London 2012: Danny Boyle thrills audiences with inventive Olympics opening ceremony
Director says getting the Queen to deliver Bond film’s immortal line was easy – but there were last-minute doubts about the ceremony
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Fangotherapy – a mud spa near Venice
If being encased in mud isn’t your idea of a relaxing weekend, trying fangotherapy in a Roman spa town near Venice might just change your mind
London’s hotels and restaurants empty ahead of Olympics
Five-star London hotels are discounting their room rates by nearly half and top restaurants are easy to book. Even house rentals are disappointing
Stuart Evers’ top 10 homes in literature
From Miss Havisham’s decaying domicile to Jekyll and Hyde’s shared space, fictional homes are as varied as their inhabitants
Queen Victoria’s private beach on Isle of Wight opens to the public
Visitors will be able to visit the beach at the former monarch’s seaside estate, Osborne House, for the first time
China’s economic growth slows to 7.6%
Second-quarter GDP growth in world’s second largest economy falls to lowest rate since depths of financial crisis in 2009