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 [...]
The Honda Civic Type R is as exciting as it looks. Yes, really March 15, 2021 Honda has updated its Civic Type R hot hatchback for 2021. If you can live with the looks, says Tim Pitt, it’s an outstanding driver’s car.
What will we wear to work after Covid? We ask the experts March 13, 2021 Much has been written about our lockdown wardrobes, from those initial Zoom calls in shirt-sleeves and pyjama bottoms to the slow descent towards simply “working from bed”. Hairstyles have gone from immaculate to neanderthal, with “fix it at home” trim jobs performed by partners and flatmates. But what does the imminent return to office-based work [...]
Best of travel: Explore the highlands by plane with The Carnegie Club March 12, 2021 The private plane I’m boarding at South London’s Biggin Hill would be ideal for anyone who owns a desert island or alpine ski lodge. It’s a multi-talented Pilatus PC-12 NG. My destination is closer to home but even more exclusive: The Carnegie Club at Scotland’s Skibo Castle. My pilot, Edwin Brenninkmeyer, who is also Pilatus’s [...]
City Spirits: Raising a toast to the Queen Mother March 12, 2021 We all know our favourite mum – it’s our own. But for those partial to a tipple, another is worth a mention as we look forward to Mother’s Day this Sunday – the much-missed Queen Mother. Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was no shrinking violet, in her youth or otherwise. Indeed, stuck inside as we all [...]
The companies finding the perfect house plant for you March 12, 2021 Before lockdown, house plants were around to brighten up the place. Now for many of us, they are our best friends and sole confidants, helping pull us through the long, lonely days. During the pandemic, sales of indoor plants have spiked, with a host of new subscription delivery services cropping up to meet the demand [...]