TEMPERS FLARE AT PWC CAROL SERVICE December 22, 2010 YOU might think that playing the organ at the office Christmas carol service is a pretty uncontroversial activity. Not so for a professional organist (as they’re called) engaged for PricewaterhouseCooper’s annual festive singsong. The stage was set, the decorations tweaked and the set list compiled when all went awry. Details are hard to come by, [...]
A fancy hotel is the answer if you’re stranded by snow December 20, 2010 IT’S not looking good for those of us planning to head away for Christmas, which means it could be time to rethink things. Option one: wallow at home, rueing the fact that your plans have been scuppered and the shops have sold out of turkey; option two: book into a hotel, relax and enjoy a stress-free Christmas [...]
Kensington’s own slice of Provence December 20, 2010 CASSIS 232 Brompton Road, SW3 2BB, Tel: 020 7581 1101, cassisbistro.co.uk FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £35 THE website of Cassis, Marlon Abela’s new venture, says proudly that the interior matches its cuisine. The cuisine, though, is Provencal, an inherently rustic sort of food, with snails and hunks of meat and tomatoey [...]
Conran narrows its losses December 15, 2010 Luxury designer and restaurant firm Terence Conran is facing better fortunes, despite reporting losses this year. The firm reduced losses to £806,000, far lower than the £8m reported in 2009. Conran Holding’s fortunes were revived after it launched a value range in its London shops. Chief executive Roger Mavity said that the new line attracts [...]
FIRST GIG IN 600 YEARS TO COME TO GUILDHALL December 14, 2010 GUILDHALL has seen its fair share of important cultural events over the years:?the trials of Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer and those involved in the gunpowder plot. But only now is this hallowed hall to host the first ever rock concert in its 600 year history, in the miserable month of February next year, when [...]
Whitbread in boost from Premier Inns December 14, 2010 WHITBREAD has seen sales rise at its budget Premier Inns and Costa Coffee bars, which will help it stay on target for its full-year forecasts, the company said yesterday. Sales at Premier Inns open for more than a year grew 8.7 per cent in the third quarter to 2 December. Occupancy rose to 80 per [...]
Whitbread profit fuelled by Costa and Premier December 14, 2010 Britain’s biggest hotel and coffee shop operator Whitbread said it expected strong profit growth in its current financial year benefiting from increased sales at its Premier Inn and Costa Coffee chains. Whitbread, which also owns the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurant chains, said sales at Premier Inn hotels open for more than a year grew [...]
Orchid invests £3.6m in Sky 3D December 12, 2010 The Orchid Group yesterday announced it will invest £3.6m upgrading all of its TV content to Sky 3D and Sky+HD. The move will see the technology installed in all 300 of its premises, which include Bar Room Bar, The Oriental Restaurant Group and The Living Room. Rufus Hall, chief executive of The Orchid Group said: [...]
OSBORNE’S AUSTERITY CHRISTMAS: A CHEAP TREE AND EMPTY RED BOX December 9, 2010 FOLLOWING on from The Capitalist’s report yesterday on what George Osborne will be collecting in taxes from you this season, readers might be happy to know that the chancellor will himself will be enforcing an austerity Christmas on his office. He certainly had a sorry Christmas tale to tell at yesterday’s lunch with the political [...]
Focus on Tunbridge Wells December 9, 2010 BISHOPS DOWN ROAD Price: £198,000 This one bedroom ground floor apartment is located within the development of Chartwell Lodge. The property is a short walk from the town centre where there are excellent shopping facilities, including the Royal Victoria Place shopping center and leisure centers. Facilities include a fitted kitchen and bathroom, a mirror wardrobe, [...]