Property market predictions 2017: From Brexit to tenant fee bans, we’ve asked London’s biggest real estate agents to look into their crystal balls December 8, 2016 2017 will see the rise of Build-to-Rent in London Mark Collins, chairman at CBRE Residential Throughout 2017, I hope that SME developers continue to be championed and encouraged by local government, as these housebuilders will play a major role in alleviating the housing crisis. Access to land and financial support as well as flexible planning systems [...]
Facebook’s review of the year: What were the topics we discussed online in 2016? December 8, 2016 What sticks out about 2016 for you? Is it the massive political upheaval? The incredible number of global superstars who passed away? Or Pokemon? In case you need a bit of help recalling the events of what's been a fairly intense 12 months, Facebook has helpfully revealed the topics that got the most attention online [...]
Ladbrokes and William Hill shares plummet as a cross-party group of MPs criticise addictive gambling machines December 8, 2016 Betting companies' shares have fallen after a group of cross-party MPs released a report criticising fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Ladbrokes shares toppled to a low of 112.02p in early morning trading before rising slightly to 119p, 6.37 per cent down. The drop follows a sharp increase of more than nine per cent yesterday afternoon. William Hill fell to [...]
Gotta catch ‘em all: how extreme collectors hunt down the world’s rarest watches December 8, 2016 In a thankfully deserted café near the river in Battersea, my acquaintance extracts an unassuming plastic shopping bag from a rucksack. From inside it, he unfurls 12 wristwatches, laying each one gently on the table; were the sole waitress present paying us any attention, she might think it a rather suspicious scene – even more [...]
Apple bought 9 startups in 2016. Here’s what they do December 8, 2016 Apple buys a lot of companies, but it doesn't talk much about them, making it hard to keep track. So we put together nine of its acquisitions reported this year. This list is not exhaustive, we know for sure some purchases have never been revealed. As expected, artificial intelligence companies remain the dominant category, but [...]
A small band of Remain useful idiots wrongly thinks Brexit won’t happen December 7, 2016 We have a problem. An odd little group of people – who make up with fervour and confidence what they might lack in numbers and logic – is presently touring the world of the commentariat. Unlike most Remain campaigners, principled and reasonable people able to accept a decision contrary to their will and move on, [...]
Have yourself an analogue Christmas: Vinyl outsold digital downloads for the first time last week December 6, 2016 It's going to be a crackly, scratchy sort of Christmas this year, after new figures showed sales of vinyl outstripped those of downloaded music for the first time since the advent of digital downloads last week. The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said £2.4m was spent on vinyl albums in week 48 of 2016, compared with £2.1m [...]
There are no excuses for City workers’ poor grammar and spelling: Proper use of English shows professionalism, erudition and class December 6, 2016 A recent study claimed that spelling and grammar among 16-year-old boys and girls taking their GCSEs is at its worst in 30 years. Spelling and grammar is also easily at its worst among grown-up men and women working in the City. By way of illustration, here is an excerpt from an email sent to me [...]
Interiors: Embark on a ‘tipples and trees’ tour to get festive inspiration from London’s hotels and restaurants December 5, 2016 Now the merry month of December is upon us it’s time to fire up the festive spirit and prepare to entertain descending hordes of relatives. But what to do with them? A Christmas-themed afternoon tea or a festive cocktail at one of London’s landmark venues is a surefire way to impress. This time of year, [...]
Hefty bill from counterfeiting and piracy costs EU £71bn and 790,000 jobs each year December 5, 2016 Counterfeit goods and piracy cost the EU economy a whopping £71bn every year, according to research from the European Union’s intellectual property office. More than 7.4 per cent of sales, totalling £40bn, across nine sectors are lost in the 28-country bloc due to fake products including handbags, toys, pharmaceuticals and alcohol, as well as music [...]