A popular haunt of Beatrix Potter, Storrs Hall is a beautiful Grade II listed hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere September 28, 2018 The Lake District is well known for its historic association with fine English literature, but gets a free pass for having also inspired some of the country’s worst poetry, such as Gotta Love Dem Daffodils by Adam Glick, who visited last year, and Somewhere Around Here Is My Heart I Guess by Pauline Marr, an [...]
Interiors: Robert Brain is saving London’s trees from the chipper and turning them into beautiful furniture September 28, 2018 When trees in London are felled, they often meet their end in a chipper. But what a waste of beautiful wood – oak, beech, ash and even London plane. As a carpenter, the aptly named Robert Brain put his mind to the task of how it could be reused. After two years working on his [...]
Shadow of the Colossus review: An expert restoration of a breathtaking classic September 28, 2018 Shadow of the Colossus was a quiet epic, launched at a time when games were predominantly about things exploding loudly in your face. In this minimalist and melancholic saga, you ride your faithful horse across a vast wilderness to track down and slay 16 enormous stone giants. The world, desolate and littered with the [...]
Opinion: High net worth millennials are passing on the fixer-upper villa in Tuscany in favour of modern towers in global cities September 28, 2018 The millennial generation have different tastes and attitudes to their now middle-aged Generation X forebears. As they move into their thirties, they are playing an increasingly important role in the international property markets and many have significant buying power, either through inheritance or their own entrepreneurial flair. Previous generations favoured a stand-alone villa they could [...]
Focus On Harrow: Why this west London suburb is popular with families and first time buyers September 28, 2018 With inner city London gradually dividing itself into a series of ‘villages’, mimicking the community, farmers markets and independent high streets of semi-rural life, what’s the point of suburbs anymore? Places like Harrow have traditionally been quite pedestrian places, attracting families to its healthy stock of semi-detached houses and good quality schools. The ultimate – [...]
Legal Q&A: What is a Section 20 notice of repairs and what can I do if I think the cost is excessive? September 28, 2018 I have just received a section 20 notice relating to some repair works to our block. What does the notice mean and what can we do if we think the cost of the works is excessive? In the circumstances you describe, you will have been served with a Section 20 Notice because your landlord [...]
Property of the Week: The Old Vicarage in Fulham features a baptismal font as a sink in the downstairs bathroom September 28, 2018 If you’re looking for a sacred space to return to after a hard day at work, this quiet – yet large – family home in Fulham is a rare find. The gothic-style detached mansion was built in 1864 as a vicarage, but now it’s a one-of-a-kind home. Old St James Vicarage, Fulham, £10,500 a week [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds and conversions going on sale in London this weekend September 28, 2018 New developments on the market this week Lime Quarter, Bromley-by-Bow From £300,000 Help to Buy homes are going on sale next to Devons Road DLR. The first 10 homes launched last night with one and two bedroom apartments available to purchase through the government’s equity loan scheme. Overall, there will be 130 homes, including three [...]
Isle of Dogs review: More bark than bite, but Wes Anderson’s stop-motion adventure is adorable fun September 28, 2018 Wes Anderson’s latest film takes place in a hyper-stereotyped, near-future Japan, in which dogs have been cruelly banished to a trash island under the invented pretence that they’ve succumbed to a mix of highly infectious dog flu and “snout rot”. The director’s second stop-motion project (the Roald Dahl adaptation Fantastic Mr. Fox being the [...]
The Wife film review: Glenn Close serves up a career-best performance as Nobel laureate’s beleaguered spouse September 28, 2018 What happens when you win the Nobel Prize? Does a peace dove deliver the news by flying telegram? Is there a banquet of all your favourite foods? Can you invite your mum? This simple dispersal of news becomes one of many fascinating aspects of The Wife. Based on a bestselling novel by Meg Wolitzer, it’s [...]