Staying afloat in zero gravity is the way to beat City stress March 9, 2010 MY abiding image of floatation therapy has always been Absolutely Fabulous’s Edina Monsoon thrashing about ridiculously in a tank in her bedroom. I think she ended up keeping a dolphin in it. Back then, the idea of relaxing by lying in a puddle of water inside what looked like a giant plastic egg seemed just [...]
OUT OF OFFICE February 17, 2010 FASHION STILLS AT SOFITEL ST JAMES In honour of Fashion Week, Sofitel St James’s is hosting a photo exhibition, a poignant vision of the fashion world through the lenses of famous fashion snappers who have captured unique instants from the secretive world of haute couture, including behind the scenes shots at Dior, Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS December 21, 2009 CLAPHAM HOUSE Following a gloomy outlook from the restaurant group for 2010, Seymour Pierce yesterday said it pulled back its recommendation on the shares and is now taking a neutral stance on Clapham House. The broker had hoped a bidder would emerge for the troubled group, but without any suitors on the horizon and difficult [...]
OH, FOR THE DAYS BEFORE PURITANS WIELDED THE BUDGET BRIEFCASE… March 22, 2010 BUDGET Days, under New Labour, have become a decidedly austere affair in recent years – and not just because the public finances are spiralling out of control. Alongside bringing a battered red briefcase to the House of Commons, the incumbent chancellor is traditionally allowed to drink from a glass of his favourite tipple while presenting [...]
The Americans are coming to Battersea, and it’s no wonder February 25, 2010 WHEN do you know if an area is going up in the world? Normally an influx of luxury hotels and award-winning restaurants should be a good enough sign, but the arrival of the embassy of the world’s most powerful country might just trump those. The American Embassy may not be due to open in the [...]
2010 is the year of the big move to the country March 25, 2010 MANY who earn their crust in London dream of living in the country, and there are good reasons to make 2010 the year to make the move. While the property markets in the desirable parts of London have now fully recovered, with prices similar to those achieved in the 2007 peak, the same isn’t true [...]
Take the train to Chelsea’s smart river developments January 14, 2010 THINK of Chelsea and you probably think of the King’s Road, and the streets crammed with attractive townhouses between Sloane Square and Battersea Bridge. Travel further west along the river, and you reach an area that used to be something of a West London oddity –?around Sands End and Chelsea Harbour – but is now [...]
Live upside down in the cool new-look Battersea November 19, 2009 SOMETIMES the oldest ideas are sensible. But sometimes we just keep on doing the same things for no good reason. Why should the living room be on the ground floor and the bedrooms upstairs? Well, they aren’t at the Ipsus03 development in Battersea, where they have decided to “invert” the normal living arrangements. The properties, [...]
Imperial Wharf station opens September 29, 2009 Mayor Boris Johnson opened a new £7.8m Imperial Wharf station yesterday, which will serve Fulham, Chelsea, and West Brompton. The station plan was in limbo for more than 15 years before Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea councils agreed funding with developers St George and Transport for London last year. Boris says the new [...]
Imperial Wharf station opens September 29, 2009 Mayor Boris Johnson opened a new £7.8m Imperial Wharf station yesterday, which will serve Fulham, Chelsea, and West Brompton. The station plan was in limbo for more than 15 years before Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea councils agreed funding with developers St George and Transport for London last year. Boris says the new [...]