INTERIORS March 24, 2011 DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL LONDON LETTINGS FIRM DRAKER LETTINGS Q. I have recently bought my first rental investment and have heard some terrible stories from landlords who have had nightmare tenants. How do I stop this from happening to me? A. Firstly, be very careful not to rush into the first tenancy that comes along. If [...]
Tea total: a new brew sensation March 23, 2011 WHAT do the credit crunch, European leveraged capital markets and looseleaf tea have in common? The answer is Ajit Madan, who left his job at Societe Generale when the credit crunch rendered his slice of the pie a mere shadow of its former self, to follow his entrepreneurial dreams. “It was a part of the [...]
The City club where it pays to be a member March 23, 2011 LONDON is the world’s leader when it comes to private members’ clubs. Maybe it’s because we’ve all been scarred by sticky floors and suffocating crowds at some point in our lives, or maybe it’s because we hate being kicked out at 11pm. Whatever it is, private is how we roll, and nowhere does this stand [...]
The beefed up new Merc SLK March 22, 2011 Despite selling well, the Mercedes-Benz SLK has been seen as a bit fluffy, a lesser animal when compared to some of its roadster rivals. This hasn’t been helped by the fact that most buyers of the car have been female, something that has switched some less- evolved men off. Now Mercedes-Benz is making a considered [...]
Hairdresser to the stars, and to you March 21, 2011 WHEN your working week as a hairdresser consists of styling Natalie Portman’s do for an awards ceremony one day, jetting off to primp models for a catwalk show the next and rounding things off with a Vogue shoot, you’ve realistically reached the stage when you don’t need the hassle and pressure of running a salon. [...]
Episode six: Morning meeting March 21, 2011 I LEAN back in my chair, hands behind my head and look up at the ceiling. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks. Pregnant. Then pregnant some more. And on top of that, we’d spent last weekend at Emma’s parents, celebrating her birthday and with Emma desperate to tell her parents about her – our? – [...]
Caribbean Travel March 21, 2011 Jamaica BEST BEACH Jamaica is one of the few Caribbean islands that is blessed by being totally surrounded by the warm Caribbean sea. That said, the choice of beaches is unending and in Montego Bay, one of the best to experience is the Doctors cave Beach. Celebrating over 100 years as a bathing beach, it [...]
An Italian affair at the Four Seasons March 21, 2011 Amaranto Hamilton Place, Park Lane W1J 7DR Tel: 020 7499 0888 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £55 AFTER its £125m makeover, the Four Seasons is looking just like you’d imagine. It’s dripping in chandeliers, coated in lacquer and bedecked with equine sculpture. It hardly feels homely, but it does feel rich. It’s [...]
French fancy in the villa of your dreams March 20, 2011 THERE is no shortage of villa rental services in France. But few provide access to the country’s most beautiful properties in the way that Pure France, a company founded by two Brits tired of the Anglo slog, does. With 400 properties, from the rustic to the grand to the minimalist and modern spread over the [...]
HONG KONG GLAMOUR March 20, 2011 LEFT for Buddha,” said the sign. But the one directly beneath it read: “Right for the discount outlets”. This is the visitor’s dilemma in Hong Kong, with its mix of spirituality and blatant consumerism. And how to combine the two with all the bars and restaurants? We chose to answer this question by opting for [...]