Gail Tolley

There’s a reason why so many romantic comedy films are set in London; quite simply, it’s one of the best places in the world to be loved up. The picturesque Little Venice, the historic Whispering Gallery at St Paul's Cathedral, and Waterloo Bridge (which has breathtaking views of the city) are among the many romantic places to visit at any time of year – and we can’t get enough. But to encourage your love to reach full bloom, it's important to pick a hotel with the right kind of vibe. Breakfast in bed, complimentary cocktails upon arrival, and pampering spa packages are the sort of special touches that can make all the difference when you’re in the mood to woo... or maybe even pop the question. Take a look at our favourite romantic hotels in London.  Looking for more options? Check out London’s best Airbnbs or London's naughtiest hotels. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

London's best family-friendly hotels offer the perfect gateway to the city. From Hamleys’ overflowing shelves and some of the world's best attractions to the Science Museum’s inspiring exhibits, London is a magical playground for children. If you’re planning a family break to the city make sure you choose a hotel that knows how to make your stay really special. There are hotels that will bring milk and cookies to your little ones' beds before they go to sleep, where you can hire miniature scooters to race around Hyde Park and one that even has its own bowling alley. Below are ten of our favourite family hotels in London – they’ll soon make you wish you were a kid again!  Looking for more options? Check out London’s best Airbnbs This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Hot yoga and bikram has been well and truly embraced by Londoners over the last few years – once an eyebrow-raising exercise fad, today there are dozens of studios dedicated to the practice. Newbies might wonder what the attraction to doing exercise in tropical-level heat is, but proponents rave about the benefits of getting a good sweat on and the increased flexibility that the heat allows, while others just like a spot of warmth on a cold London night. And who can blame them? Here we’ve rounded up the very best studios offering hot yoga and bikram in London. Just don't try any on a hangover!

These stuck-at-home times have us all pining for the freedoms of the big city: to hang out, see the sights, or just sip a pint and watch the world go by. We can’t do it – at least, for the moment – so why not experience the big city vicariously and take a trip to its most glamorous nooks and seediest crannies as captured by some great filmmakers? From the silent era right up to the present day, Time Out’s list of the best London movies covers comedy, horror, sci-fi, romance, disaster movies, political dramas and psychedelic thrillers. But they’re all united by one thing – they’re set and shot in the greatest city in the known universe… RECOMMENDED: The 100 best British films of all time

Read any guide to Aberdeen and you’ll soon find it called The Granite City – a reference to the shimmery local stone used to construct many of its buildings. Catch it on a sunny day and it’s an undeniably handsome place. But this city, an hour from Scotland’s dramatic Cairngorms National Park, has more than looks on its side. There’s a lively café scene, ace musuems and a sandy beach, complete with salty sea air and impressive wildlife. RECOMMENDED: Visit Royal Deeside, Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye

Want to stretch it out while taking in London’s beautiful skyline? Then get yourself along to one of these rooftop yoga classes. From the Shard and Sky Garden to Peckham’s Bussey Building, we’ve found the best places to perfect your yoga poses up in the sky. Yoga in London doesn’t get more exhilarating than this!  RECOMMENDED: The best yoga in London

Nobody ever looks forward to a wax, but if you’re inclined to strip off all your unwanted hair come summer (or all year round!) they can be a necessary – if painful – part of life. While no wax is going to be pain-free, we’ve rounded up all of the locations that offer the quickest, most professional, most painless waxes possible. From no-frills salons to luxury beauty parlours whose decadence will really take the edge off your visit, these are London’s best waxers. RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London

Já foi descrito como uma espécie de “Mary Poppins para millennials”, mas Tully é mais do que isso. Charlize Theron interpreta Marlo, que está grávida do terceiro filho. Antecipando o stress e as horas sem dormir ao virar da esquina, o seu irmão e a mulher dele contratam uma ama, a tal Tully, interpretada por Mackenzie Davis, uma jovem de 26 anos e espírito livre. Com direcção de Jason Reitman (o realizador de Juno) e escrito por Diablo Cody (também de Juno), o filme está cheio de frases certeiras e atitudes directas e desbocadas. Mas o mais importante é a maneira honesta e sensível como a parentalidade e o crescimento são retratados.   Poucas vezes a parentalidade foi retratada de uma maneira tão realista. Foi uma história que achaste que tinha de ser contada? O meu filho mais novo tinha mais ou menos seis meses quando eu li o guião e, já tendo criado duas crianças, a história pareceu-me muito familiar. Foi refrescante ver alguém a contar a verdade sobre certas coisas, sem querer saber do estigma que se abate sobre os pais que são honestos. Os diálogos da Diablo Cody são certeiros, como de costume. Houve alguma frase de que gostasses particularmente? Sim, ela é hilariante. Há uma frase no guião que eu adoro: “As raparigas não cicatrizam, se olhares de perto estamos todas cobertas de corrector.” É mesmo a cara dela. Também gosto muito da forma como usa aquelas expressões que as mães estão sempre a dizer sobre ter filhos, que “é uma bênção” e “a melhor coisa de sempre”. Eu est

It’s been described as a ‘“Mary Poppins” for millennials’ but Charlize Theron’s new movie ‘Tully’ is far better than that. Theron plays Marlo, who’s expecting her third child. Anticipating the impending sleeplessness and stress, her brother and his wife pay for a night nanny. She arrives in the form of Tully (Mackenzie Davis), a free-spirited 26-year-old. Directed by Jason Reitman (‘Young Adult’, also starring Theron, ‘Juno’) and written by Diablo Cody (also ‘Juno’), it’s full of spiky one-liners and telling-it-like-it-is attitude. But more importantly, it’s a sensitive and relatable look at parenthood and growing up. I spoke to Theron to find out more. Parenthood has rarely been portrayed so realistically. Was this a story you felt needed to be told?‘My youngest was around six months old when I read the script and, having raised two small kids in my life, it just felt familiar to me. It was refreshing for somebody to be telling the truth about what it feels like sometimes and not worrying about the stigma that comes when parents are being honest.’ Getting the hump with the bump: Charlize Theron on the set of ‘Tully’ Diablo Cody’s dialogue is typically sharp. Were there any of her lines you particularly loved?‘Oh yeah, she’s hilarious. I absolutely loved the line, “Girls don’t heal, if you look up close we’re all just covered in concealer.” It’s such quintessential Diablo. And I loved how she used all these things you hear mothers say about having kids, like “It’s a blessing”

You’d be forgiven for not immediately recognising Busy Philipps. But cast your mind back to the late ’90s or early noughties and you might remember this 38-year-old actor from two of the most influential US TV teen series ever. Perhaps most memorably, she played Kim Kelly in creator Paul Feig and  producer Judd Apatow’s perfectly written comedy ‘Freaks and Geeks’. The queen ‘freak’, she prowled the corridors of William McKinley High slamming lockers like only the best TV school bully can. And from 2001 to 2003 she was part of the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ cast. Admittedly it was in the show’s slightly dodgy ‘college years’, but as Audrey Liddell she was accepted as an honorary member of the Capeside cohort – showing girl-next-door Joey (Katie Holmes) how to have a good time. On vacation, I am deeply committed to giant sunglasses and 3 Mai Tais a day. 🍹🍹🍹 A post shared by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on Mar 30, 2018 at 6:34pm PDT In the last 20 years, though, Philipps hasn’t exactly hit the big time. There were a few small roles, such as in 2004’s ‘White Chicks’, and a TV comeback in Courteney Cox’s sitcom ‘Cougar Town’. But there’s a twist in this story: in the past two years Philipps has found a new, unexpected audience through… wait for it… Instagram Stories. Some of her stories have reached near-legendary status. She did a series after she was locked out of her house in the middle of the night after the Golden Globe Awards. There’s another where she dyes her best mate

Wes Anderson’ın eşi benzeri yok. Ustalaştığı stili, mizah anlayışı, belirli renk paletlerine duyduğu bağlılık ile yarattığı şaheserler, farklı zevklere sahip seyircileri bile büyülüyor. Son eseri ‘Isle of Dogs / Köpek Adası’, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox / Yaman Tilki’ (2009)’ ile beraber yönetmenin ikinci animasyon filmi. Japonya yakınlarındaki bir adada geçen film, köpeklerle dolu sevimli bir macerayı anlatıyor. Bir çeşit köpek gribinin ardından ülkenin tüm köpekleri bu adaya sürülüyor. Wes Anderson yapımlarından alıştığımız her türlü görsel zenginlik bu filmde de var, hoşgörülü olmak hakkında verdiği güzel mesaj da cabası. Harvey Keitel’ın ulumasını dinleme fırsatı sunduğunu da unutmayalım. ‘Isle of Dogs’u, Londra’da gördüğünüz gerçek Isle of Dogs [Londra’da bir bölge] tabelalarından ilham alarak çektiğinize dair bir dedikodu dolanıyor. Aslı astarı var mı? Doğru, ama tamamen unutmuştum! ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ta da çalışan yapımcımız Jeremy Dawson bir röportajında bu hikayeyi anlatmıştı. Ben de filme başlamamın sebebinin Isle of Dogs tabelasını görmem olduğunu o an fark ettim. Isle of Dogs’un ne olduğunu bilmiyordum bile. Yalnızca ne olabileceğini tahmin ediyordum. ‘Isle of Dogs’un arka planında farklılıkları kucaklamak ve hoşgörülü olmak hakkında önemli bir mesaj var. Bu mesaj, güncel politik gelişmelerden ilham alıyor mu? Film üzerinde çalışmaya neredeyse altı yıl önce başladık, yani biz filmi yaparken dünya çok değişti. Sık sık etrafımızda olup bitenin, hikayede olanlarla ilgili old

Não há outro realizador como Wes Anderson. O mestre do estilo, o defensor do irrisório, o apreciador de paletas de cor muito específicas… Independentemente do gosto pessoal, os seus filmes são sempre espantosos. Ilha dos Cães é o mais recente, e o segundo de animação, após O Fantástico Senhor Raposo. Uma adorável aventura canina que se passa numa ilha perto do Japão para onde todos os canídeos do país foram banidos depois de um surto de “gripe canina”. Tem toda a riqueza visual que se espera de um filme de Wes Anderson, bem como uma mensagem altamente positiva sobre a importância da tolerância. Ah, e Harvey Keitel a uivar. Telefonámos ao realizador umas semanas antes da estreia e ele foi encantador. Ouvi dizer que Ilha dos Cães foi inspirado por indicações e sinais rodoviários para a verdadeira Isle of Dogs [Ilha dos Cães], em Londres. Isso é verdade? É verdade, mas eu tinha-me esquecido completamente. O nosso produtor, Jeremy Dawson, que também trabalhou em O Fantástico Senhor Raposo, deu uma entrevista e contou a alguém [essa história]. Foi quando percebi que a ideia inicial do filme nasceu das indicações para Isle of Dogs – que eu nem sabia o que era. Estava apenas a imaginar o que poderia ser. Há uma importante mensagem subjacente ao filme sobre inclusão e tolerância. Os recentes desenvolvimentos políticos foram uma inspiração? Nós começamos a trabalhar no filme há mais ou menos seis anos e o mundo mudou muito enquanto estávamos a fazê-lo. Tanto que começámos por nos in

Hollywood suele clasificar a sus personajes como si estuvieran hechos en blanco y negro: los buenos son buenos y los malos son malos. Por eso la trama de 'El día que venderá', un drama de posguerra con un buen reparto, es provocadora en su exploración de las áreas grises de la moralidad humana. Estamos en el año 1945, y la guerra acaba de terminar. Una mujer británica, Rachael (Keira Knightley), viaja a Alemania para reencontrarse con su marido, Lewis (Jason Clark), un coronel que carga el peso de tener que reconstruir un país hundido. En lugar de convertirse en un interrogatorio de culpa y colaboración con el legado tóxico del nazismo, la trama de este film es un relato sobre la tentación, la lujuria y la aflicción reprimida. A menudo, sin embargo, la trama peca de superficial y se acerca a la telenovela.

Hollywood sol classificar els seus personatges com si fossin en blanc i negre: els bons són bons i els dolents són dolents. Per això la trama d’'El dia que vendrá', un drama de postguerra amb un bon repartiment, és provocadora en la seva exploració de les àrees grises de la moralitat humana. Som a l’any 1945, i la guerra tot just ha acabat. Una dona britànica, la Rachael (Keira Knightley), viatja a Alemanya per retrobar-se amb el seu marit, en Lewis (Jason Clark), un coronel que carrega el pes d’haver de reconstruir un país ensorrat. En lloc de convertir-se en un interrogatori de culpa i col·laboració amb el llegat tòxic del nazisme, la trama d’aquest film es converteix en un relat de la temptació, la luxúria i l’aflicció reprimida. Sovint, però, la trama peca de superficial i s’apropa a la telenovel·la.

‘Jellyfish’ transfers to National Theatre in July 2019. This review is from its 2018 premiere at Bush Theatre. The set-up of ‘Jellyfish’ is familiar. Girl meets boy. Girl’s mum is unimpressed with boy. Cue: a lot of fraught arguments. But Ben Weatherill’s play, directed by Tim Hoare, has more nuance and layers than that premise suggests. The girl in question, Kelly (played by Sarah Gordy) has Down Syndrome. And her boyfriend, Neil (Ian Bonar), doesn’t. When Kelly’s mum, Agnes (Penny Layden), finds out, she’s alarmed. Is Neil exploiting Kelly? Does Kelly know what she’s getting herself involved in?Set in Skegness, with fairground paraphernalia adorning the set and sand underfoot, ‘Jellyfish’ looks at what it’s like to have a relationship when you have a learning disability. And it does so with a heap of compassion and gentle humour. Weatherill’s writing is crafted in such a way that we clearly see where each person is coming from – Kelly wants to live her own life, Agnes is trying to make sure her daughter doesn’t get hurt and poor Neil is stuck in the middle trying to do the best thing he can in the situation.This is a simple story, but beautifully realised. Sarah Gordy, who like Kelly has Down’s, sensitively captures Kelly’s mix of defiance and humour, while Ian Bonar pitches Neil as a nervous but big-hearted geek. Penny Layden as Agnes is perhaps the most memorable though – effortlessly embodying the shifts in emotions Agnes is going through. And there’s a fantastic fourth

Hollywood tends to prefer its characters rather clear-cut – goodies are goodies and baddies are baddies. So the premise of ‘The Aftermath’ – a well-cast post-war drama – is tantalising in its potential to explore the grey boundaries of human morality. It’s 1946, the war has just ended and a British woman, Rachael (Keira Knightley), travels to Germany to join her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a colonel in charge of helping put back together the broken country. ‘They’re still finding bodies’, he says as scenes of rubble piled the height of double-decker buses pass outside the car window. The couple are housed in an unscathed country pile, where architect Stefan (Alexander Skarsgård) and his embittered teenage daughter are preparing to move to an internment camp. Lewis suggests the family move to the top floor instead. This appals Rachael, who can’t fathom living under the same roof as their former enemies. Instead of becoming a proper interrogation of guilt, collaboration and the toxic legacy of Nazism, this scenario spins into a tale of temptation, lust and suppressed grief. It’s soapy but not unenjoyable. The story zips by, even if it all feels a bit superficial. The cast has chemistry too. Skarsgård is wounded and willowy with rather dashing taste in mid-century furniture, while Clarke provides the film’s moral compass as a man who might have been a thuggish brute, but who is decent and caring throughout. And we should give a shout out to the costume and set design too, whic

Most of us at some point have wished for a quick solution to life’s banalities. A lottery win, maybe, or a surprise inheritance. In 2004, four unremarkable college students in Lexington, Kentucky wanted a quick fix so badly they came up with a mad idea. They would steal a collection of antique books from the university library, valued at $10 million. What follows is a heist story like no other which, remarkably, is all true. You might remember director Bart Layton from his 2012 doc ‘The Imposter’ – an equally eye-opening tale of a Frenchman who successfully impersonates a missing Texan child. Layton is fascinated by the way that truth and storytelling intermingle. Here he blends drama and documentary. It could have been a mess, but by injecting interviews with the real people into the unfolding drama he pulls it off with panache. The performances are terrific, too. Irish actor Barry Keoghan is remarkable as awkward stoner Spencer. His face, often blank and unreadable, occasionally reveals the growing enormity of the group’s plan. Evan Peters as off-the-rails Warren is equally compelling – his charisma driving the group to their final, ridiculous conclusion. You might roll your eyes at another story of rich kids gone wild. Layton, though, finds unexpected depths here. These kids were bewitched by the idea of fast-tracking themselves to a more exciting life (rather than, you know, working their arses off for it). And from all this comes a subtle comment on privilege that’s sudd

Interview: Simon McBurney on ‘The Encounter’ ‘The Encounter’ begins with performer/creator Simon McBurney telling us that right now he should be at home telling his daughter a bedtime story. He’s not, of course. He’s here on the stage of the Barbican Theatre, surrounded by a complicated setup of mics and sound equipment ready to perform Complicité’s critically acclaimed show, returning after a storming run in 2016. His daughter’s loss is our gain: we’re about to experience what’s probably the best bedtime story ever. One that encompasses time travel, mind-reading and an expedition deep into the Amazon. The first thing you need to know about ‘The Encounter’ is that it uses binaural (that’s both ears) technology via headphones hooked up to each seat. If you’ve not experienced the effect before, it’s quite a thing. An aeroplane goes overhead and you can hear the roar move across the space above you. And when someone whispers in your ear it’s like they’re standing a few centimetres away. In a world where we’re constantly meant to be wowed by new tech this is, perhaps surprisingly, a deeply satisfying experience.  Thankfully this isn’t a show that’s too preoccupied with the technology it’s using. It’s just a tool –  flawlessly executed by a phenomenal creative team – that enables a simply gorgeous piece of storytelling. McBurney does that thing that only brilliant writers manager to master. He brings together multiple, disparate story threads and intertwines them into a rich, co

Ever woken up after a heavy night out and felt that things were a little... off? That’s what happens to Simon Dykes: a drug-loving, Turner Prize-winning London artist who goes on a coke-and-pills binge and wakes the next morning to find that everyone around him has become an ape. Yes, this is a kind of ‘Planet of the Apes’, as seen through the weird old mind of Will Self. Playwright and journalist Patrick Marmion has adapted Self’s 1997 book ‘Great Apes’ – it’s the first of the novelist’s works to be made into a play. And it’s a fascinating premise. Here on stage, though, the results are mixed. The first ten to 15 minutes are a fragmented, nightmarish soup of partying, drugs, an Uber home and frenzied sex. Movement and music replace dialogue. The audience waits for the crescendo: the realisation from Simon that his girlfriend is now a hairy primate. It arrives, and when four chimp paramedics storm the stage to incarcerate our protagonist that pure horror we’re waiting for is there, you can feel it. But the satire that follows isn’t quite what that great build-up promises. Simon is taken in to the care of eminent psychiatrist Zack Busner and the world as run by chimps slowly reveals itself – sex is a public activity that plays out in groups on Hampstead Heath, greetings are made by presenting and touching each other’s arses, and the system of social hierarchy makes Britain’s class structure look, well, ‘tame’. The audience generally seemed to love the copious chimp-human word

Two women – 15ft high with elongated black skirts – are wheeled on to the stage. Towering over the audience, looking like they’re straight out of a terrifying sci-fi they start to recite their manifesto for the feminist revolution. The world is on the cusp of change and this is how the future should look.  Alongside them is a roller derby team, working together on the floor to create a giant yellow fabric ellipse. Through snippets of speech and movement, we learn that against the odds they’ve created a team, teaching themselves how to skate and compete.   This is ‘Roller’, a short piece of experimental theatre from live art duo Rachel Mars and nat tarrab (who also play the two lofty orators). And those two strands are a nice juxtaposition of the theoretical and personal. ‘Roller’ is gently thought-provoking, exploring what a future feminist world might look like and musing on the role of anger and aggression in driving change – whether it’s out on the streets or on the roller rink. And while it’s serious at heart, a few lols are also thrown in. Even if they’re of the dark variety.  ‘Roller’ is thrilling to look at: for starters, it’s hard to get those haunting, gigantic figures out of your mind. And the roller team’s bright yellow ‘rink’ – assembled over the course of the show – is equally striking. But overall I felt there was a lack of emotional punch. I wanted more stories from the roller derby women, something that dragged the theoretical and the intellectual slap bang i

The story of Jane Goodall is a remarkable one. In 1957, aged 26 and with no scientific background, she became a wildlife researcher in Tanzania. Her aim was to win the trust of a community of chimpanzees and, in turn, hopefully learn about our closest animal relatives. Once her story made it out into the outside world (‘National Geographic’ did a famous cover feature), people were captivated. And it’s easy to see why: the images of her interacting so closely with the chimps, even helping grooming them at times, are like something from a fairytale. Much of the footage in this documentary has been recently rediscovered and captures those early days of Goodall’s research. The nature pioneer – climbing trees in her Converses, completely at home with these animals – is an inspiring focal point. But overall this documentary doesn’t feel like it quite does the story justice. Perhaps we’ve all been spoilt by ‘Blue Planet’ – but that original footage doesn’t feel strong enough stretched out over a 90-minute film, and there’s an overbearing soundtrack by Philip Glass that’s at odds with the mostly quiet, subtle subject matter. Still, the story itself is fascinating. And for any wannabe explorers out there, there’s joy to be found in hearing about how one woman fulfilled her wildest childhood dream.

‘The Merciless’ got a lengthy standing ovation in Cannes this year, which makes you wonder what the assembled cineastes would have done if this violent South Korean gangster flick had actually turned out to be any good. Hyun-soo is a young petty criminal recruited by the cops to infiltrate a drug ring. He’s sent off to prison where his willingness to fight guys twice his size gets him the attention of Jae-ho, a senior member of said criminal gang. Soon the two develop a father-son relationship and it’s unclear which side our undercover cop might choose. Sadly, it proves tough to care. The plot unravels in a soup of thin characterisation and generic dialogue, and while director Byun Sung-hyun is technically proficient, the action scenes rarely catch fire. There’s a slick visual sheen, but the effect is unremarkable: yellow-lit warehouses, meetings in car parks at twilight – it all just fails to wow. South Korea has produced some jaw-dropping action thrillers in recent times – this year’s thunderous ‘The Villainess’ among them – but this one badly needed a bit more wit to go with the wallop. 

It’s 9:30pm on a Tuesday night and in some disused railway arches under Waterloo, a hundred odd Londoners are singing along rowdily to Whitney’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ while an actor in drag runs up and down the length of the room.Another night, another immersive dining experience. This is the culmination of ‘Beauty and the Feast’: a pantomine – with food – very loosely based on the fairytale. It's set in a grand old French chateau on the night of a grand feast. Our compere is Fairy Liquid, who's on a mission to matchmake beautiful Belle and clumsy old Beast. And of course, she needs some help from the audience.  I’ll be blunt, this isn’t one of the best party cum performances there. But let’s start with the good stuff: the set design is magical. In the dining area chandeliers of every shape and size hang above three long tables while swathes of velvet are draped from the ceiling. The feast itself is as pretty as a 100-plus liked picture: whole roasted pumpkins are brought to the table, followed by blue cheese cake piled high with fresh figs and for dessert ginger and chilli jelly in china tea cups. It was as close as I’ve seen to a real life fairytale spread.But from a performance perspective the show’s a bit weak. The writing is so-so, the bawdy pantomime jokes getting sniggers rather than belly laughs. While the interactive elements are far from sophisticated. But that didn’t stop the audience having a raucous time on the night I went. As one audience member comment

‘Buena Vista Social Club’ was one of the most memorable music docs of the ’90s. And no wonder – it’s an irresistible story: a group of Cuba’s best musicians brought out of retirement to perform together in a huge celebration of the country’s vibrant pre-revolutionary music scene. Wim Wenders’s Oscar-nominated documentary, which followed their first live performances, gained the group unexpected success and fans around the world. So it was perhaps inevitable that at some point another filmmaker would revisit this rich subject matter. Lucy Walker’s new doc picks up where the first one left off, saying a fond adios to several original members of the group along the way. The individual stories of the stars are woven together, along with just enough historical and cultural context so that even newbies will be drawn in. The approach is pretty conventional, but the characters – from unassuming singer Ibrahim Ferrer to wonderfully glamorous Omara Portuondo – are so brilliant you’d struggle not to be swept up in it all. Of course, centre stage is the music itself. At times it’s so heartfelt you’d be forgiven for having a little cry, and at others so infectious that I challenge you not to have a sneaky hip wiggle in your cinema seat.

Click here to see the full-sized image It’s five days until Time Out 50 – our one-night celebration of the best of London. To whet your appetite for this very special party, we’re thrilled to reveal this fabulous illustration by Rod Hunt showing you what Granary Square will look like this coming Saturday. Start getting excited everyone! Have you seen the latest line-up? Last week we unveiled comedians Reginald D Hunter, Phil Wang and Lolly Adefope on our canal stage. They will be joining... Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) DJ set, the world’s biggest gin cloud from Bompas & Parr and Sipsmith, feminist wrestling group EVE, Notting Hill Carnival and choir Some Voices paying tribute to Bowie. Plus our pick of the best street food stalls from Kerb and drinks from Time Out’s favourite bars. Find the full line-up here and see you Saturday! Time Out 50 is at Granary Square, King’s Cross on Saturday September 29. Tickets are limited – get yours now. Illustration by Rod Hunt.   

The season of outdoor exercise isn't over yet. On Saturday September 29, awesome fitness studio Frame will be bringing three free fitness classes to Granary Square in King’s Cross. Dig your leggings out for this little lot... 11am, Rebounding – an aerobics class on mini trampolines 1pm, Family Rave – dance your socks off, and bring your brood too 3pm, Beyonce Dance Masterclass – learn to shake it like Queen Bey These Frame exercise classes are all free but ticketed, so get booking now to secure your spot.  It's all part of Time Out 50, which includes a line-up of free daytime fun and an evening party like no other. So you can shake it at a Frame Rave, and then shake it on the dance floor after.  Find out more about the Time Out 50 party and book tickets here. Get the latest news on London freebies when you sign up to Time Out.

Bust out the party poppers: Time Out is turning 50! And to celebrate we’re throwing a massive party. Join us in Granary Square, King’s Cross on Saturday September 29 for Time Out 50: a one-night birthday bonanza celebrating the very best of London across food, drink, performance, comedy and music. Tuck into the city’s most amazing street food, handpicked by Time Out London’s Food editor and brought to you by Kerb. Grab a cocktail from our curated bar, featuring the city’s finest drinking institutions and former winners of the Time Out Bar Awards. Then feast your eyes and ears on boundary-pushing, soul-enriching performances, and finish the night shaking it to some ace London DJs. That’s just a taster – more acts and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets cost £30, including a welcome drink. And before you say it: we know, we don’t look a day over 25. Tickets are limited. Get yours now at www.timeout.com/50party.

Back in July, we announced the launch of Make London Better in partnership with GoFundMe, a competition asking for your ideas of innovative and creative ways to make our city a better place. We’re now excited to announce the judges. They are...   Rohan Silva - entrepreneur and co-founder of Second Home Brendan Cox and Gemma Mortenson - co-founders of More in Common Charlie Craggs - trans activist and founder of Nail Transphobia Caroline McGinn - Editorial Director, Time Out   The deadline is midnight on Thursday August 31, so there’s still time to share your lightbulb moment with us. Get thinking!    Need some inspiration? Read about Brixton’s brilliant community fridge and check out these 28 simple ways to make London a better place.     

It's been two years since DS Ellie Miller and DI Alec Hardy – played by the brilliant Olivia Colman and David Tennant – were on our telly screens in ITV's crime drama 'Broadchurch'. Now they're back. Hurrah! But with all that time having passed you've probably forgotten what the hell happened in the first two series. To help, here's a round-up of the key things you need to remember so that you're ready to dive straight into series three without having to constantly look up details on your phone. Oh, and good news: the first episode of the new series is a corker! *spoiler alert* If you haven't watched series one or two of 'Broadchurch' and you want to remain spoiler-free, stop reading now. Instead head to Netflix where you can catch up on the previous episodes. 1. Ellie's creepy husband dodged a prison term... Series two ended with Ellie's husband Joe getting released from prison after being found not guilty of killing 11-year-old Danny Latimer. That verdict was mainly due to some serious gameplay from his defence team which meant his confession at the end of series one was dismissed. 2. But he didn't get away scot-free... Determined for justice to be served, the tight-knit Broadchurch community took things into their own hands and exiled Joe from the town. They packed him off to a halfway house along with a serious threat of death were he ever to return. But will he really stay away for good? Or will he want to come back and see his kids? 3. Beth and Mark Latimer's relations

It's been a couple of years since it was announced that Soho House and Sydell Group (the American hotel company) were partnering to transform the City's iconic Midland Bank building (above). Last night we were one of the first people to get a sneak preview of the space and see how the plans to turn it into a plush hotel are going.   First thing you need to know: it's going to be called The Ned. You might think this is a bit of an odd name (especially if you're from Scotland, where it means something else entirely) but it's actually the nickname of the original mind behind the building: Sir Edwin Lutyens. The prolific British architect who lived at the turn of the last century is also responsible for a good chunk of New Delhi.  The second thing you need to know: it's huge. Really huge. The ground floor – once the place where you'd go to pay in your cheques – is to be turned into a dining and drinking area with seven restaurants, which will seat up to 850 people. This area will be open to the public and it's pretty spectacular. As the building is Grade I-listed, the original features have been preserved, including towering green marble columns and original wooden banking counters. The whole space feels like you've stepped back in time 80 years or so. It's pretty magical.   Below the ground floor there are three basement levels, where you'll find the coolest part of the building: the vaults. The original vault door is still there and it's a remarkable hunk of metal, which featur

© Nathan James Page       1.The butterfly guy Alan is 6' 5", 18 stone and has spent 12 hours of the last week on the Central line. These things combined mean that, when he hits the lido on a Sunday morning keen to get rid of some latent rage, he has the ability to cause unprecedented amounts of watery destruction. Naturally, he opts for the most obnoxious of swimming strokes: the butterfly. Huge arms whack the water, tree-trunk legs thrash out: swimming next to him is like white water rafting without a raft. 2. The poser Alex’s spiritual animal is the cat. An elegant, sleek Abyssinian, to be precise. This manifests itself most visibly on Saturday afternoon when Alex likes nothing better than to stretch out his limbs in the sun, poolside. Like his feline soulmates he goes nowhere near the water. Unlike his feline soulmates his summertime posing and posting fails to whip the internet into a frenzy. © Nathan James Page   3. The fast person in the slow lane Angela came second in Leamington Spa’s under-14s swimming competition, a disappointment that continues to weigh heavily on her soul. But she’s found ways of dealing with such early life failure. She does some brisk laps in the slow lane of Tooting lido. Screw the grannies, screw Roger and his bad knee, screw the nervous beginner, Angela overtakes them all. Who needs therapy when 20 minutes of passive aggressive swimming feels so good? © Nathan James Page   4. The slow person in the fast lane Janine was the winner of Leami

Upper street runs right through the very heart of Islington, which means an excursion here involves rubbing shoulders with glam mums and their pushchairs and socialists waving their bottles of Moët about. There’s no denying it: this patch of London has a certain chichi reputation, and it’s very much deserved. ‘How chichi?’ we hear you ask. Well, there’s a gluten-free bakery... and a sugar-free bakery. Just metres apart. So, yeah, very chichi.   Much has changed since the days of Charles Dickens, who described Upper Street as ‘among the noisiest and most disagreeable thoroughfares in London’. In the 1970s it became a hotspot for radical leftwing politics, home to countless Trotskyist activists and London’s first feminist bookshop. Not long after, however, Upper Street became the place where Tony Blair and Gordon Brown reportedly made a pact that would see the former take the Labour leadership in 1994. It’s like ‘House of Cards’, except everyone’s really, really polite.   Nowadays, it’s fancy, beautiful and very delicious. The road is home to some of the finest eating and drinking in London, from Ottolenghi to 69 Colebrooke Row. There’s culture galore too, with an amazing independent cinema and a true jewel in London’s music-venue crown. Whether you’re after fine dining or raucous gigs, Upper Street knows what’s up.  Do this   A photo posted by James Verlinden (@citizen_jxv) on Apr 16, 2016 at 12:34pm PDT Settle into the plush seats at Screen on the Green for a superlative

1. The beginner ‘If you can’t beat them, join them.’ That’s what Jo decided, after the fourth time getting whacked by a commuter’s yoga mat on the Central line. But 15 minutes into her first class, she’s thinking she’s made a bad decision. Jo’s entered a very, very strange world. Why is everyone ‘omming’ like seasoned Tibetan monks? What is this ‘reclining pigeon’ or ‘dolphin’ or ‘happy baby’? And is that really a pan-pipes version of a Bieber track they’re playing in the background? 2. The farter 'And relaaaaaaax,’ says the instructor. ‘Paaaarp,’ comes the reply. Janet keeps her eyes shut and hopes that no one heard. She’s not the only one who’s been trying to hold something in for the last hour. What with a third of the class being lentil-loving veggies, another third on a recently adopted kale-centred health kick and the remainder trying to make amends for a diet of burritos and Coke, there is a lot of trapped gas in this room. Nathan James Page 3. The headstander Clemmie is just back from Goa. And she didn’t only return with an enviable tan, a new tattoo and three pairs of baggy hemp trousers, she also learned how to do a headstand. And she’s quite proud of it. And by ‘quite’ I mean ‘very’. So much so that at every opportunity she’s upside down with her toes pointing towards the ceiling. Her bragging might be silent but that doesn’t mean it’s not as annoying as hell. Time for another trip to India yet, Clemmie? 4. The sweater Dan has completed three Tough Mudders, so he

  A photo posted by Silver Levy-So (@bboy_silvafox) on Sep 30, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT Winding through East Dulwich, Lordship Lane is a picture-perfect slice of south London life. In the  ranking of London lanes, it might not be up there with  Park, Marylebone or Drury, but what it lacks in landmarks it makes up for with a fine abundance of indie shops and an easy-going vibe. A wander here is what Sundays are made for.   A century ago this road was a rural thoroughfare, and today it still has a village atmosphere about it, with some serious community spirit on display. Unsurprisingly, this is prime yummy-mummy territory, but there’s also a healthy dose of young Londoners who like to hang out here.  The top of the street is where the action is. There are your high-street regulars (Co-op, Caffè Nero, Foxtons) as well as an impressive number of boozers (read on for those). Further south, the shops give way to Victorian housing until you eventually get to the brilliantly eclectic Horniman Museum, with its strange taxidermy and cabinets of weird and wonderful musical instruments. Halfway down the lane you’ll discover another claim to fame: children’s writer Enid Blyton was born at number 354. A blue plaque marks the spot. Today it’s just a hardware store, but Lordship Lane might still be  the perfect place to head with a bunch of adventurous friends for lashings of  ginger ale (okay, booze), food and culture.    A photo posted by V Hurley-Perera de McQuitty (@hpmcq) on Aug 7, 2015

Can't get enough of a good cuppa? Head to one of these lovely spots to get your tea fix. The pub Stoke Newington Tea House    A photo posted by Anne (em) Cortez (@mariemontclair) on Jan 7, 2016 at 2:25pm PST Describing itself as ‘a British pub with some twists’, this newly opened drinking spot – formerly The Daniel Defoe – allows you to sip on the leafy stuff in the setting of a traditional boozer. More than 100 types of loose leaf tea are available, as well as a range of cocktails, beer and wine. 102 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 0LA. Stoke Newington rail. The café Tiosk   A photo posted by Irene Michaelides (@ireney10) on Mar 5, 2016 at 7:34am PST There are many minimalist cafés in east London but few that have shunned coffee in favour of London’s original caffeinated drink. Broadway Market’s Tiosk has more teas than you can shake a stirrer at, along with a sumptuous-looking selection of salads, stews and wholesome soups. 33 Broadway Market, E8 4PH. Cambridge Heath rail. The bar Jarr Kombucha   A photo posted by @jarrkombucha on Nov 27, 2015 at 9:10am PST In case you’re not au fait with this Californian health craze, kombucha is a bitter-tasting fermented tea drink packed with supposedly beneficial microbes. Hackney Wick’s Jarr Kombucha bar is dedicated to the ‘live’ stuff and even does a fine line in kombucha cocktails. So you can be healthy while being, er... unhealthy. Mick’s Garage, Queen’s Yard, E9 5EN. Hackney Wick Overground. The shop Postcard Teas

There's a new gym that has just opened in Clapton called Blok and it might just be the trendiest fitness studio we've ever been to. How trendy? Well, it's in a converted warehouse, it also incorporates an art installation space and is the only gym in the UK to have a bone broth (or 'stock' as some people call it) bar. Sheesh, sounds insufferable, right? We went along last night and actually found it to be... really nice. And we didn't see one person doing a workout selfie, thank god. Here's the lowdown. What's the vibe?  The decor is seriously swish. With its exposed brickwork and steel beams, it's like a hip minimalist restaurant but with kettlebells and boxing bags. There are no treadmills here – it's all about the classes. What kinda classes? There are two studios. One is dedicated to boxing, high-intensity interval training and dance-fit. The second is for yoga, barre and pilates. We tried the signature class, BlokFit, which is a pretty gruelling workout through a series of circuits – we've not been so exhausted since we were forced to do the bleep test in year eight.   What else is on offer?  They're thinking of introducing one-on-one personal training sessions, so look out for those.  Let's cut to the chase, what's the damage? There are currently no membership fees at Blok – hurrah! You pay for classes, which vary in price from £14 for a one-off, to £12 each if you buy a bundle of ten.  So what's that stock – sorry, bone broth – like? Actually rather nice! And apparentl