This is 40 minutes too long February 14, 2013 FILM THIS IS 40 Cert 12A ** Half-way through Judd Apatow’s latest, This Is 40, a woman accuses Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) of looking like a couple from a bank advert. Its one of the better jokes, not least because it highlights the fundamental problem with the film. Debbie and Pete are [...]
Credit scheme eats away rates on mortgages February 11, 2013 THE HOUSING market switched up a gear as 2013 began, several sets of data have revealed. Credit costs for a range of mortgage types plunged yet again, according to Bank of England data, suggesting that the government and Bank ’s Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) has driven funds back into the housing market. The average [...]
Saracens and England star Matt Stevens reigns pie and mighty February 7, 2013 ONLY in the world of rugby would four elite sportsman take on the challenge of a pie-eating contest, in the name of good PR. And that is what four Saracens players did this week when they took part in their own version of man versus food. The players scoffed Laverstock pies, which will be sold [...]
STK does a belter of a rib eye – if you can stand the club atmosphere February 6, 2013 Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie once said: “All vowels are fascist, man, everyone knows that”. It’s a sentiment that obviously chimed with the owners of US steakhouse chain STK, which has just arrived at the ME London hotel. This isn’t just any old steakhouse, though. Oh no, this is a “female friendly” steakhouse. Female friendly. [...]
Investing is a lot easier with the right platform February 5, 2013 IT IS important for investors to pick solid investments that perform well over time. Equally important, however, is how you choose to buy, manage and monitor them. Many online platforms have sprung up that can help you with the process. They allow you to buy and hold different assets – like shares, bonds and funds [...]
The sustainable food argument is flawed – we just need more variety February 5, 2013 Head chef, Paternoster Chop House The recent news that the Marine Conservation Society has removed mackerel and gurnard from its list of “sustainable” fish is an ironic sign of the times. Responsible diners avoid some foods in a bid to protect a species, only to find that everyone else has done the same and now [...]
The trusted brand with personality at its core February 3, 2013 YOU may have seen Clippy McKenna’s eponymous preserves on your supermarket shelves. Her two-man show (it is just Clippy and fiancé Paul Gorman working at the business; everything else, including the actual jam-making, is contracted out) now stocks its products in some of the biggests stores – including Tesco and Harvey Nichols. After graduating as [...]
It is high time the steamed pudding made a come-back January 28, 2013 Head chef, Paternoster Chop House Can you remember the last time you ate Spotted Dick? I’m betting that for many of you it was several decades ago at school, covered in lumpy custard. Aside from that eternal favourite sticky toffee pudding, we don’t tend to eat a lot of steamed puddings these days. This is [...]
St Moritz Gourmet Festival insiders’ guide January 27, 2013 AT THE heart of fine living is the art of fine dining. And both are flamboyantly showcased at the annual St Moritz Gourmet Festival this month. Every year the rich and famous flock to St Moritz for the season, and the town prides itself on the exquisite food and wine it has to offer them. [...]
Ben Fogle: everything I’ve done has built up to swimming the Atlantic January 27, 2013 I’M SERIOUSLY afraid of heights and I’m not the best swimmer,” Ben Fogle says as I catch up with him over the phone just after he landed in New York before jetting off to Buenos Aires. But scared isn’t exactly the first word that springs into mind when you think of the 39 year-old father [...]