Groupon boss in spotlight as IPO halted September 7, 2011 THE SPOTLIGHT has fallen on Groupon boss Andrew Mason as news of the deal website’s postponed float begins to sink in. Its ambitions of achieving a $20bn valuation have been put on indefinite hold, with Mason’s souring relations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) thought to be among the reasons. Tensions have been simmering [...]
theatre HIGHLIGHTS THIS AUTUMN eight of the best September 1, 2011 THE TEMPEST Theatre Royal, Haymarket Ralph Fiennes, soon to be starring in his own film version of Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus, takes on the iconic role of Prospero in this must-see production (see right). It’s the first major London staging of the Bard’s mysterious final play in years, and also happens to offer the prospect of [...]
ONE MAN IN A BOAT FOR SOLO WORLD RECORD BID August 29, 2011 HE HAS already crossed the Tasman Sea and the Atlantic and survived two hurricanes in his attempt to complete one of the last remaining world firsts. Now Olly Hicks of executive search firm Oliver Stanley is counting down the days until his most extreme mission yet: an 18-month journey to become the first person in [...]
Make like Bond with an Aston in the Alps August 21, 2011 AMERICAN novelist Mark Twain wrote that rambling in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland was incomparable to any opiate, legal or otherwise. Imagine the rush, then, to be booming an Aston Martin V8 Vantage S round the picturesque, vertiginous Alpine passes, past crystal-clear glacier lakes and verdant valleys where cow bells jangle for miles. I’ve been let loose [...]
Gunners can notch their first win at the Emirates August 18, 2011 ARSENAL vs LIVERPOOL TOMORROW – 12.45PM SKY SPORTS ARSENE Wenger is one of the most experienced managers in the Premier League, but the last few weeks must still have been pretty testing for him. The sale of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona clearly hurt and with Samir Nasri heading off to Manchester City plus a couple [...]
Puma sprints to record sales July 27, 2011 German sportswear maker Puma chalked up record sales in the second quarter, as consumers across Asia and Latin America stocked up on running shoes with the jumping cat logo. Sportswear has rebounded strongly from the global recession, with the big name brands of Nike, Adidas and Puma all reporting robust demand this year. Puma, whose [...]
BOOKS: CHILDREN’S SUMMER READS July 20, 2011 PICTURE the scene: it’s quiet, the wind is playing with your hair, the birds are tweeting and you’re on your second margarita. This is not you and your partner alone on holiday: no, it’s the whole family sitting in peaceful, engrossed silence devouring your respective books. If this scene appeals, here are some suggestions for [...]
Banks’ bounce aids uptick in the FTSE July 19, 2011 A rally by recently beaten-down banks and commodity issues hauled Britain’s top share index higher yesterday, although many traders doubted whether the gains could hold. “Dead cats are proving pretty elastic … It is most likely that any hedge funds shorting stocks over the [banks] stress tests are back in and buying to cover their [...]
Five brilliant ways to keep kids thrilled this summer July 14, 2011 1 THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA Judith Kerr’s perennially loved children’s book is about a tiger with a giant appetite who turns up at a little girl’s house for tea one day. Adapted for the stage at the Vaudeville theatre, it follows similar hits there such as the Gruffalo and We’re Going on a [...]
REVEALED: THE CITY’S BEHIND-THE-SCENES BOARDROOM LUNCHES July 11, 2011 THE DAYS of conspicuous client entertainment are over, as the City’s fattest cats rein in their largesse in the fallout of the financial crisis. Or are they? Just days after the Bribery Act came into force, The Capitalist hears business is booming for a high-end catering service recreating City restaurants in the boardrooms of investment [...]