Hamilton London review: Believe the hype, this American smash has all the makings of a modern classic December 23, 2017 Victoria Palace Theatre Believe the hype: there's plenty of it. Ever since Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-opera made its Broadway debut two years ago, it's been a cult phenomenon, catapulting Alexander Hamilton, previously America's most overlooked Founder, into one of its most revered overnight. Many Brits have been playing the soundtrack on repeat in eager anticipation of [...]
Barclays bPay, a £20 contactless pay wristband, given away for free in latest sign bank’s wearable has flopped July 19, 2017 Barclays has started giving away a contactless payments device normally costing £20 in the latest signal that its technology efforts have failed to take off. The bank is offering the bPay wearable band or key fob, used to pay for things with just a swipe, for free in a push to get them into people's [...]
LoveFilm backer Draper Esprit acquires two Seedcamp funds including a stake in Transferwise October 25, 2017 Listed venture capital firm Draper Esprit, which has backed companies including LoveFilm and Graze, today announced it has acquired Seedcamp’s first and second funds for £17.9m. Seedcamp funds 1 and 2, which include a stake in fintech unicorn Transferwise, were last valued at a total of £23.5m. Against the purchase price, this will give Draper [...]
A brave new banking world: How computer science shaped this company November 8, 2017 When I spot Anne Boden across the coffee shop, she beams at me. Even before she’s said a word, I immediately warm to her – here’s a woman who has spent 30 years working for the big banks, and yet she seems far removed from the stereotypical personalities you associate with the cutthroat finance [...]
Hotel Review: The Cary Arms & Spa in Torquay is a highlight of the Devon coastline June 10, 2019 Whatever they paid the marketing wizard who rebranded Torbay as the ‘English Riviera’ – where the Cary Arms & Spa resides – it wasn’t nearly enough. The name evokes images of sun-beaten beaches lined with palm trees swaying in the hot afternoon sun. Of ice creams melting down sticky hands, thick paperbacks with broken spines [...]
Everything Under Heaven: Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road could cement China as the world’s superpower October 19, 2017 “Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent,” wrote Mao Zedong in his little red book. With every crisis comes opportunity, he thought. The motto is as apt today as it was half a century ago. As an increasingly isolated America crawls from the world stage, the EU grapples with internal conflicts. [...]
Bricks or clicks? Rumours of the high street’s demise have been greatly exaggerated November 28, 2017 The way we shop may have changed markedly over time, but the nation’s appetite for shopping is as voracious as ever. This was shown, once again, in the frenzy around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, now important landmarks in the retail calendar. Early estimates suggest that spending exceeded £7bn. The fundamental shift has been driven [...]
Proptech startup Habito lands £18.5m to make mortgages digital September 3, 2017 A fintech startup focused on making mortgage applications easier has bagged millions more in funding from top investors. Atomico, the venture fund set up by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom, led the £18.5m series B round with existing investors Ribbit Capital, Mosaic Ventures and Revolutionary (ad)Ventures also participating. It brings total funding for the startup – [...]
“Apocalypse, tragedy, catastrophe” – Italian media reacts with fury to World Cup qualification failure as Gianluigi Buffon retires November 14, 2017 Legendary Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon said he was “sorry for all Italian football” as he announced his retirement from the international game in the aftermath of Italy’s failure to reach next summer’s World Cup. Buffon’s pronouncement was a typically grandiose example of a dramatic national reaction to Italy’s failure to overcome a 1-0 aggregate loss [...]
The Ford Mustang CS800 is modified by London-based Clive Sutton into a tyre-smokin’ super coupe. Tim Pitt takes the reins December 18, 2017 Eight hundred and twenty five horsepower. That’s more than eight typical Ford Fiestas, a McLaren 720S, Ferrari 812 Superfast or Lamborghini Aventador S. More than anything this side of a seven-figure hypercar, in fact. Hell, it’s even more than a 62-seat London Routemaster bus. Lucky the winter roads aren’t damp, then. Oh. Meet the Ford [...]