Cement the Special Relationship with some American Whiskey March 30, 2021 Earlier this month the Biden administration announced it was suspending Trump-era tariffs on the import of Scotch whisky to the US, reducing the price of single malts for American consumers. If you wanted to reciprocate, there are many long-established American whiskeys you could purchase, but if you’re willing to try something new, your adventurous spirit [...]
What it’s actually like in Qatar ahead of the World Cup 2022 June 14, 2022 Before I touched down in Qatar, I assumed it was a nation of falconry, beauty pageants for camels, and endless amounts of money. Save for a sprinkling of snazzy, FIFA-approved stadiums, little suggests Qatar plays football. When I arrive I see no goal posts in parks, locals playing, or even “No Ball Games” signs like [...]
Visit St Andrews if you’re mad about golf, but make time for Kate and Wills nostalgia too July 18, 2022 Adam Bloodworth visits St Andrews, checking into the newly-refurbished Rusacks, the hotel overlooking The Open’s 18th hole on the Old Course Imagine waking up in your hotel room, pulling a jaunty yawn-stretch, opening the curtains and revealing the finishing line of one of the most famous sporting tournaments in the world. There aren’t many hotels [...]
Space-tech: Billionaire Bezos’ flight to space to draw in starry-eyed investors July 21, 2021 Following Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’ 10-minute venture into space yesterday, space-tech investment may be set to rocket, space-fund boss Mark Boggett has said. Just last week Boggett’s space investment firm Seraphim Space listed on the London Stock Exchange after rallying £178.4m from starry-eyed investors in mid-July. “Branson, Musk and Bezos initially cracked open the [...]
Brexit: EU ‘preparing for the worst’ as UK government scrutinises Irish Sea proposals October 14, 2021 After setting out new Brexit proposals to cut trade red tape across the Irish Sea. last night, the European Union is “preparing for the worst” as the bloc awaits the UK’s response, according to media reports in Europe. The European Union Commission has laid out measures to slash 80 per cent of regulatory checks and [...]
We should have scrapped BAME long ago, it’s meaningless and formalises otherness March 29, 2021 Scrap BAME as a term for minority communities, Boris Johnson will be told this week by the racial disparities commission. You can see why it was an attractive proposition for ministers and corporates: it’s an umbrella, a catch-all term for people who are not white. It sidesteps trying to navigate racially charged language which could [...]
The best ways to drink yourself silly in the Isles of Scilly July 8, 2021 St Martin’s Vineyard, a former flower farm, is now the only wine producer on the Isles of Scilly, making the Atlantic islands an outpost of modern boutique British viticulture and artisanal distilling. Run by James Faulconbridge and Holly Robbins, St Martin’s grows Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner, Orion, Rondo and Regent grapes, as well as smaller plantings [...]
Commercial rewilding: How businesses can make Britain beautiful again September 15, 2020 We were all shocked by the weekend’s exploration of the crisis of biodiversity by David Attenborough. Everybody wants to do something, and we know that rewilding is one of the best ways to reverse biodiversity decline. But when people hear the term rewilding they usually have an idea of golden eagles and wildcats being reintroduced [...]
The X-Files at 30: What I learned from rewatching every episode September 6, 2023 This week marks the 30th anniversary of the X-Files first airing in 1993. A global smash of almost unprecedented levels (the premier of the 2016 reboot attracted 50 million viewers), it left an indelible mark on popular culture. I still vividly remember hunching over our ancient TV set every Monday evening, obsessing about a show [...]
British gunboats will continue to patrol Jersey as French fishing boats leave May 6, 2021 Two British naval ships will remain off the coast of Jersey and patrol the waters, after a flotilla of 60 French fishing boats ended their protest this afternoon. Two armed Royal Navy boats, the HMS Tamar and HMS Severn, were sent by Boris Johnson last night to patrol waters around Jersey amid a protest by French [...]