Vesper

lol Bruno missed a pen, wide left

Alexander Isak given drastic new plan to force Newcastle into Liverpool transfer Alexander Isak is pushing for a move to Liverpool this summer and has accused Newcastle of breaking promises https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/alexander-isak-newcastle-liverpool-transfer-35781007 Alexander Isak has been told to "ruin" Newcastle training sessions to try and force through a move to Liverpool. Isak is desperate to leave Newcastle this summer, with the Magpies rejecting a £110million bid from Liverpool. The situation recently escalated after Isak released a statement claiming the club had broken promises, while Newcastle hit back by insisting that "no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave". Newcastle also stated that "the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired" and that they "do not foresee those conditions being met". Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has now weighed in on the situation, suggesting Isak should try and "ruin" training. Deeney used that tactic to force his move from Walsall to Watford back and recalled in a column for the Sun : "How they should have played it is how I played it with my agent when I was pushing to move from Walsall to Watford back in the summer of 2010. "In private, my agent said to me, 'you're going to have to kick up a fuss here. You're going back to training and you'll do all of the running but as soon as a ball is involved, you're going to have to ruin sessions, you're going to have to kick balls away. But importantly, you can't let anyone on the outside know what's going on'. "It was really hard, you would go home feeling guilty, being a d*** for no reason, burning bridges for people you quite like. But you've just go to remember who you're doing it for: yourself. That's how Isak will be feeling. "This is a career-changing, career-defining move. You're going from Newcastle to one of the biggest clubs in world football in Liverpool, where you are probably going to win major titles." It remains to be seen whether Isak will get his move or not, but Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has suggested that the saga is set to "come to an end pretty quickly". Speaking ahead of Newcastle's clash with Liverpool on Monday, Howe said: "He won't be part of the squad this weekend.

absolutely

Gian Piero Gasperini is great at developing young talent

Adam Wharton is now Manchester United’s top transfer target in midfield after missing out on a move for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, but they’ll face strong competition from Real Madrid for the Crystal Palace midfielder’s signature, while his asking price is also at least €80m. (AS)

Axel Disasi is in talks with Wolves, with Chelsea ready to sell for £30m. Other clubs such as Bournemouth, Newcastle and Napoli could also still get involved. (Mark Brus, CaughtOffside) Enzo Maresca on Cole Palmer: “In the last four or five days he was not 100 percent and tonight during the warm up he felt something in his groin, so we preferred not to take the risk.” (Press conference) Xavi Simons started for RB Leipzig last night as he always wanted to respect the club until the end. But his plan remains clear - he wants to join Chelsea before the end of the window. Spurs have also approached him, but he’s given his priority to Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano) Borussia Dortmund are confident of signing both Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka and defender Aaron Anselmino, with direct talks set to take place. (Fabrizio Romano)

Raheem Sterling is a target for Besiktas as they plan to hold talks with Chelsea in London in the next few days, though other clubs are also in the race and his asking price would need to come down.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-paradox-of-tolerance-why-free-speech-is-essential-to-combat-extremism-in-britain https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/689b54edeb300a86d83d0c46/CE01_Peter_DLima_Claire_McGuiggan.pdf

Ardmore Espresso Martini recipe By The Bank Café & Restaurant, Huntly https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/ardmore-espresso-martini-recipe-2vkxrd7bs This indulgent espresso martini from the Bank restaurant in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, is made using Duncan Taylor’s Ardmore Octave single malt whisky. It uses Duncan Taylor’s Ardmore Octave whisky, which is matured in a one-eighth-size ex-sherry cask to expand the single malt’s rich hue and flavour profile. Ingredients 25ml Ardmore Octave by Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky 25ml Mr Black coffee liqueur 1 espresso shot 25ml sugar syrup ice 1 coffee bean, to garnish (optional) Method 1 Add the whisky, coffee liqueur, espresso, sugar syrup and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake well for 15 seconds. 2 Double strain into a martini glass and place the coffee bean on top.

one to keep an eye on Jean-Mattéo Bahoya turned 20yo in May 3 goals already in 129 minutes thsi season clocked 37.16km/h to set a new Bundesliga all-time speed record U21s Big 5 league games last season

15 best rosés for the bank holiday weekend Our wine critic picks her favourite pink wines and fizz — from just £5.49 https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-rose-wine-august-bank-holiday-3l662mkhx It’s been a tricky year for pink wine, too hot in some places, too cold in others, but the 15 rosés here are all tip-top. Take your pick from the cheapest place I’ve found for the uber-popular pink “chicken wine”, 2024 La Vieille Ferme Rose, down to £7.50 at Morrisons until September 2, right up to one of the poshest pinks on the planet, the gorgeous, part barrel-fermented and aged 2024 Rock Angel, Whispering Angel’s way more sophisticated, mineral and mandarine-scented elder brother. Not everyone wants a bone dry rosé and if that’s you and yours, Waitrose’s fruity, fizzy 2024 Recato Vinho Verde Rosé with lashings of sweet, pomegranate is what you should have in your glass. Sparkling pinks make the celebratory perfect bank holiday sip and there are four to choose from here, with two lovely, crisp, summery, champagne-method crémants from the Loire to whet your whistle for under a tenner. 2024 Costellore Italian Primitivo Rosé 12.5 per cent, Aldi, £5.49 Even cheaper than it was in the spring, this pale pink rosé is made exclusively from hot, arid Puglia’s primitivo grape, hence its off-dry, bold, zesty, crystallised lemon peel fruit. 2024 La Vieille Ferme Rosé, France 12.5 per cent, Morrisons, £7.50 down from £8.50, until Sep 2 Morrisons is the cheapest stockist of the “chicken wine” this bank holiday and, frankly, I’d buy long to see you through the winter of this uber-popular, light, herby, citrus-fruited mouthful. 2024 Finest Côtes de Gascogne Rosé, France 11 per cent, Tesco, £7.50 If it’s a less alcoholic but still assertive, pink grapefruit-sparky sip you want, this night-harvested cabernet-merlot Gascon blend, from the wonderful Plaimont co-op, has your name on it. 2024 Ramón Bilbao Rioja Rosado, Spain 12.5 per cent, Co-op, £7.90 down from £8.75 Ignore the daft new etched bottle, thankfully this intense, oaky-smoky, tangerine and tobacco leaf, salmon pink garnacha rosado, topped up with viura, is as good as ever. 2024 Etna Rosato, Sicily, Italy 12.5 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £14 Etna’s prized volcanic soil slopes and characterful nerello mascalese grape make for a fuller-flavoured, steely, radicchio and fennel big food-friendly pink that loves punchy picnic food. 2024 Miraval, Côtes de Provence, France 12.5 per cent, Booths, £16; Tesco, £17 down from £19 Brad Pitt and the talented Perrin family make a great team and this mouthwatering Provençal pink is as good as ever, overflowing with refreshing yet smoky, savoury, orange peel pizzazz. 2024 Artesano de Argento Organic Fairtrade Malbec Rosé, Argentina12.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £10.25 Unusual, easy to quaff yet gutsy, food-friendly red plum and sage-scented rosé, mostly hand-harvested malbec but zhuzhed up with a handy 15 per cent dollop of spicy syrah. 2024 Recato Vinho Verde Rosé, Portugal10.5 per cent, Waitrose, £9 Not everyone wants bone-dry rosé and if that’s you and yours this fruity, fizzy pink, from Casa Santos Lima, with less alcohol but lashings of sweet pomegranate oomph is the bottle to buy. 2024 Domaine Pieretti, Coteaux du Cap Corse, France 12.5 per cent, yapp.co.uk, £22.25 Corsican rosé is having a moment and Lina Pieretti’s unusual sangiovese, grenache and alicante grape pink, from a tiny plot, is all lively raspberry fruit and tea leaf-smoky charm. 2024 Rock Angel, Caves d’Esclans, Côtes de Provence, France 13.5 per cent, Majestic, six for £25.50 each, or £32 a bottle; Waitrose, £27.50 Whispering Angel’s delicious and way more sophisticated, part barrel-fermented and aged, older brother is a gorgeous, mineral, mandarin and softly lapsang souchong-scented star. 2024 Château Vignelaure, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé, France 13 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £16 Château Vignelaure is best known for its red wines, but this historic estate has made a humdinger of a pink peppercorn and lemon zest-licked syrah and cabernet sauvignon-led rosé. Fizz Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé, France 12 per cent, Lidl, £8.99 A keen price for a bank holiday, champagne-method pink party fizz, with just enough light, zesty cranberry fruit to pop up here. Part of Lidl’s core range, so it should be on theshelf. Extra Special Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut, France 12.5 per cent, Asda, £9.98 Summer parties fuelled by this rose petal and redcurrant-floral, ballet slipper pink bubbly, mostly cabernet franc, topped up with grolleau noir, are guaranteed to go with a swing. 2021 1872 Codorniu Organic Rosé Cava Brut, Spain 11 per cent, Waitrose, £11 Spain’s answer to champagne is cava and while not every Codorniu sparkler works, this superior, ripe, fruity, strawberry-scented organic edition certainly does. 2024 Allini Prosecco Rosé, Italy 11 per cent, Lidl, £7.99 If pink prosecco floats your boat, this jolly, sweet, floral, grapey pop has your name on it. Best served ice-cold it also works well sploshed over summer berries.

yes she grew up in Belsize Park but her father and brothers were/are huge QPR fans she long ago (due to me, lol) became a Chels fan as well, but she still has hopes that QPR someday gets back into the EPL (good luck with that atm!)

happy to see Dortmund blow a 1 3 lead with 4 minutes to go versus St Pauli

wifey is in mourning

5 nil FT

5 nil Gyökeres with a brace

my type of tents https://www.westgate-farm.co.uk/

4 nil Timber on a hat trick (both from corners)

Noni has been the best player on the pitch

Saka off injured

3 nil

Nigel Farage: This is a massive crisis. We need mass deportations exclusive The Reform UK leader believes he will have one shot at No 10 — and next week will make his biggest move yet https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/nigel-farage-interview-reform-uk-v3lcnkbm9 Nigel Farage has had little time off this summer. Where most other politicians have been keen to head off for a much-needed break, he has spent most of it working — although not of his own volition. “It has been a total catastrophic disaster,” he says, speaking in his constituency office in Clacton-on-Sea. “I tried to have a couple of weeks off. I was called away four times. I was having a week on the coast in Kent, I was having a week in Cornwall. “Cornwall was important to me because all four of my adult children and grandchildren were there. Then there was a massive fire in Clacton. So I had to come back for that. “And there were two other big donor visits and going to see JD [Vance, the US vice-president], which wasn’t a bad thing. I’m busy as hell.” The Reform UK leader believes this is his “do or die” moment — his one shot at No 10. Britain, he says, is “going downhill very, very quickly” and there needs to be a “massive turnaround”. He argues he is the man to do it. Two years ago such a statement would have been deemed fantasy. Now, with Reform having consistently led in the polls since April, it is no longer an unrealistic prospect. Sir Keir Starmer has even decided to treat him as the real leader of the opposition, all of which has served to give Farage an even bigger platform. Next week, Farage will make his biggest move yet. On Tuesday he will publish his proposal for the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. To describe the plans as aggressive is an understatement. Farage’s plan begins with leaving the European Convention on Human Rights TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE They include the arrest of asylum seekers on arrival, automatic detention and forced deportation, with no right of appeal, to countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea. There are plans for deals with third countries such as Rwanda, a “fallback” option of sending people to British overseas territories such as Ascension Island and new criminal offences for people who return to the UK or destroy their identity documents. The NHS, HM Revenue & Customs and the DVLA will be required to share data automatically so illegal immigrants can be tracked down and arrested. Every element of the plan is contentious and it is likely to encounter huge practical, political and legal obstacles. Farage appears to embrace the controversy. “The aim of this legislation is mass deportations,” Farage says. “We have a massive crisis in Britain. It is not only posing a national security threat but it’s leading to public anger that frankly is not very far away from disorder. There is only one way to stop people coming into Britain and that is to detain them and deport them.” Farage’s plan begins with leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and scrapping the Human Rights Act. This, he says, is relatively straightforward. “It’s not a very difficult thing to do,” he says. “There isn’t any renegotiation agreement that needs to be done or anything like that. This can be done reasonably quickly.” Migrants run to board a smuggler’s boat on the beach of Gravelines, northern France, last week SAMEER AL DOUMY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES The second part of Farage’s plan is to introduce a British Bill of Rights. Gone will be any mention of human rights from the statute books. In its place will be terms such as liberty and freedom of expression. “The freedom to do everything, unless there’s a law that says you can’t,” he says. “The opposite to that is the concept of human rights, which are state-given.” Britain would also derogate from the Refugee Convention, the UN Convention Against Torture and the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking convention. Farage argues that doing so is necessary because the UK is facing a “state of emergency”. The next step is even more controversial. For months Reform has been working on the Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, which will make it illegal for people to come to the UK illegally. They would be detained on “surplus” RAF bases, then deported. Farage says that on coming to the UK in small boats people would face immediate arrest. As part of the plan, which is called Operation Restoring Justice, Farage’s government would build detention centres capable of detaining 24,000 people. TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE His vision is for prefabricated buildings with canteens and medical facilities on site. People would not be allowed to leave and Farage believes they can be deported within 30 days. “They have no right to claim asylum,” he says. “They would be arrested and detained. They’d be put into disused military bases. We would potentially need some prefab buildings put up, something like that. “Don’t tell me we can’t put together facilities for people to stay because we can. They would be treated with a degree of civility, of course. They’re going to be fed and watered and looked after, given medical care if they need it.” He contrasts the plans with how he views the present situation. “You have these young men from different cultures, Afghans being perhaps the worst example, who are literally free at licence to go out, work in the criminal economy and commit crimes,” he says. “And I think it’s the area of sexual crime that perhaps is the one that has upset the public the most. They should not be free to walk our streets, period.” The legislative package would include powers giving the government the right to detain people without any recourse to bail. The home secretary would be put under a statutory duty to remove people from the UK. Where would they be sent? This is perhaps the most contentious part of Farage’s plan. He wants to sign deals with countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea, despotic regimes with dire human rights records. Afghanistan under the Taliban has a dire human rights record SAMIULLAH POPAL/EPA “We have enormous muscle on these things,” he says. “We can be nice to people, we can be nice to other countries, or we can be very tough to other countries. “But all the diplomatic levers that we have, if we have to use them, on visas, on trade, sanctions … I mean, Trump has proved this point quite comprehensively.” But what of the risk of people being killed or tortured if they are sent back to their country of origin? The Taliban are unlikely to look kindly on people who have fled. “I’m really sorry, but we can’t be responsible for everything that happens in the whole of the world,” he says. “Who is our priority? Is it the safety and security of this country and its people? Or are we worrying about everybody else and foreign courts? That’s what it comes down to. Whose side are you on?” So how would he respond as prime minister if people were tortured because of his deportation policy? “There is no particular reason why they should be tortured because they have gone back,” he says. “But, look, I can’t be responsible for despotic regimes all over the world. But I can be responsible for the safety of women and girls on our streets.” Farage will also send people to third countries. He is open to reviving the Conservative Party’s Rwanda plan, which he says would work under his overhaul of the asylum system. Albania is another potential destination. Suella Braverman, the home secretary at the time, inspects accommodation for deported asylum seekers in Kigali, Rwanda CYRIL NDEGEYA/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES There is another plank to the plan — a “fallback” of sending people to British overseas territories. “It’s there as a backstop. The message that if you come, you won’t stay is so important. “Now, ideally, they’re going back to Iraq, they’re going back to Iran, they’re going back to wherever, Eritrea, Afghanistan. But if we have some problematic ones, then that’s the backstop. You will not be staying in this country if you pay a trafficker to cross the English Channel.” Farage suggests asylum seekers could be sent to Ascension Island, 4,000 miles away in the South Atlantic. The island is notoriously difficult to get to and landing is said to be a treacherous experience. “It’s a long, long way and it would be expensive,” Farage says. “It can manage military craft. But again, it’s symbolism.” But even if it proves to be viable, what if the overseas territories don’t want to accommodate thousands of asylum seekers? “Of course they won’t want them,” Farage says. “But that’s just part of the deal.” Farage’s plan envisages that five deportation flights would be chartered every day. An RAF Voyager would be on reserve if needed. An RAF Voyager at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA The government, he says, would take a “carrot and stick” approach with a six-month voluntary returns scheme. People would be able to “deport themselves” using an app and be given £2,500 to leave the country. Their flights would be paid for. “The carrot is very, very clear,” he says. “If you’re here illegally, we’re coming for you. We will remove you. But what we can do is help you go back to where you came from, put two and a half thousand quid in your pocket, not charge you an airfare to go. And I think quite a few might take that option.” Farage claims the policy will cost £10 billion over five years. But can those figures be right? Is there not a risk that building additional migration detention centres alone could swallow up the bulk of that money, never mind deals with other countries, the cost of charter flights and building accommodation in overseas territories? Reform insists the plan is fully costed. It says the policy will save £7 billion over five years compared with the existing cost of the asylum system. He suggests the plan will stop the boats in as little as two weeks, highlighting the impact of a hardline policy introduced by the former prime minister Tony Abbott in Australia. “He towed them back to Indonesia,” Farage says. “If people coming know they’ll be detained, if they know they’ll be deported, they’ll stop coming very very quickly.” In the US, President Trump declared a national emergency and deployed troops en masse to the Mexican border. Thousands of people had their settled status rescinded and police detained others. The policy led to the number of illegal crossings from Mexico collapsing. Troops at the Mexican border during President Trump’s second week of office in February ZUMA/THE MEGA AGENCY “A lot of this [the costings] is difficult to tell because you don’t know what the effect of doing it in the first place is going to be,” he admits. “The Tories thought Rwanda would be dramatic [as a deterrent], and it would have been if they’d been allowed to do it under ECHR and British judges. So estimating some of this is difficult, isn’t it? “We’ve got guesstimates of what it would cost for each individual to be rounded up and deported, which is why the voluntary option would be a lot cheaper for everybody.” Farage adds: “The illegal migrant crisis is costing £7 billion a year. But the truth is that doesn’t even get close to what it’s really costing us, what it’s costing the NHS. “The fact they have to provide free healthcare. The fact that NHS dentists have to be on hand. The police time for those that commit wrongs. “You know, we are talking here about a massive, massive financial problem, far bigger than we’re saying in this document, far bigger than we’re saying. And our hope would be that it would actually suit the NHS to co-operate with us on this.” Reform will also mount a crackdown on the black economy. It says it will require the NHS and other public bodies to provide information so illegal immigrants can be tracked down and detained. The timing of Farage’s announcement is deliberate. Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, is expected to set out her plans to leave the European Convention on Human Rights at the Conservative Party conference. Farage is dismissive. Kemi Badenoch in Essex this month STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA “Who? No one knows who she is,” he says. “No one. I mean, where’s the credibility? Do you think they’ll go as far as these? It’ll be the usual Tory fudge. They’re a broad church with no religion.” The government’s asylum policy, in the meantime, is in turmoil. Last week a judge granted an injunction that will lead to the closure of a hotel in Epping housing asylum seekers that has been the site of repeated protests. Dozens of protests are expected outside asylum hotels across the country this weekend as other local authorities consider applying for similar injunctions. Farage warns there will be social unrest unless they close. “I know the argument is that they’ll move them into HMOs or they’ll do whatever they’ll do. But I do think the migrant hotels are a symbol of all that is wrong, all that is unfair. And, increasingly, it’s a big security risk.” Farage samples the wares in a craft ale sale in his constituency TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE With that Farage is off for a visit to a craft ale and beer festival nearby, where he lives up to his cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking caricature. “There are some mornings I wake up and think I must be completely, completely off my head. But that never lasts more than an hour or two because the buzz and the excitement of building something, of moving forwards. So no, I mean, basically, basically I’m still pretty energised.”

2 nil

At John Lewis ‘we don’t mind if we’re cool or not’ Just over a year into her tenure at John Lewis, the retailer’s director of fashion is making some big changes — but there’s still something for everyone https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/fashion/article/john-lewis-rachel-morgans-interview-style-trends-z8hrhsdjb Rachel Morgans: “Our customer knows what she wants. She doesn’t need to be there first with the next big thing” VICTORIA ADAMSON FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES John Lewis has long been the no-brainer destination we head to when in need of a new dishwasher or a garden cushion with a reassuring amount of squish appeal. But where clothes are concerned the department store is perhaps a less obvious choice. Its director of fashion, Rachel Morgans, is quietly changing that. Since arriving at the department store chain last summer, the designer turned buyer turned high street retail veteran has focused on reinvigorating its role as a fashion destination. Morgans, 52, who cut her design teeth in fashion houses in Milan and has a shrewd eye for clothes that speak to the zeitgeist — she was on Jane Shepherdson’s team when she led Topshop in its heyday — brings decades of experience to the retailer, which has been through something of an identity crisis. “John Lewis has very trusting and loyal customers, but I do think we can inspire them a bit more,” she says. “I want them to walk into the store and feel excited.” Coat, £399, Rejina Pyo x John Lewis, available from October 9; an outfit from the new-season collection We are sitting down together (on a John Lewis sofa, of course) in a quiet spot amid the retailer’s autumn/winter press day, an industry event in which fashion and shopping editors such as yours truly get the first sneak peak of what John Lewis has in store for next season, and undoubtedly there is excitement in the air. Not just for the autumn collections — no self-proclaimed fashion fan with a pulse could fail to stroke the rails of cashmere knits and oversized wool coats that form the John Lewis collection next season and not feel a frisson of excitement for long autumn walks and Sunday lunches in pubs with open fires — but for the carefully chosen edit of brands the retailer will host in its stores this winter. Certainly it seems that some of the frump that has been JL’s Achilles’ heel in recent years has been replaced with fabulousness — and a host of new brands to boot. Across men’s and womenswear the teams have added more than fifty new labels to the store’s offering, with everything from Theory to Norse Projects now available alongside existing success stories such as Carhartt and Ralph Lauren. • Read more fashion advice and style inspiration from our experts It’s an approach that seems to be paying off. After a rocky few years, in March the chain announced that it was making “solid progress”, with sales up 3 per cent year on year and profits on the rise. “It’s not about alienating the customers we have already,” Morgans says, “but about unlocking our creativity. There’s an opportunity to offer something a little bit different to those who want it, while still catering to the customers we have. It’s a democratic approach.” A soon-to-launch collaboration with the London Fashion Week designer Rejina Pyo is a tangible embodiment of this intention. Think brilliantly cut jackets with a kooky twist and catwalk-worthy shoes at an incredible price point (a pair of court shoes from her main line will set you back in the region of £300; the John Lewis version are £130). The range, which lands in October, follows a pairing with the cult brand Awake Mode, which launched last year, and, perhaps more interestingly, the store’s decision to carry the mainline collection of the fashion darling and former LVMH prizewinner SS Daley (usually found at the luxury fashion destinations ssense.com and Harrods) in a number of its stores. John Lewis’s London flagship “Of course, there’s kudos to be gained from supporting these designers,” Morgans says, “but our design teams get so much from working with them. It’s really important that we give something back: we’ve got the best designers in the world.” Morgans is intent on spicing up John Lewis’s own-brand offerings too. She doesn’t deal in flash-in-the-pan fashion trends — “We do nod to them, but our customer knows what she wants, she doesn’t need to be there first with the next big thing” — but instead in what Morgans hopes is grown-up, well-made fashion motivated by longevity. • Can John Lewis rival the star power of M&S? Morgans has impeccable personal style and a wardrobe that includes everything from luxury classics by Dries Van Noten and Prada to “vintage” Topshop — she brings a keen eye for great design to John Lewis. “I operate a strict one-in, one-out policy when it comes to my own clothes. I suppose we are operating a similar approach at John Lewis. Everything included is intentional and thought through.” As she is at pains to remind me, her objective isn’t to give the John Lewis fashion floors a superiority complex and certainly not to alienate any of the retailer’s loyal customer demographics. “We don’t mind if we’re cool or not,” she says, “it’s about confidence.” Two more outfits from the new collection Born in Alton, Hampshire, Morgans studied fashion at the University of Westminster before accepting her first job at Alberta Ferretti. “Arriving in Italy was a huge culture shock but I learnt so much. Especially about fabrication. I fell hard for beautiful fabrics,” she says. John Lewis customers can see the evidence of this early love affair in a new line of men’s heritage pieces, which includes sports jackets and excellently cut trousers made from Italian wool and Korean denim. The commercial experience Morgans received while working for Topshop when it was the star of British retail is also what makes her such a plum hire for John Lewis. “I took so much from that time. It was hard and fast all the time,” she says. “There was no one to help. We were all at capacity. You just got things done and learnt so much along the way.” Fast forward two decades or so and Morgans, who went on to head up buying at Asos and then to help to launch Finery London, is enjoying sharing her passion for fashion that hits a cultural sweet spot with her teams at John Lewis. “Of course it is high pressure, but there is such joy to be found in these jobs.” Does the fact that the whole country seems to care what happens to its sales figures and who the new person in charge is add to the pressure of working for John Lewis? “I think it adds to the excitement,” she says. “Everyone cares, everyone is so emotional about it and what it means to them.” Better than that, a job at John Lewis means Morgans’s mum finally understands what she does. “I told her I’d got the job and suddenly what I’d been doing for the last 30 years made sense to her,” she says.