Derwent sells bonds to beef up war chest May 17, 2011 CENTRAL London property group Derwent embarked on a money-raising drive to pay for acquisitions yesterday, selling off part of its Covent Garden estate and issuing £175m worth of convertible five year bonds. Derwent sold five properties in King Street and Floral Street to Capital & Counties, who paid for the £68m purchase in cash from [...]
BELSTAFF DIRECTOR ON-BRAND IN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CAMEO May 16, 2011 NEVER mind the drawn-out takeover struggle by its largest shareholder Peel Holdings – the real action at Pinewood Studios has been filming the next instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, out tomorrow. Cinemagoers hoping to catch Pinewood’s chairman Sir Michael Grade in a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will [...]
Private pools, crystal blue waters and snorkelling Thai island paradise at sensational Soneva Kiri May 15, 2011 TALK about arriving in style. Soneva Kiri, a far-flung resort on the Thai island of Koh Kood, is the kind of place that keeps its own private plane. A single-engine propeller job but a luxurious one, it picks you up from Bangkok airport, climbs over the rice paddies and swings out to sea, descending 45 [...]
The glamorous way to drink May 11, 2011 IF you want the finest cocktails served by the most talented bar staff in the most spectacular setting – and let’s face it, who doesn’t – London’s swish hotels are right now the place to find them. Thanks to a slew of upgrades and openings, the ever-burgeoning popularity of sophisticated cocktails and the continuing cultural [...]
Domino’s US restaurants prosper May 5, 2011 The US business of Domino’s Pizza posted a big quarterly profit yesterday, beating forecasts, as sales at restaurants open at least a year were stronger than expected and costs for commodities like cheese and meats rose less than feared. Net income for the three months to the end of March rose 10.6 per cent to [...]
SIR TOM HUNTER TAKES TOP SCOTTISH HONOUR May 5, 2011 A VERY unusual thing happened earlier this week, according to motor racing legend Jackie Stewart: “A Scotsman did quite well.” Stewart was referring to the emotional moment when the Wizard of Wishaw John Higgins lifted the Snooker World Championship trophy for the fourth time on Monday night after narrowly beating newcomer Judd Trump. But he [...]
Bucolic beauty in a Cornish setting May 5, 2011 THERE are many Cornwalls. There’s the one of Celtic myths, Arthurian legends, castles and runes; the one of bohemian creativity, of Barbara Hepworth and Tate St Ives; the Cornwall of surfing and beach parties; and the Cornwall of lonely landscapes, remote fishing villages and, er, pasties. Nowadays there’s Cornwall for the modern sophisticate too: designer [...]
IT’S BACK: APPRENTICE RETURNS WITH FRESH BAIT FOR LORD SUGAR May 3, 2011 THE STAKES are higher than ever on series seven of The Apprentice with more pressure, more risk and even more difficult challenges for the 16 hard-nosed contestants. Gripping viewing – but no-one will be watching the opening episode of this year’s series (next Tuesday) with more interest than the employees of Scottish & Southern Energy [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS May 3, 2011 BSKYB Credit Suisse rates the media group “neutral” and has raised its target price to 870p, based on the price it believes News Corp might have to pay to secure a takeover recommendation from the board. A News Corp offer for BSkyB could come within days, the broker thinks. Credit Suisse has calculated its new [...]
NOISY NEIGHBOURS MAKE MAYOR MICHAEL A SORE-HEADED BEAR May 2, 2011 BEING Lord Mayor of London comes with its benefits. Just ask the present mayor Michael Bear, who took a seat in Westminster Abbey last Friday alongside David Beckham, Elton John and David Cameron as a guest at the Royal Wedding. There is also, of course, the advantage of a grace-and-favour home at Mansion House round [...]