Songbird Estates share price falls after £1.6bn Qatari takeover bid for Canary Wharf is rejected November 7, 2014 A £1.6bn takeover offer for Songbird Estates has been rejected by the Canary Wharf owner. The offer, at 295p per share, was made by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and US investor Brookfield Property Partners. The Qatari sovereign wealth fund already holds a 29 per cent stake in Songbird, whose investment portfolio is [...]
Architects of the future: How young designers are taking on space constraints, the cost of living and technology April 30, 2015 As property prices continue to rise and land available for development dwindles, architects and designers are tasked with devising ways to recommission and re-purpose spaces to make them suitable for modern life. Five architects and designers under 40 explain how they are taking inspiration from these challenges, and how they see their industry changing in [...]
Beautiful things: Stanforth’s Kibo bike and Vertu’s titantium and snake skin smartphone October 28, 2014 New bike company Stanforth aims to combine the rugged performance of a mountain bike with the style and accessibility of its city sibling; a cycle that can tackle the daily commute and also tour the world. The product of this philosophy is the lightweight Kibo, which boasts a rigid steel frame (hand built from [...]
Beautiful things: Glen Grant’s single-malt, Stella McCartney’s Linda Bag and Tiffany’s T range December 3, 2014 For the past half-century, Glen Grant 50 Year Old has been maturing into a single-malt of unrivalled richness and intensity For Dennis Malcolm, master distiller at Scotland’s Glen Grant, patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s a way of life. “Only time measures our pursuit of perfection,” he says, “Maturation cannot be rushed.” Malcolm was just [...]
Christmas quiz: Test your knowledge December 22, 2014 Deloitte’s chief economist, poses some of the trickiest questions of the year. How many can you get right? Answers are at the bottom. 1 The Louvre is the world’s most popular art gallery, with 9.3m visits in 2013. How many visits did people make to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida in the same year? a) [...]
Qatar makes £1.6bn bid for Canary Wharf owner Songbird November 6, 2014 Qatar wants to buy up Canary Wharf in a £1.6bn deal, showing the oil rich state’s determined interest in snapping up vast chunks of valuable and iconic London property. The deal would be one of the biggest property sales ever in the UK, and will extend Qatar’s reach over London landmarks, which already includes the [...]
From Cartier to Longines, women’s watches are being downsized September 23, 2014 How women’s watch dials are shrinking and why it gives us reasons to be cheerful about the future of the female side of the industry The papping of Jemima Khan wearing a Panerai given to her by her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant in 2005 kick-started women’s love of men’s watches. Grant and Khan’s relationship has long [...]
Marc Jacobs, McQ and Vivienne Westwood: Shop Direct lifts the lid on Very Exclusive launch brands September 12, 2014 My Wardrobe founder Sarah Curran has unveiled the details of her latest venture – a luxury arm within Shop Direct – and some of the brands that have signed up for its launch next February. Very Exclusive will focus on luxury women's clothing, footwear, accessories and beauty when it goes live during London Fashion [...]
Car review: The Morgan Roadster may be unwieldy, but it’s a joy to ride September 22, 2014 Sometimes life throws you a curve ball – my drive in the Morgan was one. This was no ordinary road-test; no private jet awaited at the Harrods terminal at Stansted, the London Morgan dealership simply arranged for a Roadster to be delivered to my home. The plan then was to drive 400 miles [...]
Fine watch show SalonQP arrives at the Saatchi Gallery November 6, 2014 If you’re a SalonQP regular, you’ll know what the fuss is about. Slowly but surely expanding in size and repute since 2009’s frayed-around-the-edges debut at One Marylebone, the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road is now precisely the sort of slick, spacious, yet exclusive venue that London’s watch fans (both curious and diehard) and SalonQP’s [...]