OUTSOURCING March 11, 2010 Q. What are the benefits of outsourcing for a small business? A.The primary benefit is cost, says Cathy Ryan, Director at Transformosys, a business consultancy that specialises in outsourcing. “It can cut operational costs as it is cheaper over the long-run than employing members of staff.” Ryan recommends that you only outsource back-office roles that [...]
Scorsese takes over the asylum March 11, 2010 FILM SHUTTER ISLAND Cert: 15 HHHII MARTIN Scorsese pays tribute to his hero Alfred Hitchcock in this creepy thriller that lays the atmosphere on with a heavy trowel, but doesn’t quite keep us as gripped as we should be. Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of Scorcese’s previous three films, is Teddy Daniels, a Fifties US Marshal [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS March 11, 2010 FILM GREEN ZONE Matt Damon and Bourne-director Paul Greengrass go to war in Baghdad. THE KREUTZER SONATA Danny Huston stars in this adaptation of Tolstoy’s novel. HACHI:?A DOG’S TALE Richard Gere stars in a true story of a professor and his bond with his dog. DVD AN EDUCATION Sixties-set coming-of-age drama, with Carey Mulligan on [...]
Bag yourself a leather satchel this spring March 11, 2010 1 Explorer satchel by Dunhill, £695, www.dunhill.com 2 Cavalry satchel by Aspinal of London, £395, www.aspinaloflondon.com 3 Jour Apres Jour shoulder bag by Berluti, £1,600 www.berluti.com 4 Men’s leather satchel by Austin Reed, £150, www.austinreed.co.uk 5 Travel computer case by Carolina Herrera, £780, www.carolinaherrera.com 6 Barnaby shoulder bag by Mulberry, £450, www.mulberry.com 7 Messenger bag [...]
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DRESS UP March 11, 2010 THOSE gorgeous gowns in the Oscars earlier this week got me thinking. If I had a lovely dress (obviously nowhere near Oscar standard) where would I wear it? Maybe the odd charity ball that comes up once in a blue moon or perhaps a wedding or the races. Isn’t that a shame? Why don’t we [...]
A haunting tale of cat and mouse as a child takes on a serial killer March 10, 2010 BLACKLANDS BY BELINDA BAUER Corgi, £7.99 by Zoe Strimpel EXMOOR dripped with dirty bracken, rough, colourless grass, prickly gorse, and last year’s heather, so black it looked as if wet fire had swept across the landscape, taking the trees with it and leaving the moor cold and exposed to face the winter unprotected. Drizzle dissolved [...]
OUT OF OFFICE March 10, 2010 LONDON ASSURANCE AT THE NATIONAL Dion Boucicault, the Irish genius of London theatre in the mid-19th century, wrote the hilarious London Assurance in 1841, creating in Sir Harcourt and Lady Spanker two of the great comic roles of the English stage. Starring Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw at the?NT, the action concerns love and [...]
Cracking eggs for Easter March 10, 2010 FLORAL EGG, COCOMAYA The chic Mayfair chocolate shop has come up with a rather eccentric egg, with a glittery surface decorated with a chocolate medallion embossed with the face of a Roman emperor and three little white marzipan rosettes, all nestled in a straw nest. The milk chocolate is rich and silky with a bit [...]
Put your foot down this summer March 9, 2010 WHAT’S the best way to experience the great British countryside? Some might say it’s in a country pub, with a flagon of frothing ale and a ploughman’s lunch before you. Others might say that it’s in a national park, enjoying a sandwich while perched on top of a mountain and surveying the spectacular scenery spread [...]
Embrace a world of adventure March 9, 2010 JAPAN SKI EXPERIENCE If you love skiing but are bored of France and fondue, then Japan can be a great alternative. There are now over 600 ski resorts in the country, and with annual snowfalls of up to 16m, the skiing is second to none. One of the most popular destinations, says specialist tour operator [...]