Lech has all the goodness of the Alps without the crowds October 14, 2012 LECH is what Aspen wants to be when it grows up,” is how I’ve heard Austria’s Alpine region described. Now, I’m no skier (hate the cold and don’t have great balance) but this statement alone made me want to visit Lech. So, full of Olympic fatigue and eager for a change of scenery, I headed [...]
What the other papers say this morning October 10, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Goldman “muppet hunt” draws blank Goldman Sachs has told its board of directors that an internal investigation found little substance to allegations made by Greg Smith, the disaffected employee who claimed the bank has a “toxic environment” where bankers refer to clients as “muppets”. The review found that weeks before his public resignation [...]
Visit Malaysia for the birds, the bees and the leeches October 7, 2012 MY HERO swoops down in the nick of time. I’m perched atop a bare rock, too petrified to move when she flies to my rescue. Barely seven inches tall, the blue-winged pitta flits to the ground and within moments, her beak is filled with what look like needle-thin worms. I’ve never been happier to see [...]
Marston’s proves its pedigree with resilient summer sales October 3, 2012 RAIN over the summer and difficult economic conditions did not dent brewer and pub operator Marston’s. The firm said yesterday it had beaten many of its industry rivals, and expects a 2.2 per cent rise in pub sales for the last 12 months. The maker of Pedigree and Bass ales, which operates more than 2,000 [...]
Spend today’s lunch hour with Ryder Cup winner Sam Torrance October 2, 2012 FOLLOWERS of Team Europe’s winning play during the Ryder Cup are in for a treat today – City A.M. columnist and multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer Sam Torrance has penned a tome covering his career as sportsman and media commentator, and will be in town signing copies. Torrance will be on hand to personalise Out of [...]
Tortilla fuels expansion plans October 1, 2012 Mexican restaurant chain Tortilla has secured £2.25m in fresh funding from Santander to help pay for its expansion. Tortilla’s private equity investor Quilvest said yesterday the group will open three new outlets in the UK, including one opposite Trafalgar Square, taking its total in the country to 11. It is also in talks to take [...]
Utah: America’s secret scenic wonderland October 1, 2012 Touching down at Las Vegas airport at 9pm, we made a classic mistake. Predicting we’d be fine to drive the two-hour journey to our hotel after a refreshing Diet Coke and a few rounds of Blackjack at the Mandalay Bay, we didn’t expect to find ourselves deliriously sleep-deprived, jetlagged to the max and sans sat-nav, journeying [...]
Contemporary architecture at its best September 27, 2012 Broom Heath, Suffolk Strutt & Parker Guide Price £2.6m Located in the pretty market town of Woodbridge along the banks of the River Deben, stands this outstanding contemporary home. This award-winning house is a magnificent example of modern design, which sits harmoniously within its country landscape. Having been built just three years ago, buyers will [...]
Britain needs more venture capitalism – not a state bank September 25, 2012 HERE is a simple question. What do you think would do more to help the provision of finance for small firms? Vince Cable’s new state bank, which will begin its operations in 18 months’ time, or a radically improved tax system to improve the provision of equity financing and venture capital? In other words, is [...]
Duck & Waffle doesn’t have the greatest kitchen in the world but the views are ace September 24, 2012 RESTAURANT DUCK & WAFFLE Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY FOOD ** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE ***** Cost per person without wine: £44 MY HOUSE is what estate agents would euphemistically call “lower ground”, which translates almost exactly as “basement”. Outside the front door, running underneath the pavement, is a cupboard, which would, once upon a [...]