Monthly Archives: December 2014

Houzz: the website that speaks the language of home improvement

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Six years after they moved to the United States from Israel, Adi Tatarko and her husband Alon Cohen were finally able to buy their own home in Silicon Valley. The problem, however, was that they could not tell the architects and designers they talked to what they wanted done to their four-bedroom property from the images that were in their head. “We didn’t have the right terminology,” says Tatarko. “Most of us are not professionals from the industry. We are not designers Read more [...]

Angelic Eating, Colin’s Restaurant Column, The Angel Hotel, Lavenham

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Angelic Eating, Colin’s Restaurant Column, The Angel Hotel, Lavenham  The Angel, LavenhamAngelic Eating, Colin’s Restaurant Column, The Angel Hotel, LavenhamSeasonal Greetings to everyone.Is Lavenham now the food capitol of Suffolk? In recent months the editor has sent me to review at least three very fine restaurants in that lovely village and I suspect there may be others…Aptly, as it was just before Xmas, he sent us to that beautiful historic market place Read more [...]

History made as raiders head to Deauville

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Clive Cox: runs Stereo Love, who was beaten at Kempton last month   PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)   France: Deauville makes history today when it holds the first French fast-track qualifier for the All-Weather Championships at Lingfield on Good Friday. The Listed Prix Miss Satamixa on the Polytrack has a full field of 16 runners chasing €52,000, with three British-trained contenders vying for a place in the £150,000 32Red.com Fillies and Mares Championship over Read more [...]

Team calls for Sheffield council to act to protect pub assets

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Campaigners who have lost scores of pubs from their community have attacked Sheffield Council’s record of listing them as assets. High Green Community Action Team says the fact the council has only approved one pub across the whole city as an asset of value is ‘ruining communities’.Buildings deemed as official assets of community value have more protection if the owner ever decides to sell them, as ordinary people are given a chance to buy them.Nationally, pubs Read more [...]

Plaka’s listed status under threat

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 Conservationists lament new laws loosening restrictions put in place 35 years ago Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis also added his voice, asking for the regulations to be withdrawn, saying that the measures aimed at ‘overturning fundamental principles of Plaka’s protection regime overnight.’ By Giorgos Lialios What were the reasons behind the decline of Plaka, the Athens old town, during the 1960s and 1970s? Was it greed, neglect, or just plain stupidity?The answer is not as straightforward Read more [...]

‘Landlord from hell means we’ll never invest in Liverpool again’

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Investors from around the world say they will never put money into Liverpool again after their experience of dealing with a city “landlord from hell”. They have been bombarding council chief executive Ged Fitzgerald with complaints about Nigel Russell, who runs a number of student properties around Liverpool. City leaders sold the Grade II listed St Andrew’s Church in Rodney Street for £1 to one of Mr Russell’s companies in 2010. Mr Russell had been jailed in the USA for passport fraud, Read more [...]

Hickling Hall fire: Grade II-listed home destroyed

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27 December 2014 Last updated at 15:29 Fire crews remain at Hickling Hall as embers continue to burn in the rubble An 18th Century home in Norfolk has been destroyed in a suspected chimney fire. More than 50 firefighters from across Norfolk were called to the Grade II-listed Hickling Hall, Hickling, at about 19:50 GMT on Boxing Day. Norfolk Fire Service said the three-floor hall on farmland Read more [...]

The Greatest Experiences of My Life

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Some time ago a friend of mine listed the 100 greatest moments of his life in a Facebook post. What a great thing to do, I thought. He listed 100 events with no commentary. I’ve decided to emulate him, but not do 100 (not sure I could think of that many!) but try to offer some explanation. It’s been quite an emotional thing to do in some ways, but it’s brought back some great memories, along with a few painful ones too. Not sure whether I’ll have the balls to compile a mirror post of the Read more [...]

Best of 2014: Opera

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When everything works – conducting, singing, production, costumes, sets, lighting, choreography where relevant – then there’s nothing like the art of opera. But how often does that happen? In my experience, very seldom, but not this year. It's been of such a vintage that I couldn’t possibly choose the best out of six fully-staged productions - three of them from our only native director of genius, Richard Jones, who as one of his favourite singers, Susan Bullock, put it to me, deserves Read more [...]

Fire wrecks Hickling Hall Grade II-listed building

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27 December 2014 Last updated at 10:28 The fire broke out during the evening A Grade II-listed building in Norfolk has been destroyed in a fire. Dozens of firefighters from across Norfolk were called to Hickling Hall, Hickling, at about 19:50 GMT. Norfolk Fire Service said the three-floor hall, situated on a farm, was "fully involved" in the fire. The cause is unknown. Roy Harrold, Norfolk's Read more [...]