Give Tequila another chance October 29, 2012 City A.M.’s resident cocktail expert Tequila has a bad reputation. The mere sniff of the spirit invokes Proustian recollections of nights out that went very bad. Many a youth has been misspent licking salt off the back of a hand, downing a shot of questionable tequila and sucking on a wedge of lime. It’s a [...]
Work up a sweat and prepare for a challenge in this Egyptian paradise October 28, 2012 REMEMBER that week back in August, the one just after the Olympics when it wasn’t dark by 5pm? The Eurozone crisis had gone on its summer holidays and the whole of London — starry eyed with Team GB’s success — was convinced that being an Olympian was the best job ever. I do. Partly because [...]
Skyfall takes Bond to new heights October 25, 2012 FILM SKYFALL Cert 12A | **** AFter deftly eluding MGM’s creditors and safely delivering the Queen to the Olympic opening ceremony, James Bond is out of bankruptcy, off diplomatic protection detail, and back on the big screen for a superbly crafted and confident action thriller. With a dangerously unpredictable enemy bent on vengeance, Sam Mendes’ [...]
Hotel interiors need not be dull and predictable – just ask Kit Kemp October 25, 2012 I want to pique the imagination of even the most jaded businessman,” says Kit Kemp, design director and co-founder of Firmdale Hotels, the group that includes the buzzy Soho, Covent Garden and Charlotte Street Hotels. “If I can do that for a second, then we’ve achieved something.” Pique, she definitely does, with her love of [...]
Marvel at the views from this picturesque country manor October 25, 2012 Morley Old Hall, Norfolk Strutt & Parker Guide price: £2.5m Secluded in 32 acres of Norfolk countryside, this renovated Grade I listed Elizabethan hall greets visitors at the end of a long, tree-lined drive. Stretching over three floors, the hall has an impressive seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, fireplace-accented dining room, and a generous kitchen and [...]
Have all of your needs catered for in this striking dream home October 25, 2012 North Luffenham Hall, Rutland Strutt & Parker Guide price: £3.45m This charming property sits to the south of North Luffenham village and is adjacent to the 13th-century St. John the Baptist Church. Built in 1555 by James Harrington, the house was originally named “The Digby House” after Simon Digby, who acquired it in 1559. Digby [...]
Focus On: Soho October 25, 2012 BEAK STREET, W1F Price: £3.99m This corner four-bedroom semi-detached house is located near Golden Square. It stretches six floors, has three kitchens and a basement, currently used as a bar, which can be put to other use. Contact Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward on www.kfh.co.uk or 020 3280 3541 HAT FACTORY AND BEAVER BUILDING, W1F Price: [...]
Unfazed by viewings? Keen to sell? Keep your house on the market October 25, 2012 DIRECTOR, DOUGLAS & GORDON Q My flat has been for sale for 6 months and I think I should take it off and try again in the New Year. My agent doesn’t agree, who’s right? A Selling your home is stressful. Keeping your things in storage, having to keep your place tidy in case buyers [...]
LONDON BAROMETER October 25, 2012 As a result of on-going mortgage difficulties and lengthening chains, September saw the average times from agreeing a deal to exchange increase to 12 weeks, twice what it was a year ago. With an amazing 30 per cent fewer family houses over the same period, it seems that many are deciding to stay put or, [...]
It’s out with the new, in with the old October 25, 2012 Say goodbye to the slick, shiny interiors that have gripped your imagination for the past few years and get ready to embrace something less severe. A homely aesthetic is the trend to know about this season. If the idea of pieces that have been acquired over time, perhaps a bit on the lived-in side, and [...]