Wimbledon: Majestic Federer to cast his SW19 spell once more June 25, 2015 Wimbledon begins on Monday and it’s always a challenge to tip winners, especially before the crucial draw is made today. The recent French Open was a perfect example of the importance of being on the right side of the draw. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray met in the semi-final and the five-set battle [...]
Wimbledon: Classy Petra Kvitova can repeat last year’s triumph June 25, 2015 Last year’s women’s singles was a strange tournament with only three of the top 10 seeds reaching the quarter-final stage. Compare that with the men’s where four of the top five made the last eight. Serena Williams fell to Alize Cornet of France in the third round, even though she breezed through the first [...]
Maximum excitement on Wimbledon June 25, 2015 Wimbledon gets underway on Monday and the fortnight at SW19 is always a fantastic occasion. Sporting Index will be offering a plethora of markets to make the action even more exciting. The draw takes place today so most of the markets aren’t live yet. They will be later on this afternoon and you will [...]
The Barbican: A new book celebrates one of London’s greatest landmarks June 25, 2015 Light and shadow on a clear day at the Barbican. Photograph by Alan Ainsworth Elegant expression of post-war utopianism, or concrete carbuncle in the heart of the City? Whatever you think of the Barbican, it’s impossible to deny its impact. The Grade II-Listed building, developed exclusively from designs by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, was [...]
Return of an icon: Audrey Hepburn is the subject of a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery June 25, 2015 Audrey Hepburn by Philippe Halsman for LIFE Magazine, 1954 Say Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) and the first thing most people think of is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In the film’s poster she leans forward, hair fastened with a diamond clip (a wisp of fringe escapes), her gloved hands balancing a cigarette-holder between thumb and forefinger. [...]
Beautiful things: G-Star chairs, summer igloos and self-playing Steinway pianos June 25, 2015 This ultra-utilitarian collection of desks, chairs and lamps is the result of a partnership between Vitra and denim brand G-Star Fashion brand G-Star Raw has formed an unlikely partnership with iconic furniture- maker Vitra to create a stunning range of industrial office equipment. The Prouvé Raw crossover collection revives a line of utilitarian [...]
At your service: Meet the concierges who run the lives of London’s elite homeowners June 25, 2015 The humble bowler-hatted doorman was once a tell-tale sign of a prestigious London address. But he’s quickly being replaced by a tenacious new breed of concierge. The industry travels with the global super-rich, arriving at whichever city blossoms into the darling of the international property market. Multilingual, persistent and well-connected, London’s hard-working concierges are on [...]
Communities in the sky: Architects are embracing a very capitalist utopian dream June 25, 2015 Architects are returning to the utopian idea of housing projects as selfcontained communities where residents are able to interact in social spaces. Only this time it’s a very capitalist dream Here’s how most of us choose our homes: we pick an area we can afford, perhaps somewhere with a good school for the kids, [...]
Hartfield House: This architectural wonder is the ultimate blend of country bliss and avant-garde design June 25, 2015 When a city-dweller dreams of leaving the rat race for the country, certain stock images appear. Most likely there will be fields of golden rapeseed, sheep bleating on hillsides and church spires reaching into an overcast sky. But deep into an ancient forest in East Sussex, you’ll find a light-filled construction of glass and sandstone [...]
Scandi luxe: Norway’s buoyant market rewards those with the patience to track down a plot of land and build their dream home June 25, 2015 So hot is Oslo’s property market, the city’s lucky estate agents are behaving like auctioneers, requesting immediate bids after open house viewings. With houses so hard to come by, one alternative is to find a plot of land and build your own – a solution chosen by the owners of the recently completed Villa Melkeveien. [...]