Glasgow’s Dakota Deluxe hotel review: a Hollister-hip new venture from the kingpin of Scottish hotels July 15, 2016 Steve Dinneen takes a break in his former hometown of Glasgow, where he finds a much improved hotel scene and restaurants that are as good as ever. The weekend: For many southerners, a weekend break to Scotland involves a trip to Edinburgh Castle or a few rounds at Gleneagles. And while these are both perfectly [...]
Why Mallorca is up there with Tuscany as one of Europe’s top retreats August 15, 2016 In the first half of the 20th century, Mallorca was a relatively poor island, its inhabitants eking out a largely pastoral existence. But the Balearics, which include Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera, boast some of the most stunning scenery in the world, especially the former, by far the biggest of the four main islands, which [...]
Beat the post-Eurovision blues with a trip to Stockholm, where these waxen ABBA nightmares stand in perpetual, staring horror May 20, 2016 Landing in Stockholm, bleary-eyed and frizzy-haired, I wondered if this was all going to be a bit too cool for me. People have got their act together in Sweden. They eat well, they look immaculate and everything they do is world-beating – from their achingly cool subtitled dramas, to their forward-thinking paternity leave policy and [...]
Fitzrovia cafe Caffix, which once sold everything for £1 has shut down to review its business model April 20, 2016 A pound shop cafe in swish Fitzrovia has shut down after almost 12 months as it has to review its business model. Caffix, which opened on Newman Street in west London last June, said it set itself a mission "to enable the people of London to eat fresh and pay less," charging punters in the area [...]
You can book a holiday with some Portuguese Water Dogs, and it’s amazing September 9, 2016 Most men I know who holiday in Portugal go for the golf. Quite a few ladies too. The Algarve boasts some of the lushest courses in the world. Sadly not all players are Rory McIlroy standard. There is a lake here on the scenic links at Quinta do Lago where one thousand balls are fished [...]
Enjoy a gin-fuelled long weekend at Bombay Sapphire’s Laverstoke Mill distillery June 1, 2016 A partnership between Bombay Sapphire and – improbably – the wine-heaped environs of the Vineyard Hotel in Newbury, the Bombay Gin Break is a package holiday designed with the more holistic bon viveur in mind. Arrive to complementary gin and tonics, then head to the very place they were made to discover just what it [...]
Leon and Wagamama lead the way as casual dining and pub grub drive new restaurant and bar openings May 31, 2016 Just when you thought you'd had enough, casual dining and food-led pubs are helping to drive new openings in the UK's bar and restaurant market. Entrepreneurial food-driven businesses like Leon and Wagamama, and the conversion of drink-led ventures into gastropubs by pub groups are helping to offset the decline in marginal sites. The latest quarterly growth figures from [...]
How to help your kids handle money August 3, 2016 Getting the younger generation engaged with money matters is more crucial than ever. The lot of today’s young is radically different to their parent’s, and being financially literate is an increasingly important life skill. “Teaching proper money management is possibly one of the best gifts you can give your children. It could save them untold stress [...]
Tate Britain’s Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979 is worthwhile if you’re prepared to work for it April 14, 2016 Tate Britain | ★★★☆☆ When you enter this exhibition, you’ll see a pyramid of oranges stacked up in front of you, giving the gallery a pleasant citrusy aroma. Go over and pick one up – this is allowed – and hold it in your hand for the rest of the time you’re there. You’ll want to [...]
Adverts selection: OpenX’s Tim Cadogan and John Murphy on why ad exchanges are a market for lemons and how to improve the quality of traffic September 5, 2016 In the eyes of OpenX, advertising has – or had – a distinctly economic problem. For brands and publishers which trade advertising space programmatically over ad exchanges, information asymmetry and adverse selection are all too common. “It's like a market for lemons”, says John Murphy, vice president of marketplace quality, referencing the famous 1970 paper [...]