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Hello, all! Welcome back to Man of Many’s Staff Favourites for another round of picks from our discerning team. This is the series where we showcase items, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the last seven days.
We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and chic on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. Instead, we collect them here for you, in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to elevate your weekend. Enjoy!
The Harry Potter GoChess Wizard Lite Board
Scott Purcell – Co-Founder
I’ve been playing Chess.com pretty religiously over the past few months, mostly three-minute speed games where my rating wavers between 350 and 400 (so no, I’m not exactly Magnus Carlsen). It started as a way to switch off from screens, but ironically led to more screen time, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to move the game off my phone and onto an actual board. The problem is, I need someone to play with, and my fiancé doesn’t really know how to play.
So when the team at Particula reached out with their GoChess Wizard Lite Board, the timing couldn’t have been better.
First things first. Yes, it’s a Harry Potter Wizard’s Chess set, officially licensed by Warner Bros., and every piece is sculpted to match the iconic film design. The entire unboxing experience was premium, and the board itself has a marble-like finish with gold accents that genuinely look the part sitting on a coffee table. But the real magic (sorry) is what’s happening underneath the board. Each square has built-in lighting that coaches you in real time – green for possible moves, highlights for best moves, red when you’ve blundered. For someone hovering around the 350-400 mark, that instant feedback is exactly the kind of thing I need without having to run every game through an engine afterwards.
What sold me, though, is the Chess.com integration. You connect the board to your phone via Bluetooth, log into your account, and suddenly you’re playing online opponents on a physical board. It also has 32 difficulty levels if you just want to play against the board’s AI. At US$429.95, it’s not cheap, but if you’re someone who’s already deep into Chess.com and wants to get off the screen without losing access to the online community, it’s a genuinely clever and brings back that Harry P-pppp-otter nostalgia!
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Hotel Harry
Rob Stott – Editor-in-Chief
If you’ve lived in Sydney long enough, you’ve almost certainly had a night start or end at Hotel Harry – possibly both. The Surry Hills institution, operating since 1912, has been undergoing a major renovation in recent months—I walk past it on my way to the Man of Many office every day—and the spectacular final result is now open to the public.
The reno comes with a new open kitchen upstairs, and a refreshed menu from culinary director Joel Bickford and Executive Chef Danny Corbett. It’s nothing fancy, just well-executed classics. Think rotisserie chicken, fire-roasted king prawns, and woodfire pizza.
Thankfully, the old Harry’s DNA is still very much intact – you can feel a century of late-night chats as soon as you walk through the door. But the new Harry’s is a more refined space, especially upstairs, where the dark corners and tattered couches have been replaced by a light-filled, modern bistro that brings Harry’s into 2026, without losing the Old Sydney vibes that made it such a loved pub in the first place. And it’s not too soon, with Sydney’s pub and dining scene going through a much-needed evolution over the last 12-18 months, the new Harry’s fits right in.
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WANDRD PRVKE Zip 31L
Harry Parsons – Head of Branded Content
Versatile, durable, and organised. All the things you want out of a backpack. I’ve trialled a few backpacks over the years, yet I never found one that hit the mark across all aspects of my life. From lugging around videography gear for Man of Many shoots, to packing overnighter bags for a quick weekend trip away or riding my motorcycle in sometimes torrential rain, I do ask a lot of a backpack.
WANDRD recently reached out asking if I would like to trial their new PRVKE Zip backpack. I thought to put it through its paces to see if it can handle my everyday use. I’m pleased to say that it has been an absolute standout, and here’s why.
Versatility: This bag has more storage and access compartments than you could ever need. Its multiple storage compartments were a godsend for neatly organising clothes, toiletries and shoes for a recent weekend trip to the Blue Mountains. Doubling down on organisation, the PRVKE also features packing cubes so I could keep everything neat and my dirty clothes separate (packing cubes are sold separately, I’d highly recommend grabbing some). After a quick rearrangement of the internal compartments and the assistance of WANDRD’s camera packing cube, I was ready to go for a shoot day. The real kicker was the expandable bottle holder that is able to fit a tripod.
Durable: Since the bag is made of weather-resistant materials, I have zero fear that my laptop or camera will be damaged should I get caught in a spout of rain. Where there could be weakness in water resistance, such as the zippers, WANDRD ensured this wouldn’t be an issue, featuring YKK Weather-Resistant zippers, known for their durability and PU-coated tracks that help block moisture. Whilst this is not completely waterproof, it’s pretty bloody close.
To top it all off, it is a really good-looking backpack; it is seriously a triple threat. If you’re an explorer, constantly on the go, photographer, daily commuter or all of the above, this is a worthy investment.
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Smeg ’50s-Style Kettle & Toaster
We renovated our kitchen late last year, giving the most used part of our little unit a refresh to make it far more practical, useful, and of course, stylish. The new design is very clean and simple, and because there isn’t a lot of room to work with, every addition needs to earn its place. These two pieces from Smeg feel like the final touch.
I’ve been a fan of Smeg’s ’50s Style series for a while. They’re instantly recognisable and come in a range of bold, vibrant colours. But to be honest, they’ve always felt like more of a “want” than a “must”. The kitchen refresh provided the perfect excuse.
Both pieces a great balance between form and function. The kettle is fast, safe, stylish and reliable. It slots onto the base in any position, includes a handy cable tidy, and the base has non-slip feet to keep things stable.
The two-slot toaster is compact and offers six toasting levels along with useful functions like defrost, reheat and bagel. The removable crumb tray is also a great practical touch.
We opted for the navy blue with a smooth gloss finish, which adds a bit of colour while still feeling refined. They look great, work beautifully, and we now find ourselves looking for any excuse to use them.
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