Charmaine Wong

I moved to this city in the deep, dark depths of the pandemic. My first flat was, obviously, awful. The landlord was dodgy (shock). It was full of mould. The shower was next to the kitchen and had no door. Still, though, I look back on those days fondly. One rare sunny afternoon we climbed out of my flatmate’s window to sit on the roof, drinking homemade Bloody Marys and blasting the Bad Boy Chiller Crew from a box speaker into the sticky, polluted air of Kingsland Road. We got quite a few glares from passers-by, but also a fair amount of smiles.  Whether you’re moving here for study, work, family, or another reason, your first months in London will be challenging, but you’ll probably look back on them with such fogged-up rose-tinted glasses it will hardly matter anyway. Use this time to meet as many new people as you can and to make mistakes. Be broke, go to M&M world (don’t actually), get lost on the tube. That said, there are some things I wish I’d known before coming here. Hindsight is a blessing, as they say. But we’re not gatekeepers, so we asked Time Out staff to share their top tricks and tips for anyone moving to the capital. Some of these folks have been born and bred here. Others are adopted Londoners, like you might well be one day. Listen up, take note, and good luck. 

Tucked cosily away in the east of England, Norwich is a charming collection of winding little streets, mediaeval buildings and quirky shops. Sure, it might be best known as the home of Coleman’s Mustard and Alan Partridge, but it’s also got a packed menu of cracking restaurants.  From sashimi and nigiri to burritos and tacos, there’s a bounty of variety in this small city. So, for when you’ve worked up a sufficient appetite after that day of sight-seeing, here’s our roundup of Norwich’s best restaurants. Don your napkin and tuck in. RECOMMENDED:🎭The best things to do in Norwich🏩The best Airbnbs 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.

While plenty of us still love a good night out, a good night in is all the rage right now, and a game night is a go-to way to fill your evening that’s a little more sociable than just curling up in front of the TV until Netflix asks you if you’re still there.  And sure, game nights are great in person, but unlike a few years ago, you don’t need to be face to face with your mates to play a few rounds of whatever it is you want – online quizzes, remote versions of classic board games, drinking comps – and it’s all thanks to the internet. So, here’s a handy roundup of our favourite online party games. Time to roll the virtual dice! RECOMMENDED:🙋The funniest things to ask Siri when you’re bored🎮The best online trivia games👾The best podcasts to listen to this year

Belfast has got a hell of a lot going on. Whether you’re here for a day, two days or an entire week, there’s plenty to keep you fascinated, entertained and well-fed in this marvellous and historic city, and we’re here to help you with where to start.  One of the city’s most famous attractions has got to be Titanic Belfast and there’s also the Parliament Buildings, but Northern Ireland’s capital is also well-located to explore the surrounding countryside – we’re talking the Giant’s Causeway and even a Game of Thrones tour being just a short drive away. But there’s plenty more where that came from, so here are the very best things to do in Belfast, according to us. RECOMMENDED:🍤The best restaurants in Belfast🥗The best restaurants 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.

Windsor is, as we well know, a destination totally steeped in history (hello, royal weddings, and hello to the late Queen’s favourite weekend castle). And while that means this Berkshire town is bursting with excellent things to do, it also means you can bank on eating well.  Sure, it’s easy enough to dine like royalty in the bounty of award-winning establishments on the swankier end of the spectrum, but what might surprise you is the variety on offer. From Michelin-starred spots to humble, hearty cafés and local taverns, you’ll be completely spoilt for choice. Here are the very best restaurants in Windsor. RECOMMENDED:🌤️The best things to do in Windsor🏰The best castles in the UK🍝The best restaurants 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. 

It’s a Friday evening and I’m surrounded by dozens of people in spandex. Transient music plays. We’re sitting here, sweating, waiting for the show to start.  A man enters the sauna – a sweltering 90C – and splashes ice and aromatic oils onto the hot coals before us, releasing waves of scented steam into the air. He then takes a towel and disperses hot air currents over our balmy bodies in a graceful dance. This is aufguss, a Germanic sauna ritual that incorporates dance, music, heat, and aromatherapy into one steamy experience. It’s a little theatrical for a 30-minute sauna session, but this is not your regular swimming complex. This is Therme București, the biggest spa in Europe. Featuring ten saunas offering different thematic aufguss sessions every hour, it’s like an all-you-can-sweat roving platter of thermal goodness.  A treatment room at Therme | Photograph: Charmaine Wong for Time Out The sprawling 44,000-square-metre complex is only a 7-minute drive from Bucharest’s international airport, and has been one of the most popular attractions in the Romanian capital since 2016. Everything about it is big – it hosts the largest urban beach and the largest indoor botanical garden in Europe. There are a whopping 800,000 exotic plants in the botanical garden, while the beach has real giant palm trees, constant 30C temperatures, a peppering of hydromassage beds, jacuzzi bars, and mineral pools that paint the whole space a calm turquoise hue. There’s even a 900-square-metre gla

The best things to do in Reading traverse the centuries, from old abbeys and castles to iconic artwork and innovative cuisines – not forgetting the taverns too, obvs. This university town doesn't get the attention that its bigger neighbours are afforded, but it’s a lesser-discovered gem with plenty to discover.  Berkshire’s biggest town is famous for its mish-mash of stately homes, shire horses, street art and spa days, with a little Home Counties character thrown in for good measure. Whether you're here for a day, a weekend or a few days, there’s plenty going on that make it worth visiting – here are the best things to do in Reading. RECOMMENDED:🏊‍♀️The best outdoor pools and lidos in the UK🏘️The best things to do in Oxford🌾The best places to visit 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.

What is the first thing you think about when Leicester comes up in conversation? You might think of crisps, although thinking about crisps is more of a default feature for many of us. You may even think back to the heady days of 2016 and that improbable Premier League win. No matter your first thought, the reality is Leicester will surprise you. Once the second-richest city in Europe and as close to the heart of England as you will find, Leicester is a charming city packed with gorgeous walks, thriving arts, and more history than you can shake the proverbial stick at. The food and drink are pretty fantastic, too, and we’re not just talking about crisps. These are the best things to do in lovely Leicester. RECOMMENDED: 🎭The best things to do in Birmingham🏛️ The best things to do in Nottingham👀 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.  

This year has been a belter for live music. Our cities have come alive with pop comebacks, raging metal shows and some damn good dance tunes. We’ve fully embraced our tastes, however cringe they may be (there’s no shame in loving something). We’ve screamed out lyrics, two stepped to our heart’s content, moshed in a festival field and everything in between. Gen Zers bragged about ‘escape room pop stars’, veteran jazz fans stroked their chins to legends of the scene and some of us unleashed our inner teens by watching pop-punk superstars. Here are Time Out’s favourite live music moments of 2023 – taking in picks from all over our huge, juicy global network of editors.  RECOMMENDED: 🎬 The best movies of 2023🕺 The 23 best songs of 2023🎵 The 30 best albums of 2023

From head-spinning literary debuts to masterful novels from authors at the height of their power, big-name autobiographies to binge-worthy cultural histories, here are our editors’ favourite page-turners of 2023. Add these lot to your ‘to read’ pile, stat. RECOMMENDED: 🎬 The best movies of 2023📺 The best TV shows of 2023🎵 The best albums of 2023

Well, we ate a hell of a lot this year, didn’t we? As always, London got a whole load of brand-new restaurants, so we’ve been a little bit spoilt for choice for seriously good food. But if you’re anything like us, there’s a few dishes you just can’t shut up about. Here at Time Out, we’ve rounded up every fantastic thing we feasted on in 2023, so you can get out there and try ’em for yourself. You’ll find everything from Speedboat Bar’s insanely hot curry to Mount St’s cheese and haddock omelette. It’s spicy, it’s chewy, it’s saucy, and it’s right here for your viewing (and eating) pleasure. Here are the best things we ate this year.  RECOMMENDED:😜 The best restaurants in London🎶 The best new albums of 2023🎤 The best new songs of 2023🎧 The best podcasts of 2023

Some year, eh? We’ve been blessed with some absolute crackers of albums over the last 12 months. We’ve had sad girl anthem after sad girl anthem (boygenius, Mitski and Lana Del Rey in the same year?!), breakthrough pop stars (hello: Raye and Olivia Dean), as well as dancefloor-ready K-pop, killer soundtracks and emo kid comebacks. It’s been a stand-out year for new music, and while it’s never fun to have to choose your favourite, yes, we’ve gone and done it. We asked Time Out writers and editors from around the world to choose the one record they had on repeat over the last 12 months. Without further a do, here are 30 of our favourite albums of 2023. RECOMMENDED:The best movies of 2023 (so far)The best TV shows of 2023 you need to streamThe 50 best podcasts to listen to in 2023

La Barbiemanía está alcanzando todos los rincones de la tierra, y si el boom rosa te emociona tanto como a los fans de la esperada película de 'Barbie', sigue leyendo. Porque si no es suficiente con que las grandes marcas de moda se rindan al rosa de la legendaria muñeca y tras ver la película tienes ganas de más, te dejamos una lista de lugares que debes visitar para que puedas vivir tu particular Barbie Land. Desde Hawái hasta Escocia, tienes aquí una selección de lugares fantásticos para sentirte como una auténtica "Barbie girl in a Barbie world": Michael O'Keene / Shutterstock.com 1. The Don César, Florida Situado sobre las dunas azotadas por el viento en St Pete Beach en Florida, el hotel The Don CeSar se parece tanto a una creación de Wes Anderson como a la casa de los sueños de Barbie. Una vez que hayas terminado de disfrutar de la playa, déjate contagiar por el espíritu de su galería comercial. Shutterstock 2. Lago Hillier, Australia Occidental El lago Hillier es uno de los pocos lagos rosas del mundo. Los científicos sospechan que es el alto nivel de sal en el agua lo que hace que el lago tenga un color rosa vibrante. Vale la pena señalar que es una reserva natural protegida, así que manténte alejada de aquí Barbie Malibú. Shutterstock 3. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur Conocido como el 'Palacio de los Vientos', el Hawa Mahal es uno de los palacios más icónicos de Jaipur, la ciudad rosa de la India. Construido con arenisca roja y rosa en 1799, este majestuoso edificio es un

There have been massive movements in the supermarket sector in the UK lately, from new Aldi store openings to Iceland closures. And if you’re an Asda stan waiting to see what the big green supermarket is up to, we’ve got huge news.  The supermarket is opening a massive 110 new Asda Express stores this month alone (that's a record for a single month btw). It comes after Asda acquired 470 convenience stores and petrol stations from Co-op and EG group in 2022, all of which its hoping will be converted by the end of March. By the end of January a total of 259 had been converted.  New stores are set to pop up in the Isle of Skye, Plymouth and Ipswich. Apparently the brand's goal is to reach a total of 1,000 stores across the country to become the second largest gorcery retailer, after Tesco.  Where is Asda opening new stores in February 2024? February 1 13 Reading Road, Yateley 143 Bridge Road, Maidenhead 150 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Brighton Road, Horley 97 Boroughbridge Road, York February 2 Highcross Road, Rogerstone, Wales  46 Dunkeld Street, Aberfeldy, Scotland  127-131 Bow Road, London York Road, York Bradford Road, Liversedge, England 151 Stockport Road, Stockport, England Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, England February 5 Hinckley Road, Leicester February 6 Hereford Road, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury 201 County Road, Ormskirk  59 Eccleshall Road, Stafford Stow Hill, Newport 10 Berkeley Avenue, Reading Northampton Road, Bicester 184-186 Lunts Heath Road, Halton Hallwood Link Road

It's happening, everybody stay calm. Girls Aloud, one of the noughties’ most iconic UK girl bands, is reuniting. Not only are the group getting back together: they’re also heading out on an arena tour. We can barely contain our excitement.  The tour will be called ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ and it’ll be dedicated to the memory of the group’s late member Sarah Harding, who passed away from cancer in 2021. Needless to say, it’ll be a special and nostalgic occasion, and Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh ‘Promise’ to put on some massive shows. The band has said that they don’t intend to make new music without Harding, so the shows will only feature the songs we already know and love. We’re certainly not complaining — get ready to ‘Jump’ to some absolute classics.  Fancy getting your hands on some Girls Aloud tickets? Here’s everything you need to know about the shows, from the tour dates to when tickets go on sale.  When are Girls Aloud going on a UK tour in 2024? The girls will be returning to stages across the UK in May and June 2024. When do tickets go on sale for their reunion tour? General ticket sales will start at 9am on Friday, December 1 on the official Girls Aloud website here.  How can I register for tickets? You don’t need to register in order to buy general sale tickets. How much do tickets cost for Girls Aloud’s tour? Tickets will be priced in four brackets: £73 for general standing, £59-£102 for seated and £208.75 for VIP packages and the front

The UK high street has been put through the wringer in the past few years. Some of the nation’s favourite retail outlets and supermarkets have been navigating new shopping behaviours, leading to shops opening and closing left, right and centre. And the latest to see some major changes? None other than high-street coffee giant Costa Coffee.  The popular coffee chain currently has over 2,800 branches across the country. Apparently the company regularly reviews its stores and seeks opportunities to innovate – and that means that it has announced the closure of several UK outlets.  It’s not all bad news for Costa, though. Just the other month, the brand refurbished and reopened an outlet at Lowestoft’s North Quay retail park which features a brand-new drive-thru, modern furniture and feature walls with illuminated mirrors. So, take the ups with the downs, eh? Here’s everything you need to know about which Costas are closing down and when.  Which Costa Coffee cafés closed down in the UK in 2023? Coliseum retail park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire  Welch Way, Witney Wigan town centre Five Rise Shopping Centre, Bingley High Street, Worcester (closed in July, relocated September 15) Church Street, Oakham West Bridgford Church Street, Malvern Which Costa Coffee cafés are set to close down in the UK in 2024? Chiswick High Road, London (by February 6) Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh (February 14) Time Out dives into city life, with all its ups and downs The UK high street is constantly

In news that’ll be a surprise to absolutely no one, the UK has been named one of the most Christmas-obsessed countries in the entire world. And we at Time Out know quite a bit about that – after all, not only do we have a massive Crimbo hub for London, but we’ve also been getting this year’s festive tip-offs since at least August.  So who or what has named us one of the most festive countries on the planet? Well, that’d be holiday rental portal Holidu, who looked at Google search volume for Christmas-related keywords throughout the year and aggregated them into a Christmas obsession score. Keywords such as ‘Christmas trees’, ‘Christmas songs’ and ‘Christmas markets’ were considered to reveal the countries where festive cheer is truly at its peak. The UK sleighed to the top five, snagging second place with an obsession score of 99.1/100 for its festive spirit. Brits are getting into the festive spirit by putting up their very own trees – artificial or the real deal – in the days leading up to Christmas. So, it’s no surprise that one of the top keywords searched by Brits this year was ‘Christmas trees’. First place went to the Netherlands, which had a full obsession score of 100, then Denmark and Norway placed third and fourth respectively. Here are the top ten most Crimbo-obsessed countries, according to Holidu. The Netherlands United Kingdom Denmark Norway Ireland Finland Belgium Switzerland Portugal France You can read more about Holidu’s study on the official website here

Planning on parking up somewhere in Scotland to do some Christmas shopping this festive season? Beware: there’s a new rule banning parking on pavements. Motorists will be slapped with a £100 fine for parking or double-parking on pavements and dropped kerbs across all of Scotland. Under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, it is now illegal to park on the pavement, regardless of whether you’ve left enough space for pavement users or will only be parking up for a short amount of time. If the fine is paid within 14 days, the penalty can be reduced to £50. Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government minister for transport said: ‘We’re highlighting the danger that illegal pavement parking poses to pavement users, and in particular those with mobility issues or visual impairments, or parents pushing prams and buggies.’ The ban has been widely supported by disability campaigners and wheelchair users. Wheelchair user Mike Harrison said: ‘Vehicles on the pavement can be just a nuisance and they can be a severe obstacle. It increases my journey time, I’m often in danger of scratching my hands on a wall, or vegetation sticking out makes it difficult to get past.’ While the ban started on Monday (December 11), there are exemptions. Medical professionals have been given the green light to park on pavements and local authorities will also designate and mark certain areas where parking on the pavement is permitted. Law and order with Time Out The UK has banned many things in recent months, and at T

Walk around pretty much any UK town and you’ll find buildings filled with historical, cultural and artistic significance. And those buildings are worth keeping around – which is why Historic England’s National Heritage List is so important. From buildings and monuments to parks, gardens and even battlefields, Historic England protects heritage sites by giving them ‘listed’ status and thereby protecting them for future generations.  And this year, a bunch of places received listed status. A total of 227 sites were added to the heritage list in 2023, but which ones were the most interesting?  Arguably all the sites on the National Heritage List are interesting, but the Barkway Carriage Wash in Hertfordshire is especially so. A rare coach wash, it was used to clean coach wheels and nameplates back in the 1600s. Think old-school car wash, without the fluffy electronic wipers. Here’s a pic.  Photograph: Historic England Archive Another fascinating addition this year was a radar station in Northumberland that was built in 1941 to detect and monitor German naval movements during World War II. A small structure of two buildings still equipped with a generator bed, cable ducts and evidence of power transmission, it’s one of eight radar stations that survived the war. There’s a picture of that one above.  Other notable additions were the Railway Tavern in Darlington, the Church of St Nicholas in Lancashire, the Beaconsfield Golf Club Clubhouse in Buckinghamshire and the Northwold Man

After years of neglect, seaside towns up and down the UK are going through massive transformations. From Margate to Porthcawl, some of the country’s best-known beach towns are seeing new planning consultations, hefty regeneration plans and local investment. And now another long-neglected English seaside town could be getting a glow-up. The town in question is Jaywick Sands in Essex. The seaside neighbourhood – which back in 2019 was named one of the UK’s most deprived areas in 2019 – may undergo a £120 million makeover.  The plan mainly intends to prevent Jaywick Sands from being submerged by the sea. The sinking area has had several problems over the past few years thanks to weak flood defences, and the regeneration will include replacing derelict houses with new and improved homes that are resilient to flooding, as well as developing new flood defences and improving public amenities like parks, streets, transport links and drainage systems. Tendring District Council has launched a consultation for locals over the proposals, and while the project is estimated to take 20 years to finish, the neighbourhood has already made some progress. In September, a new covered market and business centre opened for business, while ten flood-resilient homes have been built in Lotus Way, with a target to build 100 more. A community bike scheme has also been introduced where residents can loan a bike to commute. You can participate in the consultation process here. Seaside glow-ups with Time

Calling all makeup mavens and beauty fans up in the north! We have some fabulous news. Legendary beauty emporium Sephora is increasing its number of UK stores by opening up a third location in Manchester.  The new Manny store follows the opening of two Sephora outposts in London earlier this year. The Manchester location is a 5,380-square-foot ground-floor unit in the Trafford Centre, and it promises a range of exclusive brands like Makeup by Mario, GXVE by Gwen Stefani and Haus Labs by Lady Gaga. Sephora has gone through more than a few ups and downs over the past few decades. After launching its first UK store in 2000, the beauty retailer grew rapidly over the next few years but failed to break through and shuttered in 2005. Since then, brokenhearted fans have been anticipating a comeback. After returning to the UK in March with a store in London’s Westfield White City shopping centre, the Manchester store marks Sephora moving beyond the capital.  Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, said: ‘We are extremely excited to bring Sephora to Manchester, one of the most vibrant cities for beauty in the UK. Expanding our presence beyond London is something that consumers have been screaming out for, and we are listening hard to them when deciding where to go next.’ The store is set to open in summer 2024, although no exact opening date has been announced yet. New shop openings with Time Out Time Out has the lowdown with what’s opening and closing on high streets up and down

This year has seen a bunch of art galleries across the UK announcing makeover plans, from the Dulwich Picture Gallery to Tate Liverpool. And now an art gallery in Oxford has said it’s up next, having announced a massive £1.2 million redesign for summer 2024. The gallery in question is Modern Art Oxford (MAO), one of the UK’s leading contemporary art spaces. Housed in a former brewery, the gallery will be working with the award-winning David Kohn Architects to improve navigation and accessibility, as well as reduce energy consumption in the building.  Set to start in the summer of 2024, the regeneration project aims to make its ground and lower-ground floor spaces more accessible. But it doesn’t stop there. The new MAO café, which has been reimagined by the brilliant artist Emma Hart, will celebrate raves and spaces where people come together for enjoyment and self-expression. The furniture in the café will be inspired by dancing ‘hands in the air’ which morph into seating, while the tables will evoke disco lights throwing pools of coloured light onto the floor. Here are a few preview renders of the new building. Photograph: David Kohn ArchitectsModern Art Oxford Entrance Renders Photograph: David Kohn ArchitectsModern Art Oxford Ground Floor Renders Photograph: David Kohn ArchitectsModern Art Oxford Education Space Renders Paul Hobson, director of Modern Art Oxford, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with RIBA award-winning practice, David Kohn Architects to realise

The UK is littered with many mysterious military relics. From castles and fortresses to gun towers and wartime bunkers, many of these old buildings are now either neglected or have been niftily transformed into other things. And occasionally one of them goes up for sale, giving anyone the chance to bag their very own piece of military history.  And now another British military relic is about to go up for auction: a former radar training station in the seaside town of Fleetwood in Lancashire.  The structure was built in 1961 as a centre to train ship navigators and maritime crew on the newest radar technology. Sitting on a promenade next to a Victorian-era lighthouse, the retro Grade-II-listed building is a single-storey, oval building made out of reinforced concrete with timber flooring. While the building may be on the radar for many maritime enthusiasts, some renovation will be required to restore the relic to its former glory. Plus, future owners will need to apply to Wyre Council for planning permission for any changes to the structure. Alan Vincent, county councillor said: ‘This little building forms a historic and attractive feature, and taken with the historic 1840 lighthouse, forms a vital testimony to Fleetwood’s distinguished naval past as well as showing the history of naval communications in our midst in Lancashire. ‘We hope that by placing this iconic building up for auction, an essential part of our region's wonderful marine history can be preserved for the futu

The UK has gone through a lot this past year, from the cost-of-living crisis to ongoing workers’ strikes. And, not-that-surprisingly, this has made Brits unhappier. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), British citizens are less happy in general now than they were before the pandemic.  That’s just one of the conclusions of this year’s Annual Population Survey, which is a yearly dataset published by the ONS. The Annual Population survey examines four major criteria: happiness, life satisfaction, anxiety and the feeling that things done in life are worthwhile. A ‘happiness score’ is then given to places up and down the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the happiest places to live in the UK are remote archipelagos miles away from the mainland. The Shetland Islands in the northern isles of Scotland topped the list as the happiest place in the country, with a high happiness score of 8.22 out of ten. Second place went to another chain of Scottish islands, Na h-Eileanan Siar (also known as the Outer Hebrides, and also one of the best UK places to retire in) while third place went to the small town of North Kesteven in Lincolnshire. Here are the top ten happiest places in the UK and their happiness score, according to the Office of National Statistics. Shetland Islands, Northern Isles - 8.22 Na h-Eileanan Siar, Outer Hebrides - 8.12 North Kesteven, Lincolnshire - 8.09 Pendle, Lancashire - 8.06 Malvern Hills, Herefordshire - 8.06 Torridge, Devon - 8.05 Cannock Chase, S