LIFESTYLE
How to Spend It
Chinese snuff bottles. Once tokens of affection and accomplishment in the 17th-century Imperial Court, these exquisitely crafted bijou vessels retain their potent appeal...
When Jesuit missionaries introduced snuff to the Qing Imperial Court in the 17th century, it would have been hard to imagine that a bottle created to house the fiery mixture of tobacco, aromatics, spices, camphor and jasmine would one day achieve £2.1m at auction.
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Calling-card cases. Once social signifiers of the 1800s, these ornate boxes have found new élan as business-card holders...
During the reign of Queen Victoria, calling cards and the formalities around them became as indicative of social standing as an entry in Debrett’s. But it is the cases that carried these social signifiers that are currently resurging in popularity and value...
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Yogic bliss with bird’s-eye vistas. Guests at The Berkeley can experience sun salutations on its rooftop terrace for an uplifting yogic experience
The Berkeley plans to elevate the art of yoga this summer with daily rooftop classes – running from June 15 to October 1 – created in collaboration with neighbouring active-wear boutique Silou London, whose co-founder and yoga instructor Phoebe Greenacre...
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A grand London hotel is reborn. In the heart of Bloomsbury. The Principal London restores an historic building to glamorous new heights
Many will have passed the glorious Grade II-listed Victorian building on London’s Russell Square – designed in 1898 by Charles Fitzroy Doll – and pondered why it had fallen into decline. But on Monday April 16, the renovated grande dame of Bloomsbury reopens...
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The AllBright club for working women launches in Bloomsbury. “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other”
Twenty five years ago, when she was United States ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright coined a phrase that resonated with women around the world: “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.”...
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Outdoor cinema new-year cheer at The Berkeley. A rooftop cabin for two and a rousing rom-com to lift the spirits
As an antidote to the post-Christmas blues, The Berkeley hotel’s private rooftop cinema is screening two feelgood films to rouse the spirits. The exclusive cinema has just eight seats and is set within a secret sky-high garden with views of Knightsbridge and Belgravia...
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Ritz recruits Board Games Butlers for Christmas. Its very own Twister and Connect 4 aficionados
Gathering the family for an evening of board games is as essential to Christmas as the Queen’s Speech, plum pudding and brandy butter. During Christmas week (December 21-29), those families staying at The Ritz London may continue the tradition in the comfort of their room...