The Green Knight review – a stunning medieval fantasy September 22, 2021 Director David Lowery may not be as familiar a name as The Russo Brothers or Christopher Nolan, but in less than a decade he has already put together a string of quietly successful productions, including the critically acclaimed Aint These Bodies Saints. Working with Red Redford on Disney’s remake of Pete’s Dragon convinced the screen [...]
Mind the funding gap: Can the TfL boss secure London’s Tube network’s future? September 21, 2021 It’s only September, but one date is very much etched in the mind of Transport for London (TfL) Commissioner Andy Byford: 11 December. That’s when TfL’s latest £1bn funding package runs out, the third short-term deal the government has bestowed on the capital’s transport network, despite repeated pleas for a multi-year settlement instead. And although [...]
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie review – fuzzy but heartfelt September 21, 2021 Everybody may be talking about Jamie, but it’s unlikely to be in a cinema foyer. Original studio Disney were intending a theatrical release until as late as May, when the film was sold to Amazon for its streaming service and a limited cinema run in the UK. The adaptation of the West End hit was [...]
Looming turkey shortage and Covid spike: Cancelling Christmas again is ‘very much not the plan’, says Boris Johnson September 21, 2021 Cancelling Christmas is “very much not the plan”, Boris Johnson has said, in the face of prospects of a turkey shortage and a spike in coronavirus cases during the festive season. The Prime Minister said the Government does not “expect to have to do anything like last Christmas” when spiralling infection rates forced him to [...]
Sadiq Khan says ‘London will always lag behind’ rest of UK on vaccines take-up September 19, 2021 Sadiq Khan has said London will “always lag behind” the rest of the UK on vaccines take-up as the capital continues to trail all other English regions. The mayor of London today said London’s older and more transient population made vaccinating the capital more difficult, but defended the rollout as more advanced than in Paris [...]
Retail sales fall as reopening bounceback runs out of steam September 17, 2021 Retail sales volumes dropped 0.9 per cent last month as Brits rushed to dine out at restaurants when lockdown restrictions eased and stores faced supply disruption. A dip in food store sales of 1.2 per cent and a 1.5 per cent jump in automotive fuel sales suggests that people leaned into post-lockdown freedoms by travelling [...]
John Lewis posts £29m pre-tax loss after restructuring costs – CityAM : CityAM September 16, 2021 John Lewis has reported a pre-tax loss of £29m for the year’s first half, after restructuring costs. However, the high street giant said its half year results ending July 31 marked a significant improvement on last year’s pre-tax loss of £635m. Profit before exceptional items was £69m, up £124m on the comparable period last year, [...]
Harlequins revive Big Game with December double header at Twickenham September 15, 2021 Harlequins’ annual Big Game is returning to Twickenham after a one year hiatus for a double header featuring the men’s and women’s teams. Quins men will play Northampton Saints on Bank Holiday Monday 27 December following a clash between Harlequins Women and Wasps Women. Dubbed the world’s biggest annual club rugby event, this will be [...]
John Lewis to recruit 7,000 Christmas jobs September 15, 2021 John Lewis is recruiting more than 7,000 temporary roles across the UK in the run up to Christmas. The retailer is looking to hire 2,000 more workers than last year to meet increased demand. The hiring spree comes as retail bosses have expressed concern about the long-term impact of ongoing supply chain disruption including labour [...]
Mixed Covid-19 messages ‘cannot define this winter’ for business, says London First chief September 14, 2021 The boss of London First has urged the government not to allow mixed messages to define the upcoming winter for businesses, following the health secretary’s Covid-19 plan earlier today. Health secretary Sajid Javid said that the government intends to dodge winter restrictions by allowing booster jabs for those over 50 and vaccinations for 12 to [...]