Mix banging techno with minke whales in spectacular, friendly Iceland August 9, 2009 THE high cost of a pint of beer used to mean that Iceland was out of bounds for all but the most well-heeled traveller. But the financial catastrophe the country has suffered in the wake of the credit crunch, while devastating for its population, has made it far more accessible, and tourism is expected to [...]
Q&A: BUYING August 6, 2009 Camilla DellMANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q. Dear Camilla, I’m thinking of buying a property for investment. Are there any particular areas or hot spots in London that I should be considering at the moment? A.Well, an area that we quite like at the moment is Fulham, which is on the edge of Chelsea and [...]
The chick flick that’s an insult to womankind August 6, 2009 FilmTHE UGLY TRUTHCert: 15 SHE did it in Knocked Up and in 27 Dresses. Once again, Katherine Heigl steps into the role of a woman starved of love for being too uptight, too successful and too much of a control freak. And, of course, for not being a sexy enough dresser. Her plight was portrayed [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS August 6, 2009 FILM MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT Vincent Cassell stars in part one of this French gangster biopic. ADAM Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne star in a film about a relationship between two outsiders. MEGA SHARK VS GIANT OCTOPUS The race for next year’s Oscars starts here. DVD17 AGAIN Zac Efron stars as a man who finds himself [...]
Pumping it up for the summer August 6, 2009 THE tricky question of what footwear a chap should sport with his shorts raises its head every summer, and never gets properly resolved (though there’s one iron rule – leave those socks in the drawer, daddio). This year it’s all about the new breed of plimsolls, the sports shoe that’s been brought back from the [...]
How to create a stylish home study August 6, 2009 YOU know that extra room in your flat that’s too small to be a bedroom but too big to waste on storage alone? That’s the room you should really get round to turning into an office. And, with the rise of technology that enables you to work from home more easily, this is the time [...]
Redevelopment makes Croydon a property hotspot August 6, 2009 WITH most parts of the country in the property doldrums at the moment, there are not too many places that look like clever investments. One that is bucking the trend is Croydon, which will be the next UK city to undergo a serious regeneration. There are plans to inject £3.5bn into the city over the [...]
FOCUS ON: PURLEY, SURREY August 6, 2009 AMBERHURST, 12 SILVER LANE, CR8 3HGPrice: £2.85mSet among park-like grounds on the Webb Estate conservation area, this imposing seven-bedroom house also comes with an annexe. The main bedroom has a dressing room, en suite and leads out onto a balcony. There are also seven reception rooms all of which have superb views and large windows. [...]
How the Russian oligarchs came to rise and reign in boomtime London August 5, 2009 LONDONGRADBY MARK HOLLINGSWORTH AND STEWART LANSLEYFourth Estate, £12.99ONE of the most visible signs of the times over the past few years has been the increasing Russification of London. The likes of Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, Oleg Deripaska, who made headlines when he entertained the then-EU trade minister Peter Mandelson and shadow [...]
OUT OF OFFICE August 5, 2009 JAZZ AT VIVAT BACCHUSClerkenwell dwellers not content with food and fine wine should pop along to Vivat Bacchus in Farringdon this Saturday, where jazz pianist Jason Thompson (who has entertained the likes of Bill Clinton and Michael Douglas) will be in situ with his group, the JT Band. The food and wine here is always [...]