QUAFFER’S CORNER November 7, 2011 HEAD SOMMELIER AND MANAGER OF LUTYENS RESTAURANT With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’m devoting this week to helping my American readers select a wine to have with their turkey. It’s not a festival that we celebrate in New Zealand but, as my sister-in-law is from New Mexico, I’m familiar with the palate of flavours and the [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 7, 2011 TOP VIEWS AT REVAMPED BAR With 360-degree views across London, this bar is particularly stunning on a clear night over Oxford Street where you can see the Christmas lights. The revamped viewing gallery on the 33rd floor has extended its cocktail bar so you can enjoy well-crafted cocktails, such as the aged Barcardi 8 year [...]
House prices up 1.2pc in October November 7, 2011 UK house prices edged up by 1.2 per cent in October compared with September, but have fallen over the last year, according to the Halifax. The lender said that values had fallen by 1.8 per cent compared with a year ago. It said that the housing market had remained “highly resilient” despite weakness and a [...]
Crown Estate unveils its £300m redevelopment November 6, 2011 The Crown Estate today unveiled its £300m redevelopment of Regent Palace Hotel, just behind Piccadilly Circus in London’s West End, into luxury offices and shops. The Queen’s property company said it has signed its first office tenant, the fund manager Generation, co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, to its 200,000 square feet of [...]
Sing in the rain under the sturdiest umbrella November 6, 2011 HOW many times have you bought a dud umbrella? One that embarrasses you when it violently flips inside out? One that can’t quite stand up to the limp November rain, or an occasional bluster on the way to work? Well, worry no longer and consider one of these fine specimens. These umbrellas not only look [...]
Q&A: HOW TO GET DRESSED November 6, 2011 Q. I am always cold but find wool knits unflattering on my petite frame. What are the alternatives? A. Oversized chunky winter knits look great on the runway but unless you are tall, require stacked heels to balance your proportions. The secret to staying elegant (but still warm and comfortable) at this time of year [...]
In the snow in British Columbia November 6, 2011 RUNNING through Vancouver in bright ski gear, carrying boots, boards and skis is an experience in itself. Before hitting the steep and deep slopes of Whistler Blackcomb – British Columbia’s powder playground – we decided to find our ski legs at Vancouver’s nearby family resorts of Cypress, Seymour and Grouse Mountains. The local resorts are [...]
DINING IN STYLE | GOURMET AND WINE AT THE RITZ MADRID November 6, 2011 Tired after a day of museums and walking in the magnificent, enormous Parc Retiro where the Madrileños relax, talk and play, we entered the cool and peaceful Ritz Madrid. We received a warm welcome from the doormen who swept our bags inside and led us to the reception. The location could not be better. Positioned [...]
In which I star in my very own video game November 6, 2011 Being inside your own video-game sounds like fun. Unless that game is Tetris; then you’d be locked inside an endless cycle of rotating blocks, falling towards you at ever increasing speeds. I had a dream about it once. The Tetris music still brings me out in a cold sweat. So when I was asked to [...]
Making a house a home with a few key pieces November 3, 2011 DINING ROOM Philippe Starck Masters Chair, £122.99, www.scp.co.uk Emma Bridgewater Splatter Plate, £19.50, www.liberty.co.uk Zaha Hadid End of Line Cravasse Vase, www.scp.co.uk STUDY Rankin Black and White Lampshade, National Treasures, £120, www.liberty.co.uk Enzo Mari for Danese Wastepaper Basket, £32.70, twentytwentyone.com Smythson Brown Mara Collection Stationery Rack, £370, www.smythson.com Flos, Miss KT Table Lamp, £172, www.selfridges.com [...]