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, [...]
Christmas countdown: The best shopping destinations in London, from Tiffany’s on Old Bond St to the Hyper Japan market at Olympia November 11, 2014 London is renowned as one of the great shopping centres of the world, a constantly evolving playground for anyone with money to spend and time to spend it. Whether you’re looking for hip new openings – like those from Bally, Richard James and Hackett – or stalwarts that are guaranteed to come up with [...]
Ebola outbreak in west Africa: Spike in Sierra Leone infections suggests epidemic is far from being over November 11, 2014 A sharp rise in new Ebola cases in Sierra Leone indicates the epidemic has a long way to go before it calms down. On Sunday, 111 new cases were recorded in the country, which marked a significant increase from the 45 new cases reported the day before. In fact, it was the biggest daily [...]
Gherkin bought by Safra Group: Meet the Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire behind the £700m deal November 10, 2014 The City's iconic Gherkin has been snapped up for more than £700m by the Safra Group, the investment giant controlled by Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire Joseph Safra. Safra, which last month won a $682m (£430m) takeover battle for banana group Chiquita, said yesterday it had agreed to buy the 590-foot tower at 30 St Mary’s [...]
25 years later: Remembering the fall of the Berlin Wall November 9, 2014 This weekend, the world observes the 25th anniversary of one of the most historic events in modern history, the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall, erected by the German Democratic Republic of East Berlin in 1961 and fortified for nearly 30 years, was built to stem the flow of defectors from the Eastern bloc [...]
Theatre review: Made in Dagenham starring Gemma Arterton November 7, 2014 ★★☆☆☆ Adelphi Theatre If you ever wondered why Carry On Camping, Carry On Up the Nile and Carry On Up The Jungle were never followed by Carry On Second Wave Feminism, or Carry On Women’s Liberation, then watch Made in Dagenham, a new musical in which slap, tickle and gender politics make uneasy [...]
A slice of Detroit in the West End November 6, 2014 Shinola, the resuscitated brand breathing new life into the blue-collar artisanal skills of America’s heartland, has landed in the heart of the buzzy Carnaby Street shopping precinct. Situated at 13 Newburgh Street, Shinola’s full range of “utility luxe” (our term) includes everything from watches (from £410) to leather goods, journals and even a selection of [...]
Plot your watch shop route November 6, 2014 If some nifty wristgear features in your beloved’s letter to Father Christmas, you need to plan your shopping expedition with appropriate precision – easy thanks to London’s bulging watch-retail scene The Square Mile The Royal Exchange, Bank Probably the UK’s most luxurious shopping mall, REX has become a mini-hotspot of horology, thanks to the recent [...]
Take a BOAT through green lanes: Byways Open to All Traffic are the countryside’s best-kept secret November 5, 2014 Most Londoners don’t drive for pleasure – quite the opposite; it’s a chore, a practicality, something to get out of the way as quickly as possible. But it needn’t be like this. For those in the know, there’s a way to seek adventure and discover corners of the UK that nobody has explored in decades, [...]