Silversea’s Silver Whisper set sail on the ‘Tale of Tales,’ the cruise line’s enriched World Cruise 2019. Following extensive refurbishments and after a hugely successful pre-voyage event, the enhanced ship welcomed World Cruisers aboard in San Francisco for the start of the 133-day voyage, including author Pico Iyer—the first of nine creatives who will enrich the World Cruise 2019 for Silversea’s guests. During the ship’s dry dock period, which lasted from December 1 until December 19, Silver Whisper underwent a large-scale renovation—completed in line with the Musification strategy that is inspiring the enhancement of Silversea’s fleet. The initial refurbishment plans of Silver Whisper were revised and augmented following the launch of Project Invictus, Silversea Cruise’s long-term plan to enrich and enlarge its fleet. With the comfort of guests in mind - namely, world cruising guests on the Tale of Tales - all public areas … [Read more...] about THE TALE OF TALES: SILVERSEA’S SILVER WHISPER SETS SAIL ON WORLD CRUISE 2019
La review of books
These are the London music festivals you should book up for
London’s summer festival season is rather different from the UK-wide one: just as packed with huge music names and grassy settings but with tents left in the loft, welly deployment also largely unnecessary and little chance of going three nights without sleep, deliberately or otherwise. Our civilised outdoor offerings can feature football stadiums, a fancy building in the background and, this year, a giant flame-throwing spider. Some of our festivals are even indoors. Here’s what’s coming up. The big ones London Stadium Wembley usually takes the crown for busiest stadium concert venue of the summer but the former Olympic Stadium is putting on the largest number of shows in 2018. The Rolling Stones get the outdoor season going early with two gigs in May. Then Beyoncé and hubby revive their On the Run Tour, a joint venture that never made it to the UK the first time around in 2014. Foo Fighters wrap things up with what are sure to be two epic, tireless nights … [Read more...] about These are the London music festivals you should book up for
Lover of Brit killed by giant wave in yacht disaster reveals tragic story that inspired new film Adrift
FOR loved-up young adventurer Tami Oldham, sailing a yacht across the Pacific with her sexy fiance was meant to be 4,000 miles of sun-kissed bliss. But 20 days in to their dream voyage, a hurricane struck — whipping up waves as tall as skyscrapers. As they smashed down on the couple’s 44ft boat, Tami, 23, looked into the “electric blue eyes” of her handsome British lover Richard Sharp and saw fear. He insisted she take cover below deck while he tried to steer the Hazana to safety, then gave her a reassuring wink as she headed downwards. She never saw him again. Moments later American Tami heard Richard, 34, cry out: “Oh my God”. She was then thrown against the side, knocking her unconscious. When she came to 27 hours later Richard was gone and she was all alone on the ocean, up to her waist in water on the wrecked yacht. It had lost its masts, engine, radio equipment and its electronic navigation system, and Tami had lost the love of her life, her … [Read more...] about Lover of Brit killed by giant wave in yacht disaster reveals tragic story that inspired new film Adrift
Challenging and enterprising La Traviata at Longborough
Clive Peacock reviews La Traviata at the Longborough Festival Longborough’s formidable record of developing the careers of rising stars is legendary. Many will remember Susanna Hurrell’s delicious portrayal of Don Pasquale’s sought-after lover in 2015 and few will ever forget Lee Bisset’s immense performance as Isolde in 2017. 2018 at LFO develops stars backstage as well as on stage with La Traviata’s début director, Daisy Evans, “seeking to portray Violetta in a way that hasn’t been seen before”. She achieved this in spades and has grabbed the opportunity to do so with a last-minute change to the cast as lady luck launched another first-timer, Anna Patalong. Encouraged with the chance to work again with 2016 Dorset Opera Festival colleague, Mark Stone (Giorgio Germont), Anna gives a performance at times fully charged with eroticism and at others full of anguish. Anna’s first night, stepping in after much diary juggling, was … [Read more...] about Challenging and enterprising La Traviata at Longborough
Crudo, by Olivia Laing, reviewed
Emily Rhodes 30 June 2018 9:00 AM 30 June 2018 9:00 AM Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Whatsapp Crudo Olivia LaingPicador, pp.176, £12.99 Olivia Laing has been deservedly lauded for her thoughtful works of non-fiction To the River, The Trip to Echo Spring and The Lonely City. Her first novel, Crudo, is every bit as intelligent and provocative, with a roar of energy that comes from having been written, remarkably, in just seven weeks. Perhaps the novel’s most unusual element is its narrator: ‘Kathy by which I mean I’ is a 40-year-old hybrid of the post-punk icon Kathy Acker and a fictionalised version of Laing herself. Acker died in 1997, but Laing brings her back to life for the politically turbulent summer of 2017. She peppers her prose with quotations from Acker’s writing and merges episodes from Acker’s life, such as her repeated breast cancer and her mother’s suicide, with Laing’s recent marriage to the … [Read more...] about Crudo, by Olivia Laing, reviewed