The Casual Connoisseur Blog

"WHAT IF...."

2012-01-27T09:30:00.000+01:00

This is pretty bloody clever, a few of the imagined ones look actually worth watching now.

"What if..." Movies reimagined for another time & place... by Peter Stults. CD

FORTHCOMING HEADWEAR.

2012-01-26T00:30:00.001+01:00

Over the next few weeks we have a great variety of nice hat offerings, starting with a splendid bit of tweed in the shape of a proper dapper Newsboy cap, we've taken all inspiration from old New York for this in the shape and style of young 'Vito' himself, put your hands together for The Andolini, somewhat fittingly made right there in the Big Apple itself.
Back to the modern day mean streets and as we head into spring we've a nice new selection of Midtown hats in two shades of super Chambray and two more Tuff ones in a hardy ripstop both styles are one size fits all and again come directly made in the USA. The popular Villain hat has a small restock too. Out shortly. CD

CONNOISSEUR CREATIVE - WINNER!!

2012-01-23T10:40:00.000+01:00

Last Autumn we announced our first 'creative competition' in which someone got to design a new official released t-shirt. The brief for this one was a Serpico themed tee. We had quite a few entries and all in their own way great and worthy of a new tee, but we could only choose one winner. After a long and difficult deliberation we decided minty's entry was the one, However it was Welsh artist Minty who caught our eye the most with his entry - an original oil painting and a real mix of the connoisseur ethos of an iconic image with it's own twist and quirk was the one.
We'd like to say thankyou to all who took their time out to send in a design and commiserations to the other entrants. Minty's design wins the first creative and will be going into production as an official release over the coming months for sale. Check out the winning design. YHN

WEIR 4.2 OUT NOW.

2012-01-20T13:00:00.001+01:00

The last release of Weir hats for another 12 months are now available, fastest fingers first : WEIR 4.2 CD

WEIR TIMELINE...

2012-01-19T12:45:00.000+01:00

Bobble hat bonanza, our cult Weir hat has been given a complete timeline as requested by some.
Check it out here.

MATTHEW CRAVEN.

2012-01-18T15:38:00.000+01:00

I stumbled across this artist whilst Googling, like you do. Matthew Craven paints and illustrates great artwork. He also makes these fucking ace sculptures like the ones above based on the great old British series' Play for Today; Abigails Party, The Blackstuff and a Davis from Scum inspired piece, I love stuff like that, proper talent. Nice little book on offer too. CD

WILDERNESS.

2012-01-16T14:00:00.000+01:00

A look back at an old school catalogue from Wilderness Experience, this is from 1979 and whilst one or two bits and bobs have dated there's still some great bits on show and a lot of which is evident in many of today's collections. Captain Nemo chose wisely!

With the sample of our very own mountain parka hopefully imminent it's nice to have a look back at some charming old apparel offerings. Whilst some think the whole 'heritage' thing is a bit tired now, there's no denying there's a mine of amazing garments from back in the day, with our own outdoor brands and those across the pond, nice simple, classic outdoorsy schmutter remains a firm fave here. Thanks to Nick C for the catalogue. CD

THE DARTS.

2012-01-15T00:12:00.000+01:00

Well, aside from watching Bullseye as a kid and chucking the odd arrow in a pub whilst pissed, darts hasn't really been something we've gone crazy for, I'm not for one moment proclaiming to be some armchair darts fan, as I'm far from it. This years BDO World Championships caught our attention though, and we got a little hooked towards the end as local lad and regular Stockport County fan Tony 'Silverback' O'Shea battled his way into the final, it was actually quite gripping viewing and refreshing to see an old school British sporting institution going well and everyone having a ball, there were some real characters involved in the game, eclipsed only by some quite unintentionally hilarious folk in the crowd. 'WWE meets Jeremy Kyle' to quote our chums from Proper Mag. Unlucky big man, keep the faith. CD

2012 : THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.

2012-01-10T21:05:00.003+01:00

Yes, it's been a mad, mad year just gone, especially the last few months. Most releases consistently sold out in double quick time, we're not ones for blowing our own trumpets but it's been pretty amazing and overwhelming at times really! Thankfully we've not really had to do the whole January sale thing this year either, but we are a little thin on the ground right now, but fear not - we have an abundance of new product on the way... There's been lots of planning and producing behind the scenes since the back end of summer and as always it's great seeing ideas and sketches finally come to fruition.
Last week saw the launch of the new Weirflake hat, as always a limited edition of 100 hats - split over 2 colours, which once again arrived and sold out in well under an hour! We also released some snazzy Jotters and didn't expect them to sell out in just a day at all, which was crazy. We've should have secured a small restock of those and hat wise the second release of the Weir 4.2 is just ten days away, then that's yer lot for another 12 months! We've started planning ahead now and have a wealth of ace graphic tees on the way, already we can preview some now as well as others aplenty still to come, some are still on the drawing board.
Each one totally different from the other as always. We'll revisit one of our first ever tees from way back when with a brand spanking new super cool edition of the Ultraviolence tee. We've got a splendiferous tee from everyone's favourite cult childhood film The Goonies, some Russian Revolutionary flavour designed in Moscow, a new Joy Division tee paying homage to their debut album recorded right here on our own doorstep in sunny Stockport, 1979. Despite releasing over 750 hats in recent months there's some more on the way still too, with another splendid bit of tweed inspired by a cinematic masterpiece, we've also wangled a re-stock of the Villain and after selling out of The Næss bucket hat in deepest autumn we'll be redoing that for the summer months, perfect headwear for a certain summer music event.
One thing many have pestered us about over the last year is a substantial jacket, of course this has always been part of the plan. These things cannot be rushed into, our designer-in-chief knows a thing or two about classic outerwear, so we want to get our first stab at a parka just right, all we can say is watch this space, we're currently at a pre-production stage, and funnily enough, excuse the metaphor, but Connoisseur coats are just like buses, you wait ages for one...
We have lots in the pipeline including some possibilities we cannot yet talk about except to say they'd be carrying on the collab theme from last year. What we can do is give you a preview of just some of what's ahead. The Woodbank 2 went silly quickly last year so soon we'll be offering a new polo, this one tying in a Parisian student uprising twist! It'll also coincide with a tee on the same theme. Later on as summer approaches they'll be a new short sleeve polo with Neapolitan flavour! Bright pastel colours for walking the English Rivera, strolling around Gay Paree or in a beer garden in Grimsby. fingers crossed they'll be topped off (or rather bottomed) with some tailored shorts we're in the very early stages of sorting. We'll see. YHN

WEIR 4.2

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

The last installment of the ever popular Weir for this winter is now upon us. The Weir 4.2 in a new array of colours will be available on Fri 20 Jan, here some random chaps show their colours where they were photographed for us as far and wide as Hull, Philadelphia and sunny Genova. As always we have just 50 per colour and this will be the last chance to grab one until next winter. CD

OUT & ABOUT : MANCHESTER

2012-01-07T20:55:00.039+01:00

"Manchester's got everything except a beach" - Ian Brown

Some 200 miles due North from the capital of England lies Manchester, a city whose streets are paved in sandstone cobble sets, not gold, as cockneys would have you believe London’s are. In the centre of the city, encompassing these streets, are domineering Collyhurst Sandstone historical buildings - some nowadays transformed in to grand hotels. Also mammoth clay, red brick former cotton mills of an erstwhile age have been converted into luxury apartments that fringe the crux. These pitted facade structures have seen and housed many an occurring, factual antiquity event; the growth, the rise, and the fall of the textile trade – include in this the Industrial Revolution - when Manchester was dubbed ‘Cottonopolis’. Manchester had the perfect, moist climate and waterway links for the cotton industries Richard Arkwright’s spinning frames. There’s even an entry in the Domesday Book noting that Manchester was a ‘wool-town.’ Some even say the triggering point of the English Civil War began in the city. Riots also took place on the damp, slippery cobbles during the 18th Century recession over the lack of available food - this saw soup kitchens set up.

Anyhow, that’s enough on the past history of Manchester. Nowadays Manchester is a vibrant city that has got just about everything going for itself, apart from having a beach! For me, being from the North West, it seems to have overtaken Birmingham for resources as the second city of England, and beyond. If shopping for clobber is your forte, there’s an abundance of one offs to shop at with the jewel in the crown being

Oi Polloi . Afflecks is a wondrous palace to browse for something different/quirky/bohemian: be it a boyhood hero poster, a punk or mod badge wore back in the day or, an item of 80s sportswear, if they do have to have it in XXL, that is. Slick, modern architecture like the Beetham Tower (also referred to as the Hilton Tower, a landmark 47-storey skyscraper) sits side-by-side with magnificent structures such as The Midland, which is a 312 bedroom grand hotel. There’s also a opulence of galleries and museums worth a visit within easy reach from the centre either on foot or by tram; with my personal favorite being the People’s History Museum And, three successful football clubs share the city’s’ support: Manchester United, Manchester City plus FC Utd.

The city and surrounding areas has a diverse, cultural population with cuisine on offer from around the world served in a array restaurants, cafes and from takeaways to feed the hunger pangs. But my main reason for a three day stay were, the wide range of traditional alehouses and stylish, urban café bars.
Whatever floats your boat in the drinking stakes is available in Manchester; from original, floorboard back street boozers to futuristic glass fronted establishments. You could pin down seven areas worth whetting your whistle too in the centre: Central, Victoria, Northern Quarter, Piccadilly & The Village, Oxford Road, Deansgate-Castlefield and Salford Central plus two outlaying areas; Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Wilmslow Road.
I graced quite a few lushers with my presence during my stopover so I’ll just skim through the crème de la crème of some of them: Sam’s Chop House is where you can share a pint of fine ale with L S Lowry, or dine on hearty tucker. The City Arms is a cosy, hidden gem with several guest beers on. Dating back to 1552, The Old Wellington, was relocated 120 yards from its foundations following the ’96 IRA – a major feat indeed. The Angel, which had 10 ales dispensing on a Wednesday and a roaring log fire. A Robinson’s tied house, the Castle Hotel, with its brown tiled facade, mosaic floor and mahogany wood bar. The Crown & Kettle has an unique ceiling and wood panelling from the R101 airship. The Marble Arch Inn serves up all its own brewed wide selection of beers from Marble Brewery in a granite fronted building, slopping floored and glazed tiled interior walled gaff. Both the Peveril of the Peak and Britons Protection are traditional pub pubs, where punters chat quietly while drinking cask ales. The Knott Bar nestles in a converted railway arch. And if you want to impress the Missus on a night out you won’t go far wrong if you treat them to a cocktail or half of real cider/perry in the relaxed Port Street Beer House or the splendid Joshua Brooks which had Marble No6 on at £2 a pint – it’s 6% pale ale – and moreish Thai nuts from behind the bar. Joshua Brooks also has a restaurant and night club housed in the building for the perfect night out, for some.

Though my stay in Manchester was only brief, I shall be back again very soon to sample its wares.
Your Northern Monkey correspondent, Bill.

JOTTERS.

2012-01-05T01:21:00.002+01:00

A new release which may come in handy for meetings, planning, homework or just general scribblings and stuff, a three pack of Moleskine pocket notebooks. Available Now.

THE WEIRFLAKE.

2012-01-03T22:46:00.007+01:00

Gone awfully nippy of late hasn't it? Extreme winds, rainy, sleety, miserable and grim! The witch has well and truly got her titties out! Fear not, we've an another ace new new bobble hat out due out this Friday! The perfect winter warmer in the perfect old school colours. The Weirflake - as always deliberately limited to just a hundred all in, 50 per colour. Keeping heads both cool and warm this winter! YHN

ALL THE BEST...

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000+01:00

FIRST LOOK

2011-12-31T13:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a sneak peek at a fabulous new tee design coming next year. I don't think it'll take a genius to work this one out but it's fair to say it's from something we and many others from our generation have seen a thousand times yet still hold pretty fondly! The superb illustration was specially commissioned for us by our resident cohort Mr O'Toole and we'll reveal the final design soon. CD

THE FINAL CURTAIN

2011-12-27T13:30:00.003+01:00

As we approach the end of the year, here's a tribute to the famous folk who left this world in 2011. From the familiar faces, to those who were a surprise, shock and even a tragedy to see shuffle off this mortal coil so early...

Gary Ablett, footballer, manager.

Claude Choules, last surviving WW1 veteran.

Nathan Clark, designer.

Frank DiLeo, actor, agent.

Bert Jansch, musician.

Socrates, former footballer

Gary Speed, footballer/manager

Pete Postlethwaite, actor

John Walker, Musician

Elizabeth Taylor, actress

Ken Russell, director

Gerry Rafferty, musician

Clarence Clemons, AKA Big Man, musician

Randy Savage, wrestler

Henry Cooper, boxer

Charles Napier, actor

Steve Jobs, inventor

Peter Falk, actor

Peter Yates, director

Sidney Lumet, director

Jimmy Saville, broadcaster

Bubba Smith, actor, sportsman

Mehdi Favéris-Essadi, DJ/musician

Gil Scott Heron, musician

Cynthia Myers, pinup

Nate Dogg, Musician

Ryan Dunn, Jackass

Amy Winehouse, musician

Michael Gough, actor

Tim Hetherington, photographer

John Mackenzie, film maker

Jeff Conaway, actor

John Barry, composer.

Christopher Hitchens, writer

Shelagh Delaney, screenwriter

Joe Simon, illustrator

Barry Feinstein, photographer

Joe Frazier, boxing great

Dan Wheldon, racing driver

Lloyd Knibb, musician

Poly Styrene, musician.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000+01:00

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2012. YHN
We'll be monitoring and actioning orders over the festive period where possible - but we'll also be taking a well earned break.

INTRODUCING...

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

Christmas Eve tomorrow, already?
We knew it was coming but it's come around all too quickly once again, we've done a fair few hats this year, over seven hundred, in several different styles in fact, and the rest of those are on the way! You may have seen the one off stockist special edition we did this week with Ran and Distant Echo, these didn't hang about we've had one or two people ask about that hat, there's half of the order on it's way to Moscow via Casual Clothing and Proudheart, you may or may not get a chance to nab one online.
Fear not, the second round of Weir (4.2) in three new colours will be available in the New Year and previews up soon. As will this excellent Weirflake design in white and brown released post Christmas and limited to just 50 per colour as usual. CD

auditCONTROL

2011-12-20T21:00:00.001+01:00

Our mate Peter O'Toole doesn't just do great illustrations, here's his first music video for Huddersfield based indie/alternative band auditCONTROL. Look out for a couple of belting new tee designs from Mr O'T in the new year, including a superb tribute to the best kids film of our generation. CD

STOCKIST EXCLUSIVE WEIR.

2011-12-19T03:20:00.001+01:00

This year at the request of our forum membership we offered an exclusive stealth colour of the Weir bobble in smaller numbers, however, in order to make up the standard order quantity with another colour, we can now offer a brand new colour exclusive to our stockists. This was a late decision and a hasty choice of colours, but it worked out as one of the coolest colour schemes yet. Check out Ran in Liverpool and Manchester, Distant Echo (online) and Proudheart and Casual Clothing both based over in Moscow.
These may well be the least seen version of the hats yet, especially as 25 of them are heading across Europe.

OUT AND ABOUT : LIVERPOOL.

2011-12-18T18:00:00.011+01:00

Yesterday we jibbed the Transalpino down the Mersey to 2008's Capital of Culture, swerving the hordes of Christmas shoppers for some of the cities best boozers in aid of some festive cheer. Another pint of bitter boss. CD

SWEATS OUT NOW!

2011-12-16T17:09:00.000+01:00

Our new sweatshirt collection is available to buy now.

CONNOISSEUR CALENDAR

2011-12-15T08:35:00.000+01:00

Put 365 days of Connoisseur on your office, workshop, kitchen or bedroom wall with the super duper 2012 calendar available via Red Bubble. No excuse for missing the missus' birthday this time. CD

UNITED COLOURS OF CONNOISSEUR.

2011-12-14T03:01:00.008+01:00

One of our personal favourite ever t-shirt releases and arguably the consistent best selling one over several years now is the Northern Music Factory, a very simple yet so effective graphic paying homage to the iconic bands of a not so departed super cool era. Whilst we've been releasing a fair bit of late, it's been a busy time here at CC and there's still more to come, we should mention there's two ace new colours of the popular Northern Music tee on both Black and White, plus a restock in the classic Navy.YHN

SWEATSHIRTS.

2011-12-13T00:05:00.004+01:00

Our Sweatshirt collection will be released this Friday, if you got one last year then you'll be aware of the quality of these, a real nice heavyweight cotton crewneck, with some nice details for a flattering fit. Bang on in the look and handle, not to mention toasty for the time of year.
We have four styles, inspired by the classic US College/High School sweat, inspired by the twisted 55-75 War in 'Nam, The Connoisseurs returns from last year inspired by our favourite Bronx based gang and a signature North West sweat in the classic grey marl, we literally have one box per style so these are pretty limited. CD

COMPETITION TIME.

2011-12-12T01:00:00.004+01:00

AS A THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT THIS LAST YEAR, WE'RE OFFERING 5 PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF OUR NEW ACID RAMBLER TEES. AVAILABLE LATER TODAY.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE IS SIMPLY REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK WITH YOUR SIZE. WINNERS WILL BE DRAWN BY 1PM TODAY!!

**WINNERS : Daniel Close, Niall Hollywood, Adam Gorton, Max Belleforet and Fabi Ste. Congrats lads, expect a parcel very soon. Commiserations to all who entered. YHN

2012 CALENDAR, GREETING CARDS, POSTERS, PRINTS....

2011-12-09T13:08:00.017+01:00

For a few years now we've been using Red Bubble to showcase some of our fantastic artwork, as we use illustrators and artists for our graphic tees most of this looks translates straight into print form very well too. Whilst this is by no means a big earner for us, we don't really gain anything, the quality of the products is amazing, onece framed they look superb. Don't forget, we have greeting cards, prints, large posters, photographic prints and once again a calendar for 2012 available via Red Bubble right now. Please note when ordering this is a separate entity from us so you should follow their policy.
Christmas dates are stated as - standard shipping order by 17th december, Express by the 19th. CD

THE STONE ROSES + RE-STOCKS.

2011-12-07T19:00:00.001+01:00

The Stone Roses "This is the One!" tee is ressurrected! The coolest Stone Roses tee ever made from this summer which was long before any talk of a reunion too! Full restock on both Sky and White now online including a new 'citrus sucking sunshine' colour (we mean yellow).
ALSO back by popular demand!! There's a return of Bulldog Bobby on Royal Blue and Subb Casuals on Sky but be quick these have shot out already. YHN

WEIR 4.1 OUT NOW!

2011-12-05T11:00:00.001+01:00

CONNOISSEUR UPDATE...

2011-12-03T19:30:00.001+01:00

Here's a little update of whats on the way...
This Monday sees the release of the latest edition of the Weir hat on three new colours. The 11th, 12th and 13th variant of colours no less. In an Autumn/Winter that has and will see us release over 700 hats in six different styles made in England, Scandinavia and The USA. As always in limited numbers.
On the way over the coming weeks are our new Sweatshirts, this year we have four styles ; 'Connoisseur High' a US college style sweat on cobalt, 55-75 A 'Nam themed sweat on khaki, naturally. There's a return of 'The Connoisseurs' sweat on navy which is a varsity style design based on the cult film The Wanderers and finally our 'North West of England and Beyond' sweat coming on grey.

The Acid Ramblers are coming too! A new t-shirt design and a fantastic limited edition enamel two-piece pinset which is quite simply pure aceness! In addition to those we have a restock on Life Through a Tinted Lens on Navy, Black and Bottle. We've got Northern Music restocked on Navy and two brand new colourways on white and black tees.

Full restock of The Stone Roses including a new colourway on Yellow, Madness on Sand and Royal Blue and a limited return of both Subb Casuals I and Bulldog Bobby!
COMING in the new year we have the second release of the Weirs and a new Snowflake style 'weirflake'.
Plus new tees including a re-interpretation of The Krays, some Russian revolutionary flavour, Joy Division, the winning Serpico entry (TBD) some various music genre tees, several new collaborations and plenty of works in progress, plus hopefully we'll finally see the collabo with Blamb! sorted (a long and slow production, but well worth the wait) and a tribute to the greatest ever childhood film ever made!! YHN

SHOPPERS.

2011-11-29T17:29:00.003+01:00

Just in time for your Christmas shopping, and back by popular demand! We've released our 'Roy Cropper Shopper' bags once again, a re-run of the aceness Goodfellas bag and a new colour variation of an apt Half Man Half Biscuit quote. Be the don of the aisles AND, AND help the environment too!!
This bag's so damn cool it was even featured in the current Proper Magazine's Highly Desirable Items. YHN

WEIR 4.

2011-11-28T22:19:00.006+01:00

This year's installment of our cult Weir ski hat is almost upon us, we've been asked and asked about the colours, the release date etc, and can now announce the first three colours will be released on Dec 5.
Now into the fourth year and already passing ten colour variations it's fair to say trying to pick this years colour scheme was a harder task than you may think. We feel we've done pretty well again with three colourways which really go together, with a great vibrant mix of old school cool, the great outdoors and classic colours that just work as a team.
As always these are deliberately limited numbers and there's another three colours due for a later release, plus as per last year - another special edition pattern version. Watch this space. CD

THIS IS ENGLAND 88.

2011-11-26T00:36:00.005+01:00

A look at the next installment of Shane Meadows' This Is England series, as you can probably tell by the pictures it's shifted to nearly a couple of years from where it left off in 1988, I believe this is to be shown on telly and on the big screen though I may be wrong there, then concluding with a 90's version sometime later. YHN

PIN UPS.

2011-11-23T02:19:00.006+01:00

Any excuse for some T&A eh? some great drawings of our favourite pornstars by Nils.

VILLAIN HAT OUT NOW!

2011-11-21T17:58:00.006+01:00

Our Villain tweed flat cap is now available to buy, also we have restocked the Midtown five panel caps and added two new styles in Camo and Ripstop. Fastest fingers first with these, we don't expect them to hang about.YHN

6876 x Fred Perry

2011-11-21T10:15:00.004+01:00

A look at six eight seven six's collab with Fred Perry, out now. YHN

TERRY RICHARDSON FOR HAPPY SOCKS.

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000+01:00

Fruity photograher Terry Richardson and friends with Happy Socks. CD

McMURPHY HAT OUT NOW!

2011-11-18T13:00:00.003+01:00

Now available to buy, the premium wool McMurphy hat made in the UK for us by Highland 200. A choice of four spiffing colours,pretty limited numbers. Connoisseur McMurphy. CD

McMURPHY HAT COMING SHORTLY.

2011-11-14T03:08:00.002+01:00

Our new McMurphy watch cap is released this week, a superb premium woollen hat, hand made for us in the UK by Highland 2000, available later this week £32 delivered and as always in limited numbers. YHN

2011-11-13T01:52:00.000+01:00

LEST WE FORGET.

2011-11-11T01:00:00.000+01:00

NÆSS HAT OUT NOW.

2011-11-09T12:00:00.001+01:00

The Connoisseur x Our Culture Næss bucket hat is now available, a heavy cotton twill hat which we think defies the usual seasons, coming Navy and Sand with four exclusive button badges, custom manufactured and limited to less than one hundred pieces each, priced at £34 you'll struggle to get a better hat in our most humble opinion.
With air ventilation, pockets for your Snus and duel embroidered branding. Whether it's the sun, the rain, festivals, fishing or just being cool as fuck, we think this is the perfect shape and fit. The Næss hat takes it's name from the late Norwegian mountaineer, philosopher and ecologist Arne Næss. CD

CONNOISSEUR CREATIVE COMPETITION.

2011-11-06T23:00:00.006+01:00

Late September we set an interesting competition for any budding artists or illustrators out there to design us a new tee, the brief was the honest New York cop and all round cool cat Frank 'Paco' Serpico, one of our fave silver screen icons, or at least the character portrayed by big Al himself.
We had a great response, with some excellent artwork coming through from as near as Glossop and Leigh to as far as Stockholm and Melbourne. We now have to decide between ourselves and pick the winner which we will release as a brand new tee, early next year. In the meantime here's a look at the entries...

1. From Visual Stunts.

2. From a Guy Called Minty.

3. From Peter.

4. From Karl.

5. From Tony/retroskullduggery.

6. From Dave.

7. From Craig/amoderntradition.

8. From Dan.

9. From Karl.

10. From Woody.
Let us know what you think, look out for a similar competition in the near future. CD

BAD DADS - Art tribute to Wes Anderson.

2011-11-03T09:00:00.001+01:00

Bad Dads - An art show tribute to the films of Wes Anderson.
Featuring original artwork and prints also available,
courtesy of Spoke Art.

GONZO.

2011-11-02T18:33:00.009+01:00

Last night we released our great tribute to the Good Doc Hunter S Thompson, it proved a popular one with Navy sold out in 24 hours, we'll be getting a re-stock of this one again as we think it's too cool for school. To accompany the American indie influence we also released the smartest Bill Murray tee you'll see this side of Bushwood Country Club.
We also re-stocked The Stone Roses tee on White, this is a superb design and has been a great seller for us since we released it this summer without an inkling they'd ever get back together!
After selling out the initial runs we were asked about this one a fair bit after the recent breaking news, we plan a re-stock in the Sky tee also, with more colours in the near future so watch this space. CD

OUT & ABOUT : THE NEW FOREST.

2011-11-01T12:01:00.002+01:00

Some cracking very early morning scenic shots of the New Forest national park, Hampshire. Via scum1980.

COMING NEXT WEEK ...AND MORE

2011-10-28T20:00:00.016+02:00

Here at Connoisseur HQ we've just come off the back of a rather manic and definitely hectic week, we're not complaining though, far from it.
Our new Woodbank Polos went up on Monday and were virtually gone in two days which was rather crazy. Crazier still - were our limited edition Harris Tweed scarves which sold out in 4 minutes!! Now they were limited but that was frighteningly quick. We are still waiting on a batch of the L/S polos still to arrive so there will be some more over the next few weeks.

NEXT WEEK we have two brand new tees that have finally arrived.

The excellent and unique artwork of the always great Bill Murray commissioned from Andy Watt, will be available on both White and Khaki tees and we have The Good Doctor Mr Thompson making his long awaited bow on both White and Navy tees each with different colourways. This one also features some pretty snazzy and most definitely 'kool and the gang' silver ink detail to boot! Two seriously ace tees even if I do say so myself!

Over the coming weeks leading into the cold months we will be going hat mad with our selection of bonce warmers. The cult favourites the Weirs are on the way, also some lovely wool watch caps, a restock and new five panel options and some villainous flat caps! BUT spearheading all those is one of THE best bucket hats you couldwish to wear. The 'Arne Naess' hat has been a (slow) work in progress for some years and finally with the collaboration of our Scandinavian brothers at Our Culture it's come to fruition, we've got it nailed and we've created a pretty super titfter!

More on that soon! YHN

MIKE LEIGH'S FIVE MINUTE FILMS.

2011-10-26T00:00:00.001+02:00

Some classic early kitchen sink shorts from one of our favourites, Mr Mike Leigh.

WOODBANK L/S POLO OUT NOW.

2011-10-24T18:40:00.001+02:00

The Woodbank l/s Polo is now available to buy whilst stocks last, these are a lot more limited than last years offering, and come in four colours; Army, Marine, Chocolate and Azure.
Please note: we haven't had our full quota on these so there will be a full sizebreak in the Marine colour in the next few weeks if anyone misses out. Woodbank II. YHN

2011-10-21T19:00:00.001+02:00

CONNOISSEUR PRODUCT UPDATE...

2011-10-19T00:00:00.002+02:00

Okey dokey. There's been a lot happening here at Connoisseur HQ and lot's of new product is on the way of which we keep getting asked about - so we thought it high time we get another update post out there.
Firstly, after a couple of delays the new Woodbank Polos, this time in Long Sleeve and with a choice of four colours, but much more limited than last years version too, these will be available to purchase next week.

We've also got some new tees of course, there's plenty in the pipeline but this time we'll highlight two excellent pieces featuring commissioned artwork from illustrators. Firstly Andy Watt who's work you'll have seen in The Guide, FHM and GQ with his superb take on the great ever lasting subdued cool dude Bill Murray. Why Bill Murray? why not?
Released alongside Mr Murray is our continued work with our friend and cohort Mr O'Toole as we finally bring the Good Doctor to a tee. The Gonzo t-shirt sees another of our portrait and quote combos with a snazzy silver ink on Mr Thompsons' famous aviators and cigarette holder, cool 'huh!?

Coming shortly too we have some ace new super quality heavyweight sweatshirts, with a classic 'Nam influenced design and our College varsity style sweat on the way as well as a limited re-run of the fucking aceness Connoisseur take on the cult Wanderers logo.

Our lovely and limited edition Harris Tweed scarves have been patiently waiting for the bizarre extended summer to get to normal and the Autumn/Winter to finally kick in. These lovely pieces handmade by one person way up north on the Isle of Lewis come in super limited quantities and kick start the Connoisseur winter fun with a restock (including new choices) of our Made in the USA five panel Midtown caps, in addition to those there are some spiffing tweed flat caps on the way too, named in honour of Salford hardman-come-mountaineer Don 'the Villain' Whillans who wore his flat cap everywhere, even up Annapurna, probably.

Then, then, then.... come this years Weir hats. Our favourite and popular cult bobble hat is into it's fourth year now, with the style seemingly becoming more popular over that time too, we have not only one but two releases of three colourways plus a new fairisle style hat too. AND AND ! If that's not enough there's also some luvverly premium woolen 'watch caps' also made in England with Highland 2000 coming too. Wahey.

All details, prices, release dates and images to follow as they come. YHN

OUT & ABOUT : SHEFFIELD.

2011-10-17T20:29:00.008+02:00

'Imagine my sheer horror when someone else turned up wearing brown chinos.'

REBEL ART.

2011-10-16T16:25:00.001+02:00

April 25th Rosenthaler Platz in Berlin was the point of a fascinating guerilla street art event. It started with bikers that poured paint in front of cars that waited for green lights. The cars then had no choice but to move which in turn saw the busy the road transformed into a giant blank canvas. Water based paints were used, I'm sure it's clean now. YHN

BADA BING!

2011-10-13T08:50:00.007+02:00

Ohhh! There he is! The greatest series in the history of television is celebrated right here with the greatest Sopranos tee you could ever wear. The No Risk, No Reward tee is out from today 10:00AM.
Featuring excellent artwork from our regular associate Mr O'Toole and topped off with some ace on location photography by 'a friend of ours' in New Jersey . It's here, get it or we'll set Chrissy's big pussy on you. YHN

OUT & ABOUT : ATHENS.

2011-10-11T10:00:00.002+02:00

Looming bankruptcy, thousands on the streets in protest and general strikes, there are probably better times to visit Athens. That said the purpose of my trip was to work on the Greece-Croatia fixture in the EURO 2012 Qualifiers and there’s nothing like a vital football match to distract the masses. In between work there was a chance for a spot of sight seeing, but to avoid swathes of loud, badly dressed American tourists I checked out a couple of the lesser know destinations.
Being a sucker for football grounds of all shapes and sizes, when I visit any country the ‘to do’ list often features the name of some ramshackle stadium. This time was no different and I soon made my way to the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. Built in 1922, it was until recently home to one of the cities three big teams, Panathinakos.

In England, old stadiums rich with history and memories soon get torn down for luxury flats or a supermarket, but ‘The Leoforos’ as it is also known still stands proud. With it’s urban location slap bang in the Ampelokipoi district of the city, it’s very much a surprise that the Greeks haven’t followed the route of many in this country.

It took me an hour just to walk around and appreciate the exterior of the stadium such was the variety and detail in the many displays.

Even the club have got in on the act, placing huge photos of great moments in their history along the top of one of the stands.

When you’ve played in a European Cup Final and been managed by the great Ferenc Puskas, there is much to be proud of and supporters and the club have joined forces to makes sure visitors are aware of times gone by. Alas there seemed to be no way in and unfortunately I didn’t get to see the interior, but even from the outside you can tell it would’ve been something special to see a match there.
If football is my number one passion, military history runs it a very close second. Whilst it won’t be on many visitors to Athens list, the Greek War Museum a couple stops down the excellent and cheap metro system was next.
As a regular visitor to the excellent Imperial War Museums both in London and Manchester the benchmark was high. That said whilst the Athens version is more traditional (artefacts behind glass cases) than the modern experiences available in England, it’s no less interesting or enjoyable. Such is the sheer number of weapons, medals, pictures, uniforms on show there is almost too much to see.

Whilst I’m a partial for anything related to the two World Wars in the 20th Century some of the older material going back hundreds of years were just as fascinating.

And not everything was behind a glass cases including a set of fighter jets outside!

Certainly worth getting off the well-beaten tourist track if you’re ever in Athens. During the course of work over the next few days I did see the popular sites such as The Acropolis, The Ancient Agora and The Panathenaic Stadium but give me a War Museum or an old football stadium any time.
The Greece- Croatia fixture was billed as the Cup Final. A win for the visitors Croatia and qualification for EURO 2012 would be confirmed, but a win for Greece would see them overtake the group leaders and be in pole position with one game left. A red-hot atmosphere spilled over into violence in the first few minutes when this happened….

Seems a group of 100 masked PAOK Athens fans wanted to extract some revenge on the Croatians after an incident in Zagreb in December 2010.
Order was eventually restored and until the 70th minute that was as interesting as things got both on and off the pitch. But then Georgios Samaras slammed home a rebound from a corner and the 30,000 Greeks went mental. They did so again soon after, when Fanis Gekas headed home from yet another corner. The sheer elation of both goals was reflected in the wall of sound emanating around the stadium – it was very noisy and for the first time in a while the Greeks were the ones with smiles on the faces.
Despite being from deepest darkest Somerset, I’m very much a City boy and if it’s hustle and bustle with a bit of tourism thrown in then Athens is worth a visit. I’ll be honest once you get past the cheap but delicious chicken or pork pittas available seemingly on every street corner, the food isn’t all that. It’s also probably not the best time to assess a city on its nightlife when it’s in the depths of an economic crisis. I’d definitely go back for another football game, one of the Athens Derbies maybe, it’s just a shame it won’t be at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. Word and pictures: Seb White.

CONNOISSEUR x BEN LAMB.

2011-10-10T16:00:00.008+02:00

This one has been some months in coming. It's on the way now. Another in our collaboration series - this time with Ben Lamb. And it's a special one! Our first snippet of the piece is Jack and he's had a refill from Lloyd the bartender, but who is he in conversation with? Stay tuned to find out… YHN

WINTER HATTAGE.

2011-10-07T15:30:00.001+02:00

Well, after last weeks surprise heatwave it's back to our typical British weather, leaves on the floor, all day drizzle and going dark dead early, it's cold, it's miserable, it's great!
The Autumn is well and truly upon us, time for the big jackets, hats, scarves (ours out soon) and boots to come out, we can all pretend to be Bonington and Brown as we nip out for a paper. With that in mind we turn our attention to covering up, and hailing from a town that knows more than a thing or two about hats we'll be doing our bit to carry on the tradition with our winter hats on the way, our signature 'Weir' bobble hat is into it's fourth year, doesn't time fly? we have two installments of three colours, all deliberately limited to just fifty per colourway and as always made in the UK.
To accompany the Weir we will this year be offering the 'McMurphy' hat, no prizes for guessing where this takes it's name, this is a premium ribbed woolen hat, or watch cap to give it's proper name, with nice speckly bits of colour yarned in, made for us by Midland based quality hatters Highland 2000.
COMING OVER THE NEXT MONTH.

OUT & ABOUT : AN AFRICAN SAFARI.

2011-10-05T00:05:00.004+02:00

Some amazing photos and a great experience out on safari from a fellow Connoisseur, words and pictures from T25.
We arrived in Nairobi after a rather long ten hour overnight flight and were transferred straight to Wilson airport. After about an hour we were on our way, in a small twenty seat Otter single prop aircraft we arrived in Samburu National Park on a small airstrip.
We were met by Sebastian a driver for intrepid Samburu. Within a twenty minute drive to our camp we had already seen a number of different antelope, baboons and some water buffalo, and although dry, very hot and with not much flora to talk about we could see that the animals looked to be in abundance.
After our briefing and being shown to our luxury tent, we had an amazing lunch, and with an hour or so to get our bearings we were on our first ever game drive. Dominic our driver took us for what seemed like miles.
And on it we saw elephants, giraffe and a wealth of birds and antelope. We arrived back just before dark, and with a quick shower it was off to a presentation by a warrior from the local Samburu village.
'Son of Red Bull' or Steve to his friends, gave an informative presentation about his village and the people it inhabited, we hung back to talk to Steve about a potential visit to the village. We took a hundred pencils to donate to a school which he had mentioned the village school, we thought it would be great to visit the village and donate the pencils to a school that relied so much on donations.
Five courses of quality food and a decent bottle of red to wash it down with. Bed by 10.30 as we had tea brought to our tent at 6am ready for our next AM game drive. The following day Steven caught us on our return from the afternoon game drive and asked if we would like to visit the village the following day.

The event was a man to warrior ceremony, where one goat was sacrificed for each warrior and butchered ready for cooking. Some of the meat was taken and delivered to the elders in another part of the village where a similar ritual took place, the rest was draped over a sacred tree, ready for cooking.
Around the tree was a series of fires/BBQ where the ribs and legs were cooked and then placed on acacia branches around the sacred tree. The cooked meat was then cut into edible size portions and skewered on long sticks and offered to each warrior. We too ate meat as the warriors accepted our being there and even posed for photos. We later visited the school and met the Headmaster. Gave him the pencils, signed his signing in book and had a guided tour. There were no kids there. The teachers of Kenya were holding a national strike. Then we were invited into an elders house, a wooden structure covered in dried cow dung, we sat around on goat hides and talked to the woman whose house it was about the village and her kids. Steven was a great interpreter.

After a successful game drive bringing us our 1st Lion, he was enjoying a sleep when a rather vexed elephant chased him into a bush. We returned to the camp to meet Steve and Sebastian and made our way to the village. Steven informed us that there was a ceremony taking place which only happened every six or seven years and whilst he would have to negotiate with the leader of the warriors we may be able to see it unfold. He believed no visitors had ever been allowed in and no woman had ever been allowed in and as far as he was aware.
Late afternoon we went to the main part of the village where the warriors and young ladies of the village danced and sang, we left about 6.30, apparently the dancing would go on until the early hours next morning. Amazing day.
The next day after our morning drive and breakfast we were transferred to the airstrip where we flew to the Masai Mara, again in a small Otter, we landed on airstrip and were transferred to Mara Intrepid which was a two minute drive, instantly the difference in habitat was very evident, much more lush and green almost tropical, and not quite so hot as Samburu.

After a short briefing we were shown to our tent, luxury again, with a stunning view up the Mara river. A large Hippo was basking in the sun.
We arrived at the game drive meeting point to be met by Sammie our driver for the next three days. 20 years in the job his enthusiasm was very evident and rubbed of on us very quickly. Our 1st afternoon drive and we saw a pride of lions a maned lion cheetah and a leopard.

The cats were top of my list to see and over the next three days they didnt disappoint. We also saw elephants, hippos by the truck load' zebra, giraffe, wildebeests and the elusive rhino.
On our very last drive we saw a cheetah kill. Top of my list of want-to-sees. And it didn’t disappoint 3/4s of and hour from start to finish possibly the single most exciting thing I have ever seen.
After three days in Mara we flew to Mombasa where we relaxed at leopard beach resort for four nights before flying back to Nairobi and then overnight to Heathrow. T25

EPHEMICROPOLIS.

2011-10-03T12:00:00.000+02:00

Artist Peter Root‘s latest work ‘Ephemicropolis’, is pretty astonishing. A metropolis made completely from stacks of over 100.000 metal staples. The stacks of staples were broken into varying sizes from full stacks about 12cm high down to single staples. These stacks were then stood up and arranged over a period of 40 hours. CD

MIDTOWN CAPS - HEAD'S UP.

2011-10-01T14:06:00.009+02:00

Our 'Midtown' Five Panel Caps are now available to buy, with a choice of three all taking their name from boroughs of NYC, we have the Stuyvesant in indigo Denim, the Caldwell in Grey flannel and the Fairview in a hunting plaid. Made in New York by renowned hat manufacturers, one size fits all and in very limited numbers, these won't hang around.
*SOLD OUT in just a few hours, watch this space for more. CD

DRESSING THE SOPRANOS:

2011-09-30T02:43:00.009+02:00

A Costume Designer's Notes : Having not long since watched The Sopranos back to back all in (again) I'm getting withdrawal symptoms at night now, I could watch an episode of something else each night, The Wire? Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Grange Hill! but it's just not the same without it, it really isn't, daft I know, but I'm not alone. Here's a look at the hard work that's taken for granted by us viewers, behind the scenes Juliet Polcsa is one of the unsung heroes of the show, one of the key members of the extended family. It is she who has the odious task of kitting all the family members out. Every detail is considered and complex. I often wonder just who would sell some of the horrible shirts they seem to wear, but don't tell them I said that. Shamelessly borrowed from the excellent HBO site. CD

NEW TEES OUT NOW :

2011-09-27T18:00:00.004+02:00

Two brand spanking T-shirts just added to the shop, Turner Purple - a film, music and novel tee all in one. And Connoisseur Posse - our take on an iconic tee. For full details and to purchase click the images or links above.

______________________________

Coming Soon : Within the next fortnight : The eagerly awaited new Sopranos tee 'No Risk, No Reward'.
The Woodbank 2 - Long Sleeve Polo shirt. The 5 panel Caps. They're on the way, soon!
To follow: The good Doctor himself Hunter S. Thompson and Bill Murray (a new collaboration) arrive on tees. And, And! They'll be all new Sweatshirts too!
And finally as it gets as cold as a witches titty - An array of bonce warmers and limited edition Harris tweed Scarves will arrive to not only keep you warm but keep you cool too!YHN

COMPETITION TIME.

2011-09-26T14:06:00.036+02:00

It's Competition time, we're giving someone the chance to design a brand new t-shirt which will go on a full general release*. Over the past few months we have started worked with some great illustrators bringing us some fantastic artwork to our range and will continue to do so. Now, we want to offer the chance for anyone out there to have a bash, we want to try and unearth some new talent - whether you are a designer, illustrator or just good at drawing get your thinking caps on and send us your designs.

We will choose the design we think is our favourite, the winner will receive the proud recognition and accolade of having their own screen printed designed t-shirt on generalrelease - with full credits, the winning t-shirt upon release and a one off print as well as other Connoisseur goods. Get entering now...YHN

CONNOISSEUR x ANDY WATT

2011-09-22T18:20:00.003+02:00

Announcing the first look at the next installment in the Connoisseur collaborations, illustrator Andy Watt's work is something you may be familiar with, unless all you read is the Daily Star. With his fantastic drawings and caricatures of famous faces, people and places appearing in the likes of The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Esquire, GQ, FHM, Time Out, Maxim and the NME.
"Andy Watt creates humorous and acerbic illustrations. His eye for telling details combines with a jaundiced view of the world to result in richly provocative imagery. His work is both repulsive and compelling, and speaks to the cynic in all of us – joining a long tradition of grotesque and satirical illustration." Folio Art.

What can we get a talented illustrator to do for us? Bill Murray, yeah, Bill Murray, why? why not?
We've long been fans of his deadpan humour and unintentional lasting cool. As Carl Spackler and Peter Venkman in Caddyshack and Ghostbusters he was our hero as 80's kids, as we've grown older, he's still there, still cool, now working with more indie orientated directors such as Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola and Jim Jarmusch. Bill Murray's certainly a king of cool, our king of cool, this celebration of all things Bill is out over the next month or so CD

THE ALE OF TWO CITIES.

2011-09-19T09:25:00.002+02:00

‘It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known’ – Charles Dickens

We at t’CC, like a drop of ale, and what better way to whet your whistle than visiting a couple of medieval Northern cities, Chester and York, to sample such fine wares and drink in a miscellany of contrasting establishments too. A pilgrimage for the Grail ale at the start of autumn was to be undertaken, this due to my thirst for ale and, a pastime that I take somewhat seriously. Also, it were a break for the mundane working week that was needed. All very geeky/anorak/nerdy to some, the real ale twats that we are?
Many observe middle aged blokes enter the bar with haversack over shoulder and then squint at pump clips while stroking their beards. Order halves of ale; sometimes two. Hold the glass up to the light and inspect the glasses contents for cloudiness. Take a sip; liken to a connoisseur wine buff. Hold the glass back up to the light. And then, scribble intensively into notepads; and once again stroke their beards. The aforementioned isn’t all necessarily true (I’ve recently shaved my beard off!). I would say I/we are after something different to sup than your run-of-the-mill shite keg bitters or piss tasting lagers. Yes, we appreciate craftsmanship just has we do with our clothes and life’s other finest trappings i.e. books, films, men of outstanding achievement, etc etc. We practice Bohemianism at t’CC; male ‘boho chic.’

The title does say, ‘The Ale of Two Cities’ but, really it’s three. On the Friday before my mission I’d arranged a trip to Hart of Preston Brewery, that proudly brews in Preston, for 15 of us North Enders prior to a night game verses Yeovil at Deepdale. I also sorted the visit out to see if I could organise a piss up in a brewery? It was a success, so I can! John, the proprietor, gave us a brief tour and the lowdown of the brewery and its history, we then hit the bar. You were free to serve yourself as John had laid on three 36 pint pins for us to quaff: the deal was for a bargain price of 150 quid. Dishy Debbie were my personal favourite tipple of the three on the night. And while it was my time to play landlord, you always had service with a smile. You should support your local brewery just like your local team and spread the word to other nonbelievers/real ale drinkers. *I must add that some lads didn’t make the 4-3 thriller later on*
So, dusting off the coats, layering up and setting forth on a rite good sesh, the rattler were caught from Preston early one Sunday morning across to Chester. Over the coming days I drank in a plethora of alehouses but, with not wanting to bore some readers rigid, I’ll briefly mention the ales drunk and the drinking holes I drank them in; I would rather let the pictures do the talking.

Around the wall in eight and - definitely – more ales: Mounting Chester’s city centre Roman fortress walls at the world famous Eastgate Clock, and grinning like a Cheshire cat, I were soon descending them for the Marlborough Arms. This quaint one roomed boozer had 4 different locally brewed Stonehouse Brewery ales on; they also had shelves brimming with whisky, whiskey and bourbons. Next up is the eccentric Victorian pub, the Albion Inn. It’s a gimmicky gaff with clear overtones of the Great War, only the ale let it badly down. I wouldn’t go out of my way for the place if in Chester again, apart from if you just want a gander of its great interior. Skipping along the walls, with the River Dee to your left, the Bear & Billet comes in to view on your right. The black and white half timber building is very majestic indeed. Beatle fact fans may also know that it’s the birthplace of John Lennon’s Grandmother. If you didn't, you do now.
The public house is owned by Isle of Man brewer Okells, only I opted for a Titanic Plum Porter; a nice drop it were too. Just up the road is the Brewery Tap – my kinda bolthole. This drop in point belongs to local microbrewery Spitting Feathers. There is no one-armed-bandits, no music blaring out of a jukebox but, they’ve a host of handpumps. Their beliefs are real ale for real people because, they quote/use as a motto, “Life’s too short for crap beer.” They also have an impressive menu of real pub grub. The Brewery Tap opened its doors in late ’08 and is situated in the Gamul House, a old Jacobean grand hall and the original fireplace houses its sprits. A brisk walk were then on the cards past the racecourse to Telford’s Warehouse. This quirky Georgian warehouse, on Tower Wharf, is situated in a canal basin where fishermen fished while swans, geese and ducks paddle by the beer garden – chillaxing. They’ve got live gigs two or three nights a week and a up-and-coming beer festival on the cards. Amongst others that I tried was the Weetwood Cheshire Cat, a lovely blonde, fruity ale.
Last up, well one that I’ll tell you about is, the Pied Bull Inn, CAMRA’s Cheshire Pub of the Year and it is also the oldest coaching inn to serve ale in Chester. Built in 1155, it has its own on site brewery, the Pied Bull Brewery, and its resident ghosts. Their golden session ale, Bull’s Hit, were a hit with me. I sunk that much ale over my stay I began to have hallucinations and delirium tremens that I thought I’d seen pink elephants while stagger back to the hotel come last orders? I even thought I rode an elephant back to the digs one night too! But it was actually just a local statue in situ.

I boarded the train to York, a city steeped in history on Tuesday, following a good emptying of the bowels, and enlightened onto York Train Station just gone dinnertime when the heavens open. Making haste to The Maltings, I threw my holdall into a corner and scanned the bar; a tremendous local selection greeted me. Great pub, great beer and seemingly thrown together decorative guts. I purchased a York Brewery Guzzler and settled down for a few as my room wasn’t ready until three bells. The landlord let me try samplers, which were all well kept, before making my next decision on a ale and he also gave us a map off the city’s 79 diverse pubs – there are others too – within or just outside the city walls that are worthy of recommendation. Most of these pubs are in the LocAle scheme – they serve beer brewed within a 25 mile radius of the city. Thanking the landlord on leaving two hours later I clutch the map tightly in hand along with the York Real Ale guide for further reference in the coming hours, and days. The coming days blur into one...

Here’s what I considered some of York’s best of the best: Brigantes Bar & Brassiere; a modern, clean and well stocked haven. Brigantes had not only eight pumps to hand but, they’d a selection of stronger continental beers and ciders in bottles, if they float your boat. They’ve also had an infinity of ever changing ales on over a short period. I’d a Dark Star Summer Meltdown, a golden refreshing ale, plus others. The Golden Fleece gets a mention only because it were on the ‘Most Haunted’ programme on TV. The pub were to dark, I suppose for effect, the Copper Dragon Golden Pippin were flat, and the glass were dirty. I also wanted a pic to see if I could catch a ghoul on the photo – I didn’t. I hope I don’t get haunted for slagging the place off though.

Next, is The Yorkshire Terrier which is owned by York Brewery and situated in the centre of town. The buildings bar is housed in the back of a former shop that was converted and given a licence in 2004 - only they did retain the shops frontage which sells their beers in bottles. A very mishmash of a drinking establishment, but it works. The Victoria Hotel just t’other side of the wall sells Old Mills beers from Selby and they were fine and dandy when I tried a couple. The false, brightly painted and decorated olde worlde look inside lets it the pub down, though. Next on the list are two watering-holes brimming to the gills with a wealth of ales and traditional ciders and perries. The Wagon & Horses has been smartly refurbished and offered half-a-dozen ales, that were all bang on. And over the road, a pint pot throw away, was The Rook & Gaskill. 12, yes 12, handpumps were all dispensing on a midweek teatime; bitters, milds, stouts and porters . They’d also a further two ciders on draught and boxes of perry. And, they host regular beer festivals, plus bands sporadically play there. The young lad behind the bar poured numerous samples and was very informative – a credit to the under 25 real ale drinkers. He also recommended where to dine later once the belly were full to busting with ale. I would be hard drawn to call which out of the final two I’ll review to be crowned ‘best of the best’, they’re both belters: The Blue Bell in the heart of York is a red, glazed brick alehouse with its interiors wood panelled throughout. There is two wee rooms, front and back, and a serving hatch in the corridor with one fixed seat - it could hold 30 at a push I’d say, nose-to-nose, that is. I’d a Ossett Silver King and a Bradfield Farmers Blonde; both were pale, dry citrus beers that quenched a thirst on a warm afternoon. The Swan, which a good walk out of town, but well worth the effort, has been a beerhouse since the 1860’s. Only in the 1930’s it had a complete remodelling that is near intact to this day – it takes you way back when pubs were pubs and men were men. There’s a lobby bar area and two hatches serve the ‘best’ room to the front and the now ‘non’-smoking room to the back. I’d several tuned-in brews on offer over the coming hours...

Finally, on the Thursday night, I caught the bus to the outskirts of York, adjacent to the racecourse, for the York Beer & Cider Festival. On, that night, were over 250 beers, and also 50 ciders and perries. A good time was had, so I think, and a bratwurst sausage smothered in mustard were devoured too.
Leaving late Friday evening heavy headed, blearily eyed and empty pocketed, I’d drank in nigh on 50 pubs, I bet. I severed and drunk in a brewery. And, had a rite good go at the 250 beers, in thirds, at a beer fest. Not bad going that in a week, is it? Only my liver is telling it wasn’t, as I type these notes up. But, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Keep it real, keep it real ale and keep it to real pubs but, drink sensible, please. Spread the word, brothers.
For a more in-depth historical read on ‘A Tale of Two Cites’ visit, This is Our Culture.
Bill, your Northern Monkey correspondent.

GIRLS ON BIKES.

2011-09-18T12:39:00.003+02:00

What it says, Girls on Bikes. Nice. CD

GONZO.

2011-09-15T12:00:00.003+02:00

Hunter S Thompson (1937-2005), aka the Good Doctor, aka Raoul Duke. Journalist, author, experimenter, pioneer, icon. Thompson was credited as the creator of gonzo journalism, a subjective style of writing and reporting often blending fact with fiction which forged a new direction of literature in the 60's and 70s. Key works included Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the Hells Angels, the fall of Saigon and Richard Nixon's '72 Campaign. Immortalised on film by both Johnny Depp and Bill Murray, painted by Ralph Steadman.
Announcing the Gonzo tee by Peter O'Toole for Connoisseur - featuring superb hand drawn artwork with silver foil print on the trademark cigarette holder and shades. COMING SOON...CD

CONNOISSEUR x OUR CULTURE NÆSS HAT.

2011-09-12T19:33:00.012+02:00

It's been about three years since we first scribbled plans for a bucket hat, but for one reason or another we never quite got around to it over the last couple of summers, not for the want of trying though. Now though we have plans in place for the 'Næss' bucket hat in a collaboration with our Swedish mates Our Culture. Whilst it's not strictly a summer hat we feel it's just a little too late for releasing this year so we will be holding back until next spring. Combining the town once world renowned for it's hat manufacturing, the great outdoors and Scandinavian fishermen and hill walkers, this is the perfect summer accompaniment to the winter Weir hat.

Arne Næss was a Norwegian philosopher, Professor of Ecology, Green party candidate and all round good egg, a true ambassador of the outdoors. The hat is named the Næss hat in honour of this Protector of the North. Just yesterday we met up with one of the Our Culture guys and looked at the first sample, it was worth both thumbs up, a real decent quality rigid cotton hat, deliberately designed in a more seldom seen 'plant pot' style stiffer cut - a really cool shape and unfussy kind of fit, coming with an array of button badges, ventilation grommets and two handy pockets for your Kendal Mint Cake and Snus. All being well, available next Spring. CD

TWIN TOWERS.

2011-09-11T00:25:00.000+02:00

One of the biggest unsung stars of cinema from the 70's until 2001, accompanied by this great video the Twin Tower Cameos from Dan Meth on Vimeo CD

SCARFERS.

2011-09-09T12:20:00.000+02:00

We love a bit of tweed here at CC, winter wouldn't be the same without getting all wrapped up in hats and scarves - the best time of the year for us. Well, we'll get back to you on the hats, this A/W's offerings will be discussed later, with loads of lids in the pipeline.
As I type we've got a lovely lady way up in the Outer Hebrides doing us some Harris Tweed scarves in time for winter. Going to be in very limited numbers, handwoven to our preferred size and style. Each one will come with the Harris Tweed woven label of authenticity in black and gold for their centenary year. Real authentic high quality artisan stuff, watch this space. YHN

NO RISK, NO REWARD.

2011-09-07T14:30:00.000+02:00

An ode to the best telly of our time, Connoisseur x Peter O'Toole. COMING SOON.

2011-09-05T10:00:00.005+02:00

ANNOUNCING:

2011-09-02T17:36:00.002+02:00

Q&A WITH TCC :

2011-08-31T09:45:00.001+02:00

Not one, not two but three interviews were conducted over the last month, offering more of an insight into all things Connoisseur, grab a pew and sit back with some more Q&A with tCC.
First up interview with a new kid on the blog Helmstyle, Helm style are committed to delivering non-biased, honest, and reliable information on a broard range of inspirational menswear choices. Interview with Taka from Allevol denim brand. Further reading click below.

And then we've got one with Transmission Journal : our mate Matt from Transmission Journal which aims to bring the very best of everything to your attention. Transmission wishes to highlight those out there that are doing the right things in the right way, be they established names or emerging talents. Further reading click below.

Lastly, the Nuji network helps you curate products you love and discover new ones with like-minded people, a mine of information and the best brands both major and independent from across the interweb. Further reading below.

DEAR PHOTOGRAPH.

2011-08-30T00:30:00.000+02:00

I like stuff like this, nice and simple, nice idea. Dear Photograph.
There's also a rather pisstakey version too for those who are a little more cynical. CD

PLASTICINE TATOOINE.

2011-08-28T14:21:00.001+02:00

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...
So began the three movies that were to turn a band of weird and wonderful characters into household names. Fame and fortune awaited for the lucky few but spare a thought for those who never made it big; those forgotten extras, downtrodden walk-ons and bitter bit parts.
Plasticine Tatooine gives those lesser-known characters a chance to air their grievances and to lift the lid on life in the Star Wars second string." Oh, and just to make sure the project really was unique, I decided to make all of the characters out of plasticine." I love stuff like this, Plasticine Tatootine by Elliot Quince. CD

Garbstore P.O. Sweater.

2011-08-26T00:21:00.007+02:00

This is cool, as Garbstore's A/W stock filters through this one caught our eye, an English made traditional RAF style pop over military sweater with a nice twist. This puts us in mind of some of older garments from the house of Paley, nice. YHN

NO RISK, NO REWARD.

2011-08-23T12:03:00.004+02:00

The Sopranos was the greatest TV show ever made, we love it, and we know we're not the only ones. Right about now I bet there's plenty of people going right through it all once again, just like us. We like it that much we're releasing another t-shirt, some years ago we did a Tony one - now it's time for the rest of the family. Here's a sneek peek at our forthcoming Sopranos tee with specially commissioned artwork from Peter O'Toole. Sample due back with us over the next few days with a release asap. YHN

SUPREME F/W 11.

2011-08-22T11:20:00.001+02:00

The newest latest from NYC's Supreme. Always worth a look. YHN

ALE OF THE DAY.

2011-08-20T01:32:00.000+02:00

This looks proper real horrorshow, a Clockwork inspired brew from The 3 Floyds Brewing Co, Munster, just down the road from Chicago - where a good friend of ours told us about this specialist beer, a deep roasted sweet stout. At 8.0% ABV it's not one to go mental with but it looks a top tipple. Someone find me some. YHN

SOON.

2011-08-19T01:24:00.001+02:00

Beat A Storm Mk II, Coming shortly. Watch this space. YHN

TITFERS.

2011-08-15T09:15:00.002+02:00

Available soon, a nice hat for the coming drop in weather, the classic versatile five panel cap has been a steady inclusion in some of our favourite brands' collections over the last few seasons, affectively bringing the cap back to the fore. We have three different styles, a flannel grey, indigo denim and a classic tartan. Made in the United States and one size fits all. *PLEASE NOTE: branding is subject to change. CD

FILMAGE.

2011-08-11T12:45:00.006+02:00

This looks rather interesting, aside from the cool artwork on the poster
Notre Jour viendra - "Our Day Will Come" is the first feature from Romain Gavras - basically about a troubled teen and an even more troubled shrink (Vincent Cassell) and ginger hair! They set off together on a violent road trip where Ireland is the destination and where redheads should be welcome. On dvd August 22nd.

Brendan Gleeson on form as he drinks, shags and snorts his way through the film whilst trying to be a police sergeant in a small town. Following a murder with international trafficking links he must team up with an American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) and work together.

Kill List the second feature from Ben Wheatley is being heaped with praise and to be fair from the trailer it does look like it has some serious potential. I've got to be honest I thought his debut film Down Terrace was awful, but this one does look like it could be an interesting and dark tale.

Also there's a new Todd Solondz film on the way.Dark Horse the film is about Abe, a 30-something male living with his parents, reluctantly working for his father while pursuing his hobby of collecting toys. To lose his "dark horse" status in the family, he's also trying to spark a relationship with Miranda, who recently moved back home after a failed literary/academic career. Miranda agrees to marry Abe out of desperation, and things go awry from there.

Nicholas Winding Refn follows up Bronson with Drive - starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night.

On dvd now Super - an interesting tale of mental health, on face value it looks like a kids comic book film. It wasn't, it was full of ultraviolence too. Frank (Rainn Wilson) loses the plot when his wife leaves for a drug dealer. He assumes the role of The Crimson Bolt and goes and smacks the shit out of criminals, from dealers to queue jumpers with a monkey wrench.

As mentioned a few weeks back, Gary Oldman heads an impressive ensemble in a film version of John Le Carre's novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - previously on screen as a rather good TV series with Sir Alec Guinness.

We Need to Talk About Kevin. Acclaimed director Lynn Ramsey's (Ratcatcher) adaptation of the best selling book about a mother recounting the events leading up to and following her son's massacre of students and teachers at his high school. YHN

NATIONAL LOOTERY!

2011-08-10T01:25:00.017+02:00

In pictures : as Britain is rocked to the core as lawless gangs loot and vandalise the major cities across the Country. What's it all about? YHN

OUT & ABOUT : CORFU.

2011-08-07T21:41:00.006+02:00

Some nice holiday snaps from Dassia, Corfu via Andrew.

CURRENT MOOD-BOARD.

2011-08-03T17:59:00.006+02:00

GREAT SHOWDOWNS II.

2011-08-01T11:15:00.000+02:00

Some more fantastic cinematic confrontations in water colour from artist Scott Campbell, I really love these. Can you guess them all? YHN

OUT & ABOUT : THE HIGH PEAK HIKERS.

2011-07-29T00:05:00.000+02:00

Sometimes the best thing a man can do in life is to go for a nice long walk, me, I'll happily do it if there's a nice pint at the end of it. A while back (March I think it was) we put the Connoisseur 'Beat a Storm' cags to the test, going up in the hills of windy Derbyshire in a bit of drizzle. I stuck on a bouncy pair of Oberons, a heavyweight Pendleton tweed shirt with a vest to stop a velcro like situation occuring underneath, a Daks scarf and the cagoule in it's resplendent orange like that of mashed carrots on a Sunday dinner. My accomplice for the day wore his in brown, with a slight unintentional but intriguing shimmery cola sheen, yeah cola, that's what we wanted, it reminds us of the seventies. A good look, like teachers conducting a field trip, geeky and functional. Timeless cool.
We set off with no real purpose other than some exercise, fresh air and some drinkies, which unfortunately in New Mills was a bit disappointing, the millennium bridge carved through our little jaunt, this great and intriguing construction is a bit like a really safe and secure version of the one in the Temple of Doom, it's a little bit daunting, but there's no hot rocks (unless you bring your own) and a load of bad Indians with painted heads who can pull your heart out. But it does stretch over water with a large crevasse/drop below. Surrounded by the scenery of New Mills and the beginning of the Goyt Valley, situated in the Torrs, the Millennium walkway links New Mills Newtown with Stockport and Manchester and New Mills Central towards Edale, the Hope Valley and Sheffield.

I'm just going upstairs, I may be some time. Pph.

Anarchy in the High Peak!

Even Barry's been there.

Olly 'n Polly.

She'll carry on through it all...

Not to be mistaken with the huge Millennium footbridge in the capital, which it wouldn't - but I'm making a point. You know, that rickety one that goes over the Thames at St Pauls to the South Bank?
This though, does have connection to that London, albeit a sad one. Architect and local lad Stan Brewster a chartered civil engineer of Derbyshire County council was killed during the pitiful bombing of Edgware Road in the London bombings of July 2005. The construction now lies in his memory.

As the rain started to fall the pub started to call, the cagoule held up well - a true reinterpretation of one of our favourite classic, simple garments. With updated 'technology', as updated as you can get with this basic jacket, it's certainly more weatherproof and practical, and no sweaty back even under all that tweed. This wasn't intended as a shameless plug, it isn't. But look out for three new colours of this anorak in the coming weeks, they didn't hang around for very long last time. CD

BEST OF THE PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY.

2011-07-26T19:55:00.000+02:00

A selection of some of the images from this year's Press Photographer's competition, held to highlight some of the best pictures taken by and used for the news media over the last 12 months. These snaps are part of the 136 images selected by a panel from over 8000 entries and can be viewed at the National Theatre until 4th September. CD

CONNOISHIRTS.

2011-07-22T18:00:00.000+02:00

It's a genuine pleasure to announce our new range of premium shirts, or shirtings if you live somewhere a bit posh. We're delighted with the finished product, every little detail and inclusion is our own. Made within the EU and designed from scratch by ourselves. The Seaton & Dexys checked button downs come with the choice of two optional contrasting top buttons - the Connoisseur touch. Each shirt keeps the same block and are a classic tailored fit. Made in limited quantities as always and comes finely packaged as it should direct from a shirtmaker, card backed, fastened collar and pinned, all at a seriously good competitive price too.

THE UNION SHIRT, inspired by classic work-wear and the old industrial blue collar work force, this chambray shirt features an array of fine detailing, both rugged and smart it's the ultimate utility shirt, a good all year rounder. The Union shirt has pockets on it's pockets! no less than six in fact - stash pockets, ticket pockets, a coin pocket and the handy fully functioning pen pocket, if it ever stops raining it'd be an ideal shirt to wear without a coat, whilst keeping things safe. This shirt also features reinforced elbow patch detail, stress point bar tacking, hem gusset detail, darted cuff and the classic chinstrap collar detail. Grey-blue chambray, red woven label branding on inner placket.

THE SEATON SHIRT, this weekend shirt takes it's name from the Arthur Seaton character in Alan Sillitoe's Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, which was immortalised on film by Albert Finney in 1960. The hard working young man who's determined to have a good time come Friday, living for the weekend. The Seaton shirt is a nicely tailored fit, a smart shirt, cut for a flattering fit - a button down smaller collar, with contrast button detail, two button cuff, three signature blended in curved pockets with curved closing flap, including a small handy lower 'Zippo' pocket for your bits and bobs. Woven check with white, red royal and navy. The Seaton shirt comes with the option of plain, yellow or red Connoisseur signature contrast top button.

THE DEXYS SHIRT, This purple gingham check button down shirt takes it's name, look and feel from a mod influence, with it's small collar and button down detail it's a timeless, classic design, Dexys is derived from Dexedrine and Drinamyl or more commonly known as 'Dexy's midnight runners' and 'purple hearts' the amphetamine of choice for fun loving teens in 60's Britain. A tailored but regular fit shirt, good for all seasons, this looks smart alone this summer and great peeping through a nice wool jumper or sweat in the colder months. Cut the same as the Seaton it features three matched up curved pockets, two button cuffs and The Dexys shirt comes with the option of plain, yellow or red Connoisseur signature contrast top button.

AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW...

NEW TEES OUT NOW!

2011-07-18T18:32:00.010+02:00

ESSENTIAL KIT - Our third in our 'Connoisseur X' collaboration series is now available to buy. On both Orange and on Khaki.

The much anticipated THE STONE ROSES tee : On White and on Sky.

Also Out : A very limited run of an old favourite : MADNESS by popular demand.
Up soon a restock of The Protectors of the North tee and COMING This Weekend our Super Premium, Luxury Lovely collection of Shirts! Fill yer boots! YHN

NORSE PROJECTS A/W 11.

2011-07-17T19:20:00.005+02:00

A look at the forthcoming Autumn-Winter collection from Danish dandies Norse Projects, some nice schmutter on show against the Møn mountains. Hypebeast. CD

< UPDATE >

2011-07-14T15:52:00.014+02:00

You might've noticed it's been a quiet this last week here at Connoisseur HQ - So here's a quick update about what's happening with the forthcoming releases! With summer holidays and the fact that the printers are of course overran due to this time of year too, so it means a lot of stuff is running a little late, this is out of our hands and typically, like waiting for a bus, it's all going to come at once.

Forthcoming tees - 'Essential Kit' - the third in our collab series will be out from next week. So too will be a restock of the Protectors of the North tee, The black Tinted Lens tee which sold out very quickly on their initial release, also due to demand for it a limited run of an old favourite - Madness.
Then hot on the heels of that lot we have got the much anticipated Stone Roses tee too, specially commissioned by Peter O'Toole this promises to be one of the most exciting releases of the summer.

If that's not enough or lovely premium shirts are also ever closer to going on sale. We've had to wait for a few little bits to arrive for those which has delayed them a short while, but they'll be hitting the site very shortly and trust us, worth the wait. We hope to have them up for previewing this weekend including all details, pricing, sizing and of course lots of pics! YHN

CLOCKWORK AT THE BRUNEL.

2011-07-13T00:29:00.001+02:00

We here at TCC towers are Clockwork Orange mad and have been since we first tracked down a third rate copy with Gibberish subtitles from a seedy video shop many moons ago, so we make no apologies for it's constant content on this here blogosphere. I just missed out on the tickets for this, but it looked a good 'un. See Film Differently do great things with cool movies. This year is the 40th anniversary of Kubrick's 1971 masterpiece and was screened at the Brunel University, which was the location of the Ludovico Medical Centre where Alex underwent his nasty reconditioning treatment in the film. YHN