February saw UK house price rise after three months of not moving, according to the latest report from the Financial Times House Price Index, although the overall trend is of a slowing market. Their index registered a 0.5% rise in house prices in February, putting annual inflation at an average 6.1%, down from 6.8% in January. This rise is more than over the previous three months, said the report, which had seen the lowest monthly growth rates in over three years. London still seems to be out of kilter with the rest of the country, with annual growth of 12.7% in February, which although over twice the average growth for the UK, has also fallen now for five consecutive months. Within London, Kensington and Chelsea showed the highest annual growth rate, while Bexley showed the weakest. Among the regions, Wales saw the greatest drops in prices, falling by as much as 0.9% in February, and the North of England and East Anglia also showed declines, with falls of 0.1% and 0.2%. We are now seeing a clear feed-through from the problems in the funding markets in terms of the increased price and reduced availability of a wide range of mortgage products, said Peter Williams at Acadametrics, who produce the FT House Price Index. Without a doubt, 2008 will be a challenging year.
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‘‘In the silence, it is the most perfect blue I have ever seen. If my goggles weren’t already overflowing with water I might even weep’: Learning to freedive on the sparkling French Riviera with a five-time World ChampionFive-time freediving World Champion Arthur Guérin-Boëri calls the serene waters of Cap-Ferrat his office. Now, one storied hotel is offering guests a chance to take a deep breath and jump into the deep unknown with him.
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The Hollywood garden designers who turned their hand to a magical corner of SomersetCaisson House's fifteen abandoned locks were part of the draw for Amanda and Phil Honey, who have created this astonishing garden in the grounds of the former headquarters of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company just outside Bath. Caroline Donald discovers more; photography by Jason Ingram.
