Get your body beach-ready June 25, 2012 DR DUVE BEACH BODY BOOST The Munich-based skin specialist of choice for Europe’s richest women, Dr Duve (as in duvet) has a selection of effective treatments at Four London salon. For those preparing to bare all on the beach, this intense treatment targets problem areas such as the buttocks, back and thighs with vigorous massage, [...]
Fat-busting leggings that actually seem to make you thinner June 25, 2012 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT When I was approached by Proskins (www.proskins.co.uk) to try its slimming range of compression leggings, I was sceptical: fat-busting leggings? As one who has spent the last decade trying to convince the world that the only real way to bust those fat cells is by eating less and moving more, I [...]
RUN FOR A REASON June 25, 2012 JAMES FATTAL, 25 MEDIA AND COMMS WORKER When the astronaut Neil Armstrong emerged from his spaceship following the historic moon landing, he was asked what he hoped would be the ultimate outcome of his epic journey. He flipped open the visor on his helmet, looked at the reporter and said: “It’s my dream that one [...]
Arctic Junkies June 24, 2012 HUMAN population: 2,600. Polar bear population: 3,500. Welcome to Svalbard, Arctic playground for thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. As far as seaside tourism towns go, Norway’s Svalbard is pretty much the polar opposite of Bournemouth. Instead of zimmer-frames, find ski poles. In place of dawdling mobility scooters, find snowmobiles capable of flying over the ice [...]
Touch-down in Shanghai: getting ready for business June 24, 2012 MAKING my way across Shanghai following a 12 hour flight from London and a six hour flight from Boston left me urgently desirous of a tranquil bedroom, soft bed and a deep bath. As I was heading to the Four Seasons, I figured the only obstacle to achieving these would be traffic – an elegantly [...]
TRAVEL NOTES June 24, 2012 Grace Santorini’s deluxe new villa Say hello to the Grace Santorini Villa, with two suites opening onto a vast swimming pool terrace, plus an open-plan kitchen, private gym, wine and cigar bar. There is lots of state-of-the-art tech and a concierge happy to arrange almost anything, from helicopter island tours to private cruises. santorinigrace.com Luxe [...]
Mortgage loans rebound from collapse in April June 21, 2012 MORTGAGE lending jumped sharply in May, rebounding from a weak figure in April and showing solid growth on the year, according to industry data published yesterday. However, analysts warned the overall level of lending is still well below that seen in the pre-crisis years, and said banks are facing regulatory pressures holding back the market. [...]
UK property millionaires on the increase June 21, 2012 MORE THAN 245,790 Britons own a property worth in excess of £1m, a new survey shows, up 12 per cent on last year. Despite stagnant house prices across most of the UK, there are more than 6,682 streets with properties valued over £1m. More than a third of these million pound streets are located in [...]
As investors continue to struggle for returns, is purchasing fine art a sensible alternative? June 21, 2012 YES Philip Mould There is a difference between investment and speculation in art. Speculation is about the hunt for the next Damien Hirst. It involves looking into the shop window – meeting dealers and attending sales to find an artist that will, with luck, excel in the next generation, and for which you are now [...]
Family melodrama is a sheer joy June 21, 2012 THEATRE LAST OF THE HAUSSMANS National Theatre ***** The scene is a grotty but desirable house on the Devon coast, decked in Indian blankets, hippy memorabilia and booze bottles. Onto this set appears the rake-thin, sexy Helen McCrory, playing edgy single mother Libby; her newly arrived ex-junkie brother Nick, endearingly played by Rory Kinnear, and [...]