WHERE TO DRINK May 27, 2009 NORTH:The Albion, nestling just off Upper Street, will make you forget you are in London. A massive, green beer garden and great food (it has won awards for its Sunday lunch) are topped off with a good beer selection, including Flowers IPA and Black Sheep.10 Thornhill Rd, N1 1HW. Highbury & Islington tube/rail. Tel: 020 [...]
Moving from TV green rooms to Parliament’s green benches May 26, 2009 YES JEREMY HAZLEHURSTBEING an effective politician is about getting things done. Too many MPs sit on the back benches for their whole careers because of a lack of ambition or ability. Joanna Lumley has shown that star-power can drive through change far more than a knack for patiently sitting through constituency surgeries and the support [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS May 26, 2009 DEAR VEXED: The expenses scandal has got me a little ruffled. Not just because of how MPs have been using taxpayers’ money. Mainly, actually, because I’ve been taking a few liberties with my own expenses – money’s tight and all. Now I’m scared of getting called on it and losing my job, to say the [...]
Peep toes and sky high heels make the perfect summer shoe May 26, 2009 WHEN the mercury rises you need to keep your feet cool and summery without forfeiting the professional look. This is hardly an onerous task, thanks to the wealth of Spring/Summer shoes that are both stylish and office-appropriate – simply cut, low on straps and made from good quality leather. Our favourite hot-weather shoes for the [...]
IT’S ALL IN THE TOES May 26, 2009 SHOES haven’t been this exciting since the glitter platforms of the Seventies. Ranging from gladiators to skyscrapers to espadrilles, there’s just about every fabulous colour, heel and fabric imaginable to indulge even the wildest Imelda-esque shoe tastes. Women have always loved buying footwear, probably because your shoe size tends to stay the same whatever your [...]
Preaching to the converted May 26, 2009 INVERNESS. Picture-postcard scenes. Cloudless blue skies and 26 degrees. It’s May. Added to that, there are miles upon miles of clear winding roads, the occasional switchback series of bends and rarely a building in sight. All in all, it’s not a bad draw for a weekday. BMW has also given me the key to a [...]
Boosting your immune system will help you make the most of summer May 25, 2009 TO the great vindication of blokes the world over, it seems that man flu may not be a myth after all. Research recently published found that oestrogen boosts the immune system, meaning that women are better able to fight off infection than men. Chaps, it seems, really do get iller and take longer to recover [...]
A futuristic “art” hotel in Poznan replaces room keys with iPhones May 25, 2009 I AM standing in the middle of a dark hallway, pressing an application on an iPhone that is not mine. While I wait it’s saying something in Polish, which I hope is “opening door.” Cha-ching: a bleeping noise and the sound of a lock decoupling. I push into my room. This is not your average [...]
Opera-themed restaurant in the City hits the wrong notes May 25, 2009 YOU can hire out Bel Canto’s opera-singing waiters and waitresses – who are liable to break into arias while you tuck into your foie gras – for private events. It may be a better way to enjoy their prodigious talents than visiting this ropey restaurant. If warbling waiting staff isn’t the campest dining idea ever, Bel [...]
OTHER PLACES IN LONDON TO ENJOY MUSIC WHILE YOU EAT May 25, 2009 VIVA VERDISitting just behind Tate Modern in Bankside, Viva Verdi specialises in wine, prosciutto, and other Italian delicacies. Regular musical events include jazz evenings and opera, including a live performance of the latter tomorrow night. 6 Canvey Street, SE1 9AN; 020 7928 6867, www.vivaverdiwinebar.com RONNIE SCOTT’SThe capital’s most famous jazz club and Soho institution continues [...]