Bordeaux is worth the cash December 3, 2012 bottleopener@cityam.com I was lucky enough to go to a Bordeaux 2010 tasting the other evening, organised by upmarket wine merchant Bibendum. For the uninitiated, this is a sort of vinous Glastonbury Festival, where the owners and managers of more than 70 Bordeaux vineyards allow you to experience their greatest hits and endure the most asinine [...]
Fitness-based Christmas gifts have never looked so good December 3, 2012 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT GONE ARE the days where presents for your fitness-loving friends meant a toss-up between a pedometer and the latest fitness DVD. Now there are gifts galore for the active, gadget-happy exec. Here are this year’s pick of the bunch. 1 Perfect for the fitness fanatic who also happens to be fan [...]
Lost your mojo this winter? Plenish Cleanse might just be your answer December 3, 2012 JUICE CLEANSING isn’t anything new: just about every actor has turned to them to shed pounds for a big role. But this summer, juicing went to a whole new level when group cleansing hit the corporate world (or at least the trendy set on Seventh Avenue and Wall Street) as a new form of corporate [...]
Marrakech does luxury — if you know where to look December 2, 2012 MARRAKECH HAS always proved popular with holiday goers: the vibrancy of the markets, its rich cultural heritage, the array of traditional food on offer and its general mystique continues to draw people in. During the 1930s it became a hub for writers and creative folk and by the Seventies, everyone from Yves Saint Laurent to [...]
Now you can be your own Lord Grantham November 29, 2012 YES, “DOWNTON Abbey” has ended, and unless Julian Fellowes has one last trick up his sleeve, all that remains are memories and DVD box sets. But for anyone seeking to live out his or her fantasies of being a Crawley, all hope is not lost. Gothic Victorian architecture, the style of Highclere Castle, is a [...]
‘Tis the season November 29, 2012 ROASTED CHESTNUT DELUXE CANDLE Jo Malone, £80 www.jomalone.co.uk CRANBERRY WREATH Selfridges, £69.95 www.selfridges.com VINTAGE ROSE NAPKIN RINGS (SET OF 4) Walton & Co, £12 www.selfridges.com CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER Selfridges, £34.95 www.selfridges.com SNOWFLAKE FELT COASTERS (SET OF 4) John Lewis, £15 www.johnlewis.com TARTAN CHRISTMAS STOCKING Gisela Graham, £15.95 www.selfridges.com LARGE TABLE RUNNER Walton & Co, £32 [...]
Focus on: Kentish Town November 29, 2012 The area has become a popular choice for buyers wanting to be within close proximity of the Heath in Hampstead but whose budgets do not extend to the prices that properties in Hampstead command. There’s a lot to do in the area. Kentish Town has a buzzing nightlife and music scene thanks, in part, to [...]
Property focus on Kentish Town November 29, 2012 LAWFORD ROAD, NW5 Price: £515,000 This two bedroom first floor apartment stretches over 700 sq. ft. in a semi-detached Victorian house. There are sash windows, a fully fitted kitchen, private loft access, oak flooring and a shared garden. Contact Faron Sutaria on www.faronsutaria.co.uk or 020 7267 7074. RAGLAN STREET, NW5 Price: £399,000 Spread across the [...]
UK guarantors for offshore properties November 29, 2012 Q I’m based in Jersey and am buying a property under £2m in an offshore name. The landlord is asking for a UK based guarantor and wants bank references for them. Is this normal? A Buying top end property in London means dealing with the big landed estates. They often have arcane rules meaning they’ll [...]
It’s all about the great outdoors at Durrington House November 29, 2012 THIS GRADE II listed country house is situated near the Essex/Hertfordshire border, outside the rural villages of Sheering, Lower Sheering and Sawbridgeworth. With four reception rooms, 10 principal bedrooms and five bathrooms, plus seven further rooms on the second floor and substantial cellars, this £4.65m property is ideal for private and guest accommodation. The 46-acre [...]