Plenty has been said about the mark of a gentleman, but, in our view, not nearly enough about the equally crucial signs to look out for when identifying a bounder...
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1. Buys diamonds for his mistress, but a Dyson for his wife
2. Orders cocktails
3. Makes his son take his speeding fine
4. Waxes
5. Only laughs at his own jokes
6. Has more than two pictures of himself in the loo
7. Wears a blazer with gold buttons
8. Aspires to live in Mayfair
9. Calls you by the wrong name in bed
10. Drives an E-Type
11. Buys a signet ring on the internet
12. Makes a disloyal best man’s speech
13. Brushes his hair more than three times a day
14. Fills decanters with plonk
15. Isn’t safe in taxis
16. Doesn’t sing in church
17. Thinks he’s James Bond
18. Goes clubbing in his thirties
19. Deletes his search history
20. Has a year-round tan
21. Can juggle— particularly women
22. Wears over-tight swimming trunks
23. Goes Dutch on dates
24. Passes off a love poem as his own
25. Prefers super- yachts to sailing yachts
26. Gives tourists the wrong directions
27. Holidays in Dubai
28. Repeatedly mentions where he went to school
29. Has more than two phones
30. Doesn’t wear socks
31. Thinks foreplay is optional
32. Parks in disabled bays
33. Kisses and tells
34. Leaves a cloud of cologne in his wake
35. Poaches other people’s birds
36. Never apologises
37. Buys petrol-station flowers
38. Looks over your shoulder at parties
39. Sends more than one Valentine’s Day card
There is, of course, a little cad in every gentleman...
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The November 16 issue of Country Life comes with the Gentleman's Life supplement - your guide to the best things in life for any true gent... and there may even be the odd pointer for cads as well.
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The wine stash of one of Switzerland’s most secretive billionaires is up for auctionA selection from the personal cellar of the late Jörg G. Bucherer is for sale via Sotheby’s. Highlights include double magnums of Petrus, a case of Lafleur 1990, nine cases of Clos de Tart and six 12-bottle cases of Damine Leroy.
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'It is hard to beat the excitement of watching a peregrine you have trained stoop from 1,000ft, going more than 100mph' — the complicated world of falconryA combination of spellbinding sport and profound empathetic connection, falconry–a partnership in which the bird maintains the upper hand–offers a window into ‘the deeper magic’.
