BUYING January 13, 2011 MANAGING PARTNER OF BLACK BRICK PROPERTY SOLUTIONS LLP Q.Q: What are your predictions for the 2011 property market? Will there be more stock? When is a good time to buy? A.The prime central London property market has constantly suffered from a shortage of stock, and our advice for potential buyers looking for a home is [...]
A double dose of danger for elite Death Inc January 12, 2011 SHADOW FORCE BY MATT LYNN HEADLINE, £12.99 IT doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a book called Shadow Force – the first in a series that tracks a pack of mercenaries around the world – is not going to have much of a feminine touch. Well, journalist Matt Lynn has gone the [...]
WORLD BOOZE BRIEFING VINEXPO CONFERENCE January 12, 2011 The British taste for bacchanalia is on the rise, according to a massive drink report announced yesterday, conducted by IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Research) in conjunction with Vinexpo, the massive industry fair. The UK remains the number one importer of wine in the world – of which our favourite is Australian – in terms [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY January 12, 2011 SOLVING YOUR WORK-LIFE PROBLEMS DEAR VEXED: I am completely stressed out. I made three New Year’s resolutions: to diet, not to drink in January, and to work harder. I’ve slipped on all of them already, particularly the diet. The more I try to be good, the harder it is. I feel like crying. Bob, 28, [...]
The best slimline laptops January 12, 2011 AT last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – the event that’s become the mecca for the latest developments in technology, computers, gadgets, gizmos and pretty much anything containing a microchip – the tech world went tablet crazy, with scores of them launched. Such is the influence of the iPad – but it’s worth [...]
How to ensure you get the best value deal for your mobile phone January 12, 2011 IT’S ALMOST a cliché that when you are trying to negotiate your mobile phone bill down you should threaten to leave the company, and insist to be put through to the retentions department, where deals can be struck. These days things are more complex. A few years ago when pay-as-you-go or 12-month contracts were the [...]
TECH TALK January 12, 2011 EXPENSE forms are the bane of the City trader’s life. Whether you’re claiming for a business lunch or filing your tax return, the fiddle factor costs you time and money. Nine in ten City workers loses fifty pounds a month through mislaid receipts (source: IT in Context) with petrol receipts the most likely to go [...]
Your car, sir January 11, 2011 HAVING a baby has turned me into a chauffeur. As my wife embeds in the back in a pre-emptive strike against impending infant in-car seat boredom meltdowns, I invariably sit alone in the front like a sort of North London Jeeves, taking radio station requests and having to grudgingly take sole responsibility for figuring out [...]
CAR TALK January 11, 2011 TASTY: PORSCHE’S SPYDER SUPERCAR Look familiar? This is Porsche’s 918 Spyder supercar in 756bhp race car guise which has gone down a storm at this week’s 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Called the 918 RSR, it has a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque chassis and is essentially a teaser for the production [...]
Hands up for soft winter skin January 10, 2011 THE stronger your handshake, the longer you’ll live, according to recent research from UCL. Yet a firm grasp – which the study claims shows vital strength – is only half the battle when it comes to presenting a good handshake, and thus, making a good first impression. To fully impress your associates, you won’t want [...]