Button ditches the fast lane to promote life on two wheels June 30, 2015 Formula One hopeful Jenson Button took a spin around the Science Museum yesterday, not in his F1 McLaren Honda, but on a Boris bike. He was launching the Summer of Cycling festival promoted by new city bike sponsors Santander. Riders are encouraged to use two-wheels to experience the bank’s once-in-a-lifetime events. These include the museum, [...]
Does the Mazda MX-5 still deserve to be called a sports car? August 28, 2015 The Mazda MX-5 is the world’s bestselling sports car, but it’s never been the quickest. When it launched in the UK in 1990, it offered an enjoyable driving experience combined with top-down convertible thrills for the relatively inexpensive price of £14,500. But the MX-5 failed to move with the times. It cared more about being [...]
Strauss ready to name Bayliss as new head coach May 25, 2015 ENGLAND are set to appoint Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach after the Australian emerged as director of cricket Andrew Strauss’s preferred candidate to succeed the sacked Peter Moores. Yorkshire’s county championship-winning coach Jason Gillespie was believed to be the frontrunner for the position after holding productive talks with Strauss last week, but he [...]
Morrisons stays in the FTSE 100 as Aggreko drops out and Inmarsat is promoted June 3, 2015 Troubled supermarket Morrisons held on to its listing in the FTSE 100, while power outsourcer Aggreko was given the boot as part of the index's quarterly reshuffle. Satellite maker Inmarsat will replace the company, which in recent months has been hit by the strength of the pound. Meanwhile, a trio of challenger banks, including Aldermore, [...]
Labour has unveiled its London mayor shortlist: Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Gareth Thomas, Christian Wolmar June 13, 2015 The Labour party has revealed that six City Hall hopefuls will be fighting to become its candidate in next year's London mayoral elections. Frontrunners include MPs Dame Tessa Jowell and Sadiq Khan. MPs David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Gareth Thomas are also on the list, as well as journalist Christian Wolmar. The candidates would've had to receive a minimum [...]
Car review: On the road with BMW’s Gran Tourer – the people carrier that’s out to prove luxurious doesn’t equal impractical May 11, 2015 Remember those BMW ads with the tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine”? The Bavarian brand built its reputation on sporty saloons with straight-six engines and rear-wheel drive. Unfortunately, the 2 Series Gran Tourer falls short of being the ultimate driving machine. BMW’s seven-seat MPV is a stretched version of the Active Tourer that shares its [...]
Three tips for negotiating a win-win deal August 4, 2015 Start off with the low-hanging fruit and know your red lines In business, negotiation is not always a zero-sum game. By treating proceedings as adversarial and hostile, you risk walking away without knowing what you could have won. But with patience, strong research and a clear idea of your next best alternative, you can reach [...]
Apple Pay in the UK: Like not laughing at a Michael Mcintyre gag, resistance is futile July 16, 2015 When Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook revealed its physical wallet-replacement service last September, I recall a tut and an eye roll at yet another Apple product announcement. A form of contactless payment, re-marketed as a physical wallet-replacement service, would be with us this summer. Where's the innovation in that? In many ways Apple [...]
How the Eurozone could survive without building a European super state July 20, 2015 When the euro was adopted, British sceptics argued that it was impossible to have a single currency without a single country. They suggested that you need central control of fiscal policy to stop governments from borrowing too much. It was also argued that you would need huge fiscal transfers to depressed countries given that they [...]
Hotel Chantelle needs to earn its place on the culinary map August 26, 2015 Hotel Chantelle 23 Orchard St, W1H Tel: 020 7299 2522 FOOD ★★☆☆☆ VALUE ★★☆☆☆ ATMOSPHERE ★★☆☆☆ Hotel Chantelle is terribly exclusive. It has a bouncer, who is in charge of fastening and unfastening a red velvet rope, like you remember from nightclubs in the 1990s. It has a lady in a pencil skirt who stands next to [...]