London Report: British economy in fifth straight growth quarter April 27, 2014 BRITAIN’S economy is expected to show its continued return to form this week, with official data likely to show a fifth consecutive quarter of expansion. Figures due from the Office for National Statistics tomorrow are expected to reveal the economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the first quarter, despite worries that February flooding would [...]
Cavendish fighting fit in Turkey but Froome consigned to sickbed April 27, 2014 BRITAIN’S Mark Cavendish admitted his storming ride to win the first stage of the Tour of Turkey after five weeks out with illness surprised even himself. The 28-year-old had not raced since March due to a stomach virus, but showed no ill-effects to cross the line yesterday in three hours 15 minutes 43 seconds after [...]
Set-top box maker Pace on track April 24, 2014 SET-TOP box maker Pace yesterday announced that it is on target to reach its forecasted $2.7bn (£1.61bn) in revenue and 8.5 per cent operating margin by the end of this year. Chairman Allan Leighton, who is also the former chief executive of Asda, said that first quarter revenues were lower than in 2013 due to [...]
Focus on… Stratford: Stratford’s racing to the finish line April 24, 2014 EVERYONE knows that the Olympic Games were held in Stratford, east London, nearly two years ago, but few people know it for much else. It’s true that, since the opening of Westfield Stratford City, millions of people go there to shop – but how many are looking to live there? Despite the pre-Olympics hype, house [...]
Work in Progress: Five stars and fluffy foxes at The Shard’s Shangri-La Hotel April 24, 2014 SOMETIMES I find myself coughing on sawdust on building sites. This – along with hard hats and hi-vis jackets made for adult-sized humans (not five foot nothing ones that still get given Velcro shoes in bowling alleys) – is an unfortunate by-product of touring London’s most exclusive addresses and landmarks before they’re built. Apart from [...]
Same Difference can go one better in Sandown’s bet365 Gold Cup April 24, 2014 THE CURTAIN comes down on another jumps season at Sandown Park tomorrow afternoon and it’s as you were with AP McCoy and Paul Nicholls picking up the champion jockey and trainer awards. McCoy will take home his 19th straight championship trophy tomorrow – one of the most remarkable achievements ever in sport. Nicholls relinquished the [...]
A terraced street revolution could end London’s housing crunch April 24, 2014 IN EXCELLENT news for anyone concerned about London’s housing crisis, local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced that he is looking at how post-war estates can be more comprehensively redeveloped into “traditional streetscapes.” He got it right when he said that traditional streets “can provide more housing and commercial space using the same amount of [...]
Inside Track: Behind the scenes of the Pfizer and Astrazeneca talks April 23, 2014 IT WAS ever thus: investment bankers kick off the year talking up a economic environment ripe for throwing up industry-defining mergers and acquisitions. By Easter, they’re conjuring up myriad reasons why said deluge of deals has failed to materialise. To date, 2014 has done little to disabuse that idea. There are exceptions, of course, one [...]
Sky teaming up with Twitter for tweet-powered TV recording April 16, 2014 SKY IS partnering up with Twitter to embed buttons into its tweets that allow Sky customers to watch or record shows all without leaving their Twitter timelines. The so-called #WatchOnSky service will initially run on Sky’s @SkyHD and @SkyAtlantic Twitter accounts, marking the first time a UK broadcaster has used the technology. For example, when [...]
Bottom Line: Retail can’t promise to learn from mistakes April 15, 2014 YESTERDAY was a glorious, sunny day in London – clear blue skies with a hint of the crisp spring weather that typifies a British April. Lunching City workers donned light coats and sunglasses, keen to soak up the rays. But forecasters are already warning that Easter weekend could be a washout – retailers who’ve stocked [...]