Theatre review: Bend it like Beckham July 2, 2015 Phoenix Theatre | ★★★☆☆ New British musicals have had a tough time of late. Made in Dagenham sank without a trace earlier this year, despite decent reviews and an A-List lead, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Tim Rice both had new shows suffer similar fates the year before. Compared to the above, Bend [...]
West Ham: Westley denies Bilic disrespect following Europa League romp vs FC Lusitans July 2, 2015 West Ham academy manager Terry Westley denied that new boss Slaven Bilic had shown a lack of respect by choosing to watch his side’s commanding victory over FC Lusitans in the Europa League first qualifying round from the Upton Park stands last night. Read more: I want to take West Ham to Champions League, [...]
Work and plays: Meet Richard Bean, Britain’s most successful contemporary playwright July 2, 2015 When Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors embarked on its first UK tour, every morning the dramatist would email James Corden (the lead) with tweaks and extra lines tailored to whatever audience he was facing that evening. Oh, you’re in Birmingham, swap line X with line Y. Leeds? Make sure you say Z. This tells [...]
New beginnings in north London: Woodberry Down joins regeneration move June 25, 2015 Most of London’s council estates have been used in a film as an “edgy, urban” backdrop at some point. But Woodberry Down, one of the largest housing redevelopments in Britain, had the dubious honour of being used as a stand-in for the Warsaw ghetto in Schindler’s List. You may not have heard of it, [...]
Labour mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan wants to pedestrianise Oxford Street June 24, 2015 Sadiq Khan, a frontrunner for the Labour mayoral candidacy, has backed plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street as part of a campaign for cleaner air in the capital. He said he will turn the capital’s flagship shopping street and tourist attraction in to a one and a half mile tree-lined walkway, as he vowed to tackle [...]
Crown Estate returns £285m to public purse after record year June 24, 2015 The Crown Estate today announced another year of record profits thanks to the regeneration of its vast estate at the heart of London’s shopping district plus its growing offshore wind business. The Crown Estate’s net profit, which goes into the Treasury’s coffers, rose to a record £285.1m in the year to 31 March – up [...]
London 24 hour Night Tube: Seven ways London travel’s going to get even better June 22, 2015 The Night Tube has nearly arrived. After years of Londoners dreaming of being able to hop on the tube after a night out, it will finally become reality this autumn. Transport for London's new map shows exactly where travellers can hop on and hop off in this first phase of the Night Tube rollout, but [...]
A booming West End will be fatally undermined unless we pedestrianise Oxford Street June 21, 2015 Oxford Street needs to be pedestrianised. There is a growing consensus about this among traders, transport operators, and local councils. The question is when and how. The “when” is easiest to answer. The new east-west Crossrail line starts operating through Central London in four years’ time. It will generate a new surge of people coming [...]
London space race takes off: City firms scramble for offices as demand hits highest level since 2000 June 18, 2015 Demand for office space in the capital has boomed to levels not seen in 15 years, new figures show, as companies, spurred on by the improving economic environment and stability following the General Election, pick up their search for space. The amount of space under offer in central London leapt by 25 per cent [...]
Something for the weekend June 18, 2015 SING! BLUR IN HYDE PARK See the britpop quartet perform their full roster of 90s classics as well as some tracks from their well-received latest album. They never disappoint in front of a large crowd. Saturday, get your tickets now from bst-hydepark.com. FEAST! LOBOS TAPAS New Borough tapas restaurant promises to deliver a perfect blend [...]