London’s housing boom keeps driving national price growth June 19, 2012 House prices in London and the south east rose quickly in the year to April 2012, contrasting starkly with stagnation or even deflation elsewhere, according to official data published yesterday. An increase of 4.9 per cent in the average London house price, to £388,000, and a 2.1 per cent rise in the south east, drove [...]
Lexus makes automotive alchemy June 19, 2012 Believe it or not, this is the fourth generation Lexus GS model, a car that has been in production since 1993, quietly going about the business of offering buyers a unique alternative to the more familiar premium saloons like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF. Unique? Really? Well Lexus does things a [...]
CAR TALK June 19, 2012 Porsche’s special Club Coupes Porsche is building 13 special 911 Club Coupes to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first Porsche enthusiast clubs. Based on a 911 Carrera S, each car has a 30bhp improvement on the standard car – up to 424bhp – meaning 0-62mph is possible in four seconds flat. Painted in “Brewster [...]
Mortgage woes grow for older house owners June 18, 2012 THE NUMBER of over-60s struggling to keep up with mortgage payments is on the rise, a leading counselling group said this morning, while separate figures show that people hoping to buy a home are being squeezed out of the property market. Among people who have a mortgage, an inability to keep up with payments is [...]
Can you dodge the reaper? June 18, 2012 In David Cronenberg’s latest film, Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson’s billionaire asset manager undergoes a daily health check-up, including a rather grueling prostate exam, in an attempt to fend off any potential ailments. There are, however, more practical ways of staying abreast of your health. Medicine has reached a level where we can discern a baffling amount [...]
EPISODE 59 – A QUIET-ISH MOMENT June 18, 2012 If the Queen gets cross with someone, dad, can she just cut off their head?” “I don’t think the Queen’s ever actually cut off anyone’s head Noel.” “So does she have someone to do it for her? Like soldiers? And then she can watch. And laugh at them. And not get loads of blood all [...]
RUN FOR A REASON June 18, 2012 JAMES FATTAL, 25 MEDIA AND COMMS WORKER WHAT’S my max? The physiologist came through the door with news: “Your VO2 Max is 49”, he said, looking down at a clipboard. I studied his face for clues, something that would get me through the next few minutes, at which point I could go to the toilet [...]
Capital’s houses beat inflation while rest of the UK struggles June 17, 2012 Property prices in London and the south west have reached a fresh high, Rightmove data showed this morning. Average house prices across the UK rose by one per cent to £246,235 from May to June, while London’s prices rose 1.7 per cent to an average of £477,440. In comparison to August 2007, national prices are [...]
Hideaway in the Highlands June 17, 2012 For non-members, visiting Skibo Castle, home of the ultra-exclusive Carnegie Club, is bittersweet. Allowed just one stay pre-membership, those who are invited to sample the castle’s delights and the lifestyle offered by the Club, named after Skibo’s former owner Andrew Carnegie, are exposed to such a confluence of pleasures that the predominant feeling on departure [...]
TRAVEL NOTES June 17, 2012 Summer nights at Soho House Berlin This summer, SHB is unveiling 20 slick new apartments and, in August, non-members can get in on the coolest venue in town. Original Travel offers stays at Soho House Berlin during August including 20 per cent off any room or apartment. Discounted rates from £84. Visit www.originaltravel.co.uk or call [...]