Stylish descent into darkness February 15, 2012 WAITING FOR SUNRISE BY WILLIAM BOYD Bloomsbury, £18.99 **** Boyd is that rare breed of storyteller who manages to write books that are both thematically rich – nuanced and historical – and red-bloodedly gripping. The screen has a serious crush on him: his 2002 novel Any Human Heart led to an adaptation freshly garlanded by [...]
OUT OF OFFICE February 15, 2012 SHECHTER DOUBLE BILL IN PARIS If you happen to be visiting Paris this month, do not miss what we think is the greatest contemporary dance show on in Europe this year. Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s exquisite double bill includes The Art of Not Looking back – made for the female dancers of Schecter’s company – [...]
Stratford shines as Westfield sells small malls February 14, 2012 AUSTRALIAN developer Westfield hailed the “exceptional” performance of its Stratford shopping centre last night as it outlined plans to invest in new malls this year and in 2013. The east London site, next door to the Olympic park, received more than 13.6m shopping visits in its first 14 weeks from opening to 31 December, at [...]
Business school eyes town hall for campus February 14, 2012 WESTMINSTER City Council is close to agreeing the lease of Old Marylebone Town Hall, the heritage building where former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both married, to London Business School. The council, which put the 1920s building on the market in 2010, said it had entered into exclusive negotiations with London Business School, [...]
Fortwo: a good scooter but not a car February 14, 2012 Historically, automakers partnering with fashion labels to design “cool” cars have had mixed results. Take this Smart limited edition Fortwo micro car, for example. It’s been given a makeover by British streetwear label Boxfresh. Whether your average Boxfresh fan a) has their eye on a two-seater Smart, b) can afford this limited edition two seater, [...]
CAR TALK February 14, 2012 MEET THE FIAT 500’S BIG BROTHER Fiat is launching a bigger, crossover version of its super-successful 500 city car at the Geneva motor show in March. The five-seater 500L (L stands for Large) will offer MPV-like space with an SUV-like drive and will be sold with a choice of TwinAir or 1.4-litre petrol engines or [...]
Helical Bar to keep spending February 14, 2012 HELICAL BAR, the listed property developer, said it has made acquisitions totalling £90m since 30 September 2011 against a backdrop of “severely constrained” lending. Helica said acquisitions and new lettings had helped boost its rental income, net of irrecoverable property costs, from £20m to £25.8ma year. It also disposed of non-income producing properties, totalling £40m [...]
The rise of bespoke perfumery February 13, 2012 For centuries fragrances have beguiled us. Ancient civilisations experimented with perfumes and by the 11th century, European scent-masters were plying their olfactory trade. It became a mainstream craft in Victorian times, when leaps in scientific knowledge – and equipment – made it possible to create previously unattainable compounds. Throughout most of its existence, perfume was [...]
FIT IN THE CITY February 13, 2012 Valentine SOS: Foxy fitness for the 14th Too late to pump it up to impress your Valentine date? No way – this lunchtime you can get buff, glowing and well in the mood for your dinner date. Plump for the fitness facelift. Anything that gets you sweaty and out of breath is good news for [...]
Azerbaijani cuisine appears in SW1 February 13, 2012 Baku 164-165 Sloane Street, SW1X 9QB FOOD ** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE ** Cost per person without wine: £50 HAUTE-AZERI food – that’s cuisine from Azerbaijan – sounds terribly interesting, doesn’t it? Certainly, I hastened to take myself to Baku on Sloane Street (of all places), lured by the promise of Asiatic exoticism, Knightsbridge-style. A quick [...]