Amy Houghton

The capital’s streets may be lined with all the big names in hospitality, but there are also loads of great cheap hotels in London that you needn’t trek out to the sticks to find. Yep – we’re telling you that you can stay somewhere better located and more fun than many of the city’s grand five-star hotels, all for less than you’d pay for a slap-up meal at one of London’s best restaurants. Whether it’s a dorm bed in the heart of Soho, a traditional family-run guesthouse on a period square, or a tech-smart room near St Pancras you’re searching for, London’s got it covered. Have a peek at our list of the best cheap hotels in London and save your pennies for exploring. Looking for more options? 🇬🇧Check out London’s best Airbnbs 🏨Or how about a stay in London's best hotels? Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel 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. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Need a place to stay in London? We’re here to make it easy for you. Even now, a wealth of new hotels are opening – which we reckon is a testament to the fact that London remains one of the most desirable places to visit in the world. Many of the hotels listed below are incredible enough to have made it straight into the Time Out top 20, but our hand-picked list of the best hotels covers locations right across the capital, and every category from blowout luxury (including having your own butler, might we add) to budget basic and brilliant.We’ve listed everything from five-star hotels in Mayfair to incredibly affordable hotels in some of London’s very best neighbourhoods. Plus you’ll be able to check out one or two of the capital's many Michelin-starred restaurants because yep, loads of them call London hotels their home. But if spending a small fortune on food isn’t your bag? There’s also an ever-increasing number of good-value food options for budgeteers, too. Throw great design and architecture into the mix, plus superb bars, world-class hospitality and the opportunity to have a home-from-home in the best city in the world and, well, you’re laughing. Basically, you’re totally spoilt for choice. So, read on, decide where to stay in London, and ready yourself for a hotel visit like no other. Enjoy! Looking for even more options? Check out London’s best Airbnbs. Keen on a steamy night in? Check out London's best hotels for sex. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in eve

The UK isn’t a big place, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of breathtaking destinations to uncover. Whether you’re a hiker, a biker, or a lover of wild swimming, this country’s rural areas are jam-packed with stunning landscapes and various terrains, many of which are tucked away in our glorious national parks.  But with so many to explore, from the lochs of Scotland to the coasts of Wales, it can be tricky to know where to start. Fear not, weary hiker, as we’ve handpicked the very best spots across the UK for soaking up those hills, valleys and views. So, read on for the most beautiful national parks the country has to offer. RECOMMENDED:🚞The most breathtaking hikes in the UK🌤️The best places to visit in the UK🏄The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🏝️The most beautiful islands in the UK

The United Kingdom is a glorious destination, and the four countries that constitute our island nation all bring something to the table. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are all stunning places to visit in their own right, with fantastic museums and galleries, buzzing music scenes, incredible scenery and intriguing histories.  Whatever kind of trip you’re planning next, our round-up should have you covered. We've got all the world-renowned stuff as well as some more under the radar things to get up to. Happy travels!RECOMMENDED:🧙 The most mystical places in the UK🏰 The best castles in the UK🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK👀 The best new things to do in the UK 2024

Newcastle has long had a reputation as being a bustling, thriving, nightlife-packed city that is a go-to haven for students. That's certainly true, but the northern city is also an underrated destination for everyone from families of five to loved-up 20-somethings.   It’s packed with world-class concert halls, art galleries and delicious foodie spots that will blow your mind. The aforementioned nightlife is some of the best in the country and it has a beautiful blend of history and heritage, plus plenty of green walks and idyllic riverside settings to unwind. Honestly, what more could you ask for? This is our round-up of Newcastle's best bits.  RECOMMENDED:🍴The best restaurants in Newcastle ☀️ The perfect day in Durham🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The best things to do in England📍The best things to do in the UK 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.

It’s a great time to be a coffee-lover – the country has embraced speciality coffee like never before and Bristol’s top coffee shops are right up there with the best in the UK. From bullet-strong espressos to increasingly complex cold brews, Bristol’s cafés serve up caffeine in all its most delicious forms and plenty source their beans from the huge host of expert roasteries dotted around the city. Of course it isn’t all about flat whites and macchiatos. Premium coffee shops must have the food and vibes to match, and Bristol does not disappoint. The best cafés here serve hearty brunches and freshly-baked goods to drool over and nourish you before a day of sightseeing. Bristol finnesses lots of things, and coffee shops are certainly one of them. RECOMMENDED:🥐The best breakfast and brunch places in Bristol🍖The best restaurants in Bristol🍹The best bars in Bristol🎨The best things to do in Bristol 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.

There’s no shortage of excellent hotels in Birmingham, so you’ve got no excuse not to make a weekend of it in England’s second-largest city. How else do you expect to tick off the many magnificent things to do here? Knackered from wandering the city’s extensive waterways? Need to lie in a curry-induced coma after visiting the ‘Balti Triangle’? Or maybe you are planning a big night out and only plan to need a bed for three hours? These hotels are all conveniently located and ready to cater to your every need. And whether you want a beautiful independent, a reliable chain or some proper luxury, we’ve got all tastes covered.  Business or leisure, comfort is key and Brum’s best hotels offer it in abundance. Here’s where to stay in Birmingham the next time you’re in town. RECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs in BirminghamBrilliant restaurants in Birmingham Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

For all of the stick we give the UK – the grey skies, the pigeons, the Greggs sausage roll packets littering the pavements – it’s actually a pretty gorgeous country. In London alone, you can be goggling over the Barbican’s brutalist beauty one moment, the next, you might be basking in the tranquility of Hampstead Ponds. Add the turquoise coasts of Cornwall, the rugged mountains of Snowdonia and the fairytale wonder of Scotland’s highlands and islands to the mix, and you’ve got a country which is as good looking as they come.  When we set about curating this list of the most beautiful places in the UK, we called on our network of expert travel writers. These guys have have personally experienced the pinch-me moment of seeing every place on this list IRL – so we can guarantee you there is no catfishing going on here. Of course, you’ll find the usual suspects – you can’t argue with the magic of the Isle of Skye, after all – but you’ll also find some more surprising beauty spots to add to your travel bucket list. RECOMMENDED:🚂 The UK’s most beautiful train stations🇬🇧 The best things to do in the UK🏝 The most beautiful places in the world🏠 The best Airbnbs in the UK Chiara Wilkinson is Time Out’s UK features editor, based in London. 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 graduates across the UK, London experience is a post-uni rite of passage. No more Wednesday sports nights, dirt cheap student bars, library all-nighters or immense quantities of pesto pasta. You’ve donated that Urban Outfitters wall hanging, secured a flatshare in Clapham and suddenly acquired a taste for dirty martinis. You’re a young professional now, the city is your oyster.  With its glossy job opportunities and ceaseless offering of new cultural experiences, the capital city has long had a reputation for seducing fresh grads who swiftly leave it behind once they’ve reached their early thirties and are in the market to settle down ‘properly’. But these days, London feels more like a pit stop for twenty-somethings than ever before; a bucket list item Brits are eager to tick it off. And with primary schools closing down and older London folk reporting that they feel undervalued, it’s beginning to have a stark impact on local communities.  According to Trust for London, the Big Smoke has been in a consistent state of negative domestic migration for the last decade, meaning that more people are leaving the capital for other places in the UK than vice versa. Figures published by YouGov last summer showed that 47 percent of 18 to 24 year olds in London plan to leave within the next 10 years. But why is the prospect of ageing in London so unappealing to so many young people, and what’s the knock-on effect of their exodus? London calling As one of the aforementioned twenty-so

You can’t talk about Windsor without talking about the British monarchy, right? Obviously not, as we went ahead and opened with it, but all things royal punctuate the best things to do in Windsor. Reminders of who is in charge are everywhere here, and the bucket list nature of Windsor means it is more than a little tourist-heavy. That is impossible to ignore, but it isn’t difficult to understand why people flock here. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t all about the family. Windsor has quietly established itself as a foodie magnet, and energetic amblers will find some of England’s most picturesque walks in these parts. Of course, it all comes back to the monarchy, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Come for the crown, stay for the craft beer. RECOMMENDED:  🍴The  best restaurants in Windsor🏰 The best castles in the UK🏛️ The best things to do in the UK 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. 

In case you hadn’t noticed, Elvis Presley has been all over town lately. The so-called King of Rock ‘n’ Roll never performed a single gig in London, yet decades after his death, the city appears to have well and truly caught the Elvis bug.   There was Alexa Chung’s dress at September’s London Fashion Week with his cherubic face slapped on front and centre and the tribute concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra a few months later. Not enough? In October, the most significant collection of his stuff to ever leave Memphis was unveiled at the London Arches and later this year, a hotly-anticipated Elvis hologram experience will premiere right here. But why London, and why now?  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alexa Chung (@alexachung) Never left the building  Across the world, Elvis’s posthumous popularity has remained pretty consistent, with the aid of a few cultural boosts now and again. Over the decades since his death in 1977, Elvis has had 95 songs in the UK’s official top 40 (including 13 number ones) and his character has cameoed in 31 feature films. According to Forbes, the star currently ranks fourth on the list of richest deceased stars, behind JRR Tolkein, Kobe Bryant and David Bowie.  Professional Elvis impersonator JD King has spent more than two decades channelling the King, winning awards and performing across London from the Ministry of Sound to Wembley Stadium. When he first started in 2002, Elvis had ‘suddenly

Edinburgh, you are a real charmer. The Scottish capital is a volcano of delights, packed with culture, history, heritage, and good times, not to mention one of the best food and drink scenes in Europe. Also, that volcano bit wasn’t just for effect; there is an actual volcano here, albeit an extinct one. Edinburgh is at its most ‘Edinburgh’ in the Old Town, the self-explanatory district that gave the city its beginnings. Edinburgh Castle is worth every speck of attention it receives, while the aforementioned food and drink scene is on another level here. This is your ultimate guide to Edinburgh’s Old Town, from morning coffee to the morning, with plenty of things to do in between. RECOMMENDED:🪩 The best clubs in Edinburgh🍹 The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh🏨 The best hotels in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs 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. 

From the moment you turn down its rhododendron-framed driveway, The Tawny is nothing but bliss. This ‘deconstructed hotel’ next to the Peak District is essentially a collection of 55 huts, boathouses and treehouses dotted around a beautiful 70-acre estate that feels like one big secret garden. Built on an old quarry site rewilded by a Mr William Podmore (who fittingly sounds straight out of a Beatrix Potter tale), the grounds of The Tawny take around an hour to explore fully and are decorated with quirky follies, five man-made lakes, pristine lawns and woodland that has been allowed to thrive, untamed. The only noisy neighbours you need worry about are the chorus of resident songbirds and the happy chatter of geese.   We were set up in a Retreat cabin, which sits level with the treetops and — despite its wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass window looking over the canopy — offers luxurious amounts of privacy. The room is furnished with tasteful green and gold decor and some Scandi touches. It includes a dressing room, a sunken bath gazing up through a skylight, and decking complete with a spa-bath (these come with every room) and an outdoor shower hidden around the corner.  From there, you can stroll 10 minutes to the hotel’s heated outdoor pool which, surrounded by stone arches, towering trees and a spectacular view over the valley, feels lifted out of a Mediterranean villa. Behind that sits The Plumicorn, the hotel’s glass-fronted restaurant. Here, you can indulge in brilli

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. Besides the cheery, first-rate service and a night of impeccable sleep, you walk out feeling extra uplifted by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Originally built as a Danish prison (be prepared for door alarms that serve as a small reminder), the 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.   Rooms come in varying sizes but each one gets views over the calm Royal Victoria Dock. The interiors are soft, earthy and paired back — think low-hanging lights, origami-style lamp shades and charging ports hidden inside bed frames. Five hangers dangle on the wall in lieu of an actual wardrobe, favouring the lighter packers among us. There’s little in the way of colour besides two teeny hand-crafted worry dolls perched on your pillow (a nod to the hotel’s Guatemalan links) and a gorgeous red sunrise reflecting on the water the next morning.   It’s absolutely worth staying on site for dinner. The kitchen offers a delicious tapas menu made up of locally sourced produce (shoutout to the caramelly,

The Silver Birch was unlucky enough to launch in 2020, right before you-know-what. Four years later, and it still feels like a newly-launched spot, relatively unknown beyond Chiswick. But there are sure signs that that’s about to change.   Led by young chef Nathan Cornwell, the restaurant is vying for Chiswick’s second Michelin star (the first being La Trompette), following his celebrated stints at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham and The Barn at Moor Hall in the Lake District. The interior is a neat canvas of neutral, wooden tones, with exposed brick, hefty aircon ducts, and delicate placements of dried flowers. It’s unfussy, soft and minimalist, giving plenty of space for the spectacular, playful dishes which came our way.  Beautifully soft, mildly sweet Devonshire crab, was hidden under a layer of foam and piquant discs of pickled Granny Smith First up: an adorable array of Alice in Wonderland-style amuse bouche, which featured a miniature version of its Devon smoked eel with pink fir potatoes and pickled leek and rich, velvety parmesan sablés with blue cheese mousse. Then, layered curls of delightfully bright green lovage butter embellished with purple petals to go with some Guinness sourdough – a warm, comforting slab of stodge that only comes from home-cooked bread.  My starter was the star of the evening, so magnificent in fact, that I forgot it was, technically, only the first course. Beautifully soft, mildly sweet Devonshire crab, was hidden under a layer of foam

Walking up the red carpet and through the doors of Kettering Hotel and Spa into the traditional country house-style foyer, you’ll be embraced by an immediate wave of zen. Unassumingly tucked within an industrial estate (that doesn’t exactly scream luxurious getaway, I might add), the feeling comes as a pleasant surprise. Everyone’s shoulders here hang a little lower and their voices carry a little softer. One thing is clear within minutes of entering: you’re going to be well looked after here.  With a 13-metre-long pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and four treatment rooms, the sensory overload of the city quickly evaporates. The spa corner of the hotel is set beneath a bright ceiling with blonde wood beams and a soundtrack of ambient music playing is playing in the background. Around the pool are alcoves fitted with cushioned loungers where you can easily stretch out with a book for hours on end. If you fancy a hot choc, herbal tea, a glass of fizz or even a pint while you bathe, just ask and you shall receive. There’s also a small adjoining gym and class studio, if you’re that way inclined. As the facilities went, they were pretty bog-standard. But your biggest struggle here will be choosing what spa experience to indulge in. There are 17 different rituals, scrubs, peels and massages on offer, as well as ‘finishing touches’ in the form of nail and wax treatments. I opted for the Temple Spa Glorious Mud treatment and spent 50 blissful minutes being exfoliated, moisturised an

Two years aften plans were submitted, a new development in one of Britain’s youngest ‘garden cities’ has just been given the go ahead.  Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent is not actually a city. In basic terms, a ‘garden city’ is a town with a wide border of countryside around it and a proportionate amount of residences, industry and agriculture. The idea is that it benefits the natural environment, promotes a mixed economy and benefits the wellbeing of residents. Other famous garden city examples include Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth Garden City.  The approved plans are for an area that will be called Ebbsfleet Central – touted to by the ‘dynamic commercial centre’ of the area. It will include two new neighbourhoods with 2,100 homes (35 percent of which will be affordable housing), a school, 87,000 square metres of office, retail and leisure space and plenty of open spaces. It will be built around Ebbsfleet International Station and be just 17 minutes from central London.  On its website, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation that the new area will have ‘a generous inclusion of outdoor spaces to provide space to breathe, relax, and emphasise the importance of being part of a healthy community’ and ‘act as a magnet for inclusive economic growth’.  Plans for the town were approved back in 2014 by the government to deliver up to 15,000 homes by 2035 with a commitment to 30 percent affordable homes and 40 percent blue and green space. In February this year, Ebbsfleet Garden City had

If there's anyone who knows how to build a good holiday resort, it’s The Partington Group. The Blackpool-based, family-run company has been in the holiday business for the last 79 years and has seven resorts to its name. Now, it’s got ambitions to open another one.  The company has submitted plans for a £75 million luxury leisure destination next to its existing Windy Harbour Holiday Park in Poulton-le-Fylde near Blackpool. This one will be known simply as Windy Harbour.  It has proposed a lodge park of 495 holiday homes, a 102-room hotel, a luxury spa, multiple swimming pools, a gym, a bar and a restaurant. For those that like to keep active on holiday, there are also plans for nature walks, a golf course and cycle and running tracks.  The proposals are still under consideration but planning permission for the 166-acre site has been granted and development has started. Although it is in the early stages, the Partington Group has already described the park as being ‘aspirational escapism’.  Here’s a look at what the facilities could look like:  Image: The Partington Group Image: The Partington Group Image: The Partington Group Upcoming holiday parks  Windy Harbour isn’t the only brand new holiday park on the way. A controversial ‘mega resort’ is planned for Loch Lomond and there’s a £200 million complex in the works in the Peak District – and if you can’t wait around for those to open why not check into the swanky new luxury resort that has just opened in North Wales o

In 1583, a guy named Francis was made governor of a small island off the Devon coast after becoming the first Englishman and second person ever to circumnavigate the globe. Almost 450 years later, that same island has gone up for sale.   Drake’s Island (named after Sir Francis Drake) was last sold in 2019 for £6 million and is up for grabs again as a freehold. There’s no fixed price for this sale but thanks to major renovation it’s now thought to be worth around £25 million. Once fortified to defend England against the French and Spanish, the six-acre island has panoramic views of the sea and neighbouring Plymouth, 18th century canons, Tudor barracks and a rumoured underground tunnel network leading to a private beach. The sale also includes approved plans for a 43-bed luxury hotel.   Carter Jonas, the estate agents in charge of the property, describe it as a ‘unique development opportunity’ with ‘many potential alternative uses’ and suggests that it could be converted into a stunning wedding venue. The previous owner opened up the island for tours, events and film shoots and had ambitions to open two hotels, a museum, a wellness facility and a heritage centre. Of course, you don’t get an historic island and really old buildings without a few ghost inhabitants. Morgan Phillips, the previous owner, claims that it’s home to 15 ghosts of British military men. But apparently they’re nothing to be scared of. Phillips told The Independent: ‘They are here to protect us. That’s what

London is laced with luxury. Wandering the city’s streets, you’re never far from a palace, stately home or Michelin star establishment, all boasting levels of opulence that most of us can only dream of. And some of our poshest places are so magnificent that they have become world-renowned.  Among them is Raffles London at The OWO, which has just been declared one of the ‘world’s greatest places’ by TIME magazine. In its review, TIME called the deluxe hotel a ‘new level of luxury’ and noted a ‘uniquely British brand of elegance is interwoven throughout the design’. After an eight year £1.4 billion refurbishment, the hotel opened last year and lives in the historic building of Winton Churchill's Old War Office. Former high security vaults have been turned into a speakeasy, a multi-level spa and a 65-foot swimming pool.  Raffles at The OWO offers nine restaurant and three bars, including the Parisian Café Lapérouse, Japanese-inspired Kioku by Endo and Paper Moon, which serves up Milanese cuisine. Of course, a night here doesn’t come cheap – prices start from just under £1,000.  Raffles at the OWO one of the newer outposts of global luxury hotel chain Raffles, which began in Singapore and now has 18 hotels around the world. Despite being so new, the establishment is no stranger to commendation. The uber-fancy venue was also recently named one of the best hotels on the planet by Luxury Travel Intelligence, National Geographic and AFAR Magazine.  Here are some pictures of the place

Always wanted to see the northern lights but don’t fancy trekking up to the Arctic? You’re in luck. The UK is currently witnessing tonnes of geomagnetic activity. Back in May the lights were seen up and down the land, from Scotland to Cornwall, and even in London – which is usually too far south and has too much light pollution. And tonight (July 24) something similar could happen again.    Aurora borealis (as the lights are otherwise known) is more commonly seen in far northern parts of the country like Scotland and Northern Ireland. Nationwide displays are a very rare occurrence indeed, as are sightings in northern England. A plume of plasma released by the Sun (also known as a coronal mass ejection, CME) has arrived, making sightings likely this evening. Want to get a glimpse of the fabled phenomenon? Fret not. We’ve got all the info right here to give you the best chances of seeing the dancing illuminations. Below is everything you need to know about spotting aurora borealis here in the UK. What are the northern lights?  The northern lights generally appear in high latitude regions such as the Arctic or Scandinavia.  Their colourful glow is caused by a stream of charged particles that have escaped the sun (known as solar wind) interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field. The particles hit our atmosphere at high speed and combine with oxygen and nitrogen to create a multicoloured burst. A green glow is associated with oxygen while nitrogen causes the appearance of purple,

Boots has been a stalwart of UK high streets for longer than most of us can remember. From sampling garish eyeshadows as pre-teens to stocking up on hangover cures in our twenties and putting our trust in vitamin supplements in our thirties (and beyond) – the beauty and pharmaceuticals chain has had our back for decades, more than 150 years to be exact.  But Boots is now having to change with the times. The chain is shutting down hundreds of branches in an effort to consolidate stores and save £618 million. It announced the plan for mass closures back in June 2023 and since then has closed 581 shops across the country, with 69 more expected to shut by the end of the summer. Several London high streets are among those set to lose their Boots branches. Here’s the full list of stores confirmed to be closing. RECOMMENDED: All the Boots stores closing across the UK.  Boots stores closed or closing in London 21-23 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3HN 4-5 Coleman House, High Street, Penge, London, SE20 7EX 138 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 6BL 54 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AD 120 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2BE   9-11 Old Church Road, Chingford, London, E4 6SJ 100 Newbridge Street, London, EC4V 6JJ Unit 9 King Edward Court, Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7DX 8-10 Camden High Road, Mornington Crescent, London, NW1 0JH Main Concourse, Euston Station, London, NW1 2RS 315-317 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N13 4YB 73 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HS Unit 17 Oaks Sho

Uni is a big commitment. You’re dedicating at least three years of your life to studying in one place and, unfortunately, usually setting yourself up for a hefty amount of student debt. So you have to be sure that it’s worth it.  Luckily, student review platform StudentCrowd has dug into more than 30,000 reviews across its website to help you discover which UK university is the best value for money. It looked into feedback that had been posted between June 2022 and June 2024, taking note of which institutions received the most stars in the ‘value for money’ category.  StudentCrowd doesn’t specify what constitutes value for money but other reports count the number of contact hours, in-person teaching, pastoral support and graduate opportunities among the factors.  Ranking number one for value for money was the University of St Andrews, which average 4.5 out of five stars. One student praised its ‘amazing resources, range of classes and very good sense of community’ while another said that the teaching staff are ‘amazing and professional’. Ulster University in Northern Ireland came second with an average of 4.36 stars out five and the University of Aberdeen ranked third with 4.29.  Scottish universities actually made up half of the top ten unis offering value for money (that could have something to do with them being free for Scottish students). After the University of Liverpool in fourth, The University of Glasgow came in fifth, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen came seven

People choose to abandon the UK for a whole bunch of reasons. They might be on the look out for better job opportunities, better weather, a better quality of life. They might fancy diving head first into an entirely different culture or are just downright fed up with the cost-of-living crisis. But where do we think the grass is really greener? Well, to give you an indication, recent research by relocation experts 1st Move International has revealed the most popular countries for Brits to move to over the last two years.  And although we sometimes love to hate on our neighbours across the pond, turns out that the United States was where the most British expats relocated to between 2022 and 2024. It seems the less of a language barrier, the better. Australia ranked second in the survey while UAE came in third place, followed by Canada, then New Zealand.  Cyprus came in sixth as the only European country to make the top 10. Then it was South Africa in seventh, followed by Singapore, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.  Now, if you’re wondering which parts of these countries offer the best life for expats, take a look at the results of this survey by InterNations. And if you’re after somewhere abroad and affordable, look no further than this study.  Did you see that this wildlife park has just been crowned the UK’s best family attraction? Plus: These are Britain’s best (and worst) seaside towns to visit in 2024, according to Which? Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newslett

Carpetright has been kitting out homes across the UK since 1988. It’s one the the country’s biggest flooring retailers and has been a mainstay of shopping complexes and industrial parks for decades. But now its days could be numbered. Carpetright has apparently been struggling for a while. The cost-of-living crisis means customers aren’t spending as much on furniture and furnishings, plus it had to deal with a cyber attack back in April that caused a further slump in trade. As the chain tries to secure extra funding, Carpetright has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator. The move puts more than 1,800 jobs at risk across over 270 stores.  RECOMMENDED: Full list of Carpetright store closures after firm goes into administration. John Cullen, partner and insolvency expert at business advisory firm Menzies, told the BBC that the cyber attack looked like the ‘straw that broke the camel's back’.  If you’re deep in your interior design era, don’t worry – Carpetright is still trading for now. Orders are still being fulfilled but if your delivery isn’t up to scratch it won’t be offering refunds. You’ll only be able to pick an alternative product and arrange earlier delivery. Kevin Barrett, the chief exec of Carpetright’s parent company Nestware Holdings, said: ‘We remain focused on securing external investment to ensure as few customers and colleagues are impacted as possible. ‘They are our main priority and we are taking all appropriate action to make sure they are

Last week, Time Out reported that flooring retailer Carpetright was on the brink of collapse. The retail chain went into administration and now the company has confirmed that more than 200 stores across the UK will indeed be shutting up shop.  Rival furnishings brand Tapi made a rescue deal to buy 54 Carpetright stores, two warehouses and its intellectual property. The deal will save 308 jobs but still hasn’t been enough to save the majority of the business. A Tapi spokesperson said: ‘As we looked into the details of the situation, we quickly established that saving the entire business was unviable.’ Apparently, the remaining 1,500 Carpetright employees will be made redundant in the next few weeks.  The news comes just after fellow British retailer Boots confirmed a huge wave of closures over the summer. So, here’s the full list of the 213 Carpetright stores and Furniture Villages (FV) set to shut over the coming days.  Carpetright store closures Aberdeen Aberdeen – Bridge Of Don Aberystwyth Abingdon Altrincham Andover Ashford Ashington Ashton-under-Lyne Aylesbury Ayr Banbury Barnstaple Barrow-in-Furness Bath Bedford Belfast – Boucher Road Belfast – Newtownabbey Berwick BlackburnBlackpool Blyth Bolton Bolton (FV) Bracknell Braintree Brentford Bridgend Brighton Bristol – Cribbs Bristol Eagleswood Hub Bromley Burton upon Trent Bury St Edmunds Caerphilly Cambridge Cannock – Orbital Canterbury Cardiff – Culverhouse Cross Cardiff – Newport Road Carlisle Chadwell Heath Chelmsford

Though it dutifully serves as one of London’s busiest tube lines, the Piccadilly isn’t exactly known for being the smoothest or most reliable experience – and it can get kind of screechy. Suffice to say, it’s about time the navy blue line got a spruce up. We were warned back in April that the line would have to close for a bit to allow for just that. And now we know exactly when that will be. The dark blue line from Wood Green to Cockfosters and Rayners Lane to Uxbridge will be blocked off from Saturday August 17 to Sunday September 1 so that work can be carried out on tracks, points and crossings.  Yes, it’s inconvenient, but believe us when we say it’ll be worth the wait. A massive £2.9 billion makeover will modernise the line to make it more safe and reliable and, more excitingly, it’ll make way for a brand-new 94-strong fleet of wider, brighter, air-conditioned (!) trains in 2025. You can get a sneak preview of the swanky new vehicles here.  Frequenters of the Piccadilly line are advised by TfL to check travel information ahead of their journey. Those who use services to Uxbridge should change at Rayners Lane to get the Metropolitan Line. There will be replacement buses serving all stations between Wood Green and Cockfosters.  Stuart Harvey, chief capital officer at TfL, said: ‘Introducing a new fleet of trains is a huge engineering and logistical feat. Although much of the hard work goes on behind the scenes, there are times when we need to close sections of the railway

世界のクリエーティブな人たちのカレンダーの中でも重要なイベントの一つに、「サウス・バイ・サウスウエスト（SXSW）」がある。 毎年3月にアメリカのテキサス州オースティンで開催されるこのフェスティバルは、約40年にわたり、ミシェル・オバマ、マーク・ザッカーバーグ、ビリー・アイリッシュ、スティーブン・スピルバーグなど、テクノロジーやサイエンス、カルチャーの各界から大物を招き、「ブライズメイズ 史上最悪のウェディングプラン」や「21ジャンプストリート」といったハリウッド大作のプレミア上映会を開催してきた。 常にカルチャーの最先端を行くこのSXSWが、ついにロンドンに上陸することになった。先日の主催者からの発表では、「SXSWロンドン」が2025年6月2日（月）から6月7日（土）まで、ショーディッチで開催されるという。 「SXSWをショーディッチのストリートに誘致することで、ほかにはないフェスティバルを作り上げることができます。素晴らしい屋内スペースだけでなく、ユニークな公共スペースでも創造性や芸術的体験が共有されるので、存分に夏のエネルギーと興奮を感じられるでしょう」と、意気込みを語るのは、SXSWロンドンのマネージングディレクターであるランデル・ブライアンだ。 ラインアップはまだ発表されていないが、各プログラムやイベントはショーディッチの20以上の会場で開催。主催者によると「アートとカルチャーの要素に加え、クリエーティブ産業に携わる若者の進路を奨励するコミュニティフォーカスを含む」フェスティバルになるという。 また、2万人以上の参加者、7,500万ポンド（約152億1,915万円）以上の直接的な経済効果が見込まれている。 SXSWロンドンの公式ウェブサイトはすでにオープン。気になる人は最新情報が入手できるメールニュースにサインアップするといいだろう。 関連記事 『SXSW has announced the dates for its first-ever London festival（原文）』 『キーワードは「えーっと えーっと」、KYOTO EXPERIMENTが今年も秋の京都で開催』 『世界で最もワークライフバランスが取れている国は？』 『今注目の旅行トレンド「ミステリートラベル」とは？』 『世界のアートシーンを牽引するメガギャラリー「ペース ギャラリー」が東京に初進出』 『ロサンゼルスでHYBEをテーマにした展覧会が開催』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら