The strange case of The Hundred: a North-South divide? January 1, 2022 Recently this country has been roughly split down the middle on, well, virtually everything. Opinions are polarised and if there’s a fence in the middle, we’re damn well not sitting on it. Summer 2021 saw a new concept dividing the nation. Sports fans, I give you the strange case of The Hundred. Unlike most cricket [...]
Best of 2021: Dune has masterful visuals and spellbinding performances December 31, 2021 It was never going to be easy for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. The director of Arrival and Sicario took on his dream project knowing full well that previous versions of Frank Herbert’s novel had infamously arduous journeys to the screen. Then came a pandemic, and Warner Bros’ decision to include this film as part of the [...]
Omicron onslaught: Number of Brits with Covid jumps by nearly a million to 2.3m while NHS staff off sick with coronavirus doubles December 31, 2021 An estimated 2.3 million people in the UK had Covid-19 in the week ending December 23, up from 1.4 million in the week to December 16 and the highest number since comparable figures began in autumn 2020, the Office for National Statistics said. Meanwhile, the number of NHS hospital staff in England absent due to [...]
Explosion in ‘London leavers’ buying up properties in the countryside with St Albans top destination for first-time buyers December 31, 2021 More properties outside the city were purchased by London-based home buyers this year than in any year since 2007. First-time buyers made up nearly a quarter (24 of Londoners buying outside the capital in 2021, according to the calculations from Hamptons. The estate agent estimates that, in total, buyers based in London purchased more than [...]
Best of 2021: McLaren on North America, NFT’s and Drive to Survive December 31, 2021 McLaren enjoyed a hot spell on the F1 track this year and in October, Matt Hardy spoke to McLaren about their Americas focus, NFTs and Drive to Survive. Originally published on October 22. Spanning five continents and 17 time zones, Formula 1 is a truly global sport. But with the expansion of the calendar in [...]
Best of 2021: West Brom and Wales footballer Hal Robson-Kanu on his health drink business, the Turmeric Co, and targeting more Euros glory December 31, 2021 Hal Robson-Kanu has represented Wales nearly 50 times and has played in the Premier League. Here, Frank Dalleres spoke to the 32-year-old about his health drink business and his Euros targets. Originally published 2 May 2021. 2016 was a breakthrough year for Hal Robson-Kanu, and not only because he scored one of international football’s most [...]
Jubilant South Africa lifts curfew as Omicron wave subsides rapidly with minimal Covid hospital admissions and Delta killed off: ‘Expect the same in other countries’ December 31, 2021 Optimism is growing rapidly in South Africa as the wave of Covid infections caused by the Omicron variant seems to subside as quickly as it came. Infections are down and multiple Covid experts have confirmed the Omicron wave is subsiding quickly. The government therefore lifted the months-long curfew last night, allowing South Africans to party [...]
Brits flocking to online retailers hoists UK spending above pre-pandemic levels December 31, 2021 Widespread take up of online shopping amid Covid-19 lockdowns has lifted consumer spending above pre-pandemic levels, reveal fresh figures released today. Brits spent 5.9 per cent more in 2021 compared to 2019, according to research from Barclaycard, which cover £1 in every £3 spent on debit and credit cards in the UK. The upbeat spending [...]
High hopes: airspace development could be the key to solve the housing crisis December 30, 2021 Brownfield development, which means building on derelict land that has previously been used, is increasingly taking centre stage when it comes to tackling the housing crisis. A package of £1.8bn has recently been announced for new homes on this kind of land. But less is spoken about the role for airspace developments – a sustainable, [...]
UK house prices accelerate at fastest pace since before financial crisis December 30, 2021 UK house prices have accelerated at their fastest pace since before the financial crisis, shooting up over 10 per cent over the last year, reveal fresh figures released today. The cost of buying a home in Britain hit £254,822 this month, the highest price on record and up around £24,000 since December last year, according [...]