BLAIR WOOS LAWYERS WITH FOND MEMORIES November 22, 2010 CITY law firm Clifford Chance last night played host to a gathering of 250 of the City’s most prominent names in a one-off chance to hear from former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair blitzed into the event and had to run off to another engagement immediately afterwards, but in between he found time to cover [...]
Gifts with a sense of history November 22, 2010 IT’S no coincidence that the recession has overlapped with a surge in the popularity of all things old fashioned. If our confidence in a bold, sparkling future has faltered, our interest in the aesthetics of the past – and the values of quality, provenance and craftsmanship that go with it – has rocketed upwards. 1940s-themed [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 22, 2010 BLACK WATCH RETURNS TO THE BARBICAN Quite simply one of the greatest theatrical achievements of the past decade, Gregory Burke’s astonishing play about Scottish soldiers fighting in the Middle East is returning to the Barbican this month. Taking in military traditions, the desolation of working class Scottish life, the boredom and terrors of desert warfare, [...]
REVIEW: SEASONAL PEDICURE November 22, 2010 THERE’S something very lovely about a wintry, Christmassy pedicure. It’s cold outside, you’ve got a flush in your cheeks and your hands are full of goody bags. What could be nicer than ducking out of the shopping mayhem and settling onto a warm bed in a delicious cavern of a spa in one of Mayfair’s [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 22, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES ROK WAS WARNED ON OUTLOOK Senior executives at Rok, the failed building group, were warned the company’s public statements risked misleading investors by failing to identify the extent or source of its problems. The board of directors was contacted by Ashley Martin, at the time the suspended finance director, after Rok released a [...]
John Lewis sees £88m in week’s sales November 22, 2010 SHOPPERS have been flocking to buy goods in the run up to Christmas, according to John Lewis’ latest sales figures, released today. Last week £88m was spent in the department store, a 12 per cent jump from the same time last year. New gadgets are selling well, such as Kindle Readers, iPads, iPods and SLR [...]
Orange to trigger an iPad price war November 22, 2010 THE pricing model for Apple’s all conquering iPad could undergo a dramatic shift, with UK carrier Orange set to offer heavily discounted units to users willing to sign lengthy contracts, City A.M. has learned. It is understood the firm will offer the iPad for around £200 – far below the starting price of £529 for [...]
US authorities will announce string of insider dealing cases November 22, 2010 Federal authorities are closing in on a series of high profile targets as part of a drive to purge insider trading from Wall Street. They are understood to be on the verge of announcing cases against hedge fund traders, consultants and Wall Street bankers within weeks, according to lawyers working on the cases. Prosecutors and [...]
Delia fattens Waitrose with cake November 22, 2010 Waitrose grocery sales rose four per cent in the 12 weeks to October 31 – lifted by swift sales of Delia Smith’s ready-to-make Christmas cake kit. The UK cook has in the past caused a run on ingredients like eggs, stout and goose fat, after championing them in her recipes. Earlier this year Waitrose ran [...]
THE TIPSTER November 21, 2010 THE run-up to Christmas truly gets underway this week with US Thanksgiving on Thursday. Historically this has given equity markets a boost as a result of improved sentiment and as the festive sentiment rubs off on investors. This could prompt a rally in the Dow. Capital Spreads quotes 11,165-11,167 for the index. US dollar strength [...]