Why M Vuitton, you’ve grown… May 27, 2010 SPORTING blazingly obvious brand logos is outlawed in the discerning fashionista’s rulebook. And yet the power of the iconic LV monogram has always managed to prove an exception to this rule, and today reaches it a crescendo as the flagship Louis Vuitton “maison” opens on New Bond Street, following a week of glorious publicity and [...]
From exotic bling to English rose May 27, 2010 WITH tables made of moss, fireside hearths, old washing machines and even an outdoor pizza oven, this year’s Chelsea Flower Show excels in bringing the living room into the garden. Ultra-modern log piles and clean-cut stone seem to be all the rage, but upon first entry many visitors will head for the pavilion. Highlights of [...]
Act now to snap up remaining French bargains May 27, 2010 AFTER a weekend of Mediterranean weather evaporated this week, sun-hungry holidaymakers could be forgiven for looking to France. And with sellers dusting down wine cellars for the high season, there is no better time to fly south for villa-viewing. The Lehman collapse saw demand take flight even from prime locations, but top-end buyers returned during [...]
FOCUS ON: CHISLEHURST, KENT May 27, 2010 CHALVEDUNE, WILDERNESS ROAD Price: £5.5m This is an extremely spacious home built on a sought-after private road with views to the rear over Chislehurst golf course. There is a master suite with two dressing rooms, en suites, a private sitting room and balcony. There are six further bedrooms. There are plenty of facilities such as [...]
Q&A: BUYING May 27, 2010 Camilla Dell MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q.Dear Camilla, Hips were originally introduced to protect buyers, now that they have been abolished what protection do buyers have? A. HOME Information Packs (Hips) were initially put in place to help buyers find out important information about the properties they were buying and to stop sales falling [...]
Belle Epoque style enters the 21 century May 27, 2010 AT the turn of the last century a visit to the imposing Mont Pelerine Palace in the Swiss Alps was a favourite pastime among wealthy travellers. They arrived by train to the quiet commune of Chardonne before ascending by funicular to the elegant hotel, enjoying the famous local Charennes wine and mingling with New York [...]
Pullman pulls off Jesus triumph May 26, 2010 THE GOOD MAN JESUS AND THE SCOUNDREL CHRIST BY PHILIP PULLMAN Canongate, £16.99 by Joanna Elias A book about Jesus? Risky business. The son of God has inspired libraries of works on the quest for his true historical life. Geza Vermes’ controversial Jesus the Jew, which takes Jesus back to his Jewish roots, proved JC [...]
OUT OF OFFICE May 26, 2010 PINTER PLAY COMES TO FLEET STREET Legend has it that Harold Pinter’s career was saved by Harold Hobson’s single favourable review of The Birthday Party: “a skull-beneath-the-skin play, exposing the horrors and fears that lurk under the calm, dull surface of our everyday existence”. In 1959, a year after its disastrous opening, The Birthday Party [...]
How to eat like a (vegetarian) king May 26, 2010 DESPITE the cult status acquired by super-deli Ottolenghi, known for its heavenly salads and cakes, and the super-sleek vegan Saf (see Joe McCanta’s column below), vegetarian restaurants aren’t exactly alluring to a professional, urban and carnivorous crowd. But Andrew Dargue and his wife Donna Conroy, from Teeside, think things should be different, and so two [...]
Wines to match your gourmet veggie dinner May 26, 2010 JOE MCCANTA SOMMELIER, SAF RESTAURANTS; FOUNDER, PURSIP DRINKS CONSULTANCY WORKING with primarily vegetarian (and even vegan) foods, I’m constantly having to look at innovative ways of matching food to wine. It seems that even in some of the top restaurants most sommeliers are terrified by the concept of not resorting to their good old stand-by [...]