What does London smell like? The “urban smellscape” of cities, mapped June 9, 2015 There's a distinct and unique smell to the London Underground. Not the sweaty scent of cramped carriages but the whiff of earthy engines wafted through the platform by approaching tube trains clattering towards the station, or overflowing from below when glancing past a tube entrance. What is it that makes London smell like London? Or [...]
Beyond memory: Tomoko Yoneda’s first UK solo exhibition in 10 years June 4, 2015 Nothing in the zen-like spaces photographed by Tomoko Yoneda indicates the destruction that once reigned in them, but the titles offer a clue. In Lovers After the Thaw (pictured), a couple embrace in a swimming pool in post-Cold War Hungary. In Sniper View, a nondescript city-scape is injected with a sense of danger when you [...]
Surprise drop in top dog pay: Report shows FTSE chiefs taking home less cash in real terms August 16, 2015 Average pay packages for FTSE 100 chief execs fell in real terms over the course of the most recently-recorded year, according to a new report out today. Bosses at British blue chip firms took home an average of £4.96m in 2014, compared with £4.92m in 2013, according to the High Pay Centre think tank. Adjusting [...]
Bank junction facing second protest – and “die-in” – over cycle death June 24, 2015 Bank will be the scene of a second protest highlighting the dangers of cycling on London's roads on Monday, in response to the death of a young City worker this week. PwC employee Ying Tao died on Monday after being knocked off her bike by a tipper truck. That was the second death in [...]
New finance chief for RBS spin-off bank June 25, 2015 CHALLENGER bank Williams & Glyn has hired a new chief financial officer from New Zealand. Royal Bank of Scotland – which is set to spin off its Williams & Glyn business – announced yesterday that Leigh Bartlett would join the bank from Westpac New Zealand. Bartlett, who is British, has worked at Westpac for four [...]
Something for the weekend June 4, 2015 WATCH! MORE LONDON FREE FESTIVAL This weekend the More London Free Festival returns, bringing a varied programme of arts and events to the concrete amphitheatre next to the Mayor’s building. See everything from child-friendly adaptations of Greek tragedies to a French Riviera-inspired pop up restaurant. Visit morelondon.com PERUSE! MAP FAIR What better way to add [...]
Night Tube series: Top seven places to buy a house in London along the Jubilee Line September 4, 2015 With the Night Tube delayed for the time being, now is the best time to consider buying in an area that’s set to benefit from it. Research shows that when new transport links come in, house prices only rise once the trains start running so it’s worth taking a punt before the asking prices shoot [...]
Perfect Saturday July 2, 2015 LATE MORNING INDEPENDENCE DAY BRUNCH It’s Independence Day this Saturday, and to celebrate, Covent Garden’s trendy, New York-influenced Balthazar will be serving an American-inspired brunch including fancy hot dogs and Scotch beef brisket braised in barbecue sauce. Available from 10am till 4pm, call 02033011155 for details. AFTERNOON STIMULATION JOSEPH CORNELL The enigmatic and devoutly religious [...]
Green bank in profit for first time June 25, 2015 The government’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) moved into profit in the past six months, it was revealed yesterday — coinciding with the government’s decision to sell off its £1.4bn stake in the enterprise. At a London review, attended by chancellor George Osborne and business secretary Sajid Javid, the Edinburgh-based institution said it made a profit [...]
Ascot racers hunt their gear on eBay (but never on the cheap) June 17, 2015 ROYAL Ascot isn’t cheap. Tickets alone can cost thousands of pounds, and that’s before you’ve bought the hat. That’s why bargain hunters have got clicking on eBay for fascinators, fedoras and Philip Treacy millinery. The global auctioning site has seen shoppers swarming for their fashion essentials. Sales of fascinators and pillbox hats are more than [...]