Annie McNamee

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

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 what makes a neighbourhood truly cool. From formerly overlooked sub

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

Ever wanted to know what life as student is really like in 2023? We asked 20-year-old student-turned-amateur-anthropologist Annie to tell us her observations about the people, parties and juiciest secrets of the UK’s unis. Here’s her verdict. Universities. National institutions. Places of learning and research, incubators of intellect. Unfortunately, also the land of the ‘student’. Student is a varied species which feeds mainly on pasta and rice. British students can often be found at the nearest Wetherspoons, getting drunk on vanilla flavoured vodka because the regular one is 30p more expensive. They tend to be slightly nocturnal and the males are known for going to extraordinary lengths to attract mates that they will subsequently ‘leave on read’.   Subtypes of ‘student’ vary based on location and each British uni comes with its own set of defining characteristics. So, buckle up: this is an entirely imaginary but 100 percent accurate investigation into the private lives of students in the wild, in their most natural habitat – on what they like to call, ‘a night out’.  Newcastle Image: Genie Espinosa We start in Newcastle and encounter Georgia moments after arriving at Market Shaker, an underground bar. She promptly begins chatting about the time she almost jumped into the Tyne ‘just for laughs’, which seems common for the ‘Geordie’ student species. Other notable characteristics appear to include: studying Geography, being obsessed with the North/South divide, Nike Air Max

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. 

Londoner’s period of tube strike peace has officially come to an end. In August a wave of industrial action was announced by the RMT union, and those strikes have finally come. The walk-outs started last Friday (September 5), and they’ll continue until this Thursday (September 11). There are a few different reasons that the tube staff are striking and there are various different workers in different parts of the network who will be walking out. The main disputes are over hours and working conditions, as well as Transport for London (TfL) allegedly failing to deliver on previous promises. Staff from the DLR are also striking during this period, which will make it even trickier to navigate London this week. Don’t fear though – you’ll still be able to get wherever you need to go. Here’s our guide to getting around during the upcoming strikes. What dates are the tube strikes in September? The strikes began at 6pm on Friday September 5 at an Underground depot, then different people are walking out on each day until September 11. Here’s what that will look like in practice: Sunday September 7: No service on Underground lines  Monday September 8: No service on Underground lines  Tuesday September 9: No service on Underground lines OR DLR all day Wednesday September 10: No service on Underground lines Thursday September 11: No service on Underground lines OR DLR all day Friday September 12: Service after 8am, and full service by late morning How to travel around London during the t

Weeknd fans, you’re being spoiled. Earlier this year Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd, released Hurry Up Tomorrow, his sixth album. He’s been one of the biggest names in the industry since he shot to fame with ‘I can’t feel my face’ back in 2015, and now he’s set to break the record for the biggest R&B tour ever as the After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour extends into 2026. The tour already came to the UK and Europe back in 2023, but the singer-songwriter has just announced 12 dates for summer 2026, with tickets due to go on sale next week. Here’s everything you need to know about The Weeknd’s 2026 After Hours til Dawn tour in Europe and the UK, including how to sign up for presale. What are the dates for The Weeknd’s European tour in 2026? There are currently 12 dates planned for the European leg of the After Hours Til Dawn tour next summer. They span nearly two months, nine countries, and are as follows: Paris, France, Stade de France – July 7 Amsterdam, Netherlands, Johan Cruijff Arena – July 17 Nice, France, Allianz Riviera – July 21 Milan, Italy, San Siro Stadium – July 24 Frankfurt, Germany, Deutsche Bank Park – July 30 Warsaw, Poland, PGE Narodowy – August 4 Stockholm, Sweden, Strawberry Arena – August 8 London, England, Wembley Stadium – August 14 London, England, Wembley Stadium – August 15 Dublin, Ireland, Croke Park – August 22 Madrid, Spain, Riyadh Air Metropolitano – August 28 Madrid, Spain, Riyadh Air Metropolitano – August 29 You can read

If you’re a regular traveller, you probably consider passport stamps a badge of honour. Physical evidence of everywhere you’ve visited, and how many adventures you’ve been on. Unfortunately, however, they could soon become a thing of the past – at least for travellers passing through the EU. The Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation Systems (ETIAS) are due to come into effect, and with it, 29 countries will phase out passport stamps. These physical markers will become redundant thanks to the new visa system being introduced to the EU, which will require all visitors from outside of the European Union to register online before their visit. Once approved, travellers will have their biometric data held on file, which will mean that manually operated passport desks, and by extension stamps, can be replaced by electronic gates. The goal is to speed up and modernise the passport control process as well as ‘improve border security’. You can learn more about the details of the EES and ETIAS on our guide. So, the following countries will be doing away with physical passport stamps this October. The 29 nations in the Schengen area – 25 in the EU and four outside of it – will be adopting the new systems, and they are as follows: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia

‘Travelling’ doesn’t need to mean staying in hostels, taking overnight buses between cities, and trying to fit an entire city’s-worth of activities into a three-day stay. It can be much more laid back. You can take your time in each location and really absorb the local culture and wildlife. This style of travelling has naturally been dubbed ‘slow travel’, and it’s getting more and more popular.  If you’re looking for a quiet break, you’ll need to head somewhere which is appropriately tranquil. For the uninitiated, Sainsbury's Bank has done some research and discovered exactly where in the world you need to head for the best slow travel trips, and the top spot happens to be in the UK.  In order to determine the very best place for chilling out, the company compared several popular holiday destinations based on key criteria including proximity to nature, cuisine, available accommodation, flight prices, and ‘relaxation’. Once the places had scores out of 10 in every individual category, an overall score out of 50 was calculated and a ranking created.  After all that, Cornwall was named the best slow travel destination by the study with a score of 47.5 out of 50. This was in large part thanks to its abundance of gorgeous beaches, great food, and stunning natural beauty, but the southwestern county also offers serious opportunities for unwinding, with Sainsbury’s Bank saying that ‘time truly slows down here’.  The study added that the area’s diversity was a big draw, highlighting 

London transport is usually pretty reliable. When there aren’t strikes or planned works, it’s pretty easy to get from here to there, and all you have to do to pay is tap – whether that’s an Oyster card, payment card or digital wallet.  It’s been 22 years since Oyster cards debuted, and pretty quickly they were ubiquitous. They’ve fallen out of favour slightly since contactless payments hit the network, but many remain dedicated to the Oyster – and for good reason. You can get only get railcard discounts on an Oyster, and Zip Photocards are used daily by countless Londoners.  If you rely on the little blue card to get around, losing it can be quite a stressful experience. Don’t worry though, you wouldn’t be the first, or even the millionth, to misplace it, so there are procedures to follow in this situation. How do I get a new Oyster card? The easiest way to get a new Oyster is online, but you can also buy one at an Oyster Ticket Stop inside a newsagent. If you had pay-as-you-go credit, or at least five days left on a travelcard or a bus and tram pass left over on your old card, you can request this to be transferred over once you’ve got a new card. You can also request a replacement directly from TfL for £7. How to get money back if you lose your Oyster card If your Oyster card is registered to a Transport for London (TfL) account, the recovery process is a bit easier. If you don’t have one, any money you’ve already loaded onto the card will sadly be lost to the Underground g

Coldplay are doing something no band has ever done before: reaching double digits for the number of appearances at London’s Wembley Stadium in a single tour. That’s right, the group is at Wembley Stadium for 10 nights. That’s more of a mini-residency than a leg of a tour – and it’s officially underway.  Coldplay’s mammoth Music of the Spheres world tour has been running since early 2022. Over the course of Coldplay’s Wembley gigs, nearly one million people will be treated to their signature showmanship. There are now only four shows left before Chris Martin and co break the record. Up to this point, things have gone pretty smoothly, with huge performances and a spectacular range of setlists. This week, however, the gigs will be disrupted by tube strikes – which have forced Coldplay to reschedule two Wembley shows.  Getting excited to see Coldplay? Of course you are. There are just a few things you need to know before heading to see Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, from timings and the setlist to last-minute ticket availability – here’s all the info you might need. When are Coldplay playing Wembley Stadium? Coldplay’s first night at Wembley was on Friday, August 22. They played six gigs there in August and have four more September. Here are all of the band’s 10 Wembley dates: Friday August 22 Saturday August 23 Tuesday August 26 Wednesday August 27 Saturday August 30 Sunday August 31 Wednesday September 3 Thursday September 4 Saturday September 6 (rescheduled from September 7) Fr

Everyone knows holidays only really begin when you step off the plane. All the travel before that is stressful at the best of times, but if you’re heading off on an early September break, you might be feeling even more anxiety than normal, as the RMT union has announced a week of tube and DLR strikes for five days in September. It’s usually relatively straightforward to get to any one of London’s six airports, but with transport disrupted, you might need to take a slightly different route. Don’t worry though, you’ll still be able to jet off without too much bother.  The good news is that the London Underground isn’t the only way to get from A to B in the capital city. From Gatwick to Luton, here’s how to get to London’s airports during the upcoming September strikes. RECOMMENDED: 🚇 London train strikes September 2025: tube strike dates and everything you need to know. ❌ Travel disruption to know about this weekend, August 29-31.📍How to get around London during next week’s tube strikes When are the tube strikes in September? The strikes will last a total of six days: September 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. From Sunday September 7, all Underground lines will be out of service until industrial action ends or is called off by the union. The DLR will be shut on September 9 and 11. On these days, no DLR services will be available at any time. How to get to Heathrow during the tube strike Luckily, Heathrow is the easiest airport in London to access by public transport. Although the Pi

The moon does a lot for us. It regulates the tides, lights up the world at night, and, sometimes, it does really cool things like appear huge, or go in front of the sun, or turn red. The latter is often referred to as a ‘blood moon’, and there’s one happening this Sunday (September 7). A blood moon, or a total lunar eclipse, is fairly rare. Although it’s more common than its solar sister, a total lunar eclipse only comes around to any given location every few years. If you miss the one on Sunday you’ll have to wait until 2028 until there’s another one visible from Europe and Asia. The upcoming blood moon will be visible from quite a lot of the planet, including the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. In total, nearly 6 billion of us will be able to see this lunar treat. Unfortunately, the Americas are out of luck this time – the moon will be at its reddest during their daytime hours. Here’s everything you need to know to catch the blood moon in action this Sunday, no matter where you are in the world. What is a total lunar eclipse? Total lunar eclipses happen when the Earth, the moon, and the sun are all in a straight line. When this happens, the moon goes directly into the Earth’s shadow, leaving the moon without any direct sunlight. Basically, it passes into the shade which causes it to change colour. Why does it make the moon go red? The moon’s white colour is emphasised by the sun reflecting off of it, so without that direct light, it becomes a copper colour. There i

Train lines don’t tend to be famous. Sure, some stations are well known, but the railways themselves? It takes a lot for a stretch of track to be instantly recognisable, and one of the best-known stretches of track in the world is the soaring Glenfinnan Viaduct. On top of frequently being named one of the most scenic train routes in the world, the viaduct is best known for featuring in the Harry Potter films as part of the Hogwarts Express’ trip. But when it isn’t busy being a film set or winning awards, the Glenfinnan is a functioning railway that is one of the most popular ways to travel from Scotland’s central belt to the Highlands. Due to the amount of rail traffic it gets, the West Highland Line, which crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, is in need of some TLC. A new £15 million upgrade plan has been announced for the line, which will involve replacing over 10 miles of track, improving drainage, and repairing important structures on the line. The West Highland Line runs from Glasgow Queen Street – which is getting an upgrade of its own – to Oban, Fort William, and Mallaig. These planned works shouldn’t cause too much disruption, although there will be a partial closure of the line between Crianlarich and Fort William from November 7 until November 17. Scotrail has promised that ‘while the work takes place, our priority will be on keeping people moving with rail replacement transport in place’. A representative for Network Rail said that this is a ‘significant investment in t

Most theme parks draw in visitors with huge rollercoasters, or detailed areas based on famous movies. Le Puy du Fou, however, likes to do things a little differently. As France’s second most popular theme park (no one stands a chance against Disneyland), Puy du Fou is a well-established and well-loved brand. Instead of 50-foot drops it offers punters reenactments of historical events, spread across various time periods inside of purpose designed sets. You can visit the Roman gladiators, medieval villages or vikings, all within walking distance of each other. It’s pretty unique, and it’s coming to the UK. It’s been a couple of years since Puy du Fou first announced that it would be crossing the Channel, but projects this huge move slowly. We’ve had dribs and drabs of info since then, but now we’ve got a better idea of what the park might look like and where it will be, after planning permission was submitted to the council on Monday (September 1). According to CEO Olivier Strebelle, the delay was necessary for ‘extensive consultation’ to take place, which involved ‘six in-person events and over 250 individual meetings’ with the local community and stakeholders. The huge development is planned for Cherwell in Oxfordshire, just outside of Bicester, and will cost a whopping £600 million to create. It will span four different periods, each represented by a separate village, and will be able to put on 13 different shows in total. The plans include three on-site hotels, each also th

There’s a lot of good stuff to eat in Birmingham. People talk about the culinary scenes in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Manchester, but they often overlook Brum, despite it being home to a diverse and delicious range of cuisines. We at Time Out, however, love eating in the city, and our local experts scoured the city in a hunt for its very best. After many, many gorgeous meals, one little neighbourhood Italian was crowned the top dog. Tropea is officially Time Out’s top restaurant in Birmingham, bringing proper Italian vibes and excellent pasta to the Midlands city. There’s loads to love about this intimate trattoria, from its varying portion sizes, perfect for any appetite, to its cosy interiors. You can order pasta as either a full or half portion, and menu highlights include fried courgette flower with goat’s cheese, mint and honey; burratta paired with strawberries, rocket, and pistachio; authentic Tuscan tomato salad; and tagliatelle con eel. Half portions of pasta will set you back £11-12, while a full plate ranges from £21-28. Meat and fish mains are around that price point too, although the menu does change seasonally so prices will vary. Although the food is on the pricier side, there’s nothing pretentious about Tropea. Instead, we described it as having a ‘relaxed setting and authentic Italian wine set up a chilled dining experience’. Local writer Lauren Potts praised its authenticity, saying it is ‘without a whiff of the British high street interpretation… There

Ever booked a holiday, excited to get away from home, before turning up to the hotel and realising everyone and, often literally, their nan seems to have had the exact same destination inspo? Some of the world’s best loved holiday destinations are becoming overrun with tourists they can’t accommodate. In some places like Barcelona and Mallorca tourists are being asked to leave, and there are serious consequences for local people and their livelihoods. On top of that, having to fight people off for a spot on the beach sucks. That’s why more and more of us are turning off the beaten track and opting for less popular spots. And luckily, one of the world’s best underrated travel destinations, as chosen by us, is right here in the UK. Time Out editors have travelled across the world and seen the good, the bad, and the ‘why is no one else talking about this?’ in every country, so the places which made it into this list had to really impress. And impress is exactly what Bwlch Mountain did. This oft-overlooked Welsh mountain has everything you need for an idyllic, crowd-free holiday. There are plenty of tiny little towns dotted around the valleys below, full of ‘small cafes, lively pubs during football and ridiculously charming locals’ you can stay in, but the landscape is the main attraction. Bwlch Mountain is known as having some of the best views in Wales, which is no small feat. Time Out’s Daniela Toporek describes the scenes as ‘lush’ and ‘windswept’, adding that ‘it’s quiet and