Thompson Brand Partners

Hotel view to die for

This week's excursion to the West Country delivered a fabulously mundane hotel window view.

Berwick upon Tweed

Spent a very cold but hugely enjoyable weekend in Berwick upon Tweed recently. Famous for being the town that has changed sides more than any other in the UK, it has a lot going for it. 

If you've ever done the east coast mainline to Edinburgh you'll have travelled across the famous viaduct and seen the town sitting there, all picturesque and interesting. It has much to commend and on a winters book club visit recently we visited the best restaurant and the only pub that's worth drinking in.

I've never been to a town that's so heavily fortified - it started off with the Romans of course trying to keep the Scots out, then in the middle ages it was more of the same and then in Elizabethan times it was further fortified against the Spanish I expect. The second world war saw huge gun emplacements added to the armour. All defending against an enemy that never came knocking...

Atmospheric landscape courtesy of Andrew Edwards.

New York New York

Well, Lucky me has just got back from a weeks break in the Big Apple.  It was my second time to this amazing city and loved it just as much if not more than the first time.  The weather was cold but beautiful sunshine which made for lovely scenery in Central Park with the spectacular autumnal colours. Highlights this time included - rowing in Central Park (see attached photo), watching Hairspray on Broadway, MoMa, and the best blueberry pancakes in Lower East Side.  There was of course loads of shopping, but little did I realise how the dollar had fallen.  So, those brucey bargains just ain't as good but hey it was still worth every penny.

Madrid

Madrid trip last weekend was outstanding. If you've never been before then the Tapas is legendary around Santa Anna - we literally lost count of the bars and and restaurants we visited. It's the done thing to have a drink and a small Tapas in a bar then move on. We finished the first night in the most amazing museum of ham (not really, my translation) still serving cheese and ham from the counter at 2am. Fabulous.

Highlight of the second day had to be the Guernica at the Renee Sofia - Picasso's depiction of the Spanish Civil War really was shocking and profound. An entire gallery is dedicated to the context of this modern masterpiece and when you finally see the painting it truly mesmerises. It made me realise that I need to know more about the whole Spanish civil war.

Final day spent wandering through the backstreets of Madrid just enjoying the atmosphere of one of Europe's proper cities. Big, complicated, scruffy, non touristy, chaotic, streets packed at 3am, unpretentious but with a big heart and a real sense of itself. Madrid has it all in spades. And the light - Ian reminded me - the light was completely unique, low and bright, almost blue in colour, offering the last blast of summer until next spring.

Dorset

I'm not sure whether this post should be in food or travel as it covers both.

As part of my ongoing research into brands I completely love and buy into wholeheartedly, I spent a very cool weekend in Dorset at the River Cottage. Although it's a very long way to go for a weekend, we had the best time ever..

Regular readers will have already noted my earlier brand 'tribute' to Hugh's empire and if I'm honest, I never fail to be amazed every time I go. How do they do it? Clearly the team is everything and long after Hugh has gone to tend to his Saddlebacks, the team is living the brand and quite frankly, loving it.

250 people from all walks of life (city bankers, celebrity dentists, printers, designers - and that's just our table) gathered for an annual members party that was a night to remember. In depth conversations with John, the in house mushroom expert, left me more nervous than ever about wild mushroom foraging and my wife's insistence that she gives Hugh a kiss AND a cuddle 'just for me' left an indelible impression on me.

What's the brand lesson learnt from the evening? Well, there was no heating in the marquee and it was really cold (see your breath in the air cold), the power kept cutting out, it was rough and ready and the band came on stage an hour late. But you know what? Nobody cared. It wasn't just alcohol (although it helped) but it was the equity the River Cottage brand has built up over the years meant that even if there were a few problems, nobody cared. Strangers talked to each other and friends were made.

One day all dinners will be like this. And no black tie. Here's me, Hugh and the missus (Julie)...

Avebury

Avebury is the site of one of the most impressive Neolithic stone circle sites in the world. It's one of the finest examples of its kind and whenever I'm in the neighbourhood, I always make a point of seeing the stones.

It's over 5,000 years old and much older than it's more famous megalithic neighbour Stonehenge. In fact, Stonehenge is a relative newcomer and boasts high tech megalithic innovations such as tenon joints!

I never fail to be gobsmacked by Avebury - as you approach it on the road all of a sudden you're surrounded by enormous stones on every side. When you walk amongst the stones (which you can't do at Stonehenge of course) there's a real atmosphere that's hard to put your finger on. Whether you're a pagan, a wicca or a tourist though, Avebury delivers on every level. There's a genuine sense of magic and mystery when you walk amongst the ancient stones, its almost like they're trying to reach out across the millennia and adjust our wavelength to something different.

Blimey - that's deep. Anyway, well worth a visit should you be in the West Country

Beside the Seaside

Well the Thames Estuary anyway!

While we were in Southend we somehow found time to enjoy the British seaside in the glorious sunshine and even managed to go to the arcades. All in a day's work!

A lonely Valentines Day in Rome!

February 14th, for a lot of people the most romantic day of the year – and to spend it in one of the most romantic cities in the world must sound like a marriage made in heaven. However, this year I spent all of Valentines day and the day after sat in a printer's in Rome on a press pass for the new Leeds Trinity Prospectus which we have recently completed.

It's the first time we have placed print abroad so It was quite a big deal for us to make sure things ran smoothly. Our concerns however, were completely unnecessary. When I arrived at the pristine factory I was greeted by a series of friendly faces and given flawless looking print which was just waiting to be signed off. And that was pretty much the pattern for the two days I was there. There were very few  tweaks to make during the running of the job as the Italian's attention to detail and perfectionist working methods corrected anything necessary before I had a chance to see it.

After two long days in the factory, we had a few hours to spare so we went out for a fantastic meal and a whistlestop tour of Rome by night.  Thanks to my wonderful driver and tour guide Angelo Mancini, (who is actually the president and founder of the printers) I had a very informative and enjoyable tour around the city, seeing so many sights that I can only remember a handful of places not least the very impressive St. Peters Basilica!

I'm now looking forward to receiving the finished article next week – and perhaps my next trip to Rome will be a tad more conventional with my girlfriend in tow for a sightseeing bonanza!