Reaching for the Stars… December 13, 2022 THEY say that racehorse ownership is a mug’s game. Well, I’m the mug then, as I agreed just over two years ago to back trainer Mick Appleby at the Sales in Newmarket and buy a four-year-old called King Of Stars. He’d failed to win any of his eight races for Joseph O’Brien in Ireland, but [...]
Energy firms say they want to do good, so why don’t they care about social mobility? December 13, 2022 The UK’s Big Six energy companies have raked in more than a billion pounds of profit as record hikes in bills force many families to choose between heating and eating this winter. Yet not a single one of them could be bothered to enter the country’s leading Index on how well employers are doing to [...]
How The Maldives are properly celebrating their food culture December 12, 2022 On The Maldives, local cuisine is finally being properly celebrated. Angelina Villa-Clarke jets in to eat local delicacies including mud crabs I’m sat high in the treetops, hidden amongst the oversized leaves of banana trees. Flickering candles light the tables but, mostly, the scene is illuminated by the night sky, ablaze with an eternity of [...]
England v France TONIGHT: Why World Cup opponents’ rivalry lacks spice December 10, 2022 For two neighbouring countries with such a long history of conflict and mutual suspicion, England’s World Cup quarter-final with France tonight is curiously short on piquancy. There is no love lost when the nations’ rugby teams meet each year in Le Crunch, while recent political developments have soured more than a century of Entente Cordiale. [...]
Regime shift: investing into the new era December 9, 2022 As this economic cycle ends, we shouldn’t expect to see the patterns of the past decade repeated. A new regime in policy and market behaviour is unfolding which investors need to understand if they are to find the best opportunities and safeguard their portfolios. The re-opening of economies after Covid sparked a phenomenon investors have [...]
All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers complains of ‘significant uncertainty’ over energy bills next year December 7, 2022 Mitchells & Butlers has said “significant uncertainty” remains over the heftiness of its energy bill next year, as pub bosses have called for more financial aid. The All Bar One and Toby Carvery owner said its trading environment “remains very challenging,” as cost inflation headwinds were expected to be as much as 12 per cent [...]
Kentucky: Why the Bluegrass State is more than just horses and bourbon December 7, 2022 As we all pay more attention to what we are eating and drinking, flavour tourism is growing, particularly in the world of drinks. Visits to mezcal makers in Mexico, cognac chateaus in France, and now bourbon distilleries in Kentucky are on the up. If the idea of a well-made Old Fashioned, Mint Julep or simple [...]
What to do in London for Christmas, from carols to food and drink December 1, 2022 Whether you’re after carols in a cathedral or a knees-up in a brewery, we have the perfect Christmas outing for you. CHRISTMAS CAROLS AT ST PAUL’S Short of getting a ride in Santa’s sleigh, there can be little more festive than singing Christmas carols in the stunning surrounds of St Paul’s Cathedral. This year there [...]
It’s truly the best of British to dine at Restaurant St. Barts Smithfield November 30, 2022 Stepping into Restaurant St Bart’s is like walking into the most luxurious Shepherd’s hut you could imagine. With an emphasis on stone and wood, the space is so calm I half expected to be ushered to the spa for a massage. We began the meal on cosy, candlelit sheep-skin covered chairs with a wax-sealed menu [...]
Retail sales fall off cliff in November in sign of Christmas spending slump November 28, 2022 Retail sales have fallen off a cliff, pushed by consumers reining in spending as scorching inflation eats away at their finances, a new survey out today reveals. A net 19 per cent of retailers said spending fell over the year to November, down from a net rise of 18 per cent in October, according to [...]