"ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT HAVING YOUR OWN MAGAZINE IS THAT IT IS A LEGIT FREE PASS TO BE, FRANKLY SPEAKING, A RIGHT NOSY COW. I ALWAYS SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED ROOT AROUND SOMEONE'S HOME, AND A POKE AROUND THEIR GARDEN, TO REALLY BREAK THE ICE. NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT'S 3 A.M. AND YOU ARE BOTH PISSED AS FARTS, DANCING AROUND THE KITCHEN TABLE IN ARCHIVE YOHJI, SCREAMING ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU ADORE ONE ANOTHER. I MEAN, I ONLY POPPED IN FOR A QUICK RECCE. BUT THEN I HAVE NEVER BEEN ONE FOR TIGHT-LIPPED FORMALITY, OR BEEN KNOWN TO REFUSE A DRINK OR TWO FOR THAT MATTER.
AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I AM SO BORED OF HAVING TO ALWAYS DO THINGS BY THE CORPORATE-CRAPPO BOOK. WHO WANTS TO BE FORMAL'N'NORMAL ANYWAY?
TON IS A PROUD ALTERNATIVE TO ALL THAT DINOSAUR NONSENSE, AND WE CONTINUE TO STICK TO OUR PLEDGE: TO CHAMPION FUN, PERSONALITY, INDIVIDUALITY, ORIGINALITY, AND TO CELEBRATE ALL THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE. SO IN THIS ISSUE, WE ARE RAISING OUR GLASSES HIGH TOWARDS THE SKY TO ALL THINGS WILD AND WONDERFUL ...
AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE TRAVELLED FAR AND WIDE, AND TO THE END OF THE ROAD AND BACK, TO BRING YOU SOME SERIOUSLY SPECTACULARLY WILD STORIES. DOES IT GET ANY MORE WILD THAN LIFE-SIZE PLASTIC DINOSAURS ADORNED WITH FABULOUS RUGS?
I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH OUR "JU-RUG-SSIC PARK" SHOOT, EXQUISITELY SPEARHEADED BY OUR VERY OWN NEWLY APPOINTED STYLE DIRECTOR VIOLA LANARI AND OUR SEASONED SENIOR STYLIST MADELINE THORNALLEY. ARTIST GEORGE ROUY IS OUR COVER STAR-AND WHAT A COVER!!! ETHAN PRICE HEADS DOWN TO FAVERSHAM TO VISIT ROUY AT HOME, A CONVERTED EARLY 19TH-CENTURY CHURCH NO LESS, TO DISCUSS THE ART OF MAKING FURNITURE, AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SLEEP ON AN ALTAR. WE TAKE YOU ON A TRIP TO SUNNY MARGATE, TO THE ART-FILLED HOME OF JONATHAN VINER AND SOPHIE VON HELLERMANN, A FEAST FOR THE EYES INDEED. NO LESS DELISH-AND IN KENT AGAIN— IS SAMARA SCOTT AND LOZ CHALK'S PLACE IN DOVER. AND FURTHER ALONG THE COAST, ON BRIGHTON'S ICONIC PEBBLE BEACH, TON'S NEW EDITOR BILLIE MURABEN MEETS LOCAL FISHERMAN RORY MCCORMACK, WHOSE FLINT-FILLED MINI-SCULPTURE-PARK GROTTO WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD SPINNING. OVER IN THE BIG APPLE, FASHION DESIGNER EMILY BODE TAKES US "OUT AND ABOUT" ON HER EAST COAST. FROM AMERICA, TO THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF WALES, I TRAVEL TO THE ISLAND OF ANGLESEY TO THE HOME AND STUDIO OF MY DEAR OLD FRIEND BEN BURGIS TO GAS-MOSTLY ABOUT HIS PET PIGS.
BACK IN THE CAPITAL, AND MY MANOR OF "THE BOROUGH" — OF WHICH SHAKESPEARE ONCE SAID, "I LIKE THIS PLACE AND WILLINGLY COULD WASTE MY TIME IN IT" (OR DID HE?) —TON'S CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PAUL GORMAN MEETS ZANNA (A FORCE OF NATURE IF EVER THERE WAS ONE) WHO SAVED ONE OF LONDON'S MOST IMPORTANT HISTORICAL SITES A DECONSECRATED GRAVEYARD FOR PROSTITUTES, SINGLE WOMEN, AND THE DISPOSSESSED-
-FROM THE GREEDY CLUTCHES OF PROPERTY DEVELOPERS. IF THAT LOT DOESN'T TICKLE YOUR FANCY, THEN FRANKLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL.
I HOPE THESE PAGES TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE AND, OF COURSE, OFFER A HEALTHY DOSE OF INSPIRATION.
THE GOOSE IS LOOSE!" -- Jermaine Gallacher
