We just need the political will to reduce destructive energy prices October 4, 2012 OUT of all major economies, politicians in the UK have embraced aggressive climate policy in the most starry-eyed and expensive way. No other country has taken on more ambitious targets, done less to protect industry from the consequences or imposed more draconian unilateral regulations. We were the only country to set serious targets in the [...]
Duck & Waffle doesn’t have the greatest kitchen in the world but the views are ace September 24, 2012 RESTAURANT DUCK & WAFFLE Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY FOOD ** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE ***** Cost per person without wine: £44 MY HOUSE is what estate agents would euphemistically call “lower ground”, which translates almost exactly as “basement”. Outside the front door, running underneath the pavement, is a cupboard, which would, once upon a [...]
FTSE drifts lower as fears over UK’s economic outlook leads to caution September 20, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index wilted yesterday after economic data painted a bleak picture of prospects for a rebound in activity in the United States, Europe and China, heightening concerns over company earnings and valuations. The UK’s FTSE 100 closed down 33.84 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 5,854.64, continuing to edge away from 6-month highs [...]
Investors need to actively manage their Sipp funds September 16, 2012 SELF invested personal pensions (Sipps) are an increasingly popular kind of tax-efficient pension scheme. But like all investments, they are not suitable for everyone. Sipps allow better control over what your money is invested in and investors benefit from increased transparency. Compare this to stakeholder pensions, for example, where you have no control over how [...]
Self-control: The secret ingredient that guarantees a successful life September 5, 2012 WHEN psychologists isolate the personal qualities that predict positive outcomes in life, they consistently find two traits: intelligence and self-control. So far researchers haven’t learned how to permanently increase intelligence. But they have discovered, or at least rediscovered, how to improve self-control. The first two steps are setting a goal, and then monitoring your behaviour. [...]
Karpo is a curate’s egg but its kitchen still impresses September 3, 2012 RESTAURANT KARPO 23-27 Euston Road, NW1 2SD Tel: 020 7843 2221 FOOD *** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost per person without wine: £30 Train stations don’t tend to attract the nicest crowds. Wherever you go in the world, the very worst people from that area will naturally gravitate towards the train station; the pimps and [...]
A taste of Mother Russia in a Knightsbridge salon August 13, 2012 RESTAURANT MARI VANNA 116 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7PJ el: 020 7225 3122 FOOD ** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £55 There are two facts you need to know about Mari Vanna. One: it’s done up like a Russian babushka’s dining room – albeit one with a more than a dollop of Tsarist [...]
Battle of the cabs: Hailing competition in London’s transport August 12, 2012 WHEN I lived in Monaco, I had Ferraris. Now, living in London, I have a basic car but barely use it. The hassle of parking and traffic have made me a cab and minicab user, and I’ve recently noticed interesting things going on in their business world. Cabs have had two unique selling points. Unlike [...]
DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR August 1, 2012 INVESTMENT bankers have had a difficult year, with London’s IPO market virtually closed, and M&A deals few and far between. Our fourth short-list for the third annual City A.M. awards, though, highlights some superb individual performances in such difficult markets. Jonathan Rowley, for example, was on at least three M&A deals in just one week [...]
Conquer a daunting wall of ice without a trip to the Antarctic July 30, 2012 Clinging precariously to a sheet of rippling blue ice, the summit in sight, I took a leap of faith. Digging my spiked shoes into the metre-thick walls of the “chimney” of frozen water, I lunged with an ice axe, connecting for a brief second, only to dislodge a block the size of my fist: it [...]