PROPERTY NEWS January 19, 2012 HOUSE PRICES FALL AGAIN Knight Frank/Markit’s January House Price Sentiment Index (HPSI) shows the rate of decline in house prices was similar to December. Around five per cent of households said the value of their home had risen since December, while around 19 per cent reported a fall. The resulting HPSI figure of 43.2 is [...]
FOCUS ON: MAYFAIR January 19, 2012 FOUNTAIN HOUSE Penthouse Price: £19.5m This stunning penthouse takes advantage of its unrivalled location, providing spectacular views across London. The property is completed to the very highest standard, using the best techniques and materials. Contact: www.knightfrank.com or 020 7499 1012 PARK LANE property Price: £9m This stunning, newly refurbished apartment in one of London’s most [...]
RENT January 19, 2012 HEAD OF RENTALS AYLESFORD INTERNATIONAL Q. I’m looking to invest in a buy-to-let property and wonder whether one with off street parking and/or a garage might be a good bet in terms of increased rental return. Could I also benefit from renting the garage under a separate agreement? A. There is currently a shortage of [...]
Lightweight Assange play misses mark January 19, 2012 Theatre MAN IN THE MIDDLE Theatre 503, Battersea ** Is Wikileaks a bastion of truth or a threat to national security? Is Julian Assange the new face of journalism or a trumped-up sex offender? Is he the hero or the villain of his own story? The life of the founder of the whistle-blowing website has [...]
Travelling Light shines brilliantly January 19, 2012 Theatre TRAVELLING LIGHT The National Theatre **** Nicholas Wright’s play sees an ageing Hollywood director, Jewish immigrant Maurice Montgomery, looking back over his formative years as an earnest young filmmaker in an East European shtetl. The whole village becomes involved in creating his movies, which are projected onto the wall of a local house, the [...]
Careers advice from Mrs Moneypenny January 19, 2012 Books MRS MONEYPENNY’S CAREERS ADVICE FOR AMBITIOUS WOMEN BY HEATHER MCGREGOR Penguin, £16.99 *** Mrs Moneypenny, aka Heather McGregor, a prominent columnist and spokesperson for women in business, has just launched a book: Mrs Moneypenny’s Careers Advice for Ambitious Women. It’s got a pink-themed cover and the script is girly. But the message is wholly [...]
The humourless Hoover January 19, 2012 Film J EDGAR Cert: 15 *** J Edgar must have been a tough one for its producers to sell; Americans may place a premium on patriotism but this bitter biopic of the former head of the FBI offers few reasons for fist pumping. It’s a humourless, two and a quarter hour-long love-triangle between the Oedipal [...]
Madonna’s take on Wallis Simpson is a mixed bag January 19, 2012 Film W.E. Cert: 15 *** Madonna’s second bash at directing has taken a lot of flak. Surprisingly, though, it isn’t as bad as you might think. W.E. follows the love affair between King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy) and American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). Seen through the eyes of Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) as she [...]
When Hofesh Shechter met Antony Gormley January 19, 2012 Performance SURVIVOR The Barbican **** It’s rather tricky to describe the latest smash success and brainchild of Hofesh Shechter, the astonishingly talented Israeli choreographer. It had a bit of dance in it, a lot of collective shuffling, and the involvement of artist Antony Gormley. More importantly, it was loud (ear plugs were doled out to [...]
The nails slithering into style January 18, 2012 SNAKESKIN is in – it’s all over bags, shoes, wallets, belts. But nails? Yes, that too now, if you want the very latest look to slither off the boat from New York. Spotting an opportunity, Donna Haar-Jorgensen, the statuesque founder of the extremely chichi Hand & Foot Spa chain, has introduced snakeskin manis and pedis [...]