They were attracted by Notting Hill's central location, large houses and communal gardens and by the raffish lifestyle associated with the area.

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But eventually he turned up again, sporting a rather raffish torn ear in a sort of "You should see the other cat" kind of way.

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One of Isozaki's other pet hates is the Tokyo Metropolitan Office complex (Tange Kenzo, 1991), which juts aggressively skyward in the raffish Shinjuku part of town.

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By the 1970s, however, raffish Sydney had come into its own, and it has outstripped Melbourne ever since as the favoured headquarters of businesses and cultural bodies.

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Gone is the patience with the raffish Ryan.

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If we can flash back to that time: Those Jets were coming off an AFC Championship run in the inaugural campaign of head coach Rex Ryan, and the surprise contender, long New York doormats, had a raffish charm.

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Though parts of the East End are still as poor as anywhere in Britain, bits of it have become chic destinations for young professionals perhaps attracted by the raffish image projected in proliferating East End gangster films, which the Kray legend has inspired.

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It is a tawdry, depressing and often confronting scene during the day, but at night the stretch has a raffish and oddly alluring charm, underpinned by neon lights, pumping music and crowds of suburban revellers who gawk and giggle their way between a huge number of bars, pubs and clubs, many of which are open 24 hours.

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