Shopping in London: This weekend is going to be the busiest day in the West End for Christmas present buying December 11, 2015 Planning to go shopping in London this weekend? You're not the only one. In fact, retailers in the West End are preparing themselves for the busiest Christmas gift-buying weekend of the year. Shoppers are expected to spend £120m in the next two days – comparable to the £200m spent over the three days of Black [...]
Property of the week: The Fitzrovia apartment where Friends star Matthew Perry stayed while he performed in the West End is on sale August 3, 2016 Just one of the terraces in this enormous penthouse where Friends star Matthew Perry lived is bigger than the average family home being built in the UK. Measuring in at over 1,000sqft, the eighth floor roof terrace is the jewel in the crown of the apartment complex that Perry, who played sarcastic New Yorker Chandler [...]
Wanted for 2017: A leader with a strong moral compass December 21, 2016 It feels like 2016 is never-ending. As I sit here writing my final column of the year I’m looking at the news: 12 killed in a lorry attack on a Berlin Christmas Market and the Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey. In the last 12 months, the UK voted to leave the EU, Donald Trump was [...]
Edinburgh: a city of lights offering a box of delights December 6, 2016 The festive season is a magical time. Comforting childhood memories of twinkling city centre lights, carol singers and sipping hot chocolate mingle with familiar festive music and echoes of the butterflies once felt before meeting Santa in the local department store. Today, the hot chocolate might have been supplanted by a mug of warming mulled [...]
Here’s where London’s next cycle superhighway will be September 1, 2016 Cyclists, rejoice (and drivers, commiserate): there's going to be a new extension to London's cycle superhighway network, running from South to North London. Transport for London (TfL) said today it is going ahead with plans to construct Cycle Superhighway 6, running between Elephant & Castle and King's Cross. The plans involve widening pavements and creating more crossing points, it [...]
Goodbye Piccadilly: A short history of the Piccadilly Circus advertising billboards January 16, 2017 On only a handful of occasions in its 100-year history has the hotchpotch of billboards at Piccadilly Circus been intentionally switched off during peacetime. Most famously, when Winston Churchill died, and later, Princess Diana. The advertising space, recognisable around the world, is symbolic of the national mood; it wears black when we mourn. But today, minus [...]
New homes on sale this weekend at one of the tallest residential towers in Europe and a historic mansion in Hampstead September 30, 2016 South Quay Plaza, Canary Wharf From £695,000 The arrival of Crossrail trains at the latticed Foster + Partner-designed train station in Canary Wharf will be a “gamechanger” for the area, according to Berkeley Homes. That’s why the developer has chosen the business hub– and the station’s Sterling Prize winning architects – to create its tallest [...]
I’ll play on until 2018 World Cup and then quit England duty, says Wayne Rooney August 30, 2016 England captain Wayne Rooney has declared his intention to retire after the next World Cup but believes that, at 30, he can justify his place in the national team for another two years. Former skipper Alan Shearer was among those urging Rooney, who is England’s record scorer and has the joint-most caps of any outfield [...]
West End landlords club together to create business improvement district October 15, 2015 The lobby group behind London’s West End has unveiled plans to launch a new business improvement district (BID) run by the area’s landlords to oversee £16m of investment into the area. The New West End Company, which represents 600 businesses around Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street, is already a BID itself but funded [...]
Chelsea 2 – 1 West Ham: Slaven Bilic claims Diego Costa would have been sent off “nine times out of 10” after striker escapes punishment for Adrian challenge and earns Antonio Conte a debut win August 15, 2016 West Ham manager Slaven Bilic believed Chelsea were fortunate to still have Diego Costa on the field after the striker escaped punishment for a foul on goalkeeper Adrian before scoring a late winner at Stamford Bridge. Costa was free to rifle home in the 89th minute to give Antonio Conte three points in his first match [...]