A review of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ by James Murphy  

The sale of one of the North of England’s finest Georgian homes   Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey has undoubtedly led to a revival in interest in English country houses both in Britain and America and now with the sale of Burrow Hall in the Lune Valley in Lancashire, there is an opportunity to acquire one of the North of England’s finest Georgian residences.  

The sale of Michael Winner’s Rolls-Royce Corniche III   “Calm down dear… It’s only a Rolls-Royce” might have been what the late Michael Winner stated when he took delivery of one of many Rolls-Royce’s he owned during his lifetime. Now, one of them, a black 1992 Rolls-Royce Corniche III convertible is for sale at a price of £69,950.  

The Steeple Times shares some of the first images of Holland & Holland’s new bespoke Range Rover with our readers   The Steeple Times and many of our readers love the new Land Rover Range Rover. Now, there’s an opportunity to go one better and purchase a special version adapted by the Land Rover Bespoke team in conjunction with the gunmaker’s Holland & Holland.  

30 of the best number plates sighted by Matthew Steeples   Our readers and followers love the number plates spotted by our editor Matthew Steeples.  

The sale of a £400,000 castle owned by a man who was an inspiration for the creation of James Bond’s nom de plume Sir Hilary Bray, Bt and for many elements of 007′s character also   Count Robin de la Lanne-Mirrlees (1925 – 2012) is largely thought of as the man whose persona Ian Fleming “borrowed” to create James Bond’s assumed identity, Sir Hilary Bray, Bt. Now, following on from his death last year, there is an opportunity to buy one of his many properties, Inchdrewer Castle, and the title that goes with it, Baron of Inchdrewer.  

Could a V8 engine save the Fisker brand?   Yesterday, FoxNews.com asked: “Can the internal combustion engine save the electric car?” and answered: “In the case of the Fisker Karma, it just might be”.  

As David and Victoria Beckham continue their search for a new home in London, The Steeple Times suggests five of the best options   This morning, yet more “sources close to David and Victoria Beckham” were telling the press that they’re on the search for a London home. This unnamed individual stated that they need a “minimum of 10 bedrooms”

The sale of a $125 million penthouse on the top three floors of The Pierre   In London this week, the Evening Standard announced that a 50,000 square foot Grade I listed Regency house, 18 Carlton House Terrace, SW1 has gone on the market at £250,000,000. If it achieves this figure, it will become the most expensive single home to be sold in the UK ever.

Thomas James chats with artist Conor Mccreedy   The quintessence of any artist is what distinguishes them from others. So, when I met with Conor Mccreedy to ask him about his, he begins by reading me his artistic statement:   “I lose myself in a divine invention, where judgment is laid aside and my experiences in the world are left to breathe without the constraint of self-awareness or convention. The raw power and mysterious void of the ocean is my inspiration, the equalizer of mankind. We live in a volatile world where race, gender, time, and religion distract us from the real. My experiences of the human dilemma are archived in my mind; they arise in moments of unabashed and unbounded creativity. Tides of creation are painted and…

The world’s most expensive registration plate comes to London   The world’s most expensive registration plate is currently gracing the streets of London on a dark red Rolls-Royce Phantom.  

The former home of John Lennon and his first car come to the market   After passing their driving test, most young people start with a clapped out Mini or a bashed up Beetle. John Lennon, though, began as he meant to go on and bought a Ferrari.   When The Beatles singer-songwriter passed his test in February 1965, it made the headlines in Britain and within hours, a queue of motor dealers had congregated outside the security gates to his home, Kenwood in St George’s Hill, Surrey.  

The sale of a 40-year old Range Rover Classic   Just as Land Rover Jaguar have launched their fourth generation Range Rover L405, South Kensington garage Hexagon Classics are selling a much earlier example, a Range Rover Classic from 1973.  

The sale of a 15,000 square foot Hamptons home complete with a private island and a room with a truly spectacular view   Andrew Zaro is a collector with a difference. This philanthropist and Democratic donor leads a life that is no doubt the envy of those from whom his firm, Cavalry Portfolio Services, “helps create affordable solutions to resolve their debt”.   Zaro’s wife, Lois Robbins, is a native New Yorker who has appeared in Sex and the City, Ryan’s Hope and Law & Order. She has been cast in the upcoming film Blowtorch, expected to be released in November 2013, where she will star alongside Billy Baldwin.  

£1.8 million Alfa Romeo to be auctioned at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale   The Bonhams auction that coincides with the Goodwood Festival of Speed always features rare and impressive vehicles, but a 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 ‘Le Mans’ tourer that will be sold there is truly spectacular.  

An auction of 78 of the last Saabs to be made   Jeremy Clarkson once commented: “Buying a Saab is like turning down Cindy Crawford for a Labrador” and in turn as consumers followed his lead, the company went bust in 2011.   The collapse of this Swedish company attracted much press attention as it was considered by many to be one of the “strangest and most unique car companies that ever engaged in mass production”. Now, with an auction of 78 of the last Saabs built by the firm, Saab lovers can cast a final die for one of these vehicles “born from jets”.  

The sale of a historic £22 million residence on London’s Cheyne Walk   Cheyne Walk in Chelsea is amongst the addresses that an estate agent would describe as “the most sought after in London”. Up there in the company of the Bishops Avenue, Grosvenor Square and Cadogan Square, it has moved from having been home to artists such as Whistler, Turner and George Eliot to now being where such people as Mick Jagger, Roman Abramovich, Terry Venables and Sally Greene choose to live.     Of the houses there, No. 92, known as Belle Vue House is particularly impressive. Built in 1771, this terraced property stands in the original grounds of Beaufort House, the London residence of the Duke of…

The launch of the 2014 Range Rover Sport   Tomorrow, 26th March 2013 at 7.30pm EDT, the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport will be unveiled at the 113th New York Motor Show. In a departure from the traditional way in which cars are launched, Land Rover have drafted in James Bond star Daniel Craig to star in a video advertising campaign that will accompany this. It will conclude with a live-stream movie shot in “secret locations” around Manhattan.  

A review of the St. Ermin’s Hotel   I first visited the St. Ermin’s Hotel close to Scotland Yard in St James’s in June 2012 for the first Intelligence Book of the Year Awards. Today, I will return there to attend a reception to announce the second winner of this annual prize by judges Andrew Lownie, Dan Mulvenna, Glenmore Trenear-Harvey, Michael Smith and Nigel West.     As I reported in my last article on this Victorian property, the St. Ermin’s Hotel’s links with the worlds of politics and espionage are indeed strong. Built in the Queen Anne revival style to the designs of Edwin T. Hall (1851 – 1923) in 1887 and completed in 1889, the horse-shoe shaped building…

The increasing spread of his and hers number plates   Our picture of the week is of cars belonging to Petra Ecclestone and her husband James Stunt. Mr Stunt’s Project Khan Range Rover features his surname, “S2 UNT”, as a registration plate whilst hers bares her Christian name, “P3 TRA”.   The Ecclestone-Stunts are not alone in having “his and hers” plates. Property developer Robert Bourne and his wife Sally Greene OBE, who live on Cheyne Walk in London’s Chelsea, own “2B” and “NOT 2B” and one devoted couple even have a pair of Minis sporting “HI5” and “HER5” registrations.   Love, indeed, is plainly in the plates.