India Lawrence

An ASMR meets dance sensory production, a Black Sabbath ballet, and a hip-hop show set to the music of Sting are just some of the exciting boundary-pushing dance shows coming to the capital this October. It's the beginning of cosy season, and what better way to shield from the October wind and rain than inside a heated theatre? We've rounded up some of the best opportunities to see pirouettes, pas de bourées and popping and locking below. Don't miss out! MORE STAGE: Dance classes in London Best theatre shows this yearBest theatre shows this monthBest comedy shows this month

Picture this: your cat-eye contacts are turning you half blind, you’re trying not to accidentally spit out your fake fangs, and you’re on your third double vodka and coke of the night. It’s Halloween, baby, and that means it’s time for a serious party. A spooky party. A Halloween party to remember.  And d'you know what you’ll need for that (other than the fake fangs, the witch hats and the vodka, that is)? It’s a properly banging Halloween playlist. And fear not, friends, we’ve got the playlist for you. From The Cramps (of ‘Wednesday’ fame) to Olivia Rodrigo’s ex-boyfriend bleeding her dry, we’ve got the ultimate Halloween soundtrack right here. Time to get freaky, people.  Written by Brent DiCrescenzo, Christopher Tarantino, Andy Kryza, Adam Feldman, Kate Wertheimer, Andrew Frisicano, Sophie Harris, Carla Sosenko, Nick Leftly, Ella Doyle, India Lawrence, Chiara Wilkinson and Georgia Evans. RECOMMENDED:🎉 The best party songs ever made🎸 The best classic rock songs🎤 The best karaoke songs🎶 The best ’80s songs

Cornwall may be one of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK, but in such a sprawling and varied county it can be hard to know the best places to visit. From magnificent castles, to spectacular headlands, to a cluster of beautiful, remote islands, the south west county is one of the most stunning parts of the country, with a tonne of amazing things to see. Luckily, we've rounded up some of the best places to visit in Cornwall here, so you can save yourself the pain of digging through an old guidebook you found in the Airbnb.  We recommend seeing the area by car – aside from a few trains its public transport system is famously shoddy, plus it means you can access all those hard-to-reach, remote spots down windy country lanes – just watch out for locals speeding around those bends. So fire up the engine and get down to some of the spots mentioned below. We can picture the seagulls stealing your sandwiches already.  RECOMMENDED: The best beaches in CornwallThe best attractions in CornwallThe best Airbnbs in Cornwall

As the nights draw in, why not cut through all that rich food and sickly booze with a refreshing glide round an ice rink? London fills with pop-up rinks from October onwards, from the legendary Somerset House to Winter Wonderland's kitsch-fest to new kid on the block Battersea Power Station. Skating is seriously popular, so book in advance, and pick off-peak times to guarantee yourself a decent stint on the ice. Here are some of the best rinks to soar across this winter (or wobble round the edges of like a newborn reindeer, depending on your skill level). RECOMMENDED: our ultimate guide to Christmas in London.  

Listen, we know London is expensive. Going to uni here might seem pretty daunting for the old bank balance, and it could feel like it’s not only going to break your bank account but obliterate it into non-existence. But while you might have come to the capital to attend one of the world’s best universities, you probably came here to have some fun too. So let us tell you, you don’t need to stick to the SU to have a brilliant and cheap night out in the city – the kind of night out you’ll be telling all your pals about when you go home for Christmas.  Picture this: you’ve just bumped into Francis Bourgeois at Jumbi in Peckham, and now you’re soaking up the view of the London skyline from the top deck of the night bus home. It doesn’t get much more romantic than that. This city has some absolutely banging clubs, with quite a few of them offering free or very cheap parties. Plus, there are actually multiple ways to get your hands on free drinks (if you’re savvy). So if you don’t know, get to know. Here’s how to have an epic London night out for almost no money.  The pre-drinks Having a sufficient amount of drinks at home (provided your stomach is lined, obvs) is one of the most important parts of a cheap night out. (Unless you’re a sober clubber, in which case, skip this step.) In this day and age, who can afford to be buying drinks out? Most student pre-drinks consist of chugging down a bottle of Echo Falls in the halls kitchen crowded around a tiny speaker. But that’s not the on

The Fifa World Cup may be over, but there's another massive tournament involving players, a pitch and a ball right around the corner. Sports fans rejoice, because the Rugby World Cup kicks off this September!  Being hosted by France this year, it's set to be an exciting tournament filled with tries, scrums, and hopefully no concussions. To avoid having to get into a scrum just to get a pint, we've rounded up the best places below you can go to watch the action. From big screens at the lad mecca Boxpark, to local boozers, we've got you covered. Get stuck in.   RECOMMENDED: The best rugby pubs in London

Cornwall, what is it good for? Well, it's got Cornish pasties, quaint fishing villages, and of course, stunning beaches. And let us tell you, the Cornish coastline has an insane variety: there are sprawling sandy surfing spots, tiny, rocky coves, and hidden bays with crystal clear waters. But with so many stretches of sand to choose from, it can be hard to know exactly where to head for a day of sea, sun and sand in Cornwall. Luckily, we've rounded up the very best beaches in the county below. Take your pick.  RECOMMENDED:🏖️ The best beaches in the UK🥧 The best things to do in Cornwall🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Cornwall🏨 The best hotels in Cornwall This guide was recently updated by Time Out writer India Lawrence, who is originally from Cornwall. 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.

You're never far from your next excuse to get dolled up in fancy dress, whether you're getting spooky for Halloween, planning a glam New Year, aceing your mate’s ABBA-themed birthday or just planning to wow the crowd at one of London’s many clubs. Who needs jeans and a nice top when you can get gussied up in Elizabethan garb, or flaunt a fabulous flapper dress? London's full of stellar fancy dress shops that are ready to help you cut a dash at pretty much any possible occasion, whether it's a Jedi weddings or a Jane Austen convention. Choosing your ideal alter-ego will be the only dilemma...

‘It always strikes you when you’re not expecting it,’ says Oliver*, 23. ‘Your vision shifts and you start seeing these geometric shapes. Or you can feel like you’re in this giant chamber, with weird sounds and reddish, purple neon lights.’ Oliver is talking about experiencing a K-hole: taking too much ketamine and going into a dissociative, hallucinatory state. Regulars on the club scene might be familiar with this feeling, having experienced it themselves or previously shepherding a friend through it (AKA, not exactly what you want when Horsegiirl drops ‘My Barn My Rules’ and you’re trying to dance). Ketamine, K, special K, wonk, donkey dust: whatever you call it, use of the tranquilising drug, typically coming in the form of tiny white shards of crystal, has been on the rise in the UK for years now. The end of March 2022 saw record amounts of ketamine seized by police and border forces as the quantity of the confiscated drug rose by 884 percent from 208kg to 1,837kg. The usage stats are also climbing, and now an astounding one-in-20 young people have done K. Unsurprisingly, use of the drug is concentrated in the country’s biggest cities: Manchester and Bristol use it the most. London isn’t far behind.  Image: Ketflix and Pills While ket – commonly known as a horse tranquiliser – used to be reserved for smoke-filled living rooms at post-club after parties, now, it’s everywhere. From festivals to house parties, gigs and club nights, it can be hard to avoid the white cryst

Listen up, fashionistas. It is time to buckle up your Tabis, slip on that Miu Miu cashmere and march yourself down to 180 The Strand, iced matcha latte in hand. Because London Fashion Week (LFW) is almost here, where all the latest looks for Spring/Summer 2024 (SS24) will be strutting the catwalks. Here’s all the information you need.  When is London Fashion Week 2023?  LFW takes place twice a year: in February and September. The next fashion week will be from Friday September 15 to Tuesday September 19 2023. Where is London Fashion Week held?  London Fashion Week usually takes place at 180 The Strand and Somerset House in central London. The closest tubes are Holborn and Temple.  How do I get tickets to London Fashion Week 2023?  Unfortunately, most of the LFW shows are invite-only, so you can’t buy tickets.  What designers should I be watching out for?  As well as the big names like Burberry, Simone Rocha, Roksanda and JW Anderson, there are also a tonne of exciting newer designers putting on shows. We’re excited for Chet Lo, with his futuristic spiky knits; Chopova Lowena, with her viral tartan skirts; and Ancuta Sarca, with her cutting edge re-worked Nike trainer kitten heels. And don’t miss Fashion East, which every year showcases a fresh batch of upcoming avant garde designers.  LFW events you can actually attend Thankfully, for us normies, LFW also puts on a ‘City Wide Celebration’ with free events and shows put on by brands and designers that the public can attend. Th

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 mold. 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. 

For some of us, Notting Hill Carnival is enough of a knees-up for one weekend. But for others, by the 8.30 pm parade finish the party is just getting started. After all, Carnival is the perfect event for those with a penchant for a dance: the vibrant outfits, incredible music and strong Caribbean liquor couldn’t make a better combination for helping eek out the celebrations for as long as possible. As with every year, London will have a tonne of top warm-ups and afters. So, as you get up to speed with all the essential info and tips, as well as the parade route map, make sure to check out the list below. From roots and reggae, to house, drum ’n’ bass, and drill, the warm-ups and afterparties below will have you covered for a banging Carnival weekend. Keep on dancing.  RECOMMENDED: Read the full Notting Hill Carnival guide  

This is a biggie. ‘Don Quixote’, the Cervantes novel that's been turned into a timeless ballet will hit the Royal Opera House stage this autumn. The Royal Ballet's supreme dancers will open the 2023/24 season with Carlos Acosta's spectacular choreography to a vivacious score by Ludwig Minkus. It will be packed full of charm and comedy and is guaranteed to put a pep in your step. Don't miss this absolute classic. 

Inspired by the Bible's epic love poem, the ‘Song of Solomon’, this mystical piece of dance theatre from choreographer Pam Tanowitz and Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang will have you yearning for more. A tender and emotive work, ‘Song of Songs’ explores love, desire and religion.   

Fashionistas, listen up, Vogue is putting on a star-studded fashion extravaganza this September to kick off London Fashion Week. Vogue World, held at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, is the second iteration of the annual fashion event – the last one took place in New York. As you'd expect, it will be glam AF, with a red carpet and a guestlist packed with serious A-Listers.   Over the evening, attendees will be treated to ‘a multi-act celebration of the British performing arts’, with performances, talks and appearances from actors, singers and models including Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Adwoa Aboah, Stormzy, Sienna Miller,  Ian McKellen, Damien Lewis, James McAvoy and FKA twigs. There will also be brand experiences from designers including 16Arlington, Ahluwalia, Burberry, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Erdem, Maison Margiela, S.S. Daley, and Vivienne Westwood.  Ticket prices start at £150, with all proceeds going towards British performing arts organisations including the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Royal Ballet, Southbank Centre and Rambert. 

It's not time to hang up your dancing shoes just yet, as there is one final day festival coming to the capital, and it's going to be a corker. Created by the gang behind Percolate and Croatian festival Love International, Waterworks returns to Gunnersbury Park this autumn and the line-up is banging. Make sure to catch Saoirse, Peach, Moxie and Shanti Celeste, AKA SASS, doing their only UK show this year, taking over the Orbit stage for 4.5 hours. Then there are sets from dance music heavyweights like Call Super, Palms Trax, SHERELLE and Francesco Del Garda. Plus a whole load of other top DJs including Josey Rebelle, Yung Singh, salute, Lukas Wigflex, Angel D'Lite, Eliza Rose, HAAi, the list goes on. See you in the dance.   

From the outside, Lilienblum looks like your standard swanky east London restaurant. It’s got big glass windows, and has suitably contemporary decor with the odd pop of colour and flash of gold. There are piles of fresh fruit and vegetables adorning the bar, which is nice. But a look at the puzzling menu reveals that it’s far from ordinary. The first full service restaurant from superstar chef Eyal Shani – the guy responsible for the pita chain Miznon – is a bizarre and incongruous concept. Luckily, the food tastes great.  Shani’s manic pixie dream menu, printed in multiple fonts (one of them is, presumably ironically, comic sans), with bizarre items such as ‘Dinosaur Bone’, ‘spicy instruments that will swirl your soul’, and focaccia that is ‘a very bad idea’, was hard to decipher. It was kind of funny, and kind of just annoying, like having dinner with a stand up comedian that nobody invited. Fortunately, the knowledgeable waiting staff were well equipped to talk us through every cryptic item. You wonder how they manage to muster the energy night upon night to translate the zany list when Shani could have just made it comprehensible instead. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm never waned.  Shani’s manic pixie dream menu features bizarre items such as ‘Dinosaur Bone’, ‘spicy instruments that will swirl your soul’, and focaccia that is ‘a very bad idea’ The restaurant itself is modern, bright and a little bit flashy, the kind of place you’d expect the cast of Made in Chelsea to h

This is a pub for people who like to do activities while they drink. Just off Holloway Road, The Owl and Hitchhiker doesn’t just offer up decent Caribbean food, pub grub classics and Sunday roasts, but also a whole cast of vintage arcade games and other fun things to do. You’ve got pinball, Mario Kart, table tennis, foosball, board games, life drawing sessions, open mic nights, and more. Boredom? Never heard of her.

In the centre of Elephant and Castle, amid the concrete jungle of building works, gentrified tower blocks, and that weird silver cube that people used to say was Aphex Twin’s house, is a surprisingly lush and tranquil oasis. Streams bubble up around verdant shrubs. Lone benches are hidden among jungly foliage. On a humid summer’s day the Elephant Park development feels almost tropical. Here is where you’ll find Kachori, a new Indian restaurant helmed by Brinder Narula, ex-head chef of Michelin-starred Gymkhana.  Kachori’s extensive (and arguably too long) menu features a cast of dishes from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and the Punjab. Plus, some playful but unnecessary fusion plates – there’s a whole section for burgers. I was overwhelmed by the abundance of choice, but given the chef’s CV, expectations were high.  A prawn rasa, with thick, juicy shrimp in a silky, sweet sauce was lip-smacking, going fabulously with a tangy, garlicky marwari gobhi Overall, Kachori was a mixed bag. As the restaurant’s namesake, we had to start with the raj kachori. Hoping for a delightful puff of crispy and flaky pastry, what arrived instead was slightly baffling. Sadly the shell was tough, almost stale, and cracking into it felt like hard work. Inside, the chaat-style sweet potato filling, with yoghurt, pomegranate and mung beans tasted fabulous, but was oddly cold. But then a plate of smoky, succulent tandoori chicken wings really hit the spot.  The rest of the food followed in a similar

With over 200 fabulous costumes, a cast of more than 90 dancers, a spectacular live orchestra powering through Prokofiev’s glistening score and lavish moving sets, Christopher Wheeldon’s sparkle and comedy-filled gambol through the classic fairytale is entertainment in its purest form.  I don’t need to explain the plot of this ballet to you: there are buffooning step sisters, a machiavellian stepmother, a bumbling father, a handsome prince, magical fairies, and of course Cinderella.  Wheeldon, the choreographer, does change it up a little bit. He does away with pumpkins and the Fairy Godmother, and instead Cinders is guided by four mysterious silver-faced Fates, clad in marvellous floor-length midnight blue lace jackets. With their severe choreography, performing Martha Graham-esque deep pliés and strong leaps, these stern characters bring a depth and groundedness to the otherwise unabashedly frivolous show. Wheeldon really leans into the spectacle with this one. In Cinderella’s transformation from rags to riches the audience is treated to a wild visual bonanza featuring a kaleidoscope of colourful fairies, alongside some peculiar and fantastical creatures. We meet bizarre bird-headed ladies, funny ogre-like creatures who knock their giant heads together, and odd beings that look like a cross between a Venus flytrap and a conker, stalking down the aisles with long, spindly fingers. The transformation culminates with a goosebump-inducing rainbow-coloured whirlpool of dancers,

If you haven’t worked it out from the name, art’otel Amsterdam is all about the creative side of life – and it doesn’t take its concept lightly. Throughout this city-centre hotel, you’ll find 120 sculptures by Atelier Van Lieshout, making up a massive concept artwork inspired by the theme of life and death. It’s not for everyone – there’s a lamp imitating a giant phallus, and make sure to check out the peculiar but fun giant sperm installation in the centre courtyard – but it sure makes for a statement. And if that’s not enough creativity for you, there’s also a gallery in the basement with a resident artist. The rooms follow a similar suit, each having its own unique artwork and bold décor featuring jazzy purple lighting, gold sculptures in the bathroom and pops of primary colours. Props for kitting out each room with all the tech you could need, including a sizeable flat-screen TV (with Chromecast), a Bluetooth Marshall speaker and Illy espresso machine. art’otel has the full shebang for a chic city break: there’s a great bar; Arca, a fabulous Portuguese and Asian fusion restaurant from Henrique Sá Pessoa; and a serene Finnish sauna and swimming pool. What more could you need for a ’Dam good weekend? Neighbourhood: Right in the thick of it by Centraal Station and the red-light district, this is a pretty ideal base for any trip to Amsterdam. Within five minutes you can be wandering through the frankly gorgeous canals or at Dam Square. You’re in the vicinity of all your museu

Do you go to church? The Parakeet in Kentish Town wants you to. Stepping inside this new pub-slash-restaurant, you’re met with a hallowed sight of stained glass windows, saintly portraits and the heavenly smell of meat and fish being cooked over an open fire. Here the kitchen is the altar, and the guests, on dark wooden pew-like seating, wait eagerly for their communion.  I don’t mean to be hyperbolic; visiting the Parakeet wasn’t quite a religious experience, but it was pretty close. Billing itself as a gastropub (it’s was formerly 1860s freehouse The Oxford Tavern), ostensibly, the Parakeet is still a ‘pub’ and there is a separate space just for drinking, but chic interiors and a sophisticated cocktail offering suggest more of a restaurant inside a pub’s casing. There are no sticky beer mats or packets of Scampi Fries here.  I wouldn’t be surprised if The Parakeet becomes one of London’s foodie big hitters.  On a Thursday night in May, the place was packed. The host was turning away disappointed guests from the dining room, and instead ushering them to the (equally vibey) bar. There’s a reason why this new joint is so popular: in the kitchen are Brat alumni Ben Allen as head chef and sous chef Ed Jennings. Similar to Brat, Allen and Jennings’ food sits in the wheelhouse of modern British and European-inspired sharing plates. If you’re suffering from small plate fatigue, don’t be discouraged, because The Parakeet didn’t come to play. The eats here shouldn't be taken lightly

GöteborgsOperans Danskompani brings an exciting double bill to Sadler's Wells. In Skid, by Damien Jalet, a dancefloor tilted at 34° challenges dancers beyond gravity. In the second piece, by Sharon Eyal, expect to see hypnotic and powerful movement, with dancers dressed in high fashion outfits.   

Acrobats, rock climbers, flyers, slackliners and dancers all come together for this gravity-defying exploration of flight from choreographer Rachid Ouramdane. This ambitious aerial dance show, performed by French company Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse, will leave you with vertigo, in a good way.   

Picture the scene: it’s 2050 and London boroughs no longer exist. Instead the city is split up into a collection of ‘luxury’ townships, of which building was funded by multimillion-pound corporations. Sounds a bit like ‘The Hunger Games’, right? But in fact, that could be the future of life in the capital. A new ‘luxury town’ is being built in London, and it’s being backed by none other than sports car company Porsche.  Thames Living promises to be a brand-new destination town along the River Thames. According to a statement, Thames Living will be ‘a vibrant place bringing jobs, creating opportunities, and delivering new local services for all the community.’ The exact details of the fancy new town are hazy, but it promises to have ‘modern, high-quality amenities’, including parks, entertainment, hotels, dining, hospitality and retail, according to the website.  The exact location of this bougie new town hasn’t been revealed. All we can tell you is that it’ll be situated in a unique location along the river, and be within a ten-minute walk to a train station that can get residents to central London in under 20 minutes. It’s also unclear when this new town will be built. Thames Living is set to officially launch in 2023, so we’ll keep you updated when we find out more.  While not actually being funded by the car manufacturer directly, Thames Living is being supported by Porsche Consulting, a subsidiary of the luxury car firm.  If you fancy living the high life in the new Pors

The Elizabeth line is about to get even better. On top of its air conditioning, futuristic platforms and super smooth rides, now each train is to be fitted with USB ports for phone chargers, so you’ll never run out of juice again.  Charging ports are being rolled out across Elizabeth line trains now, with the plugs being found in the spaces between facing seats. The process is ongoing, with all the trains expected to have the ports by 2025.  Why haven’t they always had charging ports? Well, when the trains were built all the way back in 2014 having places to charge phones was still a relative novelty on public transport. Now, in 2023, it’s seen as an essential part of a train carriage.  TfL is now retrofitting trains with USB-A sockets, which is the standard currently approved for use on railways, but they could be upgraded to USB-C if the railway standards are updated in the future. A TfL spokesperson said: ‘We have started installing USB charging ports onto Elizabeth line trains to improve customers’ journeys and enable our customers to charge their mobile devices while making a journey. Each train will have a total of 92 USB charging ports spread throughout the train for customer use. ‘It is likely that all 70 Elizabeth line trains will have the ports installed by 2025.’ Did you see that Tinder is offering Londoners the chance to cover up their regretted tattoos for free? Plus: everything you need to know about the London train and tube strikes in September and October. L

For a long time, Slough was the butt of the joke. It was where Ricky Gervais set ‘The Office’ and has often been thought of as a bit of suburban wasteland. But now Slough will have the last laugh, as it’s been named London’s best commuter town. Take that, St Albans! In the Telegraph’s rankings of the UK’s ultimate commuter towns, Slough came up on top. The Berkshire town was lauded for its ‘fast access to London, high employment and excellent schools’. Fun fact: Slough is also where Mars bars were invented, and was home to the first zebra crossing and wheelie bin. Now that’s wheelie impressive! (Sorry)  Slough is also the location of the world’s second-largest data centre hub. This, alongside its proximity to Heathrow, means there are employment opportunities galore. The schools are excellent, too, with 13 schools rated outstanding or good by Ofsted. For the ranking process, the Telegraph took into account employment levels, quality of schools, house prices, time it takes to reach London, the cost of a ticket to central London, restaurants and pubs in the area and, surprisingly, if it was close to a beach.  Slough beat Chatham in Kent and Basildon in Essex, which came in second and third place respectively. On this list of 100 towns, Haslemere in Surrey was officially the worst place for commuters to live. An average house in Slough will set you back £358,000 and it will only take you 33 minutes to reach the centre of London. In Haslemere however, the average house costs £748

Summer might’ve seen some sort of respite for London commuters from strike action, but, as previously threatened, major industrial action is kicking off once again. Strike action is taking place across the country, but it’s also affecting rail and TfL services in the capital throughout both September and October.  More strike action has been confirmed for the coming weeks – starting this very weekend. It’s also likely that disruption will continue for the foreseeable future, as both ASLEF and the RMT unions have voted overwhelmingly to continue striking for at least the next six months. Worried about navigating the capital during this period of industrial action? Here’s everything you need to know.  RECOMMENDED:All you need to know about the train strikes across the UK.How to get around London during the strikes in September and October. When are the next London train strikes? Members of the ASLEF union will go on strike tomorrow (September 30) and October 4. They will also not work overtime for five days from October 2 to October 6.  Members of the RMT who work for London Underground, meanwhile, will go on strike on October 4 and October 6. This will not affect RMT workers on other rail lines.  Which London train lines will be affected? The RMT and ASLEF strikes will affect 16 train companies, some of which operate services in and out of London. These are all the lines affected: Avanti West Coast CrossCountry East Midlands Railway Great Western Railway LNER TransPennine Exp

Get your whites ready! The Wimbledon 2024 ticket ballot is now officially open. Everyone’s favourite Pimm’s, grass stains and celeb spotting festival will be back again from Monday July 1 until Sunday July 14, 2024. If you fancy a bit of tennis action in west London next summer, here’s how to get tickets to the annual event.  The Wimbledon Public Ballot is open from now until 11.59pm on Tuesday October 10. Wimbledon hopefuls can register their interest by signing up online here. Each email registered can apply for a maximum of two tickets per household. It’s important to note that if someone from the same address also applies, then your application will be invalidated. Allocations will then be randomly selected by a computer. If you’re successful, you’ll be notified of your ticket allocations in November by email. Ticket winners won’t be able to transfer their spot to anyone else as a gift. Remember, registering for the ballot doesn’t guarantee tickets and guests won’t be able to choose which matches they want to attend.  It doesn't matter whether you register for tickets at the beginning or end of the balloting period – all applications will have an equal chance of getting a spot at the tournament.  The ballot system was introduced in 1924 to give all tennis fans a fair shot at bagging tickets to the prestigious Championships.  May the odds be in your favour.  Listen to Time Out’s brilliant new podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: episode eight with Hans Ulrich Obrist in South

Train strikes are as much a part of London life as extortionate rent and never being able to get a table at the pub these days. And this autumn even more industrial action is on the way for London trains and tubes, including a double whammy of strike action and overtime bans.  In September and October members of ASLEF and RMT will strike across the country as part of long-running disputes over pensions, job cuts, working conditions and salaries. Travelling around the city is going to be a bit more difficult than usual. Luckily, we’ve broken it down for you so you can see what’s up every day during the ongoing industrial action. Make sure to plan ahead! RECOMMENDED: All the information about the September and October train strikes, including lines affectedAll you need to know about the train strikes across the UK.Here's everything we know about the Heathrow Airport strikes in October. Public transport on Friday September 29 ASLEF overtime ban, likely to cause disruption on rail services. Service as usual on the Elizabeth Line, Overground and Underground.  Public transport on Saturday September 30 UK-wide ASLEF train strikes affecting 16 train lines, including some that come in and out of London. No disruption on tube, Overground or Elizabeth Line.  Public transport on Sunday October 1 ASLEF overtime ban, likely to cause disruption on rail services. Service as usual on the Elizabeth Line, Overground and Underground.  Public transport on Monday October 2 ASLEF overtime ban, li

We’ve all got things that remind us of our ex: that particular coffee shop, park bench, or street corner where you snogged once. But some reminders are worse than others. Like a tattoo, for instance.  You may have wanted to declare your love for your ex in an act of permanence back then, but now the mere sight of their initials on your forearm is enough to bring your breakfast back up. That’s why Tinder is offering Londoners with tattoos of their exes to get free coverups this October, so you can start again with a freshly inked slate.  Tinder is opening ‘Ink Twice’, a free tattoo pop-up in partnership with Sixty Ink tattoo parlour from October 11-13. Over the three days, tattoo artists Claudio, Suze and Dominga will be there to re-do those questionable tats and mend your broken hearts.  People with tattoos they regret can enquire about getting a coverup on the Ink Twice website. You’ll be able to have a tattoo consultation with one of the three Sixty Ink tattoo artists, who will then let you know if they have chosen you for a free tattoo.   They say you shouldn’t get a tattoo or a drastic haircut when you’re going through a breakup. To that we say, pfffffft.  ICYMI: Alexandra Palace wants your selfies for a giant artwork. Listen to Time Out’s brilliant new podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: episode eight with Hans Ulrich Obrist in South Kensington is out now. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

‘Luxury’ and ‘shipping container’ aren’t two things you’d think would go together. And yet, London’s rental market has managed to defy all logic once again with this wonderful property opportunity: a shipping container converted into a teeny home that’s on the market for just £75,000.  For the more thrifty home buyers, could this be the dream house you’ve been looking for? Inside the glamorous shipping container, which the estate agent iad UK calls a ‘testament to luxurious living’, is a double bed that takes up the width of the container, a sofa, TV and cooking area that definitely can’t be described as a kitchen. But curiously, no bathroom. We suppose there’s always the plants.  Photograph: iad UK / Rightmove'The pinnacle of sustainable living' The home also boasts of having ‘world-leading ventilation technology’, which creates ‘unparalleled warmth’ and ‘takes environmental consciousness to new heights’.  An even bigger plus is the shipping container’s location. Right next to Pudding Mill Lane, the home is in an industrial estate adjacent to the Abba Arena, so you can be lulled to sleep by the gentle melody of ‘Take A Chance On Me’ every night. It’s also a short walk away from Bow Road Underground station. Photograph: iad UK / Rightmove'A testament to luxurious living' The rather hyperbolic property description, which now seems to have been removed from online, read: ‘Our container house is a testament to luxurious living, with customisable interiors that cater to your

You don’t need us to tell you that London has some of the best restaurants in UK, and even the world. Being the melting pot that it is, critics and magazines have been saying for ages that the UK’s capital is a foodie haven for cuisines and fusions from all over the globe. And now the people have spoken too. London officially has five of the UK’s best restaurants right now, according to TripAdvisor. London came out as one of the best British cities for food in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. The ratings website has ranked restaurants from around the world across six categories: Fine Dining, Everyday Eats, Date Night, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly and Vegetarian-Friendly.  In the UK restaurant rankings, the Big Smoke had five restaurants make it into the top ten across the six categories. London took the top spot for best vegetarian restaurant, in which Mallow in Borough Market claimed the number one prize. When it came to fine dining, Launceston Place – a modern British restaurant in Kensington – ranked tenth in its category.  The capital also excelled in the ‘Hidden Gems’ category, which was dominated by South Asian cuisine. Indian restaurant The India, on Cannon Street, was named the sixth best hidden gem in the country, while Andy’s Greek Taverna in Camden came in tenth.   Finally, Bonoo, an Indian tapas spot in Cricklewood, came in at number three on the list of best casual eats.  So there you have it, London’s five best restaurants according to the TripAdvisor

London has a lot of unwanted noises. There’s the eardrum-shattering screeching of the Central line, people playing TikTok out loud on the bus, and the constant cracking of nos canisters being opened. Now, a new irritating noise has come to irk even the most even-tempered among us. Official Blue Badge tour guides have said an increasing number of freelance tour guides wielding giant megaphones are creating a massive nuisance at some of London’s top tourist spots.  According to the Institute for Tourist Guiding (ITG), its members are increasingly complaining of rogue guides carrying amplifiers that deafen tourists and make it almost impossible for official guides to do their jobs at a reasonable decibel. The ITG says Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament are now all crawling with unofficial guides.  ‘It’s proliferating,’ Carole Hiley, president of the ITG, told the Guardian. ‘Last year there might have been one or two, but now suddenly they’re everywhere in the City of Westminster, at all the main sights.’ ‘They were around before Covid,’ Hiley added, ‘but they weren’t causing a huge problem. Now tourist numbers have come back – they’ve really escalated in London this year, which is brilliant – and it has brought this problem with them.’ The ITG has spoken to Westminster Council to see if it has powers to curb the problem, and plans to write to the Royal Parks authority, which administers the area of St James’s Park around Buckingham Palace. Curren

Do you fancy having your face plastered on the side of Alexandra Palace for all of eternity? If you’re nodding your head enthusiastically, we have good news for you. Ally Pally is asking for members of the public to send in selfies to become part of a giant artwork to celebrate 150 years since the palace opened.  Selfies and people’s pictures of Ally Pally will become part of an artwork by artist Helen Marshall, known for her mosaics made up of smaller photographs. Marshall previously created a photo mosaic image of Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee, which is on display at Gatwick Airport. ‘The People’s Monarch’ used 5,000 photos of the Queen to make a bigger portrait of Liz.  If you don’t consider yourself a master photographer, don’t worry. Marshall is asking for just regular photos and selfies – it’s her job to make them into a beautiful piece of art. Once she’s gathered all the pictures, the ginormous photo mosaic will be created and displayed in the Palace’s East Court as a permanent mural.  Emma Dagnes, from the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, said: ‘It is your experience of the palace that we want to celebrate. It could be seeing live music here, learning to ice skate or simply finding a place that feels special to you and your friends. ‘We know people who have met their partners for the first time here, been proposed to or seen their children take their first steps. Whatever Ally Pally means to you, we want to hear your stories.’ Marshall said: ‘I

Vegans and veggies, look away now. Everyone else, listen up! There’s a chance to get free burgers at any Honest Burgers restaurant in London today. If you don’t get down there at lunch it would be a huge missed-steak.  From 11.30am today (ie, from now on), 40 Honest Burger restaurants across the UK (of which 31 are in London) will be dishing out free smashed burgers and chips to the first 100 customers at each resto. They’ll be given out on a first-come-first-served basis as part of an unbeef-lievable offer.  The burger celebration is to mark the launch of the restaurant’s crowdfunding campaign to open a new super speedy fast food burger restaurant.  If you fancy getting your foot in the door with Big Beef, Honest Burgers are asking for investments starting at as little as £10 to help fundraise for a new smash burger chain. Investors will become shareholders in the restaurant chain, and be given ‘Honest Equity’ where they will be able to redeem awards such as a free burger and chips or a burger party for them 25 pals. One lucky person today will also win the ‘golden shares’ prize, scooping up £5,000 in equity shares and becoming a co-owner of the burger chain.  Find your nearest Honest Burgers branch here and learn more about the crowdfunding campaign here.  These are London’s best burgers. Listen to Time Out’s brilliant new podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: episode seven with Big Zuu in Oxford Circus is out now. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newslet