Football Fever

The end of the English season spells gloom for football fans who can't even look forward to Euro 2008 this summer. Keep withdrawal symptoms at bay by catching a last minute end-of-season match with Bayern Munich at their amazing new Allianz Arena. (Eat your heart out Emirates Stadium.) Bayern Munich is one of the most successful clubs in football history with four Champions League titles, one UEFA cup title, one Cup Winners Cup title, 20 National Championships, 13 German Cups and two Intercontinental trophies. The classy Mandarin Oriental hotel in Munich has come up with a brilliant wheeze for well-heeled football fans (no riff-raff please.) The hotel has devised a two-night stay (including breakfast) with flights from the UK plus tickets for a Bayern game at the Allianz Arena. There's even an FC Bayern gift thrown in for free - great for the kids you've had to leave at home. VIP tickets are available but there'll be an extra charge. For bookings and reservations up to the end of May, contact Original Travel on 020 7978 7333 or visit
www.originaltravel.co.uk

 
 
 
 

Petrol Heads

The Salon Privé event at the Hurlingham club in south west London this summer is the ultimate event for boy racers of any age. From Wednesday 2nd July - Friday 4th July, more than 100 of the world's rarest and most expensive cars, both modern and classic, will be on display. It will be the most outrageously extravagant event in the British motoring calendar and prestige names like Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche and Maybach are bringing along their most luxurious models. Also on show will be the fastest production car in the world, the American-built mid-engine sports car, the SCC Aero by Shelby Super Cars. It has a top speed of 413 km/hr (257mph) and has never been seen before in the UK. Forget those motor shows with barriers, naff dolly birds and endless queues. Salon Privé is strictly up close and personal - you can smell the leather, try the steering and talk to the owners. This event, created by brothers David and Andrew Bagley, is inspired by top international motoring landmarks such as Villa d'Este and Pebble Beach. It is open only to genuine manufacturers, not car dealers, creating a much more private and enticing atmosphere.

One highlight of the three days will be Friday's Concours d'Elegance when exceptional cars and their besotted owners turn up for a mouth-watering display of raw power and serious showing off. Expect to see Mark Knopfler, Anton Bilton and Jay Kay whose Maserati A6G by Frua took the top prize last year. In addition, Steve McQueen's Ferrari 250 Lusso will be on view. This car was recently sold for £1.2million and it has never been seen before in this country.

On top of all this high-quality engineering, there's loads of glamour, luxury, fabulous food, picnics, a summer ball, entertainment and a charity auction for the Prince's Trust. For details of all the events, timetable, ticket prices and everything else you need to know visit www.salonprivelondon.com

Caption:
Cheap at the price. Steve McQueen's Ferrari Lusso 250 sold last year for £1.2million

 
 
 
 

Spikey Lady

Jade Jagger, (design icon, rock chic, sex kitten) has finished her stint at Garrard, revamping the dusty Crown Jewellers for a cool new-money clientele, but she's keeping her hand in with this commission from prestige vodka brand Belvedere. The Jagger Dagger adds a totally new dimension to the simple business of ordering a drink, a sexy ritual where ice, alcohol and the merest thrill of violence come together. Imagine you're in one of the coolest nightclubs in the world. Delivered to your table is an architectural block of ice. The Jagger Dagger is used to create shards of hand-cracked ice which, as any expert knows, dissolves more slowly than normal ice cubes and so keeps the drink chilled without diluting it. The dagger has been made in limited quantities and there are just 100 featuring semi-precious stones to be used in exclusive venues around the world including Crystal in London and IOAK in New York. For maximum impact, there is a limited edition of the Jagger Dagger with 12 carats of diamonds, 42 shimmering sapphires and an 18 carat white gold hilt. Harrods is the only London stockist for the daggers. The semi-precious stone version, valued at £5,000, is available in the food and drink department of the store; the ultimate version valued at £125,000 is in the Fine Jewellery department. And if your budget doesn't run to this superior ice pick, console yourself with a couple of bottles of Belvedere vodka. Harrods, Knightsbridge, London SW1, 020 7730 1234 www.harrods.com

Caption:
Belvedere vodka and its new companion, the Jagger Dagger

 
 
 
 

Bond Moment

You can't go anywhere this month without running into James Bond. To mark the centenary of author Ian Fleming's birth, there are events all over town including the Imperial War Museum, the new Young Bond book from Charlie Higson, the latest in the Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook, and the reissue of all 14 of the original Bond books in hardback. There's a more cerebral exhibition of original Bond covers and original manuscript material at the Fleming Collection, the Mayfair gallery owned by the Fleming Family and Partners, financial advisers to the mega-rich, and in November, Getty Images will mount the James Bond photographic exhibition at the new gallery in the West End.

Sebastian Faulks' new Bond novel Devil May Care is published by Penguin on 28 May. To celebrate the new book, check out Martini Month at the 5th View bar in Piccadilly (19th May - 30th June). There's a menu of classic and new martinis made with premium spirits. On a hot day, try Cucumber and Mint Martini made with Hendrick's gin; or a Dirty Martini made with olive brine and Beefeater; the toasty and aromatic Hazlenut Martini with Ketel One vodka, Frangelico and creme de cacao, or the Bond favourite, the vodka martini, shaken not stirred. The 5th View bar and food is at the top of the handsome '30s building, once a chic menswear store, now Waterstone's bookshop. Open 10am - 10pm Monday to Saturday, noon - 6pm on Sunday. 203 - 206 Piccadilly, London W1 020 7851 2433 www.5thview.co.uk

Caption:
Make mine a Martini