Fortress Twickenham breached: England in a dark, dark place Sport England’s 29-20 loss to South Africa was their fifth defeat on the bounce. Fortress Twickenham has been breached and Eddie Jones is up next for Steve Borthwick. If deep-pocketed disruptors really were to tempt more than 100 players away from their clubs to form a LIV Golf-style rugby competition as mooted last week, they’d be [...]
The banality of Welby Opinion Justin Welby has failed in his constitutional duty to provide moral leadership over the John Smyth abuse scandal. He must resign, says James Price Benjamin Franklin once joked that the only difference between Anglicanism and Catholicism was that: “the Church of Rome is infallible, whilst the Church of England is never in the wrong”. Revelations [...]
Wickes returns to growth but warns pent up DIY demand is easing Business Home improvement firm Wickes reported it had returned to growth over the summer today but warned its sales were likely to wane as pent up DIY demand eases in the coming months. The London-listed retailer reported a 2.1 per cent growth in revenue, or 0.4 per cent on like-for-like metrics, with retail revenue growing by [...]
Purplebricks boss: Rental market is ‘completely broken’ and is a ‘disaster for first-time buyers’ October 15, 2024 The rental market is "completely broken" and is a "disaster for first-time buyers", the boss of Purplebricks has said.
Travelex to be put up for sale after post-pandemic rebirth October 10, 2024 The chief executive made the comments about Travelex's sale plans in the latest episode of City A.M.'s Boardroom Uncovered interview series.
Pearl & Dean: Cinema advertising giant banking on Wicked and Gladiator 2 success after loss-making year October 2, 2024 Cinema advertising giant Pearl & Dean is hoping that the expected commercial success of Wicked and Gladiator 2 will help it return to the black. The London-headquartered business fell to a pre-tax loss of £1.7m in 2023 despite the boost provided by the popularity of films such as Barbie, Oppenheimer and Wonka. The loss came [...]
Gladiator II and Wicked set to drive winter boost for Everyman Cinemas September 25, 2024 Luxe cinema group Everyman Cinemas has reported a jump in revenue and earnings as it eyes a slate of big-ticket blockbusters over the next few months. The company reported revenue of £46.9m in its interim results, up from £38.3m in the same period last year, as the number of Brits heading to its cinema sofas [...]
Kingfisher shares soar: B&Q owner sales dip as customers shun ‘big-ticket’ items September 17, 2024 B&Q owner Kingfisher has reported a “resilient” set of results after a series of profit warnings last year, but weaker sales in France continued to weigh on profit. According to its half-year earnings for the six months ended 31 July 2024, sales fell by 1.8 per cent overall, to £6.75bn from £6.9bn, while gross profit [...]
The Critic review: Ian McKellen shows his dark side in twisty thriller September 11, 2024 After 25 years as a major Hollywood star, and many decades of stage success before that, Sir Ian McKellen shows no sign of stopping. Fresh from reports that he may play Gandalf one last time in the forthcoming Lord of The Rings spin-off The Hunt for Gollum, the 85-year-old stars this week in British thriller [...]
Wickes profit down by almost a quarter as sector struggles September 10, 2024 Profit at British DIY and home improvement retailer Wickes fell by almost a quarter over the past six months as sales slowed across the entire home improvement market. The London-listed company, which is headquartered in Watford, reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of £23.4m during the six months ending 29 June, 2024, down just under 25 [...]