Then fill to me the parting glass Goodnight and joy be with you all – The Dubliners And so to my final Blog of 2013, begun at 34,990 feet above… who knows where? Destination nowhere. Destination somewhere. Like so many of my readers, the story of much of my year has been one told from
Airports
‘Where’s Martin?’ contest turns into a tale of the unexpected
We had lots of entries in our ‘Where’s Martin’ contest, offering a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (from Marlborough, New Zealand) to the reader who could name the location shown in a series of fantastic photos from a fantastic place below I visited last week in the line of duty. The close-up shots of the cuisine
Read More
Miscellaneous
Where’s Martin? Your chance to win a bottle of Cloudy Bay
In the mad dash to Christmas, I am back doing a few mad dashes of my own around the travel retail world. These will culminate in a world first at Dubai Duty Free this Friday, when I report in real time on the retailer’s 30th anniversary. Yes, Moodie Live, which we unveiled in October at
Read More
Miscellaneous
Going the extra mile with planes, trains, automobiles…and camels
At The Moodie Report we love the many industry stories about the extraordinary lengths people will go to in order to get themselves or their products around the world. Word reaches us, courtesy of Dubai-based Al Nassma, of another such tale, this one featuring that prince of Arabian animals…the camel. Al Nassma is of course
Read More
Miscellaneous
The commonality of excellence
Having just made my plane once more (I just don’t seem to function without a ridiculous deadline) this Blog begins at around 31,000 feet above Wuhan, China. Punctuated by a few snoozes and the occasional glass of the elegant and creamy Saint-Véran Pierre André 2011 and (maybe later) the crisp, grapefruit-led 2012 Spy Valley Marlborough
Read More
Miscellaneous
Reaching for the stars in Sydney, Macau and Hong Kong
I’m at Hong Kong International Airport on the way back from Macau to Heathrow. What a great shopping experience this airport offers – and what a stunning new addition I noted today, apparently just three days old. Take a look at the pictures on this page of the new DFS luxury spirits zone in one
Read More
Miscellaneous
From the bleakness of Brentford to the beauty of the Barossa
On Monday night I jumped into a mini-cab from my flat in a built-up area of Brentford, just outside London, and headed through a chilly, black autumn night to Heathrow Airport. Less than 72 hours later I was standing on the porch of a beautiful colonial homestead in the far northern tip of the Barossa
Read More
Events
Multi-coloured rainbows, great whites and even better reds in South Australia
Heave away, heave away Oh heave away, you ruler king, We’re bound for South Australia Good morning sports fans from Adelaide. If you’re in the South Australian capital for the second Ashes cricket test between the Aussies and the Poms (sorry, the English), then bring your umbrella, thermals and whisky flasks. It’s blowing up a
Read More
Miscellaneous
Clinique hosts SHA-mazing launch (with apols to Nicole S)
I once met Nicole Scherzinger (with then squeeze Lewis Hamilton) in a lift in London’s Dorchester Hotel. I gave her some friendly advice on diamond earrings (long story, but it was late and strong liquor had been taken) so as a quid pro quo I’m sure she won’t mind me modifying a word she dreamt
Read More
Airports
Homing in on the Grange
I often talk about setting up my interim Moodie Report bureaus but this one is more interim than most. I’m in transit at Hong Kong International Airport for around 90 minutes, over half the way along the long, long haul to Adelaide and Sydney, where I’ll be attending a major Treasury Wine Estates event featuring