Focus on Willesden: A well-connected area where North London buyers can upsize November 1, 2019 One of the universally acknowledged truths of the London housing market is that needing more space often means moving further out. But it need not mean going all the way out into the sticks – and the North West London neighbourhood of Willesden is testament to that. While it is on the zone two-three border [...]
Property of the Week: An East London mews house fit for a tech guru November 1, 2019 Mews houses are typically associated with quaint, stucco-ed streets in Kensington or Marylebone. But this mews house which has just come on the market at Peary Place, just off the bustling Roman Road in the heart of Tower Hamlets, has a rather different vibe. Like most mews, Peary Place was built as a stables in [...]
Revealed: The London boroughs most likely to avoid a Brexit house price crash November 1, 2019 So you’re a first-time buyer who has finally saved up enough to get on the housing ladder. All that’s left now is to decide which corner of the capital you’re going to invest your cash in. That decision is arguably more important than ever, given that a recession is a very real possibility – particularly [...]
In search of India’s Silk Road, the centuries-old trading route crossing the Himalayas October 31, 2019 Standing on top of Khardung La, I was higher than I’d ever been without flying. An enterprising clutch of soldiers had set up the world’s highest tea shop, and as a brisk wind blew across the Himalayan peaks, I was grateful for the steaming cup of chai in my hand. A group of bikers were [...]
Is your house killing you? Why some people think paint, carpets and furniture could be poisonous October 31, 2019 Think back to the last time you redecorated a room. Did you paint a wall? Lay a new carpet? Buy a shelving unit with a Swedish-sounding name? According to some housebuilders, architects and designers, all of these things could be making you ill. They say that many common types of paint, carpets, flooring, kitchen and [...]
Artist Gavin Turk on getting arrested, collecting junk and trying to save the planet October 30, 2019 A generation of artists and musicians and filmmakers are starting to engage with climate change in the way creators in the mid-1960s engaged with the anti-war movement. You couldn’t move during this year’s Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, for instance, without falling over an oblique reference to the planet dying. But in the case [...]
Where to find the best massage in Marrakech – we put four hammams through their paces October 30, 2019 In Morocco a weekly hammam bath is a must, an integral part of life that is about so much more than simply having a wash. It’s a way to decompress and purify the body before going to the mosque for the Friday prayer, and a form of mindfulness in itself. In the countryside and remote [...]
Star attraction: Why, after more than 100 years, the Michelin Guide still matters October 30, 2019 This year’s Michelin guide was released to the usual chorus of dissent, complaints that fashionable, progressive restaurants were overlooked in favour of high-ceilinged, soft carpeted establishments where classic cooking is dished up on white linen. “It’s like asking why the Oscars are the number one film award,” says chef and restaurateur Victor Garvey. “There are [...]
How whiskey became Kentucky’s multi-billion dollar cottage industry October 30, 2019 Standing in the private dining room of a Louisville hotel, I angle a roasted marrow bone towards my face and pour a shot of Wild Turkey down the emptied channel. It sluices the remaining beef fat into my mouth, adding a rich, silky finish to the oaky caramel of the bourbon. A cheer goes up [...]
Mark Hix heads to the Tuscan hills to bring home the bacon October 30, 2019 I recently went on my third boar hunt in the hills of Tuscany. The first time was 20-odd years ago, and I only managed to get a single shot off, which went about a foot over its head. It didn’t even flinch, just continued to stare at me, indignant. Since then I’ve taken up game [...]