London Linen lifts Johnson Service profits September 2, 2015 Johnson Service Group, the textile service company, yesterday posted a 20.2 per cent rise in adjusted operating profit for the first half of the year, thanks to the expansion of its textile rental business. The London-listed firm reported a 7.5 per cent increase in first-half revenue to £109.2m, ahead of management’s expectations. Its textile rental [...]
Exclusive video: Canary Wharf Group unveils prices for homes at former Shell Centre Southbank Place September 2, 2015 Prices for homes in Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar’s controversial Shell Centre scheme on London’s South Bank were unveiled today, with a two-bedroom flat setting buyers back as much as £1m. Read more: Almacantar buys Shell Centre offices on South Bank for £550m Around 863 homes are due to be built on the the 5.25-acre riverside site, [...]
Card spending via contactless jumps to £2.5bn in the UK as the payment limit rises to £30 August 31, 2015 The spending limit on contactless cards has today increased from £20 to £30, as new figures show a surge in spending to £2.5bn in the first six months of the year. The use of contactless technology to pay in restaurants and shops has soared in popularity since it was first introduced in 2007, when [...]
This is why the world needs Facebook M: Its new AI and people-powered virtual personal assistant in Messenger app could be better than Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana and Google Now August 27, 2015 Soon Facebook will be able to answer any question you have, book a restaurant on your behalf and give you the weather forecast for the day. The social network is working on creating its very own virtual assistant like the already well-known and commonly used Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana and Google Now. Facebook is testing the service, called [...]
UK property: Britain’s struggling pub trade is yielding opportunities for supermarkets and residential developers August 25, 2015 The Grotto Inn on the top of Monument Hill in Weybridge was a thriving pub before falling on hard times three years ago. It was forced to call last orders after succumbing to competition from nearby bars and pubs and has lain empty since – its windows boarded up and beer taps gathering dust. [...]
London City Airport expansion plans stay grounded following Mayor Boris Johnson’s U-turn August 20, 2015 The battle for London City Airport is heating up. Less than a month has passed since its owners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Oaktree Capital put the site to the east of the capital up for sale with a price tag of around £2bn. But already two heavyweight bidders have emerged, including one of the [...]
Mix it up: The best brunch spots in London August 18, 2015 Brunch, as we all know, is the most important meal of the week. So if you haven’t already, lay down that greasy spoon and brunch like the British invented it (which, in fact, we did in the 1800s). For those chasing the hair of the dog that bit off as much as it could chew, [...]
Sardinia: an ancient, strangely empty idyll August 17, 2015 Elle McPherson was being photographed wearing a tiny white string bikini as she waterskied off the coast of Sardinia when I arrived. There was also breaking news that Silvio Berlusconi, currently hosting Vladimir Putin, had just sold his 68 room Bunga-Bunga palace – where he once entertained Tony Blair – to the Saudi Royal Family [...]
Wasabi returns to a profit after adding heat to expansion plans August 16, 2015 TAKEAWAY sushi and bento chain Wasabi hailed a return to profit last year after expanding its presence in the UK and launching its first outlet in New York. Accounts filed at Companies House show Wasabi Sushi Bento made a pre-tax profit of £4.26m in the year to 27 December compared with a loss of £1.15m [...]
Kentucky is more than just fried chicken: Hit the bourbon trail for a spirited, unbridled discovery August 14, 2015 All bourbons are whiskies, but not all whiskies are bourbons. This is the first commandment drilled into visitors at the distilleries that pepper the state of Kentucky, USA. Now, I’m a walking Wikipedia entry, espousing facts about bourbon to anyone who will listen; for instance, did you know that bourbon has to be made [...]