French for “bend, turn, curve” March 29, 2011 VIRAGE is French for “bend, turn, curve” and we’ve been testing Aston Martin’s latest GT on the roads of Andalucia, roads so twisty, bendy and curvy that my co-driver has just been sick. Later he will blame my driving, but for now we’re trying to work out how to wash the vomit off of the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 21, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES HEDGE FUNDS TOLD TO ACCEPT HIGH TAXES AS THE PRICE OF LONDON LIFE Hedge funds should accept higher taxes as the cost of doing business in London and stop threatening to move elsewhere, according to one of the world’s best-known copper traders. Michael Farmer, a Conservative party donor who runs the near-$1bn Red [...]
Mike Ashley in clear after Sports Direct fraud probe March 9, 2011 SPORTS Direct yesterday said none of its employees were now under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office as it also gave details of a £220m refinancing package. In March 2010 the Competition Commission formally cleared Sports Direct’s acquisition of 31 stores from struggling rival JJB Sports and in October 2010 the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) [...]
Sports Direct in clear after fraud probe March 9, 2011 Sports Direct, Britain’s biggest sporting goods retailer, said none of its employees were under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office as it detailed a £220m refinancing. “We can confirm that no individuals connected to Sports Direct International are under investigation,” the firm, controlled by Newcastle United soccer club owner Mike Ashley, said on Wednesday. In [...]
THE M25 OF RAILWAYS GETS BORIS’ THUMBS UP February 28, 2011 THE M25 of railways: not the most illustrious description of a rail link designed to ease commuter congestion, but the one that Mayor of London Boris Johnson chose to use yesterday at the opening of the latest extension of the East London Line. Luckily he was referring to the new line’s aim to be an [...]
Are you ready to rumble? February 22, 2011 IT’S not often I get woken up to the deep rumbling sound of a flat-six engine firing up but it certainly makes a change from my 16 month-old daughter singing and it’s almost as delightful in its way, even before coffee at 7.30am. It’s the sound of a Carrera GTS, the latest in the 911 [...]
Sports Direct sees sales forge ahead February 17, 2011 SPORTS Direct said yesterday it would meet its target for full-year profit, with trading still strong after a positive third quarter. The firm, controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said total sales for the 13 weeks to 23 January increased 12.1 per cent to £416m. “Since the end of January, the group’s underlying performance [...]
Sports Direct to hit profit target February 17, 2011 Sports Direct said it would meet its target for year profit, with trading still strong after a robust third quarter. The firm, controlled by Newcastle United soccer club owner Mike Ashley, said total sales for the 13 weeks to January 23 increased 12.1 per cent to £416m. “Since the end of January, the group’s underlying [...]
SuperGroup chief taking on the world February 13, 2011 SUPERGROUP founder Julian Dunkerton is not a man to stay still for long. He says he will not rest until his über-cool brands are sported by trendy young things across the globe. Dunkerton’s usual working day starts at 8.45am when he gets to the office in Cheltenham, after having taken his daughters to school and [...]
Bale and Wahlberg fight for the top February 3, 2011 Film Review THE FIGHTER Cert: 15 THE FIGHTER is a snapshot in the lives of two real-life boxing brothers from Lowell, Massachusetts. Micky (Mark Wahlberg) is thoughtful, the wrong side of 30, and watching his dreams of Welterweight domination slowly slip away. His older brother Dicky (Christian Bale), is long-retired. Back in ‘78, he floored [...]