Annie McNamee

Sure, winter has its perks. Cosying up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in hand is lovely. Big woolen jumpers are ever-chic. But there’s no warm, fuzzy feeling that comes close to feeling actual warmth. In our eyes, you just can’t beat the sunshine: sitting on a rooftop terrace, ice-cold cocktail in hand… bonus points if everyone back home is stuck with endless grey drizzle. There are plenty of places across the world still basking in glorious sunshine from October to February. Our list of the best winter sun destinations this year spans six continents and five months, giving you 20 recommendations for the very best places you can visit from October to March. Whether it’s Thai beaches, African safaris or sunny city breaks in Europe, we’ve got you covered. The best winter sun destinations at a glance: 🏖️ Best for beaches: Thailand 🏙️ Best for a city break: Cape Town, South Africa 🌡️ Warmest in Europe: Tenerife, Spain 🐘 Best for wildlife: Namibia 🎭 Best for an arty break: Cartagena, Colombia 🍜 Best for food: Vietnam 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 and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts. RECOMMENDED:☀️ Europe’s 10 best winter sun destinations

This list is from 2024. Our latest ranking for 2025 is live here. In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is

On March 25, 1925, at London’s Selfridges department store in central London, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird made the first public demo of his latest creation: a way to broadcast visual information from a camera to a screen. A full century later, Baird’s discovery has led to perhaps the most vital, creative and popular mode of artistic expression in the entire world. But it’s only in the past 25 years that television has really fulfilled its artistic potential.  The result has been the so-called ‘Golden Age of Television’, a boom kickstarted roughly around the turn of the century with the rise of shows like The Sopranos and later Breaking Bad, and continuing with awards-winners from Succession to Shōgun to Slow Horses. So while our list of the 100 greatest TV shows may pay tribute to the unmissable programs of yesteryear, you’ll find that the majority hail from our own century – meaning there’s no excuse not to watch every single one. Paring the list down to only 100 was a painful process, so we decided to omit sketch shows, talk shows, news and non-fiction in order to focus on scripted drama and classic comedy. Time to go goggle-eyed. Recommended: 🔥 The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far)🍎 The best shows to watch on Apple TV+ right now📺 The best Netflix original series to binge🎮 The best ‘90s TV shows

This bustling coastal city is absolutely steeped in history, maritime heritage, and of course, there's loads to see. It’s roots date back as far as the Stone Age, and its first ever museum (the Tudor House) remains a top attraction, with gorgeous gardens and guided tours on offer.  There’s plenty of modern-day action too, with a treasured football team, The Saints, and their fans bringing life to the city on match day. Southampton is also only a 20-minute drive away from the New Forest, or a ferry-ride away from the Isle of Wight, there's plenty going on that makes this city worth a visit. Check out our list of top picks for all the best things to do in Southampton.  RECOMMENDED:  🚆The best day trips from London⛰️ The best things to in the New Forest🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK💕 The best things to do in the UK Annie McNamee is a writer at Time Out 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. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

This is about the time when the January blues start to hit pretty hard. It’s dark at 4pm, you’ve got no money left after Christmas and winter feels like it’s dragging on forever. But we’re here to tell you that things are looking up, because 2025 is going to be a corker of a year for the UK.  It turns out that 2025 is going to be a bit of a big one, with a number of landmark occasions being celebrated across Britain. There’s Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Southampton, as well as the art-packed Folkestone Triennial, a celebration of 200 years of the British railway in York and Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture festivities. Then, there are up-and-coming foodie towns in Cornwall, music scenes that are popping off in Cardiff and Belfast, and the reopening of grand cultural insitutions like the Tate Liverpool.  If there’s ever been a good time to book a trip, it’s now (it might even help keep some SAD at bay). There is so much fantastic stuff happening across the country this year, so read our list curated by local experts of the best places to visit in the UK in 2025, and get stuck in.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The 25 best new things to do in the UK in 2025📍The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK 🏨 The UK’s 13 best new hotels opening in 2025👨‍👩‍👧 6 amazing places to stay with Kids in the UK

If people make Glasgow, music is what fuels it. The city's music scene was thriving long before the rest of it had caught up, with places like the Barrowlands and the Old Fruit Market offering locals good, cheap live music when general attitudes of Glasgow were, let's just say, less than favourable.  But those days are behind us, and Scotland's biggest city is now known across the UK for its vibrant cultural heritage, nightlife, and, of course, its music scene. Whether you're looking for an arena of people to scream along your favourite songs with, or a small makeshift stage at the back of a bar to find your new favourite band, Glasgow's got you sorted. Fair warning though: crowds here are famously rowdy. They're a lot of fun, but don't be surprised if you end up beer-soaked. Oh, and brush up on our local chants. You don't want to be the only person not shouting along with 'here we, here we, here we f'ing go!'. 

History has it that Pollokshaws Road was once home to a merry band of Flemish weavers – known as the ‘Queer Folk’ – who were brought over to work in the city during the 19th century by local landowners. These days it’s still a thriving creative hub, threading down Glasgow’s Southside and linking up the districts of Govanhill, Strathbungo and Shawlands. Rows of sandstone tenements loom over traffic separated by wide pavements, behind which stand ornate townhouses designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. There’s a juicy chunk of Pollokshaws Road where bars, cafés and boutiques jostle for space; pick it up from Allison Street and wander down past Queen’s Park. Since it’s a largely residential area, there’s a distinct feel of community – something that’s enhanced by the indie businesses that have popped up over the past few years. In particular it’s a brunch haven, with queues leaking out of living-room-sized cafés come rain or shine. You can also expect to find organic fruit and veg at Stalks & Stems, a fresh produce emporium with a florist next door, and (almost) a different coffee shop for every day of the week. It’s not all hipster territory, though. Punters tired of mustachioed baristas and bar staff will be cheered by the decent selection of old man pubs complete with smoked-glass windows. Recommended: Full guide to the best things to do in Glasgow

How easily could you be persuaded to shave off an eyebrow, or take a shot for every stair you climbed? Perhaps you’d feel more compelled if you were half a bottle of ‘Chicken Wine’ deep, 18, and surrounded by new friends that you were trying to impress? If you attended university in the UK you might have an uncomfortable feeling of deja-vu, perhaps being whisked back to the time you were ‘hazed’ as a first year student. If you didn’t, you’ve likely heard the rumours about former prime ministers getting it on with pigs, or rugby teams shoving carrots in places vegetables should never go. Hazing, or ‘initiation’ as it more commonly goes by this side of the Atlantic, is a practice which usually consists of ritualistically embarrassing rookie members of a given group in order for them to prove themselves. It’s also nothing new. There’s evidence of rowdy schoolboys dating as far back as 420 BCE when Plato recounted ‘practical jokes played by unruly young men’ which left both spectators and haze-ees injured. Somehow, this bizarre custom has survived the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the birth of Jesus Christ, several international plagues and found a home for itself in the modern age on university campuses. But for the past decade or so, hazing’s millenia-long reign has been threatened by a generation who supposedly care more about their physical and mental health than they do about banter and ritual humiliation. Today, hazing has met its match: Generation Z. So what do these

You might never want to leave Edinburgh, and we get it. The Scottish capital is loved the world over for its culture, restaurants and Fringe Festival (to name a few). But if you limit your time in Scotland to just Edinburgh, trust us, you’re missing out.  Scotland is full of gems, but the best part is a whole lot of them can be reached by train or car in just one day – with enough time left to get back in time for dinner. From hilly hikes to wide-open beaches and from pretty towns to full-blown city breaks, these day trips from Edinburgh are not to be missed. Here are our favourites.  RECOMMENDED:🌤️ The best things to do in Edinburgh 🎨 The best art galleries in Edinburgh🏰 The best attractions in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh This guide was updated by Edinburgh-based Arusa Quereshi, and Time Out editors. 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. 

What words come to mind when we mention the Olympics? Prestige? Excellence? Medals? Or is it: ‘Grom’?  The Olympic games have been around for nearly three millennia. As the entire planet tunes in to watch as the top sports people compete for those coveted gold medals, there’s some stuff you’ll probably want to get your head around to make the most of your viewing experience: jargon for you normies to weave into your vocab that will have you sounding like proper Olympic pros in no time.  RECOMMENDED:How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics in the UK for freeHere’s the full schedule and timings for the Summer Games We’ve done some digging and unearthed some 100 percent real words and phrases that will almost certainly be used by professional Olympians and commentators across the next few weeks. What’s more, there’s something inherently funny about words which sound out of place to the average Joe. There’s nothing worth giggling about hearing the word ‘jaeger’ at a bar (especially as it’s usually followed by a friend trying to convince you to neck a shot of sweet battery acid and gone-off liquorice), but watching it earnestly come out of the mouth of a world-class gymnast? Now that’s entertainment. So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your sporty lingo and drop these into convo next time you’re watching the Games to impress your mates. Skateboarding  ‘Goofy stance’: Refers to when a skateboarder has their left foot on the back of the board. Also used in surfing and snowboarding

You remember the days. Assuring your friend that she definitely looks like her older cousin’s co-worker, especially with a ponytail in. Hovering awkwardly around the corner from the off-license as your one 18-year-old pal does God’s work for the rest of you. The pit in your tummy as you recite a fake birthday to the bouncer of a sticky-floored nightclub – remembering your star sign, memorising your imaginary postcode – and the elated relief when he lets you in with a raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod. Finding increasingly inventive ways to get around age-restrictions was half the fun of being 17, but today’s teens seem to be going off going out altogether. ‘You definitely see fake IDs less than you used to,’ says one bouncer at a popular student nightclub in Bristol. When he started working at the venue a decade ago, he’d encounter a load of fakes on any given night – but not so much anymore. ‘The worst one I ever saw had the back on upside down,’ he says. ‘The ones we do see are getting a lot better and it can be harder to catch them. But they’re definitely rarer now.’ Something has certainly shifted. A few weeks ago, as I walked through the Triangle, Bristol’s premier hotspot for stumbling freshers and lovers of three for two Jägerbombs, I noticed that the local Sainsbury’s was busier than all of the clubs combined. Two years ago, dancefloors would’ve been filling up at 11pm on a Monday. This wasn’t a fluke: since that night, two of the clubs in question have closed their

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

You’ve been here before. Almost.  With a clientele which would be perfect for a Love Island spin-off featuring exclusively people with ‘entrepreneur’ in their bios and a healthy amount of exposed pipework, The Counter is what those in the know would probably call ‘trendy’. Its dim lights, small plate selection, and strategically chipped brick feature wall put it on the verge of parodically hip, but a glance at its menu and a quick chat with any member of its team reveal it to be much more down to Earth than some of its equally Instagrammable peers. If you close your eyes you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair The sense of deja-vu you feel may not be coming solely from its open-plan bar though. Chef Kemal Demirasal’s first UK venture, opened up two years ago in Notting Hill to much success. Originally from Turkey, he’s taken much of the charm of the original joint (as well as its most popular recipes and excellent cocktails) and transported it to Kingly Street – and combined it with a series of fresh ideas and a lot of seafood. Fresh is definitely the operative word. The cocktails are infused with real fruit. The tomatoes have been imported from Turkey. There’s sort-of-caviar sprinkled on avocado-topped fish. If you close your eyes and just bite, you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair. A series of enthusiastic staff members recommended a variety of dishes to us. Some, like the tomato salad or prawns, were familiar classi

Enjoy an evening of modern classical music composed by Black artists whose work did not get the spotlight that it deserved in its time at this Southbank Centre concert. The night will involve three different pieces from three different composers, performed by up and coming American violinist Randall Goosby, who made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony orchestra at just nine, and award-winning Chinese pianist Zhu Wang. 

British trains can be unreliable. They can be crowded and sweaty and expensive, but what you can’t say is that you never get gorgeous views out of the window. Several train routes in the UK traverse such stunning landscapes they’re worth trying out solely for the views, and one has just been named amongst ‘the most beautiful and iconic rail routes’ in the world by the BBC. Scotland’s spoiled for impressive railways. Experiences like soaring over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, known for its starring role in the Harry Potter films, often top rankings of the most scenic routes in Britain, such as the Express’ list back in August, and Time Out’s too. This time the magic must’ve worn off, because it was a different line entirely which made the cut. The Far North Line, named uncreatively based on its location in mainland Britain, chugged its way into the BBC’s unranked list of the top nine most impressive railways in the world. You can tell just how far north this route is because Inverness is its southernmost point. Carrying passengers across the 168 mile stretch from Inverness to Thurso, this journey is also sometimes referred to as the UK’s most remote train line. It traverses the Flow Country, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Europe’s largest bog which the Times named one of the best places to visit on Earth, and passes several gorgeous old castles. Some of these fortresses even offer discounted entry with a valid train ticket. Photograph: Shutterstock If you ride to the end of the

Paris is about to lose one of its best art galleries for five whole years, but the Centre Pompidou isn’t going out without a bang. The Centre Pompidou is famous for its inside-out architecture, and has been home to the very best contemporary art in the French capital since its opening in the late 1970s. In its 50 years of life, it’s seen hundreds of millions of visitors and, naturally, accrued a bit of damage. It was announced back in 2023 that the Centre Pompidou would have to close for half a decade – starting this year – in order to carry out essential maintenance, refurbish the library, and generally ensure the future of the building. The Pompidou, known colloquially as the Beaubourg, closed its doors on September 22, but it’s coming back for one last hurrah before its five-year hiatus. As part of a collaboration with Because Music, the building will reopen for a huge party on the last weekend of October. And when we say huge, we mean huge. Eight floors of dedicated exhibitions, DJ sets, and artist takeovers huge. There will even be live performances from French bands and musicians such as Christine and the Queens, Ed Banger, Sébastien Tellier, and more. Due to the museum already being closed, all of the artwork will have been removed and stored away safely before this event, meaning the organisers are free to go crazy with decorations and installations. One floor is being turned into a roller disco, another a cinema. There will be spaces for children to play, theatrical

When it comes to staycations, you can never have too many options. Luckily, there’s loads of great options when it comes to destination hotels, including one Welsh resort that looked like it was lost forever. Housed inside of a stunning 1920s mansion, Holm House was a successful luxury hotel from 2004 until last year, when it closed its doors for the final time. Or at least that’s how it seemed – until two local entrepreneurs stepped in to save the day. Kashif Ahmed and Rushna Ghaznavi, two accountants who run an accounting firm near the Vale of Glamorgan, have secured a £1.8 million investment to bring the property back to life. The money is coming from Allica bank, who said that the pair’s ‘passion and vision for the property were infectious’. Ahmed and Ghaznavi have decided to do things ‘very differently to before’ to make sure that this time it stays open for good. The plan is to separate out the individual offerings in order to maximise the number of customers that Holm House can accommodate. ‘Instead of operating as a standalone hotel, we are bringing together a collective of best-in-class operators to manage the rooms, the restaurant and the spa individually,’ Ahmed explained. The Penarth hotel is in a premium location, overlooking the Bristol Channel at the top of the street colloquially known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’ because of the gorgeous homes that line it. When it reopens, each element will reflect that high-end feel that will begin with customers driving along the

As viagens à Europa poderão implicar alguns passos adicionais no controlo de passaportes – e muito em breve. Os viajantes de fora da União Europeia terão de fornecer os seus dados biométricos para entrarem no continente, como parte do novo Sistema de Entrada/Saída da UE, conhecido como EES. Pode parecer uma coisa muito exigente, mas não se preocupe: não há aqui enxertos de pele nem recolha de fluidos. Em vez disso, será preciso mostrar as suas impressões digitais, bem como permitir que o seu rosto seja digitalizado na fronteira, onde antes bastaria um carimbo no passaporte. O EES entrará em vigor por fases, a partir de 12 de Outubro. Até Abril de 2026, todos os aeroportos, estações de comboios e fronteiras marítimas da área Schengen terão o sistema a funcionar. Apenas dois países têm planos para introduzir o EES em todos os pontos de acesso desde o primeiro dia. O que é o EES? O EES é basicamente uma nova forma de passaporte, ou um complemento ao passaporte, totalmente digital e aplicável apenas à zona Schengen, que abrange a maioria dos países da UE. Toda a sua informação, recolhida na fronteira, será armazenada durante três anos. Assim, da próxima vez que visitar a região, bastará digitalizar o passaporte e fornecer uma impressão digital para ter acesso. Isto significará também que os carimbos no passaporte em muitos países deixarão de ser necessários. Não precisa de fazer nada para se registar no EES, para além de viajar com um passaporte válido.  Que países vão introduzir

The word ‘iconic’ gets thrown around a lot, but as far as British retail icons go, few are as renowned as Fortnum & Mason. The Piccadilly department store has provided Londoners with posh bits and bobs for more than three hundred years. In that time, F&M has only ever expanded outside London for one lone shop all the way in Hong Kong. That is, until now. Yesterday (October 1), the brand opened its first ever UK store outside the capital in Bicester village. Although the Bicester outpost is smaller than its famous Piccadilly sister, Fortnum says customers can expect ‘most-loved products and hampers’. It describes the new store as a ‘contemporary take’ on the classic flagship store. And, of course, the red-coat clad advisors will be on hand to help ensure you go home with exactly what you’re looking for. Photograph: Fortnum & Mason The shelves will be fully stocked with all of Fortnum’s most popular products, including ‘renowned tea blends like Fortnum’s Royal Blend Tea, and Fortnum’s Sparkling Tea’, as well as other biscuits, snacks, and treats. A ‘curated selection’ of hampers will be on offer, as well as a one-of-a-kind ‘Fortnum’s X Bicester Village gift-box’, perfect for anyone who’s ultra-prepared and has already started thinking about Christmas. That will feature a local honey, some shortbread, tea, and a mug to brew it in. If you’re in a rush, the world’s first ‘Fortnum & Mason On the Go’ kiosk will come in handy. You’ll be able to grab ‘a selection of sweet and savour

If you had a pound for every neolithic stone circle in England, well, you’d actually have a bit of cash. More than you might think, anyway. Stonehenge is the most famous, obviously, but there are quite a few ancient stone circles across the country, and we haven’t even discovered all of them yet. A new (and simultaneously extremely old) stone circle is currently being uncovered by archaeologists in Cornwall. The structure is the ‘ancient sacred heart’ of the county, according to experts, and could date back as far as 3,000 BCE – that makes it roughly 5,000 years old. Castilly Henge is in central Cornwall, located just off the A30 near the little town of Bodmin and a half-hour drive from Newquay. It was originally discovered in 2022, but now after three years and a £42,000 donation to the Cornwall Heritage Trust from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a full excavation of the site is finally going ahead.   Photograph: Historic England   What looks basically like a load of stones in a circle to us was actually a hugely important space for pre-historic tribes. Experts reckon the henge was constructed during the late neolithic period, and that its oval shape and central ditch indicate it may have ‘formed an amphitheatre-like setting for gatherings and ritual activities’. In the bronze age which followed, it maintained its significance and ‘several high-status burial mounds or barrows were built close by’. Site manager Carolyn Kennett told the BBC: ‘Neolithic henges are incredi

Travelling doesn’t have to be terrible. If you’re clever about how you plan your trip the journey can become something to look forward to on its own. Sometimes that looks like adding a few extra stops to a road trip, and sometimes it looks like opting for a sleeper train. There are only two sleeper services in the UK. The Night Riviera runs from London down south, ending at Penzance, and the Caledonian Sleeper shuttles passengers between Scotland and the capital. Basically, if you don’t live in London or Scotland, your options are pretty limited, but that will soon be changing. The Caledonian Sleeper has just announced plans to add Birmingham as a stop on half of its journeys. There are currently two routes offered by the company: the Highlander, which goes from the capital and splits off at Edinburgh towards Fort William, Aberdeen, and Inverness; and the Lowlander, between Glasgow or Edinburgh and London. It’s the Highlander services which will now go via the Midlands. At the moment the only stops between London and Edinburgh on the Highlander line are Preston and Crewe, but from January 2026 Birmingham International will become the third. Lowlander trains will continue to stop at Watford Junction, Carlisle, Carstairs, and Motherwell for those terminating in Glasgow. Nothing will change about the services except for the extra stop in Birmingham. According to managing director Graham Kelly ‘We are continuing to run our service in its existing and current format… in terms of t

You probably know Ralph Lauren best for its polo shirts and general upmarket fashion items, but in the somewhat near future the brand will offer something new to its London fanbase. That’s right, you read the headline: Ralph Lauren is opening a bar in the capital.  The American brand has announced plans to open a brand new restaurant and bar – called, naturally, The Polo Bar Ralph Lauren – at 1 Hanover Square in central London. It comes after the success of the Polo Bar in New York, which opened back in 2015 and has remained popular since. The London Polo Bar promises customers a chance to indulge in ‘the brand's signature charm and timeless elegance with a refined, yet welcoming dining experience’. Don’t get too excited though – it’s currently slated to open in 2028. At least that gives you plenty of time to look forward to it. While this might be London’s first Polo Bar, it isn’t Ralph Lauren’s first non-fashion outlet in the capital. Bond Street and Brompton Cross boast branches of Ralph’s Coffee, two of 40 coffee shops owned by the brand across the world. On top of the cafés, Ralph Lauren also operates a few restaurants in key international cities. This will be its sixth, after locations in Paris, New York, Chicago, Milan, and Chengdu. It views its hospitality portfolio as ‘a natural extension of the World of Ralph Lauren as expressed through the culinary arts’, so the food and service should theoretically be held to the same high standards as those iconic polos. The big

Summer’s well and truly over. Autumn officially began on September 22, but much of the UK has been unlucky with weather for over a month as hopes of a potential Indian summer never materialised, replaced instead by classic old grey skies. Unfortunately, as we move further into October the outlook isn’t much better, with the first storm of the new season set to hit this very weekend. Storm Amy is currently approaching over the Atlantic, with the Met Office saying that it is ‘expected to develop rapidly as it approaches the UK’. Although the south and south-east of England will likely get off with some light showers, most of the UK will experience high winds and buckets of rain this weekend, peaking on Saturday (October 4). Yellow and amber warnings have been issued by the Met Office for Storm Amy; here’s everything you need to know to be prepared for the gusts and gales this weekend. When will Storm Amy hit the UK? The Met Office expects Amy to hit on Friday evening (October 3) and continue until the early hours of Sunday morning (October 5). It will come in from the west, so Northern Ireland and western Scotland will be the first to feel the effects, with heavy rain beginning on Thursday (October 2) evening. Which areas will be affected? The north and west of Britain will be worst affected. Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Tom Crabtree explained that ‘there is still some uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy will take’, but that it ‘will bring gale force winds acro

The UK high street has been through a lot recently, with closures in 2025 from the likes of Poundland, Homebase, WH Smith and more. But it’s not all bad news – a brand new clothing brand is set to make its UK debut next year. Lefties, owned by multinational company Inditex, is currently looking into opening UK shops. At present you can find the chain across Europe, north Africa and the Middle East, but this would be its first time in an Anglophone market. Inditex is the parent company of popular brands like Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius and Pull & Bear, all of which have been expanding throughout the UK post-Covid. Where Zara markets itself as more high-end, at least for high-street fashion, Lefties is a budget alternative, with t-shirts costing as little as €3.99 (£3.50) in its Spanish stores. Some commentators believe that it could become a competitor to low-cost giant Primark. At least four different locations have been considered for the inaugural Lefties shop, all of which are in or around London. The business has reportedly been scoping out places since June, and has considered spots in Kent’s Bluewater and Essex’s Lakeside, as well as Westfield and Oxford Street in the capital. According to fashion industry publication Drapers: ‘Lefties is targeting flagship space of around 30,000 sq ft with a focus on shopping centres’. Inditex is yet to comment on its plans to come to Britain, so we don’t have details on exactly when we can expect UK Lefties stores to become a reality.

When you travel to Florence, you’re hoping for elegance, streets steeped in history and stunning architecture. And at Hotel La Gemma – the best hotel in Florence, according to our latest Time Out ranking – you’ll find all three. All of Time Out’s lists are curated by local writers and travel experts who know exactly what makes for a good stay, and if you’re planning a city break to Italy’s Renaissance capital, we’ve just given our guide to the best hotels in Florence a major update. On it, you’ll find ‘a mixture of boutique beauties, homely charmers, and five-star titans’ – and a new entry has made its way to the top. Time Out’s choice for the best hotel in Florence is La Gemma, a super-central, very cool little spot which Time Out contributing writer Phoebe Hunt describes as ‘a grand building with an even grander history’. Photograph: Phoebe Hunt for Time Out La Gemma’s greatest asset is its location. According to Hunt, it’s ‘tucked down a quiet side street metres from Piazza della Repubblica’ and is ‘a literal and figurative oasis from the city bustle’. But you won’t be in a hurry to leave – in-house restaurant Luca’s has a menu dedicated to innovation, with dishes concocted by two Michelin-starred chef Paolo Airaudo who ‘adds his own fine dining flair’ to hotel dining. Plus, the service is ‘impeccable’; ‘from Harrods-esque doormen in dark green suits to cheery mixologists in bow ties, the friendly staff are always on hand to dish out local tips’. Downstairs there’s a lu

It’s a tough time to be working in the aviation industry. Faced with staff shortages and huge levels of disruption, many workers at airlines and airports are facing long, stressful hours and poor working conditions. And, thanks to the cost of living crisis, loads of them are doing it all for lower wages, too. Needless to say, it’s no wonder that so many staff at airports and airlines have been going on strike. From Italy and Belgium to Greece and France, airports across Europe have seen thousands of flights delayed and cancelled by industrial action. Strikes can, of course, have a serious impact on your holiday, so it’s best to be as informed about them as possible. Read on for our guide to who’s going on strike in Europe right now, where and when those strikes will happen – and whether you need to worry about them.   Strikes by KLM ground staff in the Netherlands It’s been announced by trade union FNV that strikes are expected from KLM ground staff at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The first walkout was on September 24 and the next will be from 6am-2pm on October 1.  More than 100 flights were cancelled due to a short strike in September, thought to have cost the airline €10 million. A spokesperson from KLM reportedly said that the strikes could seriously endanger the company’s future, but a union representative said management had left the ground workers no choice but to strike, according to NL Times.   Transport strikes in Italy To protect holiday travel, strikes in Italy a