Bursting bond bubble will destroy wealth on a giant scale January 21, 2013 ONE of the greatest risks facing the world economy is a wholesale crash in government bonds markets. Yields on UK gilts, US Treasury bonds and others are still much too low – and that means that capital values are too high (the price of fixed income securities move inversely to their yield). Given the extraordinarily [...]
Transport bosses invite buskers with the X Factor to auditions January 21, 2013 THE DIZZYING career arc of a reality TV music star often takes in a spot of busking along the way. But Transport for London has decided to turn the format on its head, inviting prospective London buskers to take part in a terrifying round of X Factor-style auditions to win a coveted spot serenading droves [...]
Action, culture, and food on the Cornish coastline January 20, 2013 THERE ARE some things that, on visiting Cornwall, just have to be done. Eat a Cornish pasty? It would be rude not to. Wolf down a calorie-laden afternoon tea of scones with jam and clotted cream? Why, yes. Stand gazing at the sky from a golden beach and say: “The light is so amazing here?” [...]
Helicopter tragedy: Why disasters are so thankfully rare January 16, 2013 AFTER a helicopter clipped a crane and crashed into a busy Vauxhall road yesterday, killing two in tragic circumstances and injuring a further 12, it’s only right that we pause our busy lives for a moment, pay tribute to the superb work of London’s emergency services, and be thankful for the miracle that there weren’t [...]
Colas wins London road deal January 15, 2013 A British-based subsidiary of Parisian firm Colas has won a £420m contract to upgrade and maintain roads, pavements, traffic signs, street lighting and road markings among others in central London. The contract, awarded by Transport for London, is for eight years and will start on 1 April. Colas is working with a consortium alongside Volker [...]
More snow on the way as cold snap hits London’s transport system January 14, 2013 LONDON woke up to the first snow flurries of the year yesterday, and more is forecast for today and later this week. The icy conditions caused delays on several roads into the city and speed restrictions on some rail routes. The Met Office has forecast more snow heading east across England today, expected to skirt [...]
City braces for snow and deep freeze January 13, 2013 LONDON has been put on alert for snow disruption as bitterly cold weather sweeps through the country this week. More than 100,000 tonnes of salt are ready to grit roads and pavements in the city, and Transport for London said it is working with Network Rail to brace the capital’s train system for snow and [...]
Full steam ahead: Old train chugs to Moorgate January 13, 2013 ANYONE unlucky enough to be travelling into the City yesterday morning may have noticed two loveable old relics at Moorgate tube station, an old steam train and London Mayor Boris Johnson. The 9.54am from Kensington Olympia to Moorgate huffed and puffed through the City as part of the celebrations to mark 150 years since the [...]
Forget hotels – live it up in the flat of your dreams January 13, 2013 If you’re on holiday, there are few places in the world better to hang your hat than a luxury hotel. But if you’re a regular business traveller, hotels can be a soul-crushing reminder that you’re a rootless member of the 21st century workforce, eking out your existence in a series of increasingly similar rooms, no [...]
As the Tube reaches its 150th birthday, should London love or hate its underground railway? January 9, 2013 LOVE Wendy Neville We should be proud of London’s Underground for three reasons: longevity, design heritage and innovation. It’s amazing to think that a transport service largely dependent on infrastructure over 100 years old runs so smoothly and efficiently to carry over 3m passengers a day. There are occasional delays, but the service is good [...]