At a meeting with investors Mike Ashley promised to upgrade conditions at Sports Direct warehouses to meet the standards set in factories in Britain the early 1900s. He made the pledge to shareholders after an employee named the Artful Dodger blew the lid on the company’s working practices. “It is clear that our warehouses need a complete overhaul so from now on we promise to live up to the progressive values and ethics of early 20th century Britain” declared Ashley....

Usually most people would do anything for their grandmother, but for one young man he would do anything to beat her! All is fair in love and war and politics it seems. 22-year-old Michael Davies is going to battle his gran Jenny Davies, 74 in a bid for a town council seat. Jenny has thirsty years experience in politics behind her but that has not worried her own grandson They will go head-t-head, with two other candidates on 15th September...

A certain level of culinary competence is, of course, a necessary element for a restaurant to succeed. But although the food is generally the crucial criteria associated with a perfect dining experience, often overlooked components such as service, ambience and décor are also essential contributors, and are sometimes just as important. Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern, fortunately, is one of the few London restaurants that manages to deliver on all four of these. The all-day dining menu is made up of...

Half of all Apple Lovers Ready to Reject Jackless iPhone The new iPhone 7 was launched today and does not feature a headphone jack. OnePulse, the UK’s opinion polling app, today revealed that almost half (47%) of all iPhone lovers are ready to end their love affair with Apple due to the iPhone 7 lacking a headphone jack. The poll, which was conducted in anticipation of Apple’s iPhone 7 launch, also revealed that consumers are becoming less excited about the new iPhone launches,...

A petrol head from Devon has completed a motorcycle road race in a jet-powered shopping trolley. Madcap Matt McKeown of Plymouth built his wacky racer – which has a top speed of 80mph – from an abandoned cart he found in a ditch. He bolted on brakes, go-kart wheels and a 150 horsepower engine from a Chinook helicopter before taking it for time trials. Matt first set a record of 45.5mph then made several tweaks and broke his own record by reaching...

London parks are under threat from local councils desperate for land to develop into privately-owned academies. In Hackney, which made billions from regeneration the past 10 years, the Council is steadily building on publicly-owned parkland in a series of emergency education measures. But schools are no longer simply community assets - through a combination of PFI and the Academy system, schools have become profitable enterprises. Haggerston Park is a case study that will culminate when a new Mayor is elected September 15th. The...

Strength: 4.2% Brewed: Albourne, West Sussex Based on a farm near Brighton, Bedlam Brewery prides itself not only on its quality ingredients used throughout the brewing process of their core range, but also on the environment. All of the energy that’s required for brewing comes from onsite solar panels, the brewery plant and harvest their own hops, and they also supply local farmers with free hops and spent grain in order to feed their cattle. As for the beer, all six expressions...

Creating good food isn't about being fancy. It's about doing the basic things well. Take a moment to consider some of the most successful food entrepreneurs (or fentrepreneurs) in the city. Pizza Pilgrims was started by two brothers who took a 'pilgrimage' to discover the true art of pizza making and have made a success of it because they got the fundamentals right. My oft referenced Parlour in Kensal Rise are masters of simplicity and rank among the best restaurants in London...

Jeremy Corbyn wants to impose a blanket ban on fracking in the UK if he is elected to become the next PM in 2020. The controversial energy extraction process caused minor earth tremors in the UK in recent years, and the policy was put on the back burner, but has see a resurgence of interest under the Conservative Government. However, the Labour leader is setting a green agenda for his party. He will close all coal-fired power stations, outlaw fracking...