Videogames simulate everything from bus driving to long haul trucking, but what exactly is the appeal of this esoteric genre of mundane job simulators? April 11, 2016 Some seven miles outside of sleepy Folkestone, a Volvo FH16 Globetrotter thunders along the M20 like an angry metal brick on wheels, the piercing beams of its powerful headlights carving through the darkness like the reaper’s flashing scythe. Its 16 litre, 750 horsepower engine roaring like a hungry princess ready for her next meal. The [...]
Learning how to ski doesn’t have to be a downhill struggle. Why not grab lessons on the slopes of Verbier? April 8, 2016 The Bec Des Rosses, Verbier, holds mythical status in the world of skiing: 3,223m of snow and rock, angled at over 60 degrees; it’s one of the toughest mountains on Earth and hosts the final, deciding race of the Freeride World Tour (FWT) every March. “The FWT and easy access to off-piste skiing means that [...]
From Doctor Who penthouses gothic three-beds, here are the new builds hitting the London property market this week April 7, 2016 Queen’s Wharf, Hammersmith Four penthouses are on sale atop a riverside scheme in Hammersmith. Named Clark, Dixon, Appleby and Thorne after four key figures in the construction of Hammersmith Bridge, the penthouses have three bedrooms and a private roof terrace each. Prices start at £4.2m and they’re due to be finished in 2017. The scheme [...]
I spent the entire day on the sofa using only my smartphone to feed, clean, entertain, wash and supply me. Here is my story. April 7, 2016 There’s never been a better time to have an aversion to effort. Fuelled by a heady mix of collective laziness and a perceived lack of free time, a new breed of smartphone app has rocketed to popularity: the convenience app; the concierge app; the can’t be bothered doing it myself app. All of them developed [...]
The London Coffee Festival is the perfect opportunity to try out some new and boozy coffee cocktails April 7, 2016 From Thursday to Sunday, Brick Lane's Old Truman Brewery will host The London Coffee Festival. This city is awash with coffee fiends, so it's sure to be a popular event. And why not? Coffee may well protect you against loads of diseases, plus we all know caffeine makes you more alert and sociable. It's the [...]
Exhibitionism review: The Saatchi Gallery recreated Mick Jagger’s grotty old flat April 4, 2016 Saatchi Gallery | ★★★★★ A year before they set about irreversibly altering the course of music history globally and forever, The Rolling Stones ate baked beans straight out of the tin in a squalid Chelsea flat like mucky little dirtbags. Their festering hovel at 102 Edith Grove has been meticulously recreated as part of Exhibitionism, [...]
Need a travel companion? Icelandair is offering a free buddy to transatlantic travellers stopping over in Reykjavik April 1, 2016 Iceland has done an incredible job of positioning itself as a Tolkien-esque tourist destination, making sure everyone knows about its vast, elemental landscape – fit for frost giants – and its storied Viking history. But how to get the most out of this varied country? Why not try ice climbing, or knitting or dining on [...]
iPhone SE review: Does Apple’s miniaturised phone live up to the hype or does size really matter? Here’s our day one verdict March 30, 2016 I feel like a giant. I feel like a god. My fingers feel as long and slender as a concert pianist’s. My thumbs reach right to the top corner of my phone screen for the first time in years. I feel alive. Apple today releases the iPhone SE, which looks almost identical to 2013’s diminutive iPhone [...]
M Victoria review: The new restaurant serving up raw kangaroo March 30, 2016 M on Threadneedle Street is a City staple, a thrumming lunchtime emporium comprising two restaurants: the steaky M Grill and and fishy M Raw. Opened last November, M Victoria matches its older twin beat for beat in SW1, presenting with an eerie familiarity bordering on deja vu. This is unmistakably M: from the steak and [...]
Toyota Prius review: the new model is now a serious contender for the budget-conscious driver March 24, 2016 This year I became a Prius convert. Until that point it had always been a car for other people; I found the whole doing-good-for-the-planet thing irritating. And the logic behind the Prius didn’t work either: if you wanted the best fuel economy, simply buy a diesel. That way you get choice too, rather than having [...]
