Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur: Cheers! Why occasional drinking can really lift your spirits December 15, 2013 DO YOU ever get sick of people banging on about the evils of alcohol? Health this, irresponsibility that. Let’s just, for once, ignore them and spend a moment recognising the wonderful effects of occasional drinking! Some of the most enjoyable moments of my life have been with friends when everyone gets slightly tipsy. Just the [...]
Springbok spicing up the wine market January 19, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks to Rowan Gormley, the South African taking on wine’s giants with venture Naked Wines THE DAYS of the wine snob – so brilliantly caricatured by Richard E Grant’s the Hon Simon Marchmont in the BBC’s Posh Nosh – could be coming to an end. It’s an industry long characterised by an assumption [...]
Mullins: a man on a mission February 19, 2014 LAST year’s visit to Ballydoyle remains one of the highlights of my journalistic career, but yesterday’s return to the Emerald Isle may just have shaded it when it comes to my racing bucket list. Since a young age I’ve wanted to visit the corner of County Carlow that Willie Mullins calls home – and a [...]
Dubai property group’s £1.6bn London flotation is delayed November 26, 2013 BANKS advising Damac, the Dubai-based property group, on its London flotation last night went back on plans to price the shares. The decision came after some investors said they wanted to know whether Dubai would be the venue for Expo 2020, which will be announced today. Advisers said there was sufficient demand to go ahead [...]
The Japanese taste for British and US classics January 13, 2014 WE LOVE a bit of sushi in the City, sipping sake at the top of the Heron Tower or sampling the latest sashimi in Roka – but it looks like our friends in Japan have reciprocated and developed a taste for all things western, snapping up British and American brands faster than you can say “sayonara [...]
Walking home for Christmas November 10, 2013 Help the thousands of ex-military personnel who struggle to get back into work by ditching London’s public transport, and making the final journey home before Christmas on foot TODAY, on Remembrance Day, we commemorate the servicemen and women who have given their lives in the line of duty. It’s also a time to remember those [...]
Pictures: Husky delivery service trialled in the City October 21, 2013 After Winter deliveries have been disrupted by adverse weather in previous years, same day courier CitySprint is now trialling a novel new delivery method in the City – packages via sled dog team. Trained huskies have been used in London today in an attempt to see if they could help minimise disruption caused by extreme [...]
Five reasons why delivery drones won’t take off December 2, 2013 The news is buzzing with hopes for Amazon's drone-based delivery service. But skies in the UK will remain quiet for the time-being. Here’s why. 1. REGULATIONJohn Moreland, a spokesperson for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems Association (UAVS), says that regulatory fears over drone technology still hold back development. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) wants all [...]
Christmas sales to be strongest since crisis October 14, 2013 Christmas sales this year are forecast to be the best since the pre-recession levels of 2007, according to a report released by Verdict Retail. Consumer spending is expected to reach £88.4bn in the fourth quarter, a 2.2 per cent increase from last year. Online sales are set to reach £11.6bn, a 12 per cent rise [...]
Internet sales boost results for Argos as Home Retail reports positive results October 23, 2013 Argos and Homebase parent company Home Retail has today announce a positive like-for-like sales performance, despite highlighting limited customer spending, owing to lessened disposable incomes. Profit before tax for the period was £14.2m in the 26 weeks to 31 August. (Release) Argos did particularly well when it came to sales via smart devices – internet [...]