Brompton Electric review: The iconic folding bike gains a motor, but loses some portability along the way September 27, 2018 The Brompton is a magical object. The most popular bike in Britain, it appears to defy several laws of physics when it folds in on itself, collapsing like a neutron star into the size of something approaching a sugar cube. The compact format of a Brompton means it can go places other bicycles aren’t allowed, [...]
Exit the King: The National Theatre’s production of Ionesco’s absurdist drama wanders but the journey is worth it September 27, 2018 First performed in 1962, Exit The King is a tragic comedy about a clownish, centuries old despot who once held dominion over nature itself, but is forced to rapidly come to terms with his imminent death, his waning powers and his shrivelling kingdom. A great crack runs down the castle wall. Ministers are falling [...]
Working Lunch: Gunpowder Tower Bridge brings its flavour-packed Indian food south of the river September 26, 2018 GUNPOWDER TOWER BRIDGE, SE1 WHAT IS IT? It’s the second outpost of Gunpowder, a critically-acclaimed Indian restaurant that opened in a tiny space in Spitalfields in 2015. The new one joins the Bridge Theatre and a new branch of The Ivy brasserie at One Tower Bridge, the glassy part of the South Bank next to [...]
They’re already a way of life for tens of thousands of people, but are water cities the answer to climate change, rising sea levels and the housing crisis? September 25, 2018 How do you solve a problem like the Houses of Parliament? The neo-Gothic palace, parts of which are nearly a thousand years old, is crumbling and MPs voted recently to decant to another building for around six years – most likely to nearby Whitehall – while refurbishment works are carried out. So far, so [...]
The story behind the steady rise of ethical homeware and why it’s the next frontier in sustainable shopping September 25, 2018 Did you know that the global fashion industry is on track to consume over a quarter of the world’s annual carbon allowance by 2050? Stella McCartney does and she’s been travelling the world with sailing wonderwoman Dame Ellen MacArthur shouting about it for the last couple of years now. Perhaps that’s why so many [...]
Grotta Giusti review: Spa harder by spelunking deep underground into a network of hot, rejuvenating caves September 25, 2018 As if hearty Italian cuisine, elegant rooms and innovative cocktails were not enough, this historic villa in overlooked Lucca, Tuscany, has a spa that’s so out of this world it’ll take you to Heaven and back. Set in a series of underground caves, it will add a whole new dimension to your downward dog. With [...]
Kanye West, rap’s most enigmatic star, has dreams of making affordable, brutalist homes September 24, 2018 The students were a combination of shocked and awed when their lecturer jumped on top of a desk and cried, “The world can be saved through design!” It could have been a scene from 1989’s Dead Poets Society, but in fact it was an overexcited Kanye West taking a class at Harvard Graduate School of [...]
Simon Miller heads to Les Menuires in Savoie, and finds there’s nothing sedate about skiing with the kids September 24, 2018 Reberty is an upmarket suburb of Les Menuires. Its timber buildings are in stark contrast to the now protected, brutalist architecture of the surrounding areas, and its these classic alpine touches that lend a touch of class to this corner of the mountains. Contributing to this touch of class are the chalets run by Powder [...]
How to Mix: The Ned’s Breakfast at Emily’s cocktail is the wake up call you deserve September 24, 2018 It’s fine to drink a cocktail at breakfast. Every culture does it. We Brits love a Bloody Mary, while the Italians prefer a Bellini and the Spanish sip a Mimosa. But over at The Library Bar, the newest watering hole to open at City-based behemoth The Ned, they’re creating their own brunch beverages. The cosy [...]
Opinion: How do you know when you’ve got a terrible property managing agent and what do you need to do about it? September 24, 2018 It’s fewer than 100 days until Christmas so now’s the time to ask Santa to bring you better estate managers for 2019. The process of changing agents tends to take at least three months, which is a long time to put up with under-performance but if you start now, you and your neighbours could start [...]
