Annie McNamee

There’s honestly nowhere in the world like Soho. The haunt of poets, gangsters, trendsetters and many a louche genius, the seedy, sleazy and impossibly romantic heart of London’s West End is also home to loads of great independent shops, cafés, bars and, most importantly, restaurants. Its culinary diversity has been fuelled by centuries of immigration and cultural cross-pollination. From rustic French fare to Mediterranean small plates and tasty tapas, here is Time Out’s list of our absolute favourite Soho restaurants. Whether you fancy a slap-up meal or are just in the market for a mid-town pitstop, we have you covered. Recent additions include Filipino bistro Donia, old school Soho fonude joint St Moritz, Cambodian pop-up Mamapen and revamped classic Kettner’s. RECOMMENDED: Here are London’s best restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and spends so much time eating in Soho that she basically lives on Greek Street. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now.

On March 25, 1925, at London’s Selfridges department store in central London, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird made the first public demo of his latest creation: a way to broadcast visual information from a camera to a screen. A full century later, Baird’s discovery has led to perhaps the most vital, creative and popular mode of artistic expression in the entire world. But it’s only in the past 25 years that television has really fulfilled its artistic potential.  The result has been the so-called ‘Golden Age of Television’, a boom kickstarted roughly around the turn of the century with the rise of shows like The Sopranos and later Breaking Bad, and continuing with awards-winners from Succession to Shōgun to Slow Horses. So while our list of the 100 greatest TV shows may pay tribute to the unmissable programs of yesteryear, you’ll find that the majority hail from our own century – meaning there’s no excuse not to watch every single one. Paring the list down to only 100 was a painful process, so we decided to omit sketch shows, talk shows, news and non-fiction in order to focus on scripted drama and classic comedy. Time to go goggle-eyed.

This is about the time when the January blues start to hit pretty hard. It’s dark at 4pm, you’ve got no money left after Christmas and winter feels like it’s dragging on forever. But we’re here to tell you that things are looking up, because 2025 is going to be a corker of a year for the UK.  It turns out that 2025 is going to be a bit of a big one, with a number of landmark occasions being celebrated across Britain. There’s Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Southampton, as well as the art-packed Folkestone Triennial, a celebration of 200 years of the British railway in York and Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture festivities. Then, there are up-and-coming foodie towns in Cornwall, music scenes that are popping off in Cardiff and Belfast, and the reopening of grand cultural insitutions like the Tate Liverpool.  If there’s ever been a good time to book a trip, it’s now (it might even help keep some SAD at bay). There is so much fantastic stuff happening across the country this year, so read our list curated by local experts of the best places to visit in the UK in 2025, and get stuck in.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The 25 best new things to do in the UK in 2025📍The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK 🏨 The UK’s 13 best new hotels opening in 2025👨‍👩‍👧 6 amazing places to stay with Kids in the UK

This bustling coastal city is absolutely steeped in history, maritime heritage, and of course, there's loads to see. It’s roots date back as far as the Stone Age, and it's first ever museum (the Tudor House) remains a top attraction, with gorgeous gardens and guided tours on offer.  There’s plenty of modern-day action too, with a treasured football team, The Saints, and their fans bringing life to the city on match day. Southampton is also only a 20-minute drive away from the New Forest, or a ferry-ride away from the Isle of Wight, there's plenty going on that makes this city worth a visit. Check out our list of top picks for all the best things to do in Southampton.  RECOMMENDED: ⛰️ The best things to in the New Forest🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK💕 The best things to do in the UK Annie McNamee is a writer at Time Out UK. 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. 

If people make Glasgow, music is what fuels it. The city's music scene was thriving long before the rest of it had caught up, with places like the Barrowlands and the Old Fruit Market offering locals good, cheap live music when general attitudes of Glasgow were, let's just say, less than favourable.  But those days are behind us, and Scotland's biggest city is now known across the UK for its vibrant cultural heritage, nightlife, and, of course, its music scene. Whether you're looking for an arena of people to scream along your favourite songs with, or a small makeshift stage at the back of a bar to find your new favourite band, Glasgow's got you sorted. Fair warning though: crowds here are famously rowdy. They're a lot of fun, but don't be surprised if you end up beer-soaked. Oh, and brush up on our local chants. You don't want to be the only person not shouting along with 'here we, here we, here we f'ing go!'. 

History has it that Pollokshaws Road was once home to a merry band of Flemish weavers – known as the ‘Queer Folk’ – who were brought over to work in the city during the 19th century by local landowners. These days it’s still a thriving creative hub, threading down Glasgow’s Southside and linking up the districts of Govanhill, Strathbungo and Shawlands. Rows of sandstone tenements loom over traffic separated by wide pavements, behind which stand ornate townhouses designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. There’s a juicy chunk of Pollokshaws Road where bars, cafés and boutiques jostle for space; pick it up from Allison Street and wander down past Queen’s Park. Since it’s a largely residential area, there’s a distinct feel of community – something that’s enhanced by the indie businesses that have popped up over the past few years. In particular it’s a brunch haven, with queues leaking out of living-room-sized cafés come rain or shine. You can also expect to find organic fruit and veg at Stalks & Stems, a fresh produce emporium with a florist next door, and (almost) a different coffee shop for every day of the week. It’s not all hipster territory, though. Punters tired of mustachioed baristas and bar staff will be cheered by the decent selection of old man pubs complete with smoked-glass windows. Recommended: Full guide to the best things to do in Glasgow

How easily could you be persuaded to shave off an eyebrow, or take a shot for every stair you climbed? Perhaps you’d feel more compelled if you were half a bottle of ‘Chicken Wine’ deep, 18, and surrounded by new friends that you were trying to impress? If you attended university in the UK you might have an uncomfortable feeling of deja-vu, perhaps being whisked back to the time you were ‘hazed’ as a first year student. If you didn’t, you’ve likely heard the rumours about former prime ministers getting it on with pigs, or rugby teams shoving carrots in places vegetables should never go. Hazing, or ‘initiation’ as it more commonly goes by this side of the Atlantic, is a practice which usually consists of ritualistically embarrassing rookie members of a given group in order for them to prove themselves. It’s also nothing new. There’s evidence of rowdy schoolboys dating as far back as 420 BCE when Plato recounted ‘practical jokes played by unruly young men’ which left both spectators and haze-ees injured. Somehow, this bizarre custom has survived the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the birth of Jesus Christ, several international plagues and found a home for itself in the modern age on university campuses. But for the past decade or so, hazing’s millenia-long reign has been threatened by a generation who supposedly care more about their physical and mental health than they do about banter and ritual humiliation. Today, hazing has met its match: Generation Z. So what do these

In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is what makes a neighbourhood truly cool. From formerly overlooked sub

You might never want to leave Edinburgh, and we get it. The Scottish capital is loved the world over for its culture, restaurants and Fringe Festival (to name a few). But if you limit your time in Scotland to just Edinburgh, trust us, you’re missing out.  Scotland is full of gems, but the best part is a whole lot of them can be reached by train or car in just one day – with enough time left to get back in time for dinner. From hilly hikes to wide-open beaches and from pretty towns to full-blown city breaks, these day trips from Edinburgh are not to be missed. Here are our favourites.  RECOMMENDED:🌤️ The best things to do in Edinburgh 🎨 The best art galleries in Edinburgh🏰 The best attractions in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh This guide was updated by Edinburgh-based Arusa Quereshi, and Time Out editors. 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. 

What words come to mind when we mention the Olympics? Prestige? Excellence? Medals? Or is it: ‘Grom’?  The Olympic games have been around for nearly three millennia. As the entire planet tunes in to watch as the top sports people compete for those coveted gold medals, there’s some stuff you’ll probably want to get your head around to make the most of your viewing experience: jargon for you normies to weave into your vocab that will have you sounding like proper Olympic pros in no time.  RECOMMENDED:How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics in the UK for freeHere’s the full schedule and timings for the Summer Games We’ve done some digging and unearthed some 100 percent real words and phrases that will almost certainly be used by professional Olympians and commentators across the next few weeks. What’s more, there’s something inherently funny about words which sound out of place to the average Joe. There’s nothing worth giggling about hearing the word ‘jaeger’ at a bar (especially as it’s usually followed by a friend trying to convince you to neck a shot of sweet battery acid and gone-off liquorice), but watching it earnestly come out of the mouth of a world-class gymnast? Now that’s entertainment. So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your sporty lingo and drop these into convo next time you’re watching the Games to impress your mates. Skateboarding  ‘Goofy stance’: Refers to when a skateboarder has their left foot on the back of the board. Also used in surfing and snowboarding

You remember the days. Assuring your friend that she definitely looks like her older cousin’s co-worker, especially with a ponytail in. Hovering awkwardly around the corner from the off-license as your one 18-year-old pal does God’s work for the rest of you. The pit in your tummy as you recite a fake birthday to the bouncer of a sticky-floored nightclub – remembering your star sign, memorising your imaginary postcode – and the elated relief when he lets you in with a raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod. Finding increasingly inventive ways to get around age-restrictions was half the fun of being 17, but today’s teens seem to be going off going out altogether. ‘You definitely see fake IDs less than you used to,’ says one bouncer at a popular student nightclub in Bristol. When he started working at the venue a decade ago, he’d encounter a load of fakes on any given night – but not so much anymore. ‘The worst one I ever saw had the back on upside down,’ he says. ‘The ones we do see are getting a lot better and it can be harder to catch them. But they’re definitely rarer now.’ Something has certainly shifted. A few weeks ago, as I walked through the Triangle, Bristol’s premier hotspot for stumbling freshers and lovers of three for two Jägerbombs, I noticed that the local Sainsbury’s was busier than all of the clubs combined. Two years ago, dancefloors would’ve been filling up at 11pm on a Monday. This wasn’t a fluke: since that night, two of the clubs in question have closed their

For all of the stick we give the UK – the grey skies, the pigeons, the Greggs sausage roll packets littering the pavements – it’s actually a pretty gorgeous country. In London alone, you can be goggling over the Barbican’s brutalist beauty one moment, the next, you might be basking in the tranquility of Hampstead Ponds. Add the turquoise coasts of Cornwall, the rugged mountains of Snowdonia and the fairytale wonder of Scotland’s highlands and islands to the mix, and you’ve got a country which is as good looking as they come.  When we set about curating this list of the most beautiful places in the UK, we called on our network of expert travel writers. These guys have have personally experienced the pinch-me moment of seeing every place on this list IRL – so we can guarantee you there is no catfishing going on here. Of course, you’ll find the usual suspects – you can’t argue with the magic of the Isle of Skye, after all – but you’ll also find some more surprising beauty spots to add to your travel bucket list. RECOMMENDED:🚂 The UK’s most beautiful train stations🇬🇧 The best things to do in the UK🏝 The most beautiful places in the world🏠 The best Airbnbs in the UK Chiara Wilkinson is Time Out’s UK features editor, based in London. 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

You’ve been here before. Almost.  With a clientele which would be perfect for a Love Island spin-off featuring exclusively people with ‘entrepreneur’ in their bios and a healthy amount of exposed pipework, The Counter is what those in the know would probably call ‘trendy’. Its dim lights, small plate selection, and strategically chipped brick feature wall put it on the verge of parodically hip, but a glance at its menu and a quick chat with any member of its team reveal it to be much more down to Earth than some of its equally Instagrammable peers. If you close your eyes you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair The sense of deja-vu you feel may not be coming solely from its open-plan bar though. Chef Kemal Demirasal’s first UK venture, opened up two years ago in Notting Hill to much success. Originally from Turkey, he’s taken much of the charm of the original joint (as well as its most popular recipes and excellent cocktails) and transported it to Kingly Street – and combined it with a series of fresh ideas and a lot of seafood. Fresh is definitely the operative word. The cocktails are infused with real fruit. The tomatoes have been imported from Turkey. There’s sort-of-caviar sprinkled on avocado-topped fish. If you close your eyes and just bite, you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair. A series of enthusiastic staff members recommended a variety of dishes to us. Some, like the tomato salad or prawns, were familiar classi

Enjoy an evening of modern classical music composed by Black artists whose work did not get the spotlight that it deserved in its time at this Southbank Centre concert. The night will involve three different pieces from three different composers, performed by up and coming American violinist Randall Goosby, who made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony orchestra at just nine, and award-winning Chinese pianist Zhu Wang. 

We’ve been treated to a week and a half of lovely weather here in the UK. Sunshine that stays for days without fail is delightful, but also slightly eerie when you’re so used to classic British grey skies. Will we be cosmically punished for pushing our luck with the weather this early in the year? The answer, it seems, is yes. The polar vortex is weakening. No, that isn’t the tagline for the new season of Doctor Who, it’s a real prediction from the Met Office. Despite sounding very ominous, this is actually nothing to be too worried about, although it does mean your winter jackets will have to make a reappearance. In short, a rare weather event could result in freezing temperatures across March in certain parts of the UK, primarily the north and east of Scotland. Here’s everything you need to know about the Met Office’s long-term forecasts for the rest of March. What is the polar vortex, and what happens when it collapses? The polar vortex is much less cool than it sounds. According to the Met Office, it is a ‘circulation of winds high up in the stratosphere’ which moves at more than 155 miles per hour nearly 30 miles above the surface of the Earth. In simple terms, a strong polar vortex means less snow, and a weaker one means the opposite. Sometimes an event called ‘sudden stratospheric warming’ causes it to weaken so much that we really start to feel the effects. This is what is being forecast at the moment. Remember those snowstorms in 2009-10? Or the ‘Beast from the East’

There are a lot of reasons someone might stay at a hotel. Maybe you’re travelling for work, and you just want somewhere practical. Maybe you’re sightseeing, and location is everything. Or maybe you’ve finally got a babysitter or you’ve got time off work, and are looking forward to spending a luxurious night in with your partner – if you catch our drift. If you’re in the market for a quick break to spend some quality time with a loved one, you might be interested to know that some of the world’s sexiest hotels is right here in the UK. What makes a hotel sexy? We’re glad you asked. To determine the world’s most sensual places to stay, Just, a company which makes adult toys, has created the ‘sexiness score’ system. Although that might sound like something a teenage boy would come up with to rank their crushes, it’s basically just based on combining guest reviews of raunchy hotels with average cost per night, because nothing kills the mood like an empty bank account. And, after the numbers were crunched, a hotel in a slightly unexpected place triumphed: High Wycombe. The English market town’s The Secret Dungeon was named fourth sexiest in the entire world, thanks to its ‘fully equipped adult playground, hidden getaway, intimate setting’.  The Secret Dungeon says it is a ‘boutique self contained accommodation and BDSM play-space’. Close to High Wycombe’s town centre train station, the place is ‘fully equipped’, air-conditioned and ‘lit and decorated for an authentic S&M dungeon at

Grab your creativity cap and a pair of very firm-soled shoes, because Lego has just announced that it will be hosting a massive festival in Windsor this year. The Lego Festival will be taking place on select dates from May 3 all the way until June 8, and it will be geared towards families. This doesn’t mean that grown-up Lego fans aren’t welcome, just that the activities taking place will be a 10-year-old’s idea of fun – the creators of the event are describing it as ‘the world’s first child-first festival’. The event will be held in Legoland Windsor Resort (where else?) and will feature five different ‘zones’ to play in. These will include: music, creativity, dance, gaming, and chill out, which will each have unique activities and a lot of building Lego. In the music zone you’ll have the chance to play a Lego guitar, or even take part in a battle of the bands. The creativity zone is where you’ll be able to build whatever your heart desires and the dance zone, well, that one’s pretty self explanatory. As part of the celebrations, Lego are asking families to make a ‘play pact’, where children will swear to ‘build more, laugh louder, explore endlessly and always keep playing’. Who wouldn’t be on board with that?  Photograph: Legoland If this all sounds like something your little ones would be interested in, you can buy tickets now for £38. That grants you access to all five play zones and the wider park. The price for tickets on the day is almost double that, so it is strongl

If this random spell of good weather has you in the mood to don a bucket hat and drink pints in flimsy reusable cups, we’ve got exciting news: the 2025 Glastonbury lineup has finally been revealed. Well, at least the first wave of acts were announced by Worthy Farm this morning (March 6). The big news is that The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, and Neil Young will be headlining the Pyramid Stage this year. On top of that, some of the biggest names include Charli XCX, Raye, recent Doecchi, Ezra Collective, Rod Stewart, Snow Patrol, Loyle Carner, and loads more. Add to that all the non-music events at Glastonbury from yoga to comedy acts, and it sounds like 2025 will be as big as Glasto as any.  If you now really, really fancy going to Glasto this summer but didn’t get a ticket when they were released back in October, worry not. You’ll have another chance on the resale.  Bagging entry to Glasto is notoriously tricky. There’s dozens of tips and tricks which long-time festival-goers swear by (including, apparently, being from Liverpool), but when it comes down to it, it’s mostly a game of luck. If the odds weren’t in your favour back in November, they might be now, as ticket resale looms closer. Here’s everything you need to know to make sure you successfully get resale tickets for Glastonbury 2025. When do Glastonbury 2025 tickets go on resale? Worthy Farm has airtight security when it comes to ticket sales. There’s no chance of dynamic pricing here, and you can’t sell your ticket on to a

There’s so much to do and see in London that you could live here for years and still miss out on some pretty impressive sights. For instance, you’ve almost certainly spent an afternoon or two checking out Covent Garden and Holborn, but you may have never noticed Sicilian Avenue, a gorgeous little side street right next to Holborn tube. If you have noticed the marble street, which runs diagonally between Southampton Row and Bloomsbury Way, you’ll be pleased to know it’s finally set to proper reopen this summer, after five years of renovation work is nearing completion. The avenue is named after its luxurious architectural style, which feels almost European. Built in 1906, it’s home to several turrets, golden building names, and Grade II listed buildings, and is also a pretty convenient shortcut. It opened back up last year for pedestrians, but its buildings have remained uninhabited. Developers Tristan Capital Partners have been working for the last five years to perform a ‘complete restoration’ of the area, which they hope will ‘[reform] the historical pedestrian avenue into Bloomsbury’s most sought-after shopping and dining destination.’ Pretty big ambitions. Photograph: Sicilian Avenue London A spokesperson for Alchemy Asset Management, which has also been working on the project, said that: ‘As the development manager… We have dealt with many challenges. However, due to its rich history and architectural elegance, the structural adaptation has been hugely worthwhile in te

No matter how much you praise Leeds, the West Yorkshire city still manages to remain underrated. With loads of great things to do, delicious things to eat, and cracking nightlife, it’s one of the UK’s great cultural hubs.  And we’re big fans of Leeds here at Time Out. We’ve got guides to the city’s best things to do, bars, art galleries, hotels and so much more. Excitingly, we’ve just fully revamped one of our most essential Leeds guides for 2025: its tastiest restaurants. So where should you dine right now in the UK’s fourth (or fifth, depending on who you ask) biggest city? Our local food expert Vicky Chandler says you should drop everything and head to Bavette. This French bistro is the definition of small but mighty. It’s not only us who rate it highly: it was also awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin this year, recognising its excellent cooking at a reasonable price. But what do we love so much about it? Vicky describes Bavette as having ‘classic French dishes cooked to perfection’, and specifically mentions that you must try the wine ‘exclusively blended for the bistro from Cousin’s [co-owner Clément Cousin] family vineyard in the Loire Vally’. Narrowly missing out on first place was Empire Cafe, ‘a historic café turned uber-cool restaurant’ where ‘the vibes and the cocktails stand up to the kitchen creations’. In third place was Ox Club, which does wonders with traditional wood-fired cooking. Another spot on our list comes highly recommended from the experts at Michelin.

There are few things better than stepping off a plane and being greeted by that first blast of warm continental air. All the best holidays start on the outbound flight, so it’s important that you choose a reliable, comfortable airline to get you there. How do you choose which airline to fly with? Sometimes you want to hear from experts (like AirlineRatings.com, which just named its annual ‘best carriers’ lists), but other times it’s just useful to know the experiences of other customers. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, which is why Which?, the UK’s biggest consumer watchdog, has conducted a survey across more than 9,000 flights in order to discover what the average customer’s most trusted air provider is. And, in the short-haul category it was British provider Jet2 who claimed the number one spot. Jet2 had a very positive 92 percent approval rating for the booking stage, with only 0.2 percent of flights cancelled last minute, and passengers appreciated that cabin bags were included in the cost of a ticket, and that families usually end up sitting together. Jet2 also picked up Which?’s prestigious ‘recommended provider’ status.  Transparency in booking was a huge element of Jet2’s success in the survey, and, on the other side of the spectrum, a big reason why Ryanair was named the worst short-haul carrier. According to Which? ‘the unique selling point of Ryanair … is supposed to be that it’s cheap, but [it] got a mediocre two stars for value for money. ‘That’s probably beca

There are a lot of great places to eat in Glasgow, plain and simple. Whether you’re after a brilliant curry, a traditional Scottish meal, or a deep-fried mars bar, Scotland’s biggest city has got you covered. At Time Out, our editors and reviewers have eaten at thousands of restaurants over the years. We’re constantly trying new spots and updating all of our lists, and we’ve just published our newly-updated guide to the very best spots to eat in Glasgow. Taking the crown for the city’s very best eatery is… Brett in Kelvinbrige! Time Out’s Olivia Simpson, who is a born and bred Glaswegian, said: ‘The food is undoubtedly elevated, but dishes like the mushroom XO linguini or the duck with blackberry and white turnip are designed not to shout about their cleverness, but to delight and comfort. ‘Choose from the à la carte menu, chef’s menu, or set menu (with two courses starting at £32). The wine list (helpfully organised according to flavour profile) is equally as impressive.’ Small bistro Brett opened in 2019, and after surviving lockdown, it’s going from strength to strength. It appeared on both the Good Food and Michelin guides for 2024, the latter of which described it as having ‘a relaxed, welcoming feel’. It’s no surprise that Brett is such a success, being the sister restaurant to Cail Bruich, one of Glasgow’s two Michelin-starred restaurants. Cail Bruich also appears at number five on our list. Elsewhere on our guide is the brand-new opening from the team behind Ox and Fi

If you’ve been into town recently, you know what’s up. You’ve seen the boarded up windows, you’ve noticed your usual haunts disappearing, you’ve benefited from an ‘everything must go – half off!’ sale once or twice. You can see that it’s a shop-ageddon out there on UK high streets, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. In 2023, we lost Wilko, and then in 2024 we got it back. Then we said goodbye to a bunch of Marks and Spencers, some Boots, a few Body Shops, and plenty more. In fact, some studies have estimated that Britain lost up to 37 shops a day in 2024. Although we all hoped that the new year would bring good news for our high streets, it’s looking like 2025 might just be more of the same. It’s not all doom and gloom, but it’s useful to know exactly what’s coming and going so that you don’t plan an entire shopping day around a store which has closed its doors for the last time. Here’s an exhaustive list of all the big places shutting up shop this year across the country. All the UK high street closures in 2025 New Look New Look has this year announced it is completely winding down its operations in Ireland, at the cost of nearly 350 jobs. This side of the Irish Sea, it’s announced four closures for 2025 (find out more here). Those are: Carillon Court Shopping Centre, Loughborough (already closed) Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf (already closed) St Austell, Cornwall – closing March 4 Team Valley Retail World, Gateshead – closing March 9 WH Smith There’s no need to panic b

If you could choose one special feature to add to your home, what would it be? A swimming pool? A walk in wardrobe, maybe a library? How about a series of winding tunnels resembling something from an Arthurian legend? They might not be the most common ‘dream home’ addition, but a complex of secret passageways are by far the most fun. Why are they there? What do they lead to? What did the people who dug it know that we don’t? All of these questions and more can be asked of one five-bed property in Sandwich, Kent, which is currently up for sale. On the surface (literally), this is a lovely, if pretty standard, five bedroom countryside cottage. The dining room has exposed beams and a wood-burning fireplace, there’s an Aga in the kitchen, and the roofs are just the right amount of higgilty-piggilty. It’s straight out of a Beatrix Potter story; until you look below. This home has the only entrance to a series of tunnels which sprawl nearly 50 feet below the nearby village of Eastry. The Rightmove listing casually lists this as a feature, stating: ‘Outside there is a Victorian stable… trees and a front garden with specimen trees and a treehouse’, and ‘caves access’. You know, standard stuff. To make matters even more mysterious, nothing is known for sure about why the caves exist, or who built them in the first place. Local legend states that Thomas Becket used them as a hiding place from King Henry II in the 12th century, but other sources suggest that they weren’t built until the

There are loads of places worth visiting in and around the British Isles – we even created a list of our top recommendations here – but there’s so much to see that a lot of great destinations get overlooked. The Isle of Man (which is not in the UK but is definitely pretty close) is one such destination. Last year, the Isle of Man announced that it had big ambitions to attract an additional 500,000 visitors by 2032, almost doubling the size of the local tourism industry. They reckon their gorgeous scenery and bustling capital city makes for a great holiday – if you don’t mind the ferry trip. Like the UK, the Isle of Man is introducing a system of Electronic Travel Authentication (ETA) which will require people to pay £10 for a security check before visiting. The authentication is similar to the British ETA, which was introduced earlier this year and grants visitors from 40 different nations who do not need a visa, like the USA, Australia, and Canada, entry into the UK for two years at a time. It’s not quite a visa and and nor is it a tourist tax, but a sort of in-between with added security clearance – you can learn more about the details of that system here. The Isle of Man’s ETA will operate very similarly. It will cost £10, and allow travellers to enter a ‘Common Travel Area’ which will include the Isle of Man, the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey, so you’re getting pretty good bang for your buck. British and Irish citizens will not need to appl

Beautiful things can be done with some potatoes, a cod, some batter, and a fryer. You already knew that, and so do the roughly 11,000 chippy owners across Britain. A lot of those chip shops are sensational, but which is the absolute best? Thirty-seven years ago, the National Federation of Fish Fryers (NFFF) set out to answer that question, and thus the annual National Fish and Chip Awards, aka the chippy Oscars, was born. There are categories recognising excellence in various forms, from takeaways to sit-down restaurants, to mobile fryers and commitment to sustainability; basically as long as your chips are fluffy and your fish is battered, there’s a space for you in this competition. That’s not to say it’s easy to become a winner; first you have to be named as one of the nation’s top 40, then shortlisted into the top ten. It’s been a long journey to get to this final, but one unlikely county has come out with winners in two of the biggest categories. Think of ‘Takeaway of the Year’ and ‘Restaurant of the Year’ as the ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ of the ceremony; these are the awards that everyone wants, and the ones which can turn you from a wee local into a nationally renowned destination. This year, both of the big winners were based in County Durham. Usually better known for its mining towns and excellent accent, you might not think of Durham as the fish and chips capital of the UK, but Yarm Road Fish and Chips in Darlington, which was named ‘Takeaway of the Year’,