Lethal Torres has Liverpool firing again March 28, 2010 LIVERPOOL (3) vs SUNDERLAND (0) LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez revelled in a vindication of his tactics after seeing his team reignite their charge for a Champions League spot with a devastating attacking display. Striker Fernando Torres, whose return to fitness could yet prove a major factor in deciding who finishes in the much-coveted fourth place, [...]
Perkins sees a boost in its DIY branch December 17, 2009 RETAIL group Travis Perkins gave a glimmer of hope to retailers yesterday, as it reported a steady improvement in its DIY arm Wickes. Perkins, which also owns chains Tile Giant and Toolstation, added that it was seeing positive moods in the builders’ merchant market. The group said earnings for the full year would be towards [...]
Camp Carrey in strange but true romance March 18, 2010 Film I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS Cert: 18 Jim Carrey has never played it weirder than in this so-strange-it-must-be-true (and it is) story of a conman who became one of the most persistent escape artists in the American penal system, all for the love of another man. Written and directed by the creators of 2003’s [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS February 11, 2010 HSBC The bank has appointed Chris Barrow as global head of sales for its recently-launched HSBC Prime Services business, targeted at hedge funds and institutional fund managers across Europe and Asia. Barrow joins from Nomura, where he was international head of sales for prime services, and has also worked as head of sales and marketing [...]
OUT OF OFFICE October 27, 2009 MOTHERLAND Having swept the awards at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Motherland, a play recounting the true stories of women affected by the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, is currently enjoying a three week run in London. The cast of four women play 16 different characters – mothers, daughters, wives and lovers of soldiers sent off [...]
Four by phwoar January 12, 2010 I’VE just returned from a stint on the East Coast of the USA where I thought we had done quite well with snow. The thing is, it’s no surprise when it arrives over there. “Snow days” tend to close schools, but people are out shovelling immediately, protecting themselves from any litigious opportunists. Snowploughs are put [...]
Fairly normal horror flick is no Blair Witch November 26, 2009 FilmPARANORMAL ACTIVITYCert:15 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY has caused quite a hullabaloo in the States where it has taken $150m, having been made for just $15,000. It follows the now-familiar blueprint established by the Blair Witch Project: characters film themselves, scary goings on are subtly suggested, and an online viral marketing campaign – including clips that suggest this [...]
Travis Perkins remains cautious about next year as says no signs of recovery September 30, 2009 BUILDERS’ merchant and home improvements group Travis Perkins yesterday said group nine-month turnover fell 11 per cent, as volumes showed no sustained improvement and pricing pressure persisted. However, the group, which has branches across the UK under Travis Perkins, Wickes and other brands, said trading for the past three months was ahead of its expectations. [...]
A not so fantastic version of Roald Dahl’s kids’ classic October 22, 2009 FilmFANTASTIC MR FOXCert: PG NOW that it’s pretty much de rigeur for animated kids’ films to be 3-D, computer-generated spectaculars, a Roald Dahl adaptation made with traditional stop-motion photography seems so quaint as to be genuinely original. It may take some getting used to, but the careful characterisation of the animal heroes here and lovely [...]
Cesc leads rout and insists: ‘I’m staying’ October 4, 2009 ARSENAL captain Cesc Fabregas inspired his side to a comeback rout and then hit out at rumours he is ready to quit the trophy-shy Gunners. Fabregas scored one and set up four other goals, teeing up strikes for Thomas Vermaelen, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and substitute Theo Walcott. Nicklas Bedntner marked Arsene Wenger’s 13th [...]