A CONSERVATORY IS THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY THE SUMMER May 14, 2009 WITH a rare hot summer on the way, making use of your outdoor space this year will be a priority for anyone with a garden and a bit of an itch to renovate. Enter the conservatory. Banish thoughts of hyacinth-filled, musty rooms belonging to ladies with cats or ageing parents. They are an increasingly sleek [...]
Q&A: BUYING May 14, 2009 Q. Dear Camilla, I’m looking to buy a property but have we reached the bottom of the market or do prices have further to fall? A. Prices have fallen between 15 and 20 percent since the peak of the market, which was March 2008 for London. At the beginning of this year most analysts were [...]
The places in town not to be seen May 13, 2009 ARE you happy in your job? Of course you are. You are hardworking and – most importantly – loyal. But imagine if somebody did come along and try to headhunt you. You would be stupid not to agree to a meeting, just to have a chat and see how the land lies. A little bit [...]
The places in town not to be seen May 13, 2009 The Mercer34 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AYDiscreet Seats: The counter at the bar-end of the room: only backs are visible and it would be almost impossible to hear what someone was ordering, let alone which bottle of vintage Bordeaux.Food and drink: Very solid new British cuisine, with everything sourced as locally as possible and an award-winning, [...]
Monica Ali’s Brick Lane follow-up never really reaches boiling point May 13, 2009 ALTHOUGH she published a book called Alentejo Clue in 2006, this is being seen as the follow-up to Ali’s much-trumpeted Brick Lane. Once again it tackles the prickly topic of immigrants in London, but this time the action centres round the unlikeable chef Gabriel Lightfoot who works at the Imperial Hotel (note the heavy whiff [...]
Monica Ali’s Brick Lane follow-up never really reaches boiling point May 13, 2009 THERE is something irresistible about a modern-day murder mystery set against the ancient sites of Greek mythology. Combine such a piquant setting with a cracking plot and a vividly colourful narrative and you’ve got The Taint of Midas, the second in the award-winning Mysteries of the Greek Detective series by the British-born, formerly Greek island-dwelling [...]
Monica Ali’s Brick Lane follow-up never really reaches boiling point May 13, 2009 ONE of the most famous books to come out of the boom of the Eighties was Barbarians at the Gate. In this book, it seems that the nerds have taken over from Conan and his chums. In fact, the subtitle of the book makes it clear that greed was to blame – politicians and central [...]
What’s up, duck September 4, 2008 Duck season is here, so make the most of the bird, says Timothy Barber Can there be any dish more redolent of the bad old days of restaurant food than duck a l’orange? It may be a classic, but let’s be honest, duck in a sweet orange sauce is more likely to be the sorry [...]
InBev plans £1bn deal September 3, 2008 Belgian brewer InBev is planning to put its South Korean beer business up for sale, sources said yesterday. The move is an effort to shed a noncore asset and raise what could be roughly £1bn for its purchase of US brewer Anheuser-Busch. Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase will run the auction for the business, called [...]
Diageo bullish as profits rise August 29, 2008 With two world wars and a few revolutions under its belt, alcoholic drinks giant Diageo is well placed to weather the economic downturn, its chief executive Paul Walsh said yesterday when announcing the group’s results – despite warning of slowing growth ahead. The maker of Guinness and Smirnoff posted a 2 per cent increase in [...]