The Rake October 2019 - Issue 66

“The 20th century was very different. It was a time of extraordinary technical advancement. But it was a century marred by two world wars and a cold war, where we lived under a constant paranoia that the nuclear holocaust was imminent. As a result, we were raised with a condition of fear. Our parents transmitted this fear to us, and that affected our ability to dream and to hope. Today the world is very different. We’ve lived in the longest period of peace the world has ever known. Yet we suffer from a kind of malaise of the soul. Today there is no longer any reason to raise our children with fear. We should instead raise them with hope, and encourage them to cast their eyes to the stars and…

Over the next few weeks there will be another period of collective tension in the U.K. The supposed final furlong before Brexit day on October 31 (or ‘B-day’, if ablution-related humour appeals to your sensibility on this issue) will ensure all sides draw their whips and thrash their horses as desperately as possible, some hoping they were right about the predicted outcome, some wishing they were wrong. I admit that the Brexit debate has forced me into my most stubborn act of fence-sitting since my doctor gave me the choice between a strong suppository or weaker oral painkiller following a nasty boat-propeller injury to my leg when I was seven. There are many consolations to being the editor of the world’s finest and most trusted source on all things sartorial and…

David Roemer is a New York-based fashion and celebrity photographer. After studying psychology, film and painting, he made the decision to pursue photography, concentrating on fashion. He began to shoot editorial that pushed the boundaries of movement, power and expression. David’s subjects have a dimension that can often be ironic or jarring. With a strong attention to colour, and visually retaining a graphic sensibility, his images blend the fine line of natural texture and subtle perfection. He shot this issue’s cover subject, Sam Rockwell (page 104). “Sam was an enigma to photograph; I often wondered if I was shooting a character in his mind or Sam himself,” David says. “Exciting, creative, charming, alluring, dangerous — all within seconds, and without any direction except to create an interesting visual image.” Anthony is…

In the summer of 1945, the crème de la crème of Indian politics gathered in the small city of Simla, in the hills of northern India. For almost 100 years, Simla had been the summer capital of British India, where annually the entire machine of government decamped from sweltering Calcutta and later Delhi to the cool and picturesque hill station. In 1945, that period of India’s history was coming to an end as Britain prepared to grant its imperial jewel independence, and Simla was where it would be hammered out. Delegates arrived from across the country, many in carriages or rickshaws pulled by men up the steep drive to the Scottish baronial style Viceregal Lodge, the summer home of the Viceroy of India. But one arrival drew everyone’s attention. Riding a…

As I write this, hunkered down in the Yorkshire Dales in full rain gear, crouched behind a wall on a grouse moor considering the prospects for autumnal sport, most of the chatter is about the devastating effect of a little mite called the heather beetle, which is consuming the fragile ecosystem that grouse need to survive. The once purple moorland is turning a worrying ginger colour, and with landowners being restricted by Natural England from their traditional burning practices, it may be the most pressing issue facing moorland conservation, for these rare environments host a plethora of wild birds, flora and fauna. The upside of the wet weather means that the late-season salmon prospects look good. The River Ure in Yorkshire is one of the hidden gems of the salmon fishing…

Lucan olive Donegal wool tweed Norfolk jacket The Norfolk is the unsung hero of traditional country clothing. This Donegal wool tweed version contains added lambswool, for extra protection from the elements, and two generous bellows pockets at the front — ideal for carrying shooting equipment and looking particularly dashing at the peg. William & Son brown and blue Duncombe breeks Standing at your peg feeling underdressed can distract you from what’s flying up above. Sporting these birdseye tweed breeks from royal warrant holders William & Son will give you peace and mind in the field and leave you looking stylish for the drinks party afterwards. Johnstons of Elgin navy cashmere V-neck sweater Johnstons of Elgin sweaters are woven from the finest of cashmere fibres, hand-combed from the underbelly of goats in China and Mongolia, where…