Cadbury boss blasts Kraft’s sour proposal September 13, 2009 CADBURY ramped up its defence at the weekend against a takeover from Kraft after its chairman Roger Carr blasted the bid as “unattractive.” In an open letter to Kraft’s chief executive Irene Rosenfeld, Carr reaffirmed the Dairy Milk maker’s rejection of the £10.2bn bid, which he believed “fundamentally undervalues Cadbury.” And in a further slight, [...]
Strap on your walking boots and head to the Dolomites September 13, 2009 FOR walkers, September means one thing: the last chance of the year to pull on those boots and get up into the mountains. “It’s not Switzerland,” sniffed my wife, when I suggested that we take a break form our usual stomping ground and head to the Dolomites in north Italy. Well, you can’t argue with [...]
BOLZANO: GATEWAY TO THE DOLOMITES September 13, 2009 BOLZANO was the subject of sniggering in Italy last month when it was rumoured that prime minister Silvio Berlusconi might be taking a trip there. The capital of the South Tyrol region, you see, is the site of the only sex addiction clinic in Italy. Whatever his reason for going there, Berlusconi could hardly pick [...]
Taking the gay out of Dorian Gray September 10, 2009 FilmDORIAN GRAYCert: 12 THE Portrait of Dorian Gray is a story about a man with a terrible secret about the state of his soul, something that Oscar Wilde was no doubt very familiar with. While Dorian has his painting in his attic, Oscar was firmly in his closet. Like Jekyll and Hyde, Dorian Gray is [...]
NOW SHOWING FIVE OF THE BEST September 10, 2009 THEATRE: Arcadia A sell-out production of TomStoppard’s (right) classic drama stars Dan Stevens as the tutor Septimus and Neil Pearson as pushy modern don Bernard Nightingale. Until 12 Sep, Duke of York’s Theatre, WC2N 4BG. Box office: 020 7432 4220. ART: FuturismThis elegant show celebrates a century since the founding of Futurism, with work by [...]
At auction, there are bargains for cash-rich buyers September 10, 2009 PROPERTY prices might well be looking up at the moment, but the market is still gridlocked. Buyers struggling to get mortgages and others worried that they might lose their jobs. It’s no fun being in a chain right now. Which is why auctions are becoming more popular. Gary Murphy, partner and auctioneer at Allsop, which [...]
FOCUS ON: BOW, E3 September 10, 2009 CHISENHALE ROAD, E3Price: £799,950This large three-bedroom house is located in a quiet residential street but within walking distance of the amenities of Victoria Park and Mile End Tube station. Set over three floors, the property has a spacious open-plan living room, family bathroom, separate shower room and a large kitchen. The rear garden backs onto [...]
Houses with golf on tap have still got that swing September 10, 2009 GOLFERS know there is nothing better than waking up and strolling straight out onto the first tee. Developers know this too, of course, and for years, they have built properties all over the world where you can roll out of bed and start swinging straight away. Traditionally, the guaranteed sunshine of Portugal and Florida have [...]
Q&A: BUYING September 10, 2009 Camilla DellMANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q. Dear Camilla, I have had my offer accepted on a house, have had everything done but now the seller has decided to pullout with no explanation. Is there anything I can do legally to prevent this? A. One of the fundamental problems of purchasing a property in the [...]
The definitive Madoff book, with panache September 9, 2009 MADOFF: THE MAN WHO STOLE $65MBY ERIN ARVEDLUNDPenguin, £9.99 ERIN ARVEDLUND has written this book with relish – and not a small amount of “I told you so”. This is because, as an investigative reporter for big US financial publications, she blew the whistle on Madoff in 2001, with a big article for Barron’s pointing [...]