London apartments with classic stylings December 2, 2010 ANYBODY who wanders through the West End for any amount of time is taken with the stunning architecture, but many don’t get the opportunity to stay in these wonderful buildings. The new generation of serviced apartments, however, offers you the chance. These are proving increasingly popular for those who regularly spend time in London for [...]
European classics still all the rage if you want a place in the sunshine December 2, 2010 IF you fancy picking up a nice cottage in the Irish countryside, or a villa in Portugal or Greece, then now might be the time to start looking. In the wake of the financial crisis most potential buyers were put off by uncertainty, but now the eurozone is in crisis and the pound is relatively [...]
A family theatre bonanza December 2, 2010 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, NATIONAL THEATRE A new version of the fairytale classic by Lucy Kirkwood, incorporating music, magic and puppets. The director is Katie Mitchell, who was behind last year’s enthralling Cat in a Hat. Until 4 Jan. Tickets from £10 from www.nationaltheatre.org.uk MY DAD’S A BIRDMAN, THE YOUNG VIC David Almond has adapted [...]
Children will fall in love with this evil alien December 2, 2010 Film MEGAMIND Cert: U EVERY superhero needs a supervillain to fight against, and vice versa. So when one defeats the other, what’s left for the victor to do? That’s the existential crisis confronting Megamind, a blue-skinned alien blessed with a huge brain inside his shiny, Mekon-esque bonce. His evil ambitions have the perfect foil in [...]
Stars in their pies: mincemeat magic December 1, 2010 WHILE turkey and Christmas pudding are held back for the meal on the big day, mince pies are the real staple of the festive season. People who wouldn’t normally dream of a mid-afternoon snack will suddenly find themselves gobbling down piles of pastry and fruity mincemeat, while every cocktail party and seasonal bash is overflowing [...]
OUT OF OFFICE December 1, 2010 ROMEO & JULIET AT THE ROUNDHOUSE After its highly acclaimed 2008 season, the RSC is returning to Camden’s Roundhouse with a ten-week season of eight productions. Kicking things off is Romeo &?Juliet (right, 30 Nov-01 Jan), directed by the prolific and brilliant Rupert Goold. Other productions to come include The Winter’s Tale, Julius Caesar, Antony [...]
2010’s Christmas book round-up December 1, 2010 BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS CRISIS ECONOMICS BY NOURIEL ROUBINI WITH STEPEHN MIHM Pengiuin, £25 More than just another me-too account of the crisis, Nouriel Roubini – often called Dr Doom for his Cassandra-like prophecies – gives a compelling account of the 2008 meltdown. He provides the lay reader with succinct and clearly written explanations of the [...]
A Lancer’s lesson in great value November 30, 2010 ACCORDING to a recent poll, BMW owners are the worst drivers on the road. I don’t know about that, but it’s interesting that on the M40, two drivers of BMW M-Series cars try to race me. Their moves are aggressive, predicable and stupid. But perhaps not as stupid as thinking that the car I’m in [...]
CAR TALK November 30, 2010 SNOW SOCKS FOR YOUR CAR Ok so the big freeze is here. And the British don’t generally take much of a Scandinavian approach to fitting snow chains to their cars, mainly because we just can’t be arsed. Luckily Vauxhall is selling Snow Socks for cars – a kind of motoring equivalent of non-slip socks – [...]
Snuggly ways to beat the brrr November 29, 2010 YESTERDAY was the first day this year when Londoners thought, hang on, this is serious. Well, if forecasters are correct, we’re in for a lot more days where stepping outside is painful, and getting out of bed agony. So we believe you should take steps, in the form of plenty of snuggly vestments. Here we’ve [...]
