The Drinks Master: How Brexit could affect the wine industry (spoiler – it’s not good news) January 15, 2019 Howard Marks once said “there are no facts about the future, just opinions”. Has this ever been more true of a topic than of Brexit? Even after last night’s vote, it’s entirely unclear what’s going to happen. Many of us take solace in a glass of wine – but even that simple pleasure is under [...]
The Lancia Aurelia Outlaw is a controversial classic modified with hot rod-style roof chop. Tim Pitt drives it January 14, 2019 In the introspective, often impenetrable world of blue-chip classic cars, matching numbers are what matter. Collectors prize originality above all else, be it perfectly preserved patina or a better-than-new restoration. Subjecting a 1950s Italian GT to a hot rod-style roof chop is thus akin to spray-painting a smirk on Botticelli’s Venus. And displaying said car [...]
Spyro Reignited Trilogy review: The purple dragon with attitude is back January 14, 2019 Back in the late 1990s Spyro, the purple dragon with a bad boy attitude, aspired to be the next Mario or Sonic. Though he never reached the same heights of mascot fame, he was beloved by fans and has at least done enough to earn this remastered edition for nostalgia junkies. With the Spyro Reignited [...]
Fallout 76 review : Bethesda fails to cram multiplayer into the long-running RPG series January 14, 2019 Fallout 76, the latest in the long-running series of RPGs, is the answer to a question no-one was asking: what if it was multiplayer? In the new release, you play as a member of a nuclear bomb shelter sent out to reclaim post-apocalyptic America. You explore Appalachia (a reimagined West Virginia) and scavenge the wasteland [...]
More than a year after the British Virgin Islands were devastated by Hurricane Irma, this paradise is finally leaving recovery mode. Simon Miller sails its beautiful coastlines January 11, 2019 On 6 September 2017, hurricane winds of up to 215mph battered the British Virgin Islands. The strongest winds ever to have made landfall all but destroyed the islands, and resilient locals were faced with rebuilding their lives and communities. During the hurricane, Sunsail’s BVI base at Tortola was totally destroyed. Dozens of boats were ripped [...]
Colette review: Keira Knightley and Dominic West’s chemistry zings in this saucy biographical tale of French author January 11, 2019 To the unassuming trailer-watcher, Colette looks like a turn-of-the-century version of Big Eyes, Tim Burton’s 2014 film about Walter Keane, the American artist who claimed his wife’s paintings as his own. Colette is married to Henry Gauthier-Villars, a similar entrepreneurial fraud who passes off her novels as his own, but this film manages to be [...]
Interiors: Wellness is set to continue being a big theme in 2019, but here are some simple ways to make your home healthier January 11, 2019 One of the emerging trends of last year, the “reading nook”, was all about creating a cosy space to retreat to (one that also works for creative writing, listening to music – anything that’s the yin to your daily yang). It was really an extension of the wellness craze, something that’s set to continue into [...]
Opinion: If we want to stop families fleeing London, we need to design new apartments with their needs in mind January 11, 2019 Encouraging families to stay in London is vital to the economy and the social fabric of the capital. According to the latest figures from the influential think tank, Centre for London, the number of people aged between 25 to 34 fell by about 30,000 people between mid-2016 and mid-2017, with a net reduction of 21,000 [...]
Property of the Week: Interior designer Elspeth Lynn sells her home in Bayswater that’s an homage to Gatsby glamour January 11, 2019 For some people, making a house a home is fun, but for others it’s a chore. Especially – as is the case in many of central London’s most desirable postcodes – if it’s not even your main residence. If you don’t have time for a fixer upper, simply buy an interior designer’s flat. As luck [...]
Focus On Westminster: The home of Big Ben hasn’t traditionally been home to many Londoners, but nearby Victoria is changing that January 11, 2019 It is a curious truth that while Westminster may be home to the capital’s most famous icons, from Big Ben to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster hasn’t traditionally been home to many Londoners. Its proximity to the seat of government and its grand offices of state inspired companies to sprout up around it, creating a [...]