Books: ICON: History of the Series Land Rover & Defender

As the proud owner of a newly restored 1967 Series 2a Land Rover (image below) I'm always on the look out for books that inform and allow me to indulge my motor passion. ICON: The Official History of the Series Land Rover and Defender is not only an informative and well illustrated book, it's also beautifully designed.

Released last year to celebrate the last Defender rolling off the assembly line and this year's 70th anniversary of the marque, it's published by Land Rover as a proud homage to these iconic and very British cars. This coffee table sized book covers ten chapters and over 200 pages and can be bought from Land Rover here.

My 1967 Series 2a Land Rover Station Wagon

The Antarctic and South Atlantic: A Blogger Goes on an Adventure

To celebrate 40 years of marriage my wife and I are, later this year, travelling to Antarctica via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. We sail, on a small ship, from Ushuaia, crossing some of the wildest seas in the world, and hope to see some of the natural wonders of these, the remotest parts of the globe. 

Some background reading

Although we are travelling towards midsummer in the southern hemisphere, we are visiting some cold and inhospitable areas and we need protective clothing and outdoor gear to keep us warm, comfortable and dry. I'm open to collaborations with suppliers and manufacturers of stylish outdoor clothing who'd like to see their products used and photographed in such conditions. Please email me to discuss any proposals.

Note: This is an entirely unsponsored trip and is the result of many years saving for the holiday of a lifetime.

Aston Martin Rapide S Hackett Edition

I attended a delicious dinner recently to mark the launch of Hackett's latest collaboration with Aston Martin - the Q Rapide S Hackett Edition. It's been styled by Hackett's Chair, Jeremy Hackett who, as a man of supreme taste, can be guaranteed to give a product a very British character. 

Jeremy Hackett with the car and the suit (see the text)

I sat in the car and was very impressed by the finish of both interior and exterior, as you'd expect in a hand-made car. There are many details which reflect Jeremy Hackett's tailoring credentials and his interests. The interior is upholstered in a Prince of Wales check from Somerset cloth mill, cloth mill Fox Brothers and Co. Inside the glove box, door pockets, cup holders and sun visor is a blue and white striped material, similar to that of a traditional suit lining. The gorgeous pale blue of the car is highlighted through the carpets and the head rests, with the Hackett logo embossed on the rear, are covered in black Melton wool cloth as used in bowler hats.

Hackett is creating a bespoke suit for each new owner that mirrors the car interiors; a Prince of Wales check cloth from Fox Brothers and Co. with a blue and white stripe lining. A luxury accessories range includes a Prince of Wales check weekend bag, check blanket, driving gloves and a pocket square with the Aston Martin scatter wing pattern. A travel umbrella features a gear stick handle and is made up of three pieces; evoking a James Bond gadget feel. You can read more about the collaboration here.

This feature is unsponsored. I was a guest of Hackett/Aston Martin at dinner at The Beaumont Hotel, Mayfair, London.

Globe-Trotter: A Factory Visit

For the classic days of travel (think ocean liners, flying boats and steam trains) a decent set of luggage was required. It had to look stylish and be of solid construction with a stout pair of leather straps to hold it all securely. The brand to go to was Globe-Trotter whose suitcases and bags were (and are) used by royalty, celebrity and commoner. 

Of course the need for high quality luggage still exists and while waiting for hours in overcrowded airports doesn't cut the romantic mustard any more, it adds a little pleasure to an often tiresome journey to have a good suitcase. I've been using a Globe-Trotter luggage for a few months and everywhere I go it gets admired by hotel porters, airline check-in personnel and fellow travellers.

Arriving at the Globe-Trotter factory in Hertfordshire

I'm delighted to be able to report on my recent visit to the Globetrotter factory in Hoddesdon, North London. Founded in Germany in 1897, the company moved to the UK in 1932. Over the years its products have been used by the likes of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Edmund Hilary and Sir Winston Churchill. HM the Queen Elizabeth used Globe-Trotter for her honeymoon luggage in 1947 and continues to use her cases to this day. It was even James Bond’s luggage of choice in the film ‘Spectre’.

A corner of the Globe-Trotter archive

So, how are these cases made? The main structure is made from a special fibreboard - several sheets of paper bonded together using a secret process that involves vulcanised rubber. This produces a material that matures and strengthens throughout the first few years of it life and is as strong and light as aluminium. The fibreboard is cut to shape using laser technology and then carefully moulded using heat to prevent it from cracking. Leather corners, soaked for several days to make them flexible, are added and the case is bonded and riveted together. Leather handles and straps are added, giving the finished product its classic yet timeless style.

Shaping the fibreboard

Leather corners drying

Much careful hand work goes into each case

The older technology still works - presses for leather corners

Stitching the leather handles

Machine for stitching leather

Each case is hand assembeld and carefully checked

One of the great attractions of Globe-Trotter luggage is the combinations of colours available. A rich green case might be given tan leather corners and straps, or, as in the recent RAF100 Collection, a riveted aluminium-like finish is enhanced with black leather corners and a grey and black striped RAF belt. In fact, you can order your own bespoke set of luggage and have all the pleasure of selecting your own favourite colour scheme.

In common with many other British factories, Globe-Trotter appreciates the value of older technologies. Many machines at the factory have been used for decades to stitch handles, press leather corners or cut the materials used to construct each case. New technologies are used where needed, but sometimes the benefits of beautifully engineered mechanical tools are so great that they are kept in use and lovingly maintained.

Linings are added to the cases and checks made to ensure that locks align and work properly. Seeing the amount of hand work and quality checking that goes into each item drove home to me how these are products that are made to last and, unlike lesser suitcases, will not be going into landfill after a couple of seasons battering in airports, car boots and hotel luggage stores.

For more information visit Globe-Trotter. 

Note: I was a guest of Globe-Trotter at their Hertfordshire factory. This is an unsponsored post. I am using some Globe-Trotter luggage and will report back on its use from time to time here and on Instagram.

The Globe-Trotter Land Rover

Concours of Elegance: Classic Cars at Hampton Court Supported by Lange & Söhne

Watch company Lange & Söhne is supporting the Concours of Elegance for the first time this year. This festival of classic cars takes place at Hampton Court Palace near London from 31st August to 2nd September - an ideal outing for a bank holiday weekend.

Lange & Sohne is supporting this year's Concours of Elegance

The Concours of Elegance (links below) brings together some classic cars dating from late nineteenth century to the very latest sports cars. Where you find beautiful cars you also find very stylish men and women. Here are some shots of last year's event.

Links

Concours of Elegance

Lange & Söhne

This post is unsponsored.

Orlebar Brown 007 Exclusive Swim Shorts in Action

Orlebar Brown can always be guaranteed to come up with striking swim shorts and their OO7 Exclusive collection ticks all the boxes when it comes to mixing style with a touch of British bulldog and James Bond humour.

Grey Fox Jr in adventure mode with Orlebar Brown 007 Exclusive swim shorts and, of course, Land Rover

Orlebar Brown kindly provided a pair for assessment by my son, Tom, home on R&R from several months service abroad with the Welsh Guards. I felt he deserved a bit of cheer and he was totally delighted, using them for swimming in Cumbrian waters and the warmer luxury of hotel pools.

Tom told me, "I'm a real fan of James Bond and love anything iconic and British (like my land Rover). A touch of humour helps too. My favourites were these You Only Live Twice shorts showing Sean Connery as Bond flying Little Nellie. The shorts are beautifully made and comfortable to wear. I'm delighted with them and they'll go with me on all my travels".

My only regret is that I didn't get a pair too! 

The shorts are available in four exclusive designs from Orlebar Brown at £245:

The shorts were supplied for review. I was uncompensated for this post and those on other social media. All views are mine alone. I'm grateful to Orlebar Brown for helping with this feature.

Globe-Trotter RAF100 Luggage Collection

To mark today's centenary of the Royal Air Force luggage company Globe-Trotter have launched a range of commemorative cases redolent of the riveted aluminium bodies of bye-gone aircraft such as the famous Spitfire and Hurricane. 

Globe-Trotter have manufactured their luggage in the UK for over 85 years and have become synonymous with adventure and travel. Think of a robust but battered suitcase, with reinforced leather corners and straps, plastered with colourful labels from exotic destinations and airlines and what you have in mind is a Globe-Trotter. 

With the riveted aluminium cases taking obvious inspiration from aircraft construction, they've come up with extremely stylish objects of desire which are at the top of my list for the Grey Fox travels.

I will be visiting the Globe-Trotter factory later this month and will be reporting in full later in the summer.

See Globe-Trotter 

The RAF Centenary

This post is unsponsored.

Grey Fox Visits Pitti Uomo with Ettinger - The British are Here!

Pitti Uomo is a biannual menswear trade fair in Florence. I was asked there earlier this month as a guest of Ettinger, who make their luxury leather goods in Walsall (that's a story to be told separately in which I'll tell you about their new collection launched at Pitti).

At Pitti Uomo with @franz_1955 (who's the same age as me) English and Italian styles meet

But what about Pitti Uomo? You may have seen images of improbably dapper men on the walls of the piazza in the Fortezza da Basso, the operatic backdrop to the event. They range from the showy, through the dandyish to the supremely well-dressed. However, they are a side-show to the wonders on display in the halls of the Fortezza. Most of the brands showing menswear and accessories are, of course, Italian, but this year the second largest contingent was the British, with 104 brands showing; ahead of the French in third place.

With Robert Ettinger at Pitti Uomo

Walking around is a feast of dashing dapperness. Italians dress very well indeed. You may not like short brightly coloured blazers, slim ankle length chinos or brogues worn without socks, but they wear their clothes with panache and huge confidence. Italian style has influenced modern tailored menswear because its softer lines and unstructured shapes are more acceptable in these casually comfortable times. However, ask any Italian, and they will quote British tailoring style as a major influence. This has meant a certain movement of each style towards the other, but there is still much that is Italian about Italian style and British about British. 

The British brands bring fresh air in the sense that they offer a stylish alternative to Italian brio. More restrained certainly, less derivative, maybe more creative and original. I say that because the Italian look of short blazers with slim-cut trousers rolled up to reveal bare ankle and brogues has been around unchanged for some years now, while British style has, over the last year or two, embraced looser fits, high-waisted trousers and more classic cut jackets.

As a guest of Ettinger I spent some time on their Instagram - but I also looked around to record on my Instagram Stories some of the British brands. I probably reached just under a quarter of these - and you can see some for a limited time on my Instagram profile here. Just being at Pitti is a privilege and seeing so many well-dressed men is a rare experience. Whatever we think of Italian styles, if only we could persuade the man on our UK high streets to dress as well as his Italian counterpart.

Sinah Warren Coastal Hotel: Fun in the Sun and an Offer to Readers from Warner Leisure Hotels (Collaboration)

Warner Leisure Hotels offer all-inclusive holidays at some 13 locations around the country, from fine country homes to holiday villages. The hallmark of their offering is that it's for adults only, ensuring a peaceful break. There's a wide range of activities on offer, from heated swimming pools, spas and gyms to sports like shooting and archery. And there's evening entertainments too. If this sounds all a bit too energetic, you're of course perfectly free to chill out for your stay and do nothing but enjoy the food and hospitality.

Arriving at Sinah Warren Coastal Hotel on Hayling Island

I recently stayed with Mrs Grey Fox at Sinah Warren Coastal Hotel on Hayling Island. Just to the east of Portsmouth, the island is a haven for wildlife. The hotel looks onto Langstone Harbour and just behind are beaches overlooking the Solent, with the Isle of Wight beyond. It's a glorious setting and, soon after arriving and settling into our room, we walked around the coastline on a bright, warm, blustery afternoon. White horses over The Solent showed a stiff breeze which was enjoyed by acrobatic kite surfers on the beach. Windsurfers and small boats sped around in clouds of brilliant white spray and overhead birds of all kinds swooped and dived. 

Our room was comfortable, with proper milk for morning tea rather than little plastic containers of UHT - always a sign that thought has gone into the hospitality. Food is very good and plentiful and the evening entertainment, normally something I'd be wary of, was excellent with very high quality musicians.

The heated pool looks across Langstone Harbour

Nicely landscaped gardens by the sea

Selfie in the gym

Evening entertainments

We were unable to book any treatments in the spa as the hotel was busy the weekend we were there and we hadn't planned ahead adequately, but we enjoyed the well-equipped gym, jacuzzi and checked out the archery and small-bore rifle range. There is certainly plenty to do. The staff are friendly and helpful. As ever with all-inclusive hotels, it's easy to feel slightly lost, so a bit of homework and a chat at reception on arrival helps orientate and clarify.

Warner's hotels are all-inclusive and very reasonably priced. If you need to take family or parents away for a few days to a hotel with a wide variety of activities without breaking the bank, one of the Warner Leisure Hotels would fit the bill perfectly. The clientele is more mature and there were many family groups (without young children of course) making for a friendly atmosphere, but you can be as sociable or not as you prefer.

Souvenirs, kite surfing on the beach, Portchester Castle

Sinah Warren is a large hotel, with some 280 rooms and chalets at different price points. It's well-placed for local sights, from the historical naval dockyard at Portsmouth with HMS Victory and the Mary Rose, to Chichester and the Hampshire downs and coastline. We spent time at Portchester Castle, a fascinating Roman/Norman castle and explored the coastline of Hayling Island - you won't run out of things to do, either at or away from the hotel.

For more information go to Warner Leisure Hotels who are kindly offering blog readers a £20 per person discount per break using the offer code GREYFOXWLH (valid until 31st December 2018). 

Note: This is a collaboration with Warner Leisure Hotels whose guests we were at Sinah Warren. I'm grateful to brands for such collaborations which help me to cover the costs of curating this blog. I retain editorial integrity and the views expressed here are mine alone.

Pitti Uomo: Grey Fox to be a Guest of Ettinger

Next week I will be travelling to Florence to visit Pitti Uomo as a guest of Ettinger, who manufacture luxury leather goods in Walsall here in the UK. It was The Sartorialist's images of stylish older men at Pitti that got me started in the early days of this blog, giving me inspiration and hope that dressing well in older age is not an impossible task. 

This is my second visit and I'm very excited to be again travelling as a guest of a British brand. While there I will be taking over Ettinger's Instagram account for a period, but I'm pleased to say that I'm also free to feature many of the British brands that will be present at Pitti. There are quite a few, so I won't cover them all, but I intend to see as many as I can while there.

Pitti Uomo, Florence. Inspiration from The Sartorialist

Ettinger are also hosting a dinner next Wednesday to celebrate the British presence in Florence and some prestigious names will be there from the manufacturing and fashion worlds.

I hope to wear and use clothing and accessories from British brands (many will be manufactured here as well) and have been putting together some outfits for the warmth of Florence (all that eludes me are sunglasses from a British company - let me know if you can help).

Please follow both GreyFoxBlog and Ettinger on Instagram next week to see more about Pitti Uomo and some of the British brands that will be there.

See also -
Ettinger
Grey Fox at Pitti Uomo January 2017

Stow First Class Tech Case: a traveller's vade mecum

A recent trip to Venice allowed me to test the Stow First Class Tech Case. Anyone on the move, whether for business or pleasure, likes to keep in touch through phone, tablet or laptop. These devices need connecting and charging and Stow's beautifully made leather case contains all that's needed to keep in touch.

The case looks like a traditional leather writing case, but contains all you need to keep your devices charged and data stored wherever you are in the world. You can tuck travel documents, passport and tickets into one side and keep the case to hand in your cabin luggage. The case was invaluable on my trip to Italy and it will accompany me on all future travels.

A luxury item for every sophisticated traveller who needs to keep in touch. £300 from Stow in a variety of colours; see the Stow website for more information and to try.

I was not compensated for this post, although I was given this product for review. All views expressed are my own.

Travelling light - what does a mature man of style require for his summer journeys?

Travel light. The older man setting off on his travels doesn't want to be laden down with unnecessary luggage. Here are some ideas for the grey fox setting out unencumbered on a summer journey. For the British gentleman of style, most (but not all) of my selected items are Made in Britain.

All images (except top left) Grey Fox

Essential and useful is a shorts suit. Lightweight and wearable on the beach, the lakeside restaurant or for soaking up culture in the Uffizi. From Dashing Tweeds (30% off in August).

Take a few good quality basic items, suppliers listed below -

Keeping well-manicured is essential before hitting the casino - so here's an air safe manicure set from Czech & Speake which conforms with international hand luggage restrictions. 

And finally, a stylish bag to fit everything in. From Tusting, this Harold Chellington dark blue leather holdall is made in England and, like its owner, can only improve in appearance as it ages -

Suppliers

Dashing Tweeds

Monsieur London (Fair trade straw hat from Ecuador)

Sanders Shoes

Margaret Howell

Age of Reason

Cherchbi

Oliver Peoples

Quba

Tusting

See the relaunched Czech & Speake website.

Now this is what I call a suitcase - Globe-Trotter

Globe-Trotter suitcases have been around for many years and this video shows how they are made at the factory in Hertfordshire.

You know you're travelling when you own and use a suitcase that looks like this - definitely not for standard or economy class.