The new edition is spearheaded by chap-hop superstar Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer.
In his first full-length interview with The Chap, Mr. B expounds on his early years in the ghetto of East Cheam, Surrey, where he gained twin passions for British sitcoms such as Hancock’s Half Hour and rockabilly music, before being turned on to Hip Hop by the bagginess of the artistes’ trousers. He also covers the controversial topic of whether a gentleman can don plimsolls with a three-piece-suit.
Giacomo Casanova was known as the world’s greatest lover, but in this issue we look at his numerous other skills, such as alchemy, spying, dandyism, escaping from prisons and inventing the national lottery. Another overlooked figure from the past is Norman Wisdom, whom Andrew Roberts argues was a comic in the true vaudeville tradition, an observation shared by global audiences who watched his films more often than From Russia With Love.
Soho’s Colony Room was the most exclusive members’ club in London from 1948 until 2008, and regular Torquil Arbuthnot recounts his tales of debauchery, drinking and discussing French cheese with Lisa Stansfield at the club. Meanwhile, in a separate interview, Darren Coffield explains the artistic logic behind recreating the Colony Room, optic by optic, in a Mayfair art gallery.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive is an annual charity fundraiser that sees vintage motoring enthusiasts across the entire world bring out their stylish jalopies and roar around cities from Caracas to Coventry. We join them on their attempts to put some class back into motoring.
Druidry is a confusing matter, with many different varieties of Druid, including the type that invested the late Queen Elizabeth as an honorary ovate. Former Chief Druid Philip Carr-Gomm explains the whys and wherefores of Druidry and why it still attracts over 30,000 members today.
Fictional butlers have been polishing the silver on the silver screen since the earliest days of cinema, and in this issue we look at the range of butling skills presented in films from The Man With the Golden Gun (with Herve Villechaize as Nick Nack) to Denholm Elliot in Trading Places.
John Mayhead has written the first biography of inter-war racing driver Goldie Gardner, and he gallops through the thrilling life of this air-crash survivor who went on to set nearly 150 land speed records, three of which still stand today. The more leisurely approach to motoring is covered in our look at the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, taking in the film that chronicles the whole thing, 1953’s Genevieve.
Jayesh Vaghela is Lock & Co’s Master Hatter, as well as the star of BBC1’s The Repair Shop. We took a tattered Edwardian Lock & Co topper to him and asked if it could be restored. The entire process, plus the bizarre history of the looms that made the silk plush for all top hats, is recounted in this edition. Other sartorial features include an interview with Savile Row legend Edward Sexton and Grey Fox Blog‘s look at Beatles style, bespoke shirts and the history of Jewish menswear.
Finally, we pay a visit to Pallant House Gallery in Chichester to view a huge retrospective of the paintings of John Craxton, who shared many bottles of Ouzo with author Patrick Leigh Fermor, as well as designing the covers of many of his books. All this plus book reviews – including books on The Prisoner, Bloomsbury Set Style, Goldie Gardner and Vexillology – and reader’s submissions to Am I Topper?
CHAP Winter 23 is available in most branches of WH Smith in the UK
