Gatwick Express have decided than winter has arrived and turned the heating on. Sweltering on the train...

Please sign our petition

The future of the Royal Opera House has been put in doubt following a planning application by property developer Oakmayne. The company has submitted plans for an abattoir on the Covent Garden site which, if built, would sit opposite the Royal Opera House building and could pose a significant threat to the theatre's entertainment license. Oakmayne's attitude towards preserving the longevity of the theatre is perhaps best summed up by a comment from its chairman, Christopher Allen, who when questioned gave his opinion that "opera houses come and go".

We, the undersigned, disagree with you Christopher. And we refuse to just sit idly by and let this happen. The Royal Opera is not just a theatre. Millions of people have passed through our doors over the 180 years we have been open. 300,000 people visit us annually, bringing trade to Covent Garden and the surrounding area. We have always strived to create the moments that people live for, and we will continue to do so. We are the people that come here, the people that work here, the music that is played here and the lifelong bonds that are made here. If we lose the Royal Opera House, we are losing a vital piece of culture in this country. Theatres may have existed before Royal Opera House, but they were never the same afterwards.

Please sign our petition if you oppose Oakmayne’s planning application.

Abercrombie & Fitch pays older men to stop wearing their clothes

On Tuesday, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch said it would offer “substantial payment“ to overweight middle-aged men to stop wearing the brand.

"We are deeply concerned that the association of unattractive, older men with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that these people need to wear clothes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans", an Abercrombie & Fitch spokesperson said in a statement.

Abercrombie & Fitch is also no stranger to controversy. The all-American retailer has come under fire in the past for a range of topics ranging from negative stereotyping to sexually explicit material and employment practices.

Word Cloud

Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus Risotto

for 4 people

100g butter
1 small onion
8 fistfuls - 400g - arborio rice
2 bunches - 20 stalks of asparagus
500ml chicken or vegetable stock

Wash the asparagus and chop the stalks into 1cm pieces, leaving 4cm of the tips.

Melt a generous knob of butter in a heavy-based pan, add a chopped onion, and cook gently until translucent.

Add the rice (two handfuls per person) and toast it in the butter until it starts to brown.

Add a generous glass of dry white wine (this adds an acid note to the dish). Let the wine evaporate until the onion and rice are nearly dry then add a ladleful of stock and give it a good stir.

Add the asparagus then continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, each time waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful. Carry on until the rice is soft but still firm.

Remove from the heat and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes. Then, stir in another generous knob of butter and some grated parmesan.

BBC News 'struggles' to invent royal wedding related headlines

Foulkes's Law

"When three or more are gathered together, and agree that something is undeniably true, they are usually wrong."

Chris Foulkes - 2011

Champagne Margaritas

This is one of those cocktail recipes that should come with a warning—it's too easy to drink, even for those who aren't the biggest fans of tequila. The Champagne (or any other dry sparkling wine) rounds out the strong flavors of the tequila and lime, adding bubbles and a wonderfully round flavor that will most likely have you reaching for flute after flute.

The recipe advises mixing the margarita component and chilling it at least an hour in advance. Once it's mixed up (in pitchers for easy pouring), all that's left to do is rim the flutes with salt, top with Champagne, and enjoy.

Champagne Margaritas

- serves eight

Adapted from Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless.

Ingredients

The finely grated zest (colored part only) from 1 lime
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup Cointreau
1 cup 100% agave silver tequila
Superfine sugar, if needed for adding sweetness
A half lime for moistening the glass rims
Coarse salt
1 bottle chilled brut Champagne or other sparkling wine

Procedure

1. Make the margarita mixture: In a pitcher, combine the lime zest, lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. Taste the mixture: if you like the bracing flavor (it will be quite tart), leave the mixture as is; if it's too tart for you, stir in a little superfine sugar. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

2. Serve: Strain the mixture to remove the zest. Moisten the rims of eight 6-ounce Champagne glasses with the cut side of the lime half. Spread coarse salt on a small plate, then upend the glasses into the salt to crust the rims. Fill each glass halfway with the margarita (it'll take a generous 1/2 cup). Slowly fill the rest of the way with Champagne or sparkling wine, and hand to one of your lucky guests.

Felice Varini’s amazing illusions

Another one of Felice Varini’s amazing illusions

Impossible Motion

Another brilliantly executed 3D illusion.

Once again, the beauty of this type of illusion is that as you watch it, your brain "knows" it's a trick, but your eyes believe it completely.

Like the Red Queen, who in her youth managed to believe six impossible things before breakfast, we are all much more inclined to belive impossible things that we would care to admit.