Buckingham Palace’s Coronation Gin with Windsor Raspberries

Never has there been more pressure on a tipple to be fit for a King, because the Royal Collection Trust has launched its official pairing with King Charles III’s coronation on May 6th.

Royal Windsor is a pink gin, infused with juicy raspberries grown at Windsor Castle for an inviting vibrant hue. According to the Royal Household, these bright berries are offset by the rounded spice of pink peppercorns and cassia bark, and an added touch of sweetness from orange peel and rose petals.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was well-known for enjoying a gin cocktail, with one of her favourite concoctions being a gin and Dubonnet with lemon and ice. The King is also very fond of a crisp G&T when on his travels, but for the Royal Windsor gin, the recommended serving is a generous pour of the show stealer with fresh muddled raspberries topped up with pineapple juice, which sounds gorgeously sweet and suitable for the summer around the corner come May.

This isn’t the Royal Household’s first foray into gin either, because in 2020 its London Dry, again made using palace ground botanicals, sold out in only eight hours and the sloe gin of last summer was a roaring success too.

The 38% ABV gin is officially available now for £38 here but is currently only shipping to the UK, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.

So if you’re a passionate Royalist and want the perfect spring sipper to celebrate the Coronation, or you’re just a gin lover looking for an excuse to try a lovely-sounding blend, grab yourself a bottle of Royal Windsor.

To read more about the other products launched by the Royal Household, click here!

The Three Drinkers launch an Irish Whiskey

The Three Drinkers Launch their Inaugural, Limited Edition Irish Whiskey with Sliabh Liag Distillers

Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin, executive producers and presenters of the award-winning, drinks travel show The Three Drinkers in Ireland on Amazon Prime, have launched a limited edition, red wine finished Irish Whiskey in collaboration with Sliabh Liag Distillers - just in time for St Patrick's Day.

A New Whiskey for The Three Drinkers

The Three Drinkers have collaborated with Sliabh Liag Distillers, one of the new wave of Distillers in Ireland and a partner distillery for the show, to produce an Irish whiskey. The team wanted to create a spirit that showcased the historic, subtly smoky style of Irish whiskey while maintaining some classic fruitiness and adding their own fingerprint as lovers of fine wine. The Three Drinkers Limited Edition Red Silkie Irish Whiskey hails from County Donegal on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast and is finished in red Pomerol wine barrels sourced from acclaimed producer, Clos L’Eglise in Bordeaux.

This is the second product from The Three Drinkers, who launched a 17 year Scotch whisky to celebrate their first show, The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky, and which sold out within a couple of days. 

“We always had the idea to create a product for every Three Drinkers series we produce,” says Aidy Smith. “Meeting James and Moira, founders of Sliabh Liag Distillers, in episode two of our Ireland show and seeing the amazing work they’d done with wine finishes before, confirmed that they would be the perfect partner to create our own version - and we love the result. Whether sipping neat or creating some signature cocktail serves, it offers the best of both worlds.”

“This whiskey is gorgeously rich and velvety,” continues Helena Nicklin. “James and Moira have captured that wonderful balance of dried fruit spice and moreish salinity topped off with deliciously complex, ripe, red fruit flavours coming from the wine casks. It’s so approachable and easy-drinking, yet with such elegant complexity, you could sit with it for hours.”

“We’re absolutely delighted with how this whiskey has turned out,” says James Doherty from Sliabh Liag Distillers.“Our Silkie with its subtle hint of smoke, takes a finish really well and the Pomerol casks have given a remarkable sweet, spicy and floral overlay to the Legendary Silkie. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the most successful red wine finish yet..” 

Official Whiskey Tasting Note

Rose gold to amber in colour with a hint of glister, this whiskey is unctuously rich and velvety, balancing intense notes of ripe red fruits, candied orange peel and tarte tatin with pipe tobacco, licorice and a dollop of lightly smoky, salted caramel. It's approachable and easy-drinking, yet complex enough to sit with over time; a pleasure for whiskey newbies and aficionados alike.

£1 From Each Bottle To Support Mental Health

Aidy & Helena have been open about their own journeys with mental health and are proudly supporting mental health charity My Black Dog, with £1 from every bottle sold going towards supporting a variety of initiatives. This launch also coincides with the duo’s involvement with The Big Bash; a celebrity auction event taking place on March 2nd to raise money for the charity with the likes of Chris Evans, Ricky WIlson, Gaby Roslin and Jeffrey Archer. Aidy & Helena will also be putting themselves up in an auction prize to host a bespoke and intimate cocktail session at the highest bidder’s home, complete with canapés from music-maverick, DJ and chef, Eddy Temple-Morris. Bidding for this lot ends on March 2nd and can be found here. 

“Certain events in my personal life have made me aware of the amazing work that My Black Dog does with their totally free, peer-to-peer support for those suffering with their mental health,” says Helena. “We have a chance to contribute and raise awareness of them with this project, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

A limited amount of Red Silkie, The Three Drinkers Edition, is available for pre-order now on the Sliabh Liag Distillers website, priced £49.99. Soon after, it will also be available to purchase from Amazon.co.uk.

About Sliabh Liag Distillers

Sliabh Liag (pronounced Sleeve League) is an international drinks company based in Donegal on the stunning Sliabh Liag peninsula. The business was founded by ‘scatterlings’ James & Moira Doherty who had a desire to build a legacy in spirits and return Donegal to its rightful place in Ireland’s distilling history by highlighting the area's distinct characteristics. Driven by a passion for soft-drinking hard spirits, James and Moira take authentic inspiration from the rugged landscape, tough climate and rich regional traditions of their terroir to create their delicious drinks. Their home is in the festival town of Ardara, where the distillery is based and Carrick, where blending, bottling and administration operations happen. 

About The Three Drinkers

The Three Drinkers are drinks experts, writers, broadcasters and influencers Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin, joined by a deliciously diverse revolving roster of ‘Third Drinker’ personalities. The Three Drinkers is a 360-degree media platform featuring TV, digital media, audio, in-person events, social media and products. This includes the multi award-winning Amazon Prime series ‘The Three Drinkers’, streaming in 170+ countries worldwide in 39 languages as well as an online content hub (thethreedrinkers.com) focusing on food, drink, travel and lifestyle guides, the ‘Bring a Bottle’ podcast and over 12 social media influencer accounts, spanning Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Q&A

Why Ireland?

After Scotland, Ireland was an obvious choice for us, fuelled by a desire on both sides to get in touch with our Irish ancestry. My (Helena’s) grandfather grew up near the Giant’s Causeway in Coleraine and my lasting memory of him is always with a glass of Irish whiskey in hand - a fond sensory memory that will always remind me of that side of my family.

Why did you decide to create this whiskey?

When researching each TV series, we spend weeks getting to know as much of the food and drinks culture of our locations that we can and it’s important to us that we allow the adventure to live on well after filming. For that reason, we seek to create a limited edition bottle of something special every time we produce a show, so there’s always a little treat to look forward to later on down the line. It also means you can re-watch the series with a glass in hand - and we all love an immersive experience!

What inspired you to create a wine finished Irish Whiskey?

We loved the idea of creating a wine-finished, Irish whiskey from the off because we’re all about delicious drinks but also, getting friends and viewers to try something they may not have thought about before. The Irish whiskey style is famously easy-drinking with its tendency to be fruity and silky. With the red wine cask finish, we hoped to produce something that would appeal to wine drinkers wanting to try whiskey for the first time as well as seasoned and whiskey lovers.

We’ve been working collectively for nearly thirty years in the wine and spirits industries and have fallen in love with all forms of liquid during that time. We wanted to take a fantastic example of Irish Whiskey and combine it with another world we are so close to: wine. 

Where did you source the casks from?

We wanted something bold, beautiful, fruity and iconic; something that definitely had to be ‘Old World’, because that’s where we are from. When James gave us a list of producers we could potentially work with, we saw Clos L’Eglise and jumped at the chance. Why wouldn’t we?

Why did you choose this particular charity, My Black Dog?

Helena’s Reason: Most of us have had some sort of run in with our own mental health, especially with the pressures lockdown laid at our doors. I’ve seen first hand the damage that spirals of self doubt, anxiety and depression can have on individuals, their families and entire friendship circles. I have also, however, seen how quickly getting help can work wonders, thanks to the individuals at charities like My Black Dog. It does not only feel miraculous and surprisingly simple (when you get it right), but immensely life affirming. 

Aidy’s Reason: Having grown up with Tourette Syndrome, mental health has always been a topic I've had to become more than comfortable with. 80% of us with TS experience co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, dyslexia and so on - this can make life turn into quite a steep mountain at times. Charities like My Black Dog reinforce how important mental health is and save lives by getting people the help they need before it's too late. 

You can pre-order The Three Drinkers new Irish whiskey here!

LPM Restaurant and Bar

LPM is already notorious for its lovely French and Mediterranean cuisine. Now with their new cocktail menu inspired by Jean Cocteau, there is even more reason to book a table at this iconic spot. 

The cocktail menu is beautifully presented in a red cover and tells the story of the French poet. There are four “chapters” in this story,  each exhibiting a  different style of cocktail to choose from - mainly aperitifs, fruity cocktails, savoury cocktails, and dessert drinks. Each drink also has a story to it, and one could sit in silence and read this menu for their entire stay at LPM! 

Our eyes were immediately drawn to the Lettre à Coco. This cocktail is an homage to Jean’s friendship with the legendary Coco Chanel, using the classic Chanel No. 5 as inspiration. The delicate Champagne based cocktail also uses jasmine, bergamot and rose to add some beautiful floral notes. The presentation is also exquisite, the crystal coupe glass being delivered with a love letter sprayed with Chanel No. 5 to make you feel like Chanel herself.

For dessert, the Hommage cocktail works a treat - with cognac and cherry brandy. The cocktail is garnished with a gold dusted cherry for the perfect display. 

As you can see, the cocktail menu is truly a masterpiece, and combined with lovely food and spectacular service, there is no reason to put off visiting LPM. The staff are warm and welcoming, and the barmen know the cocktail menu inside-and-out and are able to give you the perfect recommendation based on your food choice and your usual go-to drink. 

Life is too short for mediocre cocktails. Do yourself and your tastebuds a favour and go give this experience a try.

LPM is great for a special occasion with someone special.

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Range:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: 10/10

Address: 53-54 Brook's Mews, London W1K 4EG

Anosmia: The devastating effects of losing your sense of smell

With a wine tasting career and fragrance studies leading her passions, when Helena lost lost her sense of smell for three weeks with Covid, she panicked. Very luckily for her, it came back. This is not always the case with anosmia, sadly. Here’s why you need to know about this debilitating ‘hidden disabilty’.

Our sense of smell is so much more important than we think. Sadly, it’s not until we lose it that most of us realise this fact. It is a hidden disability.

Covid-19 certainly raised the awareness of viral anosmia; losing your sense of smell after exposure to a virus, but the devastating effects this can have on a person from extreme weight loss to severe depression, are still not discussed or recognised in medicine as much as they could and should be. Smell is, after all, our most primitive sense, governing our most basic instincts as well as memory and all sorts of emotions. Losing it, whether total (anosmia) or partially (hyposmia) can have a devastating effect on our mental health and quality of life. 

This Anosmia Awareness Day, I want to highlight some of the negative ways anosmia can affect people, to raise awareness and help find new avenues of research into finding a cure.

Eating problems

Even hyposmia can have a significant effect on the enjoyment of food, which often leads to a lost interest in eating, which can then in turn become so severe, it leads to eating disorders and malnutrition. A desperate attempt to taste something can lead to the addition of too much salt or sugar, which brings its own negative effects on health. 

Social disconnection

Anosmiacs report feeling lonely and disconnected from the world, unable to engage in their environment or bond as well with other humans. Relationships appear more strained as your subscious is aware it is ‘missing something’ from the conversation - and it is. Bonding even with loved ones is harder. Losing a major part of one of life’s greatest human pleasures - to eat and drink with a tribe -  can also be devastating. We feel left out of a social connection, even if we are physically present. 

Depression & Anxiety

These combined effects of anosmia can lead to paranoia, anxiety, depression and anhedonia; the inability to feel pleasure. How do we know if we - or our home - smells bad or not? Did we leave the gas on? Will I know if I step in something? How can we tell if what we are serving our guests is well cooked? It’s easy to see how anxiety can be ramped up and depression can find a way in, as so many of life’s pleasures are stripped away. 

Danger

Our sense of smell is crucial for warning us of potential dangers, often numerous times a day. From smoke or a gas leak to food that has gone off and bread caught, burning away in the toaster. Without it, we are stripped of some crucial survival skills. 

Can anything be done to help anosmia?

There’s not currently an official cure for anosmia but in some cases, retraining the nose to smell has had some positive effects, so it’s worth a try. Anosmia awareness charity Fifth Sense suggest smelling the same strong scents for around twenty seconds each day while really paying attention to what you are doing. Essential Oils are the most effective here as they are strong and they last a long time. Pick four very different ones will have a greater effect. They suggest rose, lemon, clove and eucalyptus.

Are you affected by a full or partial loss of smell? If you need help and advice or just want to find a community, check out Fifth Sense.

Words by Helena Nicklin

The World’s Oldest Known Rum

Rum is well-known for being pretty indestructible, so you may well have found yourself pondering, ‘what is the oldest rum?’ Well, we’ve recently got a new answer to that question.

Miami-based Old Liquor Inc sold a bottle of Harewood Barbados rum that was made way back in 1780 to a collector in Switzerland for $29,999. That would be the most expensive rum ever too, but it looks a bargain compared J.Wray and Nephew’s 1949 Rum that sold for a staggering $54,000.

Unsurprisingly, this 243-year-old bottle has been on a hell of a journey. The rum was made in Barbados just four years after the United States even declared itself a country, and sometime in the early 1800s it was shipped to the UK and bottled by Oldfield’s in York. The man orchestrating this was the Earl of Harewood so it’s no surprise why the collection ended up in the basement of Harewood House in Leeds, UK.

And that’s where they sat undisturbed gathering thick layers of dust, cobwebs, and mould until 2011 when they were discovered by workers of the house preparing an inventory of the wines and spirits lurking there. After being very cautiously cleaned and analysed, 28 dark rums and 31 light rums were identified, but only 23 have truly survived the test of time.

This isn’t their first transaction since being uncovered either, as they were sold at famous auction house Christie’s in 2013 at various prices, most notably Dark Rum fetching £7000 each. Again, that looks cut price now!

So, has anyone actually tasted some? Well, yes! A small selection of renowned rum writers including ‘The Lone Caner’ Lance were invited to test. Lance said, “it adheres to a profile so modern that were one to taste it without knowing what it was it would not be out of the realms of possibility to give it a great score and then ask wonderingly which new independent on the rum scene made this damned thing”. It’s believed to be 58% ABV and gives tasting notes of spice orange, cedar, and caramel! Now that’s a showstopper.

From Aquaman to Vodkaman: Jason Momoa’s Meili Vodka

Best known for fronting Aquaman and playing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, Hawaiian star Jason Momoa is entering the world of drinks… or should we say returning?

Whilst filming Game of Thrones in Belfast over the previous decade, the brawny Momoa bulked up on a diet of pizza and Guinness and even got to try his own edition, ‘The Mano’. Guinness’ first sour creation was inspired by the actor’s Hawaiian heritage and tattoos, and he obviously got a taste for the industry because he launched Mananalu in 2019, an environmentally-minded canned water brand. This is a focus that Momoa has brought over to Meili Vodka (40% ABV), the new sustainably produced craft spirit.

A joint venture between the actor and fashion designer Blake Halvorson (founder of Junk Food Clothing and MadeWorn), Meili is bottled in 100% recycled glass with no two bottles being identical. Produced from natural Montana springs, the grains are sourced from local farms and the finished article is left to, “rest and breathe” in the mountain air before bottling – whether that has any science behind it or not we’re not sure, but it’s a nice image.

In this new world of celebrity spirits, it can be difficult to stand out and as of yet, there’s little word on the quality of the vodka itself, but to be fair it hasn’t officially launched just yet. That moment will come when Momoa speaks at the WSWA’s 2023 Access Live in Florida in April, but for now, their ideas seem admirable.

What’s more, limited online releases suggest a price of around $23.99 which is remarkably affordable when you consider the ‘celeb tax’ that is usually added on to endorsed products. Wider offerings will no doubt roll into a town near you soon, but if you’re a Momoa superfan then you can order already from selected retailers like here.

Glenmorangie – It’s Kind of Delicious and Wonderful

Words by Colin Hampden-White

The dining room at Glenmorangie House

Settled into the landscape, right next to the Dornoch Firth in the highlands of Scotland is something wonderful. Creating whiskies known the world over and experimenting with new delicious expressions released every year to delight us is Glenmorangie distillery. It is a well-known place, especially amongst whisky lovers, who travel from far and wide to visit the distillery and obtain special bottles only found there.

What is less known is where one can stay as you visit this beautiful cathedral to the amber nectar. Well off the beaten track is Glenmorangie House, around fifteen minutes from the distillery looking out onto the Moray Firth and the North Sea. It is a traditional, large house with white walls and small windows set in beautiful gardens at the end of a long driveway. There are many large guest houses and hotels which might look like it. However, you realise something is very different here as soon as you get out of the car. You’ll be greeted by a life size giraffe at the front door. Made of metal it is the first hint, that the interior may not reflect the exterior, and it certainly doesn’t.

Glenmorangie House

I have been to Glenmorangie house quite a few times as a whisky writer and broadcaster. My first time over ten years ago. The house then was extremely smart, reflecting a smart and yet traditional Scotland, with an interior of many shades of greens and blues and light tartans, it was stylish and comfortable. A few years ago all this changed.

The Glenmorangie Company decided they would like their house to reflect the whiskies they were creating at the distillery, rather than a Scottish idle. Out with the simple blues and greens and in with the bold. Bright oranges and golds, pinks, violets and vivid greens and electric blues now deck the walls, fabrics and furniture. Now, this might sound a little extreme, and at first like looking directly into the sun, you need to squint, but as with the sun, the lovely heat on your skin and its magnificence make you want it to stay for ever. The new interior of Glenmorangie house is quite brilliant. There is a lot of detail in the design. Each room has been names after expressions of the whisky or themes which reflect the ethos of the brand. For example, there is a bedroom called Nectar d’Or, after the whisky they create with a finish using Sauternes barrels from Sauternes in Bordeaux, France, giving a sweeter style of whisky. The colours in that room have golds and oranges, reflecting honey and the core flavour of Glenmorangie, which is oranges. But the details are wonderful. There are paper flowers in one of the vases, which seem to be made of muted colours, and it isn’t until you get close to them that you realise, they are made of maps, and then when you get closer, you’ll see that the maps are of Sauternes. There are details like this throughout the house.

Beyond the interior styling, there are other attributes the house has. The staff being the best thing. Staying at Glenmorangie House is a personal experience. Your every whim is looked after by David, the house manager and Amy, front of house, look after you very well. Making you feel comfortable, and always there when you need them, slipping away when you are chatting away to your friends or family, magically reappearing when glasses are needing to be replenished. Should however you need replenishing at any point, and they are not there, simply help yourself. The bar is always there. Magically hidden away in the bookshelves behind a door, it opens to display and array of expressions from the distillery. Including whichever annual expression is relevant. This year it was Tale of the Forest. A whisky which had the barley dried using not peat or coal, but heather, juniper and birch tree bark. Other spirits from the Möet Hennessy portfolio, should anyone not be a whisky drinker.

In the evening, once your thirst has been sated, dinner is called. There is no restaurant at Glenmorangie house. Guests dine together, which, having experienced this many times at the house is a wonderful way to spend an evening. Having made a decision to stay at the house, you’ll find those that have also made the same decision will have things in common and getting to know new people over great food and wine feels like a dinner party. More Downton Abbey than Hilton Hotel.

There are plenty of other things to do at Glenmorangie House other than drink, eat and be merry. The coast is a short and very picturesque walk away, with beaches and rocky pools. Fun games, such as archery can be organised. Falconry displays can come to the house. There is a large fire pit with seating to sit out at night and watch the stars, and sometimes, even the northern lights can be seen in the dead of night. Fireworks can be organised, and the firepit seating becomes a mini amphitheatre to watch them from, and with a hot toddy in hand, it’s a warming experience.

It's a glamorous place to stay, a place to be pampered and a place to relax. It’s bright and stylised interior is unpretentious, as is everything else about a stay at the house. It feels like a home from home. If you could imagine being a millionaire. Above all, it leaves the ordinary world behind and everything at the house is kind of delicious and wonderful.

The cathedral like still room at the Glenmorangie distillery

There are a couple of very exciting weekend breaks on offer from Glenmorangie inspired by Tale of the Forest and include all of the following:

- Two nights’ accommodation
- Afternoon Tea on arrival
- Botanical cocktail mixology session
- Falconry display
- Visits to the Glenmorangie Distillery and surrounding Scottish woodland
- Forest-inspired tapas dining on the first night with a light lunch on Saturday
- Four-course gourmet dinner with paired wines on the 2nd night
- An exclusive tasting and introduction to Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest
- Full Scottish Breakfast on both mornings
- 1pm late check out
- Exclusive bottle of Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest to take home with you 

The Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest Weekend Break is available on 27th and 28th January; 24th and 25th February; and 24th and 25th March for £1200 per room based on two guests in a Standard or Cottage Room and includes all aspects detailed above & VAT.

Upgrade to a Master Room for an additional £150.00 per room – subject to availability.

Additional nights can be booked for £200 per night based on Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Call 01862 871671 or e-mail relax@glenmorangie.co.uk for more information or to make a booking.

House of Hazelwood Whisky

Occasionally in the world of Scotch, something comes along which is new. They tend to be innovations using younger liquid or unusual barrel finishes, or out-of-the-norm production methods. All are within the rules. However, this year something new arrived that opposed all the above. Old, sorry, very old Scotch whiskies in traditional casks, that were made many, many years ago, using traditional methods.

What types of whisky does House of Hazelwood produce?

House of Hazelwood for the last few years has been producing blends with some age to them. Starting at 18 and rising to 25, they were premium blends. However, the brand has now been re-invented and reimagined. They have taken this initial idea and gone way beyond creating premium blends.

House of Hazelwood has been re-born. As part of the William Grant and Sons portfolio, they have access to some of the rarest Scotch whisky casks in Scotland laid down by the Gordon family over a period of nearly 100 years. However, although they are a part of the William Grant and Sons portfolio, they are a separate entity and do not answer to the whisky team there. In being “independent” they can be creative and they can also be nimble as a new, smaller business. And oh my what they are creating is magnificent.

Which Whisky is Used in the House of Hazelwood Blends?

They are still blending, but with a difference. The youngest blend created to date is 33 years old, with many over 40 and 50 years old. The whiskies by nature of their age are very rare, and the blends created from these old and rare casks are one-off blends, never to be repeated. Two of my favourites were a blend from 1963, called ‘A Singular Blend’ created from both grain and malt whisky distilled in the same year and at the same highland distillery in 1963. The other is a blend from 1965 called ‘Blended at Birth’. Now forbidden by the SWA, this whisky was created by blending different new make spirits straight off the stills that were then placed in casks together to age. There is precious little liquid left in some of the casks leading to very small numbers of bottles being created for each blend. For example, ‘A Singular Blend’ had only 74 bottles in existence. Of which there must be less now as one was opened for us at Hazelwood House when we visited the Gordon family home after which the brand is named. Even though the whiskies are of such age and rarity, they surprisingly don’t cost the earth. Unlike many other whiskies, House of Hazelwood has whiskies from a little under £1000 and even the rarest of them all is under £5000. Although a lot of money for a bottle of whisky, these are no mere bottles of whisky.

The brand itself talks about these whiskies being a family of individuals, each whisky being unique within the overall collection. It seems very apt with the idea coming from the Gordon family. With such individuality in the whiskies, there is no precedent for them to release whiskies at a particular age or adhere to a particular formular. They can bottle the spirit when they feel it is ready, not feeling forced to push whiskies to an age beyond their natural conclusion. And once drunk, these one-of-a-kind snapshots of whisky history are truly gone forever. You can see more about this beautiful whisky here.

If you’ve enjoyed this feature, why not have a read of what Master Blender Billy Walker shared when we caught up with him to talk all about the GlenAllachie range?

Words by Colin Hampden-White