By Philip Benton 2014 has been a breakout year for men’s tennis with maiden grand slam winners Stanislas “Stan” Wawrinka and Marin Cilic completing the line-up of 2014 champions along with the ‘big two’ Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. In fact the U.S. Open final, contested by Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori, was the first grand slam final since the Australian Open final in 2005 which didn’t feature any of the ‘big four’ – Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray. The...

By Nathan Lee, Politics Correspondent  What happened to the days when the Premier League was just Manchester United and Chelsea, Mourinho versus Ferguson, red versus blue? The title would slide one way and then the other, the status quo occasionally disrupted by a surprising league or FA cup run but by and large you knew where you stood. But then Manchester became less about United and more about City, Chelsea came under threat from a once marginalised club on the south coast. In...

The long winding road that leads to Lainston House Hotel fills you with giddy anticipation from the first instance. Set in 63 acres of beautiful Hampshire parkland the hotel is housed in a 17th century country building that oozes grandeur. “I wish this was my house,” said Mrs TLE as we parked up, you and me both, I thought, as I tried to soak in the luscious green trees and hedges that swamp parts of the building, complementing the white and pink flowers that are...

By Steve Taggart Nobody likes household chores (well some do, but then some people like Slipknot) but they have to be done, unless you have a house keeper; then life is a breeze and you will have time to read this article, as someone else is tidying up. However, the rest of us have to keep their homes in order, well, unless you are a man who have found a range of tricks to get out of it. A new study...

By Harry Bedford, Music Editor  Taylor Swift is one of biggest selling recording artists around today. Her evolution from country teen to pop princess has been incredibly successful and her latest album 1989 is already the best selling album of the year. However, the charismatic 25-year-old has caused a little controversy in the music industry this week by removing all of her back-catalogue from the music streaming service Spotify. In 2012, she refused to add her album Red to the...

By Holly Carter, Music Reporter Last weekend Asaf Avidan played two shows at The Islington Assembly. Asaf is an Israeli singer-songwriter currently signed to the record label Polydor. He is well known for performing as part of Asaf Avidan & The Mojos but in 2012 he decided to focus more on his solo career which saw the release of live album Avidan in a Box. Throughout his career he has performed alongside and supported legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan,...

Thomson Reuters IP & Science has today revealed that its list of the top 100 most innovative organisations in the world contains no UK companies. The fourth annual Top 100 Global Innovators list has been released today with UK companies nowhere to be seen. The list shows that, while the French economy may have continued its sclerotic performance in 2014, the country is still home to seven of the top 100 innovators, down from 12 in 2013. Germany also outperformed the UK with...

Looking for a new work space, somewhere that is convenient and affordable? Or maybe just somewhere you can put your own stamp on? A converted storage container could be the answer. Space is at a premium in London, and high rents on office space can make it difficult for start-ups and small businesses to find the room they need to grow and thrive. Several organisations in the capital are already using containers to great effect, from Boxpark Shoreditch to the...

NYC & Company announces Taylor Swift as New York City’s Global Welcome Ambassador  —Yearlong Global Tourism Collaboration to Use ‘Welcome To New York’ from Taylor Swift’s New Album 1989 to Celebrate New York City— By Neil Kook I very much like Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has joined NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, to announce her participation as New York City’s Global Welcome Ambassador for 2014–2015. As part of the collaboration with Taylor, NYC & Company...