PureGym: “If we build it, they will come” says gym chain riding out cost hikes August 24, 2023 Value fitness club PureGym appears to have muscled its way through the start of the cost of living crisis with revenues spiking almost a fifth. During the quarter it steamed ahead with its expansion plans to open one new site per week, amounting to 20 new sites in the UK. The business, which offers competitive [...]
Meet the man keeping London’s Turkish barber scene alive in Soho August 24, 2023 Memo Barbers has just opened in Soho Memo was 12 when his father, who was also a barber, passed away. At that young age he was put into a haircutting job at his family salon in Istanbul. By 16 he was professionally qualified. With bundles of eccentrically frizzy black hair, Memo is only in his [...]
Stonewall Inn owners: Gay marriage could be taken away from LGBTQ people August 24, 2023 LGBTQ rights are being challenged in the UK and US, but The Stonewall Inn co-owners tell Adam Bloodworth that their pioneering safe spaces initiative is already changing the lives of LGBT employees and customers. Now British companies and employees can sign up. “We’re being attacked and moving backwards on a global level,” says Stacy Lentz, [...]
Mob Land film review: John Travolta crime thriller lacks originality August 24, 2023 John Travolta’s streak of ropey cinematic output continues with Mob Land, a crime thriller set in America’s South. Down on his luck in a crumbling small town, family man Shelby (Shiloh Fernandez) is talked into robbing a pharmacy by his brother (Kevin Dillon). The seemingly straight forward job goes awry, and soon Shelby finds himself [...]
Kemi Badenoch to meet with Tata Group boss while on G20 India visit August 24, 2023 Trade secretary Kemi Badenoch will meet with Indian ministers and business leaders – including Tata Group boss Natarajan Chandrasekaran – during her visit for the G20. It comes amid the UK’s 12th round of negotiations to secure a UK-India trade deal with British negotiators gearing up for “ambitious” and “complex” discussions, sources say. Landing in [...]
Pret-A-Manger doubles discount on Club Pret as chain looks to take scheme international August 24, 2023 Pret-A-Manger will double the discount it offers on its Club Pret subscription from 10 per cent to 20 per cent as the chain rolls out the loyalty scheme worldwide. Lovers of the cafe’s sandwiches and snacks will now enjoy further discounts alongside five ‘free’ coffees a day. However, Pret will still charge £30 for the [...]
Great British Railways is a hit. So why is the government not delivering it? August 24, 2023 The future of the proposed Great British Railways (GBR), one of the biggest planned shake-ups of Britain’s rail sector in decades, is at a crossroads.
Which? urges Ofcom to probe Virgin Media rate hikes August 24, 2023 Which? has called on Ofcom to probe Virgin Media’s pricing tactics, accusing it of “egregious” tactics and “woeful” customer service. The consumer champ said Virgin could be breaking the law by giving itself “sweeping powers” to hike broadband bills by “unlimited sums” whenever it feels like it. Plus, the telecoms company is reportedly slapping on [...]
The Notebook: Andy Silvester on how AI could save your August out-of-office, a dream headline and why GCSEs need a rethink August 24, 2023 Embrace the long break, even if it’s made my job harder August has never felt so – for want of a much better word – Augusty. It’s mighty quiet out there, and that isn’t just because of the City’s long-discussed issues attracting floats and the slowdown in M&A. Indeed, more and more of my contact [...]
Theatre Camp film review: Theatre fans will adore this big-hearted comedy August 24, 2023 The Show Must Go On is the mantra of this Disney-made comedy, which has The Bear actor Molly Gordon as its writer, co-director, and star. She plays Rebecca-Dianne, an acting coach and former student of a surreal New York theatre camp. When their founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma, it’s up to her [...]