Focus On Acton: Ealing’s up-and-coming neighbour in London’s property market November 2, 2015 For years, Acton has been seen as the poor relation of more affluent or trendy neighbours like Chiswick or Ealing. But it’s a place of mixed perceptions that’s only going to go up in the world. The name comes from the old English for “oak farm”, alluding to the time it was a rural part [...]
Restaurant review: There’s more to Palm Court than afternoon tea, thank god October 29, 2015 If I could click my fingers and banish one element of our national cuisine, it would be afternoon tea. It’s a dreary throwback to a time when we felt the need to ape our social betters, in this case by eating wildly overpriced cucumber sandwiches. Its emergence is often credited to Anna Maria Russell, the [...]
Morrisons staff to sue after disgruntled colleague Andrew Skelton posted bank, salary and National Insurance details online October 27, 2015 Morrisons staff are planning to sue the supermarket after a data leak led to personal details of almost 100,000 employees being posted online by "a former colleague with a grudge". Bank, salary and National Insurance details were posted by Andrew Skelton, a senior internal auditor at Morrisons' Bradford head office, on data sharing websites after being disciplined [...]
TalkTalk and WPP pull index off Friday’s high – London Report October 27, 2015 A fall in advertising group WPP, while TalkTalk’s losses worsened in the wake of a cyber attack, weighed yesterday on the FTSE 100 as it slipped off two-month highs. The blue-chip index ended 0.4 per cent lower at 6,417.02 points, having risen 1.1 per cent on Friday to its highest level in two months. Commodity [...]
Small TV companies offer potential hits for angel investors October 26, 2015 The tables have turned in the UK television sector. Small TV companies and new start-up entrants are growing their share of commissions from the major broadcasters, whilst the industry’s big players have seen revenues slow or even decline. This is creating interesting – and so far overlooked – opportunities for investors. Whilst the so-called ‘super-indies’ [...]
EU referendum vote: Switzerland’s looming battle with Brussels could embolden Britain’s no campaigners for Brexit October 22, 2015 The tensions between Swiss banks and businesses and Swiss politics have been heightened as a result of the country’s parliamentary elections held on Sunday. They could also have significant implications for Britain’s coming referendum on EU membership. The big winner was the populist, anti-EU Swiss People’s Party (SVP in its German acronym), which is [...]
Transport for London: Uber and London’s private hire trade need new regulations October 20, 2015 On Friday, the High Court declared that smartphones used by some private hire drivers were not taximeters. This confirmed the view that Transport for London (TfL) has held all along. It was right to seek clarity on the matter at the High Court because, as the regulator of the taxi and private hire trades, we [...]
Mexico close to legalising marijuana as supreme court discusses allowing it for recreational use October 18, 2015 High hopes for the legalisation movement: Mexico could be close to legalising marijuana, as the country’s supreme court gears up to discuss the issue later this month. The supreme court will be discussing a proposal that would legalise consumption and production of marijuana for recreational use. Mexico has already approved medical use of the drug, [...]
Uber’s UK sales are soaring after winning a legal battle in the High Court against black cab drivers October 18, 2015 It seems court battles aren’t standing in the way of Uber’s growth. After Uber’s landmark victory over black cab drivers on Friday, there’s more good news for the ride-hailing app: UK sales are up tenfold in the past year. British turnover soared to £11.3m last year, according to data from Companies House. The app’s accelerating [...]
From Uber and the Night Tube to Megabrew and Amazon Fresh: Here’s what got us talking this week October 16, 2015 It was a week in which an eagle gave us a glimpse of its view of London. We learned how much fare dodgers are getting away with (and where are the stations giving them a free ride). And we discovered that, while spiralising is in, sexy pants are definitely out. Here's what got us talking this week [...]