Think inside the Square: why the City is a top spot to buy a home November 26, 2009 IF YOU’RE looking for the ultimate Tube-busting pied a terre, the Square Mile can’t be bettered for history, beauty and – of course – convenience. Other financial centres are not exactly places you’d want to live: tightly packed with skyscrapers and fumes, they have a sterile, uninhabitable feel (just think of mid-town New York or [...]
Q&A: RENTING November 26, 2009 Louise SavageDIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL LAND Q. Dear Louise, I’ve seen a lot of websites springing up where you can rent out your property independently. I’m tempted but I’m a bit nervous. What do you think?A. These websites have their place in the market in exactly the same way that letting agents do and they will [...]
Pick up a pad in London’s smartest areas on the cheap November 26, 2009 THERE’S living in London, and then there’s living in a London area with a truly sought-after postcode. It’s not just about status – it really is smarter, and nicer. Of course the problem with London’s poshest parts is that they cost the earth, plus a bit more. But for those considering splashing some bonus-fuelled cash [...]
FOCUS ON: CHISWICK, W4 November 26, 2009 ENNISMORE AVENUEPrice: £1,195,000This is a large semi-detached house located close to the shops and amenities of Chiswick High Road. The closest Tube station is Turnham Green which is about 40 minutes from the City. Although a period house, it has been refurbished to include plenty of modern fittings so new buyers can move straight in. [...]
Both black and white beers will bring out the best in oysters November 26, 2009 London's connection with oysters goes back as far as the city itself. The eating of oysters in London began in Roman times, when the British product was shipped as far as Rome. They continued to be popular in medieval times, when the church imposed lots of “fish days”, during which seafood had to be eaten [...]
A tale of betrayal and backstabbing in vicious Westminster-on-the-Tiber November 25, 2009 LUSTRUMBY ROBERT HARRISHutchinson, £18.99 ROBERT Harris is the author of best-selling historical novels such as Fatherland and Enigma. In 2003, he wrote the first of his books based in Ancient Rome, Pompeii. This was followed in 2006 by Imperium, the first in a trilogy about the statesman and orator Cicero. Lustrum is the second. It [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 25, 2009 PERFECT THOSE CARVING SKILLS Roast turkey may be a central part of the Christmas experience, but it can be ruined by bad carving. Just in time, Sloane Square’s historic department store, Peter Jones, is coming to the aid of inexperienced carvers with a couple of carving tutorial sessions next month. Head Chef Chris Mclean will [...]
Best of British November 24, 2009 I’M CURRENTLY feeling like a WAG. To clarify, this is purely down to my current motor, and not because I’ve hooked up with a Chelsea striker. You see I’m driving around in a Bentley (times are hard). I haven’t been in one for a long time and I’ve always associated them with elder statesmen, people [...]
Keep your festive drinking in control November 23, 2009 ONE MINUTE we’re told that drinking alcohol in any quantity is bad for us; the next it appears that red wine is like mother’s milk and should be consumed with gay abandon. Only last week a Spanish study commissioned by the Basque Public Health Department was published, saying that men who drank up to 11 [...]
How to control Xmas party damage November 23, 2009 THE revelry of the Christmas season always carries the same sting in its tail: hangovers, weight gain and liver strain. On average, people gain five pounds over the four-week period, the result of consuming 500 extra calories a day (a few handful of crisps, a mini sausage roll, a couple of glasses of wine and [...]