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GCulture www.gculture.co.uk 18 December 2008 © GCulture 2008 Cover Men’s Luxury Magazine White: The True Christmas Colour Letters to Santa Music at Christmas Tasteful Decorations Christmas Spirits Abode, Manchester
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GCulture | Men's Luxury Magazine | Issue 18 December 2008

Mar 25, 2016

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Aaron Hales

GCulture is a men's online luxury publication. From high end fashion to restaurant reviews, GCulture educates and engages its readership with informative and exclusive content. Incorporating a clean, harmonious effect matched with a velvety luxurious taste, the use of colour and design is essential. Hints of purple represent the underlying qualities that distinguish each individual whilst the black background contrasted with shades of white and grey convey a strong sense of traditional elegance - providing a blank canvas onto which lifestyles are created and moulded.
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Page 1: GCulture | Men's Luxury Magazine | Issue 18 December 2008

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18 December 2008

© GCulture 2008 CoverMen’s Luxury Magazine

White: The True Christmas ColourLetters to Santa Music at Christmas Tasteful Decorations ChristmasSpirits Abode, Manchester

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Editors’ LetterChristmas is fast approaching and in keeping to tradition, we are indulg-ing ourselves as much as we can.

In this issue, GCulture looks to the more spiritual side of Christmas, taking influence from the colour white (the liturgical Christmas colour) and providing a selection of items that will keep you looking chic and really in tune with the Christmas period. Elizabeth Dodd explores how music at Christmas allows us to connect with a real sense of celebra-tion and rejuvenation whilst giving her opinion on the music to be listening to for the holiday season 2008.

Kieron Monks Kaufman moves away from the tacky Christmas decora-tions and explores the classier options to adorn your tree and home, whilst GCulture gets a bit light headed looking at the stronger 'Christmas Spirits'. From Tanqueray, to Talisker as well as a surprise visit from the Louis XIII ultra premium cognac, there is sure to be something in this selection for everyone. Make sure to check out the Competition page, as GCulture is giving away one bottle of Tanqueray gin.

If you are hoping to get away for the holiday season, maybe a trip to Abode in Manchester is the best idea? Simon Hughes journeyed to the hotel to experience the delicacies on offer from the restaurant run by Michelin star chef, Michael Caines.

This year, GCulture managed to intercept a few of its contributors secret letters to Santa (included in this issue). As we peeked inside, we were shocked and sometimes dis-turbed at this year's requests...

From all of us here at GCulture we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas.

Enjoy the issue,

A. Hales Benoit Durand

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Contrary to common perception, the Christmas colour is not red, nor green but white. White is the colour for the Christmas period in the liturgical year, being used as a reference to the purity of the newborn Christ. GCulture picks 10 items that you maybe did not put into your wish-list but that you will definitely love, as well as reminding yourself that everyone can have a holy side.

Right: 1. Hashbury white leather boat shoes by Paul Smith, £175 - 2. White square G-Shock watch by Casio, £80 - 3. White knight gentle daily facial cleanser by Billy Jealousy at www.elshopping.co.uk, £18 - 4. Jacket in Japanese vintage mohair jacquard by Nico Kubisch, £349 - 5. Monaco stone beige George summer loafers by Fin's at www.finsforhim.com, £80.

White: the True Christmas Colour

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Praesent posuere nunc at neque blandit pretium

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Above: 6. Derby cream leather lace up shoes by Yves Saint Laurent, £435 - 7. Repairing moisturizing emulsion by Dior Homme Dermo System, £33 - 8. Rick white shirt by Aquascutum Ltd., £85 - 9. Patent ostrich international wallet by Zilli, £790 - 10. White plastic frame sunglasses by Police (suppliers: +44 (0)192 324 9491), £89.

Praesent posuere nunc at neque blandit pretium

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Mind

In preparation for Christmas, GCul-ture found some secret letters writ-ten by its contributors to Santa, revealing what they want for Christ-mas and why they really really deserve it...

Dear Santa

I know how hard you must be work-ing this year with Mrs Clause and all your elves so I thought I would make it a little easier for you by telling you exactly what I want this year for Christmas. May I just remind you what a good little girl Ive been this year, I havent had one school deten-tion and Ive only shouted at my little brother once.

OK, so this year I would very much like a new computer, I need to keep up to date with all my favourite web-sites and my friends tell me you can buy some real good clothes online.

I would also like a Tiger, I hear you can adopt one and they send you letters and gifts - that would be really cool and Ive always loved Tigers, my friends would be so jealous too.

My sister wants a car but I can't even drive yet so maybe if you could get her a a really cool car then I can have it when she's done with it. She really wants a new puppy because she's just moved house and she wants some company but they're hard work and they bark a lot so maybe you could get her one with a quiet bark.

My brother wants a PlayStation 3 he already has an XBox and a Wii and a PlayStation 2 so who knows why he needs another console but at least it keeps him out of my way.

Oh and before I forget, I would really like it if you could send me and my family on holiday together, we don't

Letters to Santa

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Mindget to see each other all that much and I think it's real important to keep your family close because they will always be there for you even when no-one else is.

I think you do a real good job at being Santa but I still don't get how you deliver all those presents in one night. My best friends brother is a bit of a geek and he tells us that it's impossible and you have loads of santa clones, but there can only be one santa right? If you are real then you'll be able to get me all what I have asked for can't you? Anyway I'm sure you have lots of things to do I wouldn't want to keep you from getting my presents.

Make sure you try the mince pies I leave out for you this year - I've tried a new recipe and I think you'll like it, and I know Rudolf isn't really allowed sweets but you have to let him try these new strawberry sweets I found. They are amazing.

Happy Christmas Santa Clause

and thank you in advance for my presents

Love, your little angel

Emma Nankivell

Dear Santa,

Well it's that time again. I'm sure you know that already - you've got millions of presents to deliver in just one night coming up. I don't envy you. A quick search of the Internet reveals those fairly sad people who have done the maths of your yearly quest. Apparently, of the two billion children in the world, you have to deal with 91.9 million homes' worth - assuming you only deal with ‘good Christian' children (so much for multiculturalism). Given that you travel the whole world you have 31 hours of night at your disposal, working out at over 800 visits a second. So that gives you a thou-sandth of a second to land, jump out and slip (or squeeze) down the chim-ney, stuff the stocking, eat the mince pie, get back onto the roof and then zoom off to the next house. That means you travel at 650 miles per second, a speed 3,000 times that of sound. No wonder no one ever sees you at work.

But what about the poor reindeer? The same scientists have shown that the front two reindeer absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy a second. Each. That means that Rudolph and all his friends should all be vaporised in less than a second (is that why his nose is red?). But I'm sure you've got it all figured out. Clearly you've done this a few times before.

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MindHaving said that, isn't a bit inappro-priate for a fat old guy to be breaking into kids' houses and giving them presents? That goes against every rule taught to kids about keeping safe. In fact, surely the police should arrest you given that every year you break into 91 million homes? They know where you live, although I guess you leave no evidence apart from the presents. And we all know trying to tear little Jimmy away from his new toy fire engine because it's needed for evidence as part of Santa's prosecution is hardly going to be easy, especially when you see his sad little face.

Anyway, I've spent far too long talk-ing about you. Now it's on to what I want you to give me, that is, if you think of me as a good Christian child, which, frankly, is a bit of a stretch. So, this year I want a fully-fledged Home Cinema system, complete with full HD Blu-Ray player, surround sound and projector. Good luck trying to get that lot in my stocking! Of course, a Blu-Ray player is useless without some Blu-Ray films to watch, so I'd like a few of those too. The Dark Knight and Wall-E at least. And an iPhone 3G with unlimited contract just on the side. A side-present if you will.

Now, according to my instructions, I am supposed to say please. So, please. Pretty please. I've been very good all year, even if not Christian. Apparently, I also need to recom-mend things for my brother. Um .... well who gives a shit actually? It's all about me Santa - I need Blu-Ray and I need it now! How am I supposed to live without it? I promise I'll be really good. I'll even let my bro watch stuff as long as it's what I want to watch.

Right, well, I'm sure that's given you something to be getting on with. I hope you're not suffering from the credit crunch too much by having to lay off elves or anything. As long as you haven't been investing in Icelan-dic banks (like I did), or taking out mortgages you should be fine. On that happy note, merry Christmas and I bet you'll be glad when it's all over for another year. So you might as well make me happy too!

Sincerely,

Kenichi Udagawa

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MindDearest Santa,

I do hope this letter finds you well and that you're wrapped up warm over in Lapland.

I know you must be busy, but I thought I would just briefly remind you (not that you would have failed to notice) the very great effort I made this year to be ‘good'.

Let me clarify. I grant that I may not have been ‘good' in a quasi-evangelical, quantifiably ethical way; but, unless we take the unfashion-able anti-post-modern ethic that ‘good' is a universal - that there is an objective ‘right' and ‘wrong' - it is, logically, impossible to be ‘good'. I, like Kierkegaard, am no Kantian ethicist - nor, I am sure, are you - and by ‘good' I do not mean the ‘will' behind the latter's ‘categorical im-perative': I will readily admit that I have not acted consistently in such a way that I would have my maxims form a universal moral law.

Santa, I have been ‘good' in the Au-gustinian sense of the word: those things I have done in this part year have been quantifiably ‘less evil' than those in 2007, thus, reading ‘good' as a privation of evil, I can confidently say that I have been ‘good' this year.

Santa, I have been ‘good' in the Au-gustinian sense of the word: those things I have done in this part year have been quantifiably ‘less evil' than those in 2007, thus, reading ‘good' as a privation of evil, I can confidently say that I have been ‘good' this year.

My innate goodness aside, I don't have many requests for you: I know how this season of crunchy credit must be stretching you. All I want for Christmas is...

1: Two more hours in the day, prefer-ably between 6 and 7. That way if you're working late, you get out and it's mere early evening. In all other circumstances, it would mean fur-ther hours of socially acceptable drinking time. Everyone's a winner.2: More of this VAT reduction busi-ness. I can't claim to understand what it means, but I bought a coffee yesterday and it was probably twenty pence cheaper. More of this, please.3: A holographic keyboard that proj-ects from my Blackberry. Current setup renders drunken email/SMS exchanges entirely incomprehen-sible, thus less funny.4: For old bands to stop reforming. It's like watching a mad uncle play-ing Guitar Hero on a stage that's very far away. Enough.

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Mind5: No more albums from the follow-ing: Scouting For Girls, Plain White Tees, The Script, The Feeling. The aforementioned bands to be prohib-ited by law from ever being within gurning distance of a piece of record-ing equipment again.6: A new Jack Kerouac novel. He's a bit dead, but that doesn't seem to be much of a creative hitch in this day and age.7: A really, really high-capacity Ipod.

I'm sure my family and friends have all got very worthy requests and that, in adherence to some ethical maxim, they have been ‘good'. Sadly, I am unable to reliably pass on what they are (see above, point 3).

Anyway, Santa, I hope this season is as stress free as possible. Keep your mind on that sherry.

All my best to Mrs. Claus,

Elizabeth Dodd

Dear Santa,

I expect that it is time for my Christ-mas Wish List and I write further to my previous correspondence of De-cember 2007.

Indeed much the same as last year I'd like to tell you about the gifts I would like the most, the ones that matter the most and those that others I know would want but maybe they forgot to ask you themselves.

Again I have thought long and hard about the things I really need and the things I thought I might like but probably don't really need all the same.

So first of all the things I went out and got. I did finally go out and get my new macbook I asked for last year, so that comes off my list, I thought about it but I needed it before because I have been using my friend's PC to complete all of my work this year, and I thought it had been far overdue that I leave it to him, after all it is his. Also I moved home and thought I would need it so I can surf the net in my new tower.

That brings me nicely to my second thing, an actual place to call home, as you will have noted from my pre-vious letter I asked if you would deliver last year's order to my mum's house, and before that it was my dad's.

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MindObviously this year it makes it easier as my order wont get mixed up with my mum's usual vast request for "wines of the world". So I won't be asking for a new dwelling again this year, I went ahead and did it, couldn't wait any longer, having said that some furniture would be good, its looking a little bare.

So this year I am going to want something different, well ask for anyway. Please find enclosed a copy of my up to date list.

Contentment

This was on my list last time, but it wasn't very high up so this year I thought I'd ask first. I have been good this year, maybe I could have done better, tried a little harder or made some better choices but because its Christmas I thought it would be a good time to reflect. What I really want is some of this, I have some already but want I'd really like is more. Now I'm reasonably happy with what I have, but I think I could do better.

An Adventure

Some more good writing assign-ments will be fine, maybe this year I can be sent far away maybe to another country, somewhere like Sweden or Norway would be my choice.

Free View Plus (Just for Five)

This would make an ideal present because I would be able to watch all of my favourite late night sport pro-grams like Baseball and NFL and NASCAR without having to stay up all night long and have the sound turned down, its got me in trouble countless times with the Witch of Wood Green.

Mountain Dew and other vastly overpriced American confectionary...

I have been dismayed ever since my return from the West at the lack of its availability and those that live in areas where it is found in abun-dance, having the audacity to parade it across the internet.

I would like to remind you that the Prince wants a healthy baby girl around March, although he doesn't realise quite the curtailment it will bring. The Youngling petitions for a trip to California, only I think that will depend upon my success as a writer - so maybe next year.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Simon Hughes

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Mind

Fighting through the fog of activity of these last shopping weeks - jug-gling online wishlists, imminent deadlines, office lunches - it's hard to keep sight of ourselves or our priori-ties in this supposed season of rest. More so than in previous years, bal-ancing the economic and personal obligations of this particular Christ-mas will render anyone still con-scious on The Day incapable of much beyond half a bottle of breakfast champers and a sleep through to Boxing Day. The carnival begins earlier every year and, since the beginning of November, music's power for psycho emotional place-holding has been abused as festive carbon copy lounge music - from Wizzard to Slade via Frosty The Snowman - is piped through malls to remind frazzled shoppers why they consume so furiously.

But amid the frantic secularism of another post-modern Winterval are to be found real havens of celebra-tion and rejuvenation. Music has always provided an impetus for and a hiatus within the winter season: it is completely human to texture with song the company and respite that is the antithesis of a freezing winter. Six hundred years ago ‘wassailing' - winter carolling - formed the musical backdrop to what was, effectively, a medieval pub crawl.What was left of these traditional melodies after a Protestant redress still founds the backbone of I-pod Generation carol services and ASDA adverts. Within the Medieval chord changes of Per-sonent Hodie and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing that same obscured optimism, the comfort in solidarity that predates Barney's Christmas Crackers and even the X Factor com-munity, lures the religious and the irreligious alike toward a common, musical, space.

Music at Christmas

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MindRecent statistics from the Church Of England show a 7% rise in service attendees at Christmas - from 2,785,800 nationwide in 2005 to 2,994,100 in 2006 - with reason to suggest that in this current climate ever larger numbers will flock to the warmth of a Midnight Mass.

More than ever, this is the year to reclaim music at Christmas; to make personal what has become commodi-fied. Facing a freezing winter, forced by habit to spend but simultaneously bullied into frugality: 2008 is shap-ing up to a challenging conclusion. There is no better moment to obliter-ate the cultural and economic dark-ness of the season, and to use music as it has always been used at this time of year. If you should want to solemnise your Christmas with something a little more profound than The JCB Song, or you think that another round with Band Aid or Bing Crosby will drive you to Scrooge-style violence, what follows is a sum-mary of seasonal hits you can be proud to have on your stereo: whether you're entertaining guests at Christmas, making time for yourself, or just trying to make it through to the New Year.

If your tastes lie with tradition there is always a magnificent selection of Christmas music to complement Advent. Christopher Hogwood's recording of Handel's Messiah - with the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford - should convince any who abandon this body of work to the Easter season. A theological as much as a musical masterpiece, passages such as the Gloria recitative inter-sperse soprano with bass, New Tes-tament with Old, prophesies with the anticipation of the Nativity. Complex ornamentation and dynamics do nothing to detract from Handel's meditation on a theme. If you find the Baroque too heavy for your Christmas hangover, Christmas with the Tallis Scholars guides an audi-ence gently through sacred seasonal music. From traditional medieval - the Coventry Carol - through to Tudor polyphony, the album, while replete with stunning contextual dischords, is a comprehensive and textured compilation of the familiar and unfamiliar. In a more contem-porary vein,Clare College, Cambridge, have released a recording of John Tav-ener's Ex MariaVirgine, one that encapsulates the grandeur and fragility of the Christ-mas season with a compilation - part liturgy, part tasteful ‘hits'.

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MindTo inject a hit of curveball into your party playlist, strut confidently into territories beyond Sinatra and Crosby. Ella Fitzgerald's ‘60s compi-lation Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas drapes songs that might otherwise have you reaching for that lethal dose of mulled wine with her unique, tasteful and luxuriant swing; all the way to Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. If eggnog isn't get-ting your soiree started, reach for the classic James Brown's Funky Christ-mas. While title and album artwork alike may suggest this chart-topper was a joke, Brown's powerful, soul-infused seasonal funk is a brilliant, unusual alternative. There even exist some glorious options for those after a seriously contemporary flavour. Superb for beating your way through Christmas Eve crowds, or to throw on after you miss the last Ocado slot, is We Wish You A Metal Xmas. For fans of rock'n'roll, gems like Lemmy (Motorhead) Kilmeister, Billy (ZZ Top) Gibbons and Dave (Foo Fighters) Grohl jamming Run, Run, Rudolph could be the greatest find pre-sale season. Ronnie James Dio's cover of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, meanwhile, will restore festive spirit to even the darkest soul.

There is a Christmas playlist - unde-termined by T.V ratings, chart sales and album hype - for every calamity, concern and celebration this season. The holiday should be about creating space; for yourself, family, friends, or faith. Music defines any atmosphere: this Christmas, boycott the charts - dictate your own party mood.

Elizabeth Dodd

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Indulgence

Christmas is seen by many as a byword for wanton excess. Against waistlines and wallets in particular, but also against style. We will all be seen red faced on Boxing day, com-plete with some foul woollen sweater and matching hat. But for an even starker case of tackiness, how about the decorations? Tinsels, baubles and fat faced angels become guests in our homes.

But it's not impossible to combine aesthetics with Christmas orna-ments. Classier names are turning their hands to Christmas ranges and these are my top picks:

Waterford's luxury selection is the way to go if you're a bit old-fashioned. Cut glass is the order of the day and a fine set of nativity scenes are the best feature.

Tasteful Decorations

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IndulgenceAngels, wise men and Noah on his ark are all lovingly depicted. There are also icicle pendulums, together with a traditional range of baubles. The carvings are rendered in impec-cable detail, giving an impression of understated class. With individual prices generally around £50, Water-ford's provide value for such quality pieces.

For a dip into the golden pond, seek out Buccellati. Several times more pricy than Waterford's, Buccellati usually works in limited editions of about 500 pieces. Crafted from gold and sterling silver, the collection is simply gorgeous. Most impressive are the Santa and Snowflake, which would look great hanging outside your front door. With a name that has established itself among the elite, you are assured of quality, so much so that it will be a wrench taking them down on January 5th.

For the romantics, take a look at Swarovski's simple but effective range. Mainly using star and angel shapes, there is a real unity through-out the collection, each piece follows on perfectly from the other. Great for the tree or the mantelpiece, the more you have the more you'll want. Also, Swarovski provide near identical jewellery to match their ornaments, so if you're stuck for what to get someone, kill two birds with one stone. With prices starting at around £50, this is sophistication, class and value.

Kieron Monks Kaufman

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Refinement

Christmas is one of the most festive periods of the year. Does it exist a better time for tasting and (re)discovering some of the finest spirits? GCulture selects seven different whiskies, two gins and one cognac because this year we have decided to demean ourself from the inescapable Champagne. For yourself, to share with family and friends, these bottles will also be appreciated as the 'last minute' present.

Christmas Spirits

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RefinementLeft: 1. Dalmore 1974 whisky, 743 bottles produced world wide (220 for UK distribution), £599 - 2. Tullibardine 1993 scotch malt whisky, personalised bottle £32 - 3. Talisker 10 year old malt whisky, £26.99 - 4. Jameson irish whisky, £15.49 - 5. Monkey Shoulder triple malt scotch whisky, from £20.79 - 6. Jura 1974 whisky, 638 bottles produced world wide (150 for UK distribution), £499 - 7. Chivas Regal 18 year old blend whisky limited edition bottle designed by Alex-ander Mc Queen, price on demand.

Tanqueray London dry gin, £15.69 - 2. Louis XIII ultra premium cognac, £1,200.

Les Lumières de louis XII is a series of objects created by French designer Chris-tophe Pillet for the House of Rémy Martin. Each of these accessories have been designed as elements inseparable from the experience of cognac tasting, with special attention devoted to the way they relate to the light.

3. Beefeater 24 super premium gin, £26.50.

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Refinement

We arrive at the Abode hotel as the flow of Manchester's busy commuter population hurriedly sweeps through the city's dynamic hub towards their own lives outside of the busy me-tropolis.

We have been invited to spend an evening at the hotel, which comes courtesy of Michael Caines, the acclaimed chef, who despite only being 36 already holds two Michelin stars for his Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon, and together with business partner Andrew Brownsword, launched Abode Manchester back in May of this year. Together with the Michael Caines restaurant, also at the hotel, the Abode Manchester has been the subject of early acclaim as the latest extension to the pair's growing chain of contemporary hotels.

With similar venues already widely established in Glasgow, Canterbury and Exeter the brand is reveling in combining sophisticated environ-ments with the accessibility of Mi-chael Caines dining and therefore aiming to establish itself within Manchester's lively market-place.

In fact this promises to be a special occasion as Michael himself will not only be our host for the evening but will be cooking alongside the chefs in the kitchen, as part of his annual ‘Christmas with Caines' menu.

Arriving at the hotel we are greeted warmly in the reception area before being shown to our first-floor room overlooking Manchester's thriving Piccadilly quarter. Rooms here are categorised ‘Desirable', ‘Enviable' to the most luxurious ‘Fabulous'.

Abode, Manchester

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RefinementWe are assigned an ‘Enviable room', which offers spacious living and the abundance of the look of the city centre through the windows sur-rounding our room, from the posi-tion at the crest of 107 Piccadilly the room allows us to shadow the city's vibrant festive atmosphere.

The building itself dates from Man-chester's illustrious industrial heri-tage, indeed it is a building that looks down distinctively on the street below, where as the neighboring swish of modern day architecture has sprung up beside the former textile factory, the traditional red brick Abode stands as a proud reminder of the city's established

past, whilst the attractive stylish inte-rior has a welcoming modern feel.

The Abode team has transformed the historic building into an inviting blend of sophisticated Cafe and Champagne Bars as well as the open-plan Michael Caines dining room. The actual room is modern and above all practical, offering a contemporary feel amid the solid wood floors, and original fea-tures which are evident in the ornate landings, tiled walls and pillars seem-ingly at every turn. The building itself exudes character, and for all its strik-ing grandeur gives an informal relaxed approach to modern hotel style.

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RefinementThe balance that has been achieved helps capture a broader market, which is innovative in itself because that is where so many brands at this level fall down, indeed the ‘fine dine' experi-ence is spread through Michael's inventive grazing menu, offering all of the elegance of Michael's Michelin star know-how in easier to digest portions; both in terms of value and in offering guests a wider variety as they choose a number of smaller ‘taster' dishes, enabling the diner to effectively take in more where there is less.

And so it was that my guest and I joined a number of fortunate others for a unique look and taste of Michael and his Abode team's best festive cui-sine. Abode's Head of Group Service and resident wine expert, Steve Ed-wards,

who will compliment Michael's excit-ing menu with a stunning array of wines, port and Grand Marrier, also joins us.Michael and Steve have worked together for some 14 years, and together they introduce each of the seven courses, with Michael carefully explaining how each dish was crafted and the balance of ingredients that combine together to create the delicate flavours such as a White haricot bean and truffle soup, and Steve diligently compliments the soft creamy texture of the soup with a wine he has care-fully selected. Whilst we start with a Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, from Madiran in France, we will sample the best regional wines from South Africa, France and perhaps less widely known, Douro, Portugal.

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RefinementIndeed tonight's menu celebrates winter, with dishes such as venison and scallops and as Steve exclaims, "It's a great time of year for wine also". The Pacherenc deserves spe-cial mention for its far from under-rated blend of passion fruit giving a rich aroma and a perfectly balanced flavour, which meant another perfect pairing with Michael's Foie gras terrine.

Overall it was a superb evening, from the warm welcome we were given through to the Grand Marnier that drew proceedings to an equally warm close. "Tonight", explained Michael, "is about escaping all the doom and gloom, and the focus is on great food, being enjoyed with friends and loved ones", and that sentiment is why I think Abode have it spot on. Sometimes this message becomes lost or dressed up as some-thing it ought not to be but instead, Michael Caines' approach restores something endearing not simply to the occasion but the wider proposi-tion of the guest experience.

A further special mention to the comfortable bed and helpful staff, all in all makes for a place you should not miss.

Evenings with Michael Caines in 2009 are likely to take place in April and August. See www.michaelcaines.com for details.

Abode Manchester, Piccadilly (+44 (0)161 247 7744)

Simon Hughes

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