Our resident chef Mark Hix on why we should make the most of our British plums September 6, 2016 I'm a bit fed up with seeing rock hard, imported plums on sale in supermarkets. What’s the point? They sit in the fruit bowl taking ages to ripen, then they go off after a few days. What’s wrong with our home grown plums? We grow plenty of varieties here, from the well-known Victoria to the [...]
Levison Wood: The real-life Indiana Jones tells us his travel reading list September 6, 2016 British explorer Levison Wood has walked the length of the Nile, the world’s longest river, journeyed along the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range; and this year he embarks on an ambitious new project to the Americas. He has two best-selling books, two hit TV series and several acclaimed photography exhibitions under his belt. Along [...]
The Maserati GranTurismo isn’t without its problems, but learn how to treat it and this Italian beast is one hell of a drive September 6, 2016 I got a few weird looks unloading my soiled wellies from the back of a Maserati as I checked into Monaco’s Hermitage Hotel. Where on earth had I been, the valet must have thought. Some 48 hours earlier I was ankle deep in what Uncle Monty would have described as “beastly mud and oomska” at [...]
My Inspiration: How a childhood Judge Dredd geek bought the rights to the character September 6, 2016 Jason Kingsley OBE on Judge Dredd: How a publisher and games developer came to own the character that inspired him as a child Back in 1977 I bought the very first issue of 2000AD, a comic book in which the only part Judge Dredd ap- pears is in a brief teaser for the second issue. Dredd’s [...]
My Inspiration: Architect Richard Found on his love of painter Barry Reigate September 6, 2016 Award-winning architect Richard Found talks about his unlikely love affair with the chaos and colour in the paintings of Barry Reigate This painting is by an artist called Barry Reigate, whose work could be described as a cross between Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. A lot of his material is black and white but this one [...]
Captain Fantastic review: Viggo Mortensen road-trip movie can’t rescue depressingly cliched indie effort September 6, 2016 Captain Fantastic hints at a fresh take on the American indie movie, but lapses disappointingly into a series of cliched genre tropes dressed up with pretty lens flare. We meet the Cash family – father Ben and his six children aged from eight to 18 – as they stalk a deer through lush woodland, killing [...]
As more and more airlines launch new routes to Iran, this increasingly open country is fast becoming a popular tourist destination September 2, 2016 T he Islamic Republic of Iran is a destination rarely found near the top of travellers’ bucket lists. It is, after all, ruled over by a strict theocracy, one in which police patrol shopping malls to enforce a mandatory dress code, and social media continues to be blocked across the country. Yet in the cities, [...]
Heading to Dublin? Here’s how to get the most out of your trip September 2, 2016 As an Irishman living in London, it’s vitally important to maintain links with the motherland by annually submerging myself in the grand culture of my people, before returning to London fresh and thrumming with renewed Celtic energy. Today, I will share with you my meticulously curated itinerary. How to get there: Fly Aer Lingus, of course. [...]
Supermarket chic: Sainsbury’s to launch new premium fashion brand September 2, 2016 Hobbs, LK Bennett and Whistles could be feeling nervous this weekend – as Sainsbury's prepares to launch its new range of women's clothing early next week. The supermarket group named those three high-end brands in particular as it threw down the gauntlet in the battle to win more customers with its new collection. "The quality and styling [...]
Sausage Party review: Knob-gags abound in Seth Rogen’s family unfriendly animated film September 2, 2016 The term ‘animated comedy’ generally comes with the assumption that it’s also family friendly. However, the team behind The Interview are back to lampoon Pixar et al in Sausage Party, imagining a world where items of food come to life (a la Toy Story) and believe they go to The Great Beyond once they are [...]