AT the tender age of 18, I was offered a Christmas job at HMV’s flagship Oxford Circus branch.
“You’re here because you love the music, you love the games, and you love selling,” the manager told us in the training session – in between detailing how few rights we had according to our zero-hours contracts. “We want you to be proud to be part of our family.”
On Christmas Eve, with HMV reporting losses of £40million, all the temps were laid off early. So much for the family, I thought on my long walk home to Tufnell Park. Then again, what’s Christmas without some family drama?
Tom Moggach picks his favourite spots to eat outdoors at new development
29 April, 2021 â By Tom Moggach
Parillan overlooks the canal in Coal Drops Yard. Photo: Greg Funnell
LONDON is not a city traditionally geared up for outdoor dining. But the new Kingâs Cross development could have been designed with Covid restrictions in mind â itâs awash with al fresco options. Hereâs some of my personal top picks:
Parillan
Over in Coal Drops Yard, the boutique shops remain eerily quiet. But the bars and restaurants are humming. Parillan is a stylish Spanish restaurant from the same team that run Barrafina and Casa Pastor on the ground floor of this architectural marvel. The 100-seat terrace looks out over both the canal and the concourse below. The well-trained staff will check your temperature on the way then bring a mini grill to your table, so you can cook sizzling titbits in the sunshine and daydream of Ibitha. I ate there last week, and rate the asparagus, la