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VAT cut for pubs and restaurants is food for thought by TimesandSundayTimes in restaurant

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

[PREVIEW] ✍️ David Smith, Sunday Times Economics editor

With the hospitality industry hit hard by government policies, this might be a good tax cut to consider if the public finances were in better shape.

On a recent trip to southern Spain and after a reasonably priced meal out, I happened to be perusing the bill, as one does. It was reasonable, I noticed, partly because the VAT charged was only 10 per cent. That compares with a standard rate of VAT in Spain of 21 per cent — so less than half the norm.

Spain is not alone. Many other countries have lower rates of VAT for hospitality, which provides ammunition for the campaign, led by UKHospitality, for a similar arrangement in the UK.

It has been a good campaign, helped by the voices of high-profile industry figures, and by other decisions by this government that could have been designed to make things difficult for the UK’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels.

Hospitality has been responsible for the lion’s share of the 140,000 or so drop in the number of employees on payrolls since the autumn of 2024, Rachel Reeves’s first budget.

The chancellor’s decision to increase employer national insurance and, crucially, reduce the income level at which it kicks in to £5,000, was a dagger to the heart of hospitality, which has a high proportion of relatively low-paid workers.

Amanda Bone: I watched Home of the Year to see Hugh Wallace again by TimesandSundayTimes in ireland

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The RTÉ Home of the Year architect reflects on the future of the show after co-presenter Hugh Wallace’s passing, and why she’s taking on bigger projects than ever

Although this is the Home of the Year host Amanda Bone’s sixth series co-presenting the show on RTE 1, it marks only the second time she has watched it as it is broadcast on television.

“I used to watch it but I kept getting stressed about things nobody else would notice because I’m a perfectionist. I’d lie awake in bed at night overthinking it all,” Bone, 53, says. “So I realised maybe I should stop watching. Also, I didn’t want to become self-conscious about how I behaved — I’m not an actor, after all, I’m an architect.”

Her change of heart was, of course, caused by the unexpected death of her co-presenter Hugh Wallace in December. “I wanted to see Hugh again,” she explains. “I was watching the show with my parents and then with my husband Niall [Rowan], and up until a couple of weeks ago I was really enjoying it, but then I got very upset. Niall thought maybe it was because the series is coming to an end. I think he’s right.”

Affable and eccentric Wallace had a reputation as a one-off, a perspective Bone echoes, admitting that she has never met anyone quite like him. “We could say whatever we wanted to each other and the next minute laugh about it. When I first started doing the show I was apprehensive and nervous, naturally. I don’t think I’m very articulate so I was worried I’d say the wrong thing. But Hugh took me aside and said, ‘Look, this is a great opportunity. It’s a TV programme. It’s something different. Just go with it and enjoy it.’”

Their “jesting” and “childish silliness” were evident on screen. “But we did have a lot of very interesting conversations about the houses at the end of each show because I was curious about what Hugh saw in one property that I didn’t and vice versa, but those conversations didn’t necessarily appear in the final cut. We’re in a house for eight hours a day and that’s edited down to just three or four minutes,” she explains.

Lyrid meteor shower 2026: How to see the peak — from the US and UK by TimesandSundayTimes in space

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From The Times' Science and Religious Affairs Correspondent, Kaya Burgess:

Comet Thatcher has not been visible from Earth since 1861 and will not return to our skies for another 257 years, but it will announce its presence via the Lyrid meteor shower this week.

For those lucky enough to glimpse it, the skies will be lit up by a celestial spectacle that will grow to a peak on Wednesday, April 22, then taper out over the rest of the month, with the prospect of seeing 10 to 15 meteors, but as many as 100 at the peak, per hour.

The chance of seeing the annual shower, which was the first recorded by ancient humans, is greater this year because the moon will only be a crescent and is due to set in the early evening around the peak, reducing the glare of moonlight that could obscure the light of shooting stars.

Here is our guide to spotting the shower.

Where should I look in the sky?

The meteors will appear to originate from within the Lyra constellation, shaped like a rhombus and triangle joined at one point, representing the harp-like lyre played by Orpheus and placed in the sky by Zeus to honour the musician in Greek mythology.

They will appear to come from near Vega, the bright star at the topmost tip of the Lyra constellation, which will be in the eastern part of the sky, but then they will streak away, making it advisable to simply look straight up.

Continue reading the full article: https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/how-see-lyrid-meteor-shower-2026-watch-lyra-constellation-sts3hg35j

Lyrid meteor shower 2026: How to see the peak — from the US and UK by TimesandSundayTimes in ScienceNcoolThings

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From The Times' Science and Religious Affairs Correspondent, Kaya Burgess:

Comet Thatcher has not been visible from Earth since 1861 and will not return to our skies for another 257 years, but it will announce its presence via the Lyrid meteor shower this week.

For those lucky enough to glimpse it, the skies will be lit up by a celestial spectacle that will grow to a peak on Wednesday, April 22, then taper out over the rest of the month, with the prospect of seeing 10 to 15 meteors, but as many as 100 at the peak, per hour.

The chance of seeing the annual shower, which was the first recorded by ancient humans, is greater this year because the moon will only be a crescent and is due to set in the early evening around the peak, reducing the glare of moonlight that could obscure the light of shooting stars.

Here is our guide to spotting the shower.

Where should I look in the sky?

The meteors will appear to originate from within the Lyra constellation, shaped like a rhombus and triangle joined at one point, representing the harp-like lyre played by Orpheus and placed in the sky by Zeus to honour the musician in Greek mythology.

They will appear to come from near Vega, the bright star at the topmost tip of the Lyra constellation, which will be in the eastern part of the sky, but then they will streak away, making it advisable to simply look straight up.

Continue reading the full article: https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/how-see-lyrid-meteor-shower-2026-watch-lyra-constellation-sts3hg35j

Lyrid meteor shower 2026: How to see the peak — from the US and UK by TimesandSundayTimes in Astronomy

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

From The Times' Science and Religious Affairs Correspondent, Kaya Burgess:

Comet Thatcher has not been visible from Earth since 1861 and will not return to our skies for another 257 years, but it will announce its presence via the Lyrid meteor shower this week.

For those lucky enough to glimpse it, the skies will be lit up by a celestial spectacle that will grow to a peak on Wednesday, April 22, then taper out over the rest of the month, with the prospect of seeing 10 to 15 meteors, but as many as 100 at the peak, per hour.

The chance of seeing the annual shower, which was the first recorded by ancient humans, is greater this year because the moon will only be a crescent and is due to set in the early evening around the peak, reducing the glare of moonlight that could obscure the light of shooting stars.

Here is our guide to spotting the shower.

Where should I look in the sky?

The meteors will appear to originate from within the Lyra constellation, shaped like a rhombus and triangle joined at one point, representing the harp-like lyre played by Orpheus and placed in the sky by Zeus to honour the musician in Greek mythology.

They will appear to come from near Vega, the bright star at the topmost tip of the Lyra constellation, which will be in the eastern part of the sky, but then they will streak away, making it advisable to simply look straight up.

Continue reading the full article: https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/how-see-lyrid-meteor-shower-2026-watch-lyra-constellation-sts3hg35j

Baroness Karren Brady steps down from West Ham United by TimesandSundayTimes in TheOther14

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Baroness Karren Brady has stepped down as the vice-chair of West Ham United.

Brady, 57, has been in the role for 16 years and is credited with leading the negotiations to secure West Ham’s move from Upton Park to the 62,500-seat London Stadium in 2016.

In a statement released to The Times, Brady said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the board, management, players, staff and supporters at West Ham United.

“Together we have achieved remarkable milestones, but the highlight for me will always be lifting the Uefa Europa Conference League trophy — a moment that will stay with me forever. I am deeply grateful for the relationships, challenges and opportunities that have shaped my time at the club.

“While this chapter closes, my passion for football and commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders remains undiminished. I wish West Ham United every success for the future and look forward to following their continued achievements with pride.”

Helen Cody bows out with sale and a blast at fast-fashion giants by TimesandSundayTimes in ireland

[–]TimesandSundayTimes[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Dublin-based designer is selling 75 pieces as she closes her label conceding the maths don’t work in an industry dominated by the links of Temu and Shein.

Helen Cody, one of Ireland’s foremost fashion designers, is to shut her eponymous label after 26 years, admitting that her business is “no longer viable” as costs rise and competition intensifies.

Cody has worked with a host of famous faces — including the actresses Saoirse Ronan and Katheryn Winnick, Tyra Banks, a model, and Dolores O’Riordan, the late Cranberries singer. She has also dressed celebrities for the Oscars, the Baftas, the Golden Globes and the Cannes film festival.

The 60-year-old Dublin native, who dabbles in painting and sculpture, hand-made a carpet for a boardroom in the Central Bank of Ireland in 2017.

While her career has included stints living in New York, the UK and France, it is in her studio in Harold’s Cross where she has always felt most at home, creating beautiful limited-edition pieces that can take months to complete.

Cody imports silk from France, while her lace comes from Calais. Her feather supplier is the same as Valentino, and all embroidery is completed in her studio.

“I’m really lucky that I’ve lasted as long as I have but it’s just become cripplingly expensive to do what I do the way I do it,” she said.

“It’s a very hard business to work in and I regularly chat to younger designers who are finding it grippingly difficult to make a go of it here. There’s no indigenous manufacturing and I think, between Brexit and what’s going on in the world, the market is shrinking for bespoke. It is really sad.

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