Idris Elba sparks Bond speculation with string of cryptic tweets August 12, 2018 British film star Idris Elba has set the internet alight with rumour, following a string of cryptic tweets that hinted he was set to become the first non-white actor cast as James Bond. Elba, star of Luther and Beasts of No Nation, tweeted the message ‘my name’s Elba, Idris Elba’ early on Sunday morning, a [...]
Fitness challenge: four years on – The new fitness techniques that helped turn our Life&Style editor into a gym bro August 8, 2018 Four years ago I wrote an article about getting fit. For 10 weeks I went to the gym a lot, gave up booze, ate well, and got a hearty spray tan. I looked pretty good, in a ‘didn’t-quite-make-it-to-the-final-round-of-applicants-for-Love-Island’ kind of way. People still ask about it. For a while the story would appear on the [...]
How one charity is reclaiming the dreams of children August 6, 2018 Since players of People’s Postcode Lottery started supporting War Child in 2013 and helping us realise our vision for a world where no child’s life is torn apart by war, we have more than doubled the number of children we are supporting—from 62,236 to 144,400—whilst maintaining high-quality services to respond effectively to children’s needs. We’ve [...]
Lies at the Almeida review: A thrilling exploration of the psychology behind the 2008 financial crash August 3, 2018 Sitting through a play called Lies (or £¥€$, if the Anglicised version isn’t on-the-nose enough for you) about the excesses of the banking system sounds like the last way a City A.M. reader would want to spend an evening. But this production by Belgian company Ontroerend Goed, part psychological experiment, part multi-faceted board-game, is [...]
King Lear review: Ian McKellen is a master at work in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy at the Duke of York’s theatre July 27, 2018 Sir Ian McKellen, titan of the thesps, returns to where it all started, the tiny but elegant Duke of York’s theatre where he made his West End debut in 1964. And that isn’t the only detail that makes this performance of King Lear feel like a victory lap of sorts. For many, McKellen is the [...]
Mission Impossible: Fallout review: The stupidly fun sequel takes the franchise to brilliant new heights July 26, 2018 Whatever Scientology-grade embalming fluid they’re submerging Tom Cruise in every evening, it’s doing the trick. In the sixth and best entry in the Mission Impossible franchise, Hollywood’s most successful stuntman once again defies his advancing years, charging headlong into some of the series’ most beautifully constructed and brilliant set pieces yet. Cruise hurls himself [...]
Unrestricted funding for charities? It can be done and we are doing it July 25, 2018 So far £382 million has been raised through support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery for thousands of charities across Great Britain and internationally. Much of the funding from People’s Postcode Lottery is… Unrestricted. Flexible. Long term. It is this unique recipe which has been at the core of the funding relationship between People’s [...]
Why loneliness is something that we need to tackle together July 25, 2018 For those of us lucky enough to have busy, stimulating social lives – it’s hard to imagine that feeling isolated or lonely will affect many of us at some stage. But what do we mean by loneliness? The textbook definition of loneliness is a hollow despair that damages our confidence, mental and physical health. Due [...]
Charity Lottery reform a win-win whatever sport you support! July 25, 2018 This summer the world has been glued to football but back in May I joined the then Culture Secretary Matt Hancock MP, for the launch of Street League Rugby at Coram’s Fields in North London. The event took me back to my days as a not particularly good second row in my school team. Although [...]
Do you want to breathe in cleaner air? London has the worst air quality of any city in the UK July 25, 2018 Socially-minded community bond offer set to raise over £16 million to green Londoners’ commutes and tackle air quality. Over the past few years, Transport for London’s Overground network has been subject to a city-wide greening mission. All thanks to the Energy Garden project. The partnership initiative with Repowering London, The London Overground and Transport for [...]