sleeperz Cardiff

sleeperz Newcastle

Sleeperz Hotels to open in £1bn Dundee waterfront development

Company leading the revival of modern railway hotels to open 120 bedroom property above new landmark station concourse (Euston, London – February 4, 2014)

Sleeperz Hotels, the innovative UK budget hotel company, is to open its fourth UK hotel in partnership with Dundee City Council, as part of a £1bn regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront and railway station.

Sleeperz Hotel Dundee will be a 120 bedroom property in a stylish curved concourse above a new £22m redeveloped rail station, with panoramic views over the River Tay and onto the new waterfront plaza.

David Myers, chief executive of Sleeperz Hotels, said: “Sleeperz Hotels is an innovative fast growing company with ambitious plans to expand our portfolio of UK lifestyle hotels and is delighted to secure such an exciting development.

Dundee’s waterfront regeneration is one of the biggest of its kind ever to take place in Western Europe and will transform the city as a leisure, tourism and retail destination.

Dundee needs to increase its bed stock and visitors to the city will benefit from our distinctive brand of stylish contemporary rooms and ultra-convenient location at affordable prices.”

Since opening its first UK hotel in Cardiff in 2008, less than 300m from Cardiff rail station, Sleeperz Hotels has been leading a modern revival of the classic British railway hotel.

The company specialises in building stylish and affordable city centre lifestyle hotels, often on awkwardly shaped land, close to mainline rail stations.

Sleeperz Hotel Cardiff was followed by the opening of a 98-bedroom hotel in Newcastle in January 2012 and the creation of a new ‘rooms based’ sister brand of budget hotel called Cityroomz – with a first opening in Edinburgh in May last year.

Sleeperz Hotels offer free and fast wi-fi, laptop safes, innovative space saving furniture, wet rooms and tea and coffee making facilities as standard in every room. Sleeperz offers its guests a cooked and continental breakfast and an all-day brasserie menu is available in its lounge and bar.

Sleeperz Hotel Dundee will sit at the centre of the 8km waterfront development next to its marquee attraction, a new £45m V&A at Dundee – a regional branch of the world famous Victoria and Albert Museum of arts and design – expected to open in 2016.

The waterfront development is a 30 year project to regenerate a 240 hectare stretch of the North bank of the River Tay.

The addition of restaurants, bars, hotels and the flagship V&A Dundee is predicted to create over 700 new tourism jobs, attract three million extra visitors and generate a further £1bn of spend in the city’s visitor economy.

The opening of Sleeperz Hotel Dundee will create up to 30 local jobs and generate further opportunities for local hospitality industry and catering suppliers to benefit from working with the company.

Mike Galloway, director of city development at Dundee City Council, said: “We are delighted to have attracted Sleeperz to our waterfront redevelopment in Dundee. This new hotel will provide further high quality accommodation for the many hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to the V&A Museum and it will create a powerful new landmark entrance into our city.”

Since opening for business Sleeperz Hotels has won a string of awards.

These include two RIBA awards for architectural excellence from The Royal Institute of British Architects, for Cardiff (2010) and Newcastle (2012) and recognition from LateRooms.com as one of Britain’s Top-10 Family Friendly Hotels.

Both Sleeperz Cardiff and Newcastle have won TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence for each year they have been in business, putting them in the top 10 per cent of all hotels worldwide rated by members of the travel review website.

Notes to Editors

It opened its first UK hotel in the Welsh capital Cardiff in 2008 and is working to a plan to expand and build further hotels in major UK cities, including Liverpool, Manchester and London.

Sleeperz prides itself on introducing a new generation of compact lifestyle hotels into the UK budget hotels market and creating a design led philosophy of colourful, stylish, compact contemporary rooms at affordable room rates.

Its aim is for its customers to experience stylish urban living in a city centre hotel environment.

Sleeperz also aims to build distinctive buildings that make a positive architectural contribution to the cities in which it chooses to build hotels.

The growth in Sleeperz – and the construction of its second UK hotel in Newcastle – has been driven by a £7m investment in the business by the company's investors, including Andre Hoffmann, and Connection Capital. The debt finance for the Newcastle development is being provided by The Co-operative bank.


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Multiple government investigations say the former head of the Alberta Energy Regulator misused funds and abused trust by leveraging public money and resources to start a global consultancy group he eventually hoped to join.

They say Jim Ellis and other regulator leaders fomented a “culture of fear” in a search to root out perceived whistleblowers and eased out one senior lawyer.

Investigators estimate taxpayers are out about $2.3 million, most of it from lost salaries and travel and expense costs.

“Mr. Ellis’s actions were deliberate, and demonstrated a reckless and wilful disregard for the proper management of public funds, public assets, the delivery of a public service and of employees,” Marianne Ryan, public interest commissioner, told a news conference Friday.

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“Mr. Ellis’s gross mismanagement as president and CEO of AER amounted to wrongdoings.”

Ellis left the regulator in November 2018. The Canadian Press was unable to reach him for comment Friday.

READ MORE: Head of Alberta Energy Regulator to step down in January

Ryan and two other government watchdogs investigated Ellis’s dealings.

They presented findings that show how, in 2017 and 2018, the regulator under Ellis diverted staff and resources to start a consultancy group called ICORE, which Ellis and others planned to spin off from the regulator and join.

Investigators pieced together the plan through emails, text messages and interviews.

Ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler said she found Mr. Ellis in a conflict of interest.

“While he was at the Alberta Energy Regulator, he furthered his own interests and improperly furthered the interests of three other employees,” she said.

“The primary motivation behind ICORE… was to create future employment for himself and others.”

ICORE, which stands for International Centre of Regulatory Excellence, was created by the regulator to dispense regulatory advice, expertise and training to international clients.

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ICORE called on resources from the regulator with a promise to later reimburse for time and services. Ellis was in charge of both agencies.

Investigators say that as time wore on, lines were blurred and more regulator staff were called on to deliver materials and organize ICORE seminars and materials.

When regulator lawyers balked at double duty, Ellis successfully urged the head of the legal department to step down, said Trussler.

Ellis and executives jetted around the world, billing the regulator but promoting ICORE, as happened on a trip to Turkey in 2017 for the World Petroleum Congress.

There was lavish spending: ritzy hotel stays and pricey return flights to London, some costing $8,000 per person.

Investigators said internal complaints from staff about ICORE were squelched and a “culture of fear” set in.

There was a hunt for whistleblowers, said Trussler. She noted a text from one of Ellis’s aides warned him that an employee named Corey might be a whistleblower.

“If it is Corey, I will crucify him on the private side with everything in my possession in response to this,” said the text.

“Thanks,” replied Ellis.

Auditor general Doug Wylie said key information on ICORE was hidden from the regulator’s board of directors. The board was dealing with vacancies and didn’t have the collective skills to set things right.

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“These process weaknesses contributed to the waste of public money,” said Wylie.

He estimated $5.4 million was spent on ICORE, with all but $2.3 million recovered.

ICORE was wound down in late 2018.

The regulator, in a statement, said it will work to rebuild public trust.

“It is clear now that a small group of senior leaders used AER resources in a way that is unacceptable. These individuals are no longer employed at the AER.”

Premier Jason Kenney, fulfilling a campaign pledge, recently replaced the entire board with an interim panel and his government is reviewing operations.

The regulator has been criticized for slow approvals for oil and gas projects and for a growing number of abandoned well sites.

Environment Minister Jason Nixon and Energy Minister Sonya Savage, in a joint statement, said they expect the interim board to act on recommendations from the reports.

“These reports cite several troubling and unacceptable examples of conduct that demonstrate that the focus of the AER’s previous leaders clearly lay elsewhere, a clear betrayal of the organization’s obligations to Albertans.”

2:00 Alberta Energy Regulator’s president leaving in January Alberta Energy Regulator’s president leaving in January


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feature article

Lush, pretentious, art nouveau-style, frequented by the high society of the interwar Europe, Athenee Palace was immediately connected to the Secret Service, as well as the world’s newspapers looking for first-hand information, straight from the source. Built in 1912 by a French corporation led by a Baron Marseille, Athenee Palace was fairly young compared to the top hotels in Rome, Paris and London. It caught up quickly, however, according to Ernst Latham: ‘Athenee Palace was instantly popular both during the First and the Second World Wars. Somehow, it has always managed to secure a key place in history.’During World War One, Ernst Latham adds, Athenee Palace was a front-page hotel: ‘Romania was a country with a fantastic historical positioning and the only European country where journalists from the neutral or allied parties could work in.’ If the German army was going South, it had to do it via Romania. If it was going East, it had to take the USSR route and set camp in Romania. In fact, Romania might have been one of history’s capitals. Here, at Athenee Palace Hotel, there was considerable political intrigue.’ The information overload at Athenee Palace Hotel is portrayed by Newsweek correspondent in Bucharest, Baroness Rose De Waldeck, who lived in the hotel throughout the most traumatizing 7 months in the history of Romania. Ernst Latham relates: ‘De Waldeck checked in in 1940, the day when France surrendered, which was a tragic event for Romania, historically connected to the West through France. Following this, France ceased to be a military force and flees Romania at the end of January 1941, soon after the rebel legion.On the 28th of June 1940, Romania received USSR’s ultimatum requiring the government to give up Bessarabia, Bucovina and Herţa and ...read more

Rose De Waldeck (born 1898) was German, Jewish, and a banker’s daughter. She had a PhD in Sociology from Heidelberg and became countess during her third marriage. In the 1930s, De Waldeck moved over to the US where she practised journalism, travelling to the USSR and North Africa as a news correspondent. Due to her several visits to Germany post-1933 when Hitler ruled, as well as her various links to top figures around Hindenburg, she was under FBI surveillance as a potential German spy working for Canaris.However, across the pond, in Germany, De Waldeck was seen as part of the American, Russian or French espionage. In 1939, she became an American citizen and an adept of Catholicism. When Paris was taken over by the enemies, Rose De Waldeck checked in at Athenee Palace Hotel in Bucharest – a top spot for the high society, prime ministers, ambassadors, generals, writers and celebrities, as well as the frauds and members of the international espionage. She went to Bucharest in order to write about the events shaking Europe as a Newsweek journalist. In fact, she chose the best vantage point: a country at the crossroads between Russia and the Balkans. At the time, Romania was not occupied and had diplomatic links with all the countries at war. She lived in Bucharest for 7 months, a time when Romania went through its toughest moments. From June 1940 to January 1941 – when Bessarabia and Bucovina were occupied by the Red Army, the Vienna Treaty and the loss of Transylvania, King Carol II’s stepping down from the throne, the beginning of the military state led by Antonescu and Sima, the German troops entering Romania, the November earthquake, the Jilava killings and the rebel legion. At the end of January, De Waldeck rushes out of Bucharest. Back in New York, she wrote the book that made her ...read more

The English Bar, the Brasserie and the Restaurant at Athénée Palace were the venues most frequented by the capital’s high society between the two World Wars. Built in 1914 as per French architect Teophile Bradeau’s plans on the land of the former Ivanciu Gherasi Inn, Athénée Palace is Romania’s first building made with armoured concrete and a source of inspiration for writers worldwide. Construction began in 1912 and, once complete in 1914, the building comprised 149 rooms and 10 suites decorated in Louis 14th style inspired by the recurring styles in France and England at the time.‘Back when it was built, Athénée Palace used to pride itself with being the country’s only building featuring a foundation made with armoured concrete. The hotel has also benefited from a favourable position, right next to the Athenaeum and the Royal Palace, which is why the venue was well liked by the top figures of the society between the two World Wars’, says historian Dan Falcan for The Evening Truth.
The English Bar, Bucharest’s Favourite Place Between the Two World Wars
Historian Dan Falcan also says that, between the two World Wars, the hotel was used as shelter by war correspondents, German officers and even Spanish government officials coming to Romania during the Civil War. Throughout the years, the hotel – close to the Romanian Athenaeum – has hosted MPs, writers and numerous other high-profile figures.
From Geo Bogza and Goga to Van Basten and The Rolling Stones
Amongst the hotel’s most renowned guests were Romanian classicists Geo Bogza, Octavian Goga and Pastorel Teodoreanu, and – years later – football stars such as Marco Van Basten and Edwin Van der Sar, as well as famous musicians.
Geo Bogza Checked in ...read more


2018 Hospitality Industry Outlook – Let the Good Times Roll… for Now

The International Hotel Investment Forum held in March (IHIF2018) presents an opportunity to sit back and take stock of where the industry is heading. As Hospitality Insights reported a year ago, the economic outlook at the time was cautious, but the pace of structural change in the industry was accelerating. This year, there was plenty of optimism despite some ‘clouds on the horizon’ in terms of the economy.

There is an absolute wall of money looking at the hotel sector at the moment, said Keith Lindsay, Managing Director EMEA with CBRE Hotels, at the start of a panel discussion on investor’s intentions in 2018 and beyond.

“2017 was a bit of a frenzy and with all the capital formation that’s happening at the moment, it’s quite likely there’ll be a repeat of that (in 2018).” CBRE’s Hotels Investor Sentiment survey sees 37 percent of investors looking for capital growth this year, compared to 24 percent a year ago.

According to Alexi Khajavi, Managing Director EMEA and Chair of Hospitality and Travel at Questex, which stages the IHIF, there’s plenty of positivity right now in the marketplace. “We’ve been in the longest cycle in the history of the industry,” he told Hospitality Insights. So since roughly 2009 it’s been quite a good cycle. I think everyone was looking over their shoulder, wondering when the party would end but the fundamentals are good.”

Russell Kett, Chairman of HVS London, said in an interview with Hospitality Insights on the sidelines of the Young Hoteliers Summit at EHL a week later that there is a ‘greater understanding’ of the asset class now and hotel investors are seeking ‘good deals’ in the sector.

“What they’re looking for in the hotel industry is the opportunity to make good money and use that investment to get a stronger foothold in the sector. No longer is it the poor relation of real estate but an asset class in its own right.”

“I think there are a few more years left in (the industry cycle) and I look for signs and can’t see any. Yes, there will always be shocks … but for the most part, the industry is on a firm footing. I don’t feel any declines coming our way.”

Kett moderated a panel discussion at the Young Hoteliers Summit on ‘The Changing Dynamics of Hotel Ownership.’ At the start of the session, he stated that in Berlin last year, everyone was thinking the industry wasn’t doing ‘too well’ but the year finished strongly after ‘a bit of a sluggish start’, helped by the return of North American investors.

During the YHS panel session, Marc Socker, Managing Director of investment management firm Invesco, said he’d never seen so much interest in the sector. “Importantly, hotels have a yield premium.”

So why are institutional investors interested now?

“First and foremost, hotels is a growth sector,” Socker said. “You can look at supply-demand fundamentals in Europe; demand is growing quicker than supply in most markets. Some of the biggest challenges European economies have are how do we cope with the influx of tourists coming into the market?”

Socker pointed out only four percent of Chinese nationals currently have passports and five percent of Indians. “Every increase of one percent (in those populations with passports) leads to tens of millions of new travelers coming into the European market.”

Kett also regards this as a major opportunity. He told Hospitality Insights: “You only have to move the needle a little bit and anybody who’s worried about demand growth need have no worries at all. And that’s only two countries in the world. One of the staggering facts is that 90 percent of Americans also don’t have passports. They have a lot on their own doorstep they can enjoy, but it’s still a fraction of the total population that has traveled outside their shores.”

“There is a myth out there that hotels are this volatile asset class with very fluctuating income,” Socker said, adding that, according to benchmark data, hotels outperform the all property index. In addition, the sector shows ‘very little volatility’ and was the only commercial asset class that “didn’t go negative in terms of total return during the crisis.”

“So there are lots of reasons why hotels are interesting out there. They just have to be understood. It’s a specialist class after all.”

Abhishek Agarwal, Managing Director of Real Estate, told the Berlin forum that Blackstone’s investments were “underpinned by our belief in the fundamentals in the sector, especially if you look at the demand-supply side. There seems to be an imbalance.”

Spain is a major focus. Last year it saw a nine percent increase year on year in international visitors to 82 million, making it the second most visited country after France. “That’s huge and good for the leisure business,” Agarwal said.

People are really looking to us. There’s a lot of money available. For the first time, we’re getting a seat at the table. So we’re awfully excited. There’s always been money, it was just never interested in our industry.

“What can we do with it? It will, for a short period, shows us quite a (number) of transactions. In the long run it will filter out a lot, because the minute the industry starts to shift a little in an economic downturn – and let’s say the best of breed survives and others have a more difficult time – you will see a big shake-down again. So I think it will be a short-lived cycle.”

The boom days may be here – for now. However, further consolidation may be on the cards. “It’s not about optimism, it’s about realism,” Levie said. “As an industry, we don’t offer great differentiated products. As an industry, we’re not consistent in our products. As an industry, we don’t produce brands.” You can see ‘incredible returns,’ in other investment classes, he said.

We’ve just never done that as an industry. So we’re a cork afloat on the ocean and just because we’re on top of the wave … we shouldn’t get too excited because it’s a (long) way down again.

About Stuart Pallister

Mr. Pallister is Associate Director, Head of Academic Editorial Content.

After working as a television journalist in Asia and Europe for nearly 20 years, mainly at CNBC, Stuart switched to digital content development at INSEAD business school and the National University of Singapore.

He is currently the Head of Academic Editorial Content at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and Editor-in-Chief of Hospitality Insights by EHL.

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Five of the Best Spas in London

Kelly Dunning

If you want to completely pamper yourself and let all of your cares float away amidst the scent of aromatherapy oils and the sounds of gentle music, treat yourself to an experience at one of these luxurious destinations.. Considered some of the best spas in London, they have made relaxation an art form.

1. The Corinthia

This incredible spa was voted the best in Europe by readers of The Sunday Times, the Times and The Sunday Times Magazine. It has also won the honour of “Best UK Hotel Spa” at the prestigious Conde Nast Reader Travel Awards. Set within a gorgeous Victorian building, this spa boasts a range of top notch treatments as well as fitness and nutrition services.

Try TRULY’s experience at the Corinthia that includes two hours of treatments. You can choose from a range of treatments including massage, aromatherapy and much more. After your treatment, relax in the vitality pool with air and water massage jets or the black mosaic steam room.

2. Mandarin Oriental

This lovely spa right in the middle of Knightsbridge is perfect for pampering yourself after an afternoon of shopping. The décor is Asian inspired and the treatments are top-notch. Try the 110 minute Signature Spa Therapy treatment, which will use traditional Chinese medicine to figure out your individual balance of elements and then treat you to a long and deep massage that will leave feeling you like you are floating on air.

3. The Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane

This is one of the most luxurious and sophisticated five star hotel spas in London – the perfect place to really pamper yourself. It is located on the 10th floor and offers gorgeous views of the city through the floor to ceiling windows. Why not try it out for yourself?

4. The Rosewood London’s Sense Spa

When you step into the Sense Spa you will immediately feel a sense of calm amidst the bamboo walls, wooden walkways and soothing water features. Found within the classy historic Rosewood Hotel in London, this spa is the perfect place to unwind and treat yourself.

Indulge in a Sense Spa experience with a 30 minute facial and 30 minute back, shoulder and neck massage as well as a manicure or a pedicure. The package also includes a light lunch in the Mirror Room and a glass of champagne.

This resort is where many famous people and stressed out high end executives go to relax. Susan King is the “intuitive healer” there and she has been soothing guests for the last 20 years. She offers free-flowing one on one conversations that are not unlike psychotherapy. She is incredibly adept at picking up on the deep emotional problems we tend to ignore and helping her patients to get their lives back on track.

Life can be stressful, so why not unwind at one of these beautiful and luxurious London spas?


This couple went on an 8-month trip to Southeast Asia and stayed at five-star resorts for free

Lithuanian-born Karolina Valeikaite, 23, and Italian Marco Coppola, 25, had never left Europe when they embarked on what was meant to be a two-month backpacking stint starting in Morocco.

But by using their combined photography and graphic design skills, as well as years of experience in the hospitality industry, the couple turned their trip into an eight-month adventure across SouthEast Asia, staying in some of the most luxurious five-star resorts in the world — for free.

Their envy-inducing Instagram snaps have earned them an Influencer-worthy following of more than 60,000 on their respective accounts @outsideboxx and @gypseetravel, from a base of around 1,000 between them when they left London.

A post shared by MARCO COPPOLA (@gypseetravel) on May 2, 2017 at 4:26am PDT

Before they embarked on their trip, neither Lithuanian Valeikaite nor Italian Coppola had left Europe. Now, they get invited to stay in five-star luxury resorts and private villas all over the world for free...

...Like the Samui Summit Estate below in Thailand, which may resemble a hotel, but is actually a six-floor private villa.

A post shared by MARCO COPPOLA (@gypseetravel) on May 19, 2017 at 3:57am PDT

It all comes down to being Instagram-savvy, according to the couple. Since starting the trip, the couple have racked up a following of more than 60,000 Instagram followers between them — a slight increase from the 1,000 they had between them when they left London.

Their trip began in Morocco, the start of what they thought would be a two-month trip. They spent three weeks having a traditional "touristy" holiday, says Valeikaite. "Everything was booked in advance and super organised." All the while, they were taking photos.

After two to three months of taking pictures, their Instagram followers "started increasing at the speed of light," according to Valeikaite. "People want to see beautiful places and picture themselves there."

However, Coppola said that despite their big following, the interest wasn't initially coming from companies.

"We were thinking of going back home — we never would have imagined doing an eight-month trip with money we had," he said.

But when they hit SouthEast Asia things started to take a turn.

In Cambodia, the pair, who have years of experience working in the hospitality industry in London, landed jobs managing a resort on the island of Koh Rong, where they spent nearly three months.

"Finding a job in SouthEast Asia is pretty easy — you can volunteer and get your board all paid for," Coppola said. "You just have to go for it, and do whatever it takes.

From tree houses to yet more private pools, the pair began collaborating with private villas in Cambodia who would put them up in ultimate luxury for free. One of the villa's is pictured below.

After doing a couple of interviews with the media — including Business Insider — they started to gain even more traction with their posts on Instagram, and more companies started to approach them for collaborations.

Suddenly the dream of becoming an Instagram Influencer didn't seem so far off.

Contracts started to roll in. In Vietnam (pictured below), the couple signed a contract for a campaign with Fusion Resorts for an entire month. There was no money exchange — their pay in luxury accommodation, travel, food and drink...

The luxury hotel brand Aman invited the couple to go and stay at one of its resorts in Sri Lanka, a country that they weren't originally planning to visit.

They fell in love with Sri Lankan sunsets. "We would shoot dreamy pictures at sunset and sunrise — the blue and golden hours — when the sky becomes completely pink and orange and the colours pop so much," says Valeikaite.

Above, the duo is pictured at the Villa Vista Mirissa, in Weligama Bay. This was one of the only villas they approached themselves to set up a collaboration — most others reached out to the couple.

In Sri Lanka they started earning money for posts for the first time. Brands began approaching them for sponsored posts, paying them between $100 (£78) and $300 (£233) for a few photos.

They also started to freelance online using their photography and graphic design skills to make extra cash. "Retouching and editing photos for brands is a really good way for backpackers to make money," says Coppola.

"Some of the requests were really simple, like cropping or applying filters."

The last stop of their eight-month trip was Thailand, where they stayed in some stunning resorts in Phuket and Ko Samui. They calculated that over two months they had stayed in hotels and luxury resorts that would have cost an ordinary person £20,000.

Valeikaite, who in London was a production assistant in the fashion industry, says that if you want to become an Instagram influencer, "make sure you have some sort of idea of what kind of audience want to attract, whether it's fashion or travel."

Coppola added that you need to "do your research of hashtags and how they work, and how to get the best visibility and exposure."

"We engage with our followers by answering comments, giving nice tips of where to go," Valeikaite added. "Or we get emails, like from people heading to Thailand wanting to know, 'Where should I go and what should I do?' It's important that we answer as much as possible."

This interaction with followers has been key to growing their numbers so quickly, according to the couple. They've often held competitions to keep their followers engaged.

Now the couple are back in Italy, staying with Coppola's family and dog. They plan to spend the summer in Europe and are hoping to work with brands like they did in SouthEast Asia before jetting off again.

Their next trip may involve visiting the Philippines, Maldives, Indonesia, and then Australia, where they want to buy a van and travel the coast.

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This couple went on an 8-month trip to Southeast Asia and stayed at five-star resorts for free

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2012 in architecture

The year 2012 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.

Events
 April 30 – 1 WTC surpasses the height of the Empire State Building to become the tallest building in New York City.
 July – Mausoleums and a mosque in Timbuktu (Mali) are deliberately attacked by rebels, a war crime for which Ahmad al-Mahdi in 2016 pleads guilty before the International Criminal Court.
 July 20 – A fire at the newly-opened Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, leads to its closure for more than a year.
 October
 The fifth World Architecture Festival is held in Singapore.
 Second hurricane survival of 1 WTC.
 It is announced that the Opera House, Wellington, is below 34% of the earthquake code and may have to close for strengthening work to be carried out.
 November – The Japanese government announces plans for a new National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo) for the 2020 Summer Olympics based on a design by Zaha Hadid; these will be abandoned in 2015.
 December 11 – 1 WTC's spire comes to New York City.

Buildings and structures

Buildings opened

 January
 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum extension in Boston, Massachusetts, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
 JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, the tallest hotel in the world, in Dubai.
 January 1 – Ada Bridge, one of the tallest bridges in Europe, in Belgrade, Serbia.
 January 5 – Baluarte Bridge, the longest cable-stayed bridge in Latin America.
 February – Extension to Städel art gallery in Frankfurt, Germany, designed by schneider+schumacher.
 January 6 – Porta Macedonia, Skopje, designed by sculptor Valentina Stefanovska.
 February 28 – Halley VI Research Station, designed by Faber Maunsell and Hugh Broughton Architects, becomes operational in the Antarctic.
 March – Jerwood Gallery on The Stade in Hastings, England, designed by Hana Loftus and Tom Grieve of HAT Projects.
 March 18 – Bharati (research station) in Antarctica.
 March 19 – Western concourse, London King's Cross railway station, designed by John McAslan + Partners.
 March 24 – Maria Skłodowska-Curie Bridge, Warsaw, the eighth road bridge in the capital of Poland.
 March 29 – Refurbished Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney with new Mordant Wing, designed by Sam Marshall.
 March 31 – Sandworm by Marco Casagrande, in the Beaufort04 Triennial of Contemporary art in Wenduine, Belgium. The work is both architecture and environmental art.
 April 4 – Twin Sails Bridge, Poole, England, by Wilkinson Eyre Architects.
 April 10 – SeaCity Museum, Southampton, England, with extension by Wilkinson Eyre Architects.
 April 20 – Belfast MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) in Northern Ireland, by Hackett Hall McKnight.
 May 10 – Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by Zaha Hadid.
 May 11 – ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower and sculpture in Olympic Park, London, designed by Anish Kapoor with Cecil Balmond and Ushida Findlay Architects.
 May 22 – Tokyo Skytree in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan.
 June 29 – Cloud Forest and Flower Dome Bay South Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects (landscape design by Grant Associates).
 July 3 – Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre in Northern Ireland designed by Heneghan Peng for the National Trust.
 July 5 – The Shard, designed by Renzo Piano, the tallest building in the European Union (2012–present).
 July 18 – Tate Modern, London, opens The Tanks performance art/installation space, refurbished by Herzog & de Meuron.
 July 27 – Opening of 2012 Summer Olympics based at Olympic Park, London, England, with site design by the EDAW Consortium (including EDAW and Buro Happold), working with Arup and WS Atkins; taken over by LDA Design in conjunction with Hargreaves Associates. Individual buildings include
 Olympic Stadium, designed by Populous
 London Aquatics Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid
 London Velopark, designed by Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP, and Grant Associates
 ArcelorMittal Orbit tower, designed by Anish Kapoor (see above)
 August 3 – Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, Brisbane, Australia.
 September 21 – Islamic art gallery at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, designed by Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti.
 September 23 – Renovation and new wing for Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, designed by Benthem Crouwel Architekten.
 October 17 – Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park in New York City, designed by Louis Kahn.
 October 24 – Boekenberg ("Book mountain") public library in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, designed by MVRDV.
 December 3 – United States Courthouse, Austin, Texas, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam.
 December 11 – Le Louvre-Lens art gallery in Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France, designed by SANAA.
 date unknown
 Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by HOK.
 ME Hotel, London, designed by Foster and Partners.
 Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art new buildings are opened in Oslo, Norway.
 Statoil (now Equinor) Regional and International Offices, Oslo, Norway, by A-Lab Architects, winner of 2012 WAN Award for best office building

Buildings completed

 January 6 – Porta Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia.
 February 29 – Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in the world, is completed in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan.
 June – Airport Link, a 6.7 km road tunnel in Brisbane, the longest in Australia.
 September – NEO Bankside apartments in London, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
 November 1 – Mercury City Tower, in Moscow, topped-out to become the tallest building in Europe (2012–2014).
 date unknown
 Abraj Al Bait in Mecca, the tallest buildings in Saudi Arabia.
 Absolute World in Mississauga, Ontario, designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Studio.
 Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci, Serbia, a replica of the 18th century church that was destroyed during the Croatian War of Independence.
 Princess Tower, the world's tallest residential building, is completed in Dubai.
 The Bow (skyscraper) in Calgary, Alberta
 Soleil, the tallest building in Brisbane, Australia designed by DBI Design.
 Community in a Cube, RiversideOne, Middlesbrough, England, designed by FAT.
 Astley Castle in North Warwickshire, England, refurbished for the Landmark Trust by Witherford Watson Mann Architects (winner, Stirling Prize, 2013).
 University of Limerick Medical School in Ireland designed by Grafton Architects.
 Sarajevo City Center.
 The Wilson art gallery and museum extension and refurbishment in Cheltenham, England, designed by BGS Architects.

Awards
 AIA Architecture Firm Award – Vincent James Associates Architects
 AIA Gold Medal – Steven Holl
 Carbuncle Cup – Cutty Sark Renovation
 Alvar Aalto Medal – Paulo David
 Emporis Skyscraper Award – Absolute World in Mississauga designed by Burka Architects and MAD Studio
 Lawrence Israel Prize – Diller Scofidio + Renfro
 LEAF Award, Overall Winner – Sou Fujimoto Architects
 Praemium Imperiale Architecture Laureate – Henning Larsen
 Pritzker Architecture Prize – Wang Shu
 Richard H. Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture – Michael Graves
 RAIA Gold Medal – Lawrence Nield
 RIBA Royal Gold Medal – Herman Hertzberger
 Stirling Prize – Stanton Williams, for Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University
 Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture – Rafael Moneo
 Twenty-five Year Award – Frank Gehry for Gehry Residence, Santa Monica
 Vincent Scully Prize – Paul Goldberger

Deaths
 January 4 – Rod Robbie, Canadian architect (born 1928)
 January 8 – John Madin, English architect (born 1924)
 March 21 – Bruno Giacometti, Swiss architect (born 1907)
 June 4 – Peter Beaven, New Zealand architect (born 1925)
 June 15
 Francis Bonaert, Belgian architect (born 1914) was a Belgian architect.
 Günther Domenig, Austrian architect (born 1934)
 June 19 – Gerhard M. Kallmann, German-born American architect (born 1915)
 July 2 – Angelo Mangiarotti, Italian architect and industrial designer (born 1929)
 August 20 – Dom Mintoff, Maltese architect and Prime Minister (born 1916)
 August 26 – Peter L. Shelton, American architect and interior designer (born 1945)
 October 6 – Ulrich Franzen (born 1921), German-born American architect
 October 26 – John M. Johansen, American architect (born 1916)
 October 30
 Wayland Tunley, British architect associated with Milton Keynes (born 1937)
 Lebbeus Woods, American architect and artist (born 1940)
 November 1 – Gae Aulenti), Italian architect, interior and lighting designer (born 1927
 November 4 – David Resnick, Brazilian-born Israeli architect and town planner (born 1924)
 December 5 – Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect (born 1907)
 December 14 – Alan Colquhoun, British architect (born 1921)

See also
Timeline of architecture

References

Category:21st-century architecture


DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi prince was arrested after a video that appeared to show him assaulting a bloodied man stoked outrage online, Saudi police said, in a rare airing of public anger at a member of the powerful royal family.

The clip, apparently filmed by the attacker, shows a Yemeni driver berated for parking in front of the man’s house and being forcibly grabbed by the collar and cursed at as blood drips down his mouth.

Saudi police reported that King Salman ordered the arrest of the junior Prince Saud bin Musa’id for assault to demonstrate that he would punish “any transgression or violation by a person no matter his station, condition or rank”.

The announcement, made on Thursday on the state TV channel Ekhbariya’s Twitter page, used the hashtag “A prince commits assault on citizens” which Saudis used to vent their ire.

Since 2012, social media storms in Saudi Arabia over government policies or the actions of senior officials have culminated in their sacking on at least five occasions.

But online campaigns seldom target the House of Saud, a family with thousands of members that founded the state nearly 300 years ago and attached their name to the kingdom.

A Saudi prince was executed last year after being convicted of shooting dead a fellow Saudi, a rare example of capital punishment for a royal.

A few royals have also fallen afoul of the law abroad.

A junior prince was charged with sexual assault in Los Angeles in 2015 and another prince was found guilty of murdering his servant at a luxury London hotel in 2010.

The kingdom brooks no dissent, but the furor over the prince was the second example in less than a week of online activism in the social media-savvy society sparking an arrest.

A snapchat clip of an unidentified Saudi woman wearing a short skirt and crop top provoked outrage among Twitter users in the conservative Muslim kingdom, leading to her arrest for “indecent” dress. She was later released.


Downtown Restaurants

The oldest restaurant in Portland honors its earliest days and patrons with a time-tested menu and persevering commitment to please. Originally opened in 1879, Huber’s made a start by serving a free turkey sandwich with every beer purchase; today, turkey is the clear favorite of patrons and staff alike, and plays a prominent role on the menu. The Roast Turkey Wings with all the fixings will surely whisk you off to happier times and the Turkey Mushroom Pie will warm you inside out. As if Huber’s didn’t have enough going for it, it also happens to be the largest user ... Learn More »

Located inside the elegant Heathman Hotel, the Heathman Restaurant and Bar offers a casually formal dining atmosphere with French inspired cuisine, innovative cocktails, all which can equate to an intimate yet fun experience. Chef Philippe Boulot, a James Beard Best Chef award winner in 2001, is a Pacific Northwest native with a stress on utilizing the best of Oregon's produce and products. With options for private dining, an afternoon tea room, and catering services, the Heathman Restaurant and Bar is a cozy, casual, and elegant spot for any meal, any time of the day. Learn More »

At Thirst Wine Bar & Bistro, location and wine are everything. The outdoor patio is located downtown on the bank of the Columbia River, and during the summer it bustles with wine lovers sipping vino. During winter, the view can be enjoyed from the elegant indoor dining room through the restaurant’s giant glass windows. Special attention is paid to local wines, and Oregon wine country provides significant inspiration: its selection of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris is always offered by the glass. Many menu items are geared toward accompanying the wines, combining American dishes with fine-dining techniques from Italy and ... Learn More »

Modeled on classic French bistros, the two story Higgins Restaurant and Bar features primarily French cuisine with a hint of Pacific Northwest and European influences. Executive Chef and Owner Greg Higgins emphasizes fresh ingredients from local, sustainable farms in each dish on the menu. In addition to the main dining rooms, there is a bistro and bar located on the lower level. Higgins boasts an extensive wine list as well as a broad range of beers from all over the world. Both levels of the restaurant are well-lit with ambient lighting and natural light from large windows that line the ... Learn More »

The Original is an electrifying “dinerant” (a cross between the fancy atmosphere of a restaurant but at the affordable prices of a diner) that slides into current trends with ease. Inside patrons will find a warm atmosphere with pop culture posters across the walls mixed with modern architecture and furniture. The key to the Original's success is the social atmosphere. Gather around with friends and family while enjoying an American menu of savory burgers and desserts. In order to keep up with the information age, The Original hosts their entire menu and prices online, in style as well! Learn More »

This tavern-style restaurant adjacent to the Ace Hotel offers a unique ambiance highlighted by creative and thoughtful fare by Chef Jason Barwikowski. With a culinary philosophy that incorporates foreign and domestic styles of cooking with local ingredients, one can expect foodie delights such as Foie Gras Torchon with rose sorbet and brioche croutons or Beef Tongue with seared scallops, beets and tomato jam. The space itself has a no frills minimalist décor boasting an open kitchen, zinc-topped bar, and long communal tables ideal for mingling with old and new friends alike. Learn More »

Sitting on the 30th floor of the US Bank tower, Portland City Grill boasts the best view in the city, with a spectacular panorama of the Cascade Mountains. The cuisine is an imaginative blend of Asian, island, and northwestern influences bestowed upon USDA Prime steaks, seafood, and an extensive sushi menu. With a fantastic bar scene and an even better happy hour, it’s a popular spot for after work drinks and small bites among friends and co-workers. If you have the fortune of dining there, don’t miss out on the Misoyaki Glazed Oregon Black Cod or the Dungeness Crab Stuffed ... Learn More »

Located in the Benson Hotel, The London Grill has become a landmark in Portland especially since it recently received a makeover. The new and improved London Grill features bold modern décor, new Executive Chef Serge Selbe, and a freshly altered menu. It offers exquisite Northwestern menu items such as Grilled Lamb Chops with ratatouille crepinette, polenta, Chinese eggplant and hazelnut emulsion, and a wine list with over 6,000 bottles. For special occasions guests can request one of three private rooms, appropriately named “Little London,” “The Wine Cellar” and “The Wine Room,” each functional for rehearsal dinners, business luncheons, romantic dinners ... Learn More »

First opened in Chicago in 1978, Morton’s Steakhouse still retains their vision of quality, consistency, and genuine hospitality today. Co-founders Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch invented the “Million-Dollar Hamburger,” which evolved into Morton’s motto for quality and great food. With less than two percent of the nation’s meats designated as “prime,” Morton’s is among one of the steakhouses where prime meats are delivered. The Steakhouse facilitates banquets with their own special linen, silverware, centerpieces and chandeliers along with people dressed to the tees. With over 75 locations, the establishment that had started with hamburgers has evolved into a steak connoisseur’s ... Learn More »

Saucebox prides itself in serving pan Asian and Pacific Island cuisine that has never been so “sexy, delicious and swanky.” Restaurant not only serves high quality, authentic, yet inventive cuisine full of flavor, and original cocktails, but also provides a club venue atmosphere. Music is as much a part of this eatery as what comes on the plates, and resident DJ, Mr. MuMu makes sure the music leaves its mark with diners, whether it’s a soft background melody or the pulsing beat of one of their dance parties! Learn More »

Putting a modern spin on traditional Japanese foods is nothing new for this restaurant in downtown Portland. This Locally owned and family operated restaurant has been creating some inimitable dishes since 2004. Masu prides itself on its variety, service, and ability to accommodate both small and large parties with space for up to 175 people; guests can even take advantage of a private room for smaller parties. With its second story view, beautiful wood paneling, and a lounge area, Masu sushi’s chic and modern style makes it a great place to grab a drink or even sit down for a ... Learn More »


Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a full motion video game based on a tabletop game-gamebook hybrid which had the same name. It was originally developed by ICOM Simulations for the FM Towns computer and later ported to DOS, Apple Macintosh, Commodore CDTV, TurboGrafx-CD, Sega CD and Tandy Video Information System with all versions being distributed on CD-ROM. The game was re-released as a DVD for use with a standard DVD player and television in 1999.  A high resolution and re-mastered version of the game for iPad, Microsoft Windows, and OS X was released on September 18, 2012.

Premise
The game uses live actors and sets as the player controls Sherlock Holmes and his longtime partner Dr. Watson, trying to solve three separate crimes by visiting various locations, listening to the dialogue, reading the included mock London newspapers, and, when the player gets enough evidence, answering the judge's questions.

Gameplay
At the beginning of each case a full motion video clip depicts Holmes and Watson meeting a client and learning a few background clues about the case.  Then the player must visit a particular location or person, read the London newspapers for clues or ask one of the young Baker Street Irregulars to investigate.  The object of each case is to gather enough clues in the shortest time possible, then go before a judge who will then ask the player to answer the important questions about the case.  If the player is successful, a full motion video clip will take the player back to Holmes' and Watson's study where they will review the events that transpired, and Dr. Watson will inform the player of his or her score, based on the length of time it took to solve the case.

Story and Setting

The Mummy's Curse
Holmes and Watson learn about a series of mysterious deaths of three men who were part of an archeology trip to Egypt.  Each man was found strangled with a sheath of a mummy's wrapping present at each murder.  The London Times believes the deaths were caused by an ancient mummy, creating public hysteria.  Holmes and Watson decide to take on the case to find the real culprit but they face a challenge since only one murder was in London while another was in Egypt and another was at sea.

The Tin Soldier

An old general is murdered in his home by a mysterious visitor who quickly vanishes from the scene of the crime.  Holmes and Watson investigate to see whether the crime was due to the general's part in a Veteran Tontine, a book he was writing on a missing diamond, a disgruntled marriage, or something hidden deep in his past.

The Mystified Murderess

Francis Nolan is found hovering over the body of her lover, Guy Clarendon, in a London hotel with a pistol in her hand.  She's convicted of Guy's murder, despite having no memory of ever being there, nor purchasing the gun that was bought in her name.  She insists that she's innocent as Holmes and Watson take on the case to see if she is telling the truth.  Along the way, Holmes and Watson learn about Guy Clarendon's dark past.

Reception
The game was reviewed in 1991 in Dragon #175 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars. Computer Gaming World favorably described the game's videos' production values as "low-end television production quality ... equal to an average public television production". The magazine recommended the game "with qualifications", calling it "a ground-breaking product with whiz-bang technology that demonstrates the full potential of multimedia", but with "limited play life" due to lack of replayability. In a review for Wizard, Glenn Rubenstein listed the use of live actors and the absence of slow down in the Sega CD version as strong points, but remarked that "The interactivity level is lacking", and that the Sega CD version offered nothing new to those who had played any of the game's previous versions. He gave it a B.

Legacy
In April 1994 Computer Gaming World said that video quality had improved during the three games of the series, with each offering "solid and professional" acting. The magazine added that "The chief strengths of these games, though, are the challenging cases the player is asked to unravel".

Sequels
A sequel to the game was also released in 1992 called Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. II with three new cases to be solved.   A third entry, with three new cases, was also released, albeit not for the Sega CD nor the Turbografx-CD.

Kickstarter
On March 16, 2012, a Kickstarter campaign was launched by David Marsh and his company Zojoi to help fund a high resolution and remastered version of the Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Adventure Mysteries.  The campaign was unsuccessful, as it was only able to attain a third of its $55,000 goal.  Even though the Kickstarter was unsuccessful, the remastered version was still released.  According to developer David Marsh, the Kickstarter money was never needed to fund the games, and Zojoi was just using the Kickstarter to raise awareness about them.

References

External links

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective at The Legacy
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective at Hall Of Light

Category:1991 video games
Category:Adventure games
Category:DOS games
Category:DVD interactive technology
Category:FM Towns games
Category:Full motion video based games
Category:ICOM Simulations games
Category:Interactive movie video games
Category:IOS games
Category:Mac OS games
Category:MacOS games
Category:Sega CD games
Category:TurboGrafx-CD games
Consulting Detective
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Video games set in Egypt
Category:Video games set in London
Category:Windows games


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5th Empire Awards

The 5th Empire Awards ceremony, presented by the British film magazine Empire, honored the best films of 1999 and took place on 17 February 2000 at the Park Lane Hotel in London, England. During the ceremony, Empire presented Empire Awards in nine categories as well as five honorary awards. The honorary Contribution to Cinema award was introduced and presented for the only time this year. The honorary Movie Masterpiece Award was presented for the last time, having been presented for the first and only other time at the 4th Empire Awards in 1999. The awards were sponsored by Stella Artois for the third consecutive year.

Notting Hill won the most awards with three including Best British Film and Best British Director for Roger Michell. Other winners included The Matrix with two awards including Best Film and East Is East, Fight Club, Shakespeare in Love, The Sixth Sense and The World Is Not Enough with one. Kenneth Branagh received the Empire Inspiration Award, Michael Caine received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Industrial Light & Magic received the Contribution to Cinema award and Oliver Stone received the Movie Masterpiece Award for JFK.

Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Multiple awards
The following two films received multiple awards:

Multiple nominations
The following 12 films received multiple nominations:

Notes

References

External links

Category:Empire Award ceremonies
Category:1999 film awards
Category:2000 in British cinema
Category:2000 in London
Category:February 2000 events in the United Kingdom


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Jose Mourinho has laid down the law with his players again –after some of his stars arranged for a hairdresser to visit their London hotel before they played Chelsea.

Mourinho was fuming that four of his players – believed to include Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero – paid for their stylist to travel from Manchester and give them a haircut at the team hotel the day before the game.

United ended the match being humiliated 4-0 by Antonio Conte’s side in Mourinho’s first visit back to Stamford Bridge as a visiting manager.

Mourinho was angry at United’s defensive performance and ripped into his stars post-match after they conceded a first-minute goal.

He also gave Conte a final whistle rebuke for the Italian’s exuberant touchline antics which Mourinho felt had disrespected him and United.

(Image: Shaun Botterill) (Image: Mike Hewitt)

And when he found out his players had invited a hairdresser to the hotel the night before the game, Mourinho let rip again reminding them of their focus in the immediate lead-up to games.

But while Mourinho has presided over an erratic start to the season at Old Trafford, he retains the full backing of both Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman and, more crucially, the US-based Glazer family, who own the club.

Despite United refusing to publicly comment on Mourinho’s start to his United career, it has been made clear, privately, that they are right behind their £12million-a-year manager.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters) (Image: Reuters / Russell Cheyne)

Woodward remains hugely impressed by Mourinho’s methods, his tactical acumen, attention to detail and his conviction that, given time, he will turn United into winners again.

And, although United sanctioned summer spending of £146m – £89m of it on a world-record fee for Juventus midfield star Paul Pogba – Woodward acknowledges it will take at least another two transfer windows for Mourinho to acquire the squad he really wants.

Neither will Woodward nor the Glazer family interfere in the way Mourinho handles his players.

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Eyebrows are believed to have been raised by some United directors after his public comments aimed at England defenders Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw.

The Portuguese coach questioned their commitment to the team and intimated the pair were soft for not wanting to play through the pain barrier with injuries.

But while it is doubtful past managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Louis van Gaal would have been so publicly outspoken about their players, Woodward is not about to intervene.

Mourinho’s handling of the Bastian Schweinsteiger situation had no input from the boardroom either, although any transfer activity in January would be on the basis of moving players out.

A United source said last night: “The club appointed Jose to manage the playing squad and all team matters are his domain.

“There would never be any interference from the board in how he deals with his players. He will be left to run his squad as other managers at the club have been in the past.

“The board respect his record at top clubs around Europe and he’s been hired to bring success. He’ll be given all the support he needs to achieve that.”

United’s senior players, led by Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, are also right behind Mourinho.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff) (Image: Rex)

And while they’d prefer individual criticism of players to stay in-house they have privately claimed talk of Mourinho being distant and unapproachable as off the mark.

They say Mourinho has engaged fully with United’s stars and happily laughs and jokes with them – when the time is right.

But the former Chelsea chief is quick to let them know he is boss – and they have no problem with that.


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Linda Pinto on the Luxury Interiors of Alberto Pinto Design

By Emily Wadsworth

Linda Pinto has been crafting beautiful designs since she was a teenager; it’s in her blood. Her brother, Alberto Pinto, was one of the most successful and world-renowned interior designers of all time.

Known for his eclectic yet refined opulent style, Alberto founded his company, Alberto Pinto Interior Design, back in the 1970s. He was the designer of choice for monarchs – particularly the royal families of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Fast forward to 2012, and his passing left his legacy to his sister, who had been working with him for over 30 years. Linda has now taken over the family business and an international client base. From renovating The Lanesborough, which is said to be London’s most expensive hotel, to redesigning a Boeing 747-800, Linda and her team of 80 have worked on some incredible projects. They are now the go-to destination for luxury interiors, particularly when it comes to super yachts and private jets. In fact, the company has designed the interiors of 10 of the 100 largest yachts in the world.

No design feat is too challenging, according to Linda, and some of the requests she receives seem incredibly far-reaching.

“We designed a beautiful and very refined Airbus A319 for a client who always travels with his Chinese chef,” Linda explains. “The client was after quite a large kitchen and we installed this at the end of the aircraft. The Chinese chef, of course, had asked to cook with his wok. These are normally forbidden in any aircraft obviously due flames and smoke. Technically the challenge was how to overcome the super greasy smoke.” How did the team make it work? “In the end we had to install a very sophisticated double ventilation system,” says Linda. “A sophisticated hermetical door was also installed to separate the kitchen from the rest of the plane to avoid any smoke entering into the cabin. That was one of the most challenging requests we have ever had from a client.”

Reimagining private jets is something Linda and her team do incredibly well. “The interior design of a Boeing 747-800 was something quite exciting we worked on as we were asked to imagine a his and hers bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, a his and her office, a children’s area, a dining room, a guest area and a living area. All on a plane.”

Away from air and sea, Linda and her team have also designed interiors of private residences and luxury suites. “Being in charge of the renovation and decoration of the mythic Hotel Lambert in Paris, the most preserved private residence from the 17th century, is extremely exciting and a real challenge. We also worked on creating the private area at the Elysée Palace for former French President, Jacques Chirac, which was hugely exciting. Some of our client’s requests sometimes seem strange or over the top, but a client’s wish is our desire.”


Fitzalan Square

Fitzalan Square is a municipal square situated in the city centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The present day square is one of the busiest areas of the city centre, with traffic and pedestrians continually moving through the area. It has a Sheffield Supertram stop and a taxi rank.

This area of the city had been the market quarter since the medieval era and the modern square takes its name from the Fitzalan Market Hall, which stood near the site from 1786 to 1930. The Fitzalans were a lesser branch of the Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk and the major local landowners at that time.

Location
The square is located in the city centre at ; to the south of the eastern end of High Street. It is rectangular in shape, formed by the staggered intersections of Flat Street and Haymarket with High Street from the south and north respectively. Commercial Street and Bakers Hill leave the square to the east. Norfolk Street used to intersect with Flat Street at the south-western corner of the square, but it was cut off from the square when Arundel Gate was constructed in 1968.

History
Fitzalan Square was created in 1881 when Market Street and its buildings were demolished; the early square had a substantial cab stand and clock. However, this was demolished in 1913 to make way for a bronze statue of King Edward VII by Alfred Drury (1857–1944). This was unveiled by the Duke of Norfolk on 27 October 1913, and stands to this day.

Sheffield's Head Post Office operated in the square for almost ninety years. Built in 1910 as an addition to the 1897 post office building on Flat Street, it closed in 1999, with the main post office moving to new premises within the Co-op store on Angel Street. The Grade II listed Post Office building was up for sale for a considerable time before finally being sold for development in early 2006. On the west side of the square is the Grade II listed White Building. Built in 1908 by Gibbs and Flockton, it is faced in faience with carvings of the Sheffield metal trades by Alfred and William Tory, the faience was intended to resist the soot that blackened many of Sheffield's buildings at the time. The early square also had the Electra Palace Cinema, which opened February 1911. It became the News Theatre in 1945 and the Classic Cinema in 1962. It closed in 1982, and the building was destroyed by a fire in 1984. The site is now occupied by an amusement arcade. Next door to the cinema was the Bell Hotel public house, which is now a gift shop. Another public house, the Elephant Inn, stood on the corner where Norfolk Street entered the square. This closed in the late 1960s; it later became a branch of Halfords and then a charity shop. The well known Sheffield company of Wigfalls also had a shop in the square for many years, this is now a betting shop. However, the best-known structure in Fitzalan Square is the “Marples” building.

The Marples tragedy
The building at the corner of the square as it joins High Street was first occupied by a hotel in 1870; John Marples became the proprietor in 1886 and named the establishment the London Mart however it was always known locally as “The Marples”.

On the night of Thursday 12 December 1940, 280 German bombers attacked Sheffield in what has become known as the Sheffield Blitz. Their target was the steel works producing armaments in the east end of the city, however a mistake in navigation caused the city centre to become the main target. Fire bombs caused widespread panic, and many people took shelter in the Marples’ extensive cellars, believing they were safe under the robust seven-storey building. At 11:44 p.m. the Marples building took a direct hit from a bomb which plunged through the building and detonated just above the cellars, killing approximately 70 people and reducing the building to a  pile of rubble. The next day seven men were dug out of the rubble still alive, as a small section of cellar roof had, amazingly, withstood the impact.

The Marples site stood derelict until 1959 when the brewing company John Smith opened a new public house on the site, this time officially called “The Marples”. The pub closed in 2002 and was occupied by the Hein Gericke motorcycle clothing and accessory outlet until 2008. The building then stood empty for a few years but since 2012 the Marples building has been occupied by Cash Shop, a fair money lending and pawn broking company.

Present day
Fitzalan Square received a facelift during the summer of 2003. The Edward VII statue was cleaned and protected from pigeons, and lights were added to illuminate it at night. New sandstone paving and steel benches were installed, the trees were pruned and the street lighting was improved. In addition to a fair money lending and pawn broking company, amusement arcade and gift shop, the square contains three betting shops from national chains Betfred, Coral and Ladbrokes, a few insurance companies and a small newsagents. In the inner part of the square there is also a fast food hut named @Marples and a small police cabin. In January 2016, the Sheffield Institute of Arts (the art and design department within Sheffield Hallam University) moved into a fully refurbished Head Post Office, at the start of an initial 20-year lease, housing graphic design, fine art, fashion and product design. It is believed the Council will be further updating and improving the central area/island within the Square, possibly closing off one side to traffic.

Sheffield Supertram stop
Fitzalan Square/Ponds Forge is a central station on the Supertram tramway in Sheffield, serving the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre. It is one of only three stations served by all four of the system’s lines.

References

Category:Sheffield City Centre
Category:Squares in Sheffield


Hilton

Hilton or Hylton may refer to:

Companies
 Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a global hospitality company based in the United States that owns several hotel chains and subsidiary companies containing the Hilton name
 Hilton Hotels & Resorts, flagship hotel brand operated under Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
 Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an American non-profit charitable foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad N. Hilton.
 Ladbrokes, a British-based gambling company, known as Hilton Group plc from May 1999 to February 2006

Places

Australia
 Hilton (Chatswood), a heritage-listed house in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood
 Hilton, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
 Hilton, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth

Canada
 Hilton, Ontario, a township
 Hilton Beach, a small village surrounded by the township in Ontario
 Hilton Falls Conservation Area, located in Campbellville, Ontario

Norway
 Hilton, a farm near Kløfta, Ullensaker, known as the birthplace of Augustus Hilton, father of American hotelier Conrad Hilton

South Africa
 Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, a town next to Pietermaritzburg
 Hilton, Bloemfontein, a suburb of Bloemfontein

United Kingdom

England
 Hilton Park (stadium), a multi-use stadium in Leigh, Greater Manchester
 Hilton Hall, an 18th-century mansion house now in use as an office and business centre at Hilton, near Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
 Hilton Park services, a motorway service station, between junctions 10a and 11 of the M6 motorway in Staffordshire
 Hilton, Cambridgeshire, a village
 Hilton, Cumbria, a village
 Hilton, Derbyshire, a village
 Hilton, Dorset, a village
 Hilton, County Durham, a village
 Hilton, North Yorkshire, a village
 Hilton, Shropshire, a village
 Hilton, Staffordshire, a village
 Hylton Castle in Hylton district of Sunderland
 Cauld Lad of Hylton, the ghost of a murdered stable boy that haunts the ruins of Hylton Castle
 North Hylton, a suburb of Sunderland, in northeast England
 South Hylton Metro station, serves the village of South Hylton on the banks of the River
 South Hylton in Sunderland

Scotland
 Hilton, Aberdeen, a former village, now a neighbourhood
 Hilton of Cadboll, a village
 Hilton of Cadboll Stone, a Class II Pictish stone discovered at Hilton of Cadboll
 Hilton, Berwickshire, a village
 Hilton, Inverness, a former village, now part of the city

United States
Hilton, Georgia, an unincorporated community
 Hilton, Kentucky
 Hilton, New Jersey
 Hilton, New York, a village
 Hilton, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community
 Hiltons, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Scott County, Virginia
 Hilton Coliseum, a 14,057-seat multi-purpose arena in Ames, Iowa
 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a town, located on an island of the same name
 Hilton Head Airport, a county-owned, public-use airport located in northeastern Hilton Head Island
 Foxwoods Theatre, formerly named the Hilton Theatre, a Broadway theatre located at 213 West 42nd Street in New York City
 Hilton Village, a planned, English-village-style neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia
 Hilton Pier/Ravine, a park located in the village
 Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, located 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Savannah, Georgia
 Willis, Floyd County, Virginia, also known as Hylton, an unincorporated community in Floyd County, Virginia
 Hilton (Columbus, Georgia),
 Hilton (Catonsville, Maryland)

Vietnam
 Hanoi Hilton, a former prison in Hanoi

Schools
 Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
 Hilton College (South Africa), Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
 Hilton High School in Hilton, New York, United States
 C. D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, United States
 Hilton Head Preparatory School, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States
 Hilton Central School District, New York State, United States
 Hilton Head Christian Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States
 Hilton Elementary School (Newport News, Virginia), Newport News, Virginia, United States
 Hilton D. Bell Intermediate School, Garden Grove, California, United States
 Hilton Leech House and Amagansett Art School, Sarasota, Florida, United States
 Red House Academy, formerly Hylton Red House School, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England

People
 Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels Group
Hilton family, the extended family of Conrad Hilton
 Hilton (surname)
 Hilton (given name)

Other uses
 Bangkok Hilton (1989), an Australian television miniseries
 Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award, presented to a basketball player who has demonstrated personal character both on and off the court
 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the largest humanitarian award in the world
 Eckmann–Hilton argument, an argument in mathematics about two monoid structures on a set where one is a homomorphism for the other
 The Hanoi Hilton (film) (1987), a Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American prisoners of war who were held in the Hanoi Hilton
 Hilton Flight, a horse ridden in international show jumping by Richard Spooner
 Hilton International Stakes, a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race
 Hilton Quota, the quota applied to beef imported from certain countries into the European Union
 Hilton v. Guyot (1895), a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court described the factors to be used when considering the application of comity
 Hilton's law, an observation on topological anatomy
 Hilton's white line, a boundary in the anal canal
 Hylton v. United States (1796), a U.S. Supreme Court case involving judicial review
 I Want To Be a Hilton (2005), a weekly NBC reality television series that was hosted by Kathy Hilton
 London Hilton bombing, a 1975 explosion at the Hilton Hotel in London, England
 Sydney Hilton bombing, a 1978 explosion outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia
 "The Milton Hilton", the local nickname of the Otago Corrections Facility prison in Milton, New Zealand

See also

Hilton Hotel (disambiguation)
Hilton House (disambiguation)
 Hiltonia, Georgia


Kevin Mullins is celebrating after being named Landscape Photographer of the Year for this picture of the Tokyo skyline

Malmesbury photographer Kevin Mullins is celebrating after being named Landscape Photographer of the Year for his picture of the Tokyo skyline.

Kevin was awarded the prestigious title by The Societies, the largest professional body of photographers in the United Kingdom.

The awards took place on Saturday at a gala dinner and in the Hilton Metropole Hotel, London. The dinner, was part of the annual convention which is attended by nearly 20,000 people over five days.

Kevin, 40, runs a Wedding, Portrait and Equine Photography Business in Malmesbury and works right across the United Kingdom and abroad.

These awards are entered by over 13,000 people and the final placings are determined by a panel of distinguished photographers from around the world.

His picture was taken from the Sky Tree tower in Tokyo while visiting the city for other photographic commitments last September.

Kevin said: “We spent about six hours in the Sky Tree tower, waiting for the correct light and timing was imperative when shooting the photograph.”

Although primarily a wedding photographer, Kevin spends time throughout the year educating other photographers.

Having shot a wedding in Rome the day before, Kevin embarked on a whistle-stop tour of Tokyo, where the photograph was taken, before returning to London three days later.

Kevin, the father of Rosa, five, and Albie, two, said: “Although I don’t specialise in landscape or city scape photography, it is great to be recognised by peers and accomplished photographers from right across the world.

“I was quite shocked to win. I knew it was in the finals but I didn’t think there was a chance myself.”

"The awards ceremony was spectacular and, along with the trophy, I was presented with photographic equipment worth £1,000.

"I was also very pleased to have three of my other images awarded ‘merits’ by the judges throughout the weekend."

Kevin beat competition from four other photographers who made the final shortlist to take the title of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2013.


Following on from his latest comments I think it is about time that the media treat Nigel Farage with the respect he deserves. This man is a menace. There is nothing amusing about him.

I think that it is about time to make clear that this individual is a threat to our nation and what binds us together.

I don’t know what is worse – the nihilists using Islam as a means to an end in order to wage war and gain power, or our own home-grown nihilists like Farage and Katie Hopkins?

People like Farage should be on the fringes of society and not play a part in mainstream culture. Does Nick Griffin or those two berks from Britain First get away with their comments? Do they make regular appearances in the media?

The continued presence of Farage in the media encourages bigotry and hatred. His is the accepted face of xenophobia. I am no fan of Maggie Thatcher but the approach her government took to extremism – allowing them no voice – should be used.

If Nigel Farage is not treated with the disdain he deserves it is apparent more tragedy shall occur and innocent people in our country will suffer as a result of divisiveness. Let’s reflect on the past and learn lessons from the 20th Century before it is too late.

James Vinall

Derbyshire

Donald Trump’s confirmation as President-elect is worrying

While I respect the electoral college for its decision to declare Donald Trump the President-elect, I am nervous and concerned about having a man with such a thin skin running the affairs of the most powerful office on earth.

I really pray and hope the four years will pass by quickly, while he is preoccupied and distracted with Twitter, The Apprentice, Saturday Night Live and other trivial matters.

Personally, I can’t stand him. I don’t think he is qualified to run the office of the president or even to herd goats, he is that unpredictable.

As he is considering bringing back waterboarding, I think the best method to torture people would be to have them listen to him talk. Not only Americans but the entire world will be in agony dealing with him.

But as everything comes to an end, I hope his term will come to pass without an incident. We will certainly see a lot of turbulence within the next four years – as no one knows what he will come up with.

May God save us all.

Abubakar Kasim

Toronto

Our economy is dependent on migrant workers

Carolyn Fairbairn of the Confederation of British Industry is not alone in worrying about how British industry and commerce will cope post-Brexit. Many Brexit voters clearly hadn’t a clue, and one suspects the Government still hasn’t either. Have they really understood how dependent the British economy is on immigrant labour across many sectors and at all levels, from senior managers, hospital consultants, university professors, City whiz kids down to farm labourers?

We recently stayed at two excellent country house hotels in the West Country. A very significant proportion of visible staff (management, reception, restaurant), never mind the back stage staff, were in both cases French, German and Polish. These and other nationalities are even more evident in hotels and restaurants in London.

With the decline in manufacturing, the economy is crucially dependent on service industries like tourism and hospitality.

Typically of immigrants, foreign hotel staff are mainly young, ambitious people who will move on, move up, or start their own businesses; and some will take their expertise back to their own countries. Even if the Government does eventually permit existing immigrants to remain, where will the next generation of workers in industries like hospitality come from? One strongly suspects the Government hasn’t a clue.

Interestingly at one of these hotels, in the fine dining restaurant, was a young Polish man who had started at the hotel only two and a half years before as a kitchen porter, and had worked his way up through the kitchens to front of house. He was efficient, knowledgeable about the food, and charming with it. We may lament that more young Brits do not understand the excellent career opportunities in such industries, but meanwhile, where are the replacement staff going to come from?

Gavin Turner

Gunton

We need to look to identify all suicide risks – if we do not, more lives will be lost

Sarah Wollaston MP (Monday 19 December) rightly urges the Government to “identify suicide risks”. There is one very grave one which the national suicide strategy takes no account of. There is compelling research to demonstrate that head injury survivors – even survivors of concussion – are at particular risk of suicide and should receive the same attention and supervision from medical professionals as other high risk groups, such as prisoners, mental health patients and those with a history of self-harm. A large epidemiological survey carried out in Denmark, which covered 145,440 head injury patients, noted that suicides were more than double the norm after skull fracture, triple after concussion and four times after brain haemorrhage.

If my husband and I had known this we would have been more vigilant with our own son after his head injury, and might not have lost him to suicide.

Joanna Lane

Address supplied

The EU requires urgent reform

What the Government is more and more apparently aiming for is an arrangement with the EU countries that the majority of people in the UK had always wanted, but in their total intransigence the leaders of the EU had never been able to agree to because this involved reforms within the EU which all countries had to agree to. Any attempts by, for example, Cameron to get changes, left him looking embarrassed on the sidelines, and Britons portrayed on the continent as those awkward beggars who always want to be different.

Perhaps with Brexit we will achieve a situation that we always wanted, albeit outside of the EU, with the EU fully aware that reform of the EU is now urgent.