Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
The best of Time Out straight to your inbox
We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities. Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city.
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
The smog and stress of London can really take its toll on your skin. Thatâs why thereâs nothing better than a regular facial (or a one-off treat) to give you that much-needed top-up, leaving you feeling glowing, fresh-faced and dewy.Â
Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. Thatâs thanks to the combined efforts of pollution and air-conditioned offices, as well as the added bonuses of harsh weather, booze, sun exposure, dehydration and â our least favourite â the inevitable passing of time.
Happily, there are loads of great spas, treatment rooms and estheticians in London who can give your face a break and a much-needed zhuzh. Whether youâre after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense such as microneedling or laser treatment, read our pick of facials in London.Â
RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London.Â
Greece is, quite simply, king of the holidays. Itâs a country full of sprawling cities, beautiful islands and some of the best beaches in the entire world, and the food? Donât even get us started on the food. Thereâs a hell of a lot of islands, and our editors have been to a hell of a lot of them, but for the on-the-ground knowledge that only a local has, weâve roped in our Greece expert Demetrios Ioannou, who grew up in Athens but has travelled all over the country. Whatever youâre looking for, here are the best places to visit in Greece.Â
Where should I go for my first time in Greece?
Weâre firm believers that everyone should go to Athens at least once in their lives. So if itâs your first time visiting the country, you should probably start there. But the good news is that in Greece, you can pretty much do it all. So donât stay in Athens for a full week â spend a perfect weekend there before heading out on a ferry to Aegina, Poros, Hydra and more. If youâve ticked off Athens already, consider Greeceâs latest destination dupe, Paros, which is set to this yearâs ânew Santoriniâ (just without the crowds).Â
đ RECOMMENDED: Discover our ultimate guide to Greece
Which is the best Greek island to visit?
If weâre talking most popular, Santorini and Mykonos are always going to be top of the list. But Greece has more than 6,000 islands and islets, each with its own unique vibe and all worth visiting for entirely different reasons. Crete is Greeceâs biggest island, in the south of th
Dreaming of sand between your toes, wind blowing in your hair and sun beating down on your skin? You might just be due a trip to the beach. Here in the UK, we canât quite guarantee the sunshine, but we can guarantee some seriously stunning beaches which will rival those of Mediterranean (and might even be contenders for the best beaches in the world).Â
We have white sand beaches, we have pebbles, we have towering chalk cliffs and rock pools galore. We pretty much have a beach for every occassion. Not sure where to go? Weâve rounded up the best beaches in the UK right here, from Scotland to Cornwall, all chosen by Time Out travel writers who have been to visit them IRL. Youâll also find our expert reccs for where to stay, so you can make the most of your beachy getaway. Enjoy.Â
Where are the UKâs most beautiful beaches?
Pretty beaches are dotted all over the UK, but youâll find some absolute beauties in Scotland, Cornwall and Wales, where the water is often clear, beaches are surrounded by tall cliffs and greenery and you might even find sand between your toes. On our list of the UKâs best beaches, weâve included the prettiest and most serene stretches of coast out there, but weâve also included those better for vibes, families and big old picnics. They might not be lookers, but theyâre perfect for a seaside day out.Â
RECOMMENDED:đïž The most amazing hidden beaches in the UKđ The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UKđ The best wild swimming spots in the UKđ€ïž The best place
Need a place to stay in London? Weâre here to make it easy for you. Every year, a wealth of new hotels open in the capital which is a testament to the fact that London remains one of the most desirable places to visit in the world. However, that can make it tricky to decide which hotel to choose. But worry not because we have slept our way across the city and hand-picked our favourites for the ultimate list of London hotels, which covers locations right across the city, and every category from blowout luxury (including having your own butler, might we add) to budget basic and brilliant.
In this mega list, we've listed everything from our favourite five-star hotels in Mayfair to more affordable hotels outside of zone 1. Plus youâll be able to check out one or two of the capital's many Michelin-starred restaurants because yep, loads of them call London hotels their home. But if spending a small fortune on food isnât your bag? Thereâs also an ever-increasing number of good-value food options for budgeteers, too. Throw great design and architecture into the mix, plus superb bars, world-class hospitality and the opportunity to have a home-from-home in the best city in the world and, well, youâre laughing.Â
Which area is best to stay in London?
It's not just the range of hotels that's so impressive â you're also spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a neighbourhood to stay in London. The city is made up of a sprawling network of dynamic neighbourhoods, all with their own uniqu
With over 6,000 islands, a seemingly endless coastline, ancient sites and lively party towns, it's easy to see why Greece is such a top tourist destination. Plus, itâs a country that caters to all tastes and all budgets. Whether youâre looking to tuck into Cretan dakos and assyrtiko wine in a taverna run by a feisty grandma, explore Athensâ overabundant art scene, or just install yourself by an infinity pool overlooking the Adriatic, youâre well covered. Accommodation options range from wallet-friendly, family-run digs to some of the most exclusive (and expensive) hideaways in the world, offering all manner of appealing extras; from yachts and private beaches to billiard rooms and free bikes. Here is our pick of the best hotels in Greece.
RECOMMENDED: đŹđ· The best places to visit in Greeceđš The best hotels in Mykonos
This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.
With Hollywood still regaining its footing after a 2020s itâd probably describe as a personal low, the field has been open for streaming shows to monopolise the cultural conversation. And this year itâs been well-established thoroughbreads that have been dominating our social feeds (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bear, Industry, Bridgerton, Slow Horses), as well as some unexpected bolters (Baby Reindeer, Rivals, Fallout). And with a second run of Squid Game about to end the year with a big pile of bodies, the pressure to cram in eight or ten episodesâ worth of must-see TV is not relenting anytime soon. Our advice? Shake off the pressure to âsee everythingâ â itâs impossible, short of ripping a hole in the fabric of time â and find the shows that really hit your sweet spot. To help with this, weâve taken a backwards glance over the best and most all-round enjoyable new binges, curating our definitive list of 2024 favourites. And as any fan of ace Aussie comedy Colin From Accounts will tell you: itâs not always about the number of Emmys on the shelf, as the sheer joy on screen that makes something worth your precious time. Hereâs where to start.
RECOMMENDED:
đ„ The 50 best movies of 2024đ„ The best TV and streaming shows of 2023đș The 100 greatest ever TV shows you need to binge
There are an awful lot of things to moan about in the UK, but pubs are not one of them. Pubs are for your friendly catch ups, your Sunday roasts, and your mid-summer sun traps, and we love it all. We really do.Â
Everyoneâs got a favourite (probably the one closest to the end of your road), and so do we. But some pubs are really good for food. Others are great for craft beer. The very best pubs do it all. With that in mind, here we are: the best pubs in the whole of the UK. Happy drinking, folks.Â
RECOMMENDED:đ The best restaurants in the UKđș The best beer gardens in the UKđ The best places to visit in the UKđ The cosiest Airbnbs in the UK
Itâs officially the depths of winter, and that means spending as little time as possible outdoors and as much time as possible being warm, cosy and preferably in pyjamas. And those long, wintery nights call for one thing: some good snacks, and a really good podcast. Luckily, weâve got them coming out of our ears.Â
Whether youâre a grisly true crime guy or after something more chatty, thereâs a podcast out there for you. And here at Time Out, weâve been bingeing all of them to bring you the very best (and stop you wasting precious time). For giggles, celeb sightings, world history, investigative journalism and a hell of a lot more, here are our favourite podcasts out right now, picked by our editors. Happy listening!
ïžâđ„ November 2024: Weâve just added a bunch of great podcasts to this list, including the gripping âWrongly Accusedâ and the hilarious chatty-comedy âComedy Bang! Bang!â. We update regularly with new releases, so check back for more podcast recommendations from the Time Out team.Â
RECOMMENDED:đ§ The best news podcastsđïž The best history podcastsđȘ The best true crime podcasts
Iâve lived in this city for four years and have lived in four different properties in that time. A London baby, I know â but still long enough to have learned a thing or two about the capitalâs treacherous rental market.
My first London home was a strange-smelling shoebox above an agave bar on Kingsland Road. The second? A recently renovated Victorian townhouse with a garden which a former flatmate snagged for bargain rates during the pandemic (we begrudgingly moved out when the landlord raised rent by a sweet 60 percent). Fast forward through a month at an exâs and now Iâm living in a shared house in a decent area, paying below average rent with an (actually!) nice landlord. Hell, itâs not perfect, but I could be doing a lot worse. Â
The art of finding a good room to rent in the capital is an art youâll slowly learn to master â often because you wonât have much other choice. Those horror stories about evil landlords, bidding wars, impossible flatmate interviews and viewing queues down the street? Not to scare you, but thereâs some truth in them.Â
RECOMMENDED:Â 23 things you should know before moving to LondonLondoners on their subletting horror storiesInside the murky world of property guardianships
There is, of course, the bog-standard advice you shouldnât overlook when searching for a room: donât rent somewhere with mould (it probably wonât go away), always do the viewing in person, and donât take that flat on the other side of the river to your pals (you wonât make the jo
Growing up on a council estate in Manchester in the early â00s, Yasmin Finneyâs childhood dream was to be a lollipop lady. While her classmates fantasised about being Buzz Lightyear or Hannah Montana, her inspiration was Catherine, the woman in the high-vis who ushered her safely home from school. âShe was my favourite person. She would command the road with that lollipop,â she tells me on Zoom, her Pomeranian pup Coconut draped on her lap like a blanket. âI wanted to be her.â
Things didnât quite go to plan. Today, Finney is a global star known for playing Elle Argent in Heartstopper, Netflixâs adaptation of Alice Osemanâs hugely successful YA books series about young queer love, as well as Rose Noble in Doctor Who alongside Ncuti Gatwa and Catherine Tate. Sheâs also a YSL and Tiffany ambassador, has been on several prestigious magazine covers, and has almost two million followers on TikTok. As a working class, Black trans woman sheâs also a symbol of hope for people from a trifecta of marginalised communities. And sheâs only just turned 21.
With season three of Heartstopper landing shortly, things are only going to take her further away from marshalling the school gates. This school year, Charlie and co are navigating UCAS forms, vodka hangovers, body hang ups and having sex for the first time. In other words: things start to get real at Truham Grammar.
For Elle, this means exploring her relationship with new boyfriend Tao (William Gao) and confronting what sex means and loo
I moved to this city in the deep, dark depths of the pandemic. My first flat was, obviously, awful. The landlord was dodgy (shock). It was full of mould. The shower was next to the kitchen and had no door. Still, though, I look back on those days fondly. One rare sunny afternoon we climbed out of my flatmateâs 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.Â
Whether youâre moving here for study, work, family, or another reason, your first months in London will be challenging, but youâll 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 (donât actually), get lost on the tube.
That said, there are some things I wish Iâd known before coming here. Hindsight is a blessing, as they say. But weâre 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.Â
Donât listen to what Radiohead said: pop will never, ever die. And here at Time Out, we love the golden oldies as much as we love the newbies. The 21st century is a long one, after all.Â
Here on our list youâll find fabulous pop songs from every era, from Outkast and Missy Elliot to Charli XCXâs Brat Summer and the worldâs newest pop queen Chappell Roan. The only criteria? It has to be a feel good bop, and it has to make you want to get up and dance. All of these tunes do just that, and then some. Read on for the best pop songs ever made.Â
RECOMMENDED:đ€Â The best karaoke songsđ The best party songsâ€ïž The best love songsâïž The best summer songs
The Rome Edition is how I imagine the Emerald City to look if it was designed by Gianni Versace. The boutique hotel is the brandâs 15th outpost, and instead of playing it safe, itâs gone full pazazz. The lobby is pure Italian excess, showcasing the buildingâs original 1930s Cipollino marble staircase; the floor-to-ceiling jade curtains drawing eyeballs to the high ceilings; an orange-topped pool table acting as much as a statement piece as a sporting arena.Â
Designed by Ian Schrager and owned by Marriott, the 93-room hotel is an endless contradiction; itâs both elegant and over-the-top, close to the tourist hotspots of Piazza Barberini, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain yet a welcome respite from the hubbub of street vendors, waving umbrellas and tour guides telling Millennials that Hilary Duff did not sing at the Colosseum. Â
It works because itâs been created with Italians in mind. The signature restaurant Anima is headed by Antonio Gentile who serves seasonal dishes inspired by Rome and Naples. Cacio & Pepe with pink raw prawns, and pasta with three yellow tomatoes are some of the most popular menu items â though the smoked artichoke is a real showstopper. Italian sparkling, white and dessert wines are also showcased among more well-known offerings from New Zealand and France. The local nods pay off â stylish Italian men discuss regional football teams over a mid-week tipple alongside the Americans âdoing Europe.âÂ
There are also plenty of options for a nightcap. Th
Wherever you go in The Churchill - in the bar, by the fireplace, even next to your bedside table - you get a strange sense that thereâs someone watching you. Because there is. Winston Churchillâs likeness is a signature across the hotel. Paintings of him and copies of his artwork are dotted across the lobby, restaurant, bar and bedrooms, with themed mugs and cocktail books for sale in the on-site shop. Thereâs even a life-size statue of the olâ chap at The Churchill Bar so youâll never drink an Old Fashioned alone.
Here comes the spoiler: the hotel doesnât have any historical connection to WC. Its architect was a Churchill fanboy, making it more of a Disneyland for WW2 geeks and American tourists (including Barack Obama who stayed at the hotel during his pre-election campaign in 2008). Though, Churchill's family have donated a few original photographs and love letters he sent to his wife, Clementine.
But what The Churchill lacks in political legacy it makes up for in service and comfort. Staff are accommodating without being overbearing. While the rooms are simple and elegant, decorated with grey walls, white bedding, a sturdy wooden writing desk and a royal purple armchair. The jerk to the 21st century comes in the bathroom which has been fitted with a Millenium Falcon-esque smart-toilet - which makes a loo stop a lot more exciting than it should be.
The food also stands on its own, with executive chef Carlo Martino serving up a British ingredient-driven menu at The Montagu
It might be best-known for bringing Singaporean cuisine and hospitality to the City, but being able to watch the rat race from Pan Pacific London's infinity pool is the highlight of a stay here. There's something about feeling smug in a swimsuit while stock market traders trudge down Bishopsgate below: a 'Freaky Friday'-style power shift that lasts as long as you can afford to play pretend.Â
The pool area (which is subjected to seasonal makeovers,) has been transformed by luxury children's clothing brand Bonpoint, with pink deckchairs, straw parasols and cherry insignias. Dyson hair dryers and Diptyque toiletries are on hand to help with the post-workout glow-up.
Food and drink options are equally extra, with the hotel being home to two restaurants and three bars. Straits Kitchen, a Singaporean-inspired kitchen, offers authentic lobster laksa for ÂŁ45 a pop; the Shiitake Sayuran Rosette - a mix of mushrooms, pak choi, beancurd, enoki and soy - being one of the best veggie meals Iâve eaten during my 17-year run as a vegetarian.Â
The wine list and cocktail menus also have an Asian influence, with red, white and sparkling Chinese wines competing for attention alongside Sussex, Argentina and California vines. Ground-floor bar Ginger Lily is the spot for a nightcap, serving up a Highball, made with green tea, lemon juice, whisky and honey. Just be warned, the hotelâs carb-to-alcohol ratio might leave you a little fragile come morning.Â
Neighbourhood
Less than a five-minute walk fro
Moorgate is a bit of a cultural wasteland on weekends, and, depending on how you feel about finance bros and signet rings, maybe on weekdays too. But the City has started to shake off its stuffy image. Pop-up country-music bar Buck Nâ Bull often takes over The Anthologist with line dancing and a mechanical bull, and axe throwing venues like Whistle Punks and Boom Battle Bar are becoming as synonymous with the area as trust funds and plague pits.
5* boutique hotel, South Place Hotel, is part of this facelift. Its name makes it sound like an arty Miami Beach transplant, and in some ways it is. The hotel hosts art residencies throughout the year, showcasing work from the likes of Real Hackney Dave. On the day of our visit, the lobby housed one IRL âlove bombâ - an eight-foot-tall bomb replica with âloveâ painted in neon pink paint down its side.Â
The bedrooms also cater to a creative crowd, with bespoke pieces in each of the 80 rooms. Ours was home to record-shaped artwork of 80s new-wave band Altered Images, as well as a rather regal portrait of a faun. Thereâs also a lot for tech nerds to get excited about, from the Bang and Olufsen TV to the Dyson hairdryer thatâs lit up in a cupboard like a rare gem in a heist movie.
The 5* touches come out in details like the vegan James Heely toiletries, an entire drawer dedicated to wine glasses and hotel room snacks from indie and eco-friendly brands like Two Farmers, Serious Pig, and Joe and Seph's. Then there's Michelin-starred seafood
Run by mammoth hotel chain Radisson, who also run the Park Inn and art 'otel brands, Park Plaza Westminster is a slick operation that also caters to the masses. With 1,023 rooms and suites, it's closer to a cruise ship than to its neighbour and rival, Premier Inn.Â
Rooms are stripped back, with white walls and a dark wooden table making up the skeleton of the space. The minimalism is deliberate. This hotel knows that focusing too much on furnishings - soft or otherwise - would be like turning your back on the Mona Lisa. Â
Why? The majority of rooms have a screensaver view of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and The London Eye. So close are you to the Elizabeth Tower, you might as well be reading the ten o' clock news.Â
Due to its 32 conference rooms and proximity to Waterloo and Westminster stations (both five minute walks away) Park Plaza is known to cater to time-poor business travellers like the half-dozen pilots we saw during our stay. Speed and efficiency are a key consideration. So, you can check out by QR code, and breakfast is self-service, but overseen with military precision.Â
If you're looking for a more relaxed pace though, that can be arranged too. Just ask the man we saw walking nonchalantly through the hotel lobby in his spa robe at 11pm. The hotel has a gym, pool, steam room, sauna and spa, which are surprisingly quiet for a hotel of its size. Or you can make the most of the bath and Elemis toiletries in your room. Â
Brasserie Joel is also a dining experience
Itâs already dark when we arrive on Santorini, Greeceâs fifth-smallest and arguably most romantic island, but even spying the half-drawn outline of the caldera dotted with pockets of orange and gold from sports bars and living room TV screens was enough to see why almost 2 million tourists â significantly made up of Americans, couples and American couples â flock here each year. By daylight, with the layers of a sapphire sea, red cliffs and iconic blue domes coming into view, itâs clearer still why so many people believe the island is the Lost City of Atlantis.
Carved high into the volcanic rock, our hotel, Kivotos Santorini, tricks you into thinking the 10 boutique suites, fitted with Sonos speakers and multicoloured mood lighting, are as natural as the islandâs black sand beaches, which formed during a large volcanic eruption in the sixteenth century BC. But here, blending in is as much an objective as standing out. Unlike traditional white stone homes and hotels in the area, the resort is painted jet black; a Batcave plonked on top of a wedding cake, if you will.
The communal areas keep up the superhero aesthetic; the hotelâs main pool is stained red by underwater lights; the bar stocked with an assortment of nuclear-grade spirits. Our junior suite is just as much a stylish lair. The minimalist grey and white aesthetic is timeless, with the walk-in rain shower and Bvlgari toiletries adding touches of modern luxury. The real McCoy though is the private outdoor heated plunge
âUnfortunateâ is a musical parody upon which your childhood innocence will be shipwrecked. Ursula the sea witch was the villain in Disney's 1989 classic âThe Little Mermaidâ (and its recent remake). But this musical retelling of her story is crude, camp and extremely horny.Â
Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022, the not-safe-for-Mickey musical â written by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx and composed by Tim Gilvin â tells the âuntoldâ story of Ursula. Landing at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, âOrange is the New Blackâ star Shawna Hamic has been recruited as the drag-inspired witch, while River Medway from âDrag Raceâ picks up the baton as a basic bitch-ified Ariel, with an ensemble cast helping to hammer home that this is as much a celebration of queerness as a rehashing of the classic fish tale.
Hamic delivers a series of cutting and comic one-liners early on to set the tone. She mentions her âlesbian haircutâ and how her little corner of the underworld is the âintersection between the Barbie movie and the Hitler Youthâ. Itâs a bit like drag brunch bingo, without the mimosas, which makes a lot of sense given the original Ursula was inspired by Divine, the iconic â70s drag queen. Thereâs also a queer-ification of the plot, with Ursula and a latexed-out Triton (Thomas Lowe) performing a will-they-won't-they duet, while a fun same-sex shakeup throws a dinglehopper in the works.
The showâs self-awareness makes it special, with numbers such as âWe Didnât Make it to Di
In the same way Jack the Ripper has become more of a dark fable than a true crime story about a man brutally murdering five East End women, so the case of Lizzie Borden has passed into Massachusetts folklore.
The legend goes that Lizzie â a hysterical 32-year-old spinster â killed her father and âevilâ stepmother with an axe in the summer of 1892 in order to inherit the familyâs sizable fortune built by her dadâs casket manufacturing business - yes, caskets. Foreboding at its finest.
The story captured the local imagination for its brutality and the fact the only suspect was Lizzie, who was tried and later acquitted â because how could a lady be capable of such a heinous crime?
Over 120 years later, the murders are as much legend as fact. There have been Hollywood retellings, including 2018âs âLizzieâ starring Kristen Stewart, and the suspected murderess acting as the meat and potatoes for many true crime and revisionist podcasts, including âCrime Junkieâ and âYouâre Wrong Aboutâ. You can even book a stay at the Borden House, said to be one of the most haunted places in America, if you fancy being scared shitless for the night.Â
Now a musical take comes in the shape of âLizzieâ, a 100-minute punk-rock musical playing at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until early December. The cast is made up of four women who play Lizzie (Lauren Drew), Emma, Lizzieâs sister (Shekinah McFarlane), the Bordensâ neighbour, Alice (Maiya Quansah-Breed) and the family maid, Bridget (Mairi Barclay).
W
If you hadnât noticed, country music mania is taking over London. C2C Festival returned for its 10th year in March, Maren Morris has just sold out the O2 Kentish Town and Luke Combs has added an extra London date as part of his world tour this October due to overwhelming demand. But itâs not just the music of Americana thatâs made its way across the pond. A Nashville-inspired bottomless brunch is on its way to the capital, and itâs brought a giant mechanical bull along for the ride. Taking place at The Anthologist by Drake and Morgan, cowboys and girls can expect 90 minutes of bottomless whiskey lemonade (or Italian spritz or sparkling wine if youâre not playing by the rules â you outlaw) and a choice of southern plates like mac ânâ cheese and hot chicken. Thereâll also be live country music and a DJ set from Chris Armstrong whoâll be playing the latest hits from Music City. Giddy up.
The bad news is Yayoi Kusamaâs Infinity Mirror Rooms at the Tate are sold out until the end of March. But if you canât step into the artistâs imaginary world, you can at least eat your way through it, because Rosewood London is offering a red and pink hued, Kusama-inspired afternoon tea in its Mirror Room. Created exclusively for Valentine's Day by Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins, the menu fuses Japanese flavours with French culinary flair. Savoury offerings include chicken teriyaki sandwiches and keta caviar, while the cakes are contemporary and personal. âDots obsession soul of pumpkinâ, a dark chocolate sable paired with passionfruit ganache, is inspired by Kusamaâs childhood when she recalled a pumpkin speaking to her during harvest on her familyâs farm, with âFlowers that bloom at midnightâ, an ode to her 2010 sculptures by the same name.Â
When you think of Pembrokeshire, chances are itâs the historic town of Tenby that comes to mind. If youâre Welsh, you probably spent lazy Sunday afternoons on North Beach dripping ice cream on your grandparentsâ shoes or learning about how Henry Tudor launched his bid for the British throne from that same raspberry-ripple-stained spot. If youâre a visitor, youâve probably come to see Walesâ â ahem, superior â answer to Cornwall.
If itâs true Welsh tranquillity youâre after, though â the sort Gwyneth and Co would medi-gasm over â head north-west to Lawrenny. Located on the peninsula of the River Cleddau within Pembrokeshire National Park, the village is home to greystone farmhouses, a local pub, a bakery, a hostel, a village shop and around 500 people. Itâs a corner of the world that benefits from the unique alchemy of being frozen in time, yet conveniently connected to the A477.
Thatâs probably why luxury glamping site The Little Retreat is thriving. Starting out as the brainchild of health and wellbeing entrepreneur Amber Lort-Phillips, the project was brought to life during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic with a few helping hands from the local community. Fast-forward a year and youâll now find four geo-domes situated on the slope of the upper walled garden on the townâs old castle site.
Each dome is fully insulated, fitted with a super-king bed, Smart TV, coffee machine and telescope, and comes with a private kitchen and bathroom. Outside, thereâs also a rattan fur
Bridgerton season 3 proved to be an eventful one in the âton. Quick recap: after years of wallflowering, Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan) took centre stage as the object of Colin Bridgertonâs (Luke Newton) affections. The pair navigated their fledgling love while Penelope tried â and failed â to hide her identity as Lady Whistledown. She was eventually forced into the light by Queen Charlotteâs quest for the truth, a pink pretender better known as Cressida Cowper and good old fashioned guilt. Colin forgave her for the deception, she and Eloise become BFFs again and the gossip column continues circulation, this time with a new signature.Â
But what to expect from Bridgerton season 4? With filming currently two-thirds complete, Netflix and the Shondaland team clued us in on whatâs next on the âton.Â
Photograph: NetflixBridgerton season 4
Bridgerton season 4 sneak peek
As a Valentineâs Day treat, Netflix threw open the doors of its Regency palace for a special sneak-peek event. On the agenda? Plenty of intel on season 4âs plot machinations, a look at the showâs period finery, and a cast and showrunner Q&A â all illuminated by about a million candles. Take a peek behind the scenes below.Â
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jessica Phillips đŽó §ó ąó ·ó Źó łó ż (@jessicaphillipsmedia)
What is Bridgerton Season 4 about?
Season 4 will focus on Benedict Bridgertonâs love story with Sophie, a lower-class servant. The plot
The fourth and final season of âSex Educationâ hits Netflix later this month, just in time for freshersâ week/cuffing season/the whole bed-rotting trend. The new trailer has dropped and things are looking as juicy as ever for the students of Moordale High.
When we left the gang in season 3, Moordale had gained a reputation as the âSex Schoolâ following an STI outbreak and a student production of âRomeo and Julietâ that would make the Moulin Rouge! look like your local 50+ Zumba class. Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and semi-reformed bad boy Adam (Connor Swindells) have sex, but break up when Eric cheats on him with Oba (Jerry Iwu), who he meets on a family trip to Nigeria.Â
Elsewhere, Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) comes to terms with her recent sexual assault, Jean (Gillian Anderson) gives birth to baby Joy, and Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Ruby (Mimi Keene) make a go of things. It all gets messy, though, when Ruby says âI love youâ and Otis, well, doesnât. The resident school sexpert is still pining for Maeve, who is dating â but later dumps â voicemail-deleting, undercover villain Isaac (George Robinson). Sheâs also off to the US as part of a month-long âgifted and talentedâ program.
Hereâs four things we spotted in the new season 4 teaser.
Photograph: Thomas Wood/NetflixEmma Mackey as Maeve Wiley
Otis is preparing to send Maeve an epic sext
After three seasons of will-they/wonât-they, Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Otis are still will-they/ wonât-theyâing, even after kissing on season 3âs eventful
The V&Aâs newest exhibition will pay homage to the life and works of Coco Chanel, charting the style evolution of the designer behind the House of Chanel.
The exhibition is the first of its kind to be hosted by a major museum in the UK and will feature 180 looks, with all the iconic jewellery, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes â you know, the one that smells like Mumâs big night out â to boot.Â
Some of the most notable designs on display include outfits made for Hollywood stars Lauren Bacall (To Have or Not to Have, The Big Sleep) and Marlene Dietrich (Witness for the Prosecution, The Blue Angel).
The exhibition will have eight different themed sections exploring all the hallmarks of the timeless Chanel look, from stitching to hitting the runway.Â
Here are some of the little-known facts behind one of the twentieth-centuryâs most influential/controversial designers.
Nuns taught and inspired her
After her motherâs death from tuberculosis in 1895 when she was just 11, Chanelâs father abandoned her and her four siblings at an orphanage where they were raised by the nuns of Aubazine Abbey.
It was in this unassuming convent where Chanel learned how to sew and where she was inspired to create the signature Little Black Dress. Apparently it was the habits of the nuns who helped hone her craft.
She lived in a hotel for more than 30 years
No, weâre not talking about the local Travelodge, Chanel spent much of her life at The Ritz Paris, booking herself into a suite in 1937 and not lea
Four years after becoming a New York Times Bestseller, American author Casey McQuistonâs Red, White & Royal Blue is getting the movie treatment. Landing on Prime Video on August 11, the BookTok favourite follows the secret romance between the son of the US President, Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), and Henry, Britainâs royal spare (Nicholas Galitzine). Having let their ongoing feud cause an international incident â more on that later â the high-profile and sickeningly good-looking pair are forced on a diplomatic mission to play nice. And given the flickâs R-rating, play nice they do.The result is funny and smart, a mix of Heartstopper earnestness and the royal silliness of 2004 Julia Stiles romcom The Prince and Me. It even shoehorns in that iconic British insult, âbellendâ. The early reviews are taking over the internet too, with its âA+ casting â and the two leadsâ âelectric chemistryâ both drawing praise, along with its fun but meaningful depiction of same-sex love. Here are six reasons why Red, White & Royal Blue is shaping up to be the surprise romcom hit of the summer.
Photograph: Jonathan Prime/Prime Video
1. It gets sexuality right
Unlike other LGBTQ+ romcoms of late that have somewhat missed the mark â weâre looking at you Happiest Season and Bros â Red, White & Royal Blue is nuanced and informative, without being preachy. Itâs made crystal clear that Alex is bisexual, not gay, and we get a fly-on-the-wall view of the real talk that goes on around who do
As the Barbie movieâs July 21 release date fast approaches, London has fallen under the Mattel dollâs spell. A pink TARDIS has popped up on the North Bank. The London Eye has been lit up in Barbieâs favourite colour. Mega-fans are planning on dressing up in full-on Barbie garb to watch the film, with many of us considering watching two blockbuster films â Barbie and Oppenheimer â in one sitting in the name of #Barbenheimer. Seriously, are we okay?
All this hype has almost made us forget what this is all about â the dolls themselves. It might not feel like it, but these guys have been going for way longer than the movieâs marketing campaign. Since 1959, more than a billion Barbies â and considerably fewer Kens â have been sold worldwide. And there have been plenty of famous Londoners among them. From pioneering scientists to onstage superstars, these are the locals whoâve been immortalised in plastic.
David Bowie
Bowie is so iconic that he got not one but two Barbie dolls made in his honour. Mattel first channelled the rockstarâs unmatched style in 2019, recreating the instantly recognisable Ziggy Stardust look from his âSpace Oddityâ era. In 2022, round two saw the release of another doll, this time to mark the 50th anniversary of the late singerâs fourth album, âHunky Doryâ. The âLife On Mars?â music video was recreated, complete with â70s glam-rock look powder-blue suit and matching eyeshadow.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BarbieÂź (
Luke Thompson is having his cake and eating it. Figuratively: thatâs how he describes simultaneously filming season three of âBridgertonâ, Netflixâs hugely successful TV series, and rehearsing for Ivo van Hoveâs West End stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagiharaâs bestselling novel âA Little Life.â And literally: heâs tucking into a vanilla-and-passionfruit cake while chatting about his busy schedule, using words like âluckyâ and âblessedâ as he munches away in Terryâs, a 1940s time-capsule caff in Southwark.Â
Heâs run the two miles from rehearsals in London Bridge. Thatâs how excited he is to talk about stepping into the shoes of Willem, one of the bookâs four lead characters, alongside an all-star cast headed up by James Norton of âHappy Valleyâ as Jude, Omari Douglas from âItâs a Sinâ as JB and Zach Wyatt from âThe Witcherâ as Malcolm. âI knew there was a possibility âBridgertonâ wouldnât be able to fit around this,â he explains. âI worried Iâd audition, be offered the part and have to turn it down. So to be able to do both is the joy of joys.â
âJoyâ isnât usually the first word that springs to mind when talking about âA Little Lifeâ, the Booker Prize shortlisted novel that captured imaginations and speared souls when it first hit bookshelves in 2015. The plot follows four college friends as they move painfully through life, covering topics from sexual assault, drug addiction, self-harm and suicide. Itâs not an easy read, yet it has the unputdownable power of a story in need of
We asked you about the weirdest things that have happened to you while sharing a place in London. Hereâs what you saidâŠ
'I lived with a guy who stored steak under his bed'
'I was introduced to my flatmate's boyfriend. He was my ex'
'My landlord died so I got to live there rent-free for a bit while his family figured out what to do.'
'My housemates had a full on fist fight about who should take the bin out'
'Someone carved threatening messages into my chopping board and peed in my pots and pans'
'I said no to a date with a guy in my house, so he keyed my car'
âMy flatmate crashed into the garage door after drunk-driving home from Spearmint Rhino.â
âA girl who collected her boyfriendâs semen in a plastic cup, which she kept under her bed.â
âThree vegan Aussie lads told me not to go in the âLSD fridgeâ.â
âMy gay flatmate giving a blow job to his âstraightâ friend at the kitchen table one night.â
âA crazy French girl put drawing pins inside the oven gloves as a farewell gift.â
âMy live-in landlady presented me with the ashes of her dead cat in a miniature coffin.â
âMy male housemate couldnât explain why my lost bra turned up in the back of one of his drawers â complete with makeshift plastic-bag padding.â
âMy housemate brought home a few pheasants he claimed to have shot. They still had shop tags on their feet.â
âThe man who greeted each morning in a waistcoat and Y-fronts, with a large G&T and the words: âItâs always six oâclock somewhere in the Empire!â No, he wasnât called Bor
Anyone born in the Nineties will know the significance of October 3.
It's been christened Mean Girls Day since 2004, the year Tina Fey's teen comedy became an instant cult classic. If you're over the age of 35, let us explain. The date relates to when Lindsay Lohan's misfit protagonist, Cady Heron, speaks to her conventionally dishy love interest, Aaron Samuels. He asks what day it is. She replies with 'It's October 3rd'. And thus, with three words, a million memes and an unofficial holiday was born.
Following in the footsteps of Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You, Mean Girls has become a timeless cultural touchstone. Need proof? Try googling 'Mean Girls brunch near me'. And let's not forget Kris Jenner's 'cool mom' bit in Ariane Grande's Thank U, Next music video. 2018, what a time.
Most October thirds, MG fans go all out, creating their own Burn Books, taking scissors to their T-shirts and bombarding Daniel Franzese with Cameo requests. And this year is no different. Except it kind of is.
Hotels.com has gone OTT by offering one-night stays in pink hotel rooms on Wednesdays...for the price of an UberLUX.
The five participating hotels can be found in Washington DC, Sweden and Paris. And there are two here in London. The Mayfair and Raddisson Blu Edwardian are offering up their pink-themed suites for a steal-price of ÂŁ60.Â
Each room is bookable with a 'Fetch' bespoke code - yes, literally - but you'll have to move faster than Regina George in front of a moving bus to get