Lifestyle

Saving is a Very Fine Thing

Lanying Burley and Mike Fosberry give a round-up of practical advice when investing for children

If you are looking to put money aside for your children or grandchildren, whether it is simply for building up a savings pot for them or to pay for school or university fees, there are a number of tax saving investments and vehicles to consider. Each holds different attractions depending on personal circumstances and attitude to risk. This article looks at some of the options.

On a different track

Joseph Giret QC took time away from the Bar to compete in the Haute Route on behalf of Parkinson’s UK. He describes his journey ...

Charity is a vital part of oiling otherwise creaking joints in our society and community at all levels, including bursaries on the one hand and the sick and needy on the other. Charity works with business today on an unprecedented scale; it is a valuable partnership for a business because of its positive projection. Charity begins at home for sure, but most assuredly ends with the business end of finding the cash. This is my story of a fundraising campaign I ran on behalf of the charity Parkinson’s UK. It was a season-long, full-on bike racing campaign to raise as much funding as possible and to raise awareness of Parkinson’s.

The geese are getting fat

Sean Jones QC and Professor Dominic Regan review the wines on offer this Christmas.

We are back with a range of recommendations again. Not a dud amongst them. Last year we saw every major supermarket chain run a “ Buy 6 get 25% off” promotion and the serious buyer should look to swoop on these deals.

A Year in the Saddle

Sam Blom-Cooper and Francesca Delany escaped the Bar for a year to cycle across Europe and Asia to Cambodia. Here they report back to Counsel

“Don’t be ridiculous!” – Not the exasperated plea of a Head of Chambers nor the disapproving words of a concerned Senior Clerk, when informed of our plans to cycle across the world for a year, but the words of a somewhat over-sized and sweaty border-guard, patrolling the Iran-Turkmenistan frontier that marks the gateway to more than 500km of Karakum Desert sands. Our friendly immigration official seemed equally bemused, however, by our declining his offer of 8am shots of vodka as he was by our choice to head out onto the lonely and already melting desert highway. By 9:30am the thermometer would be nudging 50°C. Sticky tarmac and absurd heat notwithstanding, at least Francesca was now freed of the uncomfortably hot, conservative attire that crossing Iran had entailed.

Best Foot Forward

Natalia Rymaszewska and Julia Jones explain the benefits of the sponsored walks being undertaken by lawyers all over the country

The London Legal Walk is a superb opportunity to come together with fellow lawyers from across the whole profession, and to do so for a very deserving cause. I am looking forward to seeing many more chambers and in-house counsel teams joining us for this year’s walk in support of the great work of our pro bono and legal advice agencies
Dominic Grieve QC MP, Attorney General

Bar on the run

Toby Craig prepares for the London Marathon and asks members of the Bar also taking part how they have fitted training around their busy working lives.

As a child, I spent more than one April morning on the Embankment cheering my dad through another of his five London Marathons. Last year, after a rather long hiatus, I was a spectator once again, this time watching my older brother compete. It’s fair to say that joggers run in my family. This year, the gauntlet well and truly laid down, it’s finally my turn to tackle the daunting 26.2 miles of the most famous marathon course in the world. A subjective view perhaps, but as far as I’m concerned, New York, Chicago, Berlin and even Marathon to Athens itself have their attractions, but nothing beats London.

Wine Review - Christmas is coming

Dominic Regan and Sean Jones recommend wines for the festive season.

At Christmas, even those who don’t drink, do. Here are our recommended buys for the season ahead and there is something for everyone. We anticipate a repeat this year of the internecine warfare between the big supermarkets. Keep your eyes open for buy 6 and get a 25% discount, something that all the big chains did last year. Majestic Wine now only insists that you buy a minimum of 6 bottles and their staff are very well informed.

Spanish treasures

John Maher recommends the wines from Valencia.

They make a perfect accompaniment to every dish, he enthuses.

Vintage Rumpole

A seasoned troupe of actors performed two radio plays, Rumpole on Trial and Rumpole and the Right to Privacy, for this year’s Kalisher Scholarship fundraising event, writes Melissa Coutinho.

Sunday, 15 May 2011 was a beautiful balmy evening that saw Middle Temple host what has become an annual Kalisher Scholarship fundraising event. We were entertained by a seasoned troupe of actors, some of whom had generously given their time at previous events: Martin Shaw, Maggie Steed, Philip Franks, Patricia Hodge, Anthony Howell, Maxine Peake (fresh from Silk), Duncan Bell, Daniel Hill, Tim Frances, Nicholas Le Prevost and Mark Farrelly.

Whisky - Just Reward

A look at the distillation process of whisky and how to enjoy the perfect dram at the end of a long day in chambers.

After a long and arduous working day we all appreciate some “self” time in which to relax, unwind and contemplate. Having a dram of a good single malt whisky must surely be one of the finer accompaniments to these moments. However, if the ‘wee dram’ is consumed too quickly and is not savoured, the full benefit of what we have in the glass will be missed.

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