The website is the brainchild of Ariana Louis who said:

"www.damngoodeateries.com started out for me as a bit of personal blog on eating out (a hobby dear to my Greek heart and stomach)!

"However I soon realised that it would be fun to share this hobby with others and the idea of a website with my own thoughts on the great places I’ve eaten was born.

"The website has already attracted interest through its Facebook and Twitter (@damngoodeat) following and over the coming months will grow as more reviews are added"

Have your say on this story using the comment section below.
 

Continue reading →

The most common cause of damage, which has affected 2.5 million (10%) British homes, is eggs being thrown. Around 1.5 million (6%) households have also had their garden plants and fences damaged or removed. Property damage due to fireworks and sparklers (3%), hosting a house party (2%) and items posted through letter boxes (2%) has also contributed to the nation’s colossal "mischief week" repair bill.

Most shockingly, 2% of Britons – equivalent to almost a million people – have been attacked by people using fireworks as weapons.

Those living in Yorkshire and the Humber have suffered the most damage to their homes, with Continue reading →

Nick van Marken, global head – advisory, travel, hospitality & leisure at Deloitte, said: "Some recovery in the UK hotel transaction market was apparent in 2011, mainly in the second half of the year, and this has continued in 2012. Single asset transactions dominate and London remains the focus for most investors. The lack of readily accessible debt financing remains an on-going constraint and has made it difficult to close on large portfolio deals in particular."

Portfolio transactions made up around 30% of total deal activity during H1 2012, compared to 70% in 2011. The most significant transactions were the acquisition of Continue reading →

Nationwide has published some tips to help people keep safe this summer. Pete Corrie, Nationwide’s Head of Financial Crime, explains: "Whatever the weather, the start of the school holidays marks the true beginning of summer. But it is also the time when thieves and fraudsters are ready to pounce and ruin your summer.

"So whether you’re planning to go abroad, opting for a staycation or visiting a major sporting event in the UK, it is important to take steps to protect your money and belongings."

Pete’s top tips include:

1.Don’t shout about your holiday: No matter how excited you might be, don’t tell everyone Continue reading →

The research is based on a family of four and compares the cost of a seven night stay commencing on 27 July 2012 (the opening ceremony) with the cost of an ordinary week in late August, when the events have finished. Results highlighted extremely steep hotel premiums, finding that visitors to a central London hotel could incur an average extra cost of £2891.

Four star hotels have some of the biggest premiums, according to the findings, with one central London venue increasing prices by 245% over the period, an eye-watering uplift of £5666 over a week.

Santander also investigated hotel prices near the Continue reading →

English Heritage has returned to the beach the original wooden bathing machine which ran down a ramp into the sea and from which Victoria – her modesty preserved – would emerge in her swimming suit. English Heritage has also restored the small covered seat – The Queen’s Alcove – where she sat and sketched the coastal views.

"Queen Victoria is fixed in many people’s minds as ‘the Grandmother of Europe’, a Queen who spent most of her reign in mourning for her husband," said Simon Thurley, English Heritage’s Chief Executive. "Opening her beach at Osborne lets us show another side to her Continue reading →

Contractor VINCI Construction UK has taken possession of the site at Airman’s Corner, 1.5 miles to the west of the Stones, to start construction of the new exhibition and visitor building out of sight of the stone circle. In September, the Highways Agency will start work to upgrade Longbarrow Roundabout prior to the closure of the A344 in April 2013.

The £27-million project is financed almost entirely by Heritage Lottery Fund money, commercial income and philanthropic donations including significant gifts from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Linbury Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: "A new Continue reading →

The photographs featuring on the website date from 1919 to 1953, and have gone through a painstaking process of conservation and cataloguing. Due to their age and fragility, many of the earliest plate glass negatives were close to being lost forever. Covering the countryside, industrial and urban landscapes, iconic landmarks and villages and coastal scenes, its chronological and geographical coverage is superb and documents the face of Britain during a period of intense and unparalleled change.

Highlights from the collection include: the first boxing match at Wembley Stadium in 1924; the Thames Flood of 1947 in which over 100,000 properties were affected; Continue reading →

The Minister confirmed that he was making over £13.5 million available to help bring empty homes across Liverpool back into use. This, and the efforts of the local community have ensured that the streets Ringo Starr grew up on will be preserved for years to come.

Mr Shapps visited Madryn Street with the city’s Mayor Joe Anderson to see first hand the ambitious plans now being worked up to hand Ringo’s former home and other homes in Madryn Street that were previously earmarked for demolition over to the community.

The decision to save Madryn Street marks a victory for the local community and Continue reading →

Like many of you, Property Talk Live will be taking a break over the next few days for the Jubilee bank holiday.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers an enjoyable few days off.

Thanks to you, Property Talk Live has enjoyed another hugely successful period and seen exceptional growth in the number of people visiting the site.

And that’s not all – the number following us on Twitter alone is now approaching 13,000, which we think is phenomenal.

We will be looking to break through that barrier when we return on 11 June!