Why it’s time to end the scourge of the service charge November 24, 2021 Ask five people about service charge – that innocent looking ‘discretionary’ or ‘optional’ 12.5 per cent right at the bottom of your bill – and you’ll get five different answers. It’s an archaic, often clandestine system and I’m glad to have scraped it at our restaurant Oklava. Here’s why. Service charge never sat right with [...]
William Wolfe’s Guide to Living Excellently in London – an extract from this amazing new book November 24, 2021 This new book by the fictional William Wolfe is a who’s who of the London luxury scene – here are some of his top tips: In the 1960s a gentleman couldn’t possibly exist without Sir Francis Chichester’s Guide to Good Living in London. It was a pocket-sized map of the West End and the City, [...]
International rugby players will soon be allowed to switch allegiances, World Rugby says November 24, 2021 From the beginning of next year, rugby players will be allowed to adopt a second international side – assuming they’ve given up playing for the first. Players will only be able to make the transfer once, and will need to stand-down from their first country for three years before they become available for the second [...]
Victory for Roman Abramovich as judge rules claim he bought Chelsea FC after order from Putin is defamatory November 24, 2021 The High Court has ruled that claims that Roman Abramovich acquired Chelsea FC on Vladimir Putin’s orders in order to gain influence in the West are defamatory. The 55-year-old billionaire is suing journalist Catherine Belton over her best-selling book Putin’s People: How The KGB Took Back Russia And Then Took On The West, which was [...]
Peng Shuai: What we know, the IOC and the Olympic Games November 24, 2021 The curious case of Peng Shuai gets curiouser and curiouser as the days roll by. From initial allegations, to a prolonged period away from public view, to a court-side appearance, to a video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach. It’s almost unbelievable. The timeline began on 2 November, when Peng accused a [...]
Retired professional rugby players more likely to be depressed, anxious and irritable November 24, 2021 A new study has found that retired professional rugby players were more likely to be depressed, anxious and irritable compared to amateur players or non-contact athletes. The former top players who took part in the study had suffered more concussions on the pitch than those in the other groups, and the researchers believe this could [...]
Rugby in review: England’s year dissected November 24, 2021 Former Sale Sharks winger and 55-cap England back Mark Cueto, and City A.M.’s Matt Hardy, dissect Eddie Jones’ side across 2021. It’s been an extraordinary year for rugby. Initially empty stadiums, new found stars and the development of world class squads. For England though, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. So just how has this [...]
As companies want to bond post-Covid, corporate ski breaks are a growth area November 23, 2021 While the tired old cliche of corporate teambuilding weekends might be orienteering in Hampshire or perhaps a spot of paintballing somewhere outside of Milton Keynes, the reality can be reassuringly different. Award-winning travel specialist Leo Trippi organises ski breaks for corporate groups, from small groups of executives to entire workforces. We caught up with CEO [...]
The World Cup countdown to Qatar is on: one year to go November 23, 2021 “It’s actually 363 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes to go,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino yesterday as he began his monologue of praise towards next year’s World Cup hosts Qatar. “One year before kick off, all venues are ready. Some other host countries, many years after the event has taken place, have stadiums that [...]
Sophie Nelson: An ATP and WTA merger could be a true sporting force November 23, 2021 Rumours of a merger in the world of tennis between the ATP, which runs the elite men’s tour, and WTA, its women’s counterpart, are long-running. The pandemic amplified calls to unite the two organisations after the sporting calendar was disrupted and revenues impacted. A more unified system for the game could reap commercial benefits in [...]