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Train drivers, nurses, ambulance drivers, bin workers, postal workers, teachers, border force officers, sixth-form college staff, firefighters, security workers, train cleaners, driving examiners, university lecturers, civil servants. Union members in all of these professions (and more) are either going on strike this month or waiting for the results of ballots to decide if they will also walk out. The scale of this industrial action seems uncomfortably similar to the so-called ‘Winter of Discontent’ which took place between November 1978 and February 1979. But it’s not the 1970s, it’s 2022, and here we are.  From healthcare workers to train drivers, large-scale strikes will be taking place in the run-up to Christmas on an almost daily basis. At its peak, it is expected that around 1.5 million workers could be at the picket lines. And who can blame them? As millions of us face a cost-of-living emergency, the majority of walkouts are calling for better pay and working conditions, yet negotiations between unions, employers and the government are stuck in a deadlock. With an already bleak festive period starting to look even bleaker, we speak to four workers about why they’re going on strike this month.  The bus driver ‘With crazy shifts and long driving times, we don’t see any other way to change what’s going on’ ‘I work for Abellio, a bus company based in Battersea which runs services on behalf of Transport for London. I’ve been working here for the past four years and things

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

It may feel cold outside, but you can toast under the palm trees with local beers from the best breweries across New York City during the Brews at Brookfield Place pop-up. Brookfield Place's Winter Garden will transform into an indoor Winter Biergarten on select Thursdays through March 7. Brews at Brookfield Place will feature new brews on tap each week, and all beer sales will benefit Brookfield Place's charity partner, the GO Project, which helps kids in NYC public schools. This year’s programming will feature a revolving menu of craft beer from seven participating breweries, including Kills Boro Brewing Co., Torch & Crown Brewing Company, The Bronx Brewery and Brookfield Place’s newest tenant, Sixpoint Brewery. The Biergarten’s operating hours will be 4-8pm on February 29 and March 7.

Head to Brooklyn Comedy Club for Maggie Crane's darkly funny solo show, "an autobiographical account of growing up amidst disability, death and Dunkin Donuts." Set during the early 2000s in the "crunchy-granola-meets-redneck-woods of Western Massachusetts," the show is grounded in preteen angst and vulnerability.  Fresh off its critically acclaimed, sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, see the part standup act/part solo show on Saturday, September 23. 

Grab your dancing shoes and join Brooklyn Swings for an unforgettable evening of music and dance on Tuesday, May 16. Swing at the Park features live music by Svetlana & the Delancey Five and an introductory swing dance lesson all happening around sunset. The Picnic House in Prospect Park offers a spacious, open space with wood floors. No need to bring a partner, but do feel free to BYOB.  

Wake up with the sun for a morning yoga class with Chelsea Piers Fitness has you covered. Head to the Maker's Room at Chelsea Market for a free 7am all-levels vinyasa flow class every Thursday morning. Just be sure to bring your own yoga mat and towel and register in advance. It'll be a good way to embrace the vinyasa flow all throughout your day. Programming runs through the end of the year.  

Embrace your inner Willy Wonka and explore one of Brooklyn's coolest venues while enjoying a few laughs at the Golden Ticket comedy show—it's hosted in a candy store! Joe Bates and Emily Walsh host Golden Ticket, rustling up incredible performers from Colbert, Fallon, HBO, and Comedy Central for every event. Every first Tuesday of the month, they find talent to give you a sweet show.  For the Tuesday, May 2 show, expect to hear from: Maggie Lalley, V Lince, Amanda Van Nostrand, Dan Davies, Raj Suresh, Emily Walsh, and Joe Bates.

Get ready to witness the spectacular performances at the 11th Annual New York Asian Burlesque Festival at City Winery. Calamity Chang and Thirsty Girl will welcome an international cast of burlesque and cabaret artists to the stage on Saturday, April 29.  Don't miss out on the chance to see the likes of Bebe Demure from Virginia, the fiery Stiletto Sinclair from NYC, and the sensational Glow Job from NYC, among other amazing performers.  

This new event brings together the best of burlesque, circus, comedy, music, magic and vaudeville variety, all in one place. Inspired by the legendary Ziegfeld’s Midnight Frolic and the Follies of yore, this late-night, intimate, theatrical imagining is taking over the Midnight Theatre in Manhattan West on Friday, April 28. The Midnight Follies event is produced by circus impresarios Joshua Dean and Ben Franklin, along with the star burlesque headliner Rosie Cheeks, and features a talented cast of performers, including Dirty Martini, Voodoo Onyx, Ivory Fox, Justin Weber, Rosie Cheeks, Joshua Dean and Ben Franklin. The menu at The Midnight Follies includes extravagant cocktails and food from Hidden Leaf. 

Want to live out your Met Gala fantasy? New Yorkers from all over are invited to get all dolled up for "The People's Ball" at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library, celebrating inclusivity and individuality through fashion and performance. The free event, held on the eve of the Met Gala, offers an alternative to expensive, exclusive galas and showcases the diverse styles that make up New York City's urban runway. Attendees can walk the runway in their favorite outfits, with DJs and performers entertaining the crowds between hourly catwalks. Actress Delissa Reynolds and cultural advocate Rob Fields will host the event, with fashion curator Souleo and five People's Heroes as special guests.  Advance registration is sold out, but all are welcome to join a standby line on the night of the event. Considering tickets to the Met gala go for $35,000 a piece, it's worth waiting in line for this event instead. The event runs from 7-11pm on Sunday, April 30, and guests will be allowed entry as capacity allows. 

Get ready to sink your teeth into some smokin' meat at Pig Beach BBQ in Queens on Saturday, April 29. This is no ordinary BBQ. Dozens of nationally recognized pitmasters from all over the country are reuniting for the Third Annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit, hosted by none other than Food Network's Michael Symon himself. This all-day "swine around" benefit features James Beard Award-winning chef Rodney Scott, Bill Durney from Hometown BBQ, Tuffy Stone from Cool Smoke BBQ, Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Amy Mills from 17th Street BBQ and more. There will be 25 indoor and outdoor food stations, specialty cocktails, live music performances and even an onstage rib-eating contest.  The event is hosted in memory of Pig Beach Executive Chef Jeff Michner, who died in 2018 at age 36. Proceeds from the event benefit the Jeff Michner Foundation to support his family and provide scholarships to students.  

Celebrate National Tea Day on April 21 at The Cauldron NYC. Anyone who books the Wizard Tea Experience on this special day will get a free green tea shot. Walk-ins are also welcome to the enchanting bar and restaurant section for tea time snacks and a "special-tea drink menu" featuring cocktails poured from quintessentially British tea sets. Each table will have flashcards with the latest gossip for you to enjoy with your friends, so you can really spill the tea. Live DJ music will be playing in the background during the event.

Pythagoras believed in beautiful philosophical concept: That celestial bodies make music as they move through the heavens and that through this connection, humanity is one with the universe. Music of Our Sphere, a free musical performance at Brookfield Place on April 22, is inspired by that theory.    The Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra will sending music soaring into the majestic Winter Garden at Brookfield Place as they appreciate the beauty of nature and reflect on the spiritual and literal issues we face with our existence on Earth. 

Carnegie Hall will be filled with a powerful musical showcase on Wednesday, April 19 for "A Concert for Sugihara." This significant symphonic work pays tribute to the heroism of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese Vice-Consul to Lithuania during WWII who saved thousands of Jewish refugees. In her monumental work for solo cello, choir and orchestra, Symphony No. 6, “Vessels of Light,” Lera Auerbach weaves a multilayered tapestry of words and music with Yiddish poetry, the art of Japanese Kintsugi, the mystical Shevirat ha-kelim (“breaking of the vessels”), and the silent words of biblical Psalm 121. The New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus will perform the work. What makes this project even more poignant is that many of the participants have a personal connection to the narrative, with family members who were Jewish refugees. The project was conceived by world-renowned cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, who was inspired to honor Sugihara when she discovered that her husband’s father, Irving Rosen, was the recipient of one of Sugihara’s visas and in turn is alive today because of his bravery.

Everywhere around the world, it seems like the general consensus is to avoid talking about the fever dream that was the year 2020. Filled with Addison Rae, Dalgona coffee, and masks everywhere, it’s a year that is hard to forget (no matter how hard we try). One of the most affected groups was small businesses. Struggling to keep up with big corporations, it has been no easy ride for local shops even now, three years later. Lucky Strike Bowling Alley is a prime example of a pandemic victim. In its prime, the alley was Hell’s Kitchen’s hotspot for celebrity sightings. From Justin Bieber to Katie Couric if you were looking for your five seconds of fame, you had a shot at this spot. In 2021, however, the business decided to close its doors, but it has decided to leave with flair—an auction of its many belongings. Photograph: Lucky Strike Lanes Photograph: courtesy of Lucky Strike Lanes A lot of the time, businesses that shutter have huge appliances and furniture that they can never use again. So, if you’re wondering who gets to keep the amazing “Lucky Strike” sign, TAGeX has you covered. The company is devoted to helping facilities close out business in a way that keeps waste out of landfills. It just ended auctioning off the entire space in an online auction where everything started at $1. A few items might’ve been cool in a New York City apartment: Beer Tap Handles A Red Bull Mini Cooler Bar stools Black leather couches An L-shaped leather couch Ceiling chandeliers A woode

Travel publisher Rough Guides recently released its list of the world’s best places to visit in 2023 – and wouldn’t you believe it, three places in the UK made the list. One of those selected was the northern city of Leeds in Yorkshire, with Rough Guides saying it is a ‘no-brainer’ and putting it at number nine on the list of 23 global destinations. ‘Lovers of live performance are spoiled for choice,’ the publication wrote. The city is home to Opera North (the only nationally recognised UK opera company outside London), the Leeds Grand Theatre, and the Northern Ballet, as well as the Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen, where you can reap all the benefits of an outdoor festival under one cosy roof. Leeds is also apparently known as ‘the foodie capital of the North’ (we’re sure Manchester would have have something to say about that). This coming May, the city plans to host the country’s first ‘indie food festival’ to celebrate its culinary culture. Other parts of the UK that got a shout-out in the Rough Guides ranking include Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales, and the Scottish Highlands. Here’s the list in full: 1. Antarctica2. Berlin, Germany3. Bohol Island, the Philippines4. Cordoba, Argentina5. Dominica, Nature Island of the Caribbean6. Fes, Morocco7. Kanazawa, Japan8. Korčula, Croatia9. Leeds, Yorkshire10. Ljubljana, Slovenia11. Mekong Delta, Vietnam12. Naples, Italy13. Northern Cape, South Africa14. Oaxaca, Mexico15. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica16. Pembrokeshire, Wales17. Pensa

A new waterpark known as The Seahive could be cannonballing into Kent as early as 2025 – promising all sorts of aquatic adventures to attract wannabe Olympic swimmers. It’s not just any old waterpark – if anything, it’s extra. It will include a ‘lagoon’ with 20 different wave types ranging from 0.5 to two metres high, rides for all ages and abilities, wellness facilities, cold water therapy, and even a small number of sustainably-designed holiday lodges.  What’s more, The Seahive plans to be as eco-friendly as possible, by reducing energy usage and investing in water-management and planting schemes. The project will also strive to be carbon-neutral, with renewable energy being used to power the waves.  There will also be a ‘learning hive’ running a full schedule of courses. It plans to support local children through surf therapy and educational intervention programmes. A planning application for the £40 million project has been sent to Dover District Council. If it goes ahead, the park will sit on the site of a former colliery spoil tip in Betteshanger Country Park. Stay in the loop: sign up to Out There, our free newsletter about all the best stuff to do across the UK.  

A cool new pedestrian bridge is set to built in Docklands, after four years of planning debate.  Originally announced back in 2018, the structure will cross South Dock on the Isle of Dogs. The bridge was originally meant to be 25 metres long, connecting the business-y Canary Wharf to the more residential South Quay neighbourhood.  In 2021, a new application was submitted with few notable differences from the previous one. For one, what was once going to be a pedestrian and cycle bridge, will now only be for pedestrians. Sources now say that the bridge will be, ‘approximately 35 metres long’ which is ten more metres than it was planned to be back in 2018. It will also open up to allow large boats to pass through it.  According to Tower Hamlets Council, the structure will create new jobs and give better access between South Quay and Canary Wharf. Whether they are able to execute this is still up in the air but construction is due to start in 2023, with the latest opening date for the bridge in 2024. However, the council, who is also the applicant, needs to get a final green light for the planning application later this week. The meeting for this will take place on Thursday December 1. ICYMI: Sharks have been found in the river Thames. Plus: The new Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has landed and the internet has opinions.

The Walkie-Talkie tower (officially the ‘Fenchurch Building’) has faced a lot of criticism since its debut to the public in January 2015. It won the Carbuncle Cup, for the ugliest building of the year (ouch), was dubbed the ‘fry-scrapper’ for focusing sunrays that melted cars, and extensively derided for being such an eyesore. Its one saving grace? The free Sky Garden. Promoted as ‘London’s Highest Public Garden’, and including a posh restaurant, the Sky Garden is one of the reasons that the skyscraper finally got approved by the City of London Planning Committee. However, it seems like The Walkie-Talkie will soon have some competition, as plans have been announced for an enormous new building, named 55 Bishopsgate. Developer Funder Schroders plans for the new skyscraper to be 285 meters tall, joining The Shard as one of the tallest buildings in London. Oh yeah, and it’ll also have… its own sky garden. Uh-oh. Funder Schroders wants 55 Bishopsgate to be the UK’s first ‘all-electric building’. Sounds very green. Reports claim it’ll be ‘a structure found in nature’, featuring automatic blinds that respond to light to save energy. The architects, Arney Fender Katsalidis, claim the building is based on the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical pattern found in nature, present in things like pinecones and seashells. Unlike the Walkie-Talkie, which came under attack for not even remotely fitting into its surroundings, 55 Bishopsgate will apparently blend in to its environment. Not sur

Imagine hearing about an exciting new railway line running across the capital then turning up to find some dingy-looking 1980s train. Well, you don’t have to, because, on the section of London’s spanking new (and mega-expensive) Elizabeth line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, some of the trains are a whopping 42 years old. These British Rail Class 315 units (as they’re technically called) were a temporary stopgap. The plan was always to scrap them, but more time was needed to get enough newer trains running, so they let the older guys stick around for a bit longer than anticipated. For the first few months of the Elizabeth line services, the 315 ran at weekday commuter peak hours. Now, however, the newer Class 345 trains are ready and have completely replaced the 315s. They officially decided to retire the remaining 315 cars because of their incompatibility with new signalling systems on the central and Heathrow sections of the Lizzy. Since the Elizabeth line now starts in Paddington, joining the existing route just before Stratford, these trains were sitting idle.    If you are particularly passionate about trains, as the Class 315 Preservation Society definitely is, there will be a special farewell tour for the 315 units on Saturday November 26 for £31.50 (see what they did there?). All the proceeds will be going to the Railway Children charity, an organisation helping displaced children find safe accommodation. Which sits well in theme, as the UK’s rail network attr

If you’ve ever visited Bristol, you’ll probably be familiar with the icon that is the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It’s quite the sight in itself, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Beneath the 191-year-old landmark there are 12 vast secret vaults, which were only discovered 20 years ago, and now the public can explore them for the very first time. The vaults were found by a builder who was carrying out repair works around the turn of the Millennium. They’re thought to have been one of the earliest components of the bridge which was built in 1831 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his crew of builders. Despite having been originally built as the platform for the bridge tower, the vaults were sealed off when building plans changed. And although modern engineers suspected they existed, they didn’t expect them to be as massive as they are – apparently the largest chambers can fit three double-decker buses stacked on top of each other. They’re pretty breathtaking, with walls made of lime mortar and stalagmites and stalactites growing from the ceiling and floor.  The vaults will be open for the public to visit from Easter to October each year by booking onto an official 40-minute Hard Hat Tour. Worth bearing in mind if you’re looking to planning a trip to the city anytime soon. You can find out more about the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the tours here. Stay in the loop: sign up to Out There, our free newsletter spotlighting stories, scenes and incredible stuff to do all over the UK.