From pigeons to Paltrow: How to transform a wreck into a gem August 14, 2014 When Anita Grossman saw her dream house for the first time, it was occupied by a family of pigeons. Her builder husband was fond of buying “fixer uppers”, but Grossman quickly realised that this house would need a total transformation before it could be a family home. “When we found it, the house hadn’t [...]
Top five tips for buying property at auction for beginners August 14, 2014 There’s more than one way to buy a property, but a significant proportion of buyers still favour making a trip to the estate agent or, increasingly, searching online to find their next home. For years, savvy property investors have found bargains in auction houses, where a vast range of buildings, from period houses in need [...]
Film Review: Hector and the Search for Happiness August 14, 2014 You’d think a psychiatrist would understand why people are unhappy. As it happens, Hector (played by ubiquitous everyman Simon Pegg) doesn’t even know why he’s unhappy. He lives a seemingly comfortable life with his beautiful and successful (but stubbornly childless, we’re reminded) girlfriend Clara in London. But he feels like a fraud imparting worldly advice [...]
The best places in London to gorge on grouse August 12, 2014 Boisdale Boisdale (Canary Wharf, Bishopsgate and Belgravia) will be serving a young roasted Berwickshire grouse from tonight. From 18 August you can get the bird with game chips, and a 175ml glass of Pinot Noir for £26.50. Visit boisdale.co.uk and quote “Grouse Offer”. The Jugged Hare Traditional City eatery The Jugged Hare is kicking [...]
The Weekend Starts Here: Richard Bernstein, Orbit Lates and more August 8, 2014 Art: Richard Bernstein at The Mayor Gallery Pop art creator Andy Warhol famously predicted that everyone would experience 15 minutes of fame. But Richard Bernstein, an artist and illustrator who partied with the Studio 54 set, immortalised the rising stars of the 70s and 80s forever on the cover of Warhol’s Interview magazine. The [...]
Film Review: Lilting August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ Mass migration is one of the epic stories of our time, but Lilting finds a smaller tale hidden among the great shifting of cultures. It’s primarily about integration; two parents move from China to the UK with their young son so he can “have a better life”. Thirty years on, the boy, Kai, has [...]
Dish of the Day: Salt Yard’s Ben Tish on the perfect strawberries and cream August 6, 2014 There’s nothing like the sight and scent of perfectly ripe, red strawberries to get summer spirits soaring. My take on the quintessentially English classic of strawberries and cream is quick and easy to prepare, making it a great choice of pudding for a spontaneous barbecue or al fresco lunch. Macerated simply means you’re throwing it [...]
Film review: A Promise July 31, 2014 ★★☆☆☆ Director Patrice Leconte’s A Promise is an implausible, often ridiculous period drama revolving around a predictably doomed love affair. Richard Madden stars as brooding Friedrich, an ambitious clerk in a steelworks in early 20th century Germany. He catches the eye of the boss Herr Hoffmeister, played by an austere Alan Rickman, who recruits Friedrich [...]
What your business card says about you July 29, 2014 A man pats his slicked back hair as he slides his business card across the table to his colleagues. It’s off-white and the words “Patrick Bateman, Vice President” are embossed on it in a finely etched black font. “Picked ‘em up from the printers yesterday. That’s bone. And the lettering is something called Silian Grail,” [...]
The New York power breakfast: A world of billion-dollar deals and $23 bowls of cereal July 29, 2014 Every morning, Leigh Wynn, the maitre d’ of the most expensive and exclusive breakfast spot in New York, wakes up at 4.30am. From 7am to 10am, her job is to find a table for some of the biggest and most demanding names in business, media and politics, and personally cater to their every whim, while [...]
