On the 75th anniversary of VE Day, a celebration of the most eccentric, daring, heroic chaps who fought on their own terms and displayed remarkable sangfroid in the face of the enemy DIGBY TATHAM-WARTER Formerly of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Major Tatham-Warter commanded the 2nd Parachute Battalion’s ‘A’ Company. ‘A’ Company were selected… … Keep Reading
Olly Smith pays a visit to the East Sussex vineyard of Breaky Bottom to inspect the terroir and enjoy the company of owner Peter Hall “Aaaaah filthy!” These were the words I growled joyfully on all fours while sniffing the earth beneath the vines at Breaky Bottom. It was my first visit to Peter Hall, the… … Keep Reading
“Caught up with RHQ at Enscheide by mid morning. Went down main street to see how things were going. Odd elements of German infantry being winkled out. Half way down main street firing broke out on both ends so I dived into a shop for cover. It was a barbers shop, so I had a… … Keep Reading
“Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service.” Captain Willard, Apocalypse Now My mission was not to find a colonel in the Vietnamese jungle who had gone mad and to kill him, but to catch up with an… … Keep Reading
It has come to our attention that many good folk will be confined to barracks during the coronavirus epidemic, and to while away the long hours in one’s homestead we are offering self-isolating chaps a completely free digital edition of The Chap. The risks even of popping out to one’s local newsagent are such that… … Keep Reading
Monday 16th March 2020 was an auspicious day for a long lunch with Chris Sullivan. Coronavirus fever was about to hit London, and full lockdown was imminent, with deserted streets and nearly empty Underground carriages. This could be the last chance we met for some time, and possibly the last chance anyone had of enjoying… … Keep Reading
It has come to our attention that there is a lot of fuss and panic over some new disease that causes people to buy entire shelves full of lavatory paper and don face masks. Since this publication is in the habit of offering what we feel is useful sartorial advice to gentlemen and ladies, we… … Keep Reading
For many of us in Britain, our experience of Turkish cuisine has usually been taken while standing on a pavement, perhaps slightly swaying in the recollection of a drop taken, bathed in the neon glow from a sign succinctly reading ‘Kebab’. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have lived in the borough of… … Keep Reading
This broad sartorial term sometimes confuses those in receipt of a wedding invitation, who panic and think they have to go and buy a new suit – when in fact they already have several in their wardrobe. A lounge suit is simply an informal business suit and can be anything from a plain blue two-piece… … Keep Reading
‘Never Brown in Town’ goes the golden sartorial rule, but as we all know, ‘Town’ only refers to London, leaving vast swathes of the country, and indeed other countries, in which to wear the clothing of the country is entirely appropriate. If there is not at least one garment made of tweed in your outfit,… … Keep Reading
Michael Trubshawe’s entrance into the life of David Niven was as sensational as any of Niven’s stage or film entrances. Niven was stationed in Malta with the Highland Light Infantry between 1929 and 1931 as a very young officer. His reception by the other officers had been rather frosty – one refusing to speak to… … Keep Reading
Upon receiving an invitation to visit the famed Captain Fawcett factory of all things hirsute in Norfolk, my first concerns were sartorial. Would such a visit require the donning of white coats, plastic sunglasses and special safety equipment and, most importantly, would I be permitted to smoke my pipe? I buried these deep concerns for… … Keep Reading