RENT September 22, 2011 HEAD OF RENTALS AT AYLESFORD INTERNATIONAL, A TOP END SALES AND LETTINGS AGENCY Q. I hear that some landlords are introducing “break clauses” to take advantage of premium short lets over the Olympics. Is this something you advise?’ A. Be careful, the Olympics lasts only 16 days. If your property is an investment, you need [...]
The latest gadgets that will help turn your home into a 3D palace September 21, 2011 3D technology is having a moment. No longer just the add-on special effect confined to the realm of cinemas and the odd Derren Brown show on television, it is now the hero embracing its mainstream appeal. With companies such as Sony, LG and Samsung leading the charge with gadgets that let you recreate the 3D [...]
Hurray! Put on your Zuckerberg masks – it’s Facebook day! September 21, 2011 IT’S Facebook day! Put on your cut-out Mark Zuckerberg masks. Celebrate by poking your colleagues; remember – you can’t be taken to a tribunal on Facebook day. Today, of course, being the F8 (fate, see) conference in San Fransisco where the social network will layout the next stage in its plans for world domination. Later [...]
Gregory’s new one is ambitious but under-juiced September 21, 2011 THE LADY OF THE RIVERS BY PHILLIPPA GREGORY Simon & Schuster, £7.99 PHILIPPA Gregory’s success has been built upon portraying women that have remained on history’s periphery – notably Mary, sister of Anne Boleyn in 2002’s The Other Boleyn Girl and Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, in 2009’s The Red Queen. Both have enjoyed [...]
My girlfriend is too ambitious at work and it troubles me September 21, 2011 DEAR VEXED: My girlfriend is powering ahead in her career at a global accountancy firm and is working 24/7. The more successful and ambitious she is, the worse I feel. It sounds bad but I’m not sure I’m comfortable in a relationship with a woman this ambitious. Should I stick with it and try to [...]
Fly me to the moon (really) September 20, 2011 The era in which the wealthy and intrepid can choose travel to space is fast approaching. Forward thinker Richard Branson has helped commercialise the idea with his Virgin Galactic. But as the idea of leisure space travel catches on, a rival to Branson has emerged. Meet Michiel Mol, the Dutch business-man and co-owner of the [...]
The ingenuity behind Burberry’s magic fashion touch September 20, 2011 LIFESTYLE EDITOR DESPITE the possible onset of another recession, the world cannot get enough of Burberry. With its share price up by four per cent after it unveiled its new collection at London Fashion Week yesterday, it is clear that the brand is doing something very, very right. So what’s its secret? Everyone likes a nice rain-resistant [...]
Audi A4’s new rival: Peugeot 508 September 20, 2011 I DON’T know of anyone that owns a Peugeot 407. I don’t even know of anyone that ever considered owning one, even second hand. This is possibly because it is French and big French cars don’t sell so well in the UK. Or maybe it’s because it wasn’t much of a looker. French, for sure. [...]
CAR TALK September 20, 2011 CHARITY HYBRID CAR AUCTION The UK’s first Fisker Karma Sedan – the luxurious electric hybrid sports car we waxed lyrical about last month – is being auctioned for charity on 8 October. The event, called ARTiculate, takes place at The Roundhouse, Camden and is in aid of Pratham UK, an NGO dedicated to the education [...]
Mortgage lending highest since July 2009 September 20, 2011 Gross mortgage lending in Britain last month rose to its highest level in more than two years, rebounding from July’s weak reading to stand 10 percent higher than a year ago, the Council of Mortgage Lenders said. Gross mortgage lending in August came in at an estimated £13.4bn, up from £12.6bn in July and £12.1bn [...]