The names Vallis. Jules Vallis. Emerging from the exotic waters, like Bond Girl ‘Honey Ryder’ in the 1962 classic ‘Dr. No’, Julian (Jules) Vallis returns to the scene with World Martini Day’s 2nd ever birthday. And his latest project comes armed with a License to Thrill! As for who looks better in a white bikini,... Continue Reading →
A lot of people joke about being bad with geography. But I am so useless with directions, I literally got lost getting out of a tent once… No, really. It sounds far fetched, I know, but I genuinely got lost with a 2 meter radius and was completely bamboozled by the whole situation. I was... Continue Reading →
I just got an email from Martin…otherwise known as ‘The Boss’. And I’ve got to be honest…it’s a little bit awkward. You see, in the run up to Valentines Day, he’s invited me down to London for the evening to meet with him on his boat, on a promise of drinks and sweet treats. And... Continue Reading →
Festivals. A quintessential part of the British Summer. And as I sit gazing out of the window to pen this little ditty, I’m greeted by a sign that leaves me in absolutely no doubt that we’ve reached that glorious time of the year... Yep, you’ve guessed it. It’s bloody raining. Again. Relentlessly! And it’s at... Continue Reading →
Preheat the oven Whenever I tell friends that I enjoy ‘cooking with gin’ they instantly ask me what culinary delights I have been whipping up with a gin centre piece. A batch of gin soaked cupcakes? A gastronomic fete featuring a juniper infused sauce? Perhaps a cleverly marinated botanical masterpiece? No, no, no - I... Continue Reading →
Don’t think about pink Elephants... Don’t look behind that door over there... Don’t press that button... Chances are that when you hear these lines, you’ll ultimately end up thinking of pink elephants, trespassing and punching that button so hard that it falls through the floor right?! There’s something in our nature that dares us to... Continue Reading →
Let’s talk hypothetically for a moment and say you get a free wish. Go ahead, it’s on me! What are you going to go for? . A wealth of riches? . A superpower? . A dragon?! (come on, be realistic - dragons don’t exist!) . England to win the World Cup?... (ok, what colour would... Continue Reading →
At the risk of alienating any bears within my readership (of which I can only imagine there are several), I'll admit that I've never really been a fan of honey... When I was growing up, my Grandad would merrily devour a teaspoon of the stuff direct from the jar, and swore by its natural properties... Continue Reading →
I once watched a drunk man, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and a smile, step barefoot from a porta-cabin toilet in to (...let's give him the benefit of the doubt here) 'definitely just mud' that went up to the middle of his shins. Assessing his surroundings, and taking a couple of seconds to enjoy... Continue Reading →
'For Fox sake'! I exclaimed with a sudden sense of panic and urgency... I looked over at my wife with a poorly disguised sense of childish anticipation, eagerly longing for a reaction... Nothing. Not a flinch. Perhaps this had something to do with the fact it was only around 2.30pm, and I was already on... Continue Reading →
The Gin Shelf 
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