Vaping bars, e-commerce hubs and charity shops on the rise in the Great British high street as pawnbrokers, video libraries and clothing shops decline March 16, 2015 Our online shopping habits – and the rise of e-smoking – are changing the face of the Great British high street. In the last year, huge numbers of mobile phone shops, pawnbroker and cheque cashing businesses, clothes stores, travel agents and recruitment agencies have closed down up and down the country. In their place vaping [...]
From BHS and John Lewis to TSB and the Apple Watch: What got us talking this week? March 13, 2015 Jeremy Clarkson punched a man over a steak. Blurred Lines went from being the song with questionable gender politics to being a Marvin Gaye rip-off. And somewhere above our heads, a pilot got bored and drew rude pictures using GPS flight data. Here is what got us talking at City A.M. 1. After 15 [...]
Red Nose Day 2015: Quentin Blake, Axel Scheffler and Morph from Hartbeat: Just some of the things you can buy in today’s Comic Relief art auction March 13, 2015 Comic Relief is auctioning off artworks by some of the UK's best known illustrators including The Gruffalo's Axel Scheffler and Sir Quentin Blake. The auction – taking place on eBay today – includes original drawings by cartoonists Gerald Scarfe and Matt Pritchett, children's author Neil Gaiman, card artists Edward Monkton and Rupert Fawcett, portraitist Lorna [...]
Quindell’s share price drops after issuing more equity as it buys out Navseeker following legal dispute March 13, 2015 Quindell's share price nudged down today after issuing almost 850,000 shares as it moves to fully buy Navseeker, following a legal wrangle with the company. Last week the insurance outsourcer settled a US litigation in which it was claimed that Quindell, its subsidiary Himex and individuals Hassan Sadiq, Ismail Essack and Michael McFall had [...]
Here’s why you shouldn’t worry about it being Friday 13th March 13, 2015 Today is Friday 13th, the second of three occurrences of the day that cultures the world over love to hate. The superstition apparently dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was believed that Christ was crucified on a Friday 13th. There's a book in which an unscrupulous stockbroker takes advantage of paraskevidekatriaphobia to [...]
St Patrick’s Day 2015: From Greenwich Dance’s Ceili and The Shard’s silent disco to the St Patrick’s Day parade, here are the best things to do this weekend March 12, 2015 It's that time of year when your liver either cries and begs you to stay in for the night, or rubs its hands with glee at the thought of getting some of the black stuff. Whether you hate the crowds of drunks staggering around in oversized hats, or indeed are one of those said staggerers, [...]
Here is everything we know about BHS’ new owner Retail Acquisitions, and what it is planning for the department store March 12, 2015 After 15 years of being part of Sir Philip Green's retail empire, the downmarket department store BHS has been sold. The name of the new owners is Retail Acquisitions, but other than that, not much is known about the company that is planning to steer this 90-year-old institution back to growth. Here is what we [...]
MPs are calling for a single new spy law to replace “piecemeal” legislation governing UK’s intelligence agencies March 12, 2015 The Intelligence and Security Committee of MPs is calling for a new law to replace current “piecemeal” legislation governing how the UK's intelligence agencies spy on its citizens. The committee's 140-page review, which was published this morning, argues that while agencies “do not seek to circumvent the law” the current status quo is “unnecessarily complicated [...]
Here are the eight new 20mph zones that Transport for London is introducing this year March 12, 2015 London is about to get eight new 20mph zones as Transport for London attempts to cut road casualties by 40 per cent in the next five years. The first confirmed location will be Commercial Street in Tower Hamlets, with the limit coming into force in April. The pilot will run for 18 months and will [...]
Nightcrawlers: Transport for London launches Free the Night photography exhibition to celebrate 24-hour Tube services March 12, 2015 Transport for London is almost as excited about the Tube going 24-hours as we are. Ahead of the launch – which is still six months away – TfL has put on a photography exhibition at Westminster station that celebrates London's nightlife. Delivered in partnership with Annin Arts Gallery, the exhibition features 24 large [...]
