What the other papers say this morning – 13 December 2013 December 12, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Bitcoin start-up fundraises $25m A Silicon Valley company that allows speculators and merchants to trade Bitcoin has raised $25m (£15.3m) in venture capital funding in the largest investment so far in a virtual currency business. As a result of the deal, San Francisco-based Coinbase will have two of the most prominent venture capitalists [...]
Innovation Diary: Tech City turns three: Cluster changes shape while the quango seeks scale December 8, 2013 TECH City has just turned three. There is some confusion over what this actually means, however. Tech firms have been located around Old Street roundabout since at least the 1990s, so it’s really just the anniversary of the government quango dedicated to stimulating them. Yet despite criticism (Sir James Dyson has attacked an obsession with [...]
A late night Tube is simple way to keep London competitive February 3, 2013 TRANSPORT for London has raised the prospect of the Underground running until 2am at weekends. Starting in 2015, this could deliver a signifciant boost to London’s £8bn a year dining, drinking and entertainment industry, and would provide a boon to the thousands of Londoners who flock to the West End for a night out. This [...]
East Oxford Street prepares for major high street regeneration October 30, 2012 THE ARRIVAL of Crossrail and the regeneration of Tottenham Court Road is set to double spending growth in the area by £448m over the next 12 years, according to a report commissioned by the New West End Company. The east end of Oxford Street has struggled over the years to shake off its image as [...]
All fireworked out? October 30, 2012 Seize the Day at the Wellcome Trust Friday 2 November The Wellcome trust is hosting a macabre night looking at our experiences and relationships with death. Activities will include coffin decorating and a near-death experience. There will also be talks on throughout the four hour event. Doors 7pm. The event is free but some talks [...]
SIGNS OF LIFE AFTER SHOPPERS RETURN August 5, 2012 LONDON’S retailers were handed a welcome boost over the weekend as shoppers flocked back to stores, though figures released today show Britain’s high streets have seen their worst monthly sales in almost a year. Footfall picked up in the second half of last week and over the weekend, with the capital’s retailers reporting a leap [...]
How Olympic organisers can get shot of the West End ghost town August 1, 2012 WE’VE scared them off. Somewhere between Boris Johnson’s ominous ode to overcrowding, and TfL’s weird posters of diligent Londoners in their underwear, planning routes to work, the city’s attempts to keep moving during the Games have frightened droves of tourists into barely venturing out of the confines of the Olympic Park. If organisers don’t act [...]
Great Portland sells £100m of London assets May 15, 2012 PROPERTY firm Great Portland Estates sold three buildings for over £100m in London’s West End and Midtown districts yesterday as it continues to recycle capital into its major London schemes. The company said it has sold 184/190 Oxford Street, Buchanan House in Holborn and a portfolio of properties at Portland Place for £106m, and 23 [...]
Have a cracking Easter with our guide to London’s best April 3, 2012 EASTER AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE 6-9 APRIL, ALL DAY Hampton Court Palace is one of the most scenic sites near London at any time of the year but over the Easter weekend a host of eggstras will be laid on. King Henry VIII, a famous past resident of the stately home, will be milling around [...]
GOING OUT February 9, 2012 EARLY 2012 openings are showing plenty of promise. Take Galante on South Ken’s Sloane Avenue. After a beefy expansion, Gaucho is opening its first cocktail bar. Inspired by Argentina’s gilded era, staff at the Art Deco-inspired Galante don traditional white jackets or chic lamé dresses to serve guests while the drinks are mostly classic South [...]