England stun Spain and and show that World Cup run was no fluke October 15, 2018 So, it wasn’t a dream after all. At times during the last three months we have had cause to wonder whether the World Cup really happened, whether England really did rediscover their swagger and a place at international football’s top table, as Gareth Southgate’s team made a stuttering start to the Nations League. Tonight in [...]
Day in the life: Long-distance runner Jo Pavey on her dreams competing at a sixth Olympics and training as a busy mum October 15, 2018 I’m training very hard at the moment. My next race is the Great South Run on 21 October and I’m looking forward to getting back racing because I had a bit of time out in the summer due to an injury. My long-term plan is to reach a sixth Olympics. It might seem unrealistic because [...]
London developer Galliard invests £500m in new Birmingham homes October 15, 2018 London property developer Galliard has embarked on a £500m joint venture project in Birmingham amid efforts to expand beyond the capital’s subdued housing market. In its first Midlands project, Galliard has purchased a portfolio of new developments in partnership with regional developer Apsley House Capital, in a bid to tap into Birmingham’s growing popularity among young couples and first-time buyers. [...]
Speaker John Bercow ‘must quit’ over damning report into parliamentary bullying October 15, 2018 Commons speaker John Bercow needs to quit in order for widespread bullying and harassment in parliament to be properly dealt with, a damning report has suggested. An investigation into working life in parliament found bullying and sexual harassment has been allowed to “thrive” thanks to a culture of tolerance and concealment “cascading from the top [...]
British support for the House of Saud cannot be unconditional October 15, 2018 When Theresa May welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Downing Street earlier this year, an official statement declared that the two countries would work together to promote “universal human rights.” At the time, this form of words jarred with the reality of life in the oil rich kingdom. Today, in the aftermath [...]
Spain v England: Gareth Southgate could use a Nations League win to revive World Cup feel-good factor October 14, 2018 Three months ago, as England sweltered in its endless summer, the nation was giddy at the prospect of a World Cup semi-final and Gareth Southgate was enjoying his unlikely ascension to the status of national treasure. Five matches on, the Three Lions have mustered just one more win and are in real danger of being [...]
The unspoilt ski slopes of Gudauri in Georgia are Europe’s best kept secret October 12, 2018 The Georgian Military Highway winds its way from Tbilisi towards the Russian border, passing UNESCO churches, scenic reservoirs, and the somewhat over optimistically named Friendship Monument, a late 1980s celebration of Georgian-Soviet relations. As the road climbs higher, the forests cloaking the slopes grow thinner until you emerge above the treeline and they’re replaced completely [...]
London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey faces fresh wave of criticism over teenage pregnancy remarks October 12, 2018 Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has faced fresh criticism after comments he made about contraception and teenage pregnancy came to light this week. Bailey said that the act of giving young people access to condoms and abortion services "normalise[s] sex" and pushes them towards a life of crime. "You have had local authorities up and [...]
What wicked rugs we weave: Anni Albers at the Tate Modern is a retrospective of modernism’s forgotten pioneer October 11, 2018 Born in Berlin in 1899, Anni Albers was a pioneer of the textile art movement. A weaver, designer, writer and printmaker, she trained at the Bauhaus, where she explored the possibilities of bringing weaving into the modernist project. She later became a teacher at the legendary Black Mountain College, where her work sought to redefine [...]
I’m Not Running at the National Theatre: David Hare’s political drama misses the mark October 11, 2018 With 17 original plays debuting at the National Theatre, screenwriting credits that include The Hours and The Reader, a steady stream of writer/director gigs for the BBC, and a knighthood, we may have to start referring to David Hare by that most patronising of titles: the national treasure. His latest play, I’m Not Running, centres [...]