Travel Notes March 13, 2011 YORKSHIRE FITNESS RETREATS IF you’re looking for something to kick-start a spring fitness regime but don’t fancy crowded exercise classes and stuffy lunch-hour gym visits, you can find something a bit more relaxing and soulful with a break in the Yorkshire Dales. Natural Retreats, which runs a handful of swish, remote eco-cottages secreted into the [...]
Hammering away at the property auction myths March 10, 2011 WITH repossessions on the rise, property auctions are a topic on everybody’s lips. While you might not be interested in a flat in Ireland, the increasing supply of homes under the hammer has certainly sparked the British public’s interest in the market. Charles Lucas, an auction expert at Chesterton & Humberts, says there are more [...]
A penthouse with views to suit a Cityboy March 10, 2011 ANY self-respecting master of the universe wants one thing more than any other in a home – spectacular views of the City, so that he or she can relax after a hard day’s deal-making and survey their territory. You couldn’t possibly do better than the penthouse at the Benbow Walk development on New Globe Walk [...]
ORPINGTON March 10, 2011 BLUEBERRY FARM Price: £1.7m A handsome five-bedroom family home, parts of it dating back to medieval times. Tunnels run from underneath the house to the local church and pub, though sadly these are now blocked. There’s also a wine cellar, a sauna, a mosaic-tiled outdoor swimming pool and a floodlit tennis court. Contact: Savills on [...]
NEED TO KNOW | AREA INSIGHT March 10, 2011 Education: Awash with good schools. St James’s Roman Catholic Primary School is rated “excellent” by Ofsted, as are St Saviour’s Grammar School and St Olave’s Grammar School for boys, and Darrick Wood School – a co-educational comprehensive. Parents of sporty kids may want to consider The Priory School, a specialist sports college. Crime: Rates are [...]
BUYING March 10, 2011 Managing partner at black brick Q. How do you think the rise in stamp duty, which will rise from 4 to 5 per cent for properties over £1m from 6 April, will affect house prices? A.The rise will definitely affect the market outside of London, which is already slow due to lack of mortgage supply. [...]
PROPERTY NEWS March 10, 2011 HAMPTON’S?COUNTRY?EXHIBITION Hamptons International’s next Town and Country Exhibition, which will showcase a new collection of country properties, takes place on 5 April from 5-8pm in the company’s head office in Grosvenor Square. Experts will give prospective buyers advice on relocating. Contact: 0207 963 0614. HARRODS client Harrods Estates has extended its Property Acquisition Service, which [...]
Even an alien apocalypses can be dull March 10, 2011 Film BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Cert: 12a Only in Steven Spielberg’s head do aliens ever come in peace. So here they are invading once again, superior to us in numbers, technology, firepower and tentacles. Just like Independence Day, War of the Worlds, District 9, last year’s terribly bad Skyline, last year’s terribly good Monsters and any [...]
ALSO OUT THIS WEEKEND March 10, 2011 FILM HALL PASS Extraordinarily lame post-Hangover comedy with Owen Wilson and, er, Stephen Merchant. THE RESIDENT Hilary Swank is a single woman with a rather scary landlord in this home invasion thriller. NORWEGIAN WOOD Beautifully-made Japanese drama, adapted from Marukami’s book. DVD SAW: the final chapter Dreadful franchise comes to a dreadful end. Hopefully. MARCHLANDS [...]
Vintage cars meet zorbing at the British Leisure Show March 9, 2011 WITH the economy seemingly stuck in the doldrums, we all need a break. If you are short of ideas then you could do worse than head along to the British Leisure Show, which will be held on 11-13 March at the Royal Windsor Race Course. Now in its second year, the show is the brainchild [...]