Fancy some gluhwein? Yeah you do. Here are the best Christmas markets in Europe December 6, 2016 The traditional Christmas market has existed for centuries, and for the most part has remained relatively unchanged. Nativity scenes depict the birth of Jesus Christ, carol singers drop festive beats and boozed up revellers stave off the freezing temperatures with Gluhwein and roasted chestnuts. But while London has certainly enjoyed its own festive renaissance of [...]
Now Sussex bishops call for an end to “cycle of blame” in Southern rail strikes December 6, 2016 The Southern rail situation just took a rather bizarre twist. Bishops in Sussex have now stepped into the long-running dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the train operator over the role of the guards. Writing to Southern's parent owner Govia, union leaders and the Department for Transport (DfT), the church leaders [...]
Don’t want to cook? Left booking late? Try these excellent London options for Christmas dinner December 6, 2016 Rivea Knightsbridge, SW7, £105pp, rivealondon.com Toast Christ’s birth in the glittering basement of the Bulgari Hotel, where executive chef Alexandre Nicolas has created a traditional menu with decadent twists. Scottish salmon gravlax and a pear and chestnut yule log rub shoulders with more unusual delicacies, such as a foie gras terrine with muscat grape gelee [...]
Edinburgh: a city of lights offering a box of delights December 6, 2016 The festive season is a magical time. Comforting childhood memories of twinkling city centre lights, carol singers and sipping hot chocolate mingle with familiar festive music and echoes of the butterflies once felt before meeting Santa in the local department store. Today, the hot chocolate might have been supplanted by a mug of warming mulled [...]
Consumer spending growth was at its second highest since 2011 last month December 6, 2016 Consumer spending received its second highest boost since 2011 last month, even though consumer confidence was flat. Spending growth was 5.1 per cent year-on-year, according to data from Barclaycard. The highest consumer spending growth that Barclaycard recorded (5.5 per cent) was in October. Read more: Black Friday: Customers of this lender are spending £32,000 a [...]
Black Friday wasn’t quite the sales boost retailers may have expected December 6, 2016 Black Friday wasn't quite the spending boom that retailers were expecting. Figures from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show that like-for-like UK retail sales increased 0.6 per cent in November. Read more: Piccadilly Line delays likely to continue until after Christmas, TfL admits And, although non-food sales increased around 40 per cent on [...]
Chris Grayling will announce plans to destroy Network Rail’s monopoly later today December 6, 2016 Transport secretary Chris Grayling will today unveil ambitious plans to shatter Network Rail's monopoly over Britain's train tracks. Speaking at centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, Grayling will set out plans to bring closer together train operation and infrastructure maintenance, beginning on services between Oxford and Cambridge A new “East West Rail” organisation will lead on [...]
Interiors: Embark on a ‘tipples and trees’ tour to get festive inspiration from London’s hotels and restaurants December 5, 2016 Now the merry month of December is upon us it’s time to fire up the festive spirit and prepare to entertain descending hordes of relatives. But what to do with them? A Christmas-themed afternoon tea or a festive cocktail at one of London’s landmark venues is a surefire way to impress. This time of year, [...]
Hefty bill from counterfeiting and piracy costs EU £71bn and 790,000 jobs each year December 5, 2016 Counterfeit goods and piracy cost the EU economy a whopping £71bn every year, according to research from the European Union’s intellectual property office. More than 7.4 per cent of sales, totalling £40bn, across nine sectors are lost in the 28-country bloc due to fake products including handbags, toys, pharmaceuticals and alcohol, as well as music [...]
Tiger Woods may not have won but he couldn’t have wished for much more on his long-awaited comeback December 5, 2016 I saw nothing but positives in Tiger Woods’s comeback performance at the Hero World Challenge, which finished on Sunday – his first competitive outing for 15 injury-riddled months. The 14-time Major winner led the field in birdies, making 24 across the 72 holes in the Bahamas. That is hugely encouraging and at this stage you [...]