Film review: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part I November 20, 2014 Cert 12a | ★★★☆☆ So what happens now The Hunger Games are over? The previous two instalments of the franchise revolved around these Battle Royale-style tournaments, in which two “tributes” from each district of dystopia Panem fought to the death in a grisly reality TV show devised by a fascist regime as a pretty [...]
Something for the weekend November 20, 2014 For a festive treat: winter wonderland Ice rink? Check. Fun fair? Check. 200 fairy-lit Bavarian wooden chalets? Check. Winter Wonderland, London’s most extravagantly christmassy spectacle, returns to Hyde Park today. Open every day from 10am-10pm. For a Christmas ride: Tally ho! cycle tour Tally Ho! have organised a cycle ride around all London’s best Christmas [...]
Christmas in London: Start planning your festive season November 20, 2014 As usual, London will be buzzing over the Christmas period. Here’s our selection of the best seasonal activities Swedish Christmas at Fika Head to Brick Lane for a Christmas dinner with a Scandinavian difference. Swedish bar and kitchen Fika is offering a traditional Scandi Christmas dinner from 1-23 December. The small, independent restaurant [...]
Graciano: An obscure but memorable wine from Rioja and Navarra November 18, 2014 It’s not often I come across a completely new wine these days. But that’s what happened when I was wandering through the vineyards of Rioja a few weeks ago at harvest time. Intriguingly, it is a wine made from a grape variety that has been around for more than a century. The grape varietal [...]
Car review: Kia goes electric with the Soul EV November 17, 2014 The cute and nimble Soul EV is a confident entry into unknown territory for the South Korean carmaker. Ferrari likes to limit the number of cars it makes to retain exclusivity and encourage strong resale values. In contrast, mainstream car brands want to sell as many vehicles as they physically can (it doesn’t [...]
Winter running essentials: The best gear for cold weather runs from trainers and gloves to iPhone armbands November 17, 2014 Running in the colder months is great fun, just pick up the right gear. KHOMO iPHONE 6 ARMBAND Nobody runs without listening to a playlist on their iPhone these days. This one from Khomo is iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ready, and features a touch-responsive plastic sheath so your precious phone won’t croak when you’re [...]
Fitness diary November 17, 2014 It’s almost six months since I finished a 10-week intensive fitness programme. Before I started I wasn’t exactly over-weight – although I was filling-out around the midriff – but I was certainly out of shape. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been to the gym in the preceding 15 years [...]
Park Hyatt New York: First major NYC hotel in over 10 years November 16, 2014 It takes big bucks to open a new luxury hotel in Manhattan – and even bigger cojones. Clearly, the idea has not been tempting for some time. New York’s last mega-launch was the Mandarin Oriental in 2003. Eleven years and one recession later, confidence has finally returned to the Big Apple – and, [...]
Center Parcs Woburn Forest: For a weekend getaway with the kids, you can’t beat this November 16, 2014 It is 9.30am on a Saturday and the whole family is wobbling through a woodland assault course 25ft feet above ground, hooked into harnesses in case our schoolyard adventure playground skills fail us. Unexpectedly, my husband, who thinks nothing of hopping on sky-high ski lifts, says he is scared of heights, and threatens [...]
48 hours in… Bath November 16, 2014 WHERE TO STAY Savour premium whiskies in the hidden terrace gardens of the Queensberry Hotel, which is set in a quartet of historic Georgian townhouses. It’s only a short stroll from the city centre and the food is great too; thequeensberry.co.uk WHERE TO GO When in Bath, do as the Bathonians do, which obviously involves [...]