Editor's letter
As we said goodbye to a mixed blessings and fair share of tragedies 2012 and welcomed 2013, we are determined to keep upbeat about it – especially as human kind escaped the vague but darkly portentous Mayan prophecy of The End of the World.
We dare to hope that this year will bring a little light at the end of the recession tunnel for millions of beleaguered people in Europe who have borne the brunt of austerity measures, spiraling energy costs, crippling debts and shrinking incomes.
We hope that globalization will unite climate control and sustainability crusaders, that profiteering will be mitigated by a degree of compassion, that art and culture will become a beacon of peace through mutual understanding, that all people in the ‘developed world’ will remember how to be a little more human and a little less technology driven.
Our hopes are echoed in conversations with leading visionaries such as David Khalili, the world’s largest private collector of Islamic art and UNESCO’s newest Goodwill Ambassador, and Shafik Gabr, an Orientalist art collector and diplomat extraordinaire of global philanthropy.
Peter Hall, a financier whose asset management company has an ethical investment policy, talks about the challenges facing both the global economy and the eco system.
Tamara Ecclestone, whose philanthropic efforts are often overshadowed by her glamorous looks and lifestyle, shows us an endearing fresh face in a photoshoot and interview at her Chelsea home.
Our finance writer David Wong writes about the China’s new leadership elections and how they impact the rest of the world, while the Sovereign Group introduces their tax and residence news round-up page for the international community.
For our more hedonistic readers, B Beyond’s new wine writer, Gerard Bassett OBE, reveals the secret wines of Madeira, while our travel writers review hidden gem destinations, and our anti-ageing experts debunk beauty myths that have more to do with marketing than science.
For our art readers, we focus on the London Art and Design Fair, PAD, and showcase some spectacular art photography.
Here is to a happy 2013 to all B Beyond readers and contributors.