Magritte & frites in Brussels June 14, 2009 IF it is known for anything, Brussels is probably most famous for its beer and frites. Either that, or the spectacular Grande Place, an ornate masterpiece designed to awe visiting merchants. Or the Manneken Pis, the statue of the urinating boy that stands close to the Grand Place. Or the Atomium, the strange construction in [...]
OTHER SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS June 14, 2009 Matisse, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, MadridUNTIL 20 SEPTEMBERwww.museothyssen.orgIn 1917 Matisse moved from Paris to Nice where he forged his unique style, of which this show is a celebration. It was a naturalistic, muted period that produced paintings “unjustly disparaged by avante-garde critics,”according to the museum’s artistic director. Highlights of this 70-work strong show include the intimate and [...]
Lighten up this summer June 14, 2009 IT’S summer in the City, which means months of stuffy, sweaty Tube trains on the one hand, and jolly days out to cricket and polo matches, racing meets and garden parties on the other. You’ve got to be able to dress appropriately, which for gents means dispensing with the thick woollen suit you’ve worn all [...]
High Speed 1 will make Kent even more commutable June 11, 2009 THE Garden of England has always been an attractive location for commuters looking for fresh air and plenty of green countryside. Towns such as Tonbridge and Sevenoaks have long been classic commuter towns for those working in the City, but other parts of Kent have been out of reach for those who work in London. [...]
Jazzing up your outdoor space for summer June 11, 2009 WITH the weather forecast to stay fine over the summer, your garden is going to come into its own. If you’re lucky enough to have your own outdoor space, you owe it to the rest of us to make it as comfortable and stylish as possible. Here are a few objects that would bring light [...]
FOCUS ON: COLCHESTER, ESSEX June 11, 2009 FARTHINGS, GREAT HORKESLEY, CO6 4EQPrice: £1.25mThis imposing 1930s country house is just five miles north of Colchester, which is just under an hour from Liverpool Street. The accommodation is split over three floors and there are five bedrooms. From the first floor landing is a conservatory, leading out to a covered balcony. The drawing room [...]
Summer sparklers June 11, 2009 SWEATY days in the city and holidays in blue-skied paradises do not warrant clunky jewellery. In hot weather, elegance is all. This summer it’s easier than ever to find jewellery that embodies the languorous feeling that comes with sunshine. Here we have picked a small sample of gorgeous pieces that are both luxurious, serious jewels [...]
DRESSING LIKE A DUDE ON HOLIDAY June 11, 2009 Sara HollambyStyle Counsel A LOT of guys ask me how to carry off “casual”. It’s a difficult question. Unlike when you are wearing a business suit where it’s just a case of the sharper the better, being casual is almost the opposite: you want it to look like you haven’t bothered. But you have to make [...]
Q&A: SALES June 11, 2009 Camilla DellMANAGING DIRECTOR AT BLACK BRICK Q. Dear Camilla, there has ben a lot of talk recently about property prices starting to rise. Is this true, and should I be thinking of buying? A. These things are never straightforward. When you look back at housing data and statistics from the last property market crash, there [...]
From Russia with laughs June 11, 2009 TheatreTHE CHERRY ORCHARDThe Old VicTHIS new production by Sam Mendes is one half of a double bill under the title of The Bridge Project, conceived by Mendes and Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey to bring together an Anglo-American company touring two productions at once. The other show is Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale. It might [...]