London Welsh kept in suspense over Premiership promotion bid - The Guardian
London Welsh will not find out whether they have met the minimum standards criteria for entry into the Aviva Premiership until a few hours before the first leg of their Championship play-off final against Cornish Pirates in Penzance on Wednesday night.
The Rugby Football Union's board of directors meets that morning and will examine the issue of whether London Welsh, who propose to move out of their Old Deer Park home and play at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium if they are promoted, fulfil the criteria.
The Professional Game Board last Thursday discussed the report of the auditors who assessed London Welsh's bid – the Pirates are not candidates for promotion because they knew they would not meet the criteria – but did not make a recommendation to the RFU.
It is understood that the PGB was divided, with representatives from Premiership Rugby questioning whether London Welsh met the stipulation regarding primacy of tenure. The Kassam Stadium should meet the criteria: it has a capacity of 12,000 and staged two Challenge Cup finals in the 2000s.
London Welsh are not concerned that if the RFU ruled against them it would have a negative impact on their players ahead of the game at a ground where they lost by 21 points in the regular season. The Exiles have an immediate right to appeal, something they would exercise with alacrity through their chairman, Bleddyn Phillips, a senior partner at a major law firm.
London Welsh have told the RFU that it would rather the governing body take its time than rush into a decision. The fact that the board of directors is discussing the matter as part of its regular monthly meeting, rather than deciding by conference call on Monday would indicate that the club's case is considered to have merit.
Leicester's director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, has settled his differences with the England coach, Stuart Lancaster, following their public spat last week over the fitness of the fly-half Toby Flood. The Tigers refused to allow England's physio to assess the player last week but diplomatic relations have been restored ahead of this weekend's Premiership grand final.
Cockerill said he and Lancaster have had "a healthy discussion" and considers the matter closed, although he is still declining to confirm who will start at No10 against Harlequins at Twickenham. "Me and Stuart get on pretty well," said Cockerill, who last week described the England coach as "naive" in his handling of the Flood issue.
"In the future we will discuss things a bit more closely and hopefully avoid any flashpoint or confrontation. He's a good guy. Occasionally we're going to be at odds with our opinions but that's OK."
The 19-year-old George Ford remains on standby to start at fly-half for the Tigers unless Flood makes a miracle recovery from his ankle injury. "Floody is working hard and improving day by day," said Cockerill. "He's not training today [on Monday] but he'll train tomorrow [on Tuesday] and we'll see where he's at. Fordy's an intelligent player … it's not the end of the world." Saturday's game will be Leicester's eighth successive grand final appearance.
The Australia wing James O'Connor will miss next month's three-Test series against Wales because of liver damage, but the outside-half Quade Cooper is expected to be named in the Wallabies' squad after recovering from a knee injury he sustained against Wales in the World Cup third place play-off.
The Wales caretaker head coach, Rob Howley, remains hopeful Warren Gatland will be able to join the squad at some stage in Australia.
Gatland, the head coach, is recovering from the serious heel injuries he suffered in a fall at his holiday home in New Zealand in April.
London 2012: Ticket design features sporting pictograms - BBC News
Pictograms of sporting events - including cycling, swimming and equestrianism - feature on the design of the London 2012 Olympic tickets.
Tickets, which are being sent out in the next few weeks, are colour coded according to the venue where the event is being staged, to help spectators.
In a bid to reduce counterfeiting, a hologram, barcode and the name of the booker will be printed on the ticket.
Delivery of Olympic tickets, travel cards and guides will begin this week.
Olympic organisers Locog commissioned branding specialist company Futurebrand to help design the tickets.
Every ticket will have the purchaser's named displayed, with the idea that tickets can be easily traced.
Paul Deighton, chief executive of Locog, urged spectators to keep their tickets in a safe place.
"With the Olympic Flame now making its journey towards the Olympic Stadium and with less than 100 days to go before the Paralympics, I cannot remember a more exciting week on the road to London 2012," he said.
But he issued a warning to sports fans without tickets not to be tempted to buy from unofficial websites or touts.
"In many cases, they [the websites] simply do not have tickets to sell and there is a real danger people will end up being out of pocket and missing out on seeing the Games."
With tickets for the Paralympics still on sale, Mr Deighton urged potential spectators to check the Locog website to be certain tickets were bought from an authorised source.
Det Supt Nick Downing from the Metropolitan Police urged people to check their tickets for the in-built security features.
"Genuine tickets will have a number of security features built into them to minimise the risk of counterfeits," he said.
"The safest way to ensure that your ticket is genuine is to only buy from an authorised seller which can be found on the London 2012 website.
"If you buy from an unofficial site, you risk paying over the odds for a ticket that may not exist, may not be genuine and you risk not getting to see the Games."
London 2012: Shoppers Guide to the Olympic City - thejakartaglobe.com
London. Fashion fans heading to London during the upcoming Olympic Games will be spoiled for choice when it comes to indulging in their favorite pastime.
Situated at the gateway to London's Olympic Park, it is estimated that 70 percent of spectators will pass through Westfield Stratford City, which opened in September 2011 and is Europe's largest urban shopping center with leading London stores such as LK Bennett and Jaeger as well as international labels including Prada and Tommy Hilfiger.
London department store Liberty, which was named number one of the 100 best shops in London by Time Out last year, will debut its first pop-up store at the mall, running May 28-September 12. Situated in main promenade The Street, the shop will echo Liberty's prestigious flagship store on Marlborough Street.
Shoppers looking to escape the bustle of the Olympic neighborhood should visit the more tranquil Westfield Shepherds Bush in the West of the city, which hosts high-end section The Village, with stores including Dior, Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo.
Or there is of course the famous Oxford Street in the center of town, which welcomes over 100 million shoppers from 200 countries every year and hosts flagships from high street retailers including American Apparel, Topshop, Urban Outfitters and H&M.
There, you will also find some of the city's best department stores, such as Selfridges. This will host the ‘Wonder Windows' program during July and August -- showcasing the Britain Creates 2012 Exhibition, where leading designers such as Paul Smith and Matthew Williamson have each teamed up with a leading contemporary artist to create a work of art to represent London as a capital for creative excellence.
Shoppers in the pursuit of somewhere less mainstream should try the Boxpark pop-up mall in the Shoreditch neighborhood, which brings together independent streetwear labels including Abuze and Boxfresh. The mall will be showing free musical performances from some of London's best rising talents during the Olympic Games, and on August 1 will launch an exclusive exhibition to allow tourists to meet local London art critics and artists.
Meanwhile, ladies looking for a quirkier aesthetic should head to the eclectic markets in the East of the city such as Brick Lane and Spitalfields, whose array of quirky independent retailers regularly attract Brit style icons such as Alexa Chung and Florence Welch.
AFP
London NHS trust fined £90,000 for data breach - BBC News
An NHS trust has been fined £90,000 after 59 patients' details were sent to the wrong person.
Personal data, including diagnoses, was faxed to a member of the public 45 times for three months from last March.
The Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust did not have sufficient checks in place, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said.
The trust said the breach was regrettable, but it intended to appeal against the the fine.
'Acted incorrectly'Stephen Eckersley, the ICO's head of enforcement, said: "Patients rely on the NHS to keep their details safe.
"In this case Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust failed to keep their patients' sensitive information secure.
"The fact that this information was sent to the wrong recipient for three months without anyone noticing makes this case all the more worrying."
A spokesman for the trust said: "We deeply regret that the Information Commissioner has decided to impose a fine and so we have instructed our lawyers to commence an appeal against this.
"We consider that the commissioner has acted incorrectly as a matter of law and so we have no alternative but to bring an appeal."
But she added that protecting patient confidentiality was a top priority and the incident, which was a result of human error, was "hugely regrettable".
The trust had apologised to those affected and changes have been made to procedures following an internal investigation.
Far East buyers beware in London property rush - Reuters UK
LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) - When Hong Kong businessman Mr. He paid a 35,000 pound deposit on a four-bedroom apartment in Britain, he believed it was a 40-minute walk from central London, his lawyer says. In fact it was a 40-minute journey by high-speed train.
The 350,000 pound home was in Lincolnshire, eastern England. He sued the developer for misrepresentation last year, getting his money back before the case got to court in what his lawyer told Reuters was an attempt by the developer to avoid its marketing material being splashed around a courtroom.
His experience shows the potential pitfalls facing a growing number of Far Eastern people buying British homes unseen as developers target places such as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore because British buyers are struggling to get mortgages.
"It is a matter of developers saying: 'Here are some people who are likely to be interested. They probably do not know too much about the market, so why don't we advertise there'," said David Eldon, former chairman of HSBC's Asia unit (HSBA.L) who has witnessed the practice during two decades in Hong Kong.
"I think they are being a little economical with the truth," he told Reuters, saying properties could be sold for higher prices in the Far East.
Major developers including Barratt (BDEV.L), Taylor Wimpey (TW.L) and Berkeley (BKGH.L) have stepped up efforts to court cash-rich Far Eastern buyers since 2009 after the global financial crisis sapped demand at home. Developers do not all use exactly the same marketing methods.
Berkeley said it had had many repeat purchases from Asian buyers over 20 years, although it acknowledged a mistake in one of its press releases. Taylor Wimpey said it offered a high level of service to all customers. Barratt declined to comment.
The number of Chinese and Pacific Asian buyers of the best quality newly built London homes jumped to 37 percent in 2010 from four percent in 2009, data from property consultancy Savills (SVS.L) showed. The majority purchase for investment and are used to buying off-plan - before the home is built.
Mr. He was told his flat was 40 minutes from central London at a face-to-face meeting with the developer, said David Linklater, head of litigation at law firm Alan Broadhurst, who represented He. Broadhurst declined to give his client's full name or the developer's identity.
"Lots of people go to the fairs in Hong Kong and get a sheet of paper with a picture of Big Ben. You think you are going to be the Queen's neighbour when actually the Queen has a great big garden with a big wall around it," said Linklater, who deals with 20-30 unhappy overseas buyers a year.
PICTURES OF HARRODS
Sold at exhibitions in plush hotels, many properties are not in the most desirable London neighbourhoods despite the prominent pictures of Harrods or Buckingham Palace. Details of exact locations tend to be omitted rather than inaccurate.
"There is a lot of embellishment going on working off the naivety of the Chinese buyer," said James Moss, managing director of property consultancy Curzon Investment Property.
A brochure advertising 375 Kensington High Street, a luxury London scheme marketed in the Far East and developed by a Berkeley joint venture alludes to the proximity of the High Street Kensington underground station in a brochure entitled "London's most sought after new address".
The station, which is at the heart of one of London's most popular shopping districts, is a 15-20 minute walk away while the flats are at the scruffier end of the same long street and closer to two other tube stations.
In a press release issued in Hong Kong on Friday, the development was described as "a short walk from the luxury shopping available at Harrods". The world-famous store is a 50-minute walk according to the Transport for London website.
"To an unsuspecting buyer, you think wow, it is amazing, but actually it is the wrong end of Kensington High Street, right next to Kensington Olympia," said Camilla Dell, managing partner at Black Brick Property Solutions, which helps overseas buyers find London homes.
A Berkeley spokesman said the "short walk" description was "an error".
"We have had a lot of customers from Asia over the last 20 years, many of whom are repeat purchasers," he said.
"It (the development) has excellent transport links and easy access to well-known shops; the distances to which are clearly marked in our brochure. In addition, by far the majority of buyers have or will visit our developments before buying."
Ingrid Skinner, managing director of Taylor Wimpey Central London, said: "Buyers need to be able to trust the company they are buying from. At Taylor Wimpey we offer the same high level of service to all of our customers."
HIGH PRESSURE
The ballrooms of Hong Kong's luxury hotels hold property shows nearly every weekend. The city's two Mandarin Oriental hotels are particularly popular.
At one event attended by Reuters on Friday, prospective buyers were offered San Pellegrino bottled water, chocolate cupcakes and a choice of finger sandwiches. An HSBC banker was on hand to help with financing and a lawyer in case a purchaser was ready to sign.
Buyers can feel the pressure.
Judith, a native of Zhejiang in China who lives in London and declined to give her full name, said her father paid the deposit on six off-plan flats in Colindale, north London, at a Shanghai exhibition a year ago despite the fact she warned him about its remote location.
"The moment my father sat down, the agent wanted him to pay a reservation fee. Once he showed that he liked them, they said he had to pay the fee or someone else would snap them up," she said.
They are in a legal dispute with the agent in an attempt to recover 24,000 pounds, claiming they were sold the properties on the basis they could be converted into nine units, which they subsequently discovered was not possible.
"The developer and agent are not obliged to educate the buyers, it is down to the buyers to educate themselves," said Ken Xiao, president of Chinese Property Professionals Society in London. "Of course the agents will try to show the shiny side because they are trying to sell the property."
There may be little legal recourse. Those buying new homes as an investment are not protected under the National House Building Council's consumer code as opposed to those looking to occupy them, a spokeswoman for the watchdog told Reuters.
Estate agents said overseas buyers of property as an investment were at risk of getting lower-than-expected returns as the mass marketing of the homes at events meant many landlords would likely have to vie for tenants all at once, pushing rents down, Dell said.
"I have yet to see a development where the rents have exceeded the advertised rent," said Ashley Jones, managing director at London-based estate agent Barclay Residential. "I cannot see all of this having a happy ending."
(Additional reporting by Alex Frew McMillan; Editing by Tom Bill and Matthew Tostevin)
London 2012 Olympics: officials pledge no repeat of fiasco that denied Jessica Ennis a career best in 100m hurdles - Daily Telegraph
It is understood that although the officials involved were licensed by UK Athletics, they were not selected or signed off for the event by the governing body but were hired directly by Nova. None of them are involved in officiating at the London Olympics.
Brendan Foster, the BBC pundit and former athlete who founded Nova, has since apologised to UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos as well as to Ennis and the three other athletes in the race.
“Our guys take full responsibility,” said Foster. “For us it is very embarrassing. We’re very sorry. We’ve apologised to all the athletes and particularly to Jess. Our guys feel sorry we’ve let them all down. It wasn’t UK Athletics’ fault, it was our fault, and we take full responsibility.
“Our guys are mortified. We deserve a kick up the backside and we deserve to be castigated. It was human error and we’re sorry for it.”
Track and field events in London will be overseen by a mixture of ‘international technical officials’ selected by the International Association of Athletics Federations and ‘national technical officials’ recruited by UK Athletics. All are said to be the “crème de la crème” of officialdom and will undergo additional training before the Games.
London Art Fairs: A Beginner’s Guide - Londonist
It seems like London plays host to an art fair every other weekend. How do you decide which one’s are worth going to?
One major differentiator is who’s at these fairs. Some are gallery fairs where all the stands belong to established galleries representing their artists. The advantage here is that the galleries have already screened the artists and selected who they want to represent. This means that the art quality should be high, but also that the gallery will take a hefty commission on purchases. Brace yourself for higher prices.
The other type – we’ll call these artist fairs — are where the artists represent themselves. The organisers of the fair do some screening, but the quality of the work on display is usually a mixed bag. The advantages are you get to talk to and negotiate with the artist directly. This is your chance to discover up-and-coming artists before they make it big.
The third type we’ll refer to as genre fairs. These are aimed at a niche, specialised market and might be the best place to go if you know the exact type of art you’re after.
Gallery Fairs
London Art Fair
Venue: Business Design Centre
When: Every January
Price Range: No limit
Verdict: One for the high rollers, you’ll see artworks going into six figures that are likely to include works by notable artists such as Damien Hirst and Picasso. The level of quality here is very high and is great for browsers but only for serious buyers.
Affordable Art Fair
Venue: Battersea Park and Hampstead Heath
When: Bi-annually in Battersea (March and October), annually in Hampstead (November)
Price Range: £50 to £4,000
Verdict: The title is a little misleading as the prices tend to be more towards the upper limit so may not fall within your definition of affordable; but there is usually much high-quality work on display. Most artists represented are already well established so you may have to settle for their smaller works as their larger pieces often tend to exceed the upper limit of the fair.
Frieze Art Fair
Venue: Regent’s Park
When: Every October
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: Similar in scope and price to the London Art Fair. This is full of well-established galleries from around the world and this is reflected in the quality of the art and the prices.
Masterpiece
Venue: Royal Hospital, Chelsea
When: Every June
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: It’s probably unfair to classify this as an art fair as it’s all about masterpieces — from art to food and on to classic cars. This is another one for those with bulky wallets or for those wanting to see what high society is all about.
20/21 British and International Art Fairs
Venue: Royal College of Art, South Kensington
When: Every February (International) and September (British)
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: A duo of gallery fairs that has one show for British galleries and a separate fair that opens the doors to other art dealers from around the world. The fairs are smaller and less populist so offer a much more relaxing environment for buying and browsing in comparison to the bustle of some of the aforementioned.
Pinta
Venue: Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre
When: Every June
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: A fair that specialises in bringing across work from the emerging Latin American contemporary art scene. A rare opportunity to see art that doesn’t get a huge showing in the UK.
Artist Fairs
The Other Art Fair
Venue: Ambika P3
When: Every May
Price Range: £50 to c£5,000
Verdict: This is one for spotting the ‘next big thing’. Artists here are unrepresented and are usually very early on in their careers. Hence, there are plenty of bargains to be had. On the flipside, the quality of the work can be variable but don’t let that put you off because there are hidden gems to be found.
Parallax Art Fair
Venue: Chelsea Town Hall
When: Quarterly in February, May, July and October
Price Range: c£50 to c£2,000
Verdict: The very definition of low key. This is an international art fair where up-and-coming artists showcase their work at surprisingly reasonable prices, especially for Chelsea. There are lots of talented artists on display that you might not find elsewhere.
Wimbledon Art Studios — Open Studios
Venue: Wimbledon Art Studios
When: Bi-annually, Summer (May) and Winter (November)
Price Range: c£50 to c£10,000
Verdict: A truly unique event where artists let you wander around their paint-stained studios. There are usually a few hidden talents waiting to be discovered and it’s an opportunity to enter artists’ creative worlds. It also stands apart for being the only free art fair on this list.
Genre fairs
Kinetica Art Fair
Venue: Ambika P3
When: Every February
Price Range: c£50 to c£75,000
Verdict: A great mix of science and art with quirky inventors displaying their wares. Our top recommendation for browsers as you’re unlikely to find these creations in any mainstream gallery.
Animal Art Fair
Venue: South Bank
When: Every May
Price Range: £150 – £30,000
Verdict: Animal lovers won’t want to miss out on this one. If you’re a fan of animal art then this is the place to look for that painting or sculpture you’ve been searching for.
Pick Me Up
Venue: Somerset House
When: Every March/April
Price Range: c£15 to c£1,000
Verdict: This fair is all about contemporary graphic art and bargains abound with signed prints available from as little as £15.
London Original Print Fair
Venue: Royal Academy
When: Every April
Price Range: £100 to £100,000
Verdict: This is the more refined and pricier cousin to Pick Me Up. The higher price range is justified by the more notable names and galleries represented but we prefer the edgier Pick Me Up.
Collect
Venue: Saatchi gallery
When: Every May
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: The most notable crafts fair in London (though we don’t know of any others). If you’re looking for something that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing then this is for you.
Did we miss any? Let us know below and we’ll add them to the list.
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