Best of travel: Cowgirl fantasies in the Palm Springs desert February 23, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Laura Millar’s jaunt to the kitsch Californian town of Palm Springs. ••• The wooden sign swinging in the breeze proclaims I’m at Smoketree Stables, just a short drive south of Palm Springs. Beyond the [...]
Survive the last months of lockdown with 35 amazing delivery kits February 23, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs including Simon Rogan are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some [...]
Saudi prince to sell £195m stake in London skyscraper February 23, 2021 A Saudi prince is close to selling his stake in a City skyscraper to an American investor for around £195m. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd owns 25 per cent of Salesforce Tower in Bishopsgate. The tower has attracted interest from New York-based investment firm Madison International Realty. The 46-storey tower took four years to complete [...]
Israel shows how to unlock a lockdown at lightning speed February 22, 2021 While the UK government presented its roadmap for exiting Britain’s third lockdown today, all eyes are on Israel this week as the country’s government has already started to re-open the country’s domestic economy, a process which is expected to be completed within weeks. The speed at which the restrictions are lifted is the most striking [...]
Roadmap: Hospitality industry faces financial ruin as sector remains shut until April February 22, 2021 The hospitality industry has reacted with fury as the Prime Minister plans to allow pubs and restaurants to serve outdoors only and not until 12 April. Currently, only 40 per cent of businesses in hospitality have outdoor spaces, meaning most will still face restrictions after April. In response to today’s announcement, UK Hospitality Chief Kate [...]
When will pubs, shops, cinemas and theatres reopen under Boris Johnson’s roadmap? February 22, 2021 The Prime Minister unveiled his roadmap for leaving lockdown this afternoon, promising that it would provide a “one way road to freedom… after a wretched year”. Boris Johnson said England would “start reclaiming our freedoms” in a fortnight’s time, with all legal limits on social contact set to end on 21 June at the earliest. [...]
‘All over by June’ under Boris Johnson’s roadmap for leaving lockdown February 22, 2021 All Covid restrictions will be lifted by late June under the Prime Minister’s roadmap for exiting lockdown, as the government grows increasingly confident in the UK’s vaccine rollout. Announcing the timeline in the Commons, Boris Johnson said that “all of the legal limits on social contact can be removed no earlier than 21 June” in [...]
Tory MPs push for Easter reopening of hospitality in lockdown roadmap February 22, 2021 The Tories’ group of lockdown sceptic MPs are pushing Boris Johnson to reopen hospitality by Easter in his roadmap out of the current Covid lockdown. The forty-strong Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of Conservative MPs want the Prime Minister to outline a full reopening for the sector by 4 April, with the UK’s pubs lobby backing [...]
Student housing firm Scape signs £500m joint venture with pension investor APG to fund expansion February 22, 2021 Student accommodation developer Scape has secured a £500m joint venture with pension investor APG to fund its expansion into mainstream housing. The joint venture is seeded with around 1,000 student rooms in London and the south east, a £250m mixed use residential and student development in Canada Water and the first Scape mainstream project in [...]
Pubs, restaurants and salons beg for more financial help if reopening delayed by months February 22, 2021 Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses have warned the government that current coronavirus financial aid will not be enough to support the industries if they are to remain closed for several more months. The demands were published after it was reported over the weekend that pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and beauticians and non-essential retailers could be waiting [...]