to healthcare initiatives, OMEGA uses its

international reputation and global reach to raise

public awareness of some remarkable organisations

and the extraordinary work they are doing around the

world to make the planet a healthier, cleaner place

Words Robert Ryan

The Solar Impulse project aims

to circumnavigate the globe in an

airplane powered only by the sun

If the environmental movement has an

equivalent of the Oscars, it is the United

Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP)

Champions of the Earth Laureate Award, which

recognises outstanding contributions to saving

the planet. In 2012, it was awarded to pilot

Bertrand Piccard for ‘raising global awareness

of the possibilities of renewable energy-driven

transport’. What had he done? Created a plane

that can fly without fuel and has zero emissions.

It sounds like a science-fiction fantasy

(especially with that surname), but the

gossamer-light 64m-wingspan, carbon-fibre-

bodied Solar Impulse HB-SIA, with its 12,000

solar cells, is designed to fly at a stately 50km/h

without polluting the atmosphere, taking all its

energy from the sun and storing it in lithium

polymer batteries.

Piccard, who made the world’s first non-stop

round-the-world balloon flight, co-founded the

Solar Impulse project wth André Borschberg in

2003. Support has come from 80 partners,

among them OMEGA. Always interested in

cutting-edge technologies – as ofcial NASA

timepiece supplier, OMEGA put a watch on the

moon – it contributes the instrument used to

indicate the flight path and alert the pilots if the

angle of the wing exceeds limits. The plane is

going to need such gizmos – the team’s ultimate

goal is for the SI HB-SIB, currently under

construction, to circumnavigate the globe. Watch

the skies – just don’t look for vapour trails.

Solar

SyStem

BRUMMELL | RoyaL ExchangE pRoMotion40

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oMEga SpEEdMaStER hB-Sia co-axiaL

Nothing exemplifies Omega’s spirit of adventure like the watch that was selected by NASA as its ofcial timepiece in 1965. It orbited the earth in Gemini and Apollo missions and was taken onto the moon’s surface by Buzz Aldrin. Fitting then that it should be the basis for the numbered-edition chronometer inspired by the development of the HB-SIA plane, which has the addition of a 24-hour indicator, in readiness for that solar- powered circumnavigation

BRUMMELL | RoyaL ExchangE pRoMotion42

The Flying Eye might be the oldest DC-10 still

flying, but it is as hi-tech as any James Bond

villain’s plane. It contains a laser-treatment

area, operating theatre, intensive-care unit

and state-of-the-art communications systems,

a 45-seat classroom and more than 300kgs

of teddy bears. This last gives away its true

purpose – the full title of the plane is the ORBIS

Flying Eye Hospital. ORBIS is a not-for-profit

organisation founded in 1992 with the aim of

curing preventable blindness across the globe.

Its airborne hospital flies to remote parts of the

world to treat children (hence the teddies) and

adults and, just as importantly, teach local

doctors and nurses the procedures. And, on

one memorable trip to Mongolia recently, it had

007 himself on board.

Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch Group,

explains: ‘There is a long tradition in the

company, especially in Omega, of charitable

work. I had seen a documentary about ORBIS

on TV and I said to Daniel: “What do you

think about this?” And he fell in love with the

project immediately.’

Craig, who is an Omega ambassador,

joined the DC-10 in Mongolia and observed

several operations. ‘It’s absolutely fascinating,

because you see the skill of the surgeon up

close – and it’s incredible.’

As he points out, of the 40 million people

who are blind in the world, 80 per cent could

be treated and have their condition cured or,

at least, alleviated. ORBIS, he says, ‘is like a

miracle – literally coming in and giving people

back their sight.’

Miracles sometimes need a helping hand and

OMEGA has two watch models, the OMEGA

De Ville Hour Vision Blue and the new OMEGA

Constellation Star ladies’ model, sales of

which help support ORBIS and its global

mission which, for once in Daniel Craig’s life,

is not all about stopping a madman bent on

world domination.

ORBIS is like a miracle –

literally coming in and giving

people back their sight

SKY CALLDaniel Craig and OMEGA

support ORBIS International

and its Flying Eye Hospital

oMEga DE ViLLE hoUR ViSion BLUE

A stunning and distinctive timepiece, with a dial that some might describe as blue as Daniel Craig’s eyes. It has a transparent case back to show of its self-winding movement. Sales of the watch support ORBIS’s sight-saving work worldwide.

BRUMMELL | RoyaL ExchangE pRoMotion44

Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s lifelong interest

in the natural world has made him a

world-leading environmental advocate

When photographer and filmmaker Yann

Arthus-Bertrand wanted a partner to help

him make a movie about the world’s oceans,

it was perhaps inevitable that he should turn

to OMEGA. The ocean has long been an

integral part of Omega’s work and world.

In 1932, it introduced the art deco-styled

Marine, the world’s first commercial divers’

watch and then, in 1948, its iconic Seamaster

range, still hugely popular today, especially

the innovative Planet Ocean models. It has

supported major sea-going figures such as

free-diver Jacques Mayol – immortalised in

the film The Big Blue – the late Jules Verne

Trophy-winning yachtsman Sir Peter Blake,

the legendary Jacques Cousteau and the solo

circumnavigation sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur.

blue

magic

oMEga SEaMaStER pLanEt ocEan

The Seamaster was first introduced in 1948 to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary and quickly became a firm favourite of divers and sailors (and spies – Pierce Brosnan’s and Daniel Craig’s Bond both sported Seamasters). This is the Planet Ocean Chrono version, waterproof to 60m (2,000ft).

BRUMMELL | RoyaL ExchangE PRoMoTIon46

In professional sports, leisure activities and

exploration, OMEGA has been on and under the

world’s seas for more than a century.

Parisian Arthus-Bertrand is a fascinating

character: a former actor turned wildlife specialist

and photographer in Africa and now ecological

campaigner through his GoodPlanet Foundation,

he has a string of awards for his environmental

work (there are even schools in France named

after him). With the 90-minute movie Planet

Ocean, he wanted, he said, ‘to change the way

people look at the oceans and to encourage them

to imagine conservation and stewardship as

responsibilities shared by everyone on Earth.’

It might have a message, but Planet Ocean

looks wonderful too – it won the 2012 Award

for Best Cinematography at the Blue Ocean

Film Festival in Monterey, USA. It isn’t difcult

to see why – from the opening textures of the

sea breaking on the shoreline, via the sweeping

aerial shots of tidal currents, to the teaming life

of the underwater world, Arthus-Bertrand and

his fellow director Michael Pitiot have captured

the diversity and beauty of the world’s oceans,

as well as highlighting the threats they face

from mankind’s activities.

The two directors had the help of leading

aerial and underwater cinematographers,

oceanographers and biologists. This included

the practical support of Tara Expeditions, a

French not-for-profit organisation that has

been conducting research on its schooner for

nine years. One of its main aims is to increase

environmental awareness among the general

public, and particularly young people, and the

Planet Ocean film is one of its tools in this: it is

available free to schools and other institutions.

At a showing of the film in London last year,

Arthus-Bertrand said: ‘I am very grateful to

OMEGA for allowing me the opportunity to make

a film I have been dreaming about for a long

time. This movie was made not for politicians

– they don’t want change. It was made for me

and for you and everybody, to try to change

consciousness about how precious, fragile and

mysterious the oceans are.’ And it does.

OMEGA, Unit 8 The Courtyard, The Royal

Exchange; 020 7929 7706

aLL aT SEa

Previous page, this picture and below: Dramatic stills from Planet Ocean

Planet Ocean captures the beauty

of the world’s oceans as well as

highlighting the threats they face

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STORE TRADING HOURS 10AM - 6PM • RESTAURANTS & BARS 8AM - 11PM

Dinosaurs, dynamite and the devil – Bolivia’s unearthly

landscape reflects its astonishing natural history

words Ian Belcher

High notesBrUMMell | Travel48

TOP Of The wOrld

Potosí, with Cerro Rico in the background

Chinese proverbs aren’t always correct. Some thousand-mile journeys may begin with a single small step, but not this one. It starts with over 5,000 – the largest concentration of dinosaur footprints on earth. And they’re huge. Massive. Many belong to 100-tonne titanosaurs.

Cal Orck’o’s eye-popping splatter of tracks, imprinted into Bolivia’s highlands 65 million years ago, are the green light for one of the world’s most glorious road trips. They’re suitably monumental for a route that lacks the diners and Americana of Route 66 but delivers widescreen scenic drama, extraordinary historic landmarks and a level of wacky surreality that California can only dream about.

From Parque Cretácio’s fragile slab of prehistoric geology, tucked into a quarry in the Andean foothills, our four-wheel drive – don’t think about any other vehicle – will grind up onto Bolivia’s Altiplano above 3,750m. We’ll then push south-west towards the Salar de Uyuni – the largest salt lake on earth – via the mining town of Potosí, before curving north to La Paz, the spectacular administrative capital cowering beneath snow-tipped Mt Illimani.

But there’s a civilised aperitif to our wilderness main course. Sucre, home to the dinosaur tracks, is Bolivia’s most beautiful city: a white-walled honeypot of monasteries, churches and Spanish architecture. There are elegant courtyards, walls drizzled with Mestizo baroque art – ‘The Last Supper’ depicts the disciples eating roast guinea pig – and benches beneath shady palms occupied by gnarled pensioners and teenage sweethearts. It’s mellow, serene and absolutely hopeless preparation for the road ahead.

We depart in the late afternoon and receive an instant reality check. The road swoops through plunging valleys and sun-blasted hills, crossing bridges over slow, thirsty rivers. At dusk, we climb up the eastern wall of the Andes, onto the Altiplano. We rise and the temperature plummets, until, after 50 miles, Potosí’s iconic mountain, Cerro Rico, looms out of the night. It’s an extraordinary sight: an enormous, perfectly symmetrical triangle picked out in emerald spotlights. In the inky darkness, it gives the unnerving impression we’re descending towards an airport runway.

In the daylight it resembles a super-sized chunk of red and ochre Toblerone – a façade concealing a dark, dangerous heart. Around eight million men – mainly indigenous miners – have died in or around Cerro Rico, digging the silver that underpinned Spain’s three-century domination of world trade. It’s said you could link Madrid and Potosí with two bridges: one of silver, one of bones.

Conditions are better now. Grim but better. Around 18,000 miners still work here. I can’t resist a visit. I’m taken to an innocuous terraced house on the lower slopes where a knock on the shutters summons a toothless old lady to serve me through her front window. Eight dollars buys a gift to be traded for a tour:

BRUMMELL | tRavEL50

a basket with two sticks of dynamite, a litre of 97-per-cent-proof alcoholic spirit and gaspingly strong cigarettes. They sit on a bed of coca leaves, alongside fuses, detonators and a pouch of white balls. ‘Ammonium nitrate,’ explains the elderly shopkeeper. ‘For a bigger bang.’

An hour later, I’ve donned protective garb and entered mine Monja 2 through a hall caked with the blood of sacrificed llamas. I shufe along tunnels, squeeze through holes and drop into a dusty cave where a man-sized efgy of Tío, protective deity and horned doppelgänger for Satan, displays a large erect penis.

An hour later, the miner arrives. Gregorio Condori, who has spent 39 years toiling inside Cerro Rico, accepts my gift. We chat, chew coca leaves, sip eye-watering spirit and ofer random toasts to Tío, pouring booze over his engorged manhood. By midday, I’m wasted. We crawl along a tiny claustrophobic tunnel to a Catholic shrine, where I crack my head and slice my finger open. Gregorio then plunges a fuse into a stick of dynamite and casually remarks, ‘This can be quite dangerous you know’. It’s time to leave.

Thank heavens someone else is driving. We’ve got 200 spectacular miles to cover, passing flat-topped buttes, plunging gullies and red earth littered with abstract sculptures of chocolate-coloured rock and lines of willows glowing neon green in the setting sun. Around Pulacayo, where Butch Cassidy carried out a daring robbery on the silver mine, tarmac

FEATURE TiTlE | BRUMMEll 00

HIGHS aND LOWS

Opposite, from top: Alpaca in the Bolivian National Park; market day in Chuquisaca This page, from top: Following dinosaur tracks at Cal Orck’o; a silver-mine sign at Sucre

surrenders to rutted track, and we endure 50 bone-shaking kilometres to the Salar de Uyuni under a star-drenched night sky.

We have to wait for dawn light to appreciate the astounding landscape. The world is now bright, light and white, a pure canvas stretching across the horizon under pale blue sky. We’re in the tropics, but it resembles the Arctic.

Salt is god around here. The Salar has 10 billion tonnes of the stuf. It’s the main ingredient of hotel walls, souvenirs and endless perspective-altering photographs. And it’s a blast to drive upon. A total blast. We put pedal to floor, powering across salt crust towards distant mountains and islands that turn out to be the tips of dormant volcanoes, their slopes dotted with immense phallic cacti.

In the January to April wet season, the 12,106sq km of crystallised lake lie beneath a film of surface water, creating a vast natural mirror. It reflects the sky and swallows the horizon. ‘Driving is like flying through clouds,’ says our guide, Elias. ‘Every sense is distorted. Speed, time, space, even hearing.’

It’s like a landscape designed by Salvador Dalí, and it deserves more time. But the last leg of the trip is calling: 300 miles past herds of llama, the glistening saline waters of Lake Poopó and the urban sprawl of El Alto. When we reach La Paz, we head downtown for a final meeting with a bowler-hatted witch doctor.

He studies coca leaves, mutters incantations and burns a llama foetus to purge envy from

my relationship: a service that is presently unavailable from Relate. I nod, smile and silently dedicate the sacrifice to Tío, my underground guardian, and St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers. They’ve both earned it. Abercrombie & Kent (0845 485 1140; abercrombiekent.co.uk) ofers 14 days in Bolivia from £3,785pp, which includes bed and breakfast accommodation, excursions, vehicles, guiding, flights and transfersA

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Rob Penn’s love afair with the

bicycle led him to give up his

legal career and pedal 40,000km

round the world – twice

Words Charlie Teasdale

Lifecycle

If you’re running a marathon, start training six

months in advance. Swimming the Channel?

Smear yourself in goose fat a year before you

do it. Climbing Everest? You should have wielded

your first icepick aged five. Essentially, if you’re

going big, you need to prepare accordingly.

At 27, Rob Penn was enjoying a career as a

City solicitor and about to buy a house and

settle down to start a family. But somehow it

didn’t feel right, so he decided to give it all up

and cycle 40,000km around the world.

Today, even in the face of scandal and

tumbling icons, cycling is having something of a

renaissance. However, in Penn’s day, it was still

considered a novel way to commute. ‘There were

so few of us, I knew the Christian names of every

cyclist that went through Hyde Park’.

Born on the Isle of Man, he had always

wanted to explore the world and was drawn to

the idea of undertaking some epic odyssey.

‘People who grow up on small islands have a

feeling of wanderlust built into them. And I’d

cycled all my life, so I knew I wanted to go on

some kind of great adventure on a bike.’ He felt

the opportunity to take a trip like this was fast

fading: at 27, his body might just about take it,

but if he left it much longer it could be too late.

He had had a taste of adventure on a trip to

Asia during his last year of law school and it

was that which gave him the belief to go all the

way. ‘I’d ridden a mountain bike in rough terrain

in western China and northern Pakistan, so I’d

proved to myself not only that I could do it, but

that the possibilities were endless’.

The original plan had been for Penn’s

girlfriend to accompany him on the trip. However,

the first leg was across the US and, by the time

they hit LA, she’d had enough. ‘She decided

she didn’t really like bicycles and wanted to go

home. But that in itself was a message: this type

of journey is meant to be done on one’s own.

When you’re alone, you become more sensitised

to the chance encounters and it’s that which

makes up the true fabric of travelling.’

Penn’s epic two-wheeled expedition took him

through North America, Australia, South East and

Central Asia, the Middle East and then Europe,

and, of course, a trip like that will never be

without its obstacles. ‘I remember being held

at gunpoint by police in Uzbekistan – I was

amazed it was them who were trying to rob me.

BRUMMEll | FEaTURE TiTlE00

cycling | BRUMMEll 53

saddlE Up

Rob Penn on the road to Borroloola, Northern

Territory, Australia

brummell | CYClING54

Because of the rhythm and routine of each day,

I felt immune to problems, but it was at points

like that when I realised the great adventure

could rear up at any time, and I may have bitten

of more than I could chew.’

The danger of thieves, the treacherous

terrain and the impenetrable bureaucracy aside,

the fact Penn was alone meant every little detail

of day-to-day riding had to be considered. ‘If one

small thing goes wrong, it can lead to other little

problems and then suddenly snowball.’ Riding

solo throughout vast wildernesses means you’re

relying on your own grit and determination –

if you don’t make it to the next planned stopover

on time, you can find yourself exposed to the

elements. ‘During my journey across Australia,

I went along the north coast and through the

Daintree Rainforest via the Gulf of Carpentaria.

It was all dirt roads with huge distances between

habitations. I was completely self-reliant and it

was then I realised I had to get the details right.’

Without hardship, however, trips such as

Penn’s wouldn’t be worth doing. The longest

stretch through one country took him from

Kanyakumari on India’s southern peninsula to

Amritsar on the Pakistani border. ‘It was the

one bit where I thought, “Sod it, I’m going to

jack this in.” I was there just before monsoon

season, so the temperatures were unbearable

and I was very, very weak. I’d got heat stroke

and cycled myself into a complete mess, but

I laid in bed for a couple of days, puked into

a bucket and just got back on the bike.’ Ro

b P

en

n

After three years on the road, Penn returned

home and came to the conclusion he was

‘unemployable’. After a journey like that, there

was no way he could leave the bicycle behind –

it was part of him. So he began writing and, over

the years, carved out a career as a columnist,

author and public speaker, documenting his

trips, commenting on the world of cycling and

generally championing the machine that was at

the heart of his existence.

In 2010, his book It’s All About the Bike:

The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels, a

revisionist interpretation of the history and

importance of the bicycle, was published. ‘I was

in the middle of a lifelong love afair with the

bike and I’d always been slightly aggrieved that

it had been under-written or even omitted from

transport histories – it needed the gloss putting

back on it.’ If you ask Penn why the bicycle is

such an icon of the modern world, it’s hard to

get him to stop talking. ‘It’s the most efcient

form of human-powered transportation we’ve

invented and it syncs well with the human DNA.

People say “rhythm is happiness” and riding

a bike is certainly conducive to joy.’

Half the book (and an accompanying 2011

documentary for BBC4) is dedicated to the

realisation of a dream had by many a cyclist

around the world. Of all the bikes Penn has ever

owned, none of them has ever truly expressed

his interest in ‘the law and beauty of bicycles’,

so he decided to travel the world (again) collating

the best and longest-lasting parts he could find

in order to build his perfect bike. ‘We live in a

dystopian age where everything we own seems

to deteriorate the moment it comes out the box.

Some parts of it I’ll change, but I’m going to ride

this bike for the rest of my life.’

Needless to say, the final product is visually

stunning and technically awesome. Penn visited

Campagnolo and Cinelli in Italy for the groupset

and bars, California for the Gravy wheels and

came back to the UK for the Brooks saddle

and bespoke frame, handmade by Rourke in

Stoke-on-Trent. It won’t win the Tour de France,

but it’s a thing of beauty, and he will ride it every

day until his legs give out. Along the way, he met

the pioneers of ‘downhilling’ on the west coast

of the US, aesthetically conscious peloton men

in Italy and artisan blacksmiths in the north of

England. His first round-the-world trip may have

been one of self-discovery and endurance, but

his second was a pilgrimage, honouring one of

the design icons of the modern world.

He now lives with his family in the Black

Mountains of Wales, where much of his time is

taken up with the stewardship of Strawberry

Cottage Wood – an area of abandoned woodland

at the entrance to the Llanthony Valley. Riding

from his home to the village pub may not generate

the same exhilaration as traversing a clifside

road in Iran, but he still rides every day to keep

fit and stay sane. J F Kennedy claimed ‘nothing

compares to the simple pleasure of a bike

ride’. Thanks to Penn’s zeal, others might just

be persuaded to prove that for themselves.

Cycling’s the most efcient form

of human-powered transportation

we’ve invented and it syncs well

with the human DNA

lONe rANGer

Camping out in the Kaghan Valley in north-eastern Pakistan

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brummell | city charity56

Picture the scene: it’s 1993 and banking firms

around the world are enjoying incredible

success. The time of vilification, ‘banker-bashing’

and austerity is almost two decades away and

there is no great pressure on financial

institutions to ‘give something back’. Nonetheless,

many of the major banks donate portions of

their profits to charity. And then one firm goes

a step further, deciding that more than just some

– in fact, rather a lot – of its proceeds should be

put to good use and that, once a year, they’ll

donate all of their commissions and revenue

from a day’s trading to charity. Fast-forward two

decades and the ICAP Charity Day is still going

strong – it celebrated its 20th birthday on

5 December last year.

For as long as the company has existed,

ICAP has donated money to charity. Even in

its early days, when the staf were few and money

was tight, chief executive Michael Spencer and

his colleagues wanted to give some of the money

For 20 years, through high

times and low, ICAP’s Charity

Day has been the highlight

of the year for the brokerage’s

staf, and has raised more

than £100m for good causes

Onefine day

they made to the less fortunate. ‘This is about core

values. You have a responsibility to the wider

society beyond the taxes you pay and the people

you employ.’ Since those humble beginnings,

the annual charity donations have grown with

the company and, as of the end of 2012, ICAP

had raised more than £100m.

‘Banker-bashing has been rather excessive

of late,’ Spencer continues. ‘And it’s in danger

of being counterproductive and damaging.’

However, the likes of ICAP placing renewed

importance on ‘giving something back’ will go

some way to improve public perception and

redress the balance.

The day has become the stuf of legend.

Each year, a selection of celebrities and famous

faces are invited into the ICAP ofces to help

man the phones and boost trading volumes for

the day. In 2012, the list of illustrious names

was as stellar as usual and included Samantha

Cameron, President Tan of Singapore, Boris

Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Darcey Bussell, Terry

Wogan, swimmer Michael Phelps, NBA star Yao

Ming and Mo Farah.

In selecting the beneficiaries, ICAP has

a clear set of criteria: the charities need to

be efcient; the causes varied; and only

exceptionally can they receive donations more

than once. This means the money raised has

more impact and helps the greatest number.

Some of those benefiting from the 2012 Charity

Day were Right To Play, The Art Room, RADA,

The Stroke Association and Hope For Tomorrow.

The Charity Day operates on a ‘100 per

cent’ basis – that means all of the day’s revenue

and commissions are given to charity, the

entire running costs are covered by ICAP and

there is total commitment from everyone

involved. Some may question whether the

traders are genuinely happy to donate a day’s

wages and commission to charity but, according

to Spencer, they would never consider doing

otherwise. Over the past 20 years, only one

ICAP employee has refused to take part.

He is no longer with the company. The staf,

many of whom don fancy dress, view the event

as an annual party and a chance to have fun in

an industry that normally demands stringent

discipline. What’s more, Spencer is adamant

it lifts morale and boosts loyalty. ‘If I suggested

we cancel Charity Day, there would be shock

and horror around the firm – they’d think I’d

simply lost the plot.’

So, who was 2012’s star celebrity trader?

The Duke of Cambridge, according to Spencer:

‘Whenever he wants to change his day job…’

Words Charlie Teasdale

mobot caller

From top: Olympic hero Mo Farah joins traders for ICAP’s Charity Day; the Mayor of London redoubles his eforts on the phones

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THE digiTal E-zinE for THE ciTyBrummell brings you the monthly Brummell e-zine, a carefully

curated selection of exclusive reader events, restaurant openings,

news on style, accessories, motoring, travel, arts and culture

Scan the Qr code below or go to brummellmagazine.net/subscribe

to receive the Brummell e-zine and access the Brummell archive

a change, a third are experienced open-water swimmers and a third are triathletes. Murie attributes the growing popularity of the sport not only to Beijing, but also to cleaner water. ‘As a kid, I used to swim in the Thames at Kingston. It was a dead river back then – you certainly wouldn’t expect to see thriving fish in it. Now there are salmon and trout. And if the water is cleaner in our rivers, lakes and seas, people are more likely to swim in it.’

And then, of course, there’s the odd celebrity limbering up and smearing themselves in fat before heading up the Thames or across to France. ‘David Walliams’ two high-profile charity swims have done wonders for open-water swimming,’ says Murie. ‘Now other people think they can have a go, too, even it’s only for a mile or two. As we have ever more sedentary jobs, we’re increasingly looking for physical challenges in our spare time.’

Seeking a swim with more to ofer than your local pool?

Join thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and take to the open water

Words Amy Raphael

Turn of the tide

BRUMMELL | FEaTURE TITLE00

And meeeting that demand are the companies set up to organise group trips. Simon Murie, an experienced swimmer who has swum the Channel, saw a gap in the market a decade ago. ‘I wanted to do the classic swim across the Dardanelles, from the Black Sea to the Aegean. That stretch of water separates Europe from Asia and has huge historical significance: in Greek mythology, Leander used to swim across it every night to visit his priestess lover Hero and, in 1810, Lord Byron swam it and recorded the feat in his poem “Don Juan”. It took me a week to plan and just over an hour to swim. I thought there must be others wanting to go on similar adventures, but without the hassle. So I set up SwimTrek.’

SwimTrek now takes around 2,000 people open-swimming all over Europe, as well as on a 3km swim out to Alcatraz. A third are the aforementioned pool swimmers in search of

Open-water swimming is nothing new: the Japanese held races back in 36BC and the Romans drew huge crowds when they held competitions in the river Tiber. Yet only in the past decade has its popularity grown to any degree here in Britain.

The sport’s recent popularity owes much to its debut as an Olympic sport in Beijing in 2008, when Team GB took three of the six available medals. And then there’s the ever- growing trend for charity fundraising sports events. You don’t have to be an Olympian to sign up for the Great Swim, the UK’s biggest outdoor-swimming series. It’s a supervised event held in lakes and docks around the country and you can opt for a gentle half mile or challenge yourself with a 5km swim.

Most outdoor swimmers are drawn to the open water because they have tired of the indoor pool and want to challenge themselves.

WILD SWIMMING | BRUMMELL 59

IN aT THE DEEP END

Opposite and this page: SwimTrek participants take a tour of Alcatraz

You can’t spot waves that

well when you’re in the sea,

so there’s the adrenaline rush

of fighting the elements

As with any physical challenge, training is clearly required. Peter Rice advises executive boards on corporate governance, UK financial regulation and operational matters. He is also a dedicated open-water swimmer, with a passion for the sport that dates back to his childhood. ‘I grew up in New Zealand, so it was normal to, say, chuck a tyre into the river and mess around with your mates. And we spent all our holidays near and on the ocean, in boats and scuba diving.’

Rice has been going on SwimTrek holidays for the past six years. He finds it the perfect antidote to ofce life and says you need to swim at least twice a week to be fit enough to open-water swim. ‘Even when I’m at my worst – in other words, working ludicrous hours – I still find time to swim. I live in Battersea, so my local pool is in Chelsea, but I prefer the Olympic-sized lido in London Fields, which was built in the Thirties. It’s heated, too, so you can swim all year round without freezing to death.’

There is, of course, a huge diference between swimming in an outdoor pool and swimming in open water. And that’s where the attraction lies: the latter can be something of an extreme sport, especially on a stormy day.

‘Some of the really strong swimmers on a SwimTrek trip will relish a rough sea,’ says Rice. ‘They’ll try to circumnavigate a little island through enormous waves. You can’t spot them so well when you’re in the sea, so there’s definitely the adrenaline rush of fighting the elements, ducking through the surge, trying to keep a pace going, timing the swim right. Having said that, most of our swims are held in the Mediterranean, where the water is usually pretty benign. Personally, I hardly ever wear a wetsuit because I like to feel connected to nature.’

Murie talks with similar excitement of the allure of the open water. ‘I live in Brighton and swim in the sea most days in a similar spot. It’s never the same experience – the wind, the tide, the temperature, the sun, the wildlife all change from one day to another.’

To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, SwimTrek is introducing new swims among the Aeolian islands of the Sicilian coast and the Sporades in Greece, and – something of a nostalgia trip for Murie – up the Thames. He is also mindful that many of us don’t have the time to exercise even twice a week and is introducing shorter swims. ‘Some of our trips can be intimidating for beginners, so this year we’re ofering short swims in Turkey that take only an hour. You pretty much just need to turn up and swim. You won’t regret it.’ swimtrek.com

BRUMMELL | accEssoRiEs60

Whatever the destination, the adventurous wayfarer requires

just a few key items to be feel confident in any climate

Photography Andy Barter styling David Hawkins

On the

road

ALL ABOARD Clockwise from top left:

‘Quantum’ trainers, £660, Hermès. Cologne, £72 for

150ml, acqua di Parma at John Lewis, Harrods

and Selfridges. Mid-year ‘Soho’ diary, £180, and

travel journal, £165, both smythson. Passport

holder, £159, Pickett. Fedora, £186, John

Varvatos at Matches. Perforated leather holdall

with attached purse, £865, Z Zegna. ‘Tibetole’ shawl, £1,160, Hermès. ‘Amico’

suede loafers, £590, Hermès. ‘Bulldog’ shorts,

£130, orlebar Brown. ‘Tubogas’ sunglasses,

£199, Bulgari. Plaited leather belt, £396, and

zip-up jacket, £99, both Moncler. Perforated

leather holdall, price on application, Z Zegna

accessories | BrUMMeLL 63

WiLD THiNGOpposite, clockwise from top left: Trainers, £485, Kris Van assche. Weekend bag, £1,030, JM Weston. ‘Octo’ document holder, £730, Bulgari. Hip flask, £59,

oFF PisTeThis page, clockwise from top left: ‘Spectra’ suitcase, £295, Victorinox. Trainers, £392, Kris Van assche. ‘Octo’ wallet, £355, Bulgari. Belt, £375, Louis Vuitton.

Pickett. Binoculars, £180, Nikon. ‘Python’ cigar holder, £375, roberto cavalli. Leather agenda, £275, Mulberry. Tom Ford Noir cologne, £60 for 50ml,

‘Chassis’ holdall, £500, alfred Dunhill. Jumper, £244, Joseph abboud. ‘Raygun’ sunglasses, £375, Dita at Dover street Market. Himalaya cologne,

Tom Ford. ‘Python’ iPad case, £445, roberto cavalli. ‘Statesman’ glasses, £375, Dita at Dover street Market. ‘Equator’ candle holder, £195, Hermès

£143 for 75ml, creed Fragrances. Wallet, £360, Louis Vuitton. ‘Airbrake’ goggles, £200, oakley. ‘Imprimeur Fou’ scarf, £780, Hermès

BRUMMELL | accEssoRiEs64

PEaK FiTNEssThis page, clockwise from top left: Travel case, £230, Victorinox. Denim hat, £112, Kris Van assche.Boots, £288, Just cavalli at Harrods. Flask, £79,

sHELTERiNg sKyOpposite page, clockwise from top left: ‘Myrrhe’ scented candle, £40, Diptyque. Bag, £1,650, Bally. Wash bag, £95, Pickett. Linen scarf,

Pickett. ‘Avorities’ rucksack, £445, Dunhill. Document holder, £195, Pickett. ‘Swiss Tool 1’ pen knife, £96, Victorinox. Bottled Night cologne, £26/30ml, Boss.

£120, Richard James. Hat, stylist’s own. Sandals, price on application, Ermenegildo Zegna. ‘Acores’ belt, £355, Hermès. Leather travel

Pouch bag, £104, Kris Van assche for Eastpak. Sunglasses, £77, calvin Klein. Pigskin cufink box, £85, Pickett. iPad case, £200, canali

journal cover, £15, Pickett. Wash bag, £616, Louis Vuitton. ‘TB-013’ sunglasses, £450, Thom Browne at Dover street Market

FEaTURE TiTLE | BRUMMELL 00

sTyLisT’s assisTaNT Zadrian Smith

PHoTogRaPHER’s assisTaNT

Chris Jelley

SToCkiSTS DeTAiLS oN PAge 66

BRUMMELL | BY GEORGE66

‘Many people say their fear of public speaking is

worse than their fear of death. Well, I’d rather

stand up and speak.’ Coming from stuntman Gary

Connery – a man who has white-water rafted,

skied and base-jumped for movies such as

The Beach, Batman and the last Indiana Jones

– that’s saying something. Not that the ex-para

takes chances – or so he reckons. Last year,

he entered stunt folklore by being the first man

to jump from an aircraft in a wing-suit without

the aid of a parachute and with only a very large

pile of cardboard boxes to break his fall.

It was Connery, too, who leapt out of a

helicopter dressed as the Queen for last year’s

Olympics opening ceremony. ‘I don’t think of

stunts like that as dangerous. Things are only

dangerous if they actually hurt you. I sliced my

finger open on a drinks can clearing up after

the jump. Picking up litter is more hazardous.’

With lines like that, it’s easy to see how a

gathering of 80 or so men – who typically crash

into cardboard boxes only when they trip in the

stationery cupboard – might well be enthralled.

And that’s the idea behind the Adventurers

Club – a series of monthly talks by individuals

with an achievement of note, hosted by British

watch brand Bremont at its new Mayfair flagship

store. To date, in the main, speakers have been

outdoorsmen: Steve Noujaim, for example, who

broke the world record for flying solo from London

to Cape Town and back again in a single-engine

propeller-driven plane, or Charley Boorman,

who motorbiked around the world with pal

Ewan McGregor. Ocean rower Charlie Pitcher,

meanwhile, is partway through a record-breaking

attempt to cross the Atlantic and he’ll be back

to tell the Bremont crowd all about it.

‘A lot of guys in the audience are approaching

those mid-life-crisis years and thinking about the

things they’ve always wanted to do but haven’t.

They find the talks really inspiring – like a

motivational speaker without the pitching,’ says

Nick English, co-founder of Bremont, which has

just celebrated its 10th anniversary.

It’s worked for English – an avid aviator, this

year he plans to fly a vintage aircraft across the

US. ‘I’m in my early forties now and it’s one of

those things I’ve always wanted to do,’ he says.

‘You start thinking about your bucket list.’

Might the same appeal of Boys’ Own tales

also explain the draw of watches built for extreme

environments their wearers will, in most cases,

never experience? Take, for example, Bremont’s

work with Martin-Baker, maker of ejection seats,

resulting in timepieces tested at 30,500m

and at -50°C. Or the new Supermarine 2000

diving watch, built using the brand’s signature

three-piece case construction and able to

withstand depths of 2,000m.

‘Our watches undergo all the ofcial tests,

but there’s nothing like putting it in a real-life

scenario – wearing it while riding a motorbike

over rough ground for four months, for example,

because the vibrations are extreme,’ says English,

referring to the unofcial trials undertaken by

Bremont’s adventuring ambassadors. ‘Men like

a watch that gives them the confidence it can

handle any situation. They like the tool-like quality

of an over-engineered object, even if that means

it has capabilities beyond anything they’re ever

likely to need.’ Indeed. Leave that to the pros.

bremont.com

Words Josh Sims

StockistsBally 020 7491 7062; bally.com Boss 020 7734 7919; hugoboss.com

Bulgari 020 7872 9969; bulgari.com Calvin Klein 0800 722020;

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020 7630 9400; creedfragrances.co.uk Diptyque 0800 840 0010;

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doverstreetmarket.com Dunhill 0845 458 0779; dunhill.com Ermenegildo Zegna 020 7518 2700; zegna.com Harrods 020 7730 1234; harrods.com

Hermès 020 7499 8856; hermes.com JM Weston 020 7434 4121;

jmweston.com John Varvatos 020 7243 9450; johnvarvatos.com Joseph Abboud josephabboud.com Just Cavalli justcavalli.com Kris Van Assche

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020 7518 2700; zegna.com

FALL GUYStuntman Gary Connery leaps from an aircraft over Buckinghamshire, wearing a wing-suit

Derring-do for those who don’t

– the Adventurers Club that

ofers up armchair inspiration

The sky’sthe limit

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LONDON • Bond Street • Oxford Street • Regent Street • Westmeld London • Westmeld Stratford City • Royal Exchange • Bluewater • Brent Cross • Harrods

Heathrow Airport T1 • MANCHESTER • Trafford Centre • LEEDS • Commercial Street • BIRMINGHAM • Bullring • GLASGOW • Buchanan Street

BESPOKE PrOmOtiOn | BrUmmELL 07

people's perception of the depth and breadth of the artist with Lichtenstein: A Retrospective, sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The exhibition will feature not only ‘Whaam!’ (which has been in the Tate’s permanent collection since the late-Sixties), but also the equally popular ‘Drowning Girl’ (1963), sculptures, landscapes and ceramics. Of the 125 works, at least 30 have never been seen before in this country.

Despite the ubiquity of some of these images, Iria Candela, co-curator of the Tate Modern’s retrospective, argues that it is precisely because Lichtenstein’s work has been so widely reproduced on posters and postcards that it’s important to see his work in the flesh. ‘The

scale is amazing. It’s breathtaking. You can have fun looking at Lichtenstein’s work or you can take it seriously. If you view his work with attention, then no doubt you’ll get into a neverending debate about how he parodies himself and other art. His art always referenced existing pictures, whether it be comics or Picassos or Matisses. He was fascinated by what he inherited from someone else’s work, by the history of that painting and illustration.’

Equally comfortable in the home, where those reproductions have been pinned to bedroom walls by generation after generation, as in the galleries of capital cities around the world, it’s hard to put a value on Lichtenstein. The world record for a piece of his work was

Fifty years after ‘Whaam!’ was painted, Roy Lichtenstein is as popular

as ever – but a new exhibition, supported by Bank of America Merrill

Lynch, reveals a diferent side to the pop artist, says Amy Raphael

in association with

A DASH FOR

tHe DOtS

When he died in September 1997, a month before he was to turn 74, Roy Lichtenstein left behind him a series of artworks that at least match, and may even outstrip, his Pop Art contemporaries for their accessibility. 'Whaam!’ (1963) is as recognisable, as iconic as Andy Warhol’s ‘Marilyn’. Both paintings (or series of screenprints in the second case) come from the same Pop Art conceit of combining high and low art, of presenting ordinary images in extraordinary ways. Best of all, a child can enjoy Lichtenstein just as much as an art-history graduate.

Lichtenstein was most famous for his comic strip art, but it was a period that lasted only three years. The Tate Modern is set to challenge

in association with

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set in New York last May when ‘Sleeping Girl’ (1964) sold for £27.5m at Sotheby’s. Yet his back catalogue is not just about measuring fi nancial worth. It’s more important than that. In the spring 2013 issue of the Tate's magazine, Tate etc., British pop artist Allen Jones recalls seeing a Lichtenstein – ‘Step-on Can with Leg’ (1961), a diptych painting of a woman’s leg opening a pedal bin - for the fi rst time and being overwhelmed: ‘I had never seen anything like it. It was a real culture shock, and liberating. One’s creative imagination was set free.’

Although he wasn’t a self-promoter in the style of Warhol, Lichtenstein was a man on an artistic mission. Born and raised in a wealthy Jewish family in New York, he enrolled in the

Arts Students League when barely out of high school. After a three-year stint in the Army during World War II, he studied art at Ohio State University and moved back to New York City in the early Sixties. He produced ‘Look Mickey’ (1961) using a dog-grooming brush dipped in oil paint to make the dots; he soon switched to the Ben-Day dots printing process, in which he hand-stencilled dots in the style of 1950s and 1960s pulp comic books.

Dr Jack Cowart, Executive Director of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, knew the artist for some 20 years before his death and is still trying to fi gure him out. ‘He continues to fascinate. He was terribly Zen-like about work. He was pleasant enough to allow anyone to

express their opinion and to enjoy his art any which way they wanted to take it. He had no interest in saying, “This is my schtick and you have to buy into it.”’

According to Cowart, Lichtenstein had a strong work ethic and didn’t surround himself with acolytes. ‘Roy was singular, solitary. Which isn’t to say that he didn’t have an ego. He wasn’t completely naive! He knew that he had made a contribution, but was humble enough to say: “I’ve had a good life.” One of his operating instructions for the Foundation was this: “When the last person cares, turn out the light. Go home.”’

The Lichtenstein legacy is visible everywhere you look: his infl uence on the graphic art and advertising of today is undeniable. More

Previous page Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Sunrise’ (1965) This page, 1 ‘Whaam!’ (1963), the artist’s most famous work, took a panel from a 1962 DC comic, All-American Men Of War, and turned it into a diptych. 2 The 1961 work ‘Look Mickey’. 3 Just as ‘Look Mickey’ appears in another painting, ‘Artist’s Studio–Look Mickey’, so ‘Still Life With Goldfi sh Bowl’ (1972) includes his 1962 painting ‘Golf Ball’ in the background 4 Poster for the new retrospective at the Tate Modern, supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch

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importantly, perhaps, his work feels as fresh, energetic and exciting now as it did 30 or 40 years ago. As Cowart says, ‘The work of Lichtenstein is a visual whack in the face, but with very good manners. He didn’t want to do paintings that blow out your retina. They still had to function as works of art for him. That was always the discipline: (a) it had to interest him and (b) it had to make sense. His art has a timeless character and that is why, in my opinion, it appeals to each new generation.’ There is certainly no need to turn the light out for a good while yet.

Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective runs at the Tate Modern from 21 February to 27 May.

He used a dog-grooming brush

dipped in oil paint before he

switched to the Ben-Day dots

found in comic books

Current and upcoming

arts and culture initiatives,

supported by Bank of America

Merrill Lynch

21 February – 27 May 2013

Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective The fi rst

major retrospective of the artist in over 20 years,

bringing together 125 of his most defi nitive paintings

and sculptures and reassessing his legacy.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch will also deliver a

large scale public art and education project inspired

by the exhibition. Tate Modern, London

20 February 2013

Royal Opera House Cinema Season: Eugene

Onegin Live screening of the Tchaikovsky opera in

cinemas across the UK, Europe and beyond

8 March -25 May 2013

The Winslow Boy Lindsay Posner directs

Terence Rattigan’s compelling play

Old Vic Theatre, London

28 March 2013

Royal Opera House Cinema Season: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Live screening of British choreographer Christopher

Wheeldon’s 2011 ballet, with music by Joby Talbot

4 April – 8 September 2013

Warhol's Stardust: Fine Prints from the

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Collection The exhibition of iconic portfolios from America’s

master of Pop Art travels from London to Milan

Museo del Novecento, Milan

29 April 2013

Royal Opera House Cinema Season: Nabucco Live screening of Verdi’s genre-defi ning

masterwork starring Plácido Domingo

27 May 2013

Royal Opera House Cinema SeasonLa Donna Del Lago Live screening in cinemas

across the UK, Europe and beyond

1 June – 31 August 2013

Sweet Bird of Youth Kim Cattrall stars in

Tennessee Williams' poetic play as a fading Hollywood

legend ravaged by the bitterness of failure and despair

Old Vic Theatre, London

3 July – 3 November 2013

Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective

The Centre Pompidou, Paris

For more information, go to: http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/