Adventure time: Why every explorer wears a mechanical wrist watch March 2, 2020 There’s an old motoring adage that goes, “win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” In other words, as cripplingly expensive and vainglorious as motorsport can be, prove yourself successful on a race weekend (not to mention thrillingly glamorous) and you have no better billboard for the sporty road-goers populating your forecourt. It’s why Enzo Ferrari begrudgingly [...]
Office Space: Take a look behind the scenes of Amazon’s sprawling, 15-storey London headquarters at Principal Place March 2, 2020 There’s always money in the banana stand. Or at least there would be, were the bananas not being handed out for free. Each morning outside Amazon’s HQ in Shoreditch a fruitmonger dispenses complimentary bananas to Amazon staff, peckish commuters and anybody who cares to take one. The tradition was started by Jeff Bezos himself on [...]
The Invisible Man review: A brilliant self-contained horror story February 27, 2020 It is absurd to think The Invisible Man was conceived as a foundational part of a ‘Classic Monsters’ shared universe, the beginning of a franchise that might sit alongside Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The project was unveiled with a now-infamous, heavily photoshopped picture of celebrities including Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise, who were to [...]
A Number at the Bridge Theatre review: Caryl Churchill’s sci-fi drama asks what it means to be human February 27, 2020 A second Caryl Churchill play opens in as many weeks, with the Donmar’s production of political dystopia Far Away followed by this sci-fi drama, which somehow condenses more than 2,000 years of ontological philosophy into a razor-sharp 60 minutes. The two-man production opens with a father and son (Roger Allam and Colin Morgan, respectively) embroiled [...]
Is the flip-phone making a comeback? February 27, 2020 Cancelled due to coronavirus fears, Mobile World Conference was scheduled to be taking place in Barcelona this week. But despite the cancellation of the conference itself, the event continues to be the industry’s leading stage for product announcements online, with manufacturers who had been primed to reveal new devices instead turning to livestreams and remote [...]
Working Lunch: Wilder is serious food for serious people, but seriously good February 26, 2020 We pick the best places to wine and dine your favourite clients. This week: Wilder at Boundary London, Shoreditch WHAT IS IT? A new restaurant located in the bowels of Terence Conran’s Boundary London, which also houses Albion and that nice roof-garden you can never get into when it’s sunny. Wilder is located down so [...]
The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster is a supercar turned up to 11 February 24, 2020 What is your lottery-win dream car? In my line of work, it’s a common question at social gatherings, usually somewhere between “Should I buy a Volkswagen Golf?” (yes, probably) and before “Have you met Jeremy Clarkson?” (yes, briefly). Anyway, I’ll spare you the suspense, it’s the McLaren F1. Sadly, I need a Euromillions rollover to [...]
Last year’s attacks saw tourism to Sri Lanka all but vanish – but now it’s surging, thanks to a revived wellness industry February 21, 2020 Oil is slowly dripped onto my forehead as I lie on my back, feeling strangely relaxed. This is shirodhara, an ancient Ayurvedic treatment and part of my detox programme at Sen Wellness Sanctuary. Outside, the sound of monkeys chattering and waves crashing in the far distance add to the sense of tranquility. Our home for [...]
Working Lunch: Casa do Frango in Shoreditch is the posh Nando’s of your dreams February 21, 2020 We pick the best places to wine and dine your favourite clients. This week: Casa do Frango in Shoreditch What is it? If I were to say the words “authentic Portuguese piri-piri chicken”, chances are you’ve started salivating, like one of Pavlov’s greedy dogs, over the thought of a lovely, cheeky Nando’s. It doesn’t matter [...]
Interest in Milan is going beyond fashion week, as second home market booms in this chic ‘pocket metropolis’ February 21, 2020 This week, the world’s fashionable people descend on Milan as the city hosts the third of the four international fashion weeks. But the global crowd – and UK nationals in particular – are starting to show an interest in Italy’s second city that extends beyond the runway shows. Once known for being dull and industrial [...]