Episode 31: The joys of newborns: how to deal with your friends October 10, 2011 AS Noel coos over Harry, sleeping in Emma’s arms, I take Gwenllian – yes, I got my way with their names after all – from Gabriella and collapse onto the sofa, resting my feet on the coffee table in front of me. Gwenllian snuggles into me. I call Nick. “I’m sitting here with your Goddaughter [...]
Bag it up baby: luxe goes practical October 10, 2011 NOTHING makes a female mouth water quite like a beautiful bag. And, as the City fashionista will know, practicality must merge with style for maximum wearability – after all, what’s the point in having a beautiful tote if you can’t show it off? With fashions changing like gusts of wind, it’s important to choose a [...]
Go softly: best winter cushions October 10, 2011 What and where to buy 1 Pomegranate Tree Roddy & Ginger £26, www.roddyandginger.co.uk 2 Robin Donna Wilson £67.99, www.donnawilson.com 3 We Had Everything Rob Ryan £47.29, www.etsy.com/shop/misterrob 4 Knitted Floor Cushion, Chartreuse Ferm Living £155, www.heals.co.uk 5 The Coloured-Sole Shoe “Shoes with coloured soles were as popular wggests Mark McNairy Derby shoes 6 Double Decker [...]
The Malaysian chateau where bodysculpting gets serious October 9, 2011 ON ARRIVAL in my spa suite at Malaysia’s new all-organic destination spa, I was pleasantly surprised to find a note on the pillow reading: “Chocolate is an elixir of life. Scientists from Harvard University say that eating a couple of chocolate bars a week could extend your life by almost a year.” By day two, [...]
TRAVEL NOTES October 9, 2011 One Fine Stay: trade a hotel room for a luxury home A new concept for those who want luxury with the personal touch, this clever company allows you to spend nights in some of London’s best homes while the owners are out of town. Prices range from £150 a night for a one bedroom apartment [...]
Why Steve Jobs owes thanks to Ada Lovelace October 9, 2011 The technology world continues to mourn the passing of its iconic leader. Sadness over Steve Jobs’ death has seeped into the mainstream, like a virus, with ordinary people, who don’t know their C from their C++ and probably never played Dungeons & Dragons, leaving £400 iPads outside Apple Stores as a mark of respect. If [...]
Shake it up with London Cocktail Week October 9, 2011 F Scott Fitzgerald did it for me. He immortalised the mint julep in the Great Gatsby and ignited an ongoing appreciation for the craft of the cocktail. This may have been the turning point where I realised there was more to cocktails than kahlua and milk, and that the trusty barometer of sophistication was not [...]
3 OTHER COCKTAILS YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DRINK October 9, 2011 PIMM’S CUP HBO’s lavish series Boardwalk Empire has returned to our screens again on Sky Atlantic. Set in the era of America’s Prohibition, the thrust of the story focuses on bootlegging, politics, women’s lib and, of course, copious drinking. Pimm’s may have been scarce in the 1920s, but you can see the characters arm themselves [...]
House prices decline again in September October 6, 2011 VOLATILITY continued in the housing market, with September’s price falls reversing gains seen in June and July, the Halifax index revealed yesterday. Prices are down 0.5 per cent compared with August and 2.3 per cent over the last 12 months, the seasonally adjusted figures show. The rate of decline has slowed from its peak of [...]
Investments that are as safe as houses October 6, 2011 TUMULTUOUS financial markets have not turned off the property investor. Indeed, the luxury London and world cities markets are booming. Catherine Cockcroft of estate agent Aylesford says: “Investing in bricks and mortar has proved to be a reliable asset because stocks and shares are extremely unsteady, interest on savings is nominal and a reasonable pension [...]