Lifestyle

Illustrated by hundreds of archival photographs, the staggering documentation takes the reader to the Roaring Twenties, when gangland men in black fedoras ruled the streets of the city. From Al Capone and Vito Corleone to John Gotti and Tony Soprano – real-life and fictional gangsters have captured people’s imaginations for decades. Ruthless and violent, these criminals are nonetheless often portrayed in an undeniably romantic light, as charismatic characters with their own codes of honour.

A book that definitely deserves shelf space is the Louis Vuitton World Tour travel book, containing an astonishing selection of vintage hotel luggage labels and anecdotes. Later this month, luxury giant Louis Vuitton will publish a one-of-a-kind travel book by Francisca Mattéoli. The book takes the reader on a ‘Grand Tour’ back through the history of travel, via a unique array of hotel luggage labels. Collected by Louis Vuitton’s grandson, Gaston Louis Vuitton, the 1000 vintage labels form the backbone of this well-written, richly detailed and visually impressive book.

If you happen to be in Montreal and you suddenly feel the urge to take the weight off your feet, the city’s floating spa might be just the place for you. Bota Bota spa – fashioned in a 1950s ferryboat - has fast become a hot spot for fatigued visitors and residents alike. After its glamorous makeover at the hands of designer Sid Lee, the industrial-style vessel has settled into a more serene yet sophisticated existence in the very heart of Montreal’s Old Port.

Regardless of whether or not the numbers are entirely accurate, there's no doubt that recent years have seen a surge in interest for the best single malts and many enthusiasts now collect them in the sort of quantities once reserved for oenophiles. Not long ago, for example, I spoke to a Japanese movie producer who had amassed 2,000 bottles which he stored in an apartment bought specifically for the purpose.

In the early days of the 20th Century, Raffles Hotel bartender Ngiam Tong Boon invented the pink cocktail as a way of getting the colonial ladies to drink with the men. The popularity of the ‘Singapore Sling’ spread throughout the world and soon everybody, women and men alike, were drinking the fruity concoction. And in the last few years, the old-time favourite seems to have made a bit of a comeback on the cocktail scene.

A visit to the hotel is a step back in time, to a bygone era when the Raffles was the favourite hangout of dazzling Hollywood stars such as Liz Taylor and Charlie Chaplin.

Now including designer Wayne Hemingway’s ‘Vintage’, Wilderness is described as “the banquet for all senses”. And it does, literally, have ‘banquets’ (by top chefs Valentine Warner, Fergus Henderson and Yotam Ottolenghi) for pre-booking only, soon sold out and worthy of the day admission ticket alone.

Visually, the festival indulges and sears the eyes in equal measure. The ‘Bad Art Salon’ exhibition invited festival-goers to judge the exhibits as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. A fluorescent dot is the mark of shame or fame; in the end the honours were probably even.

With all the Revival camping slots selling out weeks ago, and a great many historic car enthusiasts yearning to spend the whole weekend at the circuit, a new and intriguing sleeping solution was exactly what was called for. For the very first time at Goodwood, an exclusive pop-up hotel is available for visitors, offering a five-star twist to traditional camping.