A gourmet Tuscan break with a splash of luxury January 19, 2014 From fine olive oil and rolling vineyards to hunting for truffles in the forests surrounding San Gimignano, the heart of Italy is the perfect place for a foodie winter getaway ON MY second day at Castello di Casole, the concierge told me that an American tech supremo recently booked out the entire villa complex for [...]
Kingfisher falls after caution on French market November 28, 2013 SHARES in Kingfisher, Europe’s biggest home improvements retailer, slumped yesterday as it posted third-quarter profit at the lower end of forecasts and cautioned that its markets remained tough, particularly in France where consumer confidence is weak. The firm said yesterday there was no obvious sign of an imminent improvement in consumer sentiment in France, its most [...]
City Boy at Large: Can a booze-free spa break convert our cynical urbanite? March 2, 2014 He may be more at home in the Emirates Stadium but the Bedford Lodge gives our reporter a well needed break WHEN someone says “spa”, my initial word association-style reaction is to think of the Belgian Grand Prix. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, to give it its full name, is a favourite on the Formula One [...]
Premier League bids to hit £5bn November 12, 2013 War between BSkyB and BT for TV football rights set to escalate THE COST of broadcasting Premier League matches is set to soar as soon as next year, as competition over the coveted rights intensifies between BSkyB and rival BT. After Sky’s sports dominance was challenged over the weekend by BT’s knockout £900m bid to [...]
Insurer Hastings taps junk bonds to fund payout November 17, 2013 HASTINGS Insurance workers are on the verge of a bumper payout after management tapped booming junk bond markets and sold a stake to Goldman Sachs to fund a multi-million pound payday. Senior management at the company, led by insurance entrepreneur Neil Utley, and a large proportion of its 1,500 staff will share a payout of [...]
UK superfast broadband rollout reaching 72 per cent of homes October 24, 2013 NEARLY three quarters of UK homes are ready to receive superfast broadband, according to an annual Ofcom report. The number of customers using the superfast speeds has doubled over the past year, reaching 4.8m UK customers this year. “Superfast broadband is rolling out fast across the country, and 4G mobile will reach at least 98 [...]
Bottom Line: Crozier’s acquisition spree pays off as viewers rush to tune in November 19, 2013 WHEN BSkyB lost the battle for the next set of Champions League rights to newcomer BT Sport, little was made of the fact that Sky’s partner in the last bid – ITV – had also lost out. While its rivals were squabbling about football viewers, ITV was getting on with things; namely bedding in the string [...]
Sky chief to address Champions League defeat at City conference November 18, 2013 SKY CHIEF executive Jeremy Darroch will address the company’s take on the recent upheaval of TV sport on Wednesday, City A.M. understands, after BT recently won exclusive rights for Champions League football from 2015. Up until now Sky has played down the importance of Champions League content to Sky Sport, as accounting for only three [...]
The Long View: Our digital technologies prove that freedom is more than just a rallying cry January 16, 2014 FREEDOM isn’t just a rallying call, it is a practical way to transform the world for the better. Letting people make their own choices scorns the arrogance of narrow elites, preferring instead the riches found in every individual’s contribution. That seismic shift opens huge, untapped reserves of human potential. And since it starts by recognising [...]
Bottom Line: Roll the dice in the land of opportunity November 26, 2013 WHEN BRITONS think of New Jersey, their minds tend to drift to one of a few stereotypes: brash, drunk Italian-Americans (Jersey Shore); violent mafiosos (The Sopranos); or the long journey into Manhattan from its out-of-town airport (Newark). Yesterday it added to that list, by becoming the most populous US state to allow online gambling – [...]