Podcasts about Jermyn Street

Episode 161In today's guest episode I will be discussing Shakespeare's characterisations of the lower classes and looking at the role they play with Stephen Unwin, who's book ‘Poor Naked Wretches' explores the variety of working people in Shakespeare's plays as well as a vast range of cultural sources from which they were drawn and argues that the robust realism of these characters makes them so much more than mere Comic Relief. Stephen Unwin is an award-winning British theatre and opera director. He has directed almost 100 professional productions and worked with many well-established actors and singers, as well as developing the careers of many younger ones. He studied at the University of Cambridge.In the 1980s Stephen worked at the Almeida Theatre, London, the Traverse in Edinburgh, in repertoire theatre and at the National Theatre Studio. In 1993, he founded English Touring Theatre, for whom he directed more than 30 productions of classical and new plays, many of which transferred to London. In 2008, he became Artistic Director of the new Rose Theatre in Kingston, which he ran until January 2014. He has worked extensively at the Theatre Royal Bath and has directed more than 20 operas. Ten of his productions have been seen in the West End.Stephen has taught in conservatoires and universities in Britain and America and written 10 books on theatre and drama, including ‘Poor Naked Wretches'. He has also written five original plays: ‘All Our Children' was premiered at Jermyn Street Theatre in 2017 and staged in New York in 2019, and ‘Laughing Boy' opened at Jermyn Street in 2024 and also played at the Theatre Royal Bath. Stephen is a campaigner for the rights and dignities of learning-disabled people and ‘Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong', is published by Wildfire Book in June 2025.This is only a shortened version of Stephen's achievements and I would encourage you to visit his website for much more information. You can find him at www.stephenunwin.uk https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/poor-naked-wretchesSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we finish our deep dive into the chilling story of Ronald True, a man whose descent into madness leads to a series of harrowing events. The conversation explores the complexities of his character, the societal dynamics of the 1920s, and the impact of misogyny on the women around him.BCR Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackCatReport/(Spoilers)As the narrative unfolds, we uncover the shocking revelation of a doppelganger, the escalating harassment of Olive Young, and the dark turn of events that culminate in a final confrontation. We attempt to navigate the fine line between humor and the tragic reality of True's mental deterioration, providing a thought-provoking commentary on the nature of crime and societal perceptions. This conversation delves into the complex and tragic story of Ronald True, a man whose life spiraled into madness leading to the brutal murder of Olive Young.The discussion covers the enabling environment surrounding True, his encounters leading up to the crime, the violent act itself, the subsequent investigation, and the controversial trial that followed. The narrative highlights the psychological evaluations, the legal implications of his insanity defense, and the societal reactions to his eventual reprieve from execution. The conversation concludes with reflections on True's life in a psychiatric hospital and the impact of his actions on those around him.--------------------------EPISODE REFERENCE LINKS:Trial of Ronald True By Donald Carswell: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Trial-Ronald-True-Donald-Carswell/dp/127510312X⁠ The Madness of Ronald True, 1922 by Mark John Maguire: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVLPs8sjr0⁠Templer Family History: ⁠https://sites.rootsmagic.com/Templer_Family/individual.php?p=3054Reflecting on the Gay Bathhouse (not – let it be noted! – that I have ever been to one). A note on The Savoy Baths, 97, Jermyn Street, London and the compatibility of Artistic Mimesis with Surreal Invention in Christopher Wood's Art.: https://livesteven.com/2021/04/08/reflecting-on-the-gay-bathhouse-not-let-it-be-noted-that-i-have-ever-been-to-one-a-note-on-the-savoy-baths-97-jermyn-street-london-and-the-compatibility-of-artistic-mimesis/--------------------------------MUSIC CREDITS:Outro Music: Lounge Jungle by Curt S D Macdonald: ⁠⁠⁠https://download.audiohero.com/track/41504269⁠⁠⁠ Music Licensing Agreements: ⁠https://blackcat.report/music-licensing-agreement----------------------------------TIMESTAMPSChapters00:00 Intro02:30 Disturbing Events Unfold07:02 Mrs. Wilson's Dilemma and Societal Pressures11:05 The Revelation of the Doppelganger16:56 The Impact of Ronald True's Actions22:06 The High Society and Its Secrets26:48 The Intricacies of Ronald True's Relationships28:54 The Persistence of Ronald True31:23 Exploring Ronald True's Character36:25 The Cultural Context of Ronald True's Actions43:02 The Escalation of Ronald True's Behavior52:34 The Consequences of Ronald True's Actions56:08 The Final Days of Ronald True's Freedom58:25 The Dinner with True01:02:20 True's Delusions and Projections01:05:12 The Deterioration of Ronald True01:06:30 The Tea House Encounter01:13:29 The Murder of Olive Young01:20:52 The Aftermath and Escape01:34:45 The Investigation Begins01:35:15 The Scene of the Crime01:39:05 The Quick Investigation01:41:13 The Arrest at the Theater01:45:25 The Insanity Defense01:54:43 The Controversial Reprieve01:59:32 The End of Ronald True's Story

Today on the show I have Bill Koenig from The Spy Command on to break down minute 28 of Casino Royale. After Bill I speak to Edward from Davidoff on Jermyn Street and he regales some stories about Roger Moore  Richard Kiel and Harold Sakata.

Today on the show I have Bill Koenig from The Spy Command on to break down minute 28 of Casino Royale. After Bill I speak to Edward from Davidoff on Jermyn Street and he regales some stories about Roger Moore  Richard Kiel and Harold Sakata. This show is supported by: CANYON GROUP They supplied the coffee cup robes for Brad Pitt in Fight Club.That iconic robe, they are now back in stock. Use TAILORS LOVE and get a 15% discount on their website. You can subscribe to the weekly newsletter so you don't miss a second of Bond.  https://fromtailorswithlove.co.uk/newsletter

Stage Door Jonny goes live with “the hottest power couple in theatre” (Vogue Magazine). This week's episode talks to the doyenne of 21st Century playwrights, Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman, Hills of California) and the leading actress in his last three plays, Laura Donnelly, partners in life as well as art. Act 1 of this live show at London's Jermyn Street theatre covers: their first meeting in an, ahem, audition room for Jez's play The River and Laura's observation that made the future father of her children sit up and take notice; Jez's myesthesia, 1,000 oranges and the dangers of exaggeration for an actor; the tragic events in Laura's life that inspired Jez to write The Ferryman; why Laura wouldn't get on the table and dance when Jez asked her to and why Jez was terrified of writing The Ferryman until an event in both their lives meant he had to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dafydd Jones's photographs of Oxford's ‘bright young things' catapulted him to fame and earnt him a global reputation for capturing the essence of   a riotous world of upper-class decadence during the Thatcher era. Tina Brown was quick to scoop Dafydd up when she was editor of Tatler, and on today's podcast he talks about his new book ‘England: The Last Hurrah' and describes what it was like to break into a world that revolved around glamorous parties in stately homes and annual events like the Oxbridge May Balls and the 4th June at Eton.  His satirical but beautiful black and white photographs lend an elegiac nostalgic quality to what Tina Brown describes in her introduction to the book as ‘whimsey and frolicky romance'.  Dafydd captured some of the most iconic images of our age, including a lonely, hunted Diana Spencer facing a barrage of press photographers at the Sandown Park race meeting in March 1981.   Listen in to hear what it was really like for Dafydd to be at all those uproarious parties, then go home to his family and hang his dinner jacket up in the yard to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke.  Modest though he is, Dafydd's photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline. Unmissable listening.  An exhibition of Dafydd's photographs runs at The Centre for British Photography on 49 Jermyn Street, London until the beginning of June.

There's no particular rhyme or reason for what's on our agenda this week, save for the fact that each item has either piqued our interest or seriously rocked our boat.Product-wise we're championing Sake Sling, a new ready-to-drink sake-based cocktail developed by the late Wayne Collins. But if you're in the mood for something stronger, London Rye from the East London Liquor Co should definitely do the trick.Our book choice is A Sense Of Place, a veritable treasure trove of beautiful prose and stunning photography zoning in on the lesser known delights of the whisky world – and because we know you so well now, we're letting you in on one of our favourite lesser known bars, the truly delightful 45 Jermyn Street. Speaking of true delights, we're thrilled to have Claridges Director of Bars Denis Broci guesting on the podcast this week. Tune in to hear what's on the menu in the three bars he presides over and why they should definitely be on your radar.For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.comFor the products featured in this episode, see websites below:What we're mixing:Art de Vie40ml Martell VS Cognca20ml freshly brewed filter coffee20ml sugar syrup (2:1)Grated chocolate (minimum 70%)Method:Shake the first four ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.45 Jermyn StreetA Sense of Place: A Journey Around Scotland's WhiskyClaridge'sEast London Liquor Co London Rye WhiskySake SlingThe Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonEdited by Christian Fox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986; He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties. After a stint with strategy consultancy Bain & Co, Nick went “full-time” in 1990.  After being left £8,000 from a great aunt, Nick used the money to purchase the English dream: an Aston Martin DB1. One year later he sold the same car for an eye-watering £75,000 profit. This profit became the funding that set Nick up to become the powerhouse he is now. Success was steady, but the leaflet grew to four catalogues a year. This led to the opening of a shop on Jermyn Street in 1997, a website in 1998 and overseas expansion with stores in Paris (2001) and Madison Avenue, New York's (2003). There are now 45 stores worldwide. The product range has developed from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Today the business is a multi-channel retailer and a leading British brand. Charles Tyrwhitt's mission today remains true to Nick's founding principles - to provide quality and value, and to deliver them to the customer with unrivalled customer service. Nick is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company. They have four children and live in Oxfordshire. Find out more about Charles Tyrwhitt via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

About the guestChristopher learned the art of measuring & design while living in London, a city that had a profound effect on his life. While immersed in the English culture, he absorbed the sensibilities of some of the world's best clothiers while being trained in the skills he would need to execute his own vision of the classic English style. During his time in London, Christopher would frequently visit Saville Row and Jermyn Street to observe and gather inspiration. The end result was a new approach to men's clothing that blends European style and fit with a modern attention to detail, clean, understated lines, and comfort. This formula produces fashionable, fitted and comfortable clothing that you will love wearing.Christopher Schafer Clothier was designed to give clients the best and most unique experience when designing custom clothing. Founded in 2010 by Christopher Schafer, we provide our clients with both the best customer experience and the finest options in the world. We take pride in our work and feel that every garment we create is a direct representation of our brand. The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.Mentioned in this episodeChristopher Schafer ClothierTo find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode★ Support this podcast ★

Na velikem odru Mestnega gledališča ljubljanskega so uprizorili zadnjo premiero sezone – Junakinje v režiji Aleksandra Popovskega. Nastanek besedila je povezan s pandemijo – v londonskem gledališču Jermyn Street so leta 2020 povabili 15 britanskih avtoric, naj za spletne nastope petnajstih igralk napišejo monološka besedila po motivih Ovidovih Heroid. V Mestnem gledališču so jih izbrali 9, prevedla jih je Alenka Klabus Vesel. Dodatno besedilo moškega lika je napisal Nejc Gazvoda. Lettie Precious, Sabrina Mahfouz, Hannah Khalil, Stella Duffy, Isley Lynn, Chinonyerem Odimba, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Samantha Ellis, Juliet Gilkes Romero, Nejc Gazvoda 15 Heroines, 2021 Prva slovenska uprizoritev Premiera: 12. maj 2022 Prevajalka Alenka Klabus Vesel Režiser in scenograf Aleksandar Popovski Dramaturginja Eva Mahkovic Kostumografka Mia Popovska Avtor glasbe Kiril Džajkovski Lektorica Barbara Rogelj Svetovalka za gib Anja Möderndorfer Asistent scenografa Janez Koleša Asistentka dramaturginje in režiserja Urša Majcen Oblikovalec svetlobe Andrej Koležnik Oblikovalec zvoka Sašo Dragaš Nastopajo Viktorija Bencik Emeršič, Ajda Smrekar, Judita Zidar, Tanja Ribič, Tina Potočnik Vrhovnik, Julita Kropec k.g., Mirjam Korbar, Tjaša Železnik, Veronika Železnik k.g., Jernej Gašperin Foto: Veronika Železnik, Tjaša Železnik, Mirjam Korbar, Julita Kropec, Tina Potočnik Vrhovnik, Tanja Ribič, Judita Zidar, Ajda Smrekar, Viktorija Bencik Emeršič Avtor fotografije je Peter Giodani https://www.mgl.si/sl/predstave/junakinje/#gallery-1321-1 Besedilo sodobnih britanskih avtoric po motivih Ovidovih Heroid je režiral Aleksandar PopovskiNa velikem odru Mestnega gledališča ljubljanskega so uprizorili zadnjo premiero sezone – Junakinje v režiji Aleksandra Popovskega. Nastanek besedila je povezan s pandemijo – v londonskem gledališču Jermyn Street so leta 2020 povabili 15 britanskih avtoric, naj za spletne nastope petnajstih igralk napišejo monološka besedila po motivih Ovidovih Heroid. V Mestnem gledališču so jih izbrali 9, prevedla jih je Alenka Klabus Vesel. Dodatno besedilo moškega lika je napisal Nejc Gazvoda. Lettie Precious, Sabrina Mahfouz, Hannah Khalil, Stella Duffy, Isley Lynn, Chinonyerem Odimba, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Samantha Ellis, Juliet Gilkes Romero, Nejc Gazvoda 15 Heroines, 2021 Prva slovenska uprizoritev Premiera: 12. maj 2022 Prevajalka Alenka Klabus Vesel Režiser in scenograf Aleksandar Popovski Dramaturginja Eva Mahkovic Kostumografka Mia Popovska Avtor glasbe Kiril Džajkovski Lektorica Barbara Rogelj Svetovalka za gib Anja Möderndorfer Asistent scenografa Janez Koleša Asistentka dramaturginje in režiserja Urša Majcen Oblikovalec svetlobe Andrej Koležnik Oblikovalec zvoka Sašo Dragaš Nastopajo Viktorija Bencik Emeršič, Ajda Smrekar, Judita Zidar, Tanja Ribič, Tina Potočnik Vrhovnik, Julita Kropec k.g., Mirjam Korbar, Tjaša Železnik, Veronika Železnik k.g., Jernej Gašperin Foto: Veronika Železnik, Tjaša Železnik, Mirjam Korbar, Julita Kropec, Tina Potočnik Vrhovnik, Tanja Ribič, Judita Zidar, Ajda Smrekar, Viktorija Bencik Emeršič Avtor fotografije je Peter Giodani

It was during a lockdown tidying spree that Stephen Fry reacquainted himself with his substantial tie collection. It will come as no surprise that a man who had over 40 ties by the age of 15, now had a collection in the hundreds. What was surprising was how easily the memories associated with those ties came back to him and so after sharing some of the stories on Instagram we now have a gorgeous book version, Fry's Ties. To celebrate it we took a walk with Stephen along Jermyn Street, home to both him and Waterstones and a series of men's outfitters whose history is inextricably tied to this most individual piece of clothing.

This month sees Harry Bucknall, with The Oldie Podcast tucked under his arm, venture out from under his lockdown rock in Dorset  to London and the refined elegance of Wilton's Restaurant on Jermyn Street, in St James's  – just the spot for a cup of tea with his guest, the actress Madeline Smith, who writes candidly  in the August edition of the magazine about working with that genius of stage and screen, the late Sir Alec Guinness who many will remember as Colonel Nicholson in David Lean's Bridge over the River Kwai, or for his portrayal of John le Carre's George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and latterly  as  Obe Wan Kenobi in George Lucas's l Star Wars trilogy. We began in bed with Sir Roger Moore. Photo credit: Steve Ball

In this episode, Greg talks to Joana and Pierre Meyer, the founders of Nordic Balance, a well-being company based in London. They share their story going from senior roles in catering to personal training to creating a gym to opening multiple therapy clinics. All of this while founding a family. Their journey has humble beginnings. Their clarity on what they wanted, their patience, their love of what they do, the complementary team they form, their openness to opportunities has led them to success. Would you like to clarify your career goals? Visit www.darebe.me for a FREE guided coaching exercise.Knowing and doing what you wantJoana: I was maturing a little bit. I think up until the point where I came to London, I was very unsettled as a person, as, not really knowing why I wanted to go, what direction I wanted to go, where I wanted to be. And I realized actually, maybe the time was good to be a little bit more serious.Joana: I realized after doing the catering for many years, that actually I very much didn't like it. I was good at it, but that's mostly because I'm good at most physical, practical things. But I didn't enjoy it. So what I did enjoy was physical health and fitness and wellbeing. And so I reeducated myself to become a personal trainer. And that's how I started. That is slowly how, I guess the seed was born for Nordic balance.Joana: When they told Pierre, you won't be able to take time off for the birth of your son, Pierre just threw the towel in and said, okay, then I quit. Pierre: I was then working in this job, which on paper was amazing. And, I was working with the CEO of this business and it was a bit of a fast track thing and effectively he wanted to grow his business and he thought that I was the right guy to do it. When they said, we don't legally have to give you any time off. I thought: how many kids are we going to have? We can have two, right? I'm not gonna miss this for a job. And so for me, it started becoming a reasonably simple decision at that point.Pierre: We started to talk a lot about designing our lives to work for us. So finding a solution that would work well with our family so that we could spend the time that we wanted with them and hopefully, earn some money, doing it at the same time.Pierre: Someone once said to me, it's one of those cliches: you're never going to lie on your deathbed and wish that you'd worked more, you're going to wish you'd spent more time with your family. That always just stuck with me.Pierre: I think South Africans, we have no net around us you're taught to stand on your own two feet very fast. You can't rely on other people to look after you. It was never really in doubt that I would work for myself. And just the question was what I would do.Pierre: At this point it reinforced to my family that I'd made the wrong choice. it was like, how could you do this? You've spent so much money on your education. I didn't know what the answer was. I just knew what I didn't want at that point.Pierre: I enjoyed that idea of building something of value. And that's not financial value. Building something of value that actually does make a difference with people and that can exist without us.Do what you love, it will be contagious!Joana: This slightly changed things for me when I realized that actually I must be pretty decent at what I do and to gain that trust.Joana: In order to get really great success, is not even just about the knowledge. It's not even just about having a university degree. It's about pouring your love and real attention into what you're doing. And if you love something, it will be a success. Because if you just enjoy doing what you do, it will be contagious and people will come to you. And I think actually that kind of happened to us in St. James's. We never had Sunday blues. which used to happen to us all the time previously.Joana: It's just all about feeling really strongly about your product and then not worrying that much about what it looks like to other people. Because we have enjoyed it, it has become what it is today.Pierre: But the downside of doing something that you love is that you take the success well, but of course you take the failures really personally. Over the last 13 years of doing this, we've had to try and learn not to do.Humble beginnings, 18-year MBAPierre: I didn't know what I was going to do. I ended up doing just a bad job working in a restaurant with an honors degree in finance and economics.Joana: It was a sticky period. I remember this very well. It's super vivid for me. For me, the priority was still PT. I only had three months, maybe not even with Finley, full-time at home. And then I came to the gym and people would come with me and Pierre would sit in the hallway and hold Finley. And I would ask people to do squats and lunges and exercises, and then they'd come back and we would breastfeed Finley, go back into the gym, do some more, go back to Pierre. And we would sit in different cafes around Piccadilly circus and basically breastfeed. And Pierre would be the person to take care of Finley and then work on some other things.Pierre: We had to get good trainers. I remember the first time placing an ad and getting people in and sitting down in a coffee shop in a cafe near Jermyn Street and interviewing these people who wanted to come and work for us. And we were like: you got to realize, we don't even know what we're doing here. We have no clue! Are you sure? It was astounding that people actually wanted to come and work for us! Pierre: There were six paying members of the gym at the time, on St. James's Square. You look at it and you're like, wow, that's pretty bad. Because it was pretty bad. But we always had a sense of wanting to improve it. We then took quite a slow route to get to that place. I was listening to something previously, this guy had worked in the same place for 18 years. Then he went off and started another business, which became a runaway success. He said, I had an 18-year MBA. it was just a learning process for him. And that's what we did.Basing big bold and risky decisions on values and gut feelPierre: I remember landing in February. February in Cape town is a fairly amazing time of the year. I'd been on the beach in the morning. I got on the plane. I still got off the plane in Heathrow wearing shorts, flip flops, a t-shirt and a little jumper, sand on my feet. And obviously you've got met with London in February. People don't write a lot of poems about London in February. It's a fairly dark time. So that was a bit of a rude awakening I think is probably the best way to put it.Pierre: I was working as a consultant at the time. And Jo was just about to go on maternity leave, when working self-employed! There was no safety net. It was basically just the two of us. And then I quit my job and said let's do this thing.Joana: It was all very much unstable at that stage. We both felt that there was something more there to be had. And so we keep going. I think it was not even something we'd discussed: should we do this? Is this right? Is this gonna work? We were maybe a little bit more naive.Joana: We'd never even discussed plan B. Pierre: To bear in mind, this is 2008, 20th of December. So the world had basically fallen on everyone's heads. If you think about it, it's not maybe the smartest play. Joana: still we didn't question it. Thinking about it now, not questioning, it was really crazy.Pierre: We both believed that if it didn't work, we could probably end up getting a job, doing what we were previously doing. We had good enough contacts that probably if push came to shove, we could have gone back into it. It felt like we had a bit of a safety net.Joana: Gut feeling: You can feel it's right, or it can feel it's wrong. Often we overthink things, we over discuss things and then we just go. But if it feels right now, then I act on it right now. it's what's led us quite a lot.Pierre: We've never been guaranteed that we would succeed. But we've taken an opportunity and we've zigged and zagged along and we've gone left and right and you get to a place where you have something that's worth value. But if you didn't make that decision in the first place, you didn't have that conversation, you didn't go with it, then you would never really know.Overcoming your fears when making a transitionJoana: Because I was a bit older when I became a Personal Trainer, I was very nervous. Most PTs are very young, 19, 20, 22, very fit, slim. It's fast. I was not bad. And while I was fit I was also very nervous. I came from a highly paid job to nothing, and I thought, gosh, who's going to want to train with an old personal trainer?Joana: When we did get pregnant everything was thrown back into the deep end of things. I started to immediately alarm bells going off. What now? And what are we going to do financially? And then we were both out of work, with three days before the birth of our first child, which was far from ideal. And at that point, we were forced to think laterally and Pierre came up with this idea that we'll get somebody on board that will take over my clients. I was a little bit reluctant. And then I realized I actually had to go with this because otherwise [all my work gaining clients] will amount to nothing.Pierre: A lot of the time we are our own handbrake, that doubt comes into you and it's oh, I can't do this. Oh, it's going to be really hard and there's going to be discomfort and things like that. And there is absolutely going to be discomfort. And it happens all the time. The downside of all this stuff is that it's uncomfortable. But being uncomfortable shouldn't be the reason not to do it. For me, that was a bit of a light bulb moment where instead of doubting myself, it became more about actually I can do this.Magical things happen when you accept the power of serendipity and stay open to opportunitiesJoana: And so I reeducated myself to become a personal trainer. And that's how I started. That is slowly how, I guess the seed was born for Nordic balance.Joana: [The gym I was using] closed down and one of my clients just said, oh, I know this really bad Gym in St James' Square, it looks really rubbish and there's like mice on the floor. I don't know if you want to go there, but you can train me there. I said, okay, let's go and check it out. And we checked it out and yes, it was awful. It was the really thick TVs on the screen. The carpet on the floor was broken and frayed and it looked really pretty scabby. We started to train there and slowly, some of my other clients came along as they must have loved me. There was one client who said, no, I will never come back here. So some people didn't love me enough. Obviously some people did.Joana: the very scabby Gym we were producing these PT sessions in decided to throw the gym out to tender. His eyes then lit up and he was like, yeah, let's do this! And I was maybe a little less but I realized at the time that was the right thing and yeah, we decided to go for it and we got it!Pierre: We started looking at it and saying, actually, we've got an opportunity here to do something. Serendipity kicked in: a series of things started to happen around us, which we were very open to. It allowed us to get a gym on St. James' Square and allowed us to get a corporate arrangement with a local business, which was effectively how our humbled things started.Joana: The best things that have happened to me have been the unexpected. I didn't expect to be in London. And I've been here for 23 years. I didn't expect to meet my future husband in a restaurant where I worked and here we are. I didn't think I wanted a house and I have two. I definitely was very unsure that children were something I wanted to have in my life and I have two. And the last thing now we got a dog that I never thought I wanted and I love him.Pierre: [One of the biggest drivers has been to] be open to opportunities. The difference between a lucky and unlucky person is often just the ability to keep your head up and look around. If someone wants to have a conversation with you, sit and talk to them, engage in what they're doing, listen to what they have to say. They might not be a driver in your life at all, or they may be, you never really know. But if you don't talk to them, there'll never be anything. A lot of the stuff that we've got in our lives has really come off the back of that. Being open to experiences.Building as a couple - she loves graphs, he's got ambition!Pierre: The thing about this was that Jo really never wanted to do this.Joana: Whatever will happen, we'll be okay. We will be okay because we've got each other and we can do this. And if it doesn't, if it's not okay, then there will be something else. It was strange, but we never actually considered quitting.Pierre: We are a husband and wife team, and I think there's so many bits that are weird for lots of people, but there's so many bits of it that actually make a lot of sense. When you get to know us, we are massively different. What I don't do well, Joe does well. And what Joe doesn't do well, I do well. So I think between us, we're reasonably complete. And we maybe knew that on a subconscious level, quite early on that actually we could figure it out.Pierre: You can't just have a me and you can't just have a Jo, because weirdly between us, we would never do anything in the way that we do it now. She tempers my ambition a lot and makes things a lot more realistic. I push her on to do things that she wouldn't have done previously. And I think we find that sort of middle ground.Joana: We've grown in confidence together, slightly different stages of it. At times we've pushed each other into something that the other one was maybe hesitating a little bit and other times, I've slowed things down when things were going too fast. Pierre: What I also realized is that Jo likes a graph. As soon as I would pull together stuff about different bits of our business and show it in a graph form, all of a sudden she'd be like: oh wow!Pierre: We have a good culture in our business. because it's us, we're a husband and wife team, because we're personal. We treat it like a family business. You're going love it or you're going to hate it. Some people come into it. They're like, oh my God, I can't work for a husband and wife. It's just ridiculous. But other people come in and they feel like they've found their home. And that's what we want. We want people to feel like they've found something where they're a part of it and they're engaged and they feel like they're not just a number. They're not just a cash cow effectively to make the bosses rich so that they can go off on extravagant holidays and things like that. It's not like that at all. To scale or not to scale?Pierre: After doing it for years and years, it just felt like we needed to be a little bit more ambitious about what we wanted to do. Joana: You need it to be more ambitious! Pierre: We started to gain a lot of belief in how we did things. That helped things to take a nice big step forward.Joana: That's where I really struggled, actually. I struggled to recognize the fact that we have a company and it's actually really great. I tried to play it down. Often people say, what do you do? Oh I've got a little Gym in St James' Square. I don't even call it a Gym, I call it a studio. And I always wait, it can't be, we are not like this big company, how did this happen?Joana: I wanted to slow everything down because I had so much self doubt. In the end, I went: fine! Let's get another place. And we went out and it was very much a gut feeling. We were driving around. Maybe here, maybe there. It was like there, and we both went. Yeah, there! Let's go. There. Let's do this. And a year later we have a clinic there.

I spoke to British Film Producer, author and friend of the show Jonathan Sothcott about his new book – The Jermyn Street Shirt, available on Amazon. All the links available on the blog.  https://fromtailorswithlove.co.uk/jonathan-sothcott-talks-about-his-new-book-the-jermyn-street-shirt-130    

The UK's world-famous tailors and shirtmakers have been forced to adapt during the coronavirus pandemic as remote working has led to many customers opting for casualwear. London's Savile Row and Jermyn Street are synonymous with luxury suits, but even there, tailors are altering their business models. Oliver Regan takes a look. #LuxurySuits #ShirtMakers #CasualWear

"we get to do some high-end sampling on the Village in Piccadilly walk"

"his out-of-control penis"

In this episode we speak to Emma Willis MBE. Emma is a well-known fashion designer, we speak to Emma about how she has built her brand “Emma Willis” to be what it is today. It’s an insightful and interesting episode.Emma launched her shirt brand in 1990, with her own manufacturing and a shop in London's Jermyn Street. In 2010 she founded Style for Soldiers in response to the severity and number of casualties returning from Afghanistan, regularly visiting the Military Rehabilitation Hospital over 10 years, measuring for and donating her bespoke shirts to the patients.The charity now partners with NHS Veterans Trauma Network and gives the largest reunions for injured service personnel the country. In 2017 Emma was awarded an MBE for entrepreneurship and her championing of British manufacturing and in 2019 was invited to Downing Street by then PM Teresa May to receive a Points of Light Award.- The Career Success Podcast with Jason Connolly

One of the most requested interviews is finally here. In the first post-Covid 'Outside Broadcast,' Nick meets the legendary Sahakian father and son team in their delightful store on the corner of St James's Street and Jermyn Street. Here, before the shop opens for the day, and over the newly-released Limited Edition Ramon Allones Allones No.2, the trio hold a lovely, warm discussion on life, love, ethics and morals, fun, laughter, great cigars and familial loyalty among much, much more. Happy Friday, folks!

The fourth novel in Antonia Hodgson's award-winning series featuring Thomas Hawkins and Kitty Sparks is at once her most thrilling and the most darkly disturbing story yet. Autumn, 1728. Life is good for Thomas Hawkins and Kitty Sparks. The Cocked Pistol, Kitty's wickedly disreputable bookshop, is a roaring success. Tom's celebrity as 'Half-Hanged Hawkins', the man who survived the gallows, is also proving useful. Their happiness proves short-lived. When Tom is set upon by a street gang, he discovers there's a price on his head. Who on earth could want him dead - and why? With the help of his ward, Sam Fleet, and Sam's underworld connections, Tom's investigation leads to a fine house in Jermyn Street, the elegant, enigmatic Lady Vanhook and an escaped slave by the name of Jeremiah Patience. But for Tom and Kitty, discovering the truth is only the beginning of the nightmare. A powerful, deeply immersive thriller, The Silver Collar is both a celebration of love and friendship, and a terrifying exploration of evil.

Emma Willis founded her shirt making business in 1989.  She has had a shop on London's famous Jermyn Street for over twenty years and all of her bespoke and ready to wear shirts are made in England. The Emma Willis Factory in Gloucestershire has a team of dedicated seamstresses and cutters and she runs a successful apprenticeship programme which is helping to develop the next generation of shirtmakers. In this interview Emma tells the story of how her shirt business came about, and how she has seen the shirt making industry change over the last two decades. More about Emma Willis The Emma Willis Factory Emma Willis London on Instagram   More Make it British Make it British website Make it British Directory - search for brands and manufacturers that make in the UK Find a UK Manufacturer -  ways we can help you find your perfect manufacturing partner Make it British Live! - our trade show Make it British Instagram    

Budd has been located in London's Piccadilly Arcade since the company's inception in 1910 and forms part of the elegant thoroughfare of shops that leads into the famous Jermyn Street. Like all of Mayfair's traditional arcade boutiques, the shop is tiny, but its size belies the wealth of goodies that can be found inside. Budd is a veritable Pandora's box! Budd's prime offering is shirts. They make all of their shirts by hand at their workshop here in England. They are also one of the few remaining West End shirtmakers to still have its own cutting room on the premises. This is located above the shop and has presided over the Arcade for over 60 years. As well as shirts, Budd carries an extensive range of dresswear, nightwear, a fantastic selection of ties and bow ties, braces, socks, and many more accessories.In this MenswearStyle podcast episode Peter speaks to both Darren Tiernan, Senior Cutter and James Macauslan, Cutter & Brand Creative Consultant at Budd London. They jump into the rich history of the brand and dissect the handmade shirt, discussing the different shirtmaking stages, from first being measured, to the complete final product. This laidback chat which took place within the brand's cutting room is full of interesting tailoring facts, insights and tips that are not to be missed.Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.

On today's episode Pete talks to Emma Willis, MBE, shirtmaker, Founder of Emma Willis the brand which can be found on Jermyn Street. Emma talks about doing the shirts for Daniel Craig when he did the press tour for Spectre, she talks about visiting Roger Moore on the set of Pinewood when he was filming The Man with the Golden Gun. This episode is brought to you by STRYX. Corrective cosmetics designed for men. A boost of confidence. Clear skin instantly. Blemishes fixed so easily you won’t need to think about it. They don’t go in for exploding pens but they do go in for sleek looking pens that double as concealers. Put in BOND25 in the checkout and get your 25 percent discount. 

Essential Retail quizzes Jermyn Street shirtmaker, Pink, about creating an emotional connection with the shopper. Essential Retail’s editor, Caroline Baldwin, is joined by Christopher Zanardi-Landi, CEO at Pink and Jamie Merrick, director of strategic solutions at Salesforce Commerce Cloud, to talk rebrand, personalisation and joining up the eCommerce and store experience. Got something you want to tell us about the Podcast? Want to join us? You can get in touch on Twitter via twitter.com/essretail, or directly with Caroline at twitter.com/cl_baldwin

Florrie Evans has been Director at The Weiss Gallery since 2010. The Weiss Gallery was established in 1985 at 59 Jermyn St, the heart of the prestigious St James district of London, and is a leading dealer in Tudor, Stuart, and Northern European portraiture and has made several notable sales over the last three decades which now grace distinguished public and private painting collections around the world. Prior to this, Florrie worked at Christies specializing in Early British Picture and Old Masters and has also assisted curators at Tate Britain and Dr Johnson’s House Museum. In addition to contributing to various art publications, she also appeared as an expert on portraiture for the BBC’s Stitch in Time Series. Her other love is Mudlarking on the Thames—a hobby she’s kept since the age of 4. Florrie describes the river as her ‘pleasure and obsession’ and now has the delight of taking her young daughter with her as she uncovers London’s washed up secrets. Step inside this beautiful gallery with me as Florrie’s reveals why art, London, and the Thames all play a major part in her fascinating life. This is Your London Legacy. “I definitely grew up with an appreciation for scavenging and salvaging—and from that came a love of history as well.” [5:55] I met with Florrie at the Weiss Gallery—a beautiful space showcasing 16th and 17th century Northern European portraiture. In the back is another gallery with all the English works displayed before a pale green silk and above it all is a striking glass ceiling to bathe the portraits in light. Florrie’s love for art and history started from a young age as she was taken Mudlarking with her parents. On top of finding artifacts in the river and imagining how they got there, Florrie’s father was a publisher and her mother a pianist—and exploring artistic sensibilities was clearly a part of her upbringing. [13:40] Florrie finds portraiture one of the most fascinating art forms to analyze and study. You can take into account what the person commissioning the portrait wanted—juxtaposed with the artists intent. She thinks that often this was a collaboration of the subject and artist, and the intent and purpose of the painting changed some throughout the centuries as well. “I look at it as an emotional headspace in a way—just connecting with the city in such a unique way. Hearing the sound of the water. I find it incredibly meditative.” [21:15] You have to keep in mind that there weren’t as many bridges across the river in earlier centuries. Watermen would take people back and forth at ferry crossing points across the river, and of course, people dropped things over the edges. Everything from tobacco pipes (which can be dated in part by how large the bowl is), a mysterious amount of garnets, relics from Roman times (which Florrie was obsessed with for a time), and buttons and beads—something Florrie feels drawn to given her love of clothing and fashion and costume. Make sure you go stop by the Weiss Gallery, and Florrie will be curating a large exhibition at Totally Thames where you can see things collected from a wide variety of Mudlarkers at the end of September.   Links @flo_finds (https://www.instagram.com/flo_finds/) Weissgallery.com (https://www.weissgallery.com/) Totally Thames (https://totallythames.org/) Support this podcast

In the inaugural episode myself and Matt Spaiser talk about what Ian Fleming wore throughout his life and what influence his style had on James Bond.  We also have a short clip from Dominic McCarthy, c-founder of ANM COMMS who look after a few luxury fashion houses in Jermyn Street; a street where Ian Fleming spent a lot of his time.   

Sharp Dressed Man empowers men to improve their lives - equipping men in the Baltimore area who are preparing for work through job training programs with recycled suits for job interviews. Our professional presentation program gives men confidence and a professional look as they prepare for job interviews. We bridge a critical gap between job development programs that provide training and the remaining skills and look needed to be considered for and obtain employment. Sharp Dressed Man is the only program of its kind in the area, and our services are desperately needed in Baltimore and beyond. Christopher learned the art of measuring & design while living in London, a city that had a profound effect on his life.  While immersed in the English culture, he absorbed the sensibilities of some of the world's best clothiers while being trained in the skills he would need to execute his own vision of the classic English style. During his time in London, Christopher would frequently visit Saville Row and Jermyn Street to observe and gather inspiration. The end result was a new approach to men's clothing that blends European style and fit with a modern attention to detail, clean, understated lines, and comfort. This formula produces fashionable, fitted and comfortable clothing that you will love wearing. Contact: crs@christopherschafer.com

This episode we're going to be talking to the founding partner of ANM PR Agency, Dominic McCarthy, about the state of British retail. Dominic has overseen the recent ready-to-buy catwalk at St James for London Fashion Week. His marketing company specialises in Menswear/Luxury/Fashion and is the marketing head for many stores on Jermyn Street and Savile Row such as New & Lingwood, Richard Anderson, Chester Barrie to name a few. We'll also be doing a special round up of who wore what on the runways and the notable collections with our Editor-at-large, Bec Loades. Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.

Join me on Jermyn Street in Central London as I chat to Hero Hirsh of Paxton & Whitfield. We discuss working for a great cheese institution whilst looking to the future, world beating cheeses and Hero's own journey into the wonderful world of cheese.

Here to share with us his journey from owning an Aston Martin to owning a multi-million-pound shirt company is Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler, one of UK’s most successful entrepreneurs.After being left £8,000 from a great aunt, Nick used the money to purchase the English dream: an Aston Martin DB1. One year later he sold the same car for an eye-watering £75,000 profit. This profit became the funding that set Nick up to become the powerhouse he is now.Nick founded Charles Tyrwhitt as an undergraduate in 1986, after being frustrated that shirts were too expensive. For several years the company was just a hobby alongside Nick’s full-time job. However, by 2002, Charles Tyrwhitt had stores in London, Paris, and NY, and is now on its way to achieve global domination.We chat about:Nick’s previous ventures and how he started and grew Charles TyrwhittNick’s infatuation for learning from mistakes, over and over and over againThe do’s and don’ts of hiring when you’re a small companyHis advice to entrepreneurs worldwideLinks:Charles TyrwhittFull show notes at secretleaders.comWant to receive our podcast on a weekly basis? Subscribe to our newsletter!

On readingover what I have written of the Stricklands, I am conscious that they must seemshadowy. I have been able to invest them with none of those characteristicswhich make the persons of a book exist with a real life of their own; and,wondering if the fault is mine, I rack my brains to remember idiosyncrasieswhich might lend them vividness. I feel that by dwelling on some trick ofspeech or some queer habit I should be able to give them a significancepeculiar to themselves. As they stand they are like the figures in an oldtapestry; they do not separate themselves from the background, and at adistance seem to lose their pattern, so that you have little but a pleasingpiece of colour. My only excuse is that the impression they made on me was noother. There was just that shadowiness about them which you may find in peoplewhose lives are part of the social organism, so that they exist in it and by itonly. They are like cells in the body, essential, but, so long as they remainhealthy, engulfed in the momentous whole. The Stricklands were an average familyin the middle class. A pleasant, hospitable woman, with a harmless craze forthe small lions of literary society; a rather dull man, doing his duty in thatstate of life in which a merciful Providence had placed him; two nice-looking,healthy children. Nothing could be more ordinary. I do not know that there wasanything about them to excite the attention of the curious.Miss Waterford certainlyfelt that she could not do her subject justice on the curb of Jermyn Street,and so, like an artist, flung the bare fact at me and declared that she knew nodetails. I could not do her the injustice of supposing that so trifling acircumstance would have prevented her from giving them, but she was obstinate."I tell you I knownothing, " she said, in reply to my agitated questions, and then, with anairy shrug of the shoulders: "I believe that a young person in a citytea-shop has left her situation. "She flashed a smile at me,and, protesting an engagement with her dentist, jauntily walked on. I was moreinterested than distressed. In those days my experience of life at first handwas small, and it excited me to come upon an incident among people I knew ofthe same sort as /ai/ had read in books. I confess that time has now accustomed meto incidents of this character among my acquaintance. But I was a littleshocked. Strickland was certainly forty, and I thought it disgusting that a manof his age should concern himself with affairs of the heart. With thesuperciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit atwhich a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself.And this news was slightlydisconcerting to me personally, because I had written from the country to Mrs.Strickland, announcing my return, and had added that unless I heard from her tothe contrary, I would come on a certain day to drink a dish of tea with her.This was the very day, and I had received no word from Mrs. Strickland. Did shewant to see me or did she not? It was likely enough that in the agitation ofthe moment my note had escaped her memory. Perhaps I should be wiser not to go.On the other hand, she might wish to keep the affair quiet, and it might behighly indiscreet on my part to give any sign that this strange news hadreached me. I was torn between the fear of hurting a nice woman's feelings andthe fear of being in the way. I felt she must be suffering, and I did not wantto see a pain which I could not help; but in my heart was a desire, that I felta little ashamed of, to see how she was taking it. I did not know what to do.Finally it occurred to methat I would call as though nothing had happened, and send a message in by themaid asking Mrs. Strickland if it was convenient for her to see me. This wouldgive her the opportunity to send me away. But I was overwhelmed withembarrassment when I said to the maid the phrase I had prepared, and while Iwaited for the answer in a dark passage I had to call up all my strength ofmind not to bolt. The maid came back. Her manner suggested to my excited fancya complete knowledge of the domestic calamity."Will you come thisway, sir?" she said.I followed her into thedrawing-room. The blinds were partly drawn to darken the room, and Mrs.Strickland was sitting with her back to the light. Her brother-in-law, ColonelMacAndrew, stood in front of the fireplace, warming his back at an unlit fire.To myself my entrance seemed excessively awkward. I imagined that my arrivalhad taken them by surprise, and Mrs. Strickland had let me come in only becauseshe had forgotten to put me off. I fancied that the Colonel resented theinterruption."I wasn't quite sure ifyou expected me, " I said, trying to seem unconcerned."Of course I did. Annewill bring the tea in a minute. "Even in the darkened room, Icould not help seeing that Mrs. Strickland's face was all swollen with tears.Her skin, never very good, was earthy."You remember mybrother-in-law, don't you? You met at dinner, just before the holidays. "We shook hands. I felt soshy that I could think of nothing to say, but Mrs. Strickland came to myrescue. She asked me what I had been doing with myself during the summer, andwith this help I managed to make some conversation till tea was brought in. TheColonel asked for a whisky-and-soda."You'd better have onetoo, Amy, " he said."No; I prefer tea."回过头来读了读我写的思特里克兰德夫妇的故事，我感到这两个人被我写得太没有血肉了。要使书中人物真实动人，需要把他们的性格特征写出来，而我却没有赋予他们任何特色。我想知道这是不是我的过错，我苦思苦想，希望回忆起一些能使他们性格鲜明的特征。我觉得如果我能够详细写出他们说话的某些习惯或者他们的一些离奇的举止，或许就能够突出他们的特点了。象我现在这样写，这两个人好象是一幅古旧挂毯上的两个人形，同背景很难分辨出来；如果从远处看，那就连轮廓也辨别不出，只剩下一团花花绿绿的颜色了。我只有一种辩解：他们给我的就是这样一个印象。有些人的生活只是社会有机体的一部分，他们只能生活在这个有机体内，也只能依靠它而生活，这种人总是给人以虚幻的感觉；思特里克兰德夫妇正是这样的人。他们有如体内的细胞，是身体所决不能缺少的，但是只要他们健康存在一天，就被吞没在一个重大的整体里。思特里克兰德这家人是普普通通的一个中产阶级家庭。一个和蔼可亲、殷勤好客的妻子，有着喜欢结交文学界小名人的无害的癖好；一个并不很聪明的丈夫，在慈悲的上帝安排给他的那种生活中兢兢业业、恪尽职责：两个漂亮、健康的孩子。没有什么比这一家人更为平凡的了。我不知道这一家人有什么能够引起好奇的人注意的。当我想到后来发生的种种事情时，不禁自问：是不是当初我过于迟钝，没有看出查理斯·思特里克兰德身上与常人不同的地方啊？也许是这样的。从那个时候起到现在已经过了这么多年，在此期间我对人情世故知道了不少东西，但是即使当初我认识他们夫妇时就已经有了今天的阅历，我也不认为我对他们的判断就有所不同。只不过有一点会和当年不一样：在我了解到人是多么玄妙莫测之后，我今天决不会象那年初秋我刚刚回到伦敦时那样，在听到那个消息以后会那样大吃一惊了。回到伦敦还不到二十四小时，我就在杰尔敏大街上遇见了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德。“看你今天这么喜气洋洋的样子，”我说，“有什么开心的事啊？”她笑了起来，眼睛流露出一道我早已熟悉的幸灾乐祸的闪光。这意味着她又听到她的某个朋友的一件丑闻，这位女作家的直觉已经处于极度警觉状态。“你看见过查理斯·思特里克兰德，是不是？”不仅她的面孔，就连她的全身都变得非常紧张。我点了点头。我怀疑这个倒霉鬼是不是在证券交易所蚀了老本儿，要不就是让公共汽车轧伤了。“你说，是不是太可怕了？他把他老婆扔了，跑掉了。”瓦特尔芙德小姐肯定觉得，在杰尔敏大街马路边上讲这个故事太辱没这样一个好题目，所以她只是象个艺术家似地把主题抛出来，宣称她并不知道细节。而我却不能埋没她的口才，认为根本无需介意的环境竟会妨碍她给我讲述故事。但是她还是执拗地不肯讲。“我告诉你我什么也不知道，”她回答我激动的问题说，接着，很俏皮地耸了耸肩膀，又加了一句：“我相信伦敦哪家茶点店准有一位年轻姑娘把活儿辞了。”她朝我笑了一下，道歉说同牙医生约定了时间，便神气十足地扬长而去。这个消息与其说叫我难过，不如说使我很感兴趣。在那些日子里我的见闻还很少是亲身经历的第一手材料，因此在我碰到这样一件我在书本里阅读到的故事时，觉得非常兴奋。我承认，现在时间和阅历已经使我习惯于在我相识的人中遇到这类事情了。但是我当时还有一种惊骇的感觉。思特里克兰德那一年一定已经有四十岁了，我认为象他这样年纪的人再牵扯到这种爱情瓜葛中未免令人作呕。在我当时年幼无知，睥睨一切的目光中，一个人陷入爱情而又不使自己成为笑柄，三十五岁是最大的年限。除此以外，这个新闻也给我个人添了点儿小麻烦。原来我在乡下就给思特里克兰德太太写了信，通知她我回伦敦的日期，并且在信中说好如果她不回信另作安排的话，我将在某月某日到她家去吃茶。我遇见瓦特尔芙德小姐正是在这一天，可是思特里克兰德太太并没有给我捎什么信来。她到底想不想见我呢？非常可能，她在心绪烦乱中把我信里订的约会忘到脑后了。也许我应该有自知之明，不去打扰她。可是另一方面，她也可能想把这件事瞒着我，如果我叫她猜出来自己已经听到这件奇怪的消息，那就太不慎重了。我既怕伤害这位夫人的感情，又怕去她家作客惹她心烦，心里非常矛盾。我知道她这时一定痛苦不堪，我不愿意看到别人受苦，自己无力替她分忧；但另一方面我又很想看一看思特里克兰德太太对这件事有何反应，尽管我对这个想法自己也觉得不好意思。我真不知道该怎么办好了。最后我想了个主意：我应该象什么事也没发生那样到她家去，先叫使女进去问一声，思特里克兰德太太方便不方便会客。如果她不想见我，就可以把我打发走了。尽管如此，在我对使女讲起我事前准备的一套话时，我还是窘得要命。当我在幽暗的过道里等着回话的当儿，我不得不鼓起全部勇气才没有中途溜掉。使女从里面走出来。也可能是我过于激动，胡乱猜想，我觉得从那使女的神情看，好象她已经完全知道这家人遭遇的不幸了。“请您跟我来，先生，”她说。我跟在她后面走进客厅。为了使室内光线暗淡，窗帘没有完全拉开。思特里克兰德太太的姐夫麦克安德鲁上校正站在壁炉前面，在没有燃旺的火炉前边烤自己的脊背。我觉得我闯进来是一件极其尴尬的事。我猜想我到这里来一定很出他们意料之外，思特里克兰德太太只是忘记同我另外约会日子才不得不让我进来。我还想，上校一定为我打扰了他们非常生气。“我不太清楚，你是不是等着我来，”我说，故意装作一副若无其事的样子。“当然我在等着你。安妮马上就把茶拿来。”尽管屋子里光线很暗，我也看出来思特里克兰德太太的眼睛已经哭肿了。她的面色本来就不太好，现在更是变成土灰色了。“你还记得我的姐夫吧？度假以前，你在这里吃饭的那天和他见过面。”我们握了握手。我感到忐忑不安，想不出一句好说的话来。但是思特里克兰德太太解救了我；她问起我怎样消夏的事。有她提了这个头，我多少也找到些话说，直捱到使女端上茶点来。上校要了一杯苏打威士忌。“你最好也喝一杯，阿美，”他说。“不，我还是喝茶吧。”

On readingover what I have written of the Stricklands, I am conscious that they must seemshadowy. I have been able to invest them with none of those characteristicswhich make the persons of a book exist with a real life of their own; and,wondering if the fault is mine, I rack my brains to remember idiosyncrasieswhich might lend them vividness. I feel that by dwelling on some trick ofspeech or some queer habit I should be able to give them a significancepeculiar to themselves. As they stand they are like the figures in an oldtapestry; they do not separate themselves from the background, and at adistance seem to lose their pattern, so that you have little but a pleasingpiece of colour. My only excuse is that the impression they made on me was noother. There was just that shadowiness about them which you may find in peoplewhose lives are part of the social organism, so that they exist in it and by itonly. They are like cells in the body, essential, but, so long as they remainhealthy, engulfed in the momentous whole. The Stricklands were an average familyin the middle class. A pleasant, hospitable woman, with a harmless craze forthe small lions of literary society; a rather dull man, doing his duty in thatstate of life in which a merciful Providence had placed him; two nice-looking,healthy children. Nothing could be more ordinary. I do not know that there wasanything about them to excite the attention of the curious.Miss Waterford certainlyfelt that she could not do her subject justice on the curb of Jermyn Street,and so, like an artist, flung the bare fact at me and declared that she knew nodetails. I could not do her the injustice of supposing that so trifling acircumstance would have prevented her from giving them, but she was obstinate."I tell you I knownothing, " she said, in reply to my agitated questions, and then, with anairy shrug of the shoulders: "I believe that a young person in a citytea-shop has left her situation. "She flashed a smile at me,and, protesting an engagement with her dentist, jauntily walked on. I was moreinterested than distressed. In those days my experience of life at first handwas small, and it excited me to come upon an incident among people I knew ofthe same sort as /ai/ had read in books. I confess that time has now accustomed meto incidents of this character among my acquaintance. But I was a littleshocked. Strickland was certainly forty, and I thought it disgusting that a manof his age should concern himself with affairs of the heart. With thesuperciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit atwhich a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself.And this news was slightlydisconcerting to me personally, because I had written from the country to Mrs.Strickland, announcing my return, and had added that unless I heard from her tothe contrary, I would come on a certain day to drink a dish of tea with her.This was the very day, and I had received no word from Mrs. Strickland. Did shewant to see me or did she not? It was likely enough that in the agitation ofthe moment my note had escaped her memory. Perhaps I should be wiser not to go.On the other hand, she might wish to keep the affair quiet, and it might behighly indiscreet on my part to give any sign that this strange news hadreached me. I was torn between the fear of hurting a nice woman's feelings andthe fear of being in the way. I felt she must be suffering, and I did not wantto see a pain which I could not help; but in my heart was a desire, that I felta little ashamed of, to see how she was taking it. I did not know what to do.Finally it occurred to methat I would call as though nothing had happened, and send a message in by themaid asking Mrs. Strickland if it was convenient for her to see me. This wouldgive her the opportunity to send me away. But I was overwhelmed withembarrassment when I said to the maid the phrase I had prepared, and while Iwaited for the answer in a dark passage I had to call up all my strength ofmind not to bolt. The maid came back. Her manner suggested to my excited fancya complete knowledge of the domestic calamity."Will you come thisway, sir?" she said.I followed her into thedrawing-room. The blinds were partly drawn to darken the room, and Mrs.Strickland was sitting with her back to the light. Her brother-in-law, ColonelMacAndrew, stood in front of the fireplace, warming his back at an unlit fire.To myself my entrance seemed excessively awkward. I imagined that my arrivalhad taken them by surprise, and Mrs. Strickland had let me come in only becauseshe had forgotten to put me off. I fancied that the Colonel resented theinterruption."I wasn't quite sure ifyou expected me, " I said, trying to seem unconcerned."Of course I did. Annewill bring the tea in a minute. "Even in the darkened room, Icould not help seeing that Mrs. Strickland's face was all swollen with tears.Her skin, never very good, was earthy."You remember mybrother-in-law, don't you? You met at dinner, just before the holidays. "We shook hands. I felt soshy that I could think of nothing to say, but Mrs. Strickland came to myrescue. She asked me what I had been doing with myself during the summer, andwith this help I managed to make some conversation till tea was brought in. TheColonel asked for a whisky-and-soda."You'd better have onetoo, Amy, " he said."No; I prefer tea."回过头来读了读我写的思特里克兰德夫妇的故事，我感到这两个人被我写得太没有血肉了。要使书中人物真实动人，需要把他们的性格特征写出来，而我却没有赋予他们任何特色。我想知道这是不是我的过错，我苦思苦想，希望回忆起一些能使他们性格鲜明的特征。我觉得如果我能够详细写出他们说话的某些习惯或者他们的一些离奇的举止，或许就能够突出他们的特点了。象我现在这样写，这两个人好象是一幅古旧挂毯上的两个人形，同背景很难分辨出来；如果从远处看，那就连轮廓也辨别不出，只剩下一团花花绿绿的颜色了。我只有一种辩解：他们给我的就是这样一个印象。有些人的生活只是社会有机体的一部分，他们只能生活在这个有机体内，也只能依靠它而生活，这种人总是给人以虚幻的感觉；思特里克兰德夫妇正是这样的人。他们有如体内的细胞，是身体所决不能缺少的，但是只要他们健康存在一天，就被吞没在一个重大的整体里。思特里克兰德这家人是普普通通的一个中产阶级家庭。一个和蔼可亲、殷勤好客的妻子，有着喜欢结交文学界小名人的无害的癖好；一个并不很聪明的丈夫，在慈悲的上帝安排给他的那种生活中兢兢业业、恪尽职责：两个漂亮、健康的孩子。没有什么比这一家人更为平凡的了。我不知道这一家人有什么能够引起好奇的人注意的。当我想到后来发生的种种事情时，不禁自问：是不是当初我过于迟钝，没有看出查理斯·思特里克兰德身上与常人不同的地方啊？也许是这样的。从那个时候起到现在已经过了这么多年，在此期间我对人情世故知道了不少东西，但是即使当初我认识他们夫妇时就已经有了今天的阅历，我也不认为我对他们的判断就有所不同。只不过有一点会和当年不一样：在我了解到人是多么玄妙莫测之后，我今天决不会象那年初秋我刚刚回到伦敦时那样，在听到那个消息以后会那样大吃一惊了。回到伦敦还不到二十四小时，我就在杰尔敏大街上遇见了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德。“看你今天这么喜气洋洋的样子，”我说，“有什么开心的事啊？”她笑了起来，眼睛流露出一道我早已熟悉的幸灾乐祸的闪光。这意味着她又听到她的某个朋友的一件丑闻，这位女作家的直觉已经处于极度警觉状态。“你看见过查理斯·思特里克兰德，是不是？”不仅她的面孔，就连她的全身都变得非常紧张。我点了点头。我怀疑这个倒霉鬼是不是在证券交易所蚀了老本儿，要不就是让公共汽车轧伤了。“你说，是不是太可怕了？他把他老婆扔了，跑掉了。”瓦特尔芙德小姐肯定觉得，在杰尔敏大街马路边上讲这个故事太辱没这样一个好题目，所以她只是象个艺术家似地把主题抛出来，宣称她并不知道细节。而我却不能埋没她的口才，认为根本无需介意的环境竟会妨碍她给我讲述故事。但是她还是执拗地不肯讲。“我告诉你我什么也不知道，”她回答我激动的问题说，接着，很俏皮地耸了耸肩膀，又加了一句：“我相信伦敦哪家茶点店准有一位年轻姑娘把活儿辞了。”她朝我笑了一下，道歉说同牙医生约定了时间，便神气十足地扬长而去。这个消息与其说叫我难过，不如说使我很感兴趣。在那些日子里我的见闻还很少是亲身经历的第一手材料，因此在我碰到这样一件我在书本里阅读到的故事时，觉得非常兴奋。我承认，现在时间和阅历已经使我习惯于在我相识的人中遇到这类事情了。但是我当时还有一种惊骇的感觉。思特里克兰德那一年一定已经有四十岁了，我认为象他这样年纪的人再牵扯到这种爱情瓜葛中未免令人作呕。在我当时年幼无知，睥睨一切的目光中，一个人陷入爱情而又不使自己成为笑柄，三十五岁是最大的年限。除此以外，这个新闻也给我个人添了点儿小麻烦。原来我在乡下就给思特里克兰德太太写了信，通知她我回伦敦的日期，并且在信中说好如果她不回信另作安排的话，我将在某月某日到她家去吃茶。我遇见瓦特尔芙德小姐正是在这一天，可是思特里克兰德太太并没有给我捎什么信来。她到底想不想见我呢？非常可能，她在心绪烦乱中把我信里订的约会忘到脑后了。也许我应该有自知之明，不去打扰她。可是另一方面，她也可能想把这件事瞒着我，如果我叫她猜出来自己已经听到这件奇怪的消息，那就太不慎重了。我既怕伤害这位夫人的感情，又怕去她家作客惹她心烦，心里非常矛盾。我知道她这时一定痛苦不堪，我不愿意看到别人受苦，自己无力替她分忧；但另一方面我又很想看一看思特里克兰德太太对这件事有何反应，尽管我对这个想法自己也觉得不好意思。我真不知道该怎么办好了。最后我想了个主意：我应该象什么事也没发生那样到她家去，先叫使女进去问一声，思特里克兰德太太方便不方便会客。如果她不想见我，就可以把我打发走了。尽管如此，在我对使女讲起我事前准备的一套话时，我还是窘得要命。当我在幽暗的过道里等着回话的当儿，我不得不鼓起全部勇气才没有中途溜掉。使女从里面走出来。也可能是我过于激动，胡乱猜想，我觉得从那使女的神情看，好象她已经完全知道这家人遭遇的不幸了。“请您跟我来，先生，”她说。我跟在她后面走进客厅。为了使室内光线暗淡，窗帘没有完全拉开。思特里克兰德太太的姐夫麦克安德鲁上校正站在壁炉前面，在没有燃旺的火炉前边烤自己的脊背。我觉得我闯进来是一件极其尴尬的事。我猜想我到这里来一定很出他们意料之外，思特里克兰德太太只是忘记同我另外约会日子才不得不让我进来。我还想，上校一定为我打扰了他们非常生气。“我不太清楚，你是不是等着我来，”我说，故意装作一副若无其事的样子。“当然我在等着你。安妮马上就把茶拿来。”尽管屋子里光线很暗，我也看出来思特里克兰德太太的眼睛已经哭肿了。她的面色本来就不太好，现在更是变成土灰色了。“你还记得我的姐夫吧？度假以前，你在这里吃饭的那天和他见过面。”我们握了握手。我感到忐忑不安，想不出一句好说的话来。但是思特里克兰德太太解救了我；她问起我怎样消夏的事。有她提了这个头，我多少也找到些话说，直捱到使女端上茶点来。上校要了一杯苏打威士忌。“你最好也喝一杯，阿美，”他说。“不，我还是喝茶吧。”

On readingover what I have written of the Stricklands, I am conscious that they must seemshadowy. I have been able to invest them with none of those characteristicswhich make the persons of a book exist with a real life of their own; and,wondering if the fault is mine, I rack my brains to remember idiosyncrasieswhich might lend them vividness. I feel that by dwelling on some trick ofspeech or some queer habit I should be able to give them a significancepeculiar to themselves. As they stand they are like the figures in an oldtapestry; they do not separate themselves from the background, and at adistance seem to lose their pattern, so that you have little but a pleasingpiece of colour. My only excuse is that the impression they made on me was noother. There was just that shadowiness about them which you may find in peoplewhose lives are part of the social organism, so that they exist in it and by itonly. They are like cells in the body, essential, but, so long as they remainhealthy, engulfed in the momentous whole. The Stricklands were an average familyin the middle class. A pleasant, hospitable woman, with a harmless craze forthe small lions of literary society; a rather dull man, doing his duty in thatstate of life in which a merciful Providence had placed him; two nice-looking,healthy children. Nothing could be more ordinary. I do not know that there wasanything about them to excite the attention of the curious.Miss Waterford certainlyfelt that she could not do her subject justice on the curb of Jermyn Street,and so, like an artist, flung the bare fact at me and declared that she knew nodetails. I could not do her the injustice of supposing that so trifling acircumstance would have prevented her from giving them, but she was obstinate."I tell you I knownothing, " she said, in reply to my agitated questions, and then, with anairy shrug of the shoulders: "I believe that a young person in a citytea-shop has left her situation. "She flashed a smile at me,and, protesting an engagement with her dentist, jauntily walked on. I was moreinterested than distressed. In those days my experience of life at first handwas small, and it excited me to come upon an incident among people I knew ofthe same sort as /ai/ had read in books. I confess that time has now accustomed meto incidents of this character among my acquaintance. But I was a littleshocked. Strickland was certainly forty, and I thought it disgusting that a manof his age should concern himself with affairs of the heart. With thesuperciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit atwhich a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself.And this news was slightlydisconcerting to me personally, because I had written from the country to Mrs.Strickland, announcing my return, and had added that unless I heard from her tothe contrary, I would come on a certain day to drink a dish of tea with her.This was the very day, and I had received no word from Mrs. Strickland. Did shewant to see me or did she not? It was likely enough that in the agitation ofthe moment my note had escaped her memory. Perhaps I should be wiser not to go.On the other hand, she might wish to keep the affair quiet, and it might behighly indiscreet on my part to give any sign that this strange news hadreached me. I was torn between the fear of hurting a nice woman's feelings andthe fear of being in the way. I felt she must be suffering, and I did not wantto see a pain which I could not help; but in my heart was a desire, that I felta little ashamed of, to see how she was taking it. I did not know what to do.Finally it occurred to methat I would call as though nothing had happened, and send a message in by themaid asking Mrs. Strickland if it was convenient for her to see me. This wouldgive her the opportunity to send me away. But I was overwhelmed withembarrassment when I said to the maid the phrase I had prepared, and while Iwaited for the answer in a dark passage I had to call up all my strength ofmind not to bolt. The maid came back. Her manner suggested to my excited fancya complete knowledge of the domestic calamity."Will you come thisway, sir?" she said.I followed her into thedrawing-room. The blinds were partly drawn to darken the room, and Mrs.Strickland was sitting with her back to the light. Her brother-in-law, ColonelMacAndrew, stood in front of the fireplace, warming his back at an unlit fire.To myself my entrance seemed excessively awkward. I imagined that my arrivalhad taken them by surprise, and Mrs. Strickland had let me come in only becauseshe had forgotten to put me off. I fancied that the Colonel resented theinterruption."I wasn't quite sure ifyou expected me, " I said, trying to seem unconcerned."Of course I did. Annewill bring the tea in a minute. "Even in the darkened room, Icould not help seeing that Mrs. Strickland's face was all swollen with tears.Her skin, never very good, was earthy."You remember mybrother-in-law, don't you? You met at dinner, just before the holidays. "We shook hands. I felt soshy that I could think of nothing to say, but Mrs. Strickland came to myrescue. She asked me what I had been doing with myself during the summer, andwith this help I managed to make some conversation till tea was brought in. TheColonel asked for a whisky-and-soda."You'd better have onetoo, Amy, " he said."No; I prefer tea."回过头来读了读我写的思特里克兰德夫妇的故事，我感到这两个人被我写得太没有血肉了。要使书中人物真实动人，需要把他们的性格特征写出来，而我却没有赋予他们任何特色。我想知道这是不是我的过错，我苦思苦想，希望回忆起一些能使他们性格鲜明的特征。我觉得如果我能够详细写出他们说话的某些习惯或者他们的一些离奇的举止，或许就能够突出他们的特点了。象我现在这样写，这两个人好象是一幅古旧挂毯上的两个人形，同背景很难分辨出来；如果从远处看，那就连轮廓也辨别不出，只剩下一团花花绿绿的颜色了。我只有一种辩解：他们给我的就是这样一个印象。有些人的生活只是社会有机体的一部分，他们只能生活在这个有机体内，也只能依靠它而生活，这种人总是给人以虚幻的感觉；思特里克兰德夫妇正是这样的人。他们有如体内的细胞，是身体所决不能缺少的，但是只要他们健康存在一天，就被吞没在一个重大的整体里。思特里克兰德这家人是普普通通的一个中产阶级家庭。一个和蔼可亲、殷勤好客的妻子，有着喜欢结交文学界小名人的无害的癖好；一个并不很聪明的丈夫，在慈悲的上帝安排给他的那种生活中兢兢业业、恪尽职责：两个漂亮、健康的孩子。没有什么比这一家人更为平凡的了。我不知道这一家人有什么能够引起好奇的人注意的。当我想到后来发生的种种事情时，不禁自问：是不是当初我过于迟钝，没有看出查理斯·思特里克兰德身上与常人不同的地方啊？也许是这样的。从那个时候起到现在已经过了这么多年，在此期间我对人情世故知道了不少东西，但是即使当初我认识他们夫妇时就已经有了今天的阅历，我也不认为我对他们的判断就有所不同。只不过有一点会和当年不一样：在我了解到人是多么玄妙莫测之后，我今天决不会象那年初秋我刚刚回到伦敦时那样，在听到那个消息以后会那样大吃一惊了。回到伦敦还不到二十四小时，我就在杰尔敏大街上遇见了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德。“看你今天这么喜气洋洋的样子，”我说，“有什么开心的事啊？”她笑了起来，眼睛流露出一道我早已熟悉的幸灾乐祸的闪光。这意味着她又听到她的某个朋友的一件丑闻，这位女作家的直觉已经处于极度警觉状态。“你看见过查理斯·思特里克兰德，是不是？”不仅她的面孔，就连她的全身都变得非常紧张。我点了点头。我怀疑这个倒霉鬼是不是在证券交易所蚀了老本儿，要不就是让公共汽车轧伤了。“你说，是不是太可怕了？他把他老婆扔了，跑掉了。”瓦特尔芙德小姐肯定觉得，在杰尔敏大街马路边上讲这个故事太辱没这样一个好题目，所以她只是象个艺术家似地把主题抛出来，宣称她并不知道细节。而我却不能埋没她的口才，认为根本无需介意的环境竟会妨碍她给我讲述故事。但是她还是执拗地不肯讲。“我告诉你我什么也不知道，”她回答我激动的问题说，接着，很俏皮地耸了耸肩膀，又加了一句：“我相信伦敦哪家茶点店准有一位年轻姑娘把活儿辞了。”她朝我笑了一下，道歉说同牙医生约定了时间，便神气十足地扬长而去。这个消息与其说叫我难过，不如说使我很感兴趣。在那些日子里我的见闻还很少是亲身经历的第一手材料，因此在我碰到这样一件我在书本里阅读到的故事时，觉得非常兴奋。我承认，现在时间和阅历已经使我习惯于在我相识的人中遇到这类事情了。但是我当时还有一种惊骇的感觉。思特里克兰德那一年一定已经有四十岁了，我认为象他这样年纪的人再牵扯到这种爱情瓜葛中未免令人作呕。在我当时年幼无知，睥睨一切的目光中，一个人陷入爱情而又不使自己成为笑柄，三十五岁是最大的年限。除此以外，这个新闻也给我个人添了点儿小麻烦。原来我在乡下就给思特里克兰德太太写了信，通知她我回伦敦的日期，并且在信中说好如果她不回信另作安排的话，我将在某月某日到她家去吃茶。我遇见瓦特尔芙德小姐正是在这一天，可是思特里克兰德太太并没有给我捎什么信来。她到底想不想见我呢？非常可能，她在心绪烦乱中把我信里订的约会忘到脑后了。也许我应该有自知之明，不去打扰她。可是另一方面，她也可能想把这件事瞒着我，如果我叫她猜出来自己已经听到这件奇怪的消息，那就太不慎重了。我既怕伤害这位夫人的感情，又怕去她家作客惹她心烦，心里非常矛盾。我知道她这时一定痛苦不堪，我不愿意看到别人受苦，自己无力替她分忧；但另一方面我又很想看一看思特里克兰德太太对这件事有何反应，尽管我对这个想法自己也觉得不好意思。我真不知道该怎么办好了。最后我想了个主意：我应该象什么事也没发生那样到她家去，先叫使女进去问一声，思特里克兰德太太方便不方便会客。如果她不想见我，就可以把我打发走了。尽管如此，在我对使女讲起我事前准备的一套话时，我还是窘得要命。当我在幽暗的过道里等着回话的当儿，我不得不鼓起全部勇气才没有中途溜掉。使女从里面走出来。也可能是我过于激动，胡乱猜想，我觉得从那使女的神情看，好象她已经完全知道这家人遭遇的不幸了。“请您跟我来，先生，”她说。我跟在她后面走进客厅。为了使室内光线暗淡，窗帘没有完全拉开。思特里克兰德太太的姐夫麦克安德鲁上校正站在壁炉前面，在没有燃旺的火炉前边烤自己的脊背。我觉得我闯进来是一件极其尴尬的事。我猜想我到这里来一定很出他们意料之外，思特里克兰德太太只是忘记同我另外约会日子才不得不让我进来。我还想，上校一定为我打扰了他们非常生气。“我不太清楚，你是不是等着我来，”我说，故意装作一副若无其事的样子。“当然我在等着你。安妮马上就把茶拿来。”尽管屋子里光线很暗，我也看出来思特里克兰德太太的眼睛已经哭肿了。她的面色本来就不太好，现在更是变成土灰色了。“你还记得我的姐夫吧？度假以前，你在这里吃饭的那天和他见过面。”我们握了握手。我感到忐忑不安，想不出一句好说的话来。但是思特里克兰德太太解救了我；她问起我怎样消夏的事。有她提了这个头，我多少也找到些话说，直捱到使女端上茶点来。上校要了一杯苏打威士忌。“你最好也喝一杯，阿美，”他说。“不，我还是喝茶吧。”

This week we have a knock out show. We speak to some key female Influencers, Designers and Owners of menswear fashion outlets within the heart of London. We chat with Fashion Director and Stylist Sarah Ann Murray, the Co-Founder of Western Assembly Kiran Sumra and the infamous Shirtmaker of Jermyn Street, Emma Willis. Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.

Libby Purves meets archaeologist Deirdre O'Sullivan of the Greyfriars Research Team which discovered and excavated Richard III; pilot Mark Vanhoenacker; Frances Ross the great-granddaughter of engineer Sebastian de Ziani Ferranti and Penny Horner and Howard Jameson who co-founded the Jermyn Street Theatre. Deirdre O'Sullivan is an archaeologist at Leicester University. A specialist in medieval archaeology and friaries, she is academic advisor to the Greyfriars Project which discovered and excavated the remains of Richard III. The Bones of a King is the official behind-the-scenes story of the excavation of Richard III based on the research of the specialists involved in the discovery. The Bones Of A King - Richard III Rediscovered by the Greyfriars Research Team with Maev Kennedy and Lin Foxhall is published by Wiley-Blackwell. Mark Vanhoenacker is a long haul pilot who operated his first commercial flight in 2003. Formerly a management consultant, becoming a pilot was his childhood dream. In his book, Skyfaring - A Journey with a Pilot, he shares his love of flying from new ways of map making and the poetry of physics to the names of winds and the nature of clouds. Skyfaring - A Journey with a Pilot is published by Chatto and Windus. Dr Frances Ross is the great-granddaughter of Sebastian de Ziani Ferranti, an engineer, whose contribution to World War One is the focus of a new exhibition, the Innovation Race. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Munitions in 1915 when Britain was experiencing a major shell crisis, Ferranti converted his Oldham factory from domestic goods to shells and fuses. The Innovation Race: Manchester's Makers Join the First World War is at the Museum of Science And Industry (MOSI) in Manchester. Penny Horner and Howard Jameson are co-founders of the Jermyn Street Theatre. They staged their first production in the basement of 16b Jermyn Street - formerly a restaurant - in 1994. The theatre is now established as one of London's leading off-West End studio theatres, showcasing new work and forgotten classics from Ibsen's Little Eyolf to the Ivor Novello musical Gay's The Word. The Heart of Things by Giles Cole is at Jermyn Street Theatre.

London teems with lively shopping districts. Near Piccadilly, stroll Jermyn Street's quintessentially English shops for an elegant experience. Nearby the trendy Soho district beckons with its thriving, colorful youth scene and a diverse array of restaurants and theaters. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.

London teems with lively shopping districts. Near Piccadilly, stroll Jermyn Street's quintessentially English shops for an elegant experience. Nearby the trendy Soho district beckons with its thriving, colorful youth scene and a diverse array of restaurants and theaters. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.

JOSH PRESENTS our first episode with a live studio audience. Recorded on 11 July at the Jermyn Street Theatre, this episode presents the work of three writing teams creating new musical theatre with Mercury Musical Developments, an organisation devoted to new musicals and their writers. Hear songs from an adaptation of Hardy, a revue about the histories of celebrity corpses and a contemporary take on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.