QUAFFER’S CORNER November 14, 2011 HEAD SOMMELIER AND MANAGER OF LUTYENS RESTAURANT BEING from the New World, I’m accustomed to thinking of grape growing as a specialised activity but, in fact, in parts of Europe it is the norm to grow grapes as part of a pattern of mixed agriculture, combining it with fruit or nut trees, perhaps a cow [...]
FOOD AND BOOZE | AROUND TOWN November 14, 2011 • With cutesy no-reservation restaurants opening by the bucketful in Soho, there’s now a dedicated cocktail lounge for those who want to cut straight to the chase after dinner or a show. Set over two floors, the style is boho chic: velvet sofas and button-back armchairs plus French windows and a long and a long [...]
Ski Seefeld’s winter wonderland November 13, 2011 TO MY mind, downhill skiing is too much like hard work. Long journeys from the airport to reach the resorts; dawdling in queues to take lifts up to the slopes; expensive ski passes; complicated clothing; the constant risk of a nasty accident. I have always wanted to enjoy everything skiing has to offer without all [...]
How computers could be England’s best chance November 13, 2011 England claimed an against-the-odds win against world champions Spain on Saturday. The reception to the victory, however, was muted, following as it did a defensive display Bolton Wanderers would have been proud of. Not exactly the stuff as footballing dreams are made on. But manager Fabio Capello was simply applying statistics. Spain were clear favourites [...]
Walkie Talkie to tower ahead November 10, 2011 LAND Securities’ Walkie Talkie will be the first of the City’s skyscrapers to be completed in 2014, taking advantage of a squeeze in new office space to attract prospective tenants, chief executive Francis Salway said yesterday. The developer is pressing ahead with the 37-storey tower on Fenchurch Street in a joint venture with the Canary [...]
If it’s broke, then buy it and fix it up for a tidy return November 10, 2011 Q.Why should someone consider an unmodernised property? A.Unmodernised property provides the opportunity to buy at a lower price than a recently modernised equivalent, and the chance to create one’s own home to one’s own taste and standards. People also enjoy the experience of renovating a property; it’s creative and fun. Q.What are the biggest upsides? [...]
THE LONDON BAROMETER November 10, 2011 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON BY any measure October has been an extraordinarily good month for sales at Douglas & Gordon, with the under offer pot at close to a four year high, and agreed offers 65 per cent up on the same period last year. The figures clearly show the increasing appetite that both [...]
CROUCH END November 10, 2011 CECILE PARK Price: £1,499,950 This four bedroomed maisonette is located close to Crouch End Broadway. The property is entered through a private entrance from the street and has a bright reception room, generous eat-in kitchen, four double bedrooms, bathroom and a shower room. Contact: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward on 020 8222 7200 or go to [...]
IMPROVE November 10, 2011 CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT DESIGN CONSULTANCY APD INTERIORS Q.We have just moved from a house with high ceilings to a new home with low ceilings. How can we make the rooms appear taller? A.High ceilings are a feature of many period properties but unfortunately newer properties often lack ceiling height. But fear not, by following a [...]
PROPERTY NEWS November 10, 2011 BABY NUMBER TWO IS VERY EXPENSIVE A new HSBC survey found that London is the most expensive place to house a second child. The average additional cost of baby number two nears £60,000. The average property upgrade typically needed to house a second child is 38 per cent, 1.6 times the UK’s annual household income. [...]