Picnic time! Get Michelin-quality food straight to your blanket March 17, 2021 Last summer, during the hazy window of relaxed lockdown measures, I went for a picnic in London Fields. I wasn’t the only one. The entire borough appeared to have descended on the sorry-looking scorched grass. Apart from the laughable lack of social distancing, of which I was unwittingly a part, the most upsetting thing was [...]
I moved to an island paradise during the pandemic: You can too March 17, 2021 Like many others, the pandemic changed my outlook on life. I found myself looking at the same four walls every day with no boundaries separating work and home life. My wife and I were juggling our careers and home-schooling, it was a precarious circus act and we had to work hard at making sure all [...]
City Spirits: Irish whiskey might be the star, but gin hits the spot too March 17, 2021 Above most other calendar dates, March 17 presents itself as the perfect opportunity to throw your inhibitions to one side, and party like its, well, 461AD. St. Patrick’s Day falls on this date each year. But why March 17? This was the day that the man who became the foremost patron saint of Ireland, passed [...]
Back to work: Nutrition tricks to prepare you for an office return March 16, 2021 As we prepare for a phased return to something resembling normality, you can’t overstate the importance of nutrition to get you brain ready for the daily grind. Here are some nutrition tips and tricks to help set some positive new habits. The first thing to bear in mind is that there is no one best [...]
Best of travel: Where to go and what to do in Bermuda March 16, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Siobhan Grogan’s trip to the sun, sea and sand of Bermuda. ••• There are few things more intimidating on the water than suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a practice race for the [...]
Remote purchase: Can you buy a house you haven’t visited? March 16, 2021 Since the start of the Covid crisis, there has been a lot of talk about remote purchase as a solution to limitations on movement. Some hoped that virtual viewings and remote purchases would be a lifeline to the industry under lockdown and beyond. At Aykroyd & Co, we have had some significant successes with remote [...]
This is what you should be drinking on St Patrick’s Day March 16, 2021 Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, and while Boris didn’t actually order the closure of pubs until 20 March 2020, for most of us this will be the second year in a row that we mark the event at home. This is no time to crowd into a bar with your mates, swilling Guinness while shouting [...]
Diverse Oscar noms drag 90-year-old awards into 21st century March 15, 2021 In recent years, the nominations for the Academy Awards have often drawn anger and frustration. #OscarsSoWhite became a regular trend for past ceremonies as actors of colour were ignored, while there was ongoing criticism at the absence of female behind the scenes nominees, and LGBTQ+ artists. Today, observers held their breath as this year’s nominations [...]
How to sell sherry to Gen-Z, and other spirits breakthroughs March 15, 2021 The last 12 months have been full of challenges, although the one that’s been on the mind of Tim Holt is how to sell fine sherry to Gen-Z. “There’s a dual image of sherry with the young,” he says. “You have the OAP association, especially with standard supermarket sherry offerings. But at the same time [...]
Best of travel: The world’s most exclusive nightclub is in a jungle March 15, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Siobhan Grogan’s expedition through a jungle in Thailand in search of… a nightclub? ••• Clinging to the Cape Panwa peninsula on the very tip of south eastern Phuket, Sri Panwa is buried deep within [...]