Amy Houghton

  We all know travelling with the kids can be tricky, so finding a hotel that keeps everyone happy is key. From splashable pools to free breakfasts for little ones, London has plenty of spots that make family life on the go a whole lot easier. Here’s our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in the city, where parents can relax and kids can be… well, kids. The hotels we’ve selected all make travelling with kids as smooth possible. We look for places that are close to London’s top attractions, so you can zip from Hamleys to the park, without having to spend your whole day on public transport, as well as having the resources to keep the whole family entertained. How we choose our family-friendly hotels A family-friendly hotel is about thoughtful touches for children. Perhaps, there are extra cots, kid-friendly menus, splashable pools, and little surprises that make young guests feel welcome. These are hotels that go the extra mile, from milk and cookies at bedtime to a designated kids concierge services. We include luxury stays and budget-friendly finds. Finally, we consider atmosphere and accessibility: helpful staff, close to attractions and safe play spaces, and a vibe that makes both little ones and grown-ups feel at home. London’s family friendly hotels at a glance 💰 Best for a cheap deal: Good Hotel 🗓️ Best concierge service: The Berkeley 🧠 Most iconic: The Ritz ☕ Best afternoon tea for kids: Park Plaza County Hall 🖼️ Most dramatic design: The Mandarin Oriental M

Do you smell it? That faint waft of pumpkin spice latte in the air? Summer’s sunny days and balmy nights may be behind us, but now it’s time to embrace all the wonderful, cosy things autumn has to offer.  For some, this time of year is all about spooky season, for others it’s about candle-lit evenings in front of the telly with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. For others, it’s about pumpkins galore – a golden excuse to get picking, carving and cooking. As the weather drops, farms in and around London become gourd wonderlands, littered with bright yellow and flaming orange pumpkins. Often there’ll be photo opportunities, craft workshops and spooky goings on thrown in so you can make a real outing of it. Just make sure you book in advance to make sure you get a decent pick of the crop. So, whether you want to stock up on pumpkins to carve into Halloween lanterns or to make masses of soup and pies, here are our favourite places near London for pumpkin picking in 2025.  London’s best places for pumpkin picking at a glance: 🎃 Pumpkin smashing fun: Rogate Pumpkin Patch, Petersfield 🪄 Magical village vibes: Marsh Farm, Chelmsford 🧙🏻‍♀️ Best for witches on a budget: Cobbs Farm, Essex 🦇 Best for spooky night-time picking: Foxes Farm, Chelmsford ⚡️ Best for little adventure-seekers: Hobbledown Heath, Hounslow  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London in October 2025

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors.  Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to

It’s no secret that London can be very, very pricey if you’re not careful. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any options if you’re on a budget. Both big chains and beloved independents offer some very affordable rooms in the Capital – you just have to know where to look. Obviously, being ‘on a budget’ is pretty subjective, but every hotel on this list has rooms for under £200, with many starting under £100 – and even some shared dorms for £12 per person.  Every hotel highlighted here by Time Out’s experts is good value; whether that be because of its location, design, or quite simply, the price. Staying in one of these will give you the kind of buzz only a good deal can deliver. So get booking and then use all the cash you’ve saved on more important stuff. Like, erm, going to the pub.  🛌 Our guide to the best Airbnbs in London Which area is best to stay in London for a good price?  Honestly, it depends on what you’re looking for. There’s cheap options in Shoreditch, just off the South Bank and even in the heart of the West End – so you can save and still be in walking distance to Theatreland or London’s best museums. Or, go further afield to find deals that way, in more residential areas further out. To get a better grip on your options, here’s our handy guide on where to stay in London.  How we curate our hotel lists Headed up by editor Joe Mackertich, our team at Time Out London spend their time reviewing hotels all over the Capital – new openings, old classics and ever

The final stretch of 2025 is upon us. And now that we’ve said so long to summer, London’s institutions have begun to enter full festive planning mode. In a matter of months, the city’s skies will be sparkling with Christmas lights, its venues will fill up with classic Christmas tunes and its streets will be lined with colourful Christmas markets. Of course, December isn’t just about Christmas, and there’s plenty more brilliant things to do besides all the festive stuff. Notably, the acclaimed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is making its UK debut, it’s the first full month of the Design Museum’s hotly-anticipated Wes Anderson exhibition and the last full month of the bonkers jukebox musical Titanique. Plus, there are the ice-skating rinks, the winter pop-ups and the chilly winter walks followed by cosy pub hangouts. And that’s before we even get on to New Year’s Eve!  Here’s our guide to the finest events, parties, cultural happenings and things to do in London over December 2025.  London’s best things to do in December at a glance: 🧀 Best for foodies: Future of Food, Science Museum 🎭 Best for thespians: Ballet Shoes, National Theatre 🎬 Best for cinephiles: Backyard Cinema, Bermondsey 🎨 Best for aesthetes: Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, Design Museum 🧛 Best for night owls: Christmas lights, citywide 📚 Best for families: Winter Funland, Kensington RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s definitive London events calendar.

When someone utters the word ‘Wimbledon’, we’d bet big money that the first thing you think of is tennis. Normally a quieter part of town, SW19 erupts with energy every summer when it hosts the mighty Wimbledon Tennis Championships (one of the oldest and most prestigious sports tournaments in the world), with thousands of people queuing for tickets from four in the morning, roaming around in their all-white fits and guzzling down plastic cups of Pimms. When the crowds disperse, Wimbledon is once again demoted to simply being somewhere very, very far away from the rest of London.  🏘️ Ultimate guide to where to stay in London But we’re here to assure you that Wimbledon is actually worth the trek year-round, and it has loads more going for it beyond racket sports. There’s the homely pubs, the locally loved restaurants, the underrated theatres and the lush green plains. Yes, it feels a world away from the cool hordes of Hackney and the hectic hubbub of Camden, but when you need a little breather from the city without actually leaving the city, there are few places better. Go on – venture to the end of the District line and discover the best of what Wimbledon has to offer.  RECOMMENDED 🍽️ The best restaurants in Wimbledon🍺 The best bars and pubs in Wimbledon⬅️ The best things to do in west London📍 All of Time Out London’s area guides

Greece is, quite simply, king of the holidays. It’s a country full of sprawling cities, beautiful islands and some of the best beaches in the entire world, and the food? Don’t even get us started on the food. There’s 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, we’ve roped in our Greece expert Demetrios Ioannou, who grew up in Athens but has travelled all over the country. Whatever you’re looking for, here are the best places to visit in Greece.  Where should I go for my first time in Greece? We’re firm believers that everyone should go to Athens at least once in their lives. So if it’s 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 don’t stay in Athens for a full week – spend a perfect weekend there before heading out on a ferry to Aegina, Poros, Hydra and more. If you’ve ticked off Athens already, consider Greece’s latest destination dupe, Paros, which is set to this year’s ‘new Santorini’ (just without the crowds).  📍 RECOMMENDED: Discover our ultimate guide to Greece Which is the best Greek island to visit? If we’re 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 Greece’s biggest island, in the south of th

Boxing Day has all the magic of Christmas Day, just without the stress of cooking a colossal feast or the pressure of keeping the whole family happy. The in-laws have departed, the gifts have been handed out and now you can spend the day slouched in sweatpants, binging festive specials and demolishing chocolate reindeer while nursing a mild hangover. As enjoyable as all that is, we’re here to make the case for getting out and about on December 26.  The day after Christmas, London is mostly free of its usual crowds (except for shopping districts like Oxford Street packed with bargain hunters). That means that, should you leave your house, large parts of the capital city are yours for the taking.  There are the parks and riverside paths for frosty winter walks or the Christmas lights to admire while you brave the Boxing Day sales. The city’s pop-up ice skating rinks are normally open, pantomime season is still in full swing and there are even a few parties lined up . Here are some great ideas for how to spend your day off. RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our full guide to Christmas in London.

There are few things that we’d willingly brace the cold for during winter in London. But ice skating is one of them. From around October each year, pop-up ice rinks fill the city, decked out in fairy lights, hosting DJ takeovers and inviting folk to skate late into the night. So, dig out your warmest hats and scarves – soon, you’ll get to romantically glide (or awkwardly stumble) with your loved ones under the backdrop of landmarks like Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace.  Keen to flaunt your best ice moves? Determined to skate at least one lap without clinging onto the wall for dear life? We recommend you book a spot at your chosen rink as early as you can. Here are some of the best rinks to soar across this winter. We’ll be topping up this list as more rinks for the 2025/26 season are confirmed. How much does it cost to go ice skating? The cost to skate at London’s various permanent and pop-up ice rinks varies quite significantly. So far, this year’s cheapest option is Queens Skate Dine and Bowl, where adult tickets are available from £8 (during off-peak hours). The most expensive adult ticket in 2024 was £26 for peak hours at Skate at Somerset House. For cheaper tickets, consider visiting at less popular times.  London’s best places to go ice skating this winter: ⛸️ Best for the biggest rink in town: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park 💃 Best for ice dance parties: Somerset House, Aldwych 🏛️ Best for south London skaters: The Queen's House, Green

It’s hard not to fall in love with Wales. This nation may be small but best believe it is crammed with irresistible Celtic charm, spectacular wilderness and vibrant culture. Even after growing up in Bannau Brycheiniog and spending family holidays up north and along the coast, I still cannot get enough. It’s the perfect place to rejuvenate, to give your mind a rest and to bathe in the warm hospitality of Welsh people. It’s also a hugely overlooked arts and music hub. From Michelin-star establishments, to gorgeous hikes, an official book town and several critically acclaimed festivals, whatever kind of getaway you're after, this is the very best of Cymru.  RECOMMENDED: 📍 The best places to go in Wales 🍴 The best things to do in North Wales 👀 The best things to do in Cardiff🌤️ The best things to do in the UK This article was recently updated by Amy Houghton, a writer from Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

August 2025 update: There's new songs being added to karaoke machines on a regular basis, so we see it as our duty to keep this list bang up to date. Our latest additions include a modern British classic from Lola Young, as well as the bounciest anthem to emerge over the past 12 months from Blackpink's Rosé and Bruno Mars. Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. But heed our warning: choosing the right song is crucial (aka, don’t opt for that Whitney Houston tune if you haven’t the range. And if you don't have good enough flow, steer clear of rapping. Kapeesh?) So we thought we’d help out a little bit. In our list of the best karaoke songs ever, we’ve got everyone from Adele to Toto, and from Frank Sinatra to Ricky Martin. There's even recent singalongs from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Something for everyone. So down that shot, grab that mic and take to the stage. Your audience awaits you. Here are the best karaoke songs ever.  RECOMMENDED:❤️ The best love songs☀️ The best summer songs🎉 The best party songs🕺 The best albums of 2025 so far  

Cardiff is arguably one of the best-kept foodie secrets in the UK. While it might get overlooked in favour of some more famous destinations, all that means is there’s more scrumptious food on offer for those who are wise enough to buck trends and head to the Welsh capital.  Many of the UK’s most innovative chefs have set up shop here, including the likes of Pembrokeshire’s Tom Simmons, and restaurants across the city have inventive, artistic dishes flying out of their kitchens – but don’t get us wrong, Cardiff also knows a thing or two about classic, hearty, comforting food too. Be you after a posh, Michelin-starred spot for a special occasion or just a trusty, locally-recommended spot for a day of sightseeing, here is our handpicked roundup of the city’s best restaurants. RECOMMENDED:🎨 The best things to do in Cardiff🏩 The best Airbnbs in Cardiff🌉 The best things to do in Wales☀️ The best things to do in the UK This guide was recently updated by Sophie Williams, a writer based in Cardiff. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

The UK’s first major retrospective of acclaimed Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov is coming to the Photographers’ Gallery. A ‘kind of proto-punk’, Mikhailov has been capturing and commenting on life in Ukraine since the 1960s – from the everyday consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the realities of people living on the edges of society – through photography, conceptual work, painting and performance art. Ukrainian Diary brings much of that work together to illustrate the tumultuous social and political changes that have shaken Eastern Europe over the past fifty years.

In 1978, Zofia Rydet decided that was going to photograph the inside of every Polish household. Aged 67, she began knocking on doors and asking occupants if they’d be willing to partake in her project. She continued to knock on doors for the next three decades, collecting everyday stories and creating ‘one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography’. More than 100 of Rydet’s prints will be on display at the Photographers’ Gallery alongside books and personal letters offering extra insight into her sociological mission.

One hundred years ago, a strange curtained box appeared on Broadway in New York City. If you went inside and slotted in 25 cents, you’d emerge with eight sepia tinged photos of yourself in a matter of minutes. It was the Photomaton – the world’s first fully automated photobooth. Fast forward to the 21st century and photobooths are in bars, train stations, cinemas, record shops and on streets all over the world. The Photographer’s Gallery is marking a century of the machines with Click!, an archival exhibition exploring their imperfections, their quirks and their most famous fans. Naturally, there’ll be a working photobooth for visitors to take their own snap.

When a place rates itself as assuredly (in huge bold letters, no less) as Good Hotel does, it’s natural to feel a little sus. But it’s true: Good Hotel really does make you feel good. Service is cheery and laid-back without being overly casual, the food leaves nothing to complain about and – maybe it’s the luxurious silence of the area or perhaps the proximity to gently lapping water – I visited in 2024, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better night’s sleep in the city. Aside from all that, guests can walk out of Good Hotel feeling extra gratified by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Why stay at Good Hotel? As you walk along Royal Victoria Docks, this huge black shipping container is impossible to miss. Originally built as a Danish prison, this floating hotel docked in London in 2016 after sailing across from Amsterdam. Its founder, Marten Dresden, had come up with the Good Hotel concept four years prior while travelling in Guatemala. Now, each night you spend there pays for a week of school for a child in South America, with profits also going towards hospitality training for long-term unemployed locals (lots of whom become Good Hotel employees).  The hotel also hosts regular community workshops and events that guests can attend. There are comedy nights, yoga classes, salsa classes, kids art clubs and, if you’re in the mood to be extra good, litter-picking around the local area. What are the rooms like at Good Hotel? Throughout the hotel, the interiors are slick, earthy-toned

One of the more recent additions to Wimbledon Village, Good Fortune Club is bright and buzzy with a sprawling menu of Cantonese dishes, the best known of which is its handmade dim sum. Stop by with a large, hungry posse to pack your table with bamboo steamers and sample har gau (shrimp-filled dumplings,) xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings), cuttlefish cake and more.

Of its four south-west London outposts, DropShot’s Leopold Road location serves up hefty brunches on the daily. The portions here are breathtakingly generous, and the tennis-themed menu goes well beyond the standard eggs benny or avocado on toast; think mozzarella and chilli jam-filled potato pancakes andbig fat slices of French toast laden with monterey jack cheese and fresh pesto, or loaded with tiramisu cream and berries. The coffee is fantastic, too.

Crack Comedy Club brings pre-party laughs to Tunnel 267 – Wimbledon’s only nightclub – every Saturday night from 8pm to 10pm. For standup sets from four or five comics, tickets are £25 for general admission on the door or £21.50 if you book online in advance. You can also buy tickets that include dinner from a local restaurant beforehand, and if you stick around afterwards you’ll get free entry to Tunnel’s clubnight. Three in one. 

There's a real sense of fun to this deliberately rough-around-the-edges course. Party tunes blare from speakers, graffiti jazzes up the walls and it's made from ‘twisted junk, car booty and charity shop shizzle’. Junkyard Golf Club has four courses – Gary, Pablo, Dirk and Bozo – that are all fabulously chaotic and mildly freaky. Depending on which challenge you take on, you’ll be putting past pirate pigs, dishevelled nightclub urinals, terrifying giant clown heads and a UV rave room. There's also a second location in Camden for more of the same.  Prices start at £12 for nine holes at off-peak times (Sunday to Thursday) and go up to £21 for 18 holes on busier days (Fridays and Saturdays). And as any good crazy golf should, Junkyard has a menu of themed cocktails to keep lubed up before, during and after your game. 

This quirky, tiki-themed minigolf course first popped up in Dalston's Efes in April 2015. A decade later, that debut site is no more, but you can now find Plonks outdoors in London Fields and under the arches at Borough Market. The Hackney course, which recently got a big ol’ refurb, takes you through a ‘Polynesian themed putt paradise’ complete with a tiki forest, a volcano canyon and octupuses. There are plenty of satisfying holes that fire your ball onto tricksy little mechanisms, a loop the loop, and a lot of impossibly steep ramps. All in all: it’s a great place for a plonking party. Prices start from £9.35 per person per play. 

What is it?  Technically several adjoining markets, this sprawl of stalls stretching from Camden Town tube to the Regent’s Canal is London’s fourth most popular visitor attraction. In its recent heyday, around 250,000 people came here every week to shop, sample street food and soak up the distinctive, still-grungy atmosphere. Camden Lock Market is an arts-and-crafts haven while the Stables Market is a trendy spot for everything from quirky furniture to fetish clothing. Nearby Buck Street Market on Camden High Street has had a shipping container revamp. As you saunter through the different markets, don’t be surprised to see grungy teenagers and old punks on the street corners. Camden feels more mainstream than it did in the ‘90s, but it’s still one of London’s most rock ‘n’ roll neighbourhoods. Why go?  To get lost in a one-of-a-kind maze of art, garms, antiques, accessories, books and endless street food.  Don’t miss The Cheese Bar – London’s only fully fromage focused restaurant – for all manner of gooey, cheese-based delights in a classy, low lit space in Stables Market.  Ticket info  No tickets needed.  When to visit  Camden Markets are open everyday of the week from 10am until late.  Time Out tip If you find the lunch queues and options a bit too much in the main Camden Lock Market, cross the road to Buck Street Market where you’ll find food that is just as great and are more likely to find a free spot to sit.  RECOMMENDED: London’s best markets

What is it?  After 130 years, luxury department store Fenwick left its iconic outlet on Bond Street in February 2024 but its flagship store in Brent Cross Shopping Centre is still going strong.  What does it sell?  The three storey emporium offers up everything you expect from any good department store – apparel, homewear, beauty bits and accessories from classic and emerging high-end brands like Stella McCartney, Viviene Westwood, Ganni, Jo Malone and Our Place. There’s also a wee horticultral section downstairs, selling fresh plants and a bunch of tools and sprays to help your patch bloom.  Opening times  Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; Sat 9.30am-8pm; Sun 11.30am-6pm. 

What is it?  Since launching in 1970, Browns has played an instrumental role in the careers of some of the world’s biggest fashion titans. Founder Joan Burstein (the ‘fairy godmother of fashion’) is credited with discovering John Galliano after stumbling across his graduate collection and later on, stocking the work of (at that time) a little known designer named Alexander McQueen.  Mrs B, as she was known, also introduced the likes of Comme des Garçons, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein to the British fashion scene. More than 50 years later, Browns continues to champion young and emerging designers. After being acquired by fashion website FarFetch in 2015, Browns moved its flagship store on South Molton Street to a Grade II-listed eighteenth century building on Mayfair’s Brook Street in 2021.  What does it sell?  There are more than 100 established and next-gen designers jostling for attention at Browns, from Chloé and Dries Van Noten to Balenciaga and Christian Dior. The first floor hosts a carefully curated collection of apparel, shoes, bags, fine jewellery, accessories and homewear and the Yellow Room is where the most  luxury of luxurious brands reside. More high-fashion pieces are on display in the Focus Room on the ground floor.  Opening times Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am-6.30pm. Closed Sunday and Monday (but can open by appointment).  Time Out tip On the ground floor, you’ll also fine 123V Browns, a fully plant-based, award-winning sushi restaurant. Menu highlights inclu

The worst kind of rail journey is when you need to catch multiple trains to get where you need to go. We’ve all been there – sat on the first train along your route, hearing that its running behind schedule and mentally preparing to sprint with your bags from one platform to another to get to your connecting train, or else being stranded for an hour before the next one comes along. Life would be so much easier if you could just get from one place to another in one simple direct journey, eh?  Well, some parts of the UK could soon be treated to new direct routes to other cities. Budget rail operator Lumo, which is owned by FirstGroup plc, has ambitions to add several new and extended services to its roster over the next few years.  FirstGroup has revealed that it has submitted applications to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in hopes of launching new direct routes between Cardiff and York and Rochdale and London Euston by December 2028. It has also applied to extend its new route between Stirling and London Euston.  The proposed Cardiff-York route would connect all four main lines from the Great Western Main Line to the East Coast Main Line and call at Birmingham, Derby and Sheffield. Lumo wants return services between the cities to run six times a day every weekday. It hopes that this journey would ‘replicate the success of the Edinburgh to London service’ and bring budget train tickets to an ‘underserved corridor’.  Photograph: John Lazenby / Shutterstock.com As for the Ro

London is awash with luxurious hotels. Some have been serving effortless glamour for generations, others have managed to establish themselves as major five-star landmarks in just the last few years. And some, both old and new, are so indulgent that they’ve been named among the finest hotels in the whole world.  Every year World’s 50 Best Hotels enlists the help of 600 experienced hoteliers, travel journalists and ‘seasoned luxury travellers’ to compile its ranking of the greatest hotels on the globe. The list features establishments that go well beyond just providing a comfy overnight stay. They have magnificent buildings, huge glistening pools, Michelin-starred restaurants, some of the most opulent spas you’ve ever seen and brigades of the most polished, professional staff around. This year, four London hotels were included in the list. Three have made the cut before, but there’s one establishment that features for the very first time.  RECOMMENDED: The best five-star luxury hotels in London, reviewed by experts The London hotels on the World’s 50 Best Hotels list for 2025 Claridge’s At number 16, this historical Mayfair institution was the highest ranked UK hotel on the list. 50 Best called it the ‘darling of English of society’ and pointed out that it’s famed for its discretions, having hosted the likes of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana as well as cultural legends like Mick Jagger, Whitney Houston and Paul McCartney.  Photograph: 50 Best Time Out’s editor

From cigarette butts and nicotine pouches to snack packets and greasy takeaway tubs, you don’t really have to walk very far in London before spotting rubbish strewn across the street. So, it probably won’t come as much of a surprise that a London borough has just been named and shamed as the worst place in all of England for littering.  Property agent Sell House Fast sent freedom of information requests to each London borough and 50 of the biggest towns and cities outside of the capital to find out how many fixed penalty notices (FPNs) they handed out for littering between 2022 and 2024. Based on the data that came back, it crowned the borough of Newham England’s litter capital.  The research found that the people of Newham have received nearly 50,000 fines for chucking rubbish on the street over the past three years (not including fly tipping). That equates to 13,319 penalties per 100,000 people. Home to Westfield Stratford, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and London City Airport, there are more than 1,800 public bins in Newham and rubbish collections every week. The borough hands out fines of £150 for littering (including dropping cigarette and chewing gum), and more serious or unpaid offences can lead to prosecution. Even spitting is included in its street litter crackdown.   Its high levels of rubbish dumping could be down to its population density – at 25,000 people per square mile, its the eighth most densely popular area in England. Sells House Fast said that this ‘create

Love it or hate it, no one can deny that Wetherspoons is one of the most reliable, affordable pubs on the high street. Whether its a huge £8 full English breakfast, a £10 drink and dinner deal or a £5.50 pint, you tend to know exactly what you’re in for. So when a Spoons closes down, it can feel like a pretty big loss. And residents in east London are reportedly ‘gutted’ that their local is next in line.  Wetherspoons is shutting Baxter’s Court in Hackney on November 2. And according to the Sun, fans of the boozer are ‘heartbroken’. One called the closure ‘utterly ridiculous’ while another said ‘this part of north London is hardly blessed with many Spoons to begin with’. A customer notice announcing the news said customers could visit their next nearest Wetherspoons instead – The Rochester Castle in Stoke Newington, a 35 minute walk away. Alternatively, you could stop by one of these brilliant locals.  Baxter’s Court isn’t the only Spoons to serve its last pint. Other Wetherspoons closures in London over the past two years have included The Asparagus in Battersea and Alfred Herring in Palmers Green. Kentish Drovers in Peckham is also currently up for sale.  Wetherspoons as a chain isn’t going anywhere, though – the closure of Baxter’s Court is just part of a rejig of its portfolio. Tim Martin, the Spoons founder said that the company ‘regularly reviews’ its sites, and it has previously said that the majority of its closures are of ‘smaller and older’ venues, or ones with ano

Last week Bon Jovi announced that the legendary rock band are heading back on the road. Tickets went on sale this week, and demand was so high that they’ve already added another date. The band will now be playing three UK gigs – with two in London – next summer.  Three years after frontman Jon Bon Jovi had his vocal chord surgery (documented in his HBO series Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story), the American rock and roll band revealed last week that they’ll be stopping by the UK next year as part of their Forever Tour. It’ll be their first time performing back here since 2019. The announcement came alongside Bon Jovi’s upcoming Forever (Legendary Edition), a collaboration album reimagining songs from their 2024 record, with cameos from stars like Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and Avril Lavigne.  Jon Bon Jovi said: ‘There is a lot of joy in this announcement – joy that we can share these nights together with our amazing fans and joy that the band can be together.  ‘I’ve spoken extensively on my gratitude but I will say it again, I’m deeply grateful that the fans and the brotherhood of this band have been patient and allowed me the time needed to get healthy and prepare for touring. I’m ready and excited!’ Feeling ready and excited too? Here’s everything you need to know to get tickets for Bon Jovi’s Forever tour 2026.  When are Bon Jovi going on tour in the UK? The band will be on UK shores in August and September next year.  What tour dates have been announced so

Eurostar’s 30 year monopoly on the Channel Tunnel could finally be coming to an end. Today (Thursday October 30) it was announced that Virgin Trains has been chosen by the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) to use the Temple Mills International depot – a move that puts it on track to launch services across the Channel within the next five years.  Temple Mills in the only train depot that can be accessed from HS1 (the line that runs between London and the Channel Tunnel) meaning access to it is crucial for any company wanting to run trains to Europe. Four train operators, as well as Eurostar itself, bid for use of its extra capacity, but Virgin came out on top.  Now, Virgin is firmly on track to start providing services to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and ending Eurostar’s monopoly of the Channel Tunnel. It’s hoped that introducing a competitor will mean better services and lower ticket prices  Richard Branson said: ‘The ORR’s decision is the right one for consumers – it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route. ‘Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again. We’re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.’ Why has Virgin been chosen to compete with Eurostar? Explaining why it chose Virgin above the three other bidders, the ORR said: ‘Virgin Trains' pla

This weekend is probably the most macabre weekend of the year. Halloween will fill London with ghouls and poltergeist on Friday, Day of the Dead festivities will lure deceased souls from the afterlife on Saturday and early Bonfire Night fireworks displays will celebrate the gruesome executions of Guy Fawkes and his conspirators 420 years ago on Sunday. All that is to say, London’s public transport will be particularly in demand over the next few days. The good news is that there aren’t too many planned disruptions to catch you off-guard, though we can’t promise that there won’t be any last-minute cancellations or delays. Watch out in particular if you’re planning to catch the Piccadilly night tube home from Halloween parties or to get to Heathrow Airport. Keep the frights to a minimum and plan ahead – here are all the planned disruptions to know about this weekend.  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this weekend. London travel disruption and tube closures, October 31-November 2 Piccadilly line  Friday October 31-Saturday November 1: No service between Hammersmith and Heathrow between 1.45am and 5.30am.  There’ll be a bus replacement service PL1 between Hammersmith and Heathrow Terminal 5 calling at Turnham Green, Acton Town, South Ealing, Northfields, Boston Manor, Osterley, Hounslow East, Hounslow Central (Bell Corner), Hatton Cross and Heathrow Central Bus Station (for Terminals 2 and 3).  Saturday November 1-Sunday November 2: No service between Acton Town

It’s official: after nearly 15 years sat sad and empty on Peckham High Street, the legendary Peckham Palais is being brought back to life. Palais, the venue’s new multi-room club, comes from The Night Group (the same minds behind east London’s Night Tales, NT’s Loft and Netil360) and will launch in February 2026.  The neo-renaissance building existed as the Jones and Higgins department store from 1867 until 1980. Then, part of it was demolished to make room for the Aylesham Shopping Centre while the other half became the beloved Peckham Palais nightclub.  The 1,500 capacity club hosted hundreds of house and techno nights, alongside old-skool event saluting classic garage, R&B and '90s vibes, until its closure in 2011. There have been a number of proposals to relaunch it as a club over the last few years and, finally, the Night Group has been the one to transform it back it into a fully-functioning late night space.  Palais will be in the basement of the building, with a 500-capacity. The space has been fitted out with a Funktion-One five-way soundsystem with ‘precision-tuned’ sound treatment, ready to host all sorts of local and international DJs. Upstairs, there’ll be The Ballroom, a 250-capacity cocktail bar and events space.  Jamie Rule, the co-founder of Palais, said: ‘We’ve been developing the sound system for over a year. We wanted to create something that moves through you. With infra bass, you can feel it, not just hear it. Now we want to see what people do with the s

This just in: Boomtown has just given us a major taste of what its 2026 edition will look like. The Hampshire festival hasn’t just unveiled a few headlining names – it has spoiled us with a reveal of more than 40 acts.   Boomtown has made a big point of evolving year-on-year. And this year, titled ‘Chapter 5: Radical Redesign’, it’s looking more different than ever before. The festival’s co-founder Luke Mitchell said that ‘while bass music has dominated in recent years and will always be at our core, we’re making a conscious move to keep Boomtown musically diverse and unpredictable’. That means that this year’s lineup includes more genres and more live bands than previous years. The festival has also promises that its next iteration will have a more eco-friendly angle and ‘more space to breathe – more nature, more woodland, more hidden places everywhere’. Here’s everything we know so far.  RECOMMENDED: The best music festivals in the UK. Boomtown 2026 date and location The next edition of Boomtown is happening from Wednesday August 12 to Sunday August 16, 2026 on Hampshire’s Matterley Estate.   Boomtown 2026 full lineup so far Rap trio Kneecap, pop veterans Scissor Sisters, ska legends Madness, and electronic artists Skrillex and Four Tet are leading Boomtown’s lineup next summer. Faithless, Scooter, Shaggy, Ashnikko and Eve are also at the top of the bill.  Joining them are dozens more acts spanning house, techno, garage, hip-hop, drum & bass, jungle and dub. They include S

Leytoners – the O’s are moving home. In fact, they could be building an entirely new home. Leyton Orient has signed a memorandum of understanding with Waltham Forest Council to create a new ‘state-of-the-art’ stadium as part of a huge new multi-sports campus.  Announcing the news, LOFC said the planned campus represents ‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a world-class destination for English football, global sport, innovation and entertainment’. The club has called Brisbane Road Stadium its home since 1937. But with a capacity of just over 9,000, Orient (currently in League One) said that the venue can’t support its goal of competing in the Championship. Plans are still in the very, very early stages, but both the club and the council want the stadium to stay within Waltham Forest. Orient has promised that sustainability will be central to the development, with potential public green spaces and pedestrian/cycle links to the wider area. It’s also been suggested that once the club has left its current site, it can be used for a new housing development and ‘address the borough’s pressing need for more affordable homes’.  Mark Devlin, Orient CEO, said: ‘While Brisbane Road holds a special place in our history, its current limitations prevent us from achieving our full potential both on and off the pitch. ‘A move is a necessary evolution to help us achieve our ambition of one day competing in the Championship and to create a financially sustainable future for the club,

Guinness has been promising that ‘good things are coming’ to Covent Garden for the best part of three years now. The brand first announced that it would be launching a brewery in London back in 2022 but has kept us on tenterhooks ever since. Finally, the wait is over. It’s officially been revealed that Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard will open its gates on Thursday, December 11. The first tickets to the huge (54,000 square foot, to be exact) new drinking haven will go for grabs in November. The tour will include an immersive experience exploring Guinness’s heritage, exclusive access to the working microbrewery (which will be pumping out 14 different limited-edition brews, not actual Guinness), a tasting session with master brewer Hollie Stephenson and an opportunity to pour a pint of the black stuff yourself.  Beyond the beverages, the venue will be home to two restaurants led by Pip Lacey of Great British Menu and Hicce fame. Gilroy’s Loft (named after the guy who created some of Guinness’s most iconic ads) will serve line-caught fish and the classic Irish combo of Guinness and oysters on the rooftop, while Porter’s Table will ‘spotlight the very best of British produce – with meat coming from trusted producers across the country and aged locally in west London, fish caught in British waters, and vegetables grown in London’s neighbouring counties’. Reservations for both will open next month.   There’ll be more casual options at the bar in Old Brewers Yard on ground level, with

There are more than 500 Starbucks cafés across the UK serving Brits their caffeine fix. So, unless you live out in the middle of nowhere, you likely don’t have to travel very far to get your hands on a pumpkin spice latte, white mocha caramel macchiato or matcha green tea cream frappuccino. But now, you may have to find a new local Starbs – because 10 Starbucks branches have shut down in the UK over the past month, including six in London. The coffee shop giant announced that the stores would all be shut by the end of October, citing challenging trading conditions. Here’s the lowdown.  RECOMMENDED: Full list of UK high street closures confirmed in 2025. Why are Starbucks sites shutting down?  The closures come after Starbucks carried out a review of its global portfolio ‘with the goal of ensuring that our stores are correctly located, generating appropriate levels of foot traffic and operating in the right formats’.  Starbucks said that the sites chosen for closure are places that haven’t been able to ‘create the physical environment customers’ desire and where profitability isn’t sustainable. It does still intend to meet its target of opening 80 new stores across the UK this financial year, though.  Full list of Starbucks sites that have closed October 2025 These are all the UK Starbucks branches that have pulled the plug this month.  Ilford, London (225-227 High Road) – closed Thursday, October 2 Brunel Retail Park, Whitley – closed Wednesday, October 16 Leyton Mills Reta