In the summer Switzerland’s mountains burst into life April 11, 2010 I’VE been skiing just once, when I was 11. My chief memories are of floundering in a snowdrift as my Austrian instructor sped off cursing my inability to stay upright, and the fact that by the end of the week I still hadn’t even mastered the snowplough. It really wasn’t for me. Since then, the [...]
GOING GLOBAL April 8, 2010 Q. I think there could be a market for my business overseas, but how easy is it to expand internationally? A. Even though it is getting more and more accessible to do this, it is not an easy process if you want to do it properly. Tony Cohen, head of entrepreneurial business at Deloitte, says [...]
Curry in a hurry is a bit confusing April 5, 2010 Bangalore Express City 1 Corbet Court, Gracechurch Street, EC3 V0AT. www.bangaloreexpress.co.uk Cost per person without wine: £25 ONE of my first memories of arriving in London was going for a curry on Brick Lane. While I wasn’t particularly impressed by the food the décor has stuck in my mind – massive and slightly wonky paintings [...]
The celebrity chef bringing peasant food to the City March 29, 2010 I’M like a snail,” drawls chef supreme Raymond Blanc in a French accent that, 38 years after he arrived in the UK, remains as textured and ripe as a perfectly aged Camembert. “I’m stuck in my shell, and can only move very slowly.” The reason for Blanc’s despondency is a fall he took at his [...]
Beat the blues with a slice of Caribbean sun March 25, 2010 WINTER is finally over, and the sun has been reminding us all of its existence in the past week or so. If you are already thinking ahead to next year and wondering how you will get through another few months of darkness and “snow days”, there’s a solution: buy a home in the Caribbean. Barbados [...]
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 [...]