Small but perfectly formed August 4, 2009 THE FACTS:MINI JCW CONVERTIBLE6-SPEEDMANUAL PRICE: £23,4700-62MPH: 6.9secsTOP SPEED: 146mph (limited)CO2 G/KM: 169g/kmMPG COMBINED: 39.8 THE Met office came in for flak last week after admitting its forecast for a “barbecue summer” was just a little wide of the mark. Darn that jet stream. Well, I’ve come to learn during my road-testing years that waiting for [...]
Why the triathlon has become the ultimate water-cooler competition August 3, 2009 ON A NORMAL weekend you’re more likely to encounter tumbleweed in Docklands than serious signs of human activity. It might have been a bit of a shock this Sunday, then, to have seen 13,000 people swarming into the water at Royal Victoria docks, climbing out to run 10km and then cycling to Westminster and back. [...]
The pasta is brilliant, but eating at Jamie’s can be a stressful experience August 3, 2009 Jamie’s ItalianUnit 17, 2 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, E14 5RBTel: 020 3002 5252 Cost per person without wine: £25 THIS is the second of Jamie Oliver’s chain of wallet-friendly eateries to open in London – one opened in Kingston in late 2008, following the first in Oxford – and he couldn’t have chosen a better [...]
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 [...]