Four great experiences for the true aficionado December 8, 2010 l You can’t beat a day of pampering for unwinding after the Christmas rush. Any chap looking to really indulge a lady should look to the spa at the plush Sofitel St James’s Hotel, whose ultimate package includes a crystal necklace from renowned French glassware company Baccarat. For pampering, you get the Zenith Signature treatment, [...]
Interiors December 8, 2010 If hitting the shops doesn’t appeal, you can find a world of exciting goodies online. Portero.com is a luxury auction site for accessories where all items are certified and quality checked – it’s like Ebay with insurance, so you can pick up a Birkin in mint condition. For less designer and more organic, etsy.com has [...]
Gifts for her December 8, 2010 1. Arty bracelet (understatement of the century), Yves Saint Laurent, £435, www.selfridges.co.uk 2. Chrysler bag, Carolina Herrera, £385, CH Carolina Herrera, Mount Street, Mayfair 3. Home rose cushion, Missoni, £185, www.selfridges.co.uk 4. Fur hood hat, £240, Rous Iland, www.rousiland.com 5. Swarovski 1.2L amphora encrusted Bond No 9 bottle with 16,500 hand applied crystals, and hand-filled with [...]
MPC poised to hold rates at 0.5 per cent December 8, 2010 INTEREST rates are expected to stay at 0.5 per cent today, after the Bank of England’s rate setting committee meet for the final time this year. A split has emerged in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in recent months, with “hawk” Andrew Sentance pushing the case for a rate rise and “dove” Adam Posen arguing [...]
Great gadget gifts December 8, 2010 SENNHEISER PXC HEADPHONES 450 The brilliance of these cans is not just the sound quality (though as you’d expect from Sennheiser, that’s excellent) but the button you flick to cut out exterior ambient noise to an uncanny degree. £349, www.sennheiser.co.uk KINECT FOR XBOX 360 The one thing that could give the iPad a serious run [...]
Factory managers expect order growth to continue in new year December 8, 2010 MANUFACTURING’S boom will continue well into the new year, a survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed yesterday. Orders to manufacturers have hit a 30-month high, convincing managers that the upturn is here to stay. The CBI survey’s total order book balance unexpectedly jumped this month to -3 from -15 in November, well [...]
Tablets are this year’s turn-on for gadget lovers December 8, 2010 TECH TALK The must-have present this year is a tablet. If you can’t afford an iPad an Android is arguably much better value. Are tablets sexy? I suppose they are if you can watch certain movies. But which blue tablets are the best? The Binatone HomeSurf 8 Touch Tablet is an eight incher. The similarities [...]
Kesa profit is up but Comet falling behind December 8, 2010 ELECTRICALS group Kesa yesterday reported a 52 per cent rise in profit – helped by sales of televisions for the World Cup in the summer. But losses at its UK arm Comet increased to £5.4m from £1.5m, as the bill for store revamps and tough trading conditions took their toll. The company said it would [...]
AG Barr to hit target for year December 8, 2010 SOFT drinks group AG Barr said third-quarter revenue grew 6.4 per cent and the firm would meet its full-year plans despite stiff competition. The company, best known for its bright orange Irn-Bru drink, said yesterday general economic conditions continued to be tough with the price of raw materials increasing. “However, we expect to continue to [...]
The games that ruled the roost in 2010 December 8, 2010 RED DEAD REDEMPTION (PS3, X360) £29.99 What was merely potential in gritty Wild West game Red Dead Revolver became reality in this blistering follow up, in which former outlaw John Marston tracks down his former compadres. The technical brilliance of the gunplay is more than matched by the beautiful scenery and oppressively tough, dusty atmosphere. [...]
