Swim with manta rays and dine on lobster curries at the Maldivian island resort of Vakkaru March 3, 2020 Any island resort staffer can say “welcome to paradise”, but when it comes from a seaplane pilot with no shoes on it feels more like a religious ritual than a tired cliche. It’s contagious, as the staff at Maldivian island resort Vakkaru can vouch for, guests – certainly me – ditch the formality and stress [...]
Jensen Interceptor review: A real brawn star motor that drives like nothing else March 2, 2020 Sharp-suited Italian styling. A brawny all-American V8. A sumptuous wood-and-leather British interior. Oh, and probably the coolest car name ever conceived. The Jensen Interceptor had it all. Sadly, this glamorous GT was also burdened with ‘traditional’ British build quality, but that’s nothing Cropredy Bridge can’t fix. Based in a quaint village near Banbury, the company [...]
Adventure time: Why every explorer wears a mechanical wrist watch March 2, 2020 There’s an old motoring adage that goes, “win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” In other words, as cripplingly expensive and vainglorious as motorsport can be, prove yourself successful on a race weekend (not to mention thrillingly glamorous) and you have no better billboard for the sporty road-goers populating your forecourt. It’s why Enzo Ferrari begrudgingly [...]
Office Space: Take a look behind the scenes of Amazon’s sprawling, 15-storey London headquarters at Principal Place March 2, 2020 There’s always money in the banana stand. Or at least there would be, were the bananas not being handed out for free. Each morning outside Amazon’s HQ in Shoreditch a fruitmonger dispenses complimentary bananas to Amazon staff, peckish commuters and anybody who cares to take one. The tradition was started by Jeff Bezos himself on [...]
Celebrating International Women’s Day March 2, 2020 This month in The City Culture Corner, we are celebrating International Women’s Day with seven women working in the culture sector. From dancers to composers, and singers to actresses, The City Culture Corner curator, Tessa Marchington has sought out these industry leaders, and asked them how they embrace risk taking. See below for their responses. [...]
Blackheath Centre for Singing: Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ March 2, 2020 | Sponsored Blackheath Centre of Sining provides a space for singers of all levels to participate in choirs and singing lessons for all abilities. Join the Blackheath Centre for Singing at their upcoming Easter concert, Vivaldi Gloria. City A.M. Club members receive at 15% discount on tickets. Date: Saturday 28th MarchTime: 7.30pmVenue: St James’ Church, Thurland Road, [...]
Fail Better 2020: James Baldwin March 1, 2020 | Sponsored A night of live poetry and discussion in tribute to the multifaceted artist that was James Baldwin, exploring the failure of the media to recognise his life’s work beyond the singular narrative of the Black experience in America. Speakers confirmed include Dr. Michelle Asantewa, Dean Atta and Keith Jarrett. City A.M. Club members receive 10% off [...]
Handel & Hendrix in London March 1, 2020 | Sponsored Handel & Hendrix in London promotes the awareness and enjoyment of Handel and his music to as wide a public audience as possible. They strive to inspire, educate and inform through the interpretation of the Georgian house at 25 Brook Street, where Handel lived and composed for 36 years, through live music performances, educational and [...]
Portrait of a Lady on Fire review: Banishing men makes for a revolutionary period piece February 28, 2020 There’s something strange about Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the enlightenment era French-language romance set on an island off the coast of Brittany, and it took me a while to work out what it was. It’s about three young women: Héloïse, a lonely debutante; Marianne, the bohemian artist hired by Héloïse’s mother to paint [...]
David Hockney at National Portrait Gallery review: Lacklustre retrospective is in need of a bigger splash February 28, 2020 David Hockney’s latest exhibition, Drawing from Life at the National Portrait Gallery, claims to be a major retrospective of the veteran artist’s work. Let’s just say at the outset: there’s nothing major about this exhibition. Drawing from Life’s bait is the lure of previously unseen works, notably a large double portrait (triple if you include [...]