Why Ed Balls is a flawed economist January 20, 2011 LIKE the cat who got hold of the cream, Ed Balls, the new shadow chancellor, could hardly conceal his delight yesterday. But in addition to being the culmination of a colourful tale of personal intrigue, Alan Johnson’s shock resignation will have an electric effect on Westminster. Out goes an amiable, reasonable but incompetent and innumerate [...]
The rotten luck of the Irish January 13, 2011 RUGBY UNION LONDON IRISH forward Nick Kennedy insists spirit in the camp is as healthy as it’s ever been despite a run of 10 consecutive defeats. That miserable sequence of results stretches back to the beginning of November, before when the Exiles had won six of their previous seven matches and put themselves in healthy [...]
Your car, sir January 11, 2011 HAVING a baby has turned me into a chauffeur. As my wife embeds in the back in a pre-emptive strike against impending infant in-car seat boredom meltdowns, I invariably sit alone in the front like a sort of North London Jeeves, taking radio station requests and having to grudgingly take sole responsibility for figuring out [...]
Four of the best resorts for a wild and wicked break January 3, 2011 BEST FOR CRAZY PEOPLE REVELSTOKE, CANADA WANT to go somewhere genuinely new and yet nonetheless outrageously awesome? Try Revelstoke. Deep in the Canadian Selkirks, this remarkable resort only opened in Winter 2007. It is still, partially, a work in progress, but when it’s complete, it will be North America’s largest ski area, with a colossal [...]
A family theatre bonanza December 2, 2010 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, NATIONAL THEATRE A new version of the fairytale classic by Lucy Kirkwood, incorporating music, magic and puppets. The director is Katie Mitchell, who was behind last year’s enthralling Cat in a Hat. Until 4 Jan. Tickets from £10 from www.nationaltheatre.org.uk MY DAD’S A BIRDMAN, THE YOUNG VIC David Almond has adapted [...]
United can give the Tangerines red faces December 2, 2010 BLACKPOOL vs MANCHESTER UNITED TOMORROW, 5.30PM, ESPN AFTER a hugely impressive demolition of Blackburn at Old Trafford on Saturday, Manchester United fell back down to earth on Tuesday night when West Ham unceremoniously dumped them out of the Carling Cup. Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a heavily weakened side, but he will not have been happy [...]
FOCUS ON: COLCHESTER, ESSEX November 25, 2010 HAWKINS WHARF Price: From £116,500 for a one-bed flat, from £220,000 for a three-bed town house This development is situated on the banks of the River Colne and many of the properties have views over the river. There will be 221 homes, all with luxury interiors and appliances. Contact: Weston Homes on 01279 873300 or [...]
Mounting hope of an Irish bailout drives up the FTSE November 18, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index closed higher yesterday, boosted by banks on growing hopes for a deal to ease Ireland’s debt crisis and by mining stocks which followed metals prices higher. The FTSE 100 closed 76.15 points, or 1.3 per cent, firmer at 5,768.71, in light volume, trading 85 per cent of its 90-day average. The [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 15, 2010 SCOTTISH ART AT FLEMINGS Mayfair’s most genteel Victorian hotel has teamed up with the Fleming Collection on Berkley Street to offer a first-rate Scottish Art Experience. You’ll take a private tour of the gallery with a guide discovering some of the finest Scottish artists of the 19th century, followed by tea in the Flemings Hotel’s [...]
Robbie and pumpkins: clearly we’re not broke October 31, 2010 THANK God it’s Monday. It’s nice to get back to the doom and gloom of untradeable equity markets, the melting dollar and on-going sovereign debt disasters. So much better than the nonsense of the past couple of days, which included spending a load of money on Halloween rubbish for the kids and phoning up Ticketmaster [...]