In pictures: VW has given its classic camper van a futuristic, driverless revamp with the ID Buzz January 9, 2017 Volkswagen's classic camper van has been a symbol of hippie-dom for decades now – but flower power types may find it hard to love its sleek new update. Forget snazzy new supercars – VW presented its ID Buzz concept at the Detroit Auto Show, which began yesterday, dubbing it a "multi-functional vehicle of a new era". The [...]
Laurence King, founder of the eponymous publisher, talks adult colouring books, soviets, Ezra Pound and anti-digital January 9, 2017 "We caused a shortage of felt pens in Brazil,” says Laurence King, founder of Laurence King Publishing, the creator of the original adult colouring book that sparked the recent craze. In 2013, the firm published the Secret Garden, illustrated by Johanna Basford. In the first two years, it sold 250,000 copies. “It was then we became [...]
Focus On Bayswater: Why Notting Hill’s overlooked neighbour is the next big central London investment opportunity January 6, 2017 Around any piece of prime central London, you’ll find a forlorn district on the outskirts whose fortune has improved immeasurably in recent years. Priced out of premium areas, buyers are increasingly moving to these formerly unpopular areas in search of space and affordability – and changing these areas in the process. Bayswater is a prime [...]
Long Weekend review: We brush up on our swing at this luxury golf and tennis resort in Marbella January 6, 2017 The Weekend: You’ll have to make some pretty tough choices at Puente Romano. It’s more than likely to be sunny, so you could build up a sweat on the tennis court, or on a lounger. Choose which pool to swim in, or go to the beach. Have a massage or a facial. And then you [...]
Exploring the Sardinian paradise of Costa Smerelda, Europe’s top playground for the fantastically wealthy January 6, 2017 Some places are just so beautiful, so unbelievably picture-perfect, so utterly, gob-smackingly Instagrammable, that you think, ‘if this didn’t exist, someone would have had to invent it.’ So I’m taken aback on finding out, on my first afternoon on the Costa Smeralda – one of Europe’s top playgrounds for the super-wealthy – that actually someone [...]
Holiday Homes: We travel to one of Spain’s most exclusive sports and leisure resorts to see how it’s been transformed to appeal to modern investors January 6, 2017 When La Manga Club opened in 1972, it was at the forefront of sports and leisure destinations across Europe. It took only two years to build the ground-breaking project in Murcia, south-east Spain, but it quickly became a celebrity hangout for sports and showbiz stars alike. Guests included Kenny Dalglish, Gordon Strachan, Juliet Binoche, Salma [...]
Opinion: Agents are turning into party planners to entice buyers and investors to buy new homes in London January 6, 2017 Last year marked a shift in the central London market. The buyers are still out there – only now they have a broader choice of new homes to buy. This poses a challenge for developers: how do you target a particular group of buyers with precision and make them remember your homes above all the [...]
In pictures: Bentley has just unveiled its macho Continental Supersports, the world’s fastest four-seater January 6, 2017 If your kids' looks of terror during the school run aren't abject enough, here's a manly new way to put the fear of god into them: Bentley has just unveiled its fastest and most powerful production model – and it's a four-seater. The decidedly macho Bentley Continental Supersports is the world's fastest four-seat car, it reckons. With a W12 [...]
Already thinking about summer? These will be the most popular tourist destinations of 2017 January 6, 2017 If being back at work is already getting you down, why not give yourself something to look forward to by planning your summer holiday right now? Staycations are set to be a big trend in 2017 due to the fall in the value of the pound, but Gatwick airport is confident that weary workers will [...]
Silverstone owners threaten to drop British Grand Prix January 5, 2017 Silverstone's management is threatening to drop the British Grand Prix because of spiralling costs of running it. John Grant, chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), owners of the racing track, has written to members warning of the "potentially ruinous risk" of hosting the loss-making event. In a letter, seen by ITV, Grant said he wanted to "preserve [...]
