SELLING February 3, 2011 Managine director of estate agency, kay & co Q.I am selling a property in London that has been valued at £1m. What impact will the forthcoming increase in Stamp Duty for properties over £1m have on the sale of my property? A.There has been no evidence to suggest a rush of sellers looking to sell [...]
PROPERTY NEWS February 3, 2011 WEST END ATTRACTS CASH BUYERS Buyers of West End property are increasingly choosing to pay in cash rather than purchasing a mortgage, says estate agent LDG. It saw the number of cash buyers rise 20 per cent in the last quarter of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. LDG partner Laurence Glynne said [...]
Intelligent luxury for smart skiers at Les Domaines February 2, 2011 THE new Alpine luxury is understated, contemporary elegance in a traditional-looking wood building, with lots of hand-crafted features and discreet state-of-the-art facilities. It is located in a small and original village – not a purpose-built concrete bunker. These days, intelligent luxury means completely no-hassle holidays – you own your own property, but it is fully [...]
For the love of chocolate February 2, 2011 La Maison du Chocolat’s Couer à Couer Another enticing offering from LMC – a sharing dessert available at its boutiques in Piccadilly, Harrods and Selfridges, containing coconut dacquoise, dark choclate mousse, chocolate sabayon and other delights. £13.50 www.lamaisonduchocolat.co.uk Hotel Chocolat’s Sealed with a Kiss box A glam selection of romantic choccies including chocolate oysters, pralines, [...]
TASTING NOTES February 2, 2011 I’LL be honest, I wasn’t terrifically enthused with the idea of cocktails combining booze with, er, root vegetables. Actually not just root vegetables, a variety of veg, though with parsnip and beetroot playing a couple of starring roles. I was picturing gloopy veggie soup with gin stirred in as I climbed the stairs to Roast, [...]
From sleazy chic to grand hotel-glam February 2, 2011 THIS week’s hottest launch took place down an unassuming alley off Soho’s Brewer Street (the old Raymond Revuebar site) where imposing oaken doors hide London’s newest spectacle, The Box. This sister club to NYC’s theatrical speakeasy is not for the faint hearted. Lurid murals line the walls of the womb-like reception room where would-be revellers [...]
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY February 1, 2011 IT used to be the case that big cars were expensive and little cars were cheap. But BMW knocked that convention into a cocked hat with its absurdly successful Mini which saw droves of bright young things buy into the MINI concept and spend lots more “personalising” their cars at overly themed dealerships. Now Audi [...]
CAR TALK February 1, 2011 VOLKSWAGEN UNVEILS WORLD’S MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT CAR This is Volkswagen’s XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) and the world’s most economical car, just unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show. Capable of a massive 313mpg, the hybrid XL1 is powered by an 800cc 48PS TDI diesel engine linked to a 27PS electric motor, which is enough power [...]
It’s time to take insomnia seriously January 31, 2011 LYING in bed and grimly watching the hours tick by as your body and mind refuse to shut off is a horrible sensation, but one most people will have experienced on occasion. However, a new report published by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed just how pervasive a force insomnia can be, suggesting that over [...]
OUT OF OFFICE January 31, 2011 BRIDGET RILEY AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY The exhibition of works by the British painter gives an overview of the recent work of one of the most pioneering living artists. Riley has been a cornerstone of the modern art scene for many decades, and is still going strong. Famous for her highly patterned, optical works Riley [...]