I’m a hotel expert. Here’s why I hate in-room technology April 17, 2026 At the newly opened Treehouse Hotel in Manchester, the rooms are designed to look like… well, treehouses. But the feeling of arboreal living was disrupted when I tried to order room service, which you must do through the TV. It didn’t work. I was no longer in a treehouse. I was in a hotel, unable [...]
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Old Vic: A blistering revival April 17, 2026 From his searing take on Othello at the National Theatre to his superlative Death of England cycle, Clint Dyer is one of the most distinctive voices in British theatre, deftly exploring and unpacking contemporary black culture. So it is perhaps unsurprising that the patients in his version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are [...]
The £4.2m CMA sledgehammer over drip pricing that is totally out of proportion April 17, 2026 There’s a particular kind of institutional vanity that mistakes noise for impact. It’s particularly prevalent in Whitehall and abundant especially in those – like many in our government today – who have only ever worked in the bureaucratic state or legal profession. The CMA’s triumphant announcement this week — it’s very first fine under the [...]
The golden boy: What we can learn from the late Henry Kelly April 16, 2026 If you’re of a certain age – by which I mean at least in your 40s – you may have memories of wasting afternoons watching the extraordinary Reg Grundy-produced Euroquiz Going for Gold. Its genius loci was an affable Irishman called Henry Kelly, a man whom you suspected of having a different brass-buttoned blazer for [...]
Original Factory Shop closes all stores amid collapse April 16, 2026 The Original Factory Shop has closed all 137 stores and its head office, after the retailer collapsed into administration amid growing industry fears over weak consumer confidence and high taxes. The discount department store was put into administration along with Claire’s Accessories earlier this year, as private equity firm Modella Capital said government policy was [...]
Hoo Hing: London’s largest Chinese supermarket defies sterling slump to return to profit April 16, 2026 London’s biggest Chinese grocery group has returned to profit, despite being hit by a weaker pound and falling revenue. Dagenham-based Hoo Hing Holdings was founded in the 1970s and has superstores in Mitcham, Milton Keynes and Park Royal. It posted a small pre-tax profit of £167,559 for the 12 months to the end of June [...]
Northampton Saints appoint board member after £2.5m fund raise April 16, 2026 Northampton Saints have appointed wealthy rugby fan Steve Zander to their board after he led a £2.5m fund raise earlier this year. Zander was part of a raise worth £2.7m which saw him take the majority of nearly 2m newly issued shares, representing 14.5 per cent of the Prem Rugby club. He will join the [...]
Dyson, JCB and Global Brands: The firms facing a break-up after Labour’s tax grab April 16, 2026 The government’s inheritance tax crackdown has sparked a wave of warnings from entrepreneurs. We list some of the biggest names to have spoken out in opposition to the changes. To most avid followers of current affairs, the Autumn Budget of 2024 will feel like a lifetime ago. Since then, Donald Trump has been elected to [...]
Dunelm shares slump after Iran war profit warning April 16, 2026 Shares in Dunelm have slumped after the homeware and furniture store warned its profits could dip as the Iran war damages consumer confidence. The FTSE 250 firm’s share price fell as much as 7.9 per cent on Thursday, to 789p, leaving the stock down more than 26 per cent in the year so far. The [...]
Legal sector hits £60bn as top City lawyers pocket millions April 16, 2026 Despite a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, the legal profession has solidified its position as a £60bn powerhouse, with top City lawyers bringing home multi-million pound pay packets. Law firms are experiencing their highest growth in more than 15 years, according to a new report by the Law Society. The average earnings for law firms [...]