The Spoon Drawer

Source: Stylish Man There was a time when “men’s grooming” meant “not stinking” and “not being naked”. It was a dark time that reeked of Axe and rustled with poorly-fitting clothes. It’s much easier now to become a modern gent but the myriad ways to achieve full dapper-dom can be overwhelming. Fear not! Follow these tips to Destination Gentleman. Be Sharp: Suit Up With Flair A gentleman wears a suit . Simple, right? Not quite... If you’re starting – and ending -- with a suit off a rack, you’ve stumbled at gent. Invest in quality tailoring and explore different materials and cuts to define your personal style as a gentleman. Start with two suits: a heavier winter suit and a summer suit. As you construct each, consider all the details that will add to your style: peaked lapels bring evening-sharpness to the look, additional pockets break the symmetry, kissing buttons add a handmade feel. With each suit, choose the material carefully. You want a wardrobe th

I once spoke with a retired pharmacist on the topic of advertising medicine. In the US, I understand that drug advertisements are common place – whereas this is far different in the United Kingdom. This was always something that had confused me. Over the countless years of watching American television, reading American media, and engaging with American video game entertainment, I’m surprised that more Brits weren’t becoming accustomed to billboard advertisements for miracle cures. The pharmaceutical industry contributes £32.4billion to the UK economy (as of 2014). How on earth can an industry remain profitable with little or no direct advertising of the medicines they manufacture? I learned that in the UK, the method is to raise awareness around the medical condition – which in turn drives those with suspected symptoms into their local doctor’s surgery and then to the pharmacy to purchase the medicine. Medicine supplies distributed by pharmacy wholesalers are expected to re

VR Glasses, robot pups, unspillable drinks and close-up magic tricks are among the top 10 products expected to sell out for men and boys this Christmas, according to retailers RED5 and Menkind. Following Christmas bestseller predictions from Argos and  Hamleys , the highstreet men's shops have announced their must-have products for 2016. With some great gadgets on their lists, I've chosen my own top five that I'd be happy to find in my own stocking this year. Vizor Glasses Pro VR is everywhere now with Samsung Gear pushing hard to move it from the high-end domain of the Oculus Rift and HTC  Vive to the normal living room. RED5's Vizor Glasses offer both virtual and augmented reality and said to provide "a good value, high quality entry into the world of VR" - just clip in your smartphone and off you go. At £20, and Google now launching its own VR tours of cultural landmarks , this seems like a perfect gadget for 2017. CHiP, the robot

We are all more than aware of the monumental challenge that awaits us each year. Will we crack and crumble under the pressure? Will our minds go blank as we scan our brains for the answer? Will we be reduced to panicking and crawling around on our hands and knees with the other poor, damned souls? Yes, it is that time of the year again- it is time to starting think about what to buy our dear dads for Christmas. This used to be a challenge that I was reluctant to even admit that I had to partake in. I would usually leave it until Christmas Eve before venturing out and joining the others in our sacred quest in the centre of town.  Now, however, with the Christmas creep seemingly coming earlier, and my local Waitrose assembling their Christmas tree before I have even had a chance to wash the stench of bonfire smoke out of my hair, I can now proudly claim to be well-versed in all things Christmas. If you are bored of getting

Image: https://pixabay.com/en/cigar-smoking-cigar-cigarette-362183/ It’s that time of year again when men across the country attempt to grow out their facial hair (with varying degrees of success) in the name of Movember. And whilst it might be amusing to watch as your best mate tries in vain to get past the fluffy and patchy phase of his ‘moustache’, it’s important to recognise that Movember is a serious campaign that is about much more than facial hair. The Movember Movement When two Australian friends decided to grow moustaches in aid of charity back in 2003, it’s unlikely they had any idea that the 28-other original ‘Mo Bros’ they enlisted would go on to become a global community of 5 million by 2016. With such a vast following, the Movember movement now aims to reduce the number of men dying prematurely worldwide by 25% in 2030. So why the moustache? As a symbol of power, manliness and maturity, it perfectly captures the heart of the campaign, whilst embra

Source: unsplash.com via Pexels 2012 was a great year for cycling; Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott all won gold at the London Olympics. It brought about a new wave of interest in cycling and more than ever, people of all ages wanted to ride a bike. The ‘cycle to work’ scheme, which aims to promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce the negative impact on the environment, has been around since 1999, but it saw renewed interest following Britain’s success in London. Even some of the sports attire for cycling has become popular – sales for casual cycling clothing are ever increasing. There has been a big rise in the trend of ‘athleisure’; the concept of sports-meets-causal clothing which can be worn in either scenario. More and more brands are creating lines, many partnering with celebrities, like Beyonce’s Ivy Park collection with Topshop. This, of course, has been contributed to by the ‘clean eating’ trend which floods most social media feeds these days (

Like many of my fellow Brightonians, my August Bank Holiday weekend is well planned in advance and could be considered by some to be somewhat lacking in variety. However, if you have been to the Notting Hill Carnival, then I am sure you are able to understand my attraction to the colourful carnival which continues to draw millions of revellers from all corners of the world. The History The Notting Hill carnival remains the largest street festival in Europe and can trace its roots back to 1964 as an outlet for the African-Caribbean communities to celebrate their cultures and traditions in a country which was not as racially diverse and tolerant as it is today. The carnival can trace its roots all the way back to Trinidad and the street carnivals of the early 19 th century, which celebrated the end of slavery and the slave trade. The story goes that the very first Notting Hill Carnival consisted of the steel band musicians who played in Earls Court every weekend. As the b

Source It was revealed last week that social care for the over 65s was the latest victim of the Tory-led funding cuts. The report, which was released by the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust, paints an ever depressing picture of the state of local authority care providers in the UK. The cuts, coupled with an increasingly ageing population, has created a perfect storm, which has left the current system almost at breaking point, with many care homes predicted to go bust as the ripple effect is felt across the market. With local authority spending on care falling by 25% in the five years leading up to 2015, the report makes it crystal clear that the existing system is neglecting the over 65s and leaving vulnerable people at risk. A reported 4 in 10 people in care homes are now covering the cost themselves, as the current means-tested system is leaving less and less people with support from local authorities. This method has left care providers increasingly concerned, as care is

Leaving university often feels like something of an anti-climax; you work flat out for 3 years, well OK, 2 years, and then all of a sudden, it is all over. You are left with nothing other than a feeling of emptiness and thousands of pounds of debt to your name. There is also the prospect of having to enter the world of work, which leaves you with a feeling of dread. Source What if I told you that leaving university doesn’t have to be the end of your life as you know it?  There are ways in which you can escape the monotony of the rat race and continue to learn about yourself and the world around you, all you need is a bucket load of courage and determination to see you through. How to survive the current situation With the recent news that UK graduates are struggling to find skilled work and more than one in three are employed in low-skilled jobs. Official figures have recently exposed the fact that there has been a 2.2% drop in the number of 21 to 30-year o

Source It has been over 6 years since Labour were ousted from power in the UK, bringing their 13-year reign to a rather abrupt end. Despite the fact that Labour oversaw one of the most successful economies in the UK’s history, Blair’s decision to take the country to war in Iraq proved to be too much for some voters, allowing the Conservatives to profit from a swing of 3.7%. However, this swing did not prove to be decisive enough, with the Labour party coming in second, only 1.2 million votes ahead of the third placed, Liberal Democrats. Since then we have heard a variety of bizarre statements from Tory and UKIP voters and politicians, ranging from: “Gordon Brown caused the Credit Crunch” to “Labour have ruined the economy forever”. It remains to be seen just how Labour inflicted a worldwide recession on the rest of the world, but why let facts and reason get in the way of a good old uneducated rant? The truth is that over the last 6 years we have seen Nick Clegg and the