Mix it up: Get off your Spritz on the cocktail of the summer August 6, 2015 The Spritz may have been born by the canals of Venice, but it’s coming of age on the packed terraces of London’s rooftop bars. Ten years ago nobody drank them; now we can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s is one of the simplest cocktails to make. Find the largest glass you can, fill it [...]
Bought a valuable bottle? Storing it correctly is essential August 6, 2015 Where do you store your beloved wine collection? While there are plenty of good storage solutions for the home, they can often be expensive, and not all of us have the luxury of an underground cellar. To ensure you are giving your wines the best chance of a healthy and happy life, there a few [...]
Car review: New McLaren 675LT is fast, furious and everything you could hope for in a supercar August 4, 2015 Those 500 people who took a gamble on signing up for McLaren’s new £259,500 supercar before test-driving it can breathe a sigh of relief: the 675LT is sensational. Sensational to look at, sensational to drive and sensationally fast. But first, a quick lesson on the McLaren stable: there’s the core 650S range, offered as [...]
Not convinced? August 3, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… FERRARI 458 SPECIALE PRICE: £208,100 0-62MPH: 3.0 secs TOP SPEED: 202mph CO2 G/KM: 275g/km MPG COMBINED: 24.0mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Two Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Two Stars LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP 700-4 PRICE: £264,015 0-62MPH: 2.9 secs TOP SPEED: 2.17mph CO2 G/KM: 370g/km MPG COMBINED: 17.7mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three [...]
Sailing lessons in Croatia: Gaining a qualification with the kids in tow – what could possibly go wrong? Surprisingly little August 3, 2015 Regardless of your views about EU regulation, surely even Mr. Farage himself wouldn’t think it unreasonable to demand proof of a basic sailing licence before being able to charter a 15 tonne yacht? Until recently it was possible to turn up and hire a £500,000 yacht with your only qualification being a Breton top. No [...]
Film review: Beyond the Reach July 31, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★☆☆☆ Michael Douglas’ career renaissance continues, this time as an ill-intentioned businessman on a hunting trip in the Mojave desert. When the accidental killing of an old man puts his career in jeopardy, he sets sights on his young tracker (Jeremy Irvine). The tension steadily builds during the first 30 minutes. Once [...]
Film review: Hot Pursuit is predictable but charming July 31, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★★☆☆ Dirty cops, drug cartels and killer stilettos – Hot Pursuit doesn’t deal in subtlety and that’s fine. It’s not edgy, smart or even particularly original but it is redeemed by the comic chemistry between Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. Set in Texas, Witherspoon plays uptight and rules-obsessed police officer Cooper. After [...]
Theatre review: Three Days in the Country July 31, 2015 Lyttelton Theatre | ★★★☆☆ If Three Days in the Country was written by Chekhov, the whole cast would have killed themselves by the second day and there’d just be a creaking door on the third day, swinging open and shut to the distant cry of seagulls. Happily, it’s written by one of his contemporaries, Tergenev, [...]
Sinatra: The Man & His Music – theatre review July 31, 2015 London Palladium | ★★☆☆☆ Sinatra: The Man & His Music is the hideous offspring of a multimedia museum “experience” and Strictly Come Dancing. Attempts to cash in on the great crooner were almost inevitable in his centenary year, but this lazily-executed act of technological necromancy could appeal only to the least critical of fans. Sinatra’s [...]
Film review: Is Rogue Nation the best Mission Impossible film yet? July 31, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★★★☆ Four years after the success of Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise returns for a fifth outing as agent Ethan Hunt. With the IMF closed down and his own government on his tail, he must race across the globe to try and uncover The Syndicate, a network of former international operatives led [...]