Nick Hammond On Safari – Kenya Pt II

Nick Hammond On Safari - Kenya Pt II

THE road out of Nairobi – and there really is one arterial one that the world and his wife must use – is like something out of a movie. Vehicles of every conceivable age, hue, size, shape and antiquity queue, parp, roar, splutter and career through a fog of dust and fumes so thick you have to keep your windows firmly closed.

Nick Hammond On Safari – Kenya Pt I

Nick Hammond On Safari - Kenya Pt I

I’D FORGOTTEN what it’s like to truly revel in the moment, if I’m honest. Over the last couple of years, my travelling muscles had atrophied to such an extent that I’d sort of forgotten how to do it. I made such a fuss about arranging my PCR test, packing a suitcase; I used to fly home one night sometimes and jump aboard another plane the next morning without thinking much of it.

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

OUT of one calamity and straight into another – seems to be the way of things these days, doesn’t it? Just as Covid is pushed off the front page, Mr Putin decides he wants his 15 minutes and we’re back once again in the stormy seas of uncertainty.

Seasonal Smoking

Seasonal Smoking

THERE was a time when a change of seasons brought about a slew of cigar articles on what smokes went with what particular time of year. Many of these had been pilfered, poached and pillaged to such a degree that they were a real magpie’s hoard of gold nuggets buried amidst an avalanche of flowery bullshit.

Something for Everyone

Something for Everyone

IT sometimes feels like the cigar industry is moving away from its foundations. Just like oysters – which were once the mainstay of London’s poor, providing cheap, nutritious food on the doorstep and are now the bastion of high-end restaurants – cigars are now seen in many quarters as the ultimate accessory; a benchmark of luxury and success that only the rich can afford to enjoy.

People In Cigars: Magali De La Cruz

People In Cigars: Magali De La Cruz

FOR someone who has been intimately involved in London’s cigar scene for decades, Magali de la Cruz still shows a remarkable level of enthusiasm for the humble hand-rolled cigar. If you’ve ever been to Sautter of Mount Street, the chances are that you will have met, or at least seen – and more than likely, heard Mags.

The next cab off the rank

The next cab off the rank...

IT’S easy to become blasé about the next cigar ‘cab off the rank.’ It used to be an unusual occurrence that a new Cuban cigar came to the market. Anything new caused much excitement among cigar lovers and we eagerly awaited the chance to try something different and out of the ordinary.

Windowpane Wonderings

Windowpane Wonderings

GREETINGS, fellow cigar lovers. A couple of pleasant hours this week were spent contemplating the existence of mankind while watching raindrops track down the window of Sautter and thick, blue smoke curling to the ceiling.