Hotels

a la Colthard/The Spread Eagle Midhurst

There was something reassuring about this traditional hotel in Midhurst, West Sussex, where my room had a proper key – not a card – the service was friendly but professional and there were floral china cups. Upon arriving last Sunday I ate smoked salmon and egg sandwiches with a glass [...]

November 2, 2022 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: London hotels post Covid

I was shocked – when seeking to book a hotel in Mayfair for the first weekend in September – to be quoted over £1,000 a night for Browns in Albemarle Street. I imagine hotels are making up their Covid losses in the summer when occupancy is much higher and Browns is uber posh but [...]

August 22, 2022 // 0 Comments

Gleneagles Hotel

Bob Tickler had it right. After the student accommodation, the Rust Group felt they were entitled to some pampering and where better to get it than the Gleneagles Hotel? It’s the place where the Gleneagles Agreement – effectively banning apartheid South Africa from sport – was [...]

July 23, 2022 // 0 Comments

The Balmoral Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel has an interesting history. Like many of its nature it started life as a railway hotel called the Northern British (Railway Hotel). It is still positioned right above the main station Waverley. It has a clock which runs 3 minutes late to help passengers. Forte Hotel Group [...]

July 22, 2022 // 0 Comments

Goodbye Gleneagles, hello Hotel Balmoral Edinburgh

We were all sad to leave the luxurious Gleneagles. No wonder it hosts so many events. In fact the Head of Events Charlotte is the niece of a friend of Bob Tickler and when we met her she explained that security – including detailed vetting of herself – was a vital feature of putting on [...]

July 21, 2022 // 0 Comments

An evening at Windsor Races

Whilst we sporting Rusters often prefer TV-watching to attendance, in recent weeks Duggie Heath has reported from the Lord Test, Ivan Conway from the Oval and yesterday I was at Windsor evening races for its most popular meet on the Monday of Royal Ascot week. Disappointing would be too strong but [...]

June 14, 2022 // 0 Comments

Problems at the Hotel du Vin Cannizaro

Readers will recall my distrust of restaurants with fine views. The same applies to hotels. The Hotel du Vin Cannizaro is a fine white palatial stucco mansion set in parklands by Wimbledon Common. Wimbledon has many amenities: the Common, the All England tennis championship, theatre, a picturesque [...]

June 12, 2022 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard/restaurant wrap up

Last weekend’s visit to Sanary and Cannes on Monday meant for some visits to some fine restaurants. At Sanary we always go to the Hotel de la Tour whose signature dish is sea bass baked in salt. It’s delicious but leaves you thirsty. Mireille does not hold back on ordering and the final bill [...]

April 28, 2022 // 0 Comments

Hotel Mamounia and Fowey

Two of my favourite places in the world were featured in programmes I watched yesterday. The first was Fowey in Rick Stein’s travelogue on Cornwall on BBC 2. In the early 80s I travelled to North Cornwall a lot and enjoyed many a meal at Rick Stein’s first restaurant The Seafood Restaurant at [...]

March 29, 2022 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard/Semolina and the Pig in South Downs

Semolina was recommended to me by the greeter/manageress at my hairdresser in Brighton. Its location off London Road, north of the centre, is not the best as it’s an area known for druggies. The restaurant is small. On the night we (my guest was a spirited Aussie girl who is a party animal) we [...]

March 26, 2022 // 0 Comments

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Manchester United 1 Brighton HAFC 2

January 12, 2026 // 0 Comments

Tom Hollingsworth called it right on giantkilling. . I’m old enough to remember Brighton in the old 4th division and buying Spurs double winner centre forward the burly [...]
FA CUP LIVES ON

January 11, 2026 // 0 Comments

That strange British eccentricity’ hss allowed the FA Cup to live on despite weakened teams, moved kick off times and even days and overseas players and head coaches [...]
The Tanner Report : Walham Green walloped

January 8, 2026 // 0 Comments

No victory means more to a Fulham supporter than beating their SW6 rivals aka Walham Green . Over the years we have lived in their shadow and in the Jose Mourinho era [...]
Amorim & Maresca leave .

January 5, 2026 // 0 Comments

The ‘departure of Amor anf Maresca with their clubs lying in 6th and 5th place respectively is a game changer. Time was a manager/ head coach waited till a sacking then [...]
The Tanner Report : Fulham 2 Liverpool 2

January 5, 2026 // 0 Comments

Although there were some Fulham fans disappointed by this draw I was not one of them. Marvo Silva had to set up with 7 absentees and came up with a 3-5-1-1 which worked well [...]