Overcome your inhibitions to get ahead in the rat race October 14, 2013 You’re hard working and highly skilled. What else do you need? Confidence, says Steve Irish To get ahead at work, or to land a dream job somewhere else, there will be a list of skills you need. At this stage, you have a pretty good idea whether you have most of them. If you don’t [...]
Mercedes but not as you know it October 14, 2013 The blisteringly fast A45 AMG is just the car to attract the younger audience the German carmaker craves IN case you hadn’t noticed, Mercedes-Benz has transformed its strange wedge-shaped and conservative little A-Class into one of the most stylish cars around. Gone is the unspeakably dull styling and comfort-focused setup of old. Instead the A-Class [...]
Not convinced? October 14, 2013 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… AUDI S3 PRICE: £32,120 0-62MPH: 4.8 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 159g/km MPG COMBINED: 40.9mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars BMW M135i PRICE: £32,255 0-62MPH: 4.9 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 175g/km MPG COMBINED: 37.7mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four [...]
Glamp it up October 13, 2013 Away from the hustle and bustle of Cowes Week, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight are the perfect destinations for a family break – or something a little wilder SO AFTER a summer of festivals, beach holidays, muddy British weekends and garden play dens, chances are your tent has seen better days. The last thing [...]
Blown away by Dorset October 13, 2013 Head to a hotel on the south coast for wholesome activites, fresh salty air and inexpensive fine dining OF ALL the pastimes that governments enjoy, most involve splashing our cash around, telling us what to do, and chucking in a dose of mild nationalism to make it seem a bit more palatable. Little surprise, then, [...]
Entertaining troublesome toddlers in the New Forest October 13, 2013 A three-year-old and a one-year-old and one of the UK’s top country-house hotels nestled on the edge of the New Forest. What could possibly go wrong? Chewton Glen – just a 20 minute drive from Bournemouth – is highly recommended for a luxury break with children. In fact, boutique travel guide Mr & Mrs Smith [...]
Wikileaks flick struggles to tackle big questions October 13, 2013 FILM THE FIFTH ESTATE Daniel O’Mahony, Cert 15 Three Stars TWO YOUNG idealists defy warnings and threats from the powers-that-be in the relentless pursuit of journalistic truth. Is this film All The President’s Men for the information age? The answer: unfortunately not. This cinematic rendering of Julian Assange’s Wikileaks organisation doesn’t manage to scale the [...]
Lofty characters fail to lift musical’s acrobatic spectacle October 13, 2013 THEATRE THE LIGHT PRINCESS Xenobe Purvis, The National Theatre Three Stars THE NATIONAL Theatre turns to fairy tale in its latest production, The Light Princess, written by songwriter Tori Amos and playwright Samuel Adamson. The musical elaborates on George MacDonald’s story of the same name; this version finds two kingdoms grieving for lost queens, and [...]
Le Weekend of laughter, angst and lingering love in Paris October 13, 2013 FILM LE WEEKEND Daniel O’Mahony, Cert 15 Four Stars IN THIS funny and moving film written by Hanif Kureishi, Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan play a fifty-something couple trying to rejuvenate their ailing marriage on a weekend sojourn to Paris. Kicking off with a fraught Eurostar journey, it’s clear things won’t be that simple. Nostalgia [...]
Knives are out for Rodriguez’s Machete Kills October 13, 2013 FILM MACHETE KILLS Simon Thomson, Cert 15 Three Stars MACHETE KILLS hits you like a shot of tequila. It’s a frantic, stupid, cartoonish mess and that’s what makes it so fun. In this sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s 2009 film Machete, Danny Trejo returns as the former Mexican federale and cleaver-like knife enthusiast, Isador “Machete” Cortez. [...]