US giant Ford criticised after Mustang sports car scores just two stars in crash tests January 25, 2017 US car giant Ford has been criticised by industry body Thatcham Research after its Mustang sports car achieved just two stars in official European crash tests. The Euro New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) puts all new cars through thorough crash tests and awards them a star rating out of five. Recent changes have made it [...]
Best Burns Night suppers in London: from the City to Mayfair, we find the best haggis, neeps and tatties January 25, 2017 Seven of the best Burns Night suppers: Don’t miss out on the most Scottish night of the year, with haggis and whisky aplenty at these top restaurants. 1 Lombard Street You can celebrate the life and times of Rabbie Burns right in the heart of the city with an extra special night at 1 Lombard [...]
Black Roe review: A masterclass in Hawaiian poke January 24, 2017 Hey, have you heard about the cool new thing? It’s poke, man, Hawaiian raw fish cubes in a spicy salsa marinade atop a sticky short-grain rice clod. Think ceviche meets sushi by way of bibimbap. You can hardly move for people eating the stuff, elbows jutted out, a bowl in each hand, frantically scooping it [...]
Focus On Catford: A ‘ripple effect’ from Lewisham’s regeneration has caused price rises in nearby Catford, say agents January 24, 2017 With each great regeneration comes an even greater ripple effect, so sayeth London’s estate agents. And so it is in Lewisham, where new developments and major infrastructure investment have already made the surrounding areas of Deptford and New Cross appealing to first time buyers. But now it’s the turn of Catford, where the Borough Council’s [...]
Property of the Week: Restaurateur Peter Langan’s celeb haunt turned 4-bed penthouse in Mayfair January 24, 2017 This top-floor penthouse moments away from fashionable eateries Sketch and Pollen Street Social has links to a historic restaurant itself and once hosted some of Britain’s greatist contemporary artists. Built at the start of the 20th century by Ernest George, the same architect behind the grand, red brick Royal College of Music, this building on [...]
Why I renovated a Victorian castle for my staff January 24, 2017 Star Wars cinema, tick. Gym, tick. Ice cave, tick. Library with secret door, tick. OK, they may not be essentials for an office space but when your office is a castle, why on earth not? For a company based outside of London, attracting and maintaining the best talent is paramount to our success, so I re-invested [...]
Why the UK is falling out of love with fashion: M&S, Debenhams and Ted Baker offer solutions to the high street clothing crisis January 24, 2017 In 2016, Britons were focused less on fashion, and more on enjoying themselves. We ate out and drank more, but spent less on clothes. In other words, we “shifted towards the experience economy”, according to Richard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics. “Since Brexit, the components within the economy holding up well have been consumer expenditure [...]
Property legal Q&A: What legal issues should I consider before I let a leasehold flat in a mansion block? January 23, 2017 Question: I own a leasehold flat in a mansion block and am considering letting it on a daily/weekly basis. What legal issues should I consider before doing so? Answer: The success of Airbnb and similar providers of short room/property rentals has increased significantly over the past few years, but there are several factors to consider [...]
Audi R8 Spyder review: The soft-top supercar threatening Lamborghini’s supremacy January 23, 2017 When did Audi become the ultimate ‘cool’ car manufacturer? It could have been around the end of the last decade, when the original TT was launched, along with the futuristic A2 compact MPV. But all this paved the way for 2006, when Audi launched its R8 supercar, along with bold claims about it being a [...]
Time to reconsider lunch? Experts have found chips can give you cancer January 23, 2017 First it was toast, now health experts have said well-cooked chips and other starchy foods could put you at risk of developing cancer. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning against a chemical called acrylamide, which is often created when foods such as potatoes, bread and root vegetables are cooked for too long [...]
