Get fit while the sun shines February 20, 2012 Two days without February’s usual inclement weather should have been enough to rouse from hibernation the part of your brain that craves exercise. Escape the tedium of the gym with these get-fit options that take advantage of the weather – while it lasts. TOUGH MUDDER Run by the special forces, Tough Mudder is an insane [...]
Forget cycling machines, try the Wattbike February 20, 2012 FIT IN THE CITY I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of cycling – I tend to associate it with boredom and bulky thighs. But, given that last weekend saw the track World Cup at the new velodrome, coupled with the fact that cycling’s one of the few feasible medal-winners for the Brits come [...]
Soho oyster bar is a serious catch February 20, 2012 Wright Brothers Soho Oyster House 13 Kingly Street, W1B 5PW Tel: 020 7434 3611, thewrightbrothers.co.uk FOOD **** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £40 THE Wright Brothers’ establishment in Borough Market is a temptation that is sorrowfully hard to indulge because it is tiny – and rammed. The former contributes considerably to [...]
Mortgage lending up by 10% February 20, 2012 Gross mortgage lending hit £10.5bn in January, up 10 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Lending fell by 14 per cent from £12.2bn from December but was still substantially up on figures from January 2011. CML chief economist Bob Pannell said he [...]
Desert island dream in remotest Philippines February 19, 2012 AS the plane rumbles along from Manila to Busuanga in the Palawan peninsula in the Philippines, the smiling stewardess at the front starts playing a game of “Show and Tell” to an enraptured audience, in the absence of TVs to divert us. First person to hold up a… pen, wins a thermos flask. Next person [...]
TRAVEL NOTES February 19, 2012 Graydon Carter’s Monkey Bar Heading to New York? You really mustn’t miss out on the hottest new-old restaurant in town. Manhattan’s legendary Monkey Bar, with a list of regulars that has included Dorothy Parker, Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando, has been given an overhaul by none other than Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, the new [...]
How to avoid an Olympian hassle February 16, 2012 Q. How much can I expect to earn from letting out my property for the Olympics? A. The exact figure would need to be determined on evaluating the property and assessing both the local area and transport links to Olympic venues, however, due to the inflation of hotel prices (most charging up to three times [...]
LUCY MORTON, LETTINGS, WA ELLIS | OLYMPICS LETS ARE A BAD IDEA February 16, 2012 “We are now receiving enquiries in their droves about lettings over the Olympic period. Interestingly, 90 per cent of these enquiries are coming from landlords, which tells a story in itself. At the moment, there is very limited demand from tenants. “I offer a word of caution to investor landlords who are considering losing their [...]
RENT February 16, 2012 HEAD OF RENTALS AT AYLESFORD INTERNATIONAL Q. I’ve recently come into the market for a buy-to let property and noticed that there are quite a few new developments nearing completion in 2012 – should I look to purchase a flat in a modern development or consider a converted flat in an older building? A. Whether [...]
Scottish house price dip means good value buys February 16, 2012 SCOTLAND: land of hunting, shooting, fishing…and fortified castles set amid hundreds of acres selling for less than £3m, the cost of a mere flat in certain parts of London. As Jamie Macnab, of Savills’ Edinburgh office, says: “Someone said to me once that four square miles of London is worth more than the whole of [...]