Amy Houghton

December 2025 update: There's new songs being added to karaoke machines on a regular basis, so we see it as our duty to keep this list bang up to date. Our latest additions include a K-Pop Demon Hunters anthem, as well as an addicitve tune courtesy of Benson Boone. Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. But heed our warning: choosing the right song is crucial (aka, don’t opt for that Whitney Houston tune if you haven’t the range. And if you don't quite have the skill, steer clear of rapping.) So we thought we’d help out a little bit. In our list of the best karaoke songs ever, we’ve got everyone from Adele to Toto, and from Frank Sinatra to Ricky Martin. There's even recent singalongs from Sabrina Carpenter, Huntr/x and Chappell Roan. Something for everyone. So down that shot, grab that mic and take to the stage. Your audience awaits you. Here are the best karaoke songs ever.  RECOMMENDED:❤️ The best love songs🎶 The 40 best songs of 2025🎉 The best party songs🕺 The 25 best albums of 2025  

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

It’s easy to leave planning New Year’s Eve to the very last minute – often you get so tangled up in the tinsel-decked glories of Christmas that you forget there's another big bash, just a week later. But New Year's Eve is the kind of night that you forget at your peril. Attempt to wing it and you might well end up stuck at home with a glass of flat prosecco in front of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, because all London's best clubs and parties book out weeks or months in advance.  But fear not, we're here to make sure you give 2025 a seriously good send-off. Here's our list of London best NYE bashes for ringing in 2026, from never-ending club nights to LGBTQ+- friendly celebrations. Assemble your crew, book your tickets, plan the perfect ‘fit and prepare to say a big fat goodbye to the year gone by. London’s best NYE parties at a glance 🎆 Best for views of the fireworks: New Year’s Eve at Sky Garden 🦖 Best for a one-of-a-kind party: NYE at the Natural History Museum 🍴 Best for midnight snacks: New Year's Eve at Aram, Somerset House  🏳️‍🌈  Best for LGBTQ+: Horse Meat Disco at Village Underground 🌟 Best for glitz and glamour: New Year's Eve at W London RECOMMENDED: Find things to do in London on New Year’s Day.

Let’s be honest, with all the pressure that gets put on New Year’s Eve, often it ends up as a disappointment. You’re lying if you say you haven’t spent at least one countdown with your head over a toilet after getting too razzed before midnight, or the night is spent jostling with what feels like everyone in London to get into an average club night. This year, spare yourself the pain and save the hardest partying for New Year’s Day instead.  New Year’s Day raves have taken off over the last few years. They tend to last longer than the events of the night before and there aren’t the same enormous NYE crowds to battle with. Of course, celebrations on Jan 1 needn’t be instead of NYE revelries – soldier through your hangover and combine the two to create one big 48-hour blowout.  The capital’s venues are ready to welcome you with open arms for the first rager of 2026, with all manner of day and night parties to check out. Because who says the fun needs to stop as soon as the countdown’s over? Here are London’s best New Year’s Day parties.   RECOMMENDED: Find New Year’s Eve parties in London.

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 in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened in the past year and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in December. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Khao Bird, Soho 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea December 2025: New additions include slinky Italian Martino's in Chelsea, cosy Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Sri Lankan fast food at Adoh! in Covent Garden, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Thai BBQ at Khao Bird in Soho, and Thai soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? 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 Lond

The final stretch of 2025 is upon us, and London is looking mighty festive in the run-up to Christmas. The skies are be sparkling with Christmas lights, the capital’s venues are filling up with Christmas pantos and carol services, and the streets are lined with colourful Christmas markets and twinkling trees. But December isn’t just about Christmas, and there’s plenty more brilliant things to do besides all the festive stuff. Notably, the acclaimed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is making its UK debut, it’s the first full month of the Design Museum’s hotly-anticipated Wes Anderson exhibition and the last full month of the bonkers jukebox musical Titanique. Plus, there are the ice-skating rinks, the winter pop-ups and the chilly winter walks followed by cosy pub hangouts. And that’s before we even get on to New Year’s Eve!  Here’s our guide to the finest events, parties, cultural happenings and things to do in London over December 2025.  London’s best things to do in December at a glance: 🧀 Best for foodies: Future of Food, Science Museum 🎭 Best for thespians: Ballet Shoes, National Theatre 🎬 Best for cinephiles: Backyard Cinema, Bermondsey 🎨 Best for aesthetes: Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, Design Museum 🧛 Best for night owls: Christmas lights, citywide 📚 Best for families: Winter Funland, Kensington RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s definitive London events calendar.

Thank god for Burns Night. As the long, bleak month of January rolls on, this kilt-raising, haggis-scoffing, whisky-fuelled celebration of Scotland’s national poet Rabbie Burns is a chance to banish the winter blues and have a rip-roaring time. The Bard turns 267 this year, but you don’t have to be in the big guy’s motherland to join in the festivities. An estimated 200,000 Scottish expats live in the capital, which technically makes it the third most populous Scottish city, so you can guarantee there’s plenty of feasting, boozing and partying to be done down here too.  When is Burns Night in London? Burns Night always falls on January 25, the day Robert Burns was born in South Ayrshire way back in 1759. This year’s celebration falls on a Sunday.  Whether you want to get sweaty at a ceilidh, pipe in a haggis, or have a classy time at a whisky tasting or indulgent Burns supper, this is how you can enjoy Burns Night 2026 in London.  RECOMMENDED: Here are London's best spots for a delicious Burns Night supper.

Boxing Day might not get all the glory of Christmas Day, but if you ask us, in many ways, it’s far superior. It has all the magic of the big day, but without the stress of cooking and the pressure of keeping the whole family happy. But one of the best bits? While everything shuts down on Christmas Day, things start to tentatively open up on Boxing Day, meaning you can get up from your Quality Street-induced stupour on the sofa and get out and about on December 26.  The day after Christmas, London is mostly free of its usual crowds (except for shopping districts like Oxford Street packed with bargain hunters). That means that, should you leave your house, large parts of the capital city are yours for the taking. There are the parks and riverside paths for frosty winter walks or the Christmas lights to admire while you brave the Boxing Day sales. The city’s pop-up ice skating rinks are normally open, pantomime season is still in full swing, and there are even a few parties lined up. Here are some great ideas for how to spend your day off. RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our full guide to Christmas in London.

We’ve officially entered party season, aka the time of the year when it’s socially acceptable to go out for a big one any day of the week. It’s nearly Christmas, after all! From office festive parties to Crimbo plans with your pals to final Mad Friday blowouts, there are a ton of reasons to be hitting the town in the run-up to Christmas Day. Our guide to London’s greatest Christmas-themed parties for 2025 has full-blown raves, Yuletide cabarets and plenty of events full of cheesy festive classics. And in the season’s spirit of generosity, a large helping of them are free entry. You can’t say ‘bah, humbug’ to that. All you’ve got to do now is decide where you’re going and plan the perfect party ‘fit. RECOMMENDED: See our full festive guide to Christmas in London.

Urgently in need of some cool pressie inspo for your nearest and dearest? Don’t worry about it! Our London gift guide is here, and it features loads of lovely pressies to suit just about any Londoner you can imagine.  From nifty gadgets to stylish accessories, covetable homeware to kids’ gifts, our editors have got every base covered, including plenty of sustainable options and handmade bits from some of London’s coolest indie brands and makers.  Need even more present inspiration? Check out our roundup of London’s best Christmas hampers for 2025. Time Out’s 2025 Christmas Gift Guide at a glance 🏰 Best for tech nerds: Nothing headphones 💷 Best for foodies: Allday Goods knife 🔬 Best for style queens: Peachy Den scarf and mitten set 🎡 Best for cool blokes: Percival martini cap 🎨 Best for youngsters: Ty Beanie Bouncers RECOMMENDED: More Christmas fun in London. 

It’s been another stellar year for music in 2025, packed full of belters, breakouts and hook-laden earworms.  Lorde returned to her angsty roots, Pulp dropped their first album since, and Bad Bunny reigned supreme on the streamers. We were blessed with new music from pop heavyweights Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Robyn. In a plot twist, Rosalía dropped a classical album packed with religious references, and Turnstile made hardcore mainstream. Breakout stars CMAT, Addison Rae and Jim Legxacy proved that they are here to stay. Here Time Out editors and contributors have hand-picked the tracks they’ve had on repeat this year. These are the 40 best songs of 2025.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 best albums of 2025. 

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. We've even been blessed with the return of Lorde! Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis, Tate McRae and Kai Bosch. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, to give you a mid-year vibe check of where we are currently at. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

Homely isn’t quite the word that comes to mind when you pull back the heavy velvet curtain separating Casa Felicia from the dozy Queen’s Park street outside. Chic, for sure. Elegant, certainly. A parade of two-cover tables are packed close together in the main whitewashed dining room, and over in a far corner, there’s a booth for larger groups which is painted entirely in an intense sultry red. But the deeper into the evening we go, the more we’re taken in by this place’s unexpected down-to-earth charm.   Fettuccine porcini and paccheri with mussels and squid are simple but impeccable Casa Felicia is helmed by chef Francesco Sarvonio, formerly of Manteca and currently of Elephant. The menu switches up daily, but always promises southern Italian ‘soul food’. A pleasing heap of puntarelle salad embellished with pear and hazelnuts, and a faultless seabass crudo speckled with crispy red pepper starts us off. We’re then presented with the most intriguing take on parmigiana I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t come in the traditional form of layered aubergine coins, but as the whole vegetable roasted, skinned and fried in a tempura batter, then cocooned in cheese fondue with a pool of marinara on the side. It’s fantastic – the batter lightly encases the vegetable like a chiffon blanket and the aubergine manages to be both firm and completely melt-in-the-mouth.   Don’t get carried away with the antipasti, as the bowls of pasta (handmade with just semolina and water, no egg) are truly generou

Adoh! (Sri-Lankan for ‘oi!’) is loud.  Sat on Maiden Lane in frenetic, tourist-packed Covent Garden, this Sri Lankan spot from Kolamba duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella fits right in. While Kolamba and its sister restaurant on Liverpool Street are sleek, sophisticated haunts, this is a maximalist whirlwind. Chopped roti gets more heavenly with each chewy bite Adoh’s goal is to emulate the rapid, chaotic energy of Colombo and its street food culture. The decor is raucous – the tables a striking shade of red and the walls busy with storybook murals depicting hand-painted trucks of South Asia. As for service, it’s full speed ahead. You can very easily be in and out within an hour, and fully satisfied. In the throbbing heart of the theatreland that’s no bad thing.  The menu features a blend of authentic bits (isoo vadai, mutton rolls or roti and curry) and some milder hybrid dishes (fried chicken and curry leaf waffles are best suited to less adventurous members of your party). Shiny squares of prawn toast dolloped with tamarind sauce start us off, swiftly followed by a supple dosa spread with smoky masala, alongside a rather dry coconut roti with eye-wateringly hot lunu miris chilli paste.  The must-order main (which at £17 is the priciest item on the menu) is crab kothu, a late-night classic in Sri Lanka. The bronze mountain of chopped roti, egg and stir fried crab meat (mutton, chicken or jackfruit kothu are available too) isn’t particularly pretty, but drenched in curry sauce (p

One hundred years ago, a strange curtained box appeared on Broadway in New York City. If you went inside and slotted in 25 cents, you’d emerge with eight sepia tinged photos of yourself in a matter of minutes. It was the Photomaton – the world’s first fully automated photobooth. Fast forward to the 21st century and photobooths are in bars, train stations, cinemas, record shops and on streets all over the world. The Photographer’s Gallery is marking a century of the machines with Click!, an archival exhibition exploring their imperfections, their quirks and their most famous fans. Naturally, there’ll be a working photobooth for visitors to take their own snap.

In 1978, Zofia Rydet decided that was going to photograph the inside of every Polish household. Aged 67, she began knocking on doors and asking occupants if they’d be willing to partake in her project. She continued to knock on doors for the next three decades, collecting everyday stories and creating ‘one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography’. More than 100 of Rydet’s prints will be on display at the Photographers’ Gallery alongside books and personal letters offering extra insight into her sociological mission.

The UK’s first major retrospective of acclaimed Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov is coming to the Photographers’ Gallery. A ‘kind of proto-punk’, Mikhailov has been capturing and commenting on life in Ukraine since the 1960s – from the everyday consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the realities of people living on the edges of society – through photography, conceptual work, painting and performance art. Ukrainian Diary brings much of that work together to illustrate the tumultuous social and political changes that have shaken Eastern Europe over the past fifty years.

When a place rates itself as assuredly (in huge bold letters, no less) as Good Hotel does, it’s natural to feel a little sus. But it’s true: Good Hotel really does make you feel good. Service is cheery and laid-back without being overly casual, the food leaves nothing to complain about and – maybe it’s the luxurious silence of the area or perhaps the proximity to gently lapping water – I visited in 2024, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better night’s sleep in the city. Aside from all that, guests can walk out of Good Hotel feeling extra gratified by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Why stay at Good Hotel? As you walk along Royal Victoria Docks, this huge black shipping container is impossible to miss. Originally built as a Danish prison, this floating hotel docked in London in 2016 after sailing across from Amsterdam. Its founder, Marten Dresden, had come up with the Good Hotel concept four years prior while travelling in Guatemala. Now, each night you spend there pays for a week of school for a child in South America, with profits also going towards hospitality training for long-term unemployed locals (lots of whom become Good Hotel employees).  The hotel also hosts regular community workshops and events that guests can attend. There are comedy nights, yoga classes, salsa classes, kids art clubs and, if you’re in the mood to be extra good, litter-picking around the local area. What are the rooms like at Good Hotel? Throughout the hotel, the interiors are slick, earthy-toned

One of the more recent additions to Wimbledon Village, Good Fortune Club is bright and buzzy with a sprawling menu of Cantonese dishes, the best known of which is its handmade dim sum. Stop by with a large, hungry posse to pack your table with bamboo steamers and sample har gau (shrimp-filled dumplings,) xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings), cuttlefish cake and more.

Of its four south-west London outposts, DropShot’s Leopold Road location serves up hefty brunches on the daily. The portions here are breathtakingly generous, and the tennis-themed menu goes well beyond the standard eggs benny or avocado on toast; think mozzarella and chilli jam-filled potato pancakes andbig fat slices of French toast laden with monterey jack cheese and fresh pesto, or loaded with tiramisu cream and berries. The coffee is fantastic, too.

Crack Comedy Club brings pre-party laughs to Tunnel 267 – Wimbledon’s only nightclub – every Saturday night from 8pm to 10pm. For standup sets from four or five comics, tickets are £25 for general admission on the door or £21.50 if you book online in advance. You can also buy tickets that include dinner from a local restaurant beforehand, and if you stick around afterwards you’ll get free entry to Tunnel’s clubnight. Three in one. 

There's a real sense of fun to this deliberately rough-around-the-edges course. Party tunes blare from speakers, graffiti jazzes up the walls and it's made from ‘twisted junk, car booty and charity shop shizzle’. Junkyard Golf Club has four courses – Gary, Pablo, Dirk and Bozo – that are all fabulously chaotic and mildly freaky. Depending on which challenge you take on, you’ll be putting past pirate pigs, dishevelled nightclub urinals, terrifying giant clown heads and a UV rave room. There's also a second location in Camden for more of the same.  Prices start at £12 for nine holes at off-peak times (Sunday to Thursday) and go up to £21 for 18 holes on busier days (Fridays and Saturdays). And as any good crazy golf should, Junkyard has a menu of themed cocktails to keep lubed up before, during and after your game. 

This quirky, tiki-themed minigolf course first popped up in Dalston's Efes in April 2015. A decade later, that debut site is no more, but you can now find Plonks outdoors in London Fields and under the arches at Borough Market. The Hackney course, which recently got a big ol’ refurb, takes you through a ‘Polynesian themed putt paradise’ complete with a tiki forest, a volcano canyon and octupuses. There are plenty of satisfying holes that fire your ball onto tricksy little mechanisms, a loop the loop, and a lot of impossibly steep ramps. All in all: it’s a great place for a plonking party. Prices start from £9.35 per person per play. 

What is it?  Technically several adjoining markets, this sprawl of stalls stretching from Camden Town tube to the Regent’s Canal is London’s fourth most popular visitor attraction. In its recent heyday, around 250,000 people came here every week to shop, sample street food and soak up the distinctive, still-grungy atmosphere. Camden Lock Market is an arts-and-crafts haven while the Stables Market is a trendy spot for everything from quirky furniture to fetish clothing. Nearby Buck Street Market on Camden High Street has had a shipping container revamp. As you saunter through the different markets, don’t be surprised to see grungy teenagers and old punks on the street corners. Camden feels more mainstream than it did in the ‘90s, but it’s still one of London’s most rock ‘n’ roll neighbourhoods. Why go?  To get lost in a one-of-a-kind maze of art, garms, antiques, accessories, books and endless street food.  Don’t miss The Cheese Bar – London’s only fully fromage focused restaurant – for all manner of gooey, cheese-based delights in a classy, low lit space in Stables Market.  Ticket info  No tickets needed.  When to visit  Camden Markets are open everyday of the week from 10am until late.  Time Out tip If you find the lunch queues and options a bit too much in the main Camden Lock Market, cross the road to Buck Street Market where you’ll find food that is just as great and are more likely to find a free spot to sit.  RECOMMENDED: London’s best markets

There’s no better place to watch the stars in the UK than from one of our gorgeous national parks. From the South Downs to Exmoor to Bannau Brycheiniog, those vast stretches of wilderness have minimal light pollution or obstruction from towering buildings, meaning they allow the best glimpse of the cosmos in all its shining glory. And this year, visitors to one national park got to see our night sky in even more brilliant detail. Back in May, the Lake District got its very first public observatory and planetarium. Grizedale Observatory and Planetarium opened in the tiny hamlet of Grizedale in partnership with Forestry England with a vision to inspire a ‘deeper connection to the universe’ and to offer a safe and comfortable environment from which to explore the night sky. It features a state-of-the-art 20-capacity planetarium, a collection of eight inch Dobsonian telescopes, two 16 inch large aperture telescopes and one fully robotic telescope that lives in the dome of the building and is connected to TV screens inside.  Open from Wednesday to Saturday, during the day visitors can explore the solar system with the planetarium’s programme of shows, which cover everything from human space missions to the deep history of the universe. In the evening, you can tag along to one of the stargazing events guided by night sky experts (hot chocolate included).  As well as looking up at the stars, visitors can look down at the venue’s collection of meteorites that have fallen to Earth fro

Looking to up sticks and move to a brand new town in 2026? There are some neighbourhoods across the country – with their great schools, spacious green areas, low crime rates and affordable housing – where you may face some stiffer competition than most. Where exactly, you ask? Well, doors and windows manufacturing business Origin has done the research for you. It has analysed housing demand, security and crime figures, educational quality and employment opportunities in a load of different areas to find out which British postcodes are the most desirable right now.  Once it sifted through all the data, Origin found that SP9 in Tidworth, Wiltshire, is currently the most desirable postcode in the country. Close to some of England’s most scenic spots, like Salisbury Plain and the River Bourne, homes in Tidworth are typically snapped up within 2.5 days of being on the market. That’s 15 times quicker than the national average of 38 days. The town has a crime rate of just 35.1 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants and 89 percent of its local schools have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating. Origin also reported that the job market in the area is pretty great, particularly for anyone who happens to work in the defence sector, with security hubs like Porton Down and Boscombe Down nearby.  And despite being in such high demand, homes in Tidworth seem to be fairly affordable. According to Rightmove the average price of a house in the town over the last year was £243,364 (for comparison, the aver

In a city as enormous as London, you can’t possibly do all of its best bits in one trip. That means that you want to make sure everything on your itinerary will actually be worth it. That’s what Time Out’s guides to the city’s best restaurants, theatre shows, museums and more are for. But to get the best out of your trip, you should also be aware of which parts of London you might want to avoid.  Like in any city, the Big Smoke has its fair share of tourist traps. Now, the Telegraph has included one London popular spot in its list of the top 10 worst tourist attractions in Europe – or, more specifically, the continent’s ‘most naff attractions where no discerning tourist would be seen dead’.  Leicester Square, home to the Hippodrome Casino, the ODEON Luxe, the Lego store and M&M World, landed in second place. The central London plaza is one of the most packed areas of the city and apparently attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every week. Add to that the neon flashing screens and music blaring from businesses and passing rickshaws and you’ve got the perfect recipe for complete sensory overload.  The paper’s travel expert Rob Crossan wrote: ‘There is no finer act of charity that a Londoner can bestow upon a visitor than to drag them away from M&M World, the Hippodrome, the Hard Rock Café and everything else that makes Leicester Square feel like a vision of what Las Vegas would be like if it was run by [Ryanair CEO] Michael O’Leary.’ What a burn.  Other landmarks on the Tele

2026 looks set to be the year of robotaxis here in London. That’s right – cabs without human drivers will be cruising around the Big Smoke as soon as next year. Last week, we shared a first look at Waymo’s autonomous vehicles, which are due start picking up passengers in the next 12 months, and now another company has entered the mix.  Chinese AI company Baidu is set to launch self-driving taxis in London, too. Working in collaboration with Lyft and Uber, it plans to begin testing the vehicles on London’s roads in 2026, pending regulatory approval.  Baido’s Apollo Go vehicles already ferry people around cities across China. The cars are fully electric and have been designed from the outset to operate without a driver. That means they’ve been built with enhanced passenger experience in mind with features like reclining seats with massage features, panoramic sky roofs and mood lighting options.  Lyft, which only launched in London this year, said that its partnership with Baido is part of its mission to create a ‘hybrid network’ of self-driving vehicles and human drivers to meet London’s transportation needs and revealed that work is already under way with Transport for London, regulators and local communities.  In an announcement on LinkedIn, Lyft CEO David Risher wrote: ‘Over the weekend, Lyft and Baidu signed a definitive agreement to bring autonomous vehicles to London. We’ve been working around the clock to make it happen, and now it’s official. ‘Riders in London will be t

Four park cafés in north and northwest London are officially being handed over to a new operator. And locals aren’t happy about it.  On Monday December 8, the City of London Corporation agreed to give the lease of beloved community caffs in Hampstead Heath, Golders Green and Queen’s Park over to a franchise that already runs coffee shops across the capital.  The decision came after a six-month long proposal process in which 30 bids were looked at.  The council says that the new operator will bring ‘high-quality food, welcoming community spaces, and significant investment, creating an even more enjoyable experience for visitors’, but some locals aren’t convinced.  Which London park cafes are getting new ownership? The places coming under new ownership are the cafés at Parliament Hill Fields, Parliament Hill Lido, Golders Hill and Queen’s Park. A decision on the future of the café at Highgate Wood is expected at a later date.    Photograph: Shutterstock   Who is the new operator of the cafés? The cafés are now due to come under the ownership of Australian-themed franchise Daisy Green. It already runs 21 spots in London, including Holland Park Café, Audrey Green at the National Portrait Gallery, the David Bowie themed Ziggy Green on Regent Street and Bondi Green by Paddington Station.  The corporation says that the cafés will get refreshed menus, improved facilities and bring a ‘strong commitment to affordability, sustainability, and local community benefit’.  Why is the take

Mince pies are stacked high on supermarket shelves, pine trees tower over market squares and fairy lights line high streets – that’s right, Christmas is just a fortnight away. And here’s another sure sign that the festive season is in full swing: Coca-Cola’s bright red illuminated truck is officially on the road for 2025.   Every year for the past 15 years, the Coca-Cola’s Christmas lorry has gone on a tour of the UK to ensure every part of the country gets in the festive spirit. It normally stops at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, bringing with it games, exclusive merch and prizes, photo opportunities and, of course, ice cold cans of the fizzy stuff.  The iconic vehicle is now back on the road to mark the start of the 2025 festive season. To celebrate its return, the brand has partnered with hunger and food waste charity FareShare to donate one million meals to those that need it most.  Below is everything you need to know if you want to catch the Coca-Cola Christmas truck on its tour this year.  Coca-Cola truck locations and dates for 2025 We know that the truck will stop by 15 locations on its 2025 Christmas road trip, but we don’t know all the specific stops. Coca-Cola normally keeps the route a secret until a day or two before arriving in each location.  First up for the truck was Edinburgh, followed by Burton-upon-Trent, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Ipswich. The truck most recently stopped by Cardiff.  Here are all the stops

The iconic building above one one of London’s busiest train hubs is due to get a major makeover.  One Embankment Place is the impressive postmodern-style building above Charing Cross station that was originally designed by the late Sir Terry Farrell in the 1980s. If you look at it from the other side of the Thames, you’ll see that it resembles Victorian trainshed roofs rising up from the riverbank. The building mostly houses offices and, since it was completed in 1991, it has been the headquarters of professional services network PwC. Now, it’s in need of a big facelift.  The enhancement of Embankment Place is being led by property developers Bridgemont alongside award winning architect firm Hopkins Architects, which previously works on refurbishments of the Grade II-listed Financial Times building at Bracken House and the Wellcome Trust headquarters on Euston Road.  Hopkins’ vision for the building includes improving the arrival experience and connections at ground level to Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Station, repositioning it as ‘a vibrant destination for business, culture and tourism’, ensuring it continues to appeal to businesses and reducing its energy usage.  Plans include transforming the Victorian brick arches beneath the building into a space with high-quality retail and amenities. On top of that, the architects want to to improve connections to nearby stations, introduce more greenery, install more seating areas and celebrate the site’s ‘unique history and charac

There’s a public transport revolution going on in Manchester right now. Or should we say, devolution. Greater Manchester is taking back control over its transport and is on track to become the UK’s first fully integrated public transport system outside of London. It took back power over its buses in 2023 and now its announced that this time next year, it’ll be adding trains to the network.  Local rail services will be integrated into Manchester’s Bee Network next year. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means that stations across the Greater Manchester area will adopt new branding and introduce contactless tap in, tap out payments with weekly fare caps. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says that 17 stations along the Glossop and Stalybridge lines will be incorporated in the network from December 13 2026, with more to follow in 2027 and 2028. TfGM plans to run more and later rail services on lines to Manchester airport, Alderley Edge in Cheshire and Rochdale in 2027, and from January 28, eight rail lines and 64 stations across the region will be fully integrated with Bee Network buses and trams. The remaining 32 will join by 2030.  Ahead of the integration, TfGM will now allow passengers to have their tickets accepted across bus, tram and train in times of disruption. Photograph: Transport for Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: ‘With one year to go until rail joins the Bee Network, we are on the cusp of delivering a fully integrate

How close do you feel to nature? We’re not on about how long it takes you to walk to your local park or how many hours you spend in the great outdoors, we’re talking about how emotionally close you feel to the natural world.  Given that UK is packed with beautiful protected national parks, spectacular islands and miles of breathtaking scenery, you may assume that as a nation we’ve got a pretty healthy relationship with our flora and fauna. But you’d be wrong. In the one of the first ever global studies on how ‘nature connected’ different populations are, the UK landed in a shameful 55th out of 61.  Nature connectedness is a psychological concept that measures people’s emotional relationship to the natural world. According to the study, a closer connection with nature is associated with improved human wellbeing and more environmentally-friendly behaviour.  Researchers spoke to 57,000 people and concluded that countries with high levels of spirituality, like Nepal, are more likely to have a close relationship with nature. At the other end of the spectrum, the more ‘business-friendly’ a nation is, the less likely they are to feel close to the natural world. The research also found a lack of connection with nature to be linked to higher levels of urbanisation, higher mean income and greater internet use.  So, maybe we can take some lessons from Nepal, Iran and South Africa, which were the top three most nature connected countries. Miles Richardson, a professor at the University

Forget the Alps, you may soon find yourself heading to the Welsh countryside for ski season instead. There have been plans to build an enormous ski resort in Wales for several years now. Rhydycar West was first mooted for Merthyr Tydfil (a town in the Brecon Beacons) way, way back in 2012. After more than a decade, it’s taken a significant step towards finally becoming a reality.  The Welsh government has now put the fate of the resort in the hands of Merthyr Tydfil council, as last month it announced that it would pass the final planning decision onto the local authority.  And that looks like good news for the resort. Merthyr Tydfil’s planning committee showed their support for the resort in a meeting in March. Councillors highlighted the economic benefits the development could bring to the town and the opportunities for future generations.  If it goes ahead, the £300 million resort would be the UK’s largest indoor snow centre and its 400m long slope would be one of the longest in Europe. Proposals for the centre also include an indoor tropical water park with water slides and an artificial beach, hotels, 30 woodland lodges and a conference centre. Image: Rhydycar West Rhydycar also has ambitions to  a ‘world class’ and ‘internationally recognised’ destination for sports teams and elite athletes as well as tourists. It’s expected to be the the headquarters of Team GB’s Winter Olympic and Paralympic teams.  Ali Tyebkhan, Rhydycar West CEO, said: ‘We are delighted with the

Beaches aren’t just for summer. If you’re reaching the end of the year burnt out, overwhelmed and in desperate need of blowing away the cobwebs, a windswept stroll along an empty bay will surely sort you out. And Margate is the perfect place to go for just that.  Time Out has named Margate one of the best winter day trips from London right now. It’s just under two hours by train from Victoria or St Pancras stations (or roughly two hours and 40 minutes by car), so you can leave in the morning and be back in London feeling like a new person by the evening.  Here’s how to make the most of Margate over the festive season. First, wrap up warm, pick up a steaming coffee or hot chocolate and go on a bracing walk down Margate beach, which is blissfully empty this time of year. Once you’ve got the sea air in your lungs, we recommend heading for the Turner Contemporary Gallery (one of the UK’s best modern art galleries) on the seafront. It’s free and is nice and quiet during the winter months, so you can really take your time. Right now, it has exhibitions showcasing work from Bridget Riley and Simone Leigh.  Afterwards, stop by Buoy & Oyster to feast on fish and chips or a hearty Sunday roast while staring out over the starkly beautiful winter seascape, or grab a warming pint of real ale at cosy, CAMRA-lauded micropub The Two Halves. And there you have it, a perfect winter’s day by the coast. If Margate doesn’t fit your idea of a good day out from London, perhaps you’ll like this blo

If all you want for Christmas is even more train journeys across the UK to choose from, then you’re in luck. Network Rail has just rolled out a huge update to rail timetables across the country.  The revamp launched on December 14 and includes the biggest upgrade to the East Coast Main Line timetable in a decade. With help from £4bn worth of funding over the last ten years, journeys are now even faster and more frequent – the last time we saw this level of change to the UK’s train timetables was in 2018.  As of this week, there are nearly double the number of weekday trains between Newcastle and London King’s Cross, a new new hourly fast service with Northern between Leeds and Sheffield, additional services between Middlesbrough and Newcastle, and six LNER services in each direction between Bradford Forster Square and London King’s Cross every Sunday. On top of that, Network Rail has boosted TransPennine Express services between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley to eight trains per day (each direction) from Monday to Saturday and seven trains each way on Sunday. There are also two trains per hour between Nottingham and Lincoln Monday to Saturday instead of just one. All passing services operated by Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink and CrossCountry will stop by the new Cambridge South station when it opens in summer 2026. Photograph: Shutterstock Thanks to the changes, the entire East Coast Main Line has more than 60,000 extra seats available each week. Journey time