Author: Guy Clapperton

Journalist and media trainer, director of Clapperton Media Associates
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A last-minute Christmas

Guy Clapperton

OK, most years I publish a few gift ideas on here but this year has been frantic and if I’m honest time has been short. So, some Christmas gift ideas for people who haven’t had the chance to get out just yet, for the fortysomething bloke in your life… 1. A good bottle of single malt is often welcomed by the mature male type. Not every time; if he’s teetotal or plain doesn’t like the stuff, obviously it will be a disaster. Check also the sort you’re getting; my own taste veers towards the unpeated, non-smoky flavours of Penderyn (the … Continue reading A last-minute Christmas

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Pillar of sound

Guy Clapperton

I’m doing fewer gadget reviews on this blog for what I think is the good reason that an awful lot of people are making an awful lot of gadgets very well indeed. It’s probably indicative of my age that when I started writing about this stuff, there was some poorly-made tat out there and some weedy little speakers that were quite overpriced. Which is why it’s a pleasure to write about the Stelle Pillar, £249 from an Apple store near you (they will also be available elsewhere I’m sure). You can see from the picture that they come in different … Continue reading Pillar of sound

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Weight loss – the inside story

Guy Clapperton

This evening I’m going for a coffee with a colleague. She’s been very kind about my weight loss – I’ve mentioned my efforts on here a few times (well, you would). I said I’d bring people up to date about my weight loss on this blog – anyone who’s interested, read on. Here are the facts. 16 months or so ago needed some benign, hereditary cysts removed from my scalp. I was expecting it all to be a bit routine. I visited the doctor and since I was 47 they put me on the scales. I was told I was … Continue reading Weight loss – the inside story

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Cooler shirts from Smartweave

Guy Clapperton

Last night there was torrential rain so it must be Summer. Women get to run around almost half-naked in this season; if men want to look respectable we still have suits or at least formal shirts to contend with. And we don’t like the sweaty patches look. Last year I was on assignment for the New Statesman in Gibraltar, wearing my ‘lightweight’ pale grey suit and when I took the jacket off I looked as though I’d been in a shower. Whether a shirt from Smartweave would have overcome that level of saturation I don’t know, but I’ve worn the sample … Continue reading Cooler shirts from Smartweave

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Weight loss diary 1: Weird Fish

Guy Clapperton

OK, this time last year I said I’d keep you all informed about how my (slightly enforced) weight loss programme was going. I am nothing if not a man of my word, and since I’m between three and a half and four stone down I see nothing wrong with telling absolutely everybody about it who wants to know, and several people who don’t. I’ll write about the psychological effects another time (they’re not universally positive, you might be surprised to hear) but for the moment let’s consider practical stuff. I am pretty much surrounded by clothes that don’t fit. I … Continue reading Weight loss diary 1: Weird Fish

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A last-minute Christmas

Guy Clapperton

OK, like last year I’d intended to go through December with an idea for a Christmas present each day, writing about them in a little depth. Then some stuff happened – I won’t bore you with the details – and it’s suddenly the 20th and I’ve covered very little. Which is a shame because I’ve been sent a few good items to look at. The Colgate ProClinical A1500 toothbrush would make a good stocking filler for the hygiene conscious; it adjusts its pressure and speed according to where it thinks it is in the mouth. There’s a display and a … Continue reading A last-minute Christmas

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Christmas presents 1: Scent to you

Guy Clapperton

Now this is a good idea. The new Vivabox, available in exotic venues like Boots, is simple but genius. Costing £37.99, it consists simply of seven small samples of eau de toilette – you can buy one set for men and one for women – and a voucher for a full bottle of whichever you like, from The Perfume Shop. It’s as simple as that. The even better news is that the scents aren’t rubbish. My wife wasn’t drastically struck on the selection for women but she’s a fussy whatsit who’s fond of her Jo Malone – you know, the … Continue reading Christmas presents 1: Scent to you

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Taking the tablets (and phones)

Guy Clapperton

Apple has been making new toys as you’ve probably read. Of course I’ve been looking at them and some are very shiny indeed. First the one I don’t ‘get’; the iPhone 5c. Slightly cheaper than most of the others on offer but not sufficiently to make it a cheap option, this comes with up to 32 gigs of memory and has a better camera and faster processor than its predecessors. It’s a nice phone and if you want a marginally lower-spec phone then OK – but releasing it at the same time as the 5s? Really? I suppose something’s going … Continue reading Taking the tablets (and phones)

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That’s handy (or other glove-related puns)

Guy Clapperton

OK, I’ll ask – what did someone just do to the summer? I’d have sworn there was this Autumn thing before winter kicked in but the state of these blocks of ice – or ‘feet’ as we call them in the trade – on the end of my legs tells me otherwise. So I’ve been looking at gloves. And I have a new favourite pair – from MacWet. These are technically sports gloves, and I have been using them in the gym. You need to measure your hands across the knuckle – this is because they are ‘proper’ fitted gloves, … Continue reading That’s handy (or other glove-related puns)

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Trumper’s shaving triumphs

Guy Clapperton

OK, I’ve been shaving again and I’ve been testing a number of creams and colognes from Geo. F. Trumper. They’re not the cheapest but the company produces some of the most pleasant shaving preparations I’ve used – more on those in a minute. The wet shaveI used to get quite frustrated by the sheer amount of men’s publications advising us on how to shave. We know, I’d say, we mastered that when we were 13. But then I look around and notice how many blokes still have some sort of shaving rash. And it’s not necessary. Here are a few … Continue reading Trumper’s shaving triumphs