TRAVEL NOTES January 29, 2012 See Ayers Rock by balloon for the first time While Uluru (Ayers Rock) is one of Australia’s best known monuments it has previously only been accessible by guided walk or camel. This is all set to change in March when visitors after a new arrangement has been agreed with the local Aboriginal Anangu people to [...]
Great deals meet a good cause in the Red Cross Christmas Market November 24, 2011 WHAT better way to get your Christmas shopping done than tying it in with a good cause – and a nice dose of history. Next week, the Red Cross Christmas Market at London’s Guildhall provides a fabulous, multi-dimensional chance to get the best out of the season, whether it’s art, craft or other goodies – [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 28, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES BHP BILLITON DIGS IN AGAINST STRIKING MINERS BHP Billiton has declared force majeure on exports from the world’s biggest copper mine, as a mineworkers’ strike entered its eighth day. The strike at BHP’s Escondida mine in Chile, which supplied 7 per cent of the world’s copper last year, comes in a month of [...]
Episode 10: Blood rises on Broadway May 9, 2011 The glass express elevator in the Corry Building descends from the 65th floor at what feels like terminal velocity. I close my eyes and try to breathe slowly. Ordinarily we’d be returning from a fortnight’s skiing at Lake Louise up in the Canadian Rockies at this time of year. But with Emma pregnant and advised [...]
M&S sales in surprise lift April 6, 2011 MARKS and Spencer yesterday lifted some of the gloom surrounding the retail sector with a slim sales rise – but the company warned that times will get tougher. The chain – which had been expected to report a sales slump – was given a boost from its food section. Overall its UK like-for-like sales rose [...]
Royal wedding to boost struggling UK shop sales March 6, 2011 DESPITE sluggish retail sales growth in February, next month’s bank holidays will provide a spring bounce for the high street, accountancy group BDO said today. Like for like sales were up just 0.3 per cent in February compared to the same time last year, the BDO high street sales tracker found. “With January sales and [...]
2011 is the year that London becomes the world’s best place to stay February 20, 2011 JUST when it seemed as though London couldn’t fit another slice of luxury into its five star-crammed hotel scene, along comes… well, everything. This has been a huge year for the capital. The completion of the spectacular £200m refurb of the Savoy sparked the buzz of excitement. Since then, Park Lane has seen the rebirth [...]
John Lewis sales stall again February 18, 2011 John Lewis JLP.UL posted a fourth consecutive week of lacklustre sales, adding to evidence consumers are cutting back on spending in the face of macro economic headwinds. The employee-owned group, which has been outperforming the broader retail sector for over a year, said on Friday sales at its department stores increased 1.4 per cent to [...]
CHALLENGE FOR CITY FIRMS TO GO OFF ROAD February 14, 2011 FOR frustrated finance workers who fancy themselves as a bit of a Bear Grylls-type come the weekend, CARE International’s Finance Adventure Challenge might be just the opportunity to show your colleagues what you’re made of. City A.M. is supporting the Challenge this summer, giving City professionals a chance to ditch the suits and prove their [...]
VALENTINES ADDING TO OUR TRADE DEFICIT February 13, 2011 THERE are no excuses for disappointing Valentines dates this evening who fail to produce a plush dozen roses: rose deliveries to the UK this year are at record highs. Virgin Atlantic’s cargo division has reported a 40 per cent increase in the volume of flower deliveries to the UK from Kenya, our main supplier of roses, compared to [...]