London Craft Week 2016 kicks off next month – and here’s what to book before tickets run out April 14, 2016 Craft is the new cool. How many craft beers are tickling the taste buds of trendies from New York to New Zealand right now? From craft beer to modern-rustic homes to country-casual hotels, across the globe we have fallen for all things home-made, upcycled, and – the holy grail – bespoke from the maker. And [...]
Property of the Week: the local investor who transformed an old wig factory in Beckenham into a £1.25m house April 14, 2016 On the way home from the pub in Wickham Road, Adam Jude Grant used to walk past a huge decrepit building – one of the oldest in dwellings in Beckenham, south east London – and wonder why it was falling into disrepair. Built in 1777, it sits in the Chancery Lane conservation area and has [...]
She Said review: Dancer Tamara Rojo presents three powerful and engrossing ballets rolled into one stunning performance April 14, 2016 Sadler's Wells | ★★★★★ Tamara Rojo, lead principal dancer and artistic director of the English National Ballet, says in over 20 years of dancing she’s never been in a ballet made by a woman. Here, she sets about redressing the balance, presenting three roughly hour-long, self-contained ballets, all choreographed by women. Thankfully, all three are [...]
Property Entrepreneurs: Jake Willis, co-founder of London Shared, on the changing rental market and moving online April 14, 2016 There’s been lots of talk recently about house sharing as a way for young professionals to afford life in central London. And while the concept’s not new, there are few ways to make it simple. Many renters end up advertising rooms and interviewing potential housemates, feeling the heat as landlords demand full rent from day [...]
The Jungle Book review: An all-star revival of a family classic with a monkey so unfathomably large it will blow your mind April 14, 2016 Dir. Jon Favreau | ★★★★☆ Think about the biggest monkey you’ve ever seen. Now double it. Now make it seven feet taller. Now triple it. Hold on, slow down, are you mad? That monkey’s much too big. But dial it down just a notch or two and you’ll be picturing an ape on par with [...]
Why Build to Rent is the answer to London’s housing shortage April 14, 2016 Every week, City A.M. invites an industry professional to write about an emerging trend in the property market. Build to Rent represents a new way of living at a time when people are struggling with affordability and poor rental accommodation. And it could be the answer to the UK’s housing shortage providing large numbers of [...]
Boy at the Almeida review: a flawed portrait of listlessness and poverty April 14, 2016 Almeida | ★★★☆☆ Boy takes place on a winding conveyor belt, with actors and props spinning before the audience like dishes at an especially dour branch of Yo Sushi. What starts out as a sexual health clinic becomes a bus stop then a housing estate then a park then a street outside a nightclub. Often [...]
Holiday homes on the Costa del Sol are set to rise in the next few years as supply begins to run dry April 14, 2016 The Spanish property market may have been in a slump for the past few years but the bounce back has started. Enquiries are up in Marbella, glittering hang out of reality TV stars and the superyacht set, as well-heeled buyers source a home on the Med. The main hub of activity in this Costa del [...]
Is the V&A’s Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear wunderbra or a load of pants? April 14, 2016 V&A | ★★☆☆☆ After the blockbuster success of David Bowie Is and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, the V&A returns with another exhibition that’s sure to draw in the punters. Because it’s about underwear and includes the word “undressed”. But while the title hints towards something a little salacious, the delivery is an exhaustive, often dry, slightly repetitive [...]
Tate Britain’s Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979 is worthwhile if you’re prepared to work for it April 14, 2016 Tate Britain | ★★★☆☆ When you enter this exhibition, you’ll see a pyramid of oranges stacked up in front of you, giving the gallery a pleasant citrusy aroma. Go over and pick one up – this is allowed – and hold it in your hand for the rest of the time you’re there. You’ll want to [...]