The Time Out London blog team

Walking down Regent Street, you can’t fail to notice Hamleys. Shoppers young and old gather under its bright red awnings as actors dressed as elves, cuddly bears or other lederhosened storybook characters welcome crowds through big glass doors. Hamleys first opened its doors in 1760 and it remains the oldest and biggest toy shop in the world, spanning 54,000 square feet over seven themed floors. Its London flagship isn’t the only place to buy its iconic stuffed teddies or wave a Harry Potter wand, either. The kids’ nirvana operates hundreds of shops across 13 countries including Italy, India, the UAE, China, the Philippines and Mexico. And now Hamleys has just announced that two more stores are coming to the Big Smoke.  Adding to existing travel shops at London Bridge and St Pancras stations, Hamleys is set to open a 500sq ft pop-up store at Liverpool Street Station in early May. Expect a range of plush bears and animals, as well as pocket-money toys including slime, magic tricks and mini cars. Plus, if you’re gearing up for a long train ride, you’ll be able to grab card games, sticker books and compact board games for the journey. Photograph: ThamKC / Shutterstock.com As for the second new store, it’s expected to debut in Heathrow Terminal 2 in mid-June. The 1,000sq ft space will be the second Hamleys in the airport, as there’s already one in Terminal 4. Its offering will include the signature bear range, a similar selection of travel games and puzzles, as well as tech...

If you’re craving the sand between your toes, the foreshore of the Thames really isn’t going to cut it. You need a golden sweeping bay, salty coastal air and the actual sea lapping at your feet. The good news is that, for Londoners, you don’t need to go very far to find all of that. The southeast coast, with its old-school resorts, dramatic chalk cliffs and sprawling bays, is right on the capital’s doorstep.   So, as summer approaches, we’ve put together a ranking of the finest beaches within easy reach of London. At the very top of our list is Tankerton Beach and the Street in Whitstable. Granted, it’s a predominantly shingle beach, but there is a sandy stretch that is exposed at low tide.  Tankerton Beach itself extends for 1.5 miles and is a quieter alternative to Whistable Beach right in front of the main town. Blanketed with pebbles, backed by grassy slopes and dotted with rock pools, its clean and calm waters make it a delightful spot for some wild swimming.  Photograph: Shutterstock The Street is a unique 750-metre sand spit that pokes out from the main beach and is only exposed at low tide. It’s named such as it allows visitors to walk towards the horizon with the sea either side of them. Look back towards land and you’ll have a lovely view of the groyne-dotted beach and its adorable parade of beach huts. To get there, Londoners can jump on a train from Victoria, Cannon Street or St Pancras International to Whitstable. All of those journeys take roughly 70 to 80...

It’s been a busy 2026 so far for world-conquering popstar Harry Styles. In January the former One Direction singer announced his vast Together, Together world tour, which features a whopping 12 dates at London’s Wembley Stadium this summer. In February Styles was revealed as the curator of this year’s Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre, in March he released his fourth studio album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., then in April the music lineup for Meltdown was confirmed. Now we finally have more details about Harry Styles’ Meltdown performance – and it’ll be a special one for Harry. Not only will it be the centrepiece of this year’s Meltdown and a comparatively intimate show for the stadium-playing star, but it’ll be with a full orchestra. The date will be a one-off collab with the Jules Buckley Orchestra. Keen to get tickets for this one-of-a-kind event? Of course you are. Here’s how to get tickets to see Harry Styles at Meltdown this summer. RECOMMENDED: The best music festivals in London. When is Harry Styles’ Meltdown festival? The festival stretches is on June 11-21 2026. When is Harry Styles’ performance at Meltdown? Harry’s one-off show with an orchestra will be on June 16 2026. When do tickets go on sale? Here’s the tricky part. Tickets don’t go on sale, exactly – instead you pay to enter a prize draw. The winners will be selected at random. How does the prize draw work? There are a total of 1,900 seats allocated for the prize draw. You’ll only be...