Travelodge reveals record first half as blockbuster London summer drives demand August 24, 2023 Budget hotel chain Travelodge has revealed a record first half, with underlying earnings up 48 per cent, thanks to booming demand for both business and leisure trips and its best ever night in London. Travelodge reported its highest ever revenue night in London in July, as Brits flocked to Blur’s concert at Wembley and Bruce Springsteen [...]
Gatwick bank holiday strikes OFF: Brits breathe sigh of relief as disruption averted August 24, 2023 London Gatwick Airport passengers are no longer facing disruption over the August bank holiday, after workers accepted a last-gasp pay deal. The Unite Union threatened strike action on this weekend, on behalf of members employed by ground handlers Red Handling and Wilson James, who operate passenger assistance contracts. But following the improved offer both have [...]
FTSE 100 close: London markets rally after ‘blockbuster’ Nvidia results as investors bet rates are nearing peak August 24, 2023 London markets stood out among global peers as investors bet that the Bank of England was nearing the end of their rate hiking cycle. The bluechip FTSE 100 index climbed 0.24 per cent to trade at 7,338.16 The midcap FTSE 250 index slipped 0.11 per cent to 18,206.37. Indexes in Paris and Frankfurt fell, having [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]