2017 Rental Affordability Index

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Frostie

To rent the recommended space for one person, Londoners must pay an average of £963.76 per month.
On average, Londoners must earn a gross salary of at least £3,323.07 per month to afford to live alone and meet additional living costs. That equates to a gross salary of £39,876.84 per year.
A family living in London must earn an average of £6,305.31 per month to cover rent plus living costs. That equates to a gross salary of £75,663.72 per year.

Nested.com, the London based online estate agent, produced the Rental Affordability Index. The study illustrates the price of renting per square metre in 33 London boroughs, 15 UK cities and 72 cities worldwide. Based on this, the research could further convey the minimum gross salary required to support an individual and a family of four in rented property, based on the minimum space recommended for one person, and for a family.

The comprehensive study was undertaken in order to understand the costs associated with renting as an individual and as a family, and to determine whether cities are becoming increasingly unaffordable. The inclusion of specific results for each of the 33 London boroughs allows easy comparison between regional and global cities to the UK capital, with its much-publicised unaffordability.

The price per square metre of property was calculated based upon current market listings for all locations researched, whilst the minimum space recommended for one person and four people is laid out in guidelines from the Greater London Authority.1 The gross salary guideline was included to help illustrate relative affordability.2

London

To rent a property of the minimum space recommended for one person, Londoners must on average pay £963.76 per month.
Taking into account the recommended maximum 29% of income which should be spent on rent,2 on average a Londoner needs to earn a gross salary of £3,323.07 per month to live alone. This equates to £39,876.84 per year.
In London, the minimum space recommended for a family of four requires a monthly income of £6,305.31. This equates to an annual salary of £75,663.72.
The least affordable borough to rent in London is Kensington and Chelsea, where rent per square metre is £72.40 per month.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Kensington and Chelsea, an individual needs an income of £9,736.55 per month, or £116,838.60 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Kensington and Chelsea, a monthly income of £18,474.48 is needed. This is equal to an annual income of £221,693.76.
The most affordable borough to rent in London is Bexley, where rent per square metre is £13.30 per month.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Bexley, an individual must earn an income of £1,788.62 per month, or £21,463.44 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Bexley, a monthly income of £3,393.79 would be required, equal to an annual income of £40,725.48.

The results for London, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	Borough	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	Kensington & Chelsea	£72.40	£2,823.60	£116,838.60	£5,357.60	£221,693.76
2	City of Westminster	£54.82	£2,137.98	£88,468.08	£4,056.68	£167,862.60
3	City of London	£44.42	£1,732.38	£71,684.64	£3,287.08	£136,017.12
4	Camden	£39.50	£1,540.50	£63,744.84	£2,923.00	£120,951.72
5	Hammersmith & Fulham	£32.86	£1,281.54	£53,029.20	£2,431.64	£100,619.64
6	Islington	£32.34	£1,261.26	£52,190.04	£2,393.16	£99,027.36
7	Wandsworth	£31.69	£1,235.91	£51,141.12	£2,345.06	£97,036.92
8	Southwark	£31.29	£1,220.31	£50,495.64	£2,315.46	£95,812.08
9	Lambeth	£30.53	£1,190.67	£49,269.12	£2,259.22	£93,484.92
10	Haringey	£26.65	£1,039.35	£43,007.64	£1,972.10	£81,604.08
11	Hackney	£25.72	£1,003.08	£41,506.80	£1,903.28	£78,756.36
12	Richmond upon Thames	£23.49	£916.11	£37,908.00	£1,738.26	£71,928.00
13	Merton	£22.42	£874.38	£36,181.20	£1,659.08	£68,651.64
14	Tower Hamlets	£21.70	£846.30	£35,019.36	£1,605.80	£66,446.88
15	Barnet	£21.67	£845.13	£34,970.88	£1,603.58	£66,355.08
16	Brent	£20.89	£814.71	£33,712.08	£1,545.86	£63,966.60
17	Kingston upon Thames	£20.50	£799.50	£33,082.80	£1,517.00	£62,772.36
18	Ealing	£20.47	£798.33	£33,034.32	£1,514.78	£62,680.56
19	Enfield	£19.00	£741.00	£30,662.04	£1,406.00	£58,179.36
20	Waltham Forest	£17.70	£690.30	£28,564.08	£1,309.80	£54,198.60
21	Hounslow	£17.47	£681.33	£28,192.92	£1,292.78	£53,494.32
22	Harrow	£17.17	£669.63	£27,708.84	£1,270.58	£52,575.72
23	Lewisham	£16.82	£655.98	£27,144.00	£1,244.68	£51,504.00
24	Greenwich	£16.52	£644.28	£26,659.92	£1,222.48	£50,585.40
25	Newham	£16.50	£643.50	£26,627.64	£1,221.00	£50,524.08
26	Sutton	£16.08	£627.12	£25,949.76	£1,189.92	£49,238.04
27	Redbridge	£15.92	£620.88	£25,691.64	£1,178.08	£48,748.08
28	Hillingdon	£15.83	£617.37	£25,546.32	£1,171.42	£48,472.56
29	Bromley	£15.70	£612.30	£25,336.56	£1,161.80	£48,074.52
30	Croydon	£15.30	£596.70	£24,691.08	£1,132.20	£46,849.68
31	Barking & Dagenham	£14.94	£582.66	£24,110.04	£1,105.56	£45,747.36
32	Havering	£13.88	£541.32	£22,399.44	£1,027.12	£42,501.48
33	Bexley	£13.30	£518.70	£21,463.44	£984.20	£40,725.48
	Average across 33 boroughs	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72

UK cities:

The second most expensive UK city for rent prices is Edinburgh at a cost of £12.85 per square metre.
The most affordable city to rent property is Belfast at £6.29 per square metre.
An income of £1,728.10 per month is needed for single habitation in Edinburgh. That equates to an annual salary of £20,737.20 per year
To afford family rental in Edinburgh, a monthly income of £3,278.97 is needed. That equates to an annual income of £39,347.64.
An income of just £845.90 per month is needed for single habitation in Belfast. That equates to an annual salary of £10,150.80 per year.
To afford family rental in Belfast, a monthly income of just £1,605.03 is needed. That equates to an annual income of £19,260.36.
Single rental in London is more expensive than family rental in any other UK city.
Three of the UK cities made the top 50 global cities list (London, Edinburgh and Bristol)

The top 15 results for the UK cities list, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	City	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	London3	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72
2	Edinburgh	£12.85	£501.15	£20,737.20	£950.90	£39,347.64
3	Bristol	£11.22	£437.58	£18,106.80	£830.28	£34,356.36
4	Southampton	£10.68	£416.52	£17,235.36	£790.32	£32,702.88
5	Manchester	£9.79	£381.81	£15,799.08	£724.46	£29,977.68
6	Aberdeen	£9.61	£374.79	£15,508.56	£711.14	£29,426.52
7	Cardiff	£9.24	£360.36	£14,911.44	£683.76	£28,293.48
8	Leeds	£8.92	£347.88	£14,395.08	£660.08	£27,313.68
9	Nottingham	£8.83	£344.37	£14,249.76	£653.42	£27,038.04
10	Sheffield	£8.54	£333.06	£13,781.76	£631.96	£26,150.04
11	Birmingham	£8.51	£331.89	£13,733.40	£629.74	£26,058.24
12	Newcastle	£8.47	£330.33	£13,668.84	£626.78	£25,935.72
13	Glasgow	£8.31	£324.09	£13,410.60	£614.94	£25,445.76
14	Liverpool	£7.19	£280.41	£11,603.16	£532.06	£22,016.28
15	Belfast	£6.29	£245.31	£10,150.80	£465.46	£19,260.36

Global cities:

Of the 120 locations included in the ranking, San Francisco is the most expensive city to rent property outside of London, at £42.81 per square metre.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in San Francisco, an individual must earn £5,757.21 per month. This equates to £69,086.52 per year.
To afford rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in San Francisco, an income of £10,923.93 per month is needed. This equates to £131,087.16 per year.
Of the 120 locations included, Cairo is the cheapest city to rent property, at just £3.05 per square metre.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Cairo, an individual must earn £410.17 per month. This equates to £4,922.04 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Cairo, a monthly income of £778.28 is needed. This equates to £9,339.36 per year.

The top 50 results for the global cities list, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	City	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	San Francisco, USA	£42.81	£1,669.59	£69,086.52	£3,167.94	£131,087.16
2	New York City, USA	£41.03	£1,600.17	£66,213.96	£3,036.22	£125,636.64
3	Hong Kong, Hong Kong	£33.14	£1,292.46	£53,481.12	£2,452.36	£101,476.92
4	Dubai, UAE	£30.49	£1,189.11	£49,204.56	£2,256.26	£93,362.52
5	Singapore, Singapore	£28.84	£1,124.76	£46,541.76	£2,134.16	£88,310.04
6	Washington D.C., USA	£28.73	£1,120.47	£46,364.28	£2,126.02	£87,973.20
7	Geneva, Switzerland	£26.66	£1,039.74	£43,023.72	£1,972.84	£81,634.80
8	Sydney, Australia	£25.30	£986.70	£40,828.92	£1,872.20	£77,470.32
9	Zurich, Switzerland	£25.19	£982.41	£40,651.44	£1,864.06	£77,133.48
10	Los Angeles, USA	£24.75	£965.25	£39,941.40	£1,831.50	£75,786.24
11	London, UK3	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72
12	Miami, USA	£24.53	£956.67	£39,586.32	£1,815.22	£75,112.56
13	Chicago, USA	£21.52	£839.28	£34,728.84	£1,592.48	£65,895.72
14	Copenhagen, Denmark	£20.40	£795.60	£32,921.40	£1,509.60	£62,466.24
15	Tokyo, Japan	£20.20	£787.80	£32,598.60	£1,494.80	£61,853.76
16	Vancouver, Canada	£20.00	£780.00	£32,275.92	£1,480.00	£61,241.40
17	Amsterdam, Netherlands	£19.54	£762.06	£31,533.48	£1,445.96	£59,832.84
18	Paris, France	£18.93	£738.27	£30,549.12	£1,400.82	£57,964.92
19	Melbourne, Australia	£18.18	£709.02	£29,338.80	£1,345.32	£55,668.36
20	Oslo, Norway	£17.39	£678.21	£28,063.92	£1,286.86	£53,249.40
21	Reykjavik, Iceland	£17.34	£676.26	£27,983.16	£1,283.16	£53,096.28
22	Stockholm, Sweden	£17.28	£673.92	£27,886.32	£1,278.72	£52,912.56
23	Dublin, Ireland	£16.81	£655.59	£27,127.92	£1,243.94	£51,473.40
24	Seoul, South Korea	£16.36	£638.04	£26,401.68	£1,210.64	£50,095.44
25	Toronto, Canada	£16.32	£636.48	£26,337.12	£1,207.68	£49,972.92
26	Auckland, New Zealand	£16.24	£633.36	£26,208.00	£1,201.76	£49,728.00
27	Brisbane, Australia	£16.12	£628.68	£26,014.32	£1,192.88	£49,360.56
28	Helsinki, Finland	£15.92	£620.88	£25,691.64	£1,178.08	£48,748.08
29	Beijing, China	£15.80	£616.20	£25,497.96	£1,169.20	£48,380.64
30	Perth, Australia	£15.48	£603.72	£24,981.48	£1,145.52	£47,400.84
31	Munich, Germany	£15.26	£595.14	£24,626.52	£1,129.24	£46,727.16
32	Shanghai, China	£15.17	£591.63	£24,481.20	£1,122.58	£46,451.64
33	Milan, Italy	£15.00	£585.00	£24,206.88	£1,110.00	£45,931.08
34	Rome, Italy	£14.54	£567.06	£23,464.56	£1,075.96	£44,522.52
35	Tel Aviv, Israel	£14.51	£565.89	£23,416.08	£1,073.74	£44,430.60
36	Frankfurt am Main, Germany	£13.71	£534.69	£22,125.12	£1,014.54	£41,980.92
37	Edinburgh, UK	£12.85	£501.15	£20,737.20	£950.90	£39,347.64
38	Dusseldorf, Germany	£12.68	£494.52	£20,462.88	£938.32	£38,827.08
39	Madrid, Spain	£12.04	£469.56	£19,430.04	£890.96	£36,867.36
40	Hamburg, Germany	£11.99	£467.61	£19,349.40	£887.26	£36,714.24
41	Vienna, Austria	£11.88	£463.32	£19,171.92	£879.12	£36,377.40
42	Taipei, Taiwan	£11.88	£463.32	£19,171.92	£879.12	£36,377.40
43	Brussels, Belgium	£11.85	£462.15	£19,123.44	£876.90	£36,285.48
44	Moscow, Russia	£11.60	£452.40	£18,720.00	£858.40	£35,520.00
45	Bristol, UK	£11.22	£437.58	£18,106.80	£830.28	£34,356.36
46	Berlin, Germany	£10.81	£421.59	£17,445.12	£799.94	£33,100.92
47	Southampton, UK	£10.68	£416.52	£17,235.36	£790.32	£32,702.88
48	Osaka, Japan	£10.29	£401.31	£16,605.96	£761.46	£31,508.64
49	Jakarta, Indonesia	£10.28	£400.92	£16,589.76	£760.72	£31,478.04
50	Barcelona, Spain	£10.27	£400.53	£16,573.68	£759.98	£31,447.44

Top Cosmetic Surgeries of 2013

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Frostie

· 473% increase in arm lifts as patients wave goodbye to bingo wings

· Buffalo hump removal up 350% in 2013

· ‘Moobs’ a hot topic as enquiries for male breast removal doubles

· 221% increase in those opting for buttock lifts

From Kim Kardashian’s infamous derriere tweet sparking surgery rumours, to Heidi Montag’s breast reduction –in 2013 cosmetic surgery was a talking point. New statistics from clinic comparison site WhatClinic.com, shows what cosmetic treatments were hot or not in 2013.

Arm lifts saw a whopping 473% increase in 2013 as many patients waved goodbye to those dreaded bingo wings. Fluctuations in weight and growing older can cause the upper arm skin to sag, which is what the surgery – also known as brachioplasty – corrects. The cost, however, is not for the faint hearted – averaging £3,872 – over a third (35%) more than it cost in 2012.

With Beyonce’s booty once again taking centre stage in her raunchy new video, ‘Partition’, it’s not surprising that enquiries into buttock lifts more than tripled (221%) last year. However, the surgery, which aims to contour and sculpt patients’ rears, comes with a hefty price tag of around £4,226 and experts recommend no physical exertion for three to six weeks following treatment.

One of the more unusual procedures trending in 2013 was buffalo hump removal, which had no interest in 2012, but saw a 350% increase in 2013. This surgery removes the fatty build-up at the base of the neck caused by excessive weight gain. Although it’s still not widely available in the UK, demand amongst British patients is certainly on the up.

It wasn’t just women going under the knife in 2013, as male breast reduction enquiries more than doubled (119%) last year. However, over a third (35%) of those looking to banish their ‘moobs’, went overseas to countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Belgium, where surgeries are considerably cheaper.

Full abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, saw enquiries fall by half (46%) last year, while abdominal etching dropped by almost a fifth (17%). Etching, hugely popular in the 1990s, is aimed at people who are quite fit but have a small amount of fat covering their abs. Demand for both procedures is now falling as many patients opt for alternatives like fat transfer, which saw a 126% increase in the past 12 months.

Mini-facelifts also dropped by 60% as less invasive treatments, such as non-surgical facelifts and dermal fillers (both up 93%) and Thermage skin tightening (up 80%) proved more popular with patients.

The following table shows the treatments that have seen the biggest increases in enquiries in 2013:

Treatment	% increase in enquiries over past 12 months	Average price
Arm lift	473%	£3,872
Buffalo hump removal	350%	£3,315
Cleft lip palate	260%	£350
Buttock lift	221%	£4,226
Eyelid surgery	158%	£2,125
Thigh lift	141%	£4,298
Fat transfer	126%	£2,548
Neck liposuction	123%	£2,142
Male breast reduction	119%	£3,493
Neck lift	110%	£3,258

The following table shows the treatments that have seen the biggest decreases in enquiries in 2013:

Treatment	% decrease in past 12 months	Average price
Genital reshaping	-74%	£4,707
Mini facelift	-60%	£4,299
Asian bkepharoplasty	-57%	£1,000
Full abdominoplasty	-46%	£4,912
Breast reconstruction	-41%	£5,794
Eye lift	-32%	£1,191
Pectoral implants	-28%	n/a
Nasal tip surgery	-18%	£2,317
Abdominal etching	-17%	£5,313
Jaw contouring	-16%	£1,625

Historic Church Tours | Things To Do

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Frostie

The Churches Conservation Trust

13^th August – 5^th October 2013

Suffolk – Somerset – Northamptonshire – Lincolnshire

· Stunning photographs of England’s most ancient churches available· Fascinating programme of four themed tours:

‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’, ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’· 12 historic sites visited

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), the national charity protecting ancient churches at risk, has launched a programme of fascinating Historic Church Tours across the country.

The tours will guide visitors through stunning countryside vistas, whilst breathing life into England’s shrouded ancestry and exquisite ancient architecture. Four intriguing themes included in the special Historic Church Tours are ‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’, ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’

Taking place at selected churches across the country from Suffolk to Somerset, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, Historic Church Tours encompass a comprehensive geography of British architectural and social heritage.

The next tour, Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials, will take place in Suffolk, 10:30am–4:30pm on August 13. Starting at All Saints, Little Wenham, a 13th-century flint church often described as one of Suffolk’s best-kept secrets, visitors will be in awe of the stunning wall-paintings and canopied ancient wall monuments. After a light lunch, move onto St Mary’s, Badley, a truly remarkable Medieval church with an atmosphere of great peace and stillness. With nothing for company but a 16th-century farmhouse and the wildlife of its pretty churchyard, St Mary’s is a breath-taking retreat for any passer-by. The final stop of the tour will be St Peter’s, Claydon. Overlooking the Gipping Valley, this church will astound visitors with its vibrant stained glass and extravagant carvings; a spectacular site to end this tour.

Historic Church Tours taking place in 2013 are as follows:

AUGUST

Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials – Suffolk

The three churches on this tour were selected for their stunning artwork in the form of extravagant carvings, stunning wallpaintings and vibrant stained glass.

SEPTEMBER

Churches at War – Somerset

Three of the CCT’s most stunning and iconic churches are positioned in Somerset. All three have been unwittingly caught up in a time of war, from acting as a hideaway during the Monmouth rebellion, to being solitary observer of mid-air disaster, the churches have seen all and kept their counsel.

Carvings – Northamptonshire

CCT churches in Northampton have an abundance of carved treasures on display. For this tour, CCT have selected three of the best from St Peter & St Paul’s in Preston Deanery, stunning carvings of animals, to the Norman St Michael’s, Farndish, which boasts gorgeous carved corbels and elegant arches, and the stunning 900 year old St Peter’s in Northampton, which is full of carved treasures.

OCTOBER

Monuments and Memorials – Lincolnshire

This tour will explore the stunning and spectacular monuments and memorials in three Lincolnshire churches. Take in the breath-taking interior of St Lawrence’s, Snarford, the unusual red-brick chapel of St George, Goltho, which stands alone amid acres of corn and oilseed rape with only a few trees for company, and Milton Mausoleum, the only surviving mausoleum in Nottinghamshire.

All guided tours are priced at £40 per person and will include a light lunch and coach transportation to and from a local train station.

Tickets are available on general release now. To book tickets, go to http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Historicchurchtours/

MINT Polo in the Park 2013: Frost Learns How To Play Polo

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

I have always been intrigued by polo. Playing a sport is hard enough but playing it on a horse seems almost impossible. So can someone who has never done it before learn to play? Frost writer James and I went to the Chesterton Humberts MINT Polo in the Park Academy day to learn how to play polo. Neither of us had been on a horse for a while so we thought it would be interesting!

First of all we are taught the moves by excellent professional polo players Andrew Murray and Rosie Ross. I don’t do well at first but Andrew sets me straight by correcting how I am holding the mallet and telling me to look at the ball, not straight ahead. Otherwise you top the ball instead of hitting it straight on. Andrew is a brilliant teacher and I soon find myself gaining confidence and hitting the ball properly. We are also told the rules of Polo.

After we have gone through the shots it is time for a riding lesson. Some of us are more nervous than others. I can’t remember the last time I was on a horse and neither can James. I get on my horse, Talia, and she looks at me as if to say “I have no idea who you are but you certainly don’t seem to know what you are doing.’

In the photo above I look pretty confident but actually when I first got on the horse I was slightly nervous. This all went away after I got into the swing of it. We have a riding lesson which taught us how to make the horse do what we want, how to hold the reins, go left and right and cantor. In polo you hold the reins with one hand so you can hold the mallet with the other one. This seems difficult at first but it isn’t.

The day is an incredible amount of fun and I manage to show some authority and get my horse to listen to me.

After the riding lesson we play some polo. It really is addictive and a huge amount of fun. I want to do it more now. It is fun and challenging. I have realised that the most fun things have an element of scariness attached to them and polo certainly fits that bill. I love it.

James thrives and even wins the Most Improved Player trophy. Afterwards we are issued certificates to say we graduated. It was a brilliant day. I am hooked now.

Kick Off The Summer Social Season With

MINT Polo in the Park 2013

Be a part of this unique London lifestyle event which blends fashion,

retail and gastronomy with thrilling, high-octane polo.

Where:

Hurlingham Park, Fulham, SW6 3RQ.

Event dates:

7th, 8th & 9th June 2013

Friday 7th June:

City Friday, 12:00 – 21:00 hrs

Saturday 8th June:

Ladies’ Day, 12:00 – 20:00 hrs

Sunday 9th June:

Finals Day, 12:00 – 19:00 hrs

For the fifth consecutive year, Hurlingham Park in Fulham will play host to one of the most hotly anticipated sporting and

social events in London’s calendar; on June 7th, 8th and 9th the hallowed turf will thunder with the hooves of world class

polo ponies. Enjoy a day of entertainment at the spiritual home of polo, which is conveniently located in central London.

On the field, teams from around the globe will compete to be crowned champions of MINT Polo in the Park 2013.

This year’s event will guarantee a quintessentially British atmosphere fused with the truly international flavour of the

sport, with the four corners of the globe being represented by IG Index Team Sydney, Mandarin Oriental Team Beijing,

Otkritie Team Moscow, City AM Team Abu Dhabi and the ever-popular Camino Real Team Buenos Aires, plus the home

team and 2012 Champions, MINT Team London. It is the perfect way to kick off the summer social season with friends,

family, clients or colleagues.

Eat, drink, shop, socialise, enjoy world-class hospitality and see thrilling polo with the thousands of guests who return

year after year to this multi award-winning event.

Winner of the 2010 and 2011 London Sport Attraction of the Year at The London Lifestyle Awards, MINT Polo in the Park

is the leading outdoor polo and lifestyle event in Central London. It is regarded highly for its innovative format and

provides the perfect introduction for those less well-acquainted with the sport.

2013 Features

We are delighted to announce a range of off-field features, entertainment and hospitality areas. Some are brand new

additions to the event and others are the welcome return of favourites from previous years.

KERB Food Market

KERB Food Market is a new pitch-side addition which offers an abundance of fresh produce from Britain and abroad.

Providing variety and great value food, KERB gives you the opportunity to sample some of the finest fresh produce and

delicious summer party favourites throughout the three-day event.

The Pommery Champagne Garden

The Pommery Champagne Garden gives spectators first-class service and spectacular views of the polo. Relax on the

deck chairs, challenge your friends to a game of table football or simply sit back in the salubrious surroundings and sip

on a glass of vintage Pommery.

Mahiki

2013 sees the return of London’s premier nightclub, which will take pride of place and offer some of the best pitch-side

views of the polo action. Renowned as one of the places to be in on the capital’s social scene, Mahiki blends a

Polynesian ambiance with chic luxury London living.

Crown & Corgi Pub

A proper British pub is clearly an important addition to such a quintessentially British sporting and social event. The

Crown & Corgi provides a fantastic vantage point from which to get close to the on-field action. In addition the bar has

been extended from last year so that you can spend less time ordering drinks and more time enjoying them.

The PIMM’S Bus

The iconic double decker bus will provide the centre piece of the white picket fenced PIMM’s garden. Their expert

mixologists provide you with possibly the most revered and established summer party beverage, which no British social

occasion would be complete without. Recline on the deck chairs and soak up the very best of British.

CLUBHOUSE

Stella Artois is proud to be the Official Lager Supplier to MINT Polo in the Park 2013.

Guests are invited to visit the Stella Artois Clubhouse which will embody the upmost sophistication and where master

draftsmen will serve chalices of perfectly poured Stella Artois; introducing them to the discerning style and authenticity

of the brand.

The KERB food market

KERB are a centrally organised community of independent ‘Street-Food’ vendors. They have a strict vetting process

based on the highest levels of product, sourcing, health and hygiene, as well as style and originality. KERB are well

known in both the ‘foodie’ and ‘trendy’ circles of London for their phenomenal variety and world famous burgers.

Luxury Shopping Village

Featuring over 40 exhibitors selling a wide range of quality products, the Luxury Shopping Village is a wonderful

showcase of products you might not find on the high street. From hats to Argentine leather goods and bespoke

jewellery to exquisite works of art and some of the finest accessories for town and country, our retailers are ready to

help you find that extra special souvenir of your day.

Club Med Kids

As the leading family travel organiser, Club Med have joined us to ensure all members of the family are kept entertained

at MINT Polo in the Park. Our extended and improved Kids’ Zone reflects a truly family-friendly event which caters for

parents and children alike. The secure, supervised area will feature soft play, face painting, ball pools, competitions and

music. The Club Med Kids’ Zone means that you can bring the entire family for a great day out with us.

Finals Day (Sun 9th June)

In addition to the weekend-long Club Med Kids’ Zone, Sunday 9th June will see not only the mounting tension of the

polo as the teams progress towards the final, but also a range of on-field entertainment between matches catering for

children of all ages. In addition to this, exclusively on Finals Day we will be running a range of on-field activities

especially for children. These activities will be free and will run from Midday until 1.45pm offering a great start to any

child’s day out. On-field activities will include a giant inflatable slide, relay races, British Bulldog and dodgeball run by

our partner charity, Walking With The Wounded. We will also have children’s entertainers circulating within the crowd

throughout the day, providing the ultimate family experience.

Charity Work

MINT Polo in the Park is delighted to announce that Walking with the Wounded will return as the official charity partner

for MINT Polo in the Park 2013. Walking with the Wounded raises money to fund the training of wounded service

personnel so that they are equipped with the skills and qualifications required to find long-term employment and create

secure futures for themselves and their families. Later this year Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge

2013 will see teams of wounded servicemen and women from the four corners of the globe race across the Antarctic.

Ticket Packages

MINT Polo in the Park brings polo from its traditional home in the counties to the heart of London and our ticketing

packages are tailored to suit a range of requirements. Bookings for individual and group tickets are made via

Ticketmaster on 0844 248 5069.

General Admission

Enjoy the event with the ability to roam around all public areas of the venue.

Grandstand Tickets

In addition to access to the venue at ground level, this pass allows you access to the Grandstand for the seats with the

best views of the action. Purchasing a Grandstand Ticket means your seat will be allocated exclusively to you.

Family & Groups

Share the experience with friends and family by taking advantage of our family and group discounts.

– Family Ticket includes two adults and two children.

– Groups of 10-20 people: Save 10%

– Groups of 21-30 people: Save 15%

– Groups of 31 or over: Save 20%

VIP Hospitality at The Hurlingham Club

Enjoy luncheon at one of the UK’s most prestigious members’ club, its history inextricably linked to the history of polo.

Walk through the beautiful 42-acre garden following lunch to the private pitch-side Hurlingham Club Enclosure where

you will enjoy our hospitality and fantastic views of the polo. Please contact Rachel at City Events on 0207 936 5284 or

rachel@cityevents.uk.com

VIP Hospitality at Hurlingham Park

Polo and social entertaining go hand-in-hand so if you have a summer celebration, are organising a group visit or wish

to entertain clients or colleagues then these private, staffed marquees are perfect for your event.

Pricing

Friday 7th June

General Admission (no restriction on access to the Grandstand on Friday ONLY)

Adult

£20

(£5 after 5pm)

Child

£10

(free after 5pm)

Family

£60

Saturday 8th June

Grandstand

Adult

£45

Child

£15

Family

£110

General Admission

Adult

£35

Child

£15

Family

£75

Sunday 9th June

Grandstand

Adult

£40

Child

£10

Family

£80

General Admission

Adult

£25

Child

£10

Family

£60

Find more about MINT Polo in the Park

PoloInTheParkLondon.com | Facebook.com/PoloInThePark | @PoloInThePark

Tickets

Ticketmaster

0844 248 5069

Money Games

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Ian Watson

In these times of penny-pinching, belt-tightening and hatch batten-downing we’re all suddenly obsessed with the price of things. Moreover, we’re turning into a population of individual price comparison services and I fear the day when we’re all Pseudo-Russian rodents may soon be upon us. My wife will automatically quote, and compare, the price of diesel at every petrol station we drive by like she’s got oil-based Tourette’s.

Eventually we all end up drawing the same conclusion- it’s too much. We state, categorically, that everything is too much like we’re some kind of global procurement guru. It’s not worth that much! We say as we roll everything from a chocolate orange to a mobile phone around in our searching little grasp.

My father-in-law just happens to be a global procurement guru. Now retired, he was the global head of procurement for some of the biggest companies in the world as well as our very own treasury. He’s had to establish the actual worth of everything from office-sized mining machines to tiny electrical components so that when he signed off on a couple of million quids worth, he knew he was getting value for money.

His view on ‘value’ is the same as mine, which was forged from a lifetime of selling shit to anyone that will stand still for ten seconds: Something is worth whatever somebody is willing to pay for it.
That iPad you just bought. Do you care that it cost a few pence to manufacture? No. It’s cost you several hundred pounds because somebody else was willing to pay that much for it. If they weren’t… it wouldn’t.

Our professional footballers are always in for a world of grief because they get paid more in a week than I get paid in… my own dreams. The loudest and most agreed-upon chant from the terraces is always, “he’s not worth twenty million!”, or, “He’s not worth two hundred grand a week!” Well he is, because that’s what somebody is paying him. If he wasn’t… they wouldn’t.

Here’s the biggie: Damien Hirst spent fifty grand putting a shark in a tank and sold it for eight million dollars. His diamond-encrusted platinum skull had fifteen million pounds worth of diamonds on it and went on the market for fifty million. It was titled, “for the love of God” and it is, to my mind, the most aptly named piece of art since “bowl of fruit with wine glass.”

Hopefully, by now, you’re not shouting, “How can a shark in a tank be worth eight million?” because you’ve got my point. If there’s someone out there willing to pay that much for it, then that’s how much it’s worth.

People with a lot of money aren’t in the business of throwing it away and those paying footballers’ wages, organizing parking spaces for dead sharks and even, dare I say it, buying iPads are doing it because, for them, it’s worth the money. It’s their money and they will almost always get more out than they spend, either in direct profits or the benefits of use.

The problem comes when it’s not their money they’re spending. It gets even worse when it’s your money- our money.

For me it becomes about as painful as space-hopper hemorrhoids when the decisions to spend the money you were about to fork out on that iPad or, say, a new school, is thrown at two weeks of spot-light sports partying and it costs seven and a quarter BILLION pounds.

This isn’t the folly of some mega-rich Oligarch and it’s certainly not good business sense. Anybody spending their own money or that of the company they worked for wouldn’t entertain such a suggestion longer than the time it would take to guffaw loudly and call security.

The public money being spent on the Olympics will NOT make a profit in any real sense even though the money being spent on it is as real as it gets, regardless of projections of associated benefits to business and local economy. In 2006 Ken Livingstone predicted that the games would make a profit, after ten years, and that they would cost less than five billion and that the resale of the land would generate seven hundred million back. Well the games has come in at fifty percent more than that, the price of land has plummeted, and we don’t have ten prosperous years to frolic in, waiting for pay day.
As for the sheer benefits of use? How many speed cyclists do you think will be paying to hurtle round that Velodrome once the dust has settled? Enough to cover the cost of building it? There’s one in Manchester they built for the Commonwealth games and it’s just a big, empty, curvy-topped warehouse most of the time.

Like I said, something is worth whatever somebody is willing to pay for it and, in spite of the inevitable feel-good factor that 17 days of international attention will give us, the Olympics will never be worth seven and a quarter billion pounds to me. Simples!

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: prices

2017 Rental Affordability Index

Top Cosmetic Surgeries of 2013

Historic Church Tours | Things To Do

Money Games

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: