Chiara Wilkinson

Grab your fangs, your bottle of fake blood and your poison of choice: it’s Halloween time. And that means things are about to get seriously spooky, but there’s likely to be some dancing too. And you know what that means: it’s time for our Halloween playlist! There‘s no one size fits all for Halloween tunes. Some of what you’ll find on this list is seriously scary. Some songs were actually written about regular ol’ heartbreak but sound like they were made for a horror movie. Some of them have featured in your favourite spooky Netflix shows. But from The Cramps (of ‘Wednesday’ fame) to Olivia Rodrigo’s ex-boyfriend bleeding her dry, we’ve got a Halloween tune for everyone here. Time to get freaky, people.  RECOMMENDED:🎤 The best karaoke songs🕺 The best pop songs💧 The best sad songs🎅 The best Christmas songs

London is absolutely world-class when it comes to museums. Obviously, we’re biased, but with more than 170 of them dotted about the capital – a huge chunk of which are free to visit – we think it’s fair to say that there’s nowhere else in the world that does museums better.  Want to explore the history of TfL? We’ve got a museum for that. Rather learn about advertising? We’ve got a museum for that too. History? Check. Science? Check. 1940s cinema memorabilia, grotesque eighteenth-century surgical instruments, or perhaps a wall of 4,000 mouse skeletons? Check, check, check! Being the cultured metropolitans that we are, Time Out’s editors love nothing more than a wholesome afternoon spent gawping at Churchill’s baby rattle or some ancient Egyptian percussion instruments. In my case, the opportunity to live on the doorstep of some of the planet’s most iconic cultural institutions was a big reason why I moved here at the first chance I got, and I’ve racked up countless hours traipsing around display cases in the eleven years since. So here’s my take on which of this city’s museums are most worth your time, from world-famous cultural behemoths to quirky little spots you never knew existed.  RECOMMENDED: 📍Check out these 101 amazing things to do in London🎨 See the 50 best art galleries in London🛏 Stay at the best Airbnbs in London🏨 or the best hotels in London This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, cl

You can pay for all the therapy you want – sometimes only a good cry will do it. And the best way for a guaranteed sob? That’s putting on a sad tune, possibly cracking open the ice-cream and simply letting your emotions take hold.  And in our opinion, the best sad songs don’t just whine and gesture at bad feelings – they wallow in the depths with you. And that’s what our top picks do. After all, these are songs our fave singers wrote when they too were having the worst time ever. We’re all in this together, gang! Ready to weep? Here are the best sad songs ever written.  RECOMMENDED:😭 The best breakup songs🎤 The best karaoke songs🎉 The best party songs❤️ The best love songs

Dalston may be known for its buzzing bars and thriving nightlife, but its dining-out scene is just as thrilling. The area boasts killer kebabs – thanks to several of London’s best Turkish restaurants – alongside global cuisine and tons of excellent cafés serving up mouthwatering and hangover-curing breakfasts. From Angelina (a chic Italo-Japanese mash-up) and the Little Duck Picklery (a ‘fermenting kitchen’ related to Ducksoup) to Dusty Knuckle Bakery, there's something for everyone. Try reliable old faves: Andu Café (Ethiopian, vegan and BYO) and Del 74 (a garish, grungy Mexican bar/taqueria) if you don't know where to start your culinary quest.      RECOMMENDED: The very best restaurants in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. So east London it hurts? Follow our Time Out East London WhatsApp channel for the latest news, openings and goss from the coolest bit of the capital. (Yeah, we said it.)

Here at Time Out, we love a good curry. And the best thing about the UK is that every city has a great curry spot – each of them with their own fabulous signature curry. So Time Out editors and contributors have put our heads together to select the very best out there.  Be you a korma person, a balti person, a blow-your-head-off-spicy kind of person or fancy something else entirely, there’s a curry on this list for you. From veggie delights at London’s Rasa to the classic balti at Birmingham’s famous Shababs, here are the best curries in the UK right now. Enjoy!  RECOMMENDED:🍴 The best restaurants in the UK🍺 The best pubs in the UK☀️ The best beer gardens in the UK📍 The best places to visit in the UK This guide is by the editors and writers at Time Out UK. For all our latest recommendations, check out our travel guides page.   

The Scottish capital has a rich history when it comes to nightlife – from former disco haven Cinderellas in Stockbridge to The Venue on Calton Road – and it still has enough quality parties for you to plan a legendary night out. Growing up and spending my teen years in Edinburgh, I’ve had endless hazy evenings up and down the Cowgate, starting the night with pints at the Three Sisters, popping into Stramash for a spot of live music, then finishing the night out with a sweaty dance in Sneaky Petes, Mash House or Bongo. Keen? Here are my favourite clubs in Edinburgh. RECOMMENDED:🍻 The best bars in Edinburgh🍸 The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh🍽️ The best restaurants in Edinburgh📍 The best things to do in Edinburgh This guide was recently updated by Time Out’s features editor Chiara Wilkinson, who grew up in Edinburgh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Rita Ora is sweating.  Beads of water are trickling down her temples. Her eyeshadow is creasing into gluey lines on her lids; her hair sitting in wisps around her forehead. But her pupils are sharp, unwavering, fixated on her immediate line-of-sight. She contracts her fist and runs her tongue over her teeth. ‘3, 2, 1…’  Punch. Right on target. Hanging over the red ropes of a boxing ring in a Camden basement, as assistants fuss around, spraying mist to top-up her glisten, Rita Ora is concentrating on one thing: getting that shot. If it seems like she’s done this a thousand times before, it’s because she has. The pop star, actress, TV personality and tabloid magnet is one of the most recognisable, omnipresent faces in UK pop culture. In other words: she’s a pro. Photograph: Jess Hand for Time Out Rita Ora has 16.2 million Instagram followers, has racked up more than 10 billion music streams, collaborated with high street fashion giant Primark and launched her own tequila brand. She has three albums, with another in the works. She holds the record for the highest number of top 10 singles for a British female artist, is a judge on ITV’s The Masked Singer, is a front-row regular at fashion weeks and has been to the Met Gala a sweet 10 times. And, as demonstrated by her jogging on the spot as our photographer fiddles with the camera lens, she’s certainly not used to sitting still.  ‘I don’t do as much boxing as I’d like to,’ she confesses, over call, a few weeks later. (She puts

Edinburgh’s food scene is thriving. Attracting some of the best chefs in the country, brand-new ventures are popping up all the time; for our summer 2024 update, small plates spot Eleanore has been crowned our number one, followed closely by Heron in second, which retained its Michelin star in 2024. But it’s not just exciting newbies on our list. Here you’ll find everything from old classics to neighbourhood joints, from super-fresh seafood and gorgeous local produce to daring twists on international flavours and innovative plant-based dining. Hungry? Us too. Whatever you’re craving, here are the best restaurants in Edinburgh right now.  RECOMMENDED: 🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh🥑 The best brunch in Edinburgh🥪 The best cheap eats in Edinburgh📍 The best things to do in Edinburgh🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Where to stay in Edinburgh This guide was last updated by Time Out’s features editor Chiara Wilkinson, who is from Edinburgh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Long before it was full of Prets, Simmons and obnoxiously decorated rickshaws, Soho was a playground for London’s rascals, rapscallions and rogues. In the ’60s, you’d find its streets full of speakeasy bars, schpielers (AKA illegal gambling clubs), porn shops and stripshows. But you’d also find independent greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers and delis – it was vibrant, an ever-changing landscape which transformed after dark. Old Soho is the subject of a new book and exhibition, ‘Soho Night and Day’, written by author and playwright Frank Norman with photos by Jeffrey Bernard, which was originally released in 1966. ‘He [Frank] wrote it and I took the pictures, it was something of a farce,’ Bernard said. ‘We’d wander around Soho all day and night, having hospitality heaped on us by publicans and restauranteurs who wanted to appear in the book, and I think we were drunk for a year.’ RECOMMENDED: These photographs document the 1960s Black British experienceThese photographs capture the fading world of Smithfield's midnight meat market The book re-edition features a new introduction written by London historian Barry Miles – who happened to be the editor of Time Out in the late 1970s. ‘Frank gives us an authentic portrait of Soho from half-a-century ago,’ Miles writes. ‘He is painfully honest. He doesn’t see many Soho pubs worth recommending, with the exception of The French Pub, the York Minister, to which he devotes considerable space. In fact, the French is one of the few plac

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked.  Go forth and eat, featuring everything from hip fish bar Tollington's in Finsbury Park, Oma and Agora's Greek-ish cuisine in Borough Market, hyped Mayfair spot The Dover, the Whitehall wonder that is Kioku, French bistro bangers at Josephine in Fulham, fire and fish at Lita in Marylebone and Med sharing dishes at Morchella in Clerkenwell. We also show some love for the sublime small plates at Hackney's Sune, tasty sausage at Bistro Freddie in Spitalfields and Filipino sharing feasts at Donia in Kingly Court. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.

There’s a reason people travel from all over the world to visit Edinburgh. This is one of our favourite cities on the planet, bursting with food, culture, and all-round great vibes, all while looking a bit like it’s a made up place from a gothic novel.  Firstly, of course, there’s the Fringe, the largest arts festival in the whole world, taking place throughout August. But at any time of year, you’ll find charming old-school pubs, top-notch restaurant scene and plenty of cute cafés to break up a day of mooching. Whatever your vibe, here’s our local’s guide to the best things to do in Edinburgh.  RECOMMENDED:🥞 The best brunches in Edinburgh🍸 The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Where to stay in Edinburgh🏨 The best hotels in Edinburgh  This guide was recently updated by Time Out’s features editor Chiara Wilkinson, who is originally from Edinburgh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

These days, treehouses can be more than a few planks of wood in the back garden. They can be luxurious, quirky, with hot tubs and saunas and space for whole families (dogs included). The UK is full of some pretty amazing properties built in unsuspecting woodland, which make for ideal getaways for when you need your dose of mother nature. Sure, cities are great and all – but sometimes it’s nice just to get away and escape to the countryside. Luckily for you, that doesn’t mean pitching a tent and sleeping on the cold, hard ground in the middle of the woods.  If you’re trying to focus more on wellbeing, peaceful vibes and reconnecting with Mother Earth, what better way is there than to take a trip to the gorgeous, luscious countryside and nurture your inner child in one of these grown-up treehouses? Whether you’re hoping for a rustic treetop adventure or fancy soaking in a tub on the private decking of your super-luxe cabin on stilts, we have a treehouse for you. Here are some of the best treehouses in the UK that you can book right now.RECOMMENDED:💕 The best romantic weekend getaways in the UK🏞️ The most beautiful national parks in the UK Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. F

Rose Matafeo is just like the rest of us. She uses her Notes app for just about everything: recipe ideas, drafts of her will, one-liners. She hates Taylor Swift. She struggles to get her head around the brainrot internet vernacular of Gen Z. And it’s this relatability, delivered with such a natural, frantic rhythm, that will have you smiling and nodding along like a bobble-head cat for a full 60 minutes.  The Kiwi creator of beloved sitcom ‘Starstruck’ and winner of the 2018 Comedy Award at the Fringe takes an introspective, confessional approach to her latest show. She contemplates her twenties, from the boarding school men she dated to being an introvert in London, she lurches into accents and light self depreciation. She examines her own love life, following all of its tragic characters via being dumped in your thirties and the weird world of online relationship coaches – covering subjects which could endanger coming across as bland or clichéd, but are delivered with such zeal and intelligence that it feels like you’re hearing about them for the first time.  It occasionally lurches into rushed moments of chaos which don’t allow space for material to land – and a few comparisons, like those of Harry Potter and Mario Kart, fell a bit flat. But for the most part, Matafeo is truly very funny. The hour takes on an arc, tricking the audience and swiftly, slyly, returning to its core messages. Fierce, clever and unashamedly ordinary, it’s a celebration of being your true, unapolo

What is it? Sneaky Pete’s is a 100-capacity, one-room club (or sweatbox, as you might call it), open every single night on Edinburgh’s main clubbing thoroughfare, the Cowgate.  Is it worth visiting? In a phrase, hell yes. Sneaky Pete’s has punched well above its weight over the years to become the finest gig and club venue in the city with an electric atmosphere. The resident club nights bring in some of the finest DJ talent in the country, including Midland, Skream, Jyoty and more.  Does it have a cloakroom? No cloakroom, but there’s a little selection of lockers you can pay to use. We’d probably just advise doing things the old fashioned way: coming without your work laptop, and shoving your jacket in a pool of beer in the corner.  📍 Discover the best things to do in Edinburgh

The rooftop at cooler-than-cool One Hundred Shoreditch hotel has gone through its fair share of iterations since opening. The most recent is Kaso, although don’t expect any huge conceptual changes: the shiny pink marbled tiles remain, as do the various cacti, night-time DJ sets and, most importantly, the sweeping views across the city skyline.  What has changed is the menu: spearheaded by Turkish-born chef Ilknur Celik, it’s a Middle Eastern affair split into specials, hot and cold mezzes and sweets. The plates are reasonably pricey for what they are – and you’re not getting anything boundary-pushing here – but everything looks good and tastes great. What you’re really paying for is that big old view. (This is very much an Insta-worthy venue.) There’s a narrow strip of terrace on one side allowing for small tables, mostly seating people on dates or creative agency business meetings, which are ‘first come, first-get-the-view’. That said, even if you don’t get a terrace table, you’re still perfectly poised to wash down your borek with a nice gaze (or glare) over various Shoreditch tower blocks.  Aubergine is scored, charred and charcoaled, with gorgeously soft and golden insides From the menu ‘specials’, we ordered the half aubergine: scored, charred and charcoaled into a blackened shell with gorgeously soft and golden insides, all on a bed of zhoug-y, tahini sauce. The harissa chicken was somewhat sadly slapped next to some limp-looking gem lettuce and mushy tomato – but the

We recognise Henry Rowley from somewhere: ‘I’m a TikToker,’ he says, opening his Fringe hour. With a healthy 1.3m followers on the platform, the 26-year-old gained traction about five years ago for his mocking sketches of posh uni mates (he’s perfected the ‘rah’ girl in the smoking area), and has been popping up on For You Pages ever since. He’s not completely new to live – he came to the Fringe last year with a short WIP as part of a group showcase of TikTok stars, bringing many of those characters from the screen to the stage. But, given this is his first, proper stand-up hour? His confidence is impressive.  The show dips in and out of sketches – extended versions of the 30-second skits we might expect to find on his TikTok feed – very loosely framed by reflections on his online fame. There’s some good stuff here: the exaggerated re-enactment of his Tatler interview and the surreal budget airline jab. Some of it felt stale before it had even started: the Steven Bartlett riff felt like we’d seen it before and the generic dating app jokes were also in need of a freshen up. Where Rowley shined was when he leant on what he’s known for. The audience was chuffed to see one of his key posh girls, Minty, from Bristol uni, make a share of appearances (he even revealed he’d answer calls as Minty in his old tech job): the vape sketch and the introduction of the ‘diabetic jazz’ DJ went down well. Granted, performing to a room full of Fringe-going Russell Group grads, this should have b

Watching 'Playfight', you’ll be transported back to adolescence: from opening the envelope on exam results day to competitive playground gossip. You’ll bump into former friends who exist only in memory (or your hometown pub on Christmas Eve) and feel at once grateful and melancholic that you’ve grown up a bit since then. ‘Playfight’ is a three-man drama following a group of friends over the course of 10 years, through their GSCEs to navigating their first sexual experiences and working out what they want to do with their lives. There’s Kiera (played with excellent command by Sophie Cox): the brash, over-the-top and slightly misguided northerner who recounts losing her virginity on a tennis court with close to no filter. There’s Lucy (Lucy Mangan): ditzy, Christian and somewhat secretive. Then, there’s Zainab, played by Nina Cassells: the headstrong, sceptical, intelligent lesbian who realises she has feelings for her friend. The whole thing plays out around ‘tree’, their playground meeting point, represented in Hazel Low’s gorgeous, simple set by a luminous ladder in the middle of the floor. The cast walk, climb and swing around it, as tensions unravel in the circle staging. Certain moments are so heavy, you’ll let out audible gasps. Other times, you’ll be laughing out loud, or sitting awkwardly in your seat as sexual tension feels palpable.  As years pass and scenes play out with a great, compelling pace, we see the girls grow in distance – summed up best by the scene where

It’s been seven years since Hannah Gadsby was last at the Edinburgh Fringe, debuting ‘Nanette’ before it exploded on Netflix, cementing the stand-up as a Fringe-changed-your-life household legend. A lot has changed since then: they’ve won an Emmy, published a New York Times best-selling memoir and ‘started sleeping in posh hotels’.  Gadsby, in other words, is now living a different life. It’s one of the themes they explore with exhausting self-awareness in ‘Woof!’ – along with all of the anxieties about remaining relatable that lurk under that level of fame. As they hammer home: how on earth will we be able to laugh along to a story about swimming with whales?  Spoiler: we aren’t able to. The Aussie stand-up starts the show by telling us it will be about ‘big questions’ and goes on to touch on everything from grief and class to gender, climate anxiety and being neurodiverse. It’s packed with sharp, intelligent writing: it has a clever narrative and is vulnerable and brave. But, as an hour and a bit of comedy, it falls flat. Maybe it’s the over-emphasis on ‘meh’ references to cabbage patch dolls and plastic plants, the cheap poo jokes or the baffling, desperate whale sketches. Perhaps it is trying to do too much at once, or – more likely – the problem is that the show lacks any grittines and actual humour for it to properly resonate. While confident, the delivery is overly casual and the more soul-searching spiels verge on self-indulgent. Clever moments of societal critique, i

Rose Matafeo is just like the rest of us. She uses her Notes app for just about everything: recipe ideas, drafts of her will, one-liners. She hates Taylor Swift. She struggles to get her head around the brainrot internet vernacular of Gen Z. And it’s this relatability, delivered with such a natural, frantic rhythm, that will have you smiling and nodding along like a bobble-head cat for a full 60 minutes.  The Kiwi creator of beloved sitcom ‘Starstruck’ and winner of the 2018 Comedy Award at the Fringe takes an introspective, confessional approach to her latest show. She contemplates her twenties, from the boarding school men she dated to being an introvert in London, she lurches into accents and light self depreciation. She examines her own love life, following all of its tragic characters via being dumped in your thirties and the weird world of online relationship coaches – covering subjects which could endanger coming across as bland or clichéd, but are delivered with such zeal and intelligence that it feels like you’re hearing about them for the first time.  It occasionally lurches into rushed moments of chaos which don’t allow space for material to land – and a few comparisons, like those of Harry Potter and Mario Kart, fell a bit flat. But for the most part, Matafeo is truly very funny. The hour takes on an arc, tricking the audience and swiftly, slyly, returning to its core messages. Fierce, clever and unashamedly ordinary, it’s a celebration of being your true, unapolo

You know how you keep saying you want to ‘get away from it all’? Turns out it actually can do you a lot of good. Leaving behind the muggy crowds of Euston, I hopped on a train to Shrewsbury, before taking a half hour taxi past handsome hamlets, countryside pubs and rolling green fields into a secluded woodland near the border of Wales. Here, you’ll find Woodland Park Lodges: a collection of charming, purpose-built treehouses that make for a stunning (and stunningly quiet) getaway. The Bluebell Treehouse sleeps six: there’s a twin, a double and a double master bedroom with an en-suite. Built on stilts amoung the branches and done up to top-tier standards, with beautiful exposed wooden beams and outside ratlan furniture for when the sun makes an appearance, you’ll have everything you need for a chilled weekend away. Soak off in the bubbling hot tub, take a countryside walk to a local pub (I’d recommend The Vault in Ellesmere for a quirky beer garden and cocktails on tap) or cook up a family-style meal in the well-equipped kitchen to eat around the large dining room table. Nearby, you can stroll through country roads to Ellesmere – it takes around 50 minutes down country paths – where you can grab a coffee around the lake at The Mere. There are also plenty of woodland walks directly from the lodges if you fancy something shorter.  It feels luxurious but still completely immersed in nature For entertaining, there’s a large, open plan kitchen-diner-living room with a big TV, fire

‘Shrek’ is one of the greatest animated films of the twenty-first century. It has an iconic soundtrack, one-liners which will imprint into your brain and characters ripe enough to sustain a franchise nearing its fifth iteration. ‘Shrek’ has a spirit so strong it has created themed raves and immersive experiences. You’d be forgiven for thinking that anything ‘Shrek’ related would be good. But you’d be wrong.  First seen in London way back in 2011 and now returning as part of a UK tour, this adaptation of the 2001 film now feels like a high camp panto gone wrong. The show opens up with baby orge Shrek being waved off into the big bad world, but from there onwards, the first half was in verbatim with the film – though the classic lines – ‘heading the right way for a smacked bottom’ and ‘ogres are like onions’ – fell flat, not least helped by the abysmally butchered Scottish (if you can call it that) accent of Antony Lawrence’s Shrek. Even his roars lacked oomf.  The arrival of a cuntified Lord Farquaad, played by James Gillan, who wore gold sequined hot pants and zoomed into his wedding on a scooter, was some welcomed light relief from the chaos – and Cherece Richards, playing the dragon, had vocals which just about made up for the humdrum singing and accompanying soundtrack. The costumes were good and the stage design was fine. For kids, there are plenty of rude burp and fart scenes. And the casting of singer-songwriter Todrick Hall – who pranced around, practically carrying th

First things first, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was in Hackney. The lucent, swish interiors, the window seats overlooking the street, the low-intervention wine list, the highly aesthetic menu. But alas; there are no small plates – there are nibbles, starters, mains and puddings – and no, it’s not in Hackney, it’s in Fitzrovia, darling.  July is a nice idea. The majority of the menu takes inspo from the Alsace region of northeastern France, bordering Germany and Switzerland, which sounds fun enough, but seems to translate into dishes which are heavy, stodgy and beige. For starters: a ‘meh’ walnut and onion tart with yoghurt and lovage and a clumpy potato salad decorated with bacon and dill. So far, so uninspiring. The chicken schnitzel for mains was dry, while the spaetzle and munster gratin with (not enough) lemon was limp, insipid, monotonous. The atmosphere was almost as beige as the food: most of the chatter seemed to come from the staff, creating a feeling that the whole restaurant was listening to your conversation.  As a spot for a glass of wine and a snack on a sunny afternoon, July has potential Luckily, the wine just about made up for the lacklustre food. We enjoyed a nice sharp, florally bottle of Deux Couleurs Orange – one of the handful of ambers on the drinks list which also boasted an exhaustive array of reds, a few dessert wines as well as twists on cocktail classics (expect nectarine spritz, melon negronis and walnut old fashioneds). As a spot for a

It’s hard not to let out a large sigh when you roll up up the driveway to Ragdale Hall, a grandiose building with red-brick peaking through the ivy growing over the front. There’s an air of calm about the place, settled in fields upon fields of greenery to make it feel a lot more remote than it is (Loughborough railway station is a handy 15 minutes away). Things get even better once you step through the door, when you’re instantly looked after.  Despite the building’s history, which dates back to the 18th century, it’s not all traditional here: the spa is home to all sorts of tech you’ll probably have never heard of. (Bubble shower, anyone?) The star of the show has to be the rooftop glass-heated infinity pool, which offers massaging jets and views out onto the calm of the front lawn. It’s a perfect place to spot wildlife or watch the world go by. As impressive as the spa’s six pools and thermal journey are, if you’re craving some proper solitude, keep in mind that Ragdale is large and extremely popular (albeit for good reason), meaning some of the pools can get rather busy at times. But that’s not to say you’ll be left twiddling your thumbs while waiting for a spot. Chill out with a book in the cosy reception room, enjoy a tipple in the gorgeous micro-sized cocktail bar or join one of their many excellent gym classes (my legs, bum and tum were aching for days after – in the best way possible). There’s also a huge amount of beauty and spa treatments available (we enjoyed th

Scribbles on a flattened cheese and onion crisp packet form one of the first posters for Loverboy, the monthly club night Charles Jeffrey hosted in Dalston’s Vogue Fabrics to fund his eponymous fashion label. Ten years on, the Loverboy brand is now well on its way to becoming a household name with its signature bunny-ear knitted hats and eye-popping tartan – yet it remains as playful, punky and true to itself as ever.  Celebrating ten years of the fashion powerhouse, The Lore of Loverboy is a pay-what-you-can exhibition at Somerset House, in the same building as Jeffrey’s studios. We start in the mid-2010s: early sketches from Jeffrey’s years as a BA student at Central Saint Martins hang next to images of Basquiat paintings and a distressed Isle of Arran knit. Clips of his AW18 show, directed by Nick Knight, roll into the music video for The Horrors’s ‘Sheena is a Parasite’: all strobes, screams and heavy liner. We see nods to Vivienne Westwood, to Andy Warhol, to folklore festivals in Orkney and to Louis XIV. The influences are wild and vivid, condensed down into gender-bending clothes which look as anarchic as they do fabulous. The influences are wild and vivid, condensed down into clothes which look as anarchic as they do fabulous The whole thing is firmly rooted in Jeffrey’s flamboyant character, his queerness and his Scottish heritage. Stand-outs include the certificate of the official registry of the signature red, blue and black Loverboy tartan and a screen showing th

Note: as of September 18, ASLEF train drivers have voted to approve a pay deal, ending a dispute dating back to July 22. Find out more about the pay deal here. Disputes between trade unions and train companies in the UK have now been dragging on for well over two years, with rail workers taking action to protest poor pay and working conditions. But there could be an end in sight.  Twenty two days of strikes affecting London Northeastern Railway (LNER) services have just been suspended. Services between London and Edinburgh (via Newcastle, York and Durham) were due to be affected, starting from Saturday August 31, but now our weekends will be strike-free. Hooray.  As for nationwide strikes? Following the last bout of ASLEF strikes in May – which saw train drivers at 16 operators across the UK walk out over three days – no further action has been called for British train services. In fact, ASLEF and the Department for Transport have reportedly struck a deal for backdated pay rises, meaning the dispute could soon be formally resolved.  The new deal will see ASLEF drivers receive a backdated 5 percent pay increase for 2022/23, a 4.75 percent rise for 2023/24, and 4.5 percent increase for 2024/25. If, that is, the union members pay to approve the deal. On top of that, the current Labour government has reportedly axed so-called ‘minimum service’ laws introduced last year by the Tory government.  Here’s everything you need to know about upcoming industrial action on the UK’s rail ne

Calling all lovers of the caffeinated shaken, not stirred. Of the ‘wake me up and fuck me up’. Of the glorious, soft, sweet, energising goodness we call the espresso martini.  Legend has it the iconic cocktail was created in the ’80s by London bartender Dick Bradsell, who also invented the Bramble. A young model – rumoured to be Naomi Campbell or Kate Moss – supposedly walked into Fred’s Club and asked for something to ‘wake me up and fuck me up’. Hence, the espresso martini was born. The silky combo of vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur and sugar has been a favourite drinks order ever since, appearing in bar menus, Instagram stories and bottomless brunches across the world. Now, an espresso martini festival has arrived, which will be taking over bars across the country for ten days straight this month. The festival is run by Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur and is taking place from September 19 to 29. It claims it will ‘spotlight one of the UK’s favourite drinks as you’ve never seen them before’, offering the chance to taste different takes on the classic cocktail, and featuring takeovers, pairings and special serves with some of the country’s top bartenders and venues.  Obviously, this is a clever bit of a brand marketing from Mr Black. But, any excuse to load up on the espresso martinis, and we’ll take it – right? Check out the participating venues below. Shelter Hall, Brighton Absent Ear, Glasgow August house, Glasgow Daddy Marmalades, Glasgow Devil of Brooklyn, Glas

Pints, ciggies, sun. It’s a scene us Brits are so used to seeing – but one we might need to wave goodbye to, before long.  That’s because the UK government is reportedly working on plans to extend the indoor smoking ban to a number of open-air public spaces. According to leaked Whitehall documents, smoking could be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, outside hospitals and at sports grounds. We know what you’re thinking: that means no more asking around for a lighter in smoking areas.  The plans would also ban smoking on pavements next to hospitality venues, as well as outside universities, children’s play areas and small parks. Areas excluded from the planned restrictions include private homes or large open spaces like parks or streets. The finer details of the measures are still unknown – it’s not clear whether the ban would apply to the whole of the UK or England only, for example – but we do know that they’re being proposed as part of the tobacco and vapes bill, which was introduced in parliament earlier this year before the general election was called and would prohibit the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 2009.  Dr Layla McCay, the director of policy at the NHS Confederation, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I’m obviously in favour of measures that help abolish smoking. It is absolutely the health challenge of our time. It’s the leading cause of preventable illness in the UK, so we are heartened to see that progress is being made and that

We love a dance as much as the next person, but it’s true that too many 3am finishers can start to take their toll. It might be part of the reason why so many day parties are popping up over the UK – from Annie Mac’s ‘Before Midnight’ series to London’s legendary Sunday sessions at FOLD.   Now, one of Scotland’s smallest (and most beloved) clubs is hopping on the bandwagon. Sneaky Pete’s, the 100-capacity sweatbox on Edinburgh’s main clubbing thoroughfare, has just announced a new series of day parties run by ‘Free Time’. The events will ‘feature legendary touring DJs on weekend evenings with an early curfew’ and have announced shows by Charlie Dark, Machinedrum and House Gospel Choir for the coming weeks, with a closing time of 10pm, five hours earlier than the standard lights-on.  The venue said: ‘If you’ve loved Sneaks parties for a long time, but 3am finishes don’t love you back anymore, we have just the thing for you. Our new FREE TIME series of DAY PARTIES feature legendary touring DJs on weekend evenings with an early curfew.’ That basically means you’ll be able to get some serious two-stepping in while also being tucked up in bed with your teeth brushed before the clock strikes twelve. No complaints here.  Find out more about the parties here. More from Edinburgh We’re all over Edinburgh, from excellent places to dance the night away to great restaurants, the best bars and delicious brekky spots. Check out our list of the best things to do in the Scottish capital and

Today (August 6) marks seven days of disorder since the Southport stabbings, which saw three young girls killed as well as eight children and two adults injured at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. A far-right protest followed the day after the tragedy as misinformation was circulated online about the attacker’s identity. Since then, hundreds of arrests have been made as racist and Islamophobic-fuelled violence has spread to other parts of the country. Unrest has broken out in towns and cities including Sunderland, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Hull, Stoke-on-Trent, Liverpool, Belfast, Rotherham and Tamworth. Mosques and hotels housing refugees and asylum seekers have been targeted, police officers have been attacked, shops have been looted and community buildings, including a library and Citizens Advice Bureau, have been torched.  As the events continue to unfold, we urge you to stay safe, especially if you feel you’re someone who feels targeted by these attacks. Below, we’re compiling a list of causes you can donate to (if you can) to resist the violence and help rebuild communities across the UK. We’d also suggest emailing your local MP, which you can find here, and urge them to fight against misinformation and far-right violence.  Donate to local communities Liverpool: A GoFundMe has been set up to help repair the Spellow Lane Library Hub and food bank, which was torched over the weekend. Belfast: A GoFundMe has been set up for cafés which were targeted. Support chariti

Don’t tell me you’ve not thought about it. Brushing your teeth with your significant other over those twin porcelain sinks. Breaking a sweat on the Peloton while watching old episodes of Peep Show on your shiny new flatscreen TV. Walking your dog in Victoria Park and buying an overpriced Gail’s tomato-and-courgette summer slice without feeling guilty. Stirring a martini at your very own bar and dishing out entreé canapés for your dinner party around that slick kitchen island. Putting your keys in the lock. Taking a shit in the Toto washlet.  You’ve thought about it because it is (or it was going to be) your future home. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Why, it’s the £5 million Omaze Victoria Park warehouse conversion, of course. It’s the house of dreams in a location of dreams: Victoria Park village, aka the Notting Hill of Hackney. It’s worth £5 million and the winner is also taking home a sweet £250,000 in cash ‘to make life as comfortable as possible while they work it out’. A former Victorian warehouse with a triple height glass atrium, gym, spa, sauna, jacuzzi and bar, it’s furnished with £160,000 worth of interior design pieces and it has an estimated rental income of £12,000 per month. You can check out what the property looked like before it was done up on Rightmove, here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Omaze Million Pound House Draw (@omazeuk) In case you’ve been living under a rock, Omaze is an American

Hot Swiftie summer is officially underway. After over a year pouring over set lists and constantly refreshing our feeds to hear news about the star, Swifties of Britain are finally getting to experience the Eras Tour live and in person. Her UK run of shows kicked off last week in Edinburgh – Liverpool is up next.  On her US leg, we saw the mega star perform through a torrential storm, dive head first into the stage, partake in a short-lived relationship with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy (that then inspired a whole new album), and bring her ex Taylor Lautner out to do a few backflips. We can only hope that the UK leg will be just as exciting and spectacular.  So make the friendship bracelets and pick your Era. Here’s everything we know about Taylor’s Eras tour in the UK.  RECOMMENDED ERAS TOUR GUIDES🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Eras Tour in EDINBURGH🎤 The Eras Tour in LIVERPOOL🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The Eras Tour in CARDIFF👑 The Eras Tour in LONDON When is Taylor Swift coming to the UK as part of her 2024 Eras tour? She’s over in two rounds throughout June and August playing stadiums in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London. The dates are as follows:  June 7 2024 – Edinburgh, BT Murrayfield StadiumJune 8 2024 – Edinburgh, BT Murrayfield StadiumJune 9 2024 – Edinburgh, BT Murrayfield Stadium June 13 2024 – Liverpool, Anfield StadiumJune 14 2024 – Liverpool, Anfield StadiumJune 15 2024 – Liverpool, Anfield Stadium June 18 2024 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium June 21 2024 – London, Wembley

In what might be one of our most apocalyptic-sounding headlines of 2024, five escaped Household Cavalry horses have been on the loose in central London this morning.  The horses were partaking in the Household Cavalry’s daily morning exercise on Horseguards Parade, Whitehall, when they threw off their riders, made up of the Lifeguards and Blues & Royals.  Videos of the horses, one blood-covered, surfaced online. The horses were spotted bolting through streets in Victoria and down to Aldwych, even getting as far as Tower Bridge.  Two horses have just been seen running down Aldwych in central London. One covered in blood. Filmed by @itvnews. pic.twitter.com/0M6A1bot6Q — Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) April 24, 2024 The Telegraph reported that five people have been injured at three different locations. The ambulance service has been called to horse-related incidents at Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square and the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street.  In a statement, London Ambulance Service said: ‘We were called at 8.25am today (April 24) to reports of a person being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W. ‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, and an incident response officer. ‘Our first paramedic was on the scene in five minutes.’ Just before 10.30am, the City of London police force said two of the horses were ‘contained’. An Army spokesperson has since confirmed that all hor

Fancy yourself a bit of a runner? The London Marathon is one of the biggest sporting events of the calendar, boasting 50,000 runners and millions of pounds raised for worthy causes each year. It’s not as simple as just lacing up your trainers and showing up on the day, though. Not only will you need serious preparation, but you’ll also have to be allocated an official place via a competitive ballot system. Do you think you have what it takes? Here’s everything you need to know about entering the London Marathon 2025.  How to enter the 2025 London Marathon To secure your spot in next year’s race, make sure you’re ready to enter the ballot, which opens on Saturday April 20, one day before the 2024 edition of the race and closes on Friday 26 April. You’ll find out if you got a spot before the end of July.  When is the London Marathon 2025? Mark those calendars: the London Marathon 2025 is on Sunday, April 27, 2025.  When is the London Marathon ballot announced? The ballot opened on April 20, 2024, and will close on April 26, 2024. The results of the ballot are then announced in July. How much does entering the ballot cost? It depends. For UK participants, the cost of a place is £69.99 with the option to donate their entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust.  For international entrants, it costs £120 for a place, plus a £26 carbon offset levy. Can anyone enter the London Marathon? They can, but if you’re entering from outside the UK you will need to enter via a recognis

The London marathon happens (pretty much) every year, but somehow that doesn’t stop it coming as a huge surprise to even the most seasoned city-dwellers. So if you’re not already clued up, please be warned that this Sunday April 21, you’ll find 48,000 sweat-drenched runners stampeding through the city, trailing cheering fans, road closures, traffic restrictions in their wake. If your weekend plans involve a pleasant stroll through Blackheath, motoring over Tower Bridge, or picnicking in St James’ Park, please read on. Knowledge is power.  RECOMMENDED: Here’s the full guide to the 2024 London MarathonCheck out the 2024 route here What roads will be closed for the London marathon 2024? This handy map marks the overall route.   Image: Courtesy London Marathon But the roads on it aren’t necessarily closed all day. Instead, their closing times are staggered as the runners make their way from Greenwich to central London, meaning that an afternoon browsing the chichi shops of Blackheath is far from off the cards. Read on for a full breakdown of road closures and times:Charlton Way, Greenwich: 4am to 1pmShooters Hill Road: 4am to 1pmSt John’s Park: 7am to 1pmCharlton Park Road: 7am to 1pmOld Dover Road: 7am to 1pmLittle Heath: 7am to 1pmCharlton Park Lane: 7am to 1pmArtillery Place: 7am to 1pmJohn Wilson Street: 7am to 1pmWoolwich Church Street: 7am to 2pmWoolwich Road: 7am to 2pmTrafalgar Road: 7am to 3pmCreek Road: 7am to 3pmEvelyn Street: 8am to 4pmSurrey Quays Road: 8am to 4pmS

Not sure if you’d heard, but there’s quite a big race happening in London at the weekend. Big enough for the city to be brought to a sort-of-standstill and for your office manager to send out email after email reminding you to sponsor those very fit colleagues of yours. It’s even big enough for your mate to excuse themselves from your birthday pints on Saturday night. Must be pretty big, then. We are – of course – talking about the 2024 London Marathon, which will see around 48,000 people chuck on their trainers and run a hefty 26.2 miles this Sunday, 21 April for some worthy-ass causes. And even if you’re not running, even if you’re not cheering someone on from the sidelines, chances are you’ll sense some of the marathon energy if you venture into central London this weekend. The pubs will be packed, roads will be closed and you’ll probably see one or two people wondering around in tinfoil cloaks.  So what are the all-important deets? Here’s all of the essential timings you need to know about the London Marathon 2024 this weekend.  Where and when does the London Marathon 2024 start? The race kicks off in Greenwich Park on Sunday morning at around 8.30am with professional athletes leading the way. The masses then set off in waves. From 10am to 11.30am a sequence of start waves will take place, with short gaps in between to allow the course ahead to clear. All start lines will be closed by 11.30am.  Does everyone start the London Marathon at the same time? No: imagine the chao

This winter has felt particularly long, hasn’t it? Finally, spring is within sight. The biannual clock change will take place at the end of this month, meaning the UK is about to return to longer, brighter days. And with that, comes all of the good stuff: picnics in the park, beer gardens, beach days and music festivals.   Once the clocks go forward, sunlight will finally stretch into evening, though sunrise will happen a little later than in the past weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about when the clocks go forward in the UK in 2024.  When do the clocks go forward in 2024?  Mark your calendars: in 2024, the clocks will go forward on Sunday, March 31 at 1am.  Will I lose or gain an extra hour in bed? With all the different dates and times, it’s easy to get confused about what it actually means for us in practical terms. But as the time change occurs at night (at 1am, the clocks will go forward to 2am), most of us will be sleeping. The March time change means we lose an hour in bed. When will the clocks go back again? In autumn 2024, the clocks will go back on October 27 at 2am.  Why do we change the clocks in the UK? The tradition of changing clocks began in 1916 in an attempt to make better use of daylight hours. Daylight Saving Time (or British Summer Time) meant people could work for longer and could save fuel during the war.  Which other countries change the clocks? More than 70 countries around the globe change their clocks, with most European countries chan