Ding dong! Leslie Phillips turns 90

In which G.M. Norton pays homage to on-screen lothario, Mr Leslie Phillips.

Growing up, I’ve always been a fan of Leslie Phillips so upon learning that he was going to turn 90 tomorrow, I couldn’t possibly not mark it in some way.

Leslie has just spotted a nice little filly

With blue eyes, pencil moustache, roguish charm and that unmistakeable voice, Phillips lit up the screen. With a career spanning more than 70 years, it is his roles in the Carry On and Doctor films that cemented his place in the pantheon of English comic icons.

Handlebar Club AGM 2014

In which G.M. Norton attends the social gathering of the year.

Having cultivated a stonker of a moustache and joined the prestigious Handlebar Club, I was invited to their annual general meeting (AGM).

Each year, the Club visits a different part of the United Kingdom for their AGM, and this year, the setting was the beautiful spa town of Buxton in Derbyshire.

So last weekend, a group of sixty men, women and children invaded the historical northern town for a rambunctious affair.

Real-life dandy: Lasse Hedensted

In which G.M. Norton showcases another preening peacock.

I love dandies and I simply adore finding a wonderful new blog to read so you can imagine my joy when I discovered The Danish Chap's Attire Chronicles. A certain phrase springs to mind involving stones and birds. 

The gentleman behind this chapspirational new corner of the world wide webular is one Lasse Hedensted.

As you can see from the below pictorials, Lasse is quite the natty dresser, impeccably turned out whether relaxing at home, out in the country or even standing by bus shelters!

Review: Teapot from Dot Com Gift Shop

In which G.M. Norton goes potty and overindulges somewhat. 

As a decent sort of chap and all round good egg, you may not be surprised to learn that the old Norton of Morton mailbox is bombarded with all manner of missives.

Keen to be given the Norton of Morton seal of approval, quite a few of these electronic messages are from businesses who want me to write about them and their products in glowing terms. Naturally, I respond in my usual affable manner, advising them that I hold the readership of this periodical in the highest regard and I don’t just give centre stage to any old guff.

Earlier this year, I received a missive from the Dot Com Gift Shop. Not only had Norton of Morton made it onto their top fifteen list of vintage blogs but they offered me the chance to review a product or two.

Well, keeping an open mind, I toddled over to their webular gift site to give it a thorough inspection.

The online gift emporium has quite the array of interesting and unusual gifts, all priced rather reasonably. So far, so good.

Armed with pen and paper, I proceeded to jot down any items that caught my discerning eye. By the time I had finished, my hand was aching and the list was running into several pages. My word!

The item that I coveted most was a rather dazzling teapot. You may now be thinking, “But don’t you already have a teapot?” Well, no. I’m afraid to break it to you, dear reader, but the Norton of Morton residence has been teapot-less. I know! I can almost hear your gasp.

Keen to rectify this at once, I was practically skipping when I collected the Regency Rose teapot from the local post office. Stood outside in the pouring rain, I simply couldn’t help myself and ripped open the box to reveal this beauty.

On film: The 39 Steps

In which G.M. Norton hails a Hitchcock masterpiece.

Since I first foisted Norton of Morton upon your eager eyes, I’ve made no secret of my admiration for Sir Alfred Hitchcock films. One of my absolute favourites is the 1935 cinema classic, The 39 Steps.

Hitchcock really was the master of film-making, a man who crafted stories that blended technical inventiveness with aesthetic attractiveness.

The 39 Steps, which was adapted from a novel by John Buchan, stars Manchester-born Robert Donat as the chief protagonist, Mr. Richard Hannay.

Pencil

The handsome Hannay, finds himself wrongly accused of murder. To save jolly old England from a master spy (and his neck from the hangman’s noose), he must flee the bright lights of London to the remote Scottish countryside. 

Over the course of this thrilling film, Hannay encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents and of course, beautiful women. Fortunately, to aid him he has the prerequisite stiff-upper lip, plenty of gung-ho spirit and a rather fine pencil moustache.

Introducing Ernest

In which G.M. Norton sets sail on a new adventure.

If you have followed this periodical of mine with proper care, you will be aware that I like to put pen to paper. So when I had the chance to write a little something for an exciting new print and online journal, my answer was a resounding “Yes, please!”

The journal in question is Ernest, named after intrepid explorer, Shackleton. Founded by the former editor of Pretty Nostalgic, Jo Keeling, it is described as a blog, iPad magazine and biannual printed journal, for “curious and adventurous gentlefolk”. 

Unfortunately, I do not know all of my readers personally so cannot claim with certainty that you, dear reader, are curious, adventurous or indeed, gentle. However, I like to think you are, which is why I thought that I should bring Ernest to your attention.

The history of the shirt

In which G.M. Norton gets a little shirty with you.

As a chap on a budget, thanks to the generous donators at my local beneficiary boutiques, I’ve steadily amassed a wardrobe fit for a gentleman.

However, there are a number of items sadly omitting from my collection of clothes and I fear that my chances of finding them in a charity shop is as likely as spotting the Loch Ness Monster playing a quick game of water polo with the Abominable Snowman.

In order to obtain these key items, I have formed the opinion that I will need to bite the bullet and purchase from vintage and reproduction clothing emporiums.

One such item of clothing that I particularly covet is the tunic shirt with detachable collar. Such fine garments are the undisputable choice of the dandy with a bit of cash to splash.

Washable spearpoint collar, available from Darcy Clothing

A momentous mo-ment

In which G.M. Norton celebrates a rather special birthday.

It is now a whole year since I first started cultivating my over-sized soup strainer.

As part of the first anniversary celebrations, I have made a short film clip using a marvellous free app called Flipagram. A 15 second version is also available for your perusal on Instagram.

A copy of the film will be included in a time capsule to preserve a lasting legacy to be enjoyed by future generations. Other items in the capsule will include a lock of hair from my lip weasel, a half-used tin of moustache wax and a Norton of Morton calling card.

A few close chums help to bury the Norton of Morton time capsule

The perfect winter outfit

In which G.M. Norton helps you get one over Jack Frost.

I feel like I’m still waiting for winter to grip me in an icy embrace. Despite never achieving boy scout status, I’ve always followed their motto of ‘Be prepared’, saving your favourite protagonist from a multitude of both sticky and non-sticky situations. For this reason, despite the relatively warm weather, I’ve been venturing out clad in my warming winter togs.

Keen to help you survive the cold (when Jack Frost eventually points his icy finger), here are five of the most important items to see you through a harsh winter.

Real-life dandy: Yoshio Suyama

In which G.M. Norton makes the acquaintance of a real-life dandy.

After debating the idea for a while, largely over tea and cake, I recently joined the social networking site, Instagram. It was through this medium that I was lucky enough to cross paths with a real-life dandy, Mr.Yoshio Suyama.

I do so love a dandy. One can only admire a well-dressed man that prefers to cut a dash rather than drearily conform.

Admiring Yoshio’s array of pictorials, I was smitten with his style. With a respectful nod to a bygone age, Yoshio is sartorially savvy and a true inspiration to me as I continue on my journey to Gentleman. It occurred to me that it would be jolly nice to introduce my readers to this preening peacock and to join in the admiration.