| Arriving at The Emory in Long-wheelbased BMW Style At noon on the Saturday one of The Emory's BMW i7, long-wheelbase electric limo fleet was waiting outside Four Seasons at Tower Bridge to 'whisk' me to the hotel. OK, Saturday protesters in London meant we were delayed near Raffles, London at The OWO. However, my driver Sudhir had worked for The Hinduja brothers and so I had fun swapping stories from my Bank of England days about that newsworthy family. A Second Stay at The Emory - Even Better Than The First Rosa (Assistant Director of Guest Services) was waiting to welcome me. I was in a Corner Suite (with a window that fully opens) before I knew it again & barely had time to acknowledge all the "welcome back Mr Frew"s from the door staff. The Surrenne Spa Rosa pointed out a Surrenne Spa towel embroidered with my initials. It was only after a swim that I spotted my personalised robe too. I avoided the children-friendly times in the pool (8 - 10am & 3 - 5pm) and had such a relaxing time using the snow shower etc The Emory Rooftop Bar; An Ice-cold 'SF Martini' & a Cedric Grolet Birthday Cake When I returned from dinner at The Peninsula I got back at 11pm. A table had been reserved for me in The Rooftop Bar. My ice-cold 'SF Martini' was perfect but the change of clocks the next day, & all the surprises at dinner, meant I was happily exhausted. A Red Rose Cedric Grolet cake was produced with a candle but I could not eat it. Charming Veronika brought it to my suite & we had such a great conversation. A perfect end to my 'Birthday Eve'. The Big Day Started with Breakfast in Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 'abc kitchens' I slept brilliantly and my 'birthday breakfast' in Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 'abc kitchens' was heavenly. Soft scrambled eggs with aged cheddar & broccoli was insanely good again and the waiting staff so fun to chat with. I almost cried when I was presented with a stunning Cedric Grolet Easter Egg at the end of breakfast. Reading The Genuine Weekend Financial Times It was then back to the Surrenne Spa pool to read the GENUINE Weekend Financial Times. The wording of the birthday mockup Peninsula, London created still makes me emotional. Leaving The Emory in BMW 7i Style Sudhir drove me to 45 Park Lane in the BWM 7i. I love it when the same driver is used for your whole hotel stay. My luggage was taken to Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park for later. Another Legendary Birthday Lunch at 45 Park Lane At 45 Park Lane Ruinart champagne was poured immediately and there was a 45 Park Lane leather luggage tag on my table that wildly exceeded my expectations. Not only were my initials embossed on it but there was an air tag to help me find my lost luggage. Japanese Wagyu From Heaven Chef Elliott's food is sublime. I got the 'Taste of Cut' and had to leave the Japanese wagyu to last and savor every bite. Tia's Extraordinarily Splendid Birthday Cake My Duckmaster cane from The Peabody Hotel Memphis in chocolate on top and photos of me with Chef Wolfgang Puck, Chef Byron Puck, GM Lee, Chef Elliott etc around the base. It was an unbelievable birthday cake. Tia also presented me with a Chocolate Easter Bunny with my initials on it, before the hotel guests receive them. A London Birthday Would Not Be Complete Without a Visit to Four Seasons at Park Lane Four Seasons at Park Lane has a very special place in Mr Sharp & my hearts. I will be there again tomorrow morning. Incredible Friends From My Qatar Days I met two of my best friends from Qatar days. One had flown in from Dubai the previous day and had funny & generous gifts for me. The other worked for Tony Blair in Downing Street and always has lots to tell me. 'SF Martinis' & a New Four Seasons at Park Lane Bag While all this was going on Four Seasons' chef 'fixed' my 45 Park Lane cake, so it looked just as good, after its journey down the road with the 45 Park Lane doormen, and I could try it with my friends. It tasted even better than it looked, if that was possible. I drank perfect 'SF Martinis' & Peter presented me with a new Four Seasons at Park Lane bag, with the Four Seasons logo inside. Will take it to Pavyllon tomorrow and get better photos of it. A Better Than Perfect End to My Birthday at The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park - #imafan I was overwhelmed, one more time, at The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park. Thanks to Assistant Guest Relations Manager Joseph keeping me company. It was so good exchanging hotel anecdotes with this enthusiastic guy. A The Aubrey Bottle For My Special Vermouth For The 'SF Martini' That Matches The Perfection of This Martini A 90 minute massage voucher and The Aubrey label bottle for the special vermouth for the 'SF Martini'. It is beyond perfect. Japanese Food On Another Level There were so many mouth-wateringly delicious bites. The yellowtail sashimi with spicy ponzu, lemony shiso & chilli was sensational and the uni from heaven. Services from Matteo & his team was perfectly judged for someone struggling to process such an astonishing day. Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park's Celebrated Doormen As the evening started to end I because stressed over how my luggage & gifts would get into my black cab. Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park's doormen made it all look so effortless & I felt embarrassed to have worried. It was a '10 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) birthday. Building on the Peninsula's birthday mockup of the Weekend Financial Times on my 'Birthday Eve', everything on my birthday was beyond perfect. I have never been compelled to post 10 cover photos before. From the flawless & friendly service at The Emory; to Tia's 45 Park Lane Birthday Cake; to my 45 Park Lane luggage tag; to seeing these important friends in my life on my birthday; to my new Four Seasons at Park Lane bag; to the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park massage voucher; the bottle for the special vermouth for the 'SF Martini' The Aubrey created, with the ingredients on the back; & the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park video wishing me happy birthday. Implausible perfection and so much thought & effort put into everything. |  You are never too old for balloons but, unless access to the Straits of Hormuz is fully sorted out, helium may be in short supply in future. On the table Billlecart-Salmon champagne was chilling; there was an Earl Grey & Chocolate Birthday Cake; & a leather Maybourne luggage tag.  My Frette pillow case was embroidered with my initials too & just look at that view of Hyde Park.  The Red Rose Cedric Grolet Cake I was given in The Emory Rooftop Bar & the Cedric Grolet Easter Egg I was presented at breakfast. The latter is large, stunning & heavy. It contains crispy praline, crunchy pieces of fermented, dried & roasted cacao beans, intense salt Fleur de Sel, flourless chocolate biscuit, chocolate cream filling, cocoa gel & chocolate mousse. I hope to break it open with Graham & Clare's boys and share it with that awesome family.  57 & still laughing! The 'abc kitchens' team were brilliant.  Tia holds the cake & cannot thank Tim, at Dorchester Collection, enough for my spectacular 45 Park Lane luggage tag.  A photo of the 45 Park Lane birthday cake in all its glory. Next to it is a perfect ice-cold 'SF Martini'.  Balloons at every location this year. You can just see my new Four Seasons at Park Lane bag, in the shot with the cake.  The bag contains most of my bone marrow rice. I could not eat it but it was so delicious the next evening. Just look at that uni (sea urchin) piled up.  The bottle for the special vermouth for the 'SF Martini' The Aubrey created, with the ingredients on the back, at Soho House, 76 Dean Street. This was genius, so many bartenders ask me this question.  This end to the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park happy birthday video left me speechless. |
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 Another dream came true being in the Buckingham Palace gardens with mum. Dad's rapid decline from Parkinson's disease is something my whole family is struggling to cope with. It has forced me to give up my new role at the Bank of England after only 4 month, to enable me to deal with this myself and support my family more. The Bank have been so kind and said I should be able to rejoin them for a third time, once my family life stabilises again.
I first started working for the Bank of England when the Rt Hon Robin Leigh-Pemberton was Governor; worked with the present Governor, Andrew Bailey, when we were both in Chief Cashier's Office; and Andy Haldane, former Chief Economist, was my manager in Monetary Analysis, during the period of 'the Ken & Eddie Show', before The Bank was given independence over the setting of interest rates. All this history with The Bank, combined with my experience working in Bermuda, Qatar, Cyprus & Cayman Islands should have made me ideal to help The Bank with its work and it was painful to have to resign. However, it did free me up to take mum to see the gardens at Buckingham Palace. The Farmers' Club made the sublime rare roast beef sandwiches, and Rosewood, London the Yayoi Kusama cakes, for this picnic. I have also been to a Beverly Hills Hotel pop-up on the roof of The Dorchester, where I was presented with more Philip Hammond flowers. Dorchester Collection know when I need cheering up. In a similar vein, I was given 'free' Ruinart champagne at Four Seasons at Park Lane and friends from my Bermuda days sent me Concorde tags from our New York trip on that supersonic jet. I also got to try the new NoMad hotel in Covent Garden. I need to make it clear that I cannot recommend Oystermen in Covent Garden enough, after an unforgettable dinner there with mum. Last week I was taken to a Test Match at Trent Bridge by friends from my Shrewsbury School days. I am so lucky with the friends I have. I am going through an extreme difficult period in my life at present but hope the photos below illustrated there are still some very happy moments within it and my friends are being too kind.  The steak tartare with sourdough; oyster on ice with condiments; & grilled scallop with piquillo chili pepper salsa amuse bouche, with a fan hand-painted with my name behind On my first day staying at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong I decided to try their Ruinart champagne Sunday Roast.
For Chinese New Year the Sir Terence Conran blue upholstery has been covered in good luck red. Sofia was my brilliant server and it turned out she had worked at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and so we chatted about my friend Mr Simon Casson. A sublime start to lunch. The entire lunch was divine with a myriad of amuse bouche; attentive & entertaining English Sommelier Lee; succulent chunks of lobster flesh in the lobster cocktail; salmon that had been smoked in-house carved at my table; roast beef carved from a trolley that melted in your mouth; and a chocolate portrait of Issy to end. A '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) 50th birthday year continues with a lunch using the finest organic ingredients that I will never forget. Hope the photos below help you appreciate this. |
The AuthorsSi Frew has lived in the UK, Bermuda, Qatar, Cyprus & the Cayman Islands. During this time he met Whoopi Goldberg (in Claridge's), Mike Tyson (in the Concorde Lounge at JFK) , Gordon Ramsay (in the Doha Four Seasons), Chris Eubanks (in The Dorchester), Cherie Blair (in Bermuda & again in the Doha Four Seasons) etc. There are funny stories attached to all these interactions, feel free to ask Si about them when you meet him. Archives
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