THREE OTHER CANARY WHARF RESTAURANTS August 3, 2009 CURVEPricey seafood in a sophisticated setting, with full advantage taken of the nearby Billingsgate Fish Market. Mains include steamed mussels with clams and squid, spiced roast monkfish and “fisherman’s pie”. There’s a grill section too for those after something redder. Marriott West India Quay, 22 Hertsmere Road, E14 4ED. Tel: 020 7517 2808 PLATEAUA glossy [...]
St Lucia’s most spectacular retreat is taking luxury to new levels August 2, 2009 ONE OF THE remaining signs of St Lucia’s colonial past (and Commonwealth present) is the fact that, by law, the first 40 feet inland of every stretch of coastline belongs to the Queen. That doesn’t mean sunbathing is restricted to Her Maj and Philip, should they deign to drop anchor in these parts, but it [...]
TRAVEL NOTES August 2, 2009 Cruise the Med in LuxuryThe super-luxe, boutique cruise line The Yachts of Seabourn has always been good value – hell, when champagne flows non-stop all week, how can it not be? Now you can take a Mediterranean cruise for £1,699 per person based on two sharing with all inclusive (and they mean ALL, but the [...]
FOCUS ON: BRENTWOOD, ESSEX July 30, 2009 THE GALLERIES, WARLEYPrice: From £285,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. This unusual conversion of a derelict Grade II-listed Victorian hospital offers buyers high quality properties within a period setting, which have been developed in keeping with the style of the property. Set on the outskirts of Brentwood, the nearby mainline station has direct services into London [...]
Studio flats mean convenience and access to Zone 1 July 30, 2009 A COUPLE of decades ago it was common enough for City executives to keep a small flat in London to stay in during the week, returning to their family homes in the country at weekends. The heyday of the pied a terre may have passed thanks to improved commuting links and the soaring costs of [...]
The making of a French fashion icon July 30, 2009 FilmCOCO BEFORE CHANELCert: 12A SOME bad PR about Gabrielle, aka Coco, Chanel emerged on the release of this film, namely that she was anti-Semitic and homophobic (traits she pre shared with her Nazi live-in lover during the Occupation of Paris). Audrey Tautou herself, who plays Chanel, prattled on about it in interviews. But when did [...]
NOW SHOWING SIX OF THE BEST July 30, 2009 FILM: Antichrist Lars Von Trier’s makes brutal viewing, but it’s intriguing and beautiful too. ART: Radical Nature The Barbican Centre’s look at 40 years of art inspired by nature and the environment. EXHIBITION: Exquisite Bodies Creepy look at wax models used for medical training in the Victorian era, at the Wellcome Collection. THEATRE: Forbidden Broadway [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS July 30, 2009 FILMCROSSING OVER Drama about US immigration issues, with Harrison Ford and Ray Liotta. G-FORCE Animated fun for the kids, about a crack team of specially trained guinea pigs. LAND OF THE LOST Will Ferrell’s latest spoof (of the old TV show) misses more than it hits. DVDKNOWING Nicolas Cage finds out what happens when the [...]
Yahoo and Microsoft’s marriage will be loveless July 30, 2009 AFTER 19 months of will-they, won’t-they courtship, Microsoft has finally tied a knot of sorts with Yahoo. Microsoft will merge Yahoo’s search technology into its own platform, Bing, while Yahoo will handle search ad sales. For Yahoo, however, this isn’t “happy ever after”. It has been forced into a loveless, arranged marriage because of money [...]
How to find love? Try giving up sex July 29, 2009 CHASTENEDBY HEPHZIBAH ANDERSONChatto & Windus, £12.99 I FEEL a little bad for Hephzibah Anderson. She’s gone ahead and voiced the doleful narrative of a many a well-heeled, well-educated 20 and 30-something urban woman – albeit in a kind of dreamily wannabe-poetic style – and has evoked the ire of countless woman critics. I am not [...]