Add some verve and value to your home March 25, 2010 WE all know that moving house at the moment is tricky, but for those who are bored of their home, there is another option apart from upping sticks. Instead of moving, many people are opting to improve their homes this year to add a bit of pizazz. However, that is easier said than done in [...]
WHERE TO STAY: MASSERIE TORRE COCCARO AND TORRE MAIZZA March 21, 2010 ON arrival in Brindisi, we were greeted by a smiling Italian named Carmello, who took our bags and drove us the 40 minutes or so to the Masseria Torre Coccaro, where we were to spend the first two nights of our stay in Puglia. Coccaro is, like many other boutique hotels in the area, a [...]
RENTING March 18, 2010 James Davis CEO OF ONLINE LETTINGS AGENT UPAD.CO.UK Q.What do I need to do to increase the rent I’m charging my tenant? They had a six-month assured shorthold tenancy (AST) which has now become a periodic tenancy as they’ve been there almost a year. A.There are three ways for a landlord to increase the rent [...]
London rejoices as maestro returns March 15, 2010 There are two types of people that will thrill at Bistrot Bruno Loubet, the quietly trendy Zetter Hotel’s latest restaurant incarnation. Type one are the gastronomes – otherwise known as foodie geeks – who follow the movements of top French chefs. They will be excited – indeed they are excited – that this Gallic maestro [...]
BILL OF THE WEEK March 14, 2010 JUST St James obviously ticked the right boxes for one of its loyal Mayfair regulars. with the introduction of a Best of British menu. On the day the 10-year-old favourite relaunched its basement bar – formerly Just Oriental – as the Club Bar, six fans celebrated with a modest array of sharing platters with everything [...]
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DRESS UP March 11, 2010 THOSE gorgeous gowns in the Oscars earlier this week got me thinking. If I had a lovely dress (obviously nowhere near Oscar standard) where would I wear it? Maybe the odd charity ball that comes up once in a blue moon or perhaps a wedding or the races. Isn’t that a shame? Why don’t we [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 23, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES USAF STARTS BID TO REPLACE AGEING TANKERS The US Air Force will attempt to kick-start its long-delayed, multi-billion dollar competition to replace its ageing fleet of refuelling tankers this week with a new set of bidding rules. It promises the competition, mired in controversy for more than six years, will be “full and [...]
Torode offers more sizzle than steak February 22, 2010 The Luxe On hearing the name of John Torode, those in the know are likely to grunt with satisfaction as the image of a large, juicy steak enters their head. Perhaps they’ve even read his book, called Beef. Others will murmer an approving “ah yes” as a great cocktail, smoothie, or debaucherous night out at [...]
New day, new port: a view of the world from a luxury cruise February 21, 2010 WHEN Oasis, the world’s biggest cruise ship, launched last year in Miami with all the fanfare of a royal spaceship, I recoiled. The idea of a floating carnival/town/funfair/shopping mall/beach resort holding 6,296 passengers, a good portion of whom may well end up sunburnt, drunk, disorderly and seasick, is about as far from my idea of [...]
She’s far more than just a (legal) blonde: a star is born February 16, 2010 MEETING Sheridan Smith, the 28-year old star of the smash hit Legally Blonde: The Musical, is rather like a game of hide and seek. Or, as it turns out, a treasure hunt. For the former star of such television gems as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of?Crisps and Gavin and?Stacey, has gone awol. [...]