Working lunch in Canary Wharf: Iberica, Cabot Square July 14, 2015 Our guide to the best places to eat during office hours in the City and Canary Wharf WHAT? Sophisticated tapas in a sparse, rustic setting. Think massive contemporary light fixtures and hunks of meat served on chopping boards. WHERE? A vast industrial space just off Cabot Square in Canary Wharf. It has [...]
Car review: The Range Rover returns bigger and better with the Autobiography LWB July 13, 2015 Land Rover built just one model prior to its ubiquitous Range Rover – the Defender. Tough as old boots and about as comfortable as a park bench, it had such impressive go-anywhere traits that, even today, you can still buy that same vehicle. Though not for much longer. The brilliance of the 70s Range [...]
Not convinced? July 13, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE S PRICE: £150,299 0-62MPH: 4.2 secs TOP SPEED: 203mph CO2 G/KM: 300g/km MPG COMBINED: 21.9mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Five Stars PRACTICALITY Two Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 PRICE: £143,725 0-62MPH: 4.9 secs TOP SPEED: 183mph CO2 G/KM: 254g/km MPG COMBINED: 25.9mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN [...]
Making the most exciting holidays even more thrilling: The weird and wonderful world of “alternative” safaris July 12, 2015 You don’t need to augment Africa’s resplendent natural beauty – its incredible wildlife, its stunning scenery, its famous sunsets. You don’t need to – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it anyway. Competition between eco-lodges and safari-operators is fierce, and many now offer a wealth of “optional extras”. So if seeing a majestic lion [...]
Art review: Soundscapes add new dimension to old masters July 9, 2015 National Gallery | ★★★★☆ “Discover a new way of experiencing paintings,” says the promotional material for Soundscapes, the new exhibition at the National Gallery. Such proclamations risk any soundscapes being drowned out by a cacophony of tutting from critics. “Do we really need a new way of experiencing paintings,” you can hear them imploring. “What’s [...]
Film review: Ted 2 is a barrel of silly laughs July 9, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★☆☆ It hasn’t been a great year for adult comedy. Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart collaboration Get Hard underwhelmed, while films such as Unfinished Business and Hot Tub Time Machine 2 had critics seething and audiences shrugging. Next up, Ted 2, Seth MacFarlane’s sequel to his $500m 2012 hit about immature Bostonian John (Mark [...]
Theatre review: To Kill A Mockingbird July 9, 2015 Barbican | ★★★★☆ When great books are adapted for the stage, a great deal can be lost in translation: a couple told me during the interval, for instance, that after seeing a stage version of To Kill A Mockingbird, their son spent a fruitless afternoon in the library looking for “Tequila Mockingbird”. There’s little chance [...]
Theatre review: A Number July 9, 2015 Young Vic | ★★★½ This revival of Caryl Churchill’s 2002 play takes place in a sealed glass box, the audience gazing voyeuristically in like scientists observing participants in an experiment. A man and his son (played by real life father and son John and Lex Shrapnel) are in a state of distress – they have [...]
Perfect Saturday July 9, 2015 BREAKFAST RIVINGTON GREENWICH The Greenwich-based sister restaurant to Shoreditch’s Rivington Grill is the perfect place for some hair of the dog TLC before the weekend really starts. The Bloody Marys are legendary, as is the lengthy house cocktail list. The best breakfast in south east London. Visit rivingtongreenwich.co.uk WAY OUT EAST HYPER JAPAN As you’re [...]
Chance to see David Hockney’s iPad doodles: The octogenarian artist fearlessly embraces tech to create fresh artworks July 8, 2015 David Hockney lived in California for most of his life, but moved back to Bridlington in east Yorkshire – where he grew up – in 2005. Returning home proved beneficial for his state of mind and artistic output. Having built a glittering career on the back of sunny, semi-abstract paintings of salubrious LA living, the Briton [...]