Chiara Wilkinson

Nothing quite compares to the feeling of walking out of the salon with a fresh ’do, admiring your new-and-improved reflection in every shop window. London is abundant with choice when it comes to hairdo wizardry – so abundant, in fact, that it can be hard to know where to start if you’re longing for a professional to sort out your mop. But don’t stress. Some of the best hairdressing talent in the world happens to call this city their home. You’re in very safe hands.  It’s not just basic bougie salons, either. For trendy locks with a bit of edge, check out Blue Tit. For daring colour that will turn heads, try Bleach. And for scientifically brilliant treatments to deal with hair and scalp issues, check out Philip Kingsley. Whatever your barnet looks like now (and we’re not here to judge), the professionals at these places are well equipped to listen and realise your hairy needs.  Without further ado, we bring you the best hair salons in London to tame your mane: all tried, tested and reviewed by Time Out writers.  RECOMMENDED: London’s best barbers.

Festival season might seem like a long way away, but we can guarantee you it will spin around faster than you can clean out your bumbag. It’s never too early to start planning for 2024 (who wouldn’t want to be dreaming of sun-soaked stages when it’s stormy outside?) and copping those tickets while you still can.  We’d argue Brits do festival season better than anywhere else. The vibes are top notch, the quality is great – and the amount of musical variety on offer in this one little island is absolutely mind-boggling. You can glamp at a boutique indie festival, get some guaranteed moshpit action at rock fest Download or rave until the early hours at a 24/7 dance marathon. You could discover the hottest Welsh-language music, boast about how you somehow got tickets to Glastonbury or even surf along to the set list in Cornwall. Keen to join in the fun? We bet you are. Check out Time Out’s guide to the best UK music festivals for 2024. We’ll be updating this page with more as they are announced.  RECOMMENDED: 🥾 The best places to visit in the UK in 2024😎 The best European music festivals

The first wave of the Glastonbury line-up has finally dropped and you may have had some thoughts. A far cry from 2023’s all-male line-up, this year you’ll see Dua Lipa and SZA take to the Pyramid stage, as well as Coldplay and Shania Twain. A load of other acts have also been announced and the full line-up will be confirmed in May. Before you know it, June will be here, and you’ll be singing along to ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’, ice-cold beer in hand. Fancy winning a pair of tickets to Glastonbury 2024? Enter Time Out’s competition with Brothers Cider here. Even if you’re not head-over-heels for the big headliners, a lot of people argue that the real magic of Glastonbury is found in the small stages and the after-dark mischief. And even if you’ve not managed to get your hands on those golden tickets the first time round, fear not. There’s always resale, which usually takes place in April. And there’s always watching the festival from the comfort of your own sofa and trying again next time.  If you’re looking to nab some resale tickets, it’s time to get excited. Following last weekend’s deadline for current ticketholders to pay in full, the resale takes place this week. You can find out more about it here.  So, whether you have plans to camp, glamp, or catch up on TV, here’s everything you need to know about Glastonbury Festival 2024. RECOMMENDED:  🎟️ When is the Glastonbury 2024 resale? How to get tickets as lineup revealed🎶Here are some tips to help you hack the ticket s

The UK really does boast quite a lot of coastline – we’re an island, after all – and seeing every little lighthouse, cliff collection, sweeping bay and dramatic headland would be no walk on the beach. That’s not even all our coasts have to offer.  Our shores are decorated with a vast number of marvellous coastal settlements, from the characterful fishing villages of Wales and the upmarket enclaves of Cornwall to the pulsing party towns of the Sussex coast. Leave those clichés of soggy chips, rainy weather and nasty seagulls at home – our handpicked roundup of the country’s coolest and prettiest seaside towns includes knock-out restaurants and cutting-edge museums, as well as plenty of sandy walks for the sunniest days of the year. Without further ado, here are the UK’s very best seaside towns. RECOMMENDED:🌊The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UK🏖️The most amazing hidden beaches in the UK🐟The best fish and chips shops in the UK🌤️The best places to visit in the UK

It's official: London is experiencing a fast-mushrooming plant-based restaurant boom. Across the city, creative chefs are showing off their prowess with plants, creating pitch-perfect imitations of meaty comfort food classics, or dreaming up new vegetable-based delights. Whether you're after a lavish night of culinary theatre, a delicate Middle Eastern spread, or a carb-coma-inducing full English breakfast, you'll find it in our list of London's best vegan restaurants. Read on and plan your next plant-free feast. RECOMMENDED: London’s best restaurants for vegetarian food. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

We know that living in London can be tough on the skin, what with all the pollution and air-conditioned offices. And that’s before we even think about harsh weather, alcohol, sun exposure, dehydration and the inevitable passing of time (the joys). Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. Luckily, though, there are loads of great spas and treatment rooms in London where you can give your face a break. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense, read our pick of facials in London. You won’t regret it. RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London

Every week, a frankly stupid amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked.  Go forth and eat, featuring everything from hyped new Mayfair spot The Dover to French bistro bangers at Josephine in Fulham, Med sharing dishes at Morchella in Clerkenwell and Akara, a Michelin star restaurant offshoot in Borough. We also show some love for the sublime small plates at Hackney's Sune, modern Malaysian cuisine at Mambow in Clapton, tasty sausage at Bistro Freddie in Spitalfields, Italian-ish snacks at Forza Wine on the South Bank and Filipino sharing feasts at Donia in Soho.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London.

No matter the time of year, the UK’s beaches are amongst the finest attractions this country has to offer, but it’s in the summertime that they really come into their own. Fresh coastal air, soft sand between your toes, thunderously crashing waves and balmy weather? Well, maybe the weather bit is a little ambitious, but if all those come together life simply doesn’t get any better. The UK is home to dozens of drop-dead gorgeous beaches primed for you to explore. From vast, sandy crowd-pleasers conveniently located near pretty seaside towns to hidden coves with extremely clear sea water accessible only by boat or hike, these islands have it all. Whether you’re after picnic spots, nature-watching or the kind of scenes that look more like the Caribbean than the UK, this is our handpicked guide to the UK’s finest beaches. RECOMMENDED:🏖️The most amazing hidden beaches in the UK🌊The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UK🏊The best wild swimming spots in the UK🌤️The best places to visit in the UK 

We all know that Edinburgh is a great place to visit in August, when the city hosts the Fringe: the world’s largest arts festival, bursting with hundreds of theatre and comedy shows. But if you’d rather visit at another time, fear not: the Scottish capital is an excellent place to explore all year round.  From tucking into its top-notch restaurant scene and exploring charming boozers to navigating its rich, fascinating history and checking out the city’s busy cultural offerings, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Oh, and did we mention the scenery? Absolutely braw (that’s the Scots word for ‘glorious’).  So, whether you’re planning a quick getaway, a longer holiday or even a Fringe-long trip, you won’t be short on options. Better get packing: here are the best things to do Edinburgh. RECOMMENDED:🪩 The best clubs in Edinburgh🍹 The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh🏨 The best hotels in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh🏰 The best attractions in Edinburgh This guide was last updated by Time Out’s features editor Chiara Wilkinson, who is originally from Edinburgh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

The UK’s shores are adorned with a collection of incredible beaches, many of which are well-known, and deservedly so. However, there’s something about smaller and more discreet sandy spots that can really elevate your day out. These hidden beaches are perfect for lazing around in the sun, for a bit of relaxation and rejuvenation – far from the crowds, crying kids and ice cream vans. And although sharing these off-the-beaten-track treasures may seem contradictory, we’d argue that they are secrets simply too good not to spill.  Our list of the best hidden beaches in the UK is filled with peaceful spots for a day of doing absolutely nothing, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Sounds lush, right? We thought so. Grab your sun cream, roll up a towel and bring a good book, then head to one of the UK’s gorgeous hidden spots. RECOMMENDED:🌈The most colourful places in the UK🌤️The best places to visit in the UK 🌼The most scenic hikes in the UK🏰The most beautiful castles in the UK

Forget ‘saving money’ in 2024. You know what your New Year’s resolution should be? Get out more. Do more stuff. See more of the world. Life is short, after all – and 2024 promises a tonne of unmissable festivals, art, food and music. There are openings and re-openings. Brand-new train routes criss-crossing countries and continents. Whacky places to party. And even if the cossie livs does have you tightening the purse strings, there are plenty of free and affordable events on this list, too.  So get your booking fingers at the ready: your 2024 bucket list awaits. This is our definitive guide to the coolest new things to do in the world next year. See you out there!  RECOMMENDED:😎 The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🌃 The best European city breaks for 2024🖼️ The world’s best museums and galleries

It’s that time again. Every year, we ask thousands of city-dwellers to tell us the coolest spots in their cities. What are the places locals love and visitors flock to? Where are the exciting new openings across food, drink and culture? Where are people going out, hanging out and having fun? For the sixth year running, the results are in. Over 12,000 people had their say in this year’s shortlist, naming the neighbourhoods in their hometowns where everyone wants to be right now. Then, we narrowed down the selection with the insight and expertise of city editors and local experts who know their cities better than anyone else. To create and rank the final list, we considered factors including community and social ventures, access to open and green space, and thriving street life. In 2023, our neighbourhoods are more global than ever before. The rise and rise in post-pandemic digital nomadism has led to an explosion of brand-new community spaces, multi-purpose culture centres and more cafés than we can count on two hands. But while most of these neighbourhoods have experienced a transformation over recent years, they remain resolutely local at heart. Slick new developments and cool cafés might bring in new crowds, but neighbourhood stalwarts – from old pubs to family greengrocers – keep it real.  The world’s coolest neighbourhoods this year are, therefore, places with big personalities. Each area’s diversity is reflected in its food, culture and festivals. Community is key: local

If you’re after a ticks-all-the-boxes salon, look no further than Brooks and Brooks, which has been shaping and snipping the barnets of Londoners for more than two decades. Carrying a heady reputation in the hairdressing world for nurturing young, up-and-coming talent, they recently relocated from their home in Sicilian Avenue to a bright and breezy salon space in Covent Garden which previously housed Charles Worthington. I visited with a head of dodgy faded red dye, my dark natural roots beginning to peak through, and tasked Artistic Director Marlon with the mission to get my locks back as close to my original shade as possible. The consultation was in-depth and holistic, taking into account my washing routine and long-term goals – and I was impressed with the results, walking away with a mop of deep, rich, chocolate brown which blended perfectly with my natural hair. At Brooks, you really feel like you’re being listened to: your concerns and hairy ambitions are taken into account with genuine care and attention. You won’t find any pretence here: they do hair, and do it extremely well. 

From the same minds who brought you Ducksoup in Soho and Little Duck The Picklery in Dalston comes a new venture with its sights set on France. Camille is unassuming at first, with classic French dishes using local British produce (you’re in Borough Market, after all), lots of wine and a packed chalkboard of daily specials. But once you’re a course or two in, windows steamy with condensation and a few glasses deep – perhaps fighting the temptation to run your finger over those last drops of sauce – you might as well be on a backstreet of Montmartre as opposed to Southwark. The interiors are rustic, but not gaudy; bottles are displayed on the walls, candles dot the tables and the whole place hums with a just-loud-enough bustle. And the food? It delivers. We started with oysters and rhubarb (very fresh), before the smaller starter plates arrived: zesty shredded crab toast with garlic and bisque and gorgeously tender pig’s head schnitzel with a crunchy, bitter puntarelle salad. You might as well be on a backstreet of Montmartre as opposed to Southwark A highlight was the Jerusalem artichoke with serious bite, all disguised in a joyous, fluffy cloud of Lincolnshire poacher cheese. When it comes to mains, prepare yourself for some serious meat damage. The langoustine cassoulet – a stew of flesh in a deep, rich trad sauce – was topped with two delicate but disappointingly slim pink morsels. The pork special was on the dryer side, but saved by a swimming pool of velvety shallot a

As soon as the designs for the £1 billion St James redevelopment were drawn up, controversy followed – with locals fearing that the spiralling ribbon-shaped building would ruin Edinburgh’s skyline. But now construction is complete and you’re able to take in the city from the twelfth floor of the W Hotel – martini in hand – it seems like a lot less people are complaining.  Sometimes brand spanking new hotels can feel a little soulless, like they could be anywhere – and it’s true that the slick, modern design of W feels a little more spaceship than Scotland – but there’s a careful attention to detail here which helps to tie everything together elegantly, without stuffing the fact you’re in Edinburgh down your throat. Artworks by Scottish photographers hang on the walls, books on the history of tartan line shelves, and you’re greeted with an uber-friendly local welcome as soon as you step through the door. With luxe suites, top-class facilities, vast glass windows and private terraces looking out onto dramatic views of Arthurs Seat and the Scott Monument – as well as Georgian townhouse rooms available across the square, an onsite restaurant, bars and spa – this is a destination hotel boasting style and maximum comfort.  Neighbourhood Situated in the St James Quarter moments away from Waverley Rail Station, convenience is part of what makes this hotel so bloody great. It’s bang in the city centre, meaning you’re minutes away from Princes Street Gardens, a short tram ride away fro

Tomato skins, preserved lemons, vietnamese pepper, blueberry vinaigrette, pickled daikon, dehydrated corn, nettle leaves. Walk into Scully’s restaurant from the concrete monotony of St James’s market and you’ll greeted with jars upon jars of ingredients – dried, fermented, preserved – all arranged like curious specimens in a science lab. The experiments, of course, are what forms the basis of Scully’s culinary wizardry: these curiosities, lined up in every colour of the rainbow, help the kitchen to be as zero waste as possible while making the best of different global cuisines, nodding to the chef’s eclectic heritage. (Scully is Malaysian-born, Sydney-raised, with a mother of Chinese/Indian descent and father of Irish/Balinese.)  The whole thing feels understated and clean, allowing the dishes – which were definitely not understated – to sing, like paintings on a white gallery wall The ex-Ottolenghi chef decided to add a vegan tasting menu to his offering in autumn of 2023 – an ambitious eight course arrangement clocking in at £95 per head plus an extra £75 for the wine flight. Your money goes a long way: the portions are on the healthy side of generous and you’ll leave feeling fully stuffed in a nice, plant-based kind of way. The interiors are chic with natural finishings, soundtracked by the clinking and clanking of an open kitchen, making it the sort of place to go for something special but unfussy. The whole thing feels understated and clean, allowing the dishes – which

Taking place in a beautifully renovated church in the gentle coastal town of Tywyn, in the shadow of southern Snowdonia, Sunset Bay Retreats offer nourishing yoga getaways multiple times a year. Experiences are sculpted around the season – choose from the likes of Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox and Veganuary – and take place over long weekends as well as during the week. While some yoga retreats can seem stuffy or pretentious, these are far from it. Your hosts, Maggie and Graham (as well as their friendly pooch, Smudge), welcome you into the chapel with a family-like warmth and instantly put you at ease. You’re able to adapt the activities of the stay to your own pace and, importantly, you won’t be frowned upon if you use your phones or have a glass of wine. I visited in mid September, arriving with my joints stiff with stress from the work week. But after the long weekend, I left with clarity of mind and feeling the most relaxed I had in months.  The yoga studio – a vast hall-like space in the centre of the chapel – was the stage for twice-daily yoga practice. (If you’re lucky, you’ll get to do some yoga sessions by the epic sunset on the beach – hence the name – and while the weather didn’t quite allow it this time, it’s a great excuse to come back.) This was by no means a ‘hardcore’ yoga retreat: the sessions were on the slower side with a focus on deepening stretches and holding poses, meaning they were extremely relaxing and easily adapted to different skill levels. A

Calling all facon fanatics and tofu enthusiasts. Billing itself as London’s largest plant-based party, Vegan Nights is going all spooky on us with a halloween special at Truman Brewery. Showcasing the best that the vegan food scene has to offer, a curated line-up of excellent food stalls will be be serving up delightful plant-based grub alongside some seasonal thrills. Once you’ve gobbled your way through all of that, you can wash it down with pints of vegan beer and boogie to live DJ sets that cover reggae, roots, bashment, grime, house, and party classics. Four legged friends allowed, and it's all ages, with under 12s in for free.   

Pub grub takes on a whole new meaning in east London these days. Out: sloppy plates of haddock and chips, pork crackling and salted peanuts. In: lobster bisque and scallops, natty wine and Perelló olives. It’s gentrification in action, but that aside, the concept of trendy-pub-plus-trendy-chef has proven itself to be a winner.  The Prince Arthur, tucked into a corner of Victorian terraces near London Fields, was re-launched in 2020 by Emma Piggott and Jonathan Mercer, who also own The Plough in Homerton. Since then, it’s earned a reputation for attracting voguish kitchen talent, boasting a hyped Hot 4 U pop-up residency (which led to Papi, which you can find around the corner) and a stint from chef Vivienne Duffy. This summer, it welcomed Joe Couldridge, whose culinary career spans the likes of Hawksmoor, Leroy, and more recently, The Clarence Tavern in Stokey. Besides being a great pub, the food at the Prince Arthur is knife-and-fork-down brilliant. There’s a proper neighbourhood feel about The Prince Arthur, making it just as likely to be bustling with Salomon-wearing creative couples popping in for some mid-dog walk hydration as it is with tables of foodies tucking into a celebratory dinner. It’s a charming, laid-back place, with high-quality fittings, well-worn wooden tables and classic pub signage. Walk past in August and you’ll see punters licking Guinness froth from their moustaches, spilling out from the pavement into the gutter; in winter, the windows are steamy as

The flagship site of Trevor Sorbie is a quick stroll away from Covent Garden tube station, tucked away behind the main shopping street. It’s a beautifully sleek, open salon with large windows letting in plenty of light (so you can be sure that colour is just right). All of the stylists here are top-tier, oozing with quality and – importantly – great chat. As a customer, the experience feels truly personalised – they’re crafty with more classic cuts but will also be open to get creative with bolder colours and looks – and are always upfront about what will or will not suit your face and hair type (which, let’s be real, we’re always be grateful for). A lot of these guys have been pros for many years or are hair educators, they’re in high demand, so be organised: you’ll want to book an appointment well in advance to get the hands (and scissors) you’re after.  One thing which feels especially forward-thinking about this place is the salon’s gender neutral pricing: prices start at £89 for a cut and finish for all genders. Oh, and if you take up their offer of a glass of fizz while the stylist snips away, there’s a very high chance you’ll walk out of your appointment with a runway-ready locks that could convinced that Floral Street is, in fact, a LFW catwalk. 

The worst types of vegans are the ones who constantly remind you. They’ll have ‘plant-based’ in their Instagram bios and introduce themselves as a vegan like they’re a duke or doctor. They’ll shove it down your throat when you open your mouth to speak to the waiter, almost like you could have possibly forgotten about their delicate dietaries.  I’m joking, obviously, but the point is: Mallow does none of that. Its vegan-ness is merely a footnote, and I’m sure if you were blindfolded you’d find it hard to say if some of the dishes had animal products in them or not. The menu spans cuisine from all over: Middle Eastern, Italian, Indian, Malaysian – or just burger and chips.  The first Mallow opened in Borough Market in 2021, from London mainstay veggie chain Mildreds, which has been on the scene since the late eighties. This second branch on Wood Wharf, feels a little less upmarket than its elder sister. But then again, it’s looking out over cold concrete and hurried commuters grappling with umbrellas rather than the Thames, so we’ll let that slide. Large, leafy murals are painted on the ceiling and lights reflect off vast glass windows, giving the whole thing an open, warm feeling. The menu spans cuisine from all over: Middle Eastern, Italian, Indian, Malaysian – or just burger and chips.  After wetting your palette with house cocktails – there are flirty twists on the classics, like a raspberry basil Margarita and lemongrass tepache sour – you’ll want to reach for the small p

Ever wanted to have a nosy around some of London’s coolest private buildings? Open House London gives city dwellers free access to some of the capital’s architectural wonders that aren’t usually open to the public – from schools and offices to domestic homes and places of worship. The hugely popular, capital-wide fortnight-long festival is back for 2023, with properties open for your to peak in – for free – all across the capital's 33 boroughs. All you need to do is create an account online and you can register to see as many buildings in the programme as you like. As well as the festival’s usual line-up of community events, drop-in sessions and tours, this year, there are also plenty of events tailored specifically to young people. As ever, lots of the tours and buildings are extremely popular so get planning which buildings you’d like to see well ahead of time to beat the queues.  Check out last year's Open House highlights

This is opera meets Korean traditional theatre meets Euripides’s ancient Greek tragedy – and it all works together brilliantly. Put on by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea and directed by Ong Keng Sen, it’s a beautiful production of an epic scale, with an exhilarating sound bed and glorious displays of pansori (that’s Korean storytelling through song, accompanied by percussion).  Through the war-torn eyes of the left-behind Trojan women, the story follows the aftermath of the fall of Troy via the female struggle for power and rare, fleeting moments of maternal love. The nature of the story is unforgivingly bleak and, at times, it can be tough to watch. Gloom and doom aside, though, Euripides’ tragedy is interpreted magnificently here with successful nods to the Korean tradition.  The sound, by K-pop producer Jung Jae-il (who did the score for ‘Parasite’), is piercing and evocative, grounded by near-constant pounding drums and pervasive strings. It did well to roll over tension from one scene to the next and leave the spotlight to the pansori: a ​​visceral, throaty song that often sounded like weeping, it complemented the competing narratives of female anguish and resilience.  A simple white set, with its symmetrical stairs and considerable height, works as a backdrop for the projected video, with swirls of fire and water consuming the cast and creating a visual spectacle that only added another layer to all the drama. There’s a lot of finger-pointing and power-switch

Hannah Maxwell’s one-woman show is both endearingly funny and cripplingly sad. It starts in Luton, where she’d moved to look after her recently widowed nan, who leads a slow life, consisting of daytime TV, microwaved Oat-So-Simple and ready-made cottage pie. Meanwhile, Maxwell daydreams about the French Eurovision star Barbara Pravi, lurching into far-flung fantasies and coming up with a ridiculous masterplan to learn French fluently and seduce her.  Maxwell is an absolute pleasure to watch: she has a way of filling the room and a gentle cheekiness, for example when she comically leaves the audience just sitting there, awkwardly, while she puts headphones on to do chores. Her storytelling is stirringly evocative but, despite the mundane subject matter, never dull. The clever staging and charming use of audience participation helps her routine tasks feel urgent, while the near-constant pinging of her phone reminds us of her sacrifices as a carer. It’s obvious that she’s never truly present, yet she continues to crack jokes and flirt with the audience to trick us into thinking that she’s fine; happy perhaps. Even her delusional infatuation with Pravi seems, for a minute, not completely out of the question.  Fast-forward and we soon find out that, actually, nan is fine: it is Maxwell who is struggling to go at life alone. At the end, a confessional twist is revealed and the fast pace of the play is brought to a sobering halt. This is a story about addiction, obsession and grie

Disputes between trade unions and train companies in the UK have now been dragging on for two years, with rail workers taking action to protest poor pay and working conditions. So, it’s a surprise to absolutely no one that more train strikes are on the way.  Today (April 22), ASLEF has announced that train drivers at 16 operators across the UK will be walking out over three days in May. And that isn’t all: drivers will also take part in a six-day overtime ban. The union’s members previously voted to continue striking until at least August 2024. In better news, industrial action on London’s tube network has been called off, including on a date in May. The RMT also says that it has come to some sort of agreement with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) over pay and job security that will pause action by RMT members until sometime this spring.  Here is everything you need to know about upcoming industrial action on the UK’s rail network.  RECOMMENDED: All you need to know about the train strikes in London. When are the next train strike dates? The next train strikes will take place on on May 7-9, while drivers will not work overtime from May 6-11.  What train lines will be affected? For the upcoming strikes on May 7-9, different operators will be impacted on different days. Here’s the breakdown. May 7: c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, South Western and Gatwick Express. May 8: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands R

Fancy yourself a bit of a runner? The London Marathon is one of the biggest sporting events of the calendar, boasting 50,000 runners and millions of pounds raised for worthy causes each year. It’s not as simple as just lacing up your trainers and showing up on the day, though. Not only will you need serious preparation, but you’ll also have to be allocated an official place via a competitive ballot system. Do you think you have what it takes? Here’s everything you need to know about entering the London Marathon 2025.  How to enter the 2025 London Marathon To secure your spot in next year’s race, make sure you’re ready to enter the ballot, which opens on Saturday April 20, one day before the 2024 edition of the race and closes on Friday 26 April. You’ll find out if you got a spot before the end of July.  When is the London Marathon 2025? Mark those calendars: the London Marathon 2025 is on Sunday, April 27, 2025.  When is the London Marathon ballot announced? The ballot opened on April 20, 2024, and will close on April 26, 2024. The results of the ballot are then announced in July. How much does entering the ballot cost? It depends. For UK participants, the cost of a place is £69.99 with the option to donate their entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust.  For international entrants, it costs £120 for a place, plus a £26 carbon offset levy. Can anyone enter the London Marathon? They can, but if you’re entering from outside the UK you will need to enter via a recognis

Hot Swiftie summer is well and truly on the way. While Taylor Swift might currently be taking her Eras tour around Australia, it won’t be long before she hits UK shores. Only a few more months to spend waiting around, pouring over set lists and constantly refreshing our feeds to hear news about the star.  On her US leg, we saw the mega star perform through a torrential storm, dive head first into the stage, partake in a short-lived (and bizarre) relationship with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, and bring her ex Taylor Lautner out to do a few backflips. We can only hope that the UK leg will be just as exciting and spectacular.  And as any hardcore fan knows, Tay Tay truly is the gift that keeps on giving. After the chaotic scramble for UK tickets left thousands disappointed, she announced extra dates and is set to play 15 shows in the UK – including eight in London. Here's everything we know about Taylor’s Eras tour in the UK.  RECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about Taylor Swift’s 2024 London datesExpert tips to get tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UKAll you need to know about Pulp at Cardiff International Arena When is Taylor Swift coming to the UK as part of her 2024 Eras tour? We now know for sure that Taylor is going on tour in the UK and dates have finally been announced. She’ll be over in two rounds throughout June and August – you can find out more about specific dates and locations below.  Two new London shows announced for the UK Eras tour Additiona

The London marathon happens (pretty much) every year, but somehow that doesn’t stop it coming as a huge surprise to even the most seasoned city-dwellers. So if you’re not already clued up, please be warned that this Sunday April 21, you’ll find 48,000 sweat-drenched runners stampeding through the city, trailing cheering fans, road closures, traffic restrictions in their wake. If your weekend plans involve a pleasant stroll through Blackheath, motoring over Tower Bridge, or picnicking in St James’ Park, please read on. Knowledge is power.  RECOMMENDED: Here’s the full guide to the 2024 London MarathonCheck out the 2024 route here What roads will be closed for the London marathon 2024? This handy map marks the overall route.   Image: Courtesy London Marathon But the roads on it aren’t necessarily closed all day. Instead, their closing times are staggered as the runners make their way from Greenwich to central London, meaning that an afternoon browsing the chichi shops of Blackheath is far from off the cards. Read on for a full breakdown of road closures and times:Charlton Way, Greenwich: 4am to 1pmShooters Hill Road: 4am to 1pmSt John’s Park: 7am to 1pmCharlton Park Road: 7am to 1pmOld Dover Road: 7am to 1pmLittle Heath: 7am to 1pmCharlton Park Lane: 7am to 1pmArtillery Place: 7am to 1pmJohn Wilson Street: 7am to 1pmWoolwich Church Street: 7am to 2pmWoolwich Road: 7am to 2pmTrafalgar Road: 7am to 3pmCreek Road: 7am to 3pmEvelyn Street: 8am to 4pmSurrey Quays Road: 8am to 4pmS

Not sure if you’d heard, but there’s quite a big race happening in London at the weekend. Big enough for the city to be brought to a sort-of-standstill and for your office manager to send out email after email reminding you to sponsor those very fit colleagues of yours. It’s even big enough for your mate to excuse themselves from your birthday pints on Saturday night. Must be pretty big, then. We are – of course – talking about the 2024 London Marathon, which will see around 48,000 people chuck on their trainers and run a hefty 26.2 miles this Sunday, 21 April for some worthy-ass causes. And even if you’re not running, even if you’re not cheering someone on from the sidelines, chances are you’ll sense some of the marathon energy if you venture into central London this weekend. The pubs will be packed, roads will be closed and you’ll probably see one or two people wondering around in tinfoil cloaks.  So what are the all-important deets? Here’s all of the essential timings you need to know about the London Marathon 2024 this weekend.  Where and when does the London Marathon 2024 start? The race kicks off in Greenwich Park on Sunday morning at around 8.30am with professional athletes leading the way. The masses then set off in waves. From 10am to 11.30am a sequence of start waves will take place, with short gaps in between to allow the course ahead to clear. All start lines will be closed by 11.30am.  Does everyone start the London Marathon at the same time? No: imagine the chao

This winter has felt particularly long, hasn’t it? Finally, spring is within sight. The biannual clock change will take place at the end of this month, meaning the UK is about to return to longer, brighter days. And with that, comes all of the good stuff: picnics in the park, beer gardens, beach days and music festivals.   Once the clocks go forward, sunlight will finally stretch into evening, though sunrise will happen a little later than in the past weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about when the clocks go forward in the UK in 2024.  When do the clocks go forward in 2024?  Mark your calendars: in 2024, the clocks will go forward on Sunday, March 31 at 1am.  Will I lose or gain an extra hour in bed? With all the different dates and times, it’s easy to get confused about what it actually means for us in practical terms. But as the time change occurs at night (at 1am, the clocks will go forward to 2am), most of us will be sleeping. The March time change means we lose an hour in bed. When will the clocks go back again? In autumn 2024, the clocks will go back on October 27 at 2am.  Why do we change the clocks in the UK? The tradition of changing clocks began in 1916 in an attempt to make better use of daylight hours. Daylight Saving Time (or British Summer Time) meant people could work for longer and could save fuel during the war.  Which other countries change the clocks? More than 70 countries around the globe change their clocks, with most European countries chan

Holidaymakers, we’ve got bad news. Border Force staff at Heathrow (the UK’s biggest and busiest airport) are threatening to walk out from April onwards in a dispute over changes to workers’s shifts. If the strike is approved by a ballot of 600 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU), industrial action could impact the Easter holidays.  Travelling in or out of Heathrow this Easter? Here’s everything you need to know about the potential strikes, from the dates they could take place to the expected amount of disruption. When are the Heathrow strikes meant to take place?  The ballot of PCSU workers will run until March 22. The earliest a strike could take place is April 5.  Who is going on strike at Heathrow Airport? Around 600 Border Force officers who are members of the PCSU could strike.  What airlines are affected? As the strike hasn’t been confirmed, the scale of the potential disruption at Heathrow hasn’t yet been quantified.  Why are Border Force workers striking? The PCSU has said workers are unhappy about Heathrow’s changes to rosters and shift patterns, which will apparently leave Border Force employees working long, exhausting shifts.  What’s been said about the strikes?  PCSU General Secretary Fran Heathcote said: ‘Our members at Heathrow are united in their opposition to these draconian plans. ‘One aspect of the plans would force workers to choose between finding another job or losing their allowances. Another would see others having to sign u

Neil Halstead speaks to me over the phone from Cologne, where Slowdive are currently on tour. It’s been a busy few months – they’ve just returned from South America, where they played Argentina, Chile and Brazil – so it’s been a while since the frontman has spent any substantial time in Newquay, the Cornish town he’s called home since 1994.  ‘It used to be just a little sleepy surf town that would get busy in the summer; a lot of families would come down for holidays,’ he says. ‘Now, it’s changed a bit. There’s lots of nice coffee shops and many different surf schools. In some ways I miss when it was a little less gentrified. But it’s still a lovely place.’ Neil recommends visiting in September or April, when the surf and weather is good but the crowds are at bay. Here are his top things to do.   Eat ‘Pachanga is quite close to where I live. They do simple Mexican food, like huevos rancheros for breakfast. The couple who run it used to have a food truck parked up in town and they finally got their own spot. If you want fancy food there’s a place called Verbena, from chefs Adam Banks and Mariana Chaves, which does small plates. If you’re feeling a little bit flush, it’s a good place to go.’ Drink ‘The Red Lion is the most traditional pub still in Newquay. It overlooks the harbour and they do a good quiz night on Tuesdays. It’s always busy. The pubs in Newquay close at about 11, but there’s a bunch of clubs that are open until two or three in the morning. In summer, it gets pre

When speaking to Marshall Jefferson – the American producer responsible for the legendary late eighties house track, ‘Move Your Body’ – with his warm, thick Chicago accent, you might be surprised to hear that these days, he’s an adopted Mancunian. ‘I was living in London in Chelsea, paying £3500 a month for a studio apartment,’ he says. ‘I visited some friends in Manchester and saw it was a lot cheaper, then moved in 2006. Now I’m living in Prestwich, a very nice neighbourhood.’ But as one of the original architects of the house music genre, Jefferson living in Manchester also completely makes sense. ‘The crowds are just enthusiastic to house now as when I started,’ he says. ‘The only difference is that in the ’90s, you had a lot of hits: there are no hits anymore. There’s thousands of new songs every day. You can’t just hop in the music business one day and come up with a hot song because nobody will ever hear it – and they’ll forget it, because nobody’s played it twice.’ This month, Jefferson is heading over to Leeds to play the 30th anniversary party of Love To Be, the established house music party series. ‘Certain people just do great events, they have it down to a science – Love To Be is one of them,’ he says. Ahead of the night, he talks us through his favourite spots in his adopted hometown of Manchester.  Eat   ‘My area is home to a lot of Orthodox Jewish people and you can get the best kosher at Shefa Mehadrin: fresh food, breads, duck eggs. It’s kinda expensive, but

We all know the air quality in London isn’t great. In fact, it’s pretty worrying – especially when we look at the levels in our widely-used tube network.  A recent study by Cambridge University academics, published in December 2022, found that ultrafine particles – those primarily generated by friction from wheels, tracks and brakes – are found in ‘abundance’ on the Underground. The study said that it ‘could have particularly adverse health impacts as their smaller size makes it possible to pass from lungs to the blood stream’. Thankfully, new technology is about to be trialled in an attempt to improve the air on the Underground. Transport for London will be deploying the tech at Baker Street and Green Park stations this winter, tackling dust on the network.  The Mayor’s Budget for 2024/25 said: ‘In winter 2023/24, we will trial a new air filtration system at Baker Street and Green Park stations. We are funding the trial as part of our work to test innovative solutions to improve air quality on the Underground.’ They’ll also be funding a team to explore the capturing and re-use of thermal energy from the tube’s ventilation shafts, which could then be used by external suppliers for nearby buildings. Want to find out more about how the capital is tackling pollution? Take a read of our interview with clean air campaigner Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, our 2023 Time Out Community Hero of the Year.  Did you see that a Queen Elizabeth II memorial garden is coming to Regent’s Park?

Ever since the Battersea Power Station re-opened its doors to the public in 2022, its luxury penthouses at the top of the building have been shrouded in mystery. Who’s living there? Does Harry Styles actually own one? What we do know, though, is they’re not cheap – as this lavish property to recently hit the market shows.  Situated in the Boiler House at Battersea Power Station, a four-bedroom property is up for grabs with a hefty price tag of £31 million. It actually combines two penthouses into one space – meaning you’ll have 5,167 square feet of the iconic building to call your own.  The main bedroom suite comes with two dressing rooms, a bathroom and ‘dual aspect’ bedroom with its own private roof terrace. On the top floor, there’s a media and family room, plus a study with balcony, two river-facing guest bedrooms, a kitchenette and utility room.   Photograph: Courtesy of Right Move   Photograph: Courtesy of Right Move You’ll also get an outdoor seating area under one of the former power station’s four chimneys, plus an internal roof garden – all with pretty enviable views over London’s skyline. That’s not all, though: also included is secure underground parking for four cars (because obviously you’ll own more than one if you can afford this kind of place), plus access to the eleventh floor communal resident garden and use of a 24/7 concierge service. To break a sweat, you’ll have access to a residents leisure facility, complete with gym, classes and a pool. The tran

We know it’s only the second day of 2024 and you’re probably caught up thinking about juice cleanses, ‘ins and outs’ lists and dragging your bones to the gym. Maybe you’re still fighting a two-day hangover from New Year’s Eve. Whatever you’re up to, thinking about festival season is probably reasonably far down on your list of priorities – but we’d argue it’s never too soon to start mapping out your events calendar for the coming months.  If you needed an excuse to draw up your festival hit-list for 2024, this is it. A music festival in Edinburgh has just been voted the best festival in the country at DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards 2023 – beating the likes of AVA Festival, Waterworks Festival, We Out Here Festival and Bassfest Summer Festival to the top spot.  Terminal V festival, a Warehouse Project-style electronic music event housed in the Royal Highland Centre, took home the prize at the awards ceremony in London last month. On receiving the award, co-founders Derek Martin and Simon McGrath said: ‘We are delighted to have won Best Festival for Terminal V at the DJ Mag Best of British Awards. ‘It’s a huge honour to be recognised for what we do, which is fuelled by our passion for electronic music and the scene which we have been a part of for many years. It is also testament to the growth and success of the festival over the last six years. We can’t wait for the tenth ever edition of Terminal V in Edinburgh in April next year – it’s set to be by far our biggest yet!’ The