OUT OF OFFICE September 1, 2010 LES MISERABLES AT THE BARBICAN There can’t be many people left who haven’t seen Les Mis, but the Barbican’s forthcoming, brand new production might be the show to convince naysayers what a remarkable musical it is. Alternatively it might be grist to those who deplore stunt casting:?Gareth Gates as Marius? Meh. Still, for rousing drama [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY September 1, 2010 I’d so rather be on the beach than at work DEAR VEXED: I’ve just returned from a three week holiday and I’m swamped at work. Worse, I’m really not feeling like being here. It’s like I can’t remove myself from the beach, mentally. What can I do to regain my old groove? Larry, human resources, [...]
Tasty delights of the season September 1, 2010 For foodies and cooks, there is no better season than autumn. As a crispness enters the air, a cornucopia of colourful vegetables emerges from British fields. Not only is autumnal food delightfully vibrant, it tends to be low-fat and filling, full of potassium, Vitamin B, folates, calcium and zinc. So how to make the most [...]
Jaguar’s new lease of life August 31, 2010 IT might have been disappointing but it came as no surprise that there was no chance for me to test the maximum speed of Jaguar’s fastest XKR yet, even at Goodwood’s race track. Jaguar’s latest optional Speed Pack really turns up the heat. Underneath it’s the usual Jaguar XKR with its 503bhp supercharged V8 but [...]
CAR TALK August 31, 2010 PEUGEOT’S FULL HYBRID DIESEL This is the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 Crossover, the first full hybrid diesel production car. With its 2.0 litre diesel engine plus a 37bhp electric motor, the car can achieve up to 74.4mpg while emitting only 99g/km of CO2. When it’s launched in January next year it will run in four modes: [...]
Raising the steaks in the City August 30, 2010 Goodman City 11 Old Jewry, EC2R 8DU www.goodmanrestaurants.com Tel: 020 7600 8220 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £50 FOR some people – sensible people – no amount of fancy presentation, molecular menus, seasonal ingredients or painstaking taste combinations will ever satisfy the taste buds in the same way as a simple, well-cooked [...]
THREE OTHER MEAT-LOVERS’ HOTSPOTS August 30, 2010 GAUCHO SMITHFIELD Most people are familiar with Gaucho’s Argentine steaks and wine. The formula is so successful – a chain, but glamorous with a hint of the gourmet – that it’s expanding at a rate of knots. Now Gaucho has come to Charterhouse Street, adding to Farringdon’s thriving scene. For the unfamiliar, the beef and [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS August 30, 2010 FASHIONABLE COCKTAILS AT THE TRAFALAGAR To prepare for Fashion Week, the Trafalgar Hote’s ground floor bar Rockwell will be serving cocktails inspired by the season’s key looks. The menu includes the Nude Lace, with Mozart white chocolate liqueur, and the Pretty Poetess, with gold rum and cardamom syrup. Very now. £10 each. Trafalgar Hotel, Trafalgar [...]
Why your dream home may just be up in Scotland’s northern reaches August 26, 2010 THE number of holiday homes in the UK is on the rise, according to research by Knight Frank. After declining in 2008, the number of British second homes swelled 2.6 per cent last year and is set to rise another 2 per cent this year. So with demand once again on the up, buyers should [...]
FOCUS ON: WEMBLEY, HA9 August 26, 2010 CENTRAL APARTMENTS From £230,000 Ideal for first-time buyers, this new development comprises 113 apartments. All flats are open-plan and have their own balconies with views as far as the London Eye. Contact: St Modwen’s on 0844 371 1301, www.wembley-central.co.uk MIDHOLM £470,000 It’s in need of some modernisation, but this three-bed detached property is an ideal [...]
