Plot your watch shop route November 6, 2014 If some nifty wristgear features in your beloved’s letter to Father Christmas, you need to plan your shopping expedition with appropriate precision – easy thanks to London’s bulging watch-retail scene The Square Mile The Royal Exchange, Bank Probably the UK’s most luxurious shopping mall, REX has become a mini-hotspot of horology, thanks to the recent [...]
Lord Mayor’s Show 2014 route: Where to watch the procession in Canada November 6, 2014 With gleaming skyscrapers home to the world’s leading corporations, it can be easy to forget that Canada is rooted in centuries of tradition. That tradition will be on full display again this weekend during the 799th Lord Mayor’s Show. The event, which has endured Black Death, Blitz and Great Fire, is [...]
Something for the weekend November 6, 2014 WINTER BREW FEST Head up to Old Street for a pint or four at the Winter Brew Fest, where there’ll be live bands, hot food and, of course, plenty of locally-brewed beer to warm those cockles. Entry is £25 from winterbrewfest.co.uk or on the door, which also gets you a tasting glass and 12 beer [...]
Take a BOAT through green lanes: Byways Open to All Traffic are the countryside’s best-kept secret November 5, 2014 Most Londoners don’t drive for pleasure – quite the opposite; it’s a chore, a practicality, something to get out of the way as quickly as possible. But it needn’t be like this. For those in the know, there’s a way to seek adventure and discover corners of the UK that nobody has explored in decades, [...]
Go all the way with Beaujolais November 5, 2014 My least favourite date in the entire wine calendar is 19 November. It is, of course, Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the time when marketing men and desperate wine bar owners flood the Square Mile with cheap, nasty, pink plonk and try to kid us that it is something special. If I haven’t made myself clear, Beaujolais [...]
Studio Harcourt Paris’s photographs are coming to London: From Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano to Ingrid Bergman and Marlene Dietrich November 4, 2014 Despite the countless imitators, nothing comes close to the real thing. The dark, smoky glamour, the halo of light, the coquettish half smile that looks both effortlessly natural and made for the stage. The European equivalent of a star on Hollywood boulevard, in the 30s and 40s, a portrait at Studio Harcourt Paris meant [...]
What to do this winter? From The Hobbit to Guy Bourdin to the Merchant of Venice – culture for the colder months November 3, 2014 Yes, the weather’s taken a turn and yes, the clocks have gone back. But don’t let the cold temperatures and short days dampen your spirits; as ever, London has plenty to warm the cockles over the winter, with plenty of great plays, exhibitions and films scheduled for the end of the year. From [...]
Christmas top 5 November 3, 2014 Book ahead to avoid yule tide disappointment HYPER JAPAN CHRISTMAS MARKET Get the perfect Christmas present for the Japanophile in your life at the Hyper Japan Christmas Market. Following a successful exhibition earlier this year, the market will bring all things Japan to Kensington’s Olympia once again from 14 to 16 November. Adult tickets are [...]
Car review: The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster is a new breed November 3, 2014 The British classic may have Mercedes money behind it now, but it’s sharper and more powerful than ever. Aston Martin, which is rightly known for making beautiful British cars, nevertheless has one small problem. For far too long, its cars have looked, well, the same. The company’s employees and a small number [...]
Not convinced? November 3, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… FERRARI 458 SPIDER PRICE: £198,997 0-62MPH: 3.0 secs TOP SPEED: 199mph CO2 G/KM: 307g/km MPG COMBINED: 21.2mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Five Stars PERFORMANCE Five Stars PRACTICALITY One Star VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars PORSCHE 911 TURBO S CABRIOLET PRICE: £142,140 0-62MPH: 3.1 secs TOP SPEED: 198mph CO2 G/KM: 227g/km MPG COMBINED: 29.1mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN [...]