A classy end to a successful season of Michael Grandage December 12, 2013 THEATRE HENRY V Noël Coward theatre | By Xenobe Purvis Four Stars OVER the course of Michael Grandage’s five-play season at the Noel Coward Theatre, the venue has seen star-studded casts perform parts as diverse as spliff-smoking fairies and cross-dressing soldiers. And now it is home to Henry V, which – although offering us nothing [...]
The Bottle Opener: Champagne’s leading man December 12, 2013 The last eponymous head of a champagne house talks about his passion for fizz Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the last eponymous head of a great champagne house, personifies the wine he has spent his life making and selling; full of elegance, charm and effervescence. “I am a singular man. I am an iconoclast. My favourite food is [...]
Rewarding – if you battle through all the way to end December 12, 2013 FILM THE HOBBIT Cert PG | By Melissa York Three Stars THE DESOLATION of Smaug opens in a tavern a year before An Unexpected Journey (the first instalment). It’s here that Gandalf the Grey bumps into Thorin Oakenshield, the would-be king of dwarves, and convinces him to steal the precious Arkenstone from underneath a fire-breathing [...]
Cook: Record breaking feat is worthless if we lose urn December 12, 2013 IT MAY be an honour that places him among the most distinguished cricketers of all time but England captain Alastair Cook insists winning his 100th cap in Perth will be meaningless if he does not keep one hand on the Ashes. Cook, 28, was last night poised to become only the 11th Englishman to amass [...]
Tennis slammed as participation falls despite Wimbledon factor December 12, 2013 FOOTBALL and tennis chiefs have been warned their funding could be cut after both suffered drops in levels of participation. A Sport England survey found football had lost the most participants since April and is now only the fourth most played sport in the country, with 1.84m playing at least 30 minutes a week. Despite [...]
We won’t break bank to keep Yarde, new Exiles owners warn December 12, 2013 LONDON Irish’s new owners have vowed to boost their budget in an attempt to keep in-demand England wing Marland Yarde but warned they will not try to compete with the free-spending French. Interim chairman David Fitzgerald – part of a consortium led by waste management tycoon Mick Crossan that confirmed its takeover yesterday – has [...]
Football Comment: Premier showdown overshadows Euro tests for title rivals December 12, 2013 MISSING out on top spot in their Champions League groups is no disaster for Arsenal and Manchester City, though there’s no doubt they were distracted in Europe by the prospect of tomorrow’s meeting. Ideally the Gunners would have finished first but there’s no shame in losing at Napoli. They achieved their objective of qualifying for [...]
I’m sure West Ham will keep faith with me, says Allardyce December 12, 2013 UNDER-FIRE West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes his job is safe despite an alarming dip in form that has pushed them to the brink of the relegation zone. Four defeats from their last five Premier League games mean the Hammers are just goal difference above 19th place, while all the teams below them have reacted [...]
Europa League: Soldado treble has Villas-Boas eyeing top four December 12, 2013 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 4 VS ANZHI MAKHACHKALA 1 TOTTENHAM boss Andre Villas-Boas last night urged his team to use a confidence-boosting rout of Anzhi Makhachkala as a springboard to return to the Premier League’s top table. Striker Roberto Soldado ended his drought with a first Spurs hat-trick, while midfielder Lewis Holtby scored the pick of the [...]
QPR reveal further details of proposed move to Old Oak December 12, 2013 QPR last night revealed details of their ambitious plan to move from Loftus Road to a new 40,000-seater stadium in nearby Old Oak. The Championship club, whose current ground holds 18,360 and averages just under 17,000 spectators per match this season, hope the new stadium will be part of a major regeneration of Old Oak [...]
