Snow in Paradise – Film Review
By Stephen Mayne @finalreel thefinalreel.co.uk The premise at the heart of Snow in Paradise, director Andrew Hulme’s debut film, is an intriguing one. Based loosely on the life of Martin Askew who broke out of crime by converting to Islam (he also co-writes and stars as Uncle Jimmy here), the film follows Dave (Frederick Schmidt), a petty criminal in London who turns to Islam after his actions create irreversible consequences. Hulme, having racked up a good two decades of experience...
Learning to create our own luck – Insights from the “Lucky Country”
By Peter Munro & Nigel Andrade Success can have two common bedfellows – hubris and apathy. Hubris - that everything unfolded solely on account of our individual enterprise and unique capability. Apathy - that nothing will really ever change for the worse. How did Australia find itself with one of the highest GDP per capita amongst OECD nations produced by an economy that has not seen a significant r recession in decades? One of the initial drivers of Australia’s prosperity...
How to Finance a Round the World Trip
By Steve Taggart Each year, thousands of people escape the rat race to take the plunge and travel the world. Some do it solo, others board the plane in groups, but all go for one reason: to experience something new. Whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in the culture of your chosen destination, or simply discover more about yourself, travelling will undoubtedly prove one of the best things you’ve done. But how do you go about funding your trip? The...
Home Is Where The Heart is
By Dr Stephen Fear, British Library's Entrepreneur in Residence and Chairman of Fear Group A home is somewhere we can be ourselves. Somewhere we can dress how we like, slob out on the sofa with an Indian takeaway, or watch exactly what we like on TV! Sadly this isn't the case for hundreds of thousands of young and old people across the United Kingdom. It is estimated by some that we are 200,000 homes short of the...
Does the British public now value the EU more than the US?
Chatham House’s latest report indicates that the British public believe that Britain’s relationship with the EU is now more valuable than its relationship with the United States, and that marginally more people would vote to remain in the EU than leave it in the event of a referendum on Britain’s membership. Last week the international affairs think tank Chatham House released the fourth edition of its ‘Internationalism or Isolationism?’ opinion survey in collaboration with the pollster YouGov. The survey canvasses...
Patriots win gripping Super Bowl XLIX
Sport News 24/7 By Sean Simara @Sean_FootyMad @TLE_Sport Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes and became a four time Super Bowl winner as the New England Patriots came through two weeks of controversy to beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. It was a fantastic game that was littered with drama throughout but for me, the 4th quarter demonstrated why the Super Bowl is such a great sporting occasion. At 24-14 going into the 4th it looked like a repeat of last...
The Millennial Attitude Towards Property
By Emily Maree, Creative Content Editor for Plentific.com Renting versus buying has always been a tough choice, never more so than the last 10 years. Many moons ago, our parents would have bought a property and are probably still at that address now - they’ve hung up their coats and they’re there for the long haul. However, Generation Y have a very different way of looking at property and the way they engage with it. Shorter attention spans and itchy...
A quick stop guide to Cambodia.
By Neil Kook Welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia. You have arrived, but where should you go? Opportunity comes from every angle and one should be selective to make the most out of this adventure. For starters one should explore Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Mekong, and the general Bessac Tonle Sap Lake, the capital becomes “The Pearl of Asia”, a hectic city, full of imaginative modern reconstruction which has managed to keep its architectural French heritage. If...
Creative break! Mallorca, creative writing, and Diane Redmond.
Belmond La Residencia Launches Creative Writing Retreat with Acclaimed Author Diane Redmond Creativity abounds. The village of Deia on Mallorca’s peaceful north-west coast has attracted poets, artists and writers for over a century. Famous British writers Alan Sillitoe, Robert Graves and D H Lawrence were all inspired by this artistic haven and now guests at Belmond La Residencia can follow in their footsteps on a six-night creative writing retreat. One of Spain's finest luxury boutique hotels, Belmond La Residencia’s twin manor houses sit...