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‘It’s hard to survive’: why UK private hire drivers are striking on Valentine’s Day | Gig economy
When Simon Waite began working as a private hire driver in 2017, it gave him the flexibility and income to spend time with his children, then aged five, 12 and 18. “One of the reasons I loved Uber was because I could now go to the school plays, my son’s football, I could earn my…
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US fashion boss Steve Madden buys Kurt Geiger for £289m | Fashion industry
Steve Madden, the fashion boss best known for his links to the criminal antics depicted in the book and film The Wolf of Wall Street, is buying the UK footwear and accessories brand Kurt Geiger for £289m in cash. Madden’s Nasdaq-listed company said it had signed a definitive agreement to buy the London-based company, which…
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The best bike lights to see and be seen when cycling in the dark, tried and tested | Cycling
I am a bag of meat. I’d long suspected as much, and a run-in with a car windscreen last year provided confirmation. It was unpleasant, seeing the inner workings of my thigh, but it reinforced my decision to take certain safety precautions while riding my bike. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a…
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A grand exit: why four-figure coats have become a high street fixture | Fashion
If you were given £1,000 to splurge on the high street, what would you buy? Perhaps a head-to-toe new season wardrobe from Zara? Enough knitwear to see you through several winters, or maybe a lifetime supply of socks from Marks & Spencer? Whatever you decide, you’d need to factor in the cost of a taxi…
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Dress to impress: eight Guardian writers on what they – and their partners – wore when they fell in love | Fashion
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we’ve been thinking about what we and our loved ones wore the first time we met. It might sound frivolous, but try listening to Bella Freud’s high-brow, low-fi hit podcast, Fashion Neurosis, in which she almost always asks her guests: “If you fancy someone and you don’t like…