It has been 60 years to the day since The Queen’s accession and to mark the Diamond Jubilee, John Walker & sons have created something rather special.
The Luxury Diamond Jubilee Whiskey by John Walker & Sons will today become one of the world’s rarest whiskys. Only 60 editions will be released for sale worldwide, with each bottle worth £100,000.
Diamond Jubilee has been maturing for 60 years, it is a specially crafted blend of rare malt and grain Scotch Whiskies.
In strengthening the connection to HM further, the final, traditional step of marrying has been carried out in casks made by the John Walker & Sons coopers using oak provided by kind permission of The Queen from her private Sandringham Estate.
More than 60 (yep, there’s a theme here….60!) artisans have been involved in producing this very special whisky including QEST scholars.
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust is the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association that preserves rare craft and conservation skills.
John Walker & Sons have pledged that £1,000,000 of the sales of Diamond Jubilee will be donated to QEST.
Other supreme craftsmanship in evidence here can be seen in the form of Baccarat Crystal. The multi-faceted, diamond-shaped decanter which rests on a crystal stand has six radial legs, each one reflecting a decade of The Queen’s enduring reign.
Hamilton & Inches, Scotland’s leading jeweller and silversmiths have been responsible for a Britannia silver decanter collar set with a half-carat diamond, a John Walker & Sons Ltd Royal Warrant and entwined JW&S monogram to adorn the crystal, and a silver transit stopper.
Cumbria Crystal, the only maker of English full lead crystal, have created a bespoke lead crystal glass, cut with six main facets to mark six decades of The Queen’s reign and with the John Walker & Sons monogram engraved in the base.
The Diamond Jubilee whisky from john Walker & Sons is a truly special whisky, made using the finest ingredients and craftsmanship.
Whisky fit for a Queen!
The idyllic sanctuary which is The LookOut in Hyde Park will be home to meditation expert Andy Puddicombe, creator of Headspace, for 3 events in February, March and April. Headspace is a mindfulness project designed to bring the benefits of meditation to busy, modern professionals.
The LookOut is the perfect space to escape busy London life and is designed with the environment in mind. It provides a light and airy space amongst nature to relax and enjoy your surroundings – perfect for meditation.
Andy will be introducing the art of meditation with a quick start guide with all attendees walking away confident that they know exactly what to do to get some Headspace. There’s no mystery, no jargon and no religion. There’s no role play, no name badges and no group hugging! Best of all, Andy’s teaching is clear, simple and easy to follow.
“He’s open, likable, direct, the kind of man any mother would approvingly call ‘down to earth’. He glows with health and energy and has an aura of natural charm. He also has two characteristics that distinguish him from most self-styled gurus: he is unaffected and modest, and he is eminently qualified to teach his subject’.” The Times
The events will offer short meditation sessions to introduce attendees to the art of meditation along with offering tips and guidance and support for those wanting to introduce meditation into their daily routine. Andy is a highly inspirational person and will also be sharing fascinating stories from his experiences as a Buddhist monk.
Afterwards you can gain access to personalised online support and you’ll be given resources to help you get the most out of the Headspace experience.
The Events will be on 4th February, 3rd March and 14th April with the first session running from 11am-12.30pm and the second session running from 2.30pm-4pm.
Quantas have revealed their new first class deck in their A380’s. This has to be the definition of luxury aeroplane.
The double-deck A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft flying today and Quantas have now made this the luxury aeroplane of choice.
The first class cabin oozes extravagance and high end design, with a futuristic slant. Some commentators have already labelled it the ‘Star Trek Enterprise cabin’.
I haven’t got a problem with that, in fact I’m tempted to get my Trekkie uniform out and live the dream.
The Quantas first class cabin was designed by Australian Marc Newson. The cabin houses 14 individual portioned mini suites, with customers comfort being the highest priority.
Lounge chairs that transform into sheepskin upholstered beds, personal entertainment systems and private desks make these suites rather special.
The entertainment system comes in the form of a touch screen LCD monitor with 1000 on demand films and TV shows.
With the communal areas, the theme of luxury aeroplane is continued; Leather couches, plants (in a plane?!!) and overhead lighting that is designed to mimic the stars in a night sky.
With Quantas’s help the A380, Airbus’ 21st century flagship, has been transformed into THE luxury aeroplane.
And I do not own a Trekkie uniform.
A candle may not be perceived as a luxury item and is poles apart from the £6,000,000 iPhone we mentioned last week.
But forget price being the definition of luxury – it’s all about having the best of something – and in this case, I’m looking at candles.
Bake Boutique are a new concept in British-made luxury scented candles, which has just launched.
Its first collection is inspired by the scents of the kitchen - the heart and soul of every home. Bake Boutique has taken this concept and given it a quirky, modern twist by creating chic, yet fun, candles to bring the most scrumptious and enticing smells of the bakery into the home.
All Bake Boutique products are 100% made in England, including the packaging. Each luxury scented candles is hand-poured, with and only uses the purest soy wax, blending in the finest fragrance oils from around the world, with a lead-free cotton wick.
This ensures a long, clean, non-toxic burn. 45 hours to be precise.
The first edition comprises 5 different aromas, based on much loved baking classics, which really will scent the home. Scents include Almond coffee cake, Honeycomb Chocolate brownie, Cinnamon Gingerbread Man, Red Velvet Slice and Vanilla cupcake.
Bake Boutique’s luxury scented candles are available now and cost £32 each.
On Friday, we reported on two of the most expensive phones. One of them contained shavings of dinosaur bone and I wanted to explore this area further.
There is a showroom in Pimlico, London, that offers the most amazing bounty of luxury crystals, fossils and minerals.
Fossil hunter and adventurer Dale Rogers has taken years to scour the globe, seeking out the finest historical artefacts…aka an interior designers dream.
Dale Rogers Ammonite houses a collection that includes pieces dating back over 450 million years.
His collection of geological wonders have taken years to accumulate, and have taken him to The Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the USA, Japan, Dubai, as well as including some perilous moments in Afghanistan.
Starting with a modest stall in London’s famous Portobello Road, Dale Rogers Ammonite has exhibited across the globe from the UK and USA (Arizona) to Japan and Dubai.
With pieces ranging from a few centimetres to over 2 metres, there are treasures to suit every price point, ranging from a modest £50 to over £20K. Still a little better on the pocket than that £6,000,000 phone!
These incredibly rare fossils, minerals and crystals can be bought from the gallery on 77 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8PH, and viewed on the website.
