When is the best time to go Christmas shopping? Here are London’s busiest days so you can avoid them November 20, 2014 Next week is expected to see the start of the Christmas rush with Black Friday on November 28 – a US import that was brought about to stimulate spend after Thanksgiving. Fast becoming a crucial part in the retail calendar, high street names such as John Lewis are predicting big things, with many [...]
The four horsemen of the chocolate apocalypse: Here’s why there’s a chocolate shortage November 18, 2014 Say it ain't so. Leading confectioners have warned the world could be about to run out of chocolate. In its annual results published earlier this month, Barry Callebaut, the world's largest chocolate manufacturer, said it had sold 1.72m tonnes of the brown stuff in the year to the end of August, an 11.8 per cent [...]
Green light for Battersea Tube extension November 13, 2014 Ministers have given the green light to a new London Underground station at Battersea, following plans to extend the Northern Line from Kennington, via Nine Elms. Both areas will get new stations, which will be open by 2020, at a cost of almost £1bn. The station will connect the regeneration area around the power station [...]
London housing market slower than rest of UK November 13, 2014 HOUSING market activity in London is now lagging behind the rest of the country, new figures reveal today. In the three months to September, the number of transactions in England and Wales was 15.4 per cent higher than the same period last year, according to LSL property services. However, the number of transactions in London [...]
Great Portland to start £500m building spree November 13, 2014 WEST End developer Great Portland Estates (GPE) said yesterday it would splurge £500m on its development pipeline as it looked to take advantage of London’s booming office market. The FTSE 250 property firm beat analyst expectations as it posted an 11.8 per cent rise in net asset value per share to 636p in the six [...]
Five things we’ve learned from Chelsea’s financial results: FFP is no big deal but Stamford Bridge is still too small November 13, 2014 Not only are Chelsea a table-topping team currently pulling away of all competitors, they are also rapidly becoming one of the Premier League’s best businesses. The current league leaders today revealed their financial results for the 2013/2014 season and they’re guaranteed to put a smug smile on fans’ faces. The west-Londoners revealed record [...]
Focus on Chiswick: Why are families flocking to west London? November 13, 2014 Many people seem to think that, between oligarchs buying up prime central London and renters occupying the trendy suburbs, the capital is becoming a place of transition. But there’s one place that’s defying that trend: Chiswick. This ancient country retreat, which was once part of Middlesex, is every inch the traditional London village. [...]
Northern line: £1bn TfL Tube extension to Battersea and Nine Elms gets the green light November 13, 2014 The extension of the Northern line to Battersea through Nine Elms was given the green light by the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin yesterday. Under the plans, the line will run from Kennington to Battersea through Nine Elms, meaning journeys to the West End and the City will take just under 15 minutes. Two new stations [...]
Is this the end of Tech City’s Silicon Roundabout at Old Street in Shoreditch? TfL plans pedestrian square November 13, 2014 A new radical plan for Old Street roundabout in Shoreditch, the home to many of Tech City’s startups, could transform the area into a pedestrian square. Made famous as “Silicon Roundabout”, Transport for London has unveiled plans to transform it into a pedestrian- and bike-friendly zone as part of £4bn road modernisation plans, effectively demolishing [...]
Sponsors ready to ditch Blades over Evans row November 12, 2014 SHEFFIELD United last night came under renewed pressure to cut ties with convicted rapist Ched Evans after two major sponsors warned they would consider withdrawing their support if the club signed the forward. Evans this week moved a step closer to rejoining the League One side, who he played for before being jailed in 2012, [...]