Review: King Lear February 11, 2014 Sam Mendes’ recent musical production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory only really gathered pace after the interval. It was as if the director couldn’t be bothered with all the establishing stuff and was just waiting to get inside the wacky psychedelic funhouse that is Wonka’s factory, with all its potential for spectacular set pieces [...]
An electric car that truly electrifies February 10, 2014 The first electric city cars didn’t pass muster. Now, Volkswagen has finally given us one to get excited about FRANKLY, we’ve waited far too long for an alternative to the infernal G-Wiz. The original electric city car has been on London’s roads for a decade now, ferrying glum-looking owners for whom the zero-emissions dream was [...]
Not convinced? February 10, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… SMART FORTWO ED PRICE: £20,395 0-62MPH: 11.5 secs TOP SPEED: 78mph CO2 G/KM: 0g/km CHARGE DISTANCE: 62 miles THE VERDICT: DESIGN Two Stars PERFORMANCE Two Stars PRACTICALITY One Star VALUE FOR MONEY One Star RENAULT TWIZY PRICE: £7,595 0-62MPH: n/a TOP SPEED: 50mph CO2 G/KM: 0g/km CHARGE DISTANCE: 50 miles THE VERDICT: DESIGN [...]
Where to drink February 10, 2014 London has always been on the vanguard of multiculturalism, and that extends to venues to quench your thirst. Andina opened in Shoreditch and has already won a devoted Peruvian and hipster fanbase with its bar. Martin Morales, former DJ and music exec and founder of Soho’s Ceviche, has opened a restaurant inspired by Andean cuisine [...]
Father v son: who will master the snowboard? February 9, 2014 Ski fan Keith Perry swapped his skis for a snowboard at Les Deux Alpes to see if he could give his son a run for his money on the slopes THE FACT that I fall into the so-called “grays on trays” category – snowboarders of a certain age – should have warned me off. That, [...]
Review: Out of the Furnace February 7, 2014 One star Christian Bale may be the king of actorly metamorphoses, but his character in Out of the Furnace is just how I imagine he is in real life: dour, depressing and humourless. All of which are adjectives that apply to the film as a whole. Two hours of muscle-flexing, fighting and staring into the [...]
What’s ticking? watch news February 6, 2014 An exponential expansion for Patek Philippe on Bond Street Bremont and William & Son may be making Mount Street the watch district to watch, but venerable heavyweight Patek Philippe is proving that Mayfair’s Bond Street is still the place to be, and to be seen. Having secured an agreement with Watches of Switzerland’s Aurum Holdings, [...]
The City’s got a brand new leather bag February 5, 2014 Satchels are back in business, showing off great British craftsmanship at its finest ORIGINALLY made in the 17th century to help Oxbridge students lug their books around, the humble satchel has nevertheless made an unexpected comeback in 21st century London. The buckled bags hav always been a distinctly British success story, made with hardy leather [...]
Leaner, meaner but still not sexy February 3, 2014 Nissan’s new Qashqai ticks lots of boxes – especially for families – but leaves me feeling something is missing OVER the past three weeks, we’ve looked at some exotic cars – the Peugeot RCZ R, Audi A3 Cabriolet and Ferrari F12 Berlinetta – that do one thing very badly: storage. And, let’s face it, even [...]
Not convinced? February 3, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… FORD KUGA 2.0TDCi ZETEC PRICE: £22,395 0-62MPH: 10.6 secs TOP SPEED: 118mph CO2 G/KM: 139g/km MPG COMBINED: 53.3mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Two Stars KIA SPORTAGE 1.7 CDRI ‘3’ PRICE: £23,095 0-62MPH: 11.9 secs TOP SPEED: 107mph CO2 G/KM: 143g/km MPG COMBINED: 54.3mpg THE VERDICT: [...]
