India Lawrence

‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,’ the great 18th-century poet Samuel Johnson once said. Still, there’s no denying a break from the Big Smoke is very tempting every now and then, especially if you’re a regular on the Northern Line at rush hour. If you’re facing a long wait until your next holiday, or just find yourself with some bonus annual leave, a day trip is a fantastic way to clear the cobwebs and recharge your batteries without spending too many pennies. Obviously, you don’t want to waste too much of your day travelling, so we’ve selected six intriguing towns and cities you can get to in an hour or less from one of London’s main railway destinations like Victoria and Kings Cross. Just hop on a train with an open mind and hope the famously fickle British weather grants you a break.  RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from LondonThe best Airbnbs in the UK

London Pride is finally here! And what do the LGBTQ+ community do best? A night out on the tiles, of course. London has literally tonnes of incredible queer clubs and club nights, and let’s not forget that dance music genres like House, Disco and Acid House originated from the LGBTQ+ scene. So we asked five of London’s best queer DJs to recommend some absolute essential bangers for an epic Pride night out in the capital. Grab the speaker, pour yourself a G&T and whack these on before heading out, they’re guaranteed to get you in the mood.  Cormac  ‘Unlimited Capacity For Love’ ‘There are many faces of Grace Jones, and all of them are fierce. This came out in 1982 and the lyrics are as relevant today as ever. She's singing about our nature to war, but also about our immense capacity for love and redemption. It’s relevant to our LGBTQI+ struggles and successes. Love gets us through right? Production-wise, it's what I would call an original cosmic disco ballad. I don’t always get the chance to play this track, but when I do you know we’re up for an especially good night together.’ Jodie Harsh  ‘My House’ ‘I’m going to blow my own trumpet and pick one of my own! “My House” is my pride anthem because it seems to be a good place to end my shows on a high, especially at pride events. The line in there, “everybody’s welcome in my house”, was a last-minute addition to the track and kind of became its main hook that everyone chants along to. Those five words s

July is serving us another load of great dance shows in London. There's a fiery flamenco festival at Sadler's Wells; Carlos at 50: a ballet extravaganza celebrating the iconic Carlos Acosta's 50th birthday over at the Royal Opera House; and catch the invigorating contemporary company Joss Arnott Dance perform a brand new work at Greenwich Dance’s Summer in the Park. MORE STAGE: Dance classes in London Best theatre shows this yearBest theatre shows this monthBest comedy shows this month

Choosing the right hotel is a hugely important part of any holiday. How many times has the perfect trip been ruined by shoddy service, leaking showers and uncomfortable beds? Too many times for our liking, so we’ve taken it on our broad shoulders to ensure that this never happens to anyone ever again. Ambitious? You better believe it. These are the absolute best hotels in Amsterdam, guaranteed excellence. The Dutch capital has no shortage of accommodation options, but there is something about our pick of eighteenth-century canal houses, converted bridge keepers’ houses and printing factory-turned-boutique hotspots that win the day. If you’re looking for a tip-top place to bed down after a day out exploring the city’s best museums, attractions and coffee shops, you’ve come to the right place. RECOMMENDED:🏠 The best Airbnbs in Amsterdam📍 Where to stay in Amsterdam  This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

It's getting hot in London, almost too hot. And what better time is there to strip down to your skivvies for a good old splash about, or better yet, to fling yourself down a massive water slide? They may be retro (and we never quite recovered from that rumour about razor blades), but waterparks are pure, joyous fun.  You might not realise, but there are plenty of places where you can go to get a good drenching, and adrenaline rush, in the capital, or just a short train ride away. Whether you're looking for a place to take your overheating kids, or just a silly day out with your mates, from water trampolines, to splashparks, we've rounded up the very best water parks in or near London here. Get ready to get soaked.  RECOMMENDED:The best outdoor swimming pools in LondonThe best waterparks in the UKLondon's best swimming pools

‘You’re looking like a real New Yorker now,’ the chipper waiter tells my friend, giving her a knowing nod as he pours her fourth mimosa of the day. It’s barely past midday, but we’re glassy-eyed and swaying in our seats at a new restaurant-slash-bar-slash-club in north London, Destiny’s Child pounding in the background. And yes, we’re drunk. It’s a scene we all know well. You’ve just sunk as many bloody marys you can humanly fit in your stomach, stumbling out onto the street at 2pm. The afternoon has barely just begun, but already your day is over. I’m talking about bottomless brunch, the day-drinking phenomenon that has the nation in a chokehold.  A decade or so ago, brunch simply meant pancakes, eggs, coffee and maybe a mimosa – or its rather less exotic counterpart, buck’s fizz – if you were feeling sparky. Nowadays, the word ‘brunch’ is a synonym for something entirely different. It’s become an umbrella term for an event with a bit of (sometimes nice) food, unlimited booze refills and probably some sort of entertainment like bingo or a drag show. Bottomless brunch is like a children’s birthday party for adults: an excuse to get royally pissed with your mates in the middle of the day.  You can go to bottomless events themed around Britney Spears, Coachella, Shrek and Barbie – and the phenomenon is only growing They often come with themes, and the weirder the better. There’s jazz brunch, hip hop brunch, drum ‘n’ bass brunch. Bunga Bunga in London’s Covent Garden is famous

Living in London can be tough on the skin, what with all the pollution and air-conditioned offices. That’s before we even think about harsh weather, alcohol, sun exposure, dehydration and the inevitable passing of time. Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. Luckily, though, there are loads of great spas and treatment rooms in London where you can give your face a break. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense, read our pick of facials in London. RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London

Objectively, the concept of sitting in a hot, sweaty room with a load of partially naked strangers is a strange one. And yet, from Icelandic hot springs to fancy-pants spa days, we can't get enough of a sauna. Originating in Finland back in the Middle Ages, where almost every house had one built in, the basic premise has been the same ever since: a sparse room filled with steam and high heat, designed to soothe weary muscles and make your skin feel fresh. Of course, now there's all kinds of added extras you can get to top up your experience, from plunge pools to infrared heat therapy rooms and beyond. But at the crux of it all, it's still about sweating and coming out of the room feeling glowy and renewed. Fancy giving it a go? Head to one of London’s best saunas.  Check out our video of 10 of the best spas in London: RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London

London is heaving with comedy shows, from intimate pub gigs with surprisingly high-profile line-ups, to massive arena blowout spectaculars at The O2 with huge international superstars. We’ve rounded up the biggest and best shows to see in London this month: something here is guaranteed to split your sides, no matter your taste in lols.  The best comedy clubs in London. The best new theatre shows to book for in London.

In case you hadn't heard, Britain is getting a new monarch. But we've had enough of old sausage fingers for the time being, frankly. So we sat down with London’s other royalty, who rule over the realms of theatre, drag, music and... Peckham. These kings of the capital are dripping in charisma, smarts and pzazz. Charlie boy better watch his back, lest they supplant him from the throne. Long live the alternative King(s)! George Major, Pearly King of Peckham  Photograph: Time Out / Jess Hand   ‘My grandfather was the pearly king of Mile End and his father was the Coster King on the market, I’ve been a Pearly King for 65 years – I started when I was twenty years old.  ‘My dad's girlfriend used to sneak me into the into the markets and showed me the market life. I loved every minute of it. My auntie Iris made me my first pearly suit when I was six years old.’ ‘I had a very hard life but if it hadn't been for my rough childhood I wouldn't be the man I am today. I feel pride more than anything about who I am and for the family I’ve brought into this world. I’ve got seven children, 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-great grandchildren and they all wear the pearls.’ JD King, Elvis impersonator  Photograph: Time Out / Jess Hand ‘Elvis loved the pomp and ceremony of fancy clothes and he is regal. When you're in an outfit like this jumpsuit, the glam with jewels and rings, it's special. It's larger than life, and that makes you feel energized. ‘Elvis is the king of my career. It’s a sil

Picture the scene: a dingy nightclub in Zone 5 that you’ve queued for two hours to get in to. In the booth, a snapback-sporting DJ blasting out wobbly basslines that are so powerful you can feel your face vibrating. The air is thick with sweat and your £2.10 pint of Carlsberg is warm in your hand. The year is 2010. This is Croydon, this is The Black Sheep Bar and this is the heyday of dubstep.  We know, we know: Skrillex is making a comeback, but we’re not talking about the mainstream EDM you see college bros rocking out to at Tomorrowland. We’re talking about UK dubstep. A quintessentially London sound, in its prime it brought us gun fingers and bass face, and pushed the boundaries of electronic music. Today, the genre’s influences can be heard in low and slow techno, as well as in the ongoing success of labels like Deep Medi and Swamp 81. The OG sound still has a dedicated fanbase and in April Printworks will host the seminal dubstep party, FWD>>. And let’s not forget it brought us bangers like Katy B’s ‘Katy on a Mission’ and ‘Eastern Jam’ by Chase & Status.  Photograph: Zac Darkes / Inphotopia The Black Sheep Bar played a vital role in all of this. It’s where the trailblazers of the sound like SGT Pokes, Mala, Loefah and Coki became friends, the group who went on to found the innovative DMZ label and club night in Brixton. So, how did a grimy club on the outskirts of the city become an essential home for this pioneering, slightly chaotic – and occasionally cringy – ge

A woman in a white cap and floury black apron is looking at me with disapproval. ‘No comment,’ she says firmly, when I ask her about the new Greggs that’s opened in Truro. A customer waiting for her order inhales sharply when she overhears my question. ‘We don’t want to be involved in anything political,’ the woman behind the counter adds. She is a pasty-maker at one of Cornwall’s many independent bakeries: a not-all-that-uncommon profession in this part of the world. So when did opening a place where you can nab a cheap sausage roll become political, you might be wondering? Well, in Cornwall, pastry is political.  It started in 2019, when Greggs opened its first blue-and-yellow shop west of the Tamar, just off the A30 in Saltash. It was a total flop. After being boycotted by locals – and even called ‘the devil’s franchise’ in the local press – it closed after only seven months. When the dust settled, Greggs quietly opened two branches on the outskirts of the county, but neither caused quite as big a splash as its new shop in Truro: three years later Greggs has opened up in the capital, right in the heart of Cornish Pasty Land. So what do the locals think this time around? The first Greggs in Cornwall was boycotted by locals and closed after only seven months ‘Hand on heart, I don’t think Greggs could stand up against a good pasty shop,’ says Fergus Muller, owner of Ann’s Pasties. ‘The pasty is our national dish. I’m a Cornishman, and we’re very proud of our county.’  Greggs,

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

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

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

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

Northern Ballet's sensational rendition of F Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' returns to London this May. Alongside the usual romance and tragedy, expect a live cinematic score by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE (‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’) and Chanel-inspired costumes, all dripping in 1920s glamour.

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

Dance performances at the Royal Opera House don’t typically begin with jumpscares. Nor do they feature rumbling techno scores, or have an interactive digital set projecting otherworldly CGI images of floating amoeba-like creatures. And yet, ‘UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey', has all of these things.  Based on Jim Henson’s 1982 dark fantasy puppet film ‘The Dark Crystal’, Company Wayne McGregor’s both wacky and bleak new production doesn’t quite follow the narrative of an elf on the quest for a crystal. Instead, the show takes key elements and themes from the movie – fantastical creatures, the destruction of worlds, and as the programme note puts it ‘ecological overtones’. What we’re given is a 70-minute plotless mystical odyssey through different realms, encountering a cornucopia of creatures, elements and humans. In an hour and 10 minutes with no interval we are hauled through time, space and everything in between. The typically awe-inspiring dancers’ strength, flexibility and precision allows them to be chameleon-like. With a cast of 11, we meet bizarre creatures made of hay, a sinister snake-like monster which hisses and hits the floor, aggressive forest fires and celestial water molecules. For the majority of the show, the dancers are faceless, enveloped in avant-garde full-body suits designed by Dr Alex Box and Phil Delamore.  There’s not much hope in this cheerless world. It’s bookended by spoken word poetry from Isaiah Hull, whose words draw on overconsumption, rampan

The water is rising. Cities have been abandoned. People must leave everything behind in search for dry land. Climate catastrophe has arrived and the message is clear: humans are to blame.  In Akram Khan’s ‘Jungle Book Reimagined’, Mowgli is a climate refugee. After losing her family after falling off a raft – as told via a stunning line-drawn animation by Yeast Culture – she washes up in a ravaged London, ruled by gangs of animals who live among the detritus of the abandoned city. The animals, escaped from zoos, circuses and testing labs, suffer from PTSD from their past lives in the human world. A lopsided London skyline sinks into the ever-rising water.  But after the striking opening section, there’s an elephant in the room, and I don’t just mean Colonel Hathi. It’s the ever-present voiceover. I get what Khan is trying to do here. We all know that the original ‘Jungle Book’ – both the Kipling story and the Disney film versions – is for children. Running over the Easter holidays, Khan’s show is advertised as being for ages eight-plus, and this is dance-theatre, not straight-up abstract contemporary. But the blend of elements felt tonally off-kilter. The voice acting is cartoonish, with the over-laboured dialogue reminded me of a kid’s audiobook. Khan’s efforts to make a production suitable for all ages feels muddled, resulting in a show that simultaneously comes across as too juvenile for adults and too advanced for younger children.  However, if you can filter out the talk

In a rare chance to see Nederlands Dans Theater’s eerie production on UK turf, this contemporary dance triptych will take you through a post-apocalyptic world ravaged the climate crisis, create sinister dreamscapes and explore the fine line between normality and abnormality. The show will include the UK premieres for works 'La Ruta', by Gabriela Carrizo, and 'Figures in Extinction' by Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney. If freaky contortions, gravity-defying lifts and even slapstick are your bag, don’t miss this.

Hip hop festival Breakin' Convention is back at Sadler's Wells for its 20th anniversary. Its guiding light and curator Jonzi D creates a forum for the best hip hop dance theater from the around the UK and the rest of the world. The event attracts a diverse and vocal young crowd and knocks down any notion that theatres are exclusive or formal places. This year's global line-up features dancers and crews including Mover (South Korea), Bboy Samuka (Brazil) and Ghetto Funk Collective (Netherlands), plus a whole load of UK-based talent such as Gully South Block, Lauren Scott and Boy Blue. Plus, look out for workshops, freestyle jams, live graffiti and DJ sets taking place alongside the main performances.

When first staged in 2015, ‘Woolf Works’ – Wayne McGregor’s ambitious three-act ballet inspired by the life and work of Virginia Woolf – was a landmark performance for the choreographer and the Royal Opera House. The austere triptych, inspired by ‘Mrs Dalloway’, ‘Orlando’ and ‘The Waves’, is still striking and emotive, but I was left wanting more.  I know, I know, I’m writing about a famously minimalist choreographer, who created a ballet inspired by an existential, modernist writer, with a contemporary electronic score (by Max Richter), and I’m asking for more. It’s supposed to be minimal and by all means, ‘Woolf Works’ meets the brief. Objectively, this is a good ballet. The second-to-none Royal Ballet cast can’t be faulted. And when ballet so famously often fails to embrace the future, ‘Woolf Works’ is refreshingly modern. My issue was that it lacked tension – I wanted the beautiful and sombre moments to be contrasted with dance that was more ugly, more grotesque, more suprising.  ‘I now, I then’ (inspired by ‘Mrs Dalloway’), is the first of the three acts. Alessandra Ferri, playing the dual part of older Clarissa Dalloway (the well-to-do hostess who is planning a party) and Virginia Woolf, appears like a ghostly apparition obscured by a projection of Woolf’s scribblings. Behind her, three ever-revolving driftwood oblongs are the only setpiece. Ferri appears calm, almost dead behind the eyes – she will continue looking grave throughout the performance. Nearing 60, Ferri wa

Like a doting grandma or benevolent old friend, Jikoni is a restaurant that wants to feed you. Stepping inside the place – the brainchild of food writer Ravinder Bhogal – is like being wrapped in a big blanket. Except that blanket is made of gooey, warm potatoes.  Jikoni, which means ‘kitchen’ in Kiswahili, blends Asian, African and Middle Eastern cuisines in what Bhogal calls ‘cooking across borders’. If you’re looking for ‘authentic’ food from any of those regions, you’d better go elsewhere. But if you want a charming and playful evening of culinary surprises, which includes a prawn-toast scotch egg with banana ketchup and adorable diddy pickled cucumbers (as good as it sounds), Jikoni won’t disappoint.  If I could drink a pint of that glossy, golden, coconut-y sauce – or better yet, take a bath in it – I would From the clashing patterns of the tablecloths, to the kitsch mismatched plates and quirky decor – look out for a cute Russian doll hidden in a staircase nook – the vibe is eclectic and welcoming. An over-generous amount of cushions line the banquette seating, and when the food coma hit my stuffed friend she nestled her head in the pillows for a quick powernap.  To start, a variety of nibbles and small plates came our way, our selection bolstered by the recommendations of our knowledgeable waiter. Bites of cauliflower popcorn with a zingy Chinese black-vinegar dipping sauce were followed by crunchy-yet-melty cheddar croquetas. Then came the gooey potatoes, which arri

Getting a peek inside London’s storied history is always thrilling. Now, there’s one more thing you’ll be able to tick off your historical London bucket list. A Jacobean manor house in west London is reopening to the public after six years of closure, and it’s undergone an extensive £6 million restoration of its architecture and ornate decorations.  Boston Manor House in Brentford was built in 1622. Over its long life the grade I-listed building was used to home a primary school, an institute for training domestic servants and bedsit accommodation for single women.  Before the restoration started in 2017 the house was described as ‘a mess with a tree growing inside’ by John Collins, historic houses manager for the London borough of Hounslow. But now it’s been restored to its former glory. The historical three-storey manor is now a rare example of surviving Jacobean architecture and ornamentation.  Among the period gems on show are an original decorative plaster ceiling featuring exotic creatures and an overmantel depicting a biblical scene in what was the state drawing room. According to the Guardian, ‘it is one of the finest examples of Jacobean plasterwork to survive intact’. You’ll also be able to see some ‘very rare and special’ wallpaper, architect Harriet Pillman said. Dating back to 1757, the wallpaper decorating the main staircase was uncovered and then digitally recreated during the restoration. Its design features classical ruins. The restorers also preserved the or

Being a student in London is pretty cool. You’ve got access to some beautiful, world-class libraries, some of the UK’s best culture at your fingertips for all that learnin’, and most important of all: banging nightlife. What’s more, is that some of London’s universities are officially some of the best in the world. Two London unis have been ranked among the world’s top 10 institutions by the QS World University Rankings. Imperial College London was ranked sixth in the world by the trusted league table, while UCL came in ninth place. King’s College London and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) were also placed among the world’s top 50, coming in 40th and 45th respectively.  The ranking body, which has been going for 20 years, analyses the academic reputation, employability, international research and sustainability of each university. The league table features 1,500 unis from around the world. Ninety institutions on the list are from the UK, making it the second most represented country behind the USA. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was crowned as the world’s best university, followed by Cambridge and Oxford in second and third place.  Professor Hugh Brady, president of Imperial College London said: ‘This result confirms that Imperial is one of the best universities in the world, and is a testament to our brilliant, diverse community, our global outlook, and the spirit of innovation that runs through everything we do.’ Turns out Londoners a

No this isn’t an episode of ‘Black Mirror’, this is real life. King Charles and Sadiq Khan have activated a terrifying clock in Piccadilly Circus that counts down the time twe have to balance global greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the Earth heating more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.  Scientists have warned that achieving this is vital to ensure our planet remains liveable. They explained that even if the planet reaches 1.5C above pre-industrial levels we will still be left with a 50-50 chance of avoiding disastrous tipping points that would heat the earth beyond human control. Yikes.  As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, almost every country in the world agreed to meet the target to balance greenhouse gas emissions, but experts have warned the earth is still not on track. If we keep going the way we are, warming of 2.7C is predicted by 2100.  According to the massive clock, we currently have just six years and 23 days before the earth will inevitably use up its carbon budget and heat above 1.5C. It’s not just Londoners being scared out of their wits by impending climate catastrophe. 150 climate clocks have been put up around the UK, in places including London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Southampton. Nick Henry, chief executive and founder of Climate Action, said: ‘This powerful illustration of the scale of the climate emergency also reminds us there is still time to avert disaster. ‘We need to align all actors – governments, cities, investors,

This Saturday July 1 is the big day for London's LGBTQ+ community: the London Pride parade is back. Kicking off at noon in Hyde Park, over a million people are expected to be in central London for the mega event. Here’s everything you need to know about travel restrictions and road closures.  RECOMMENDED: Our ultimate guide to Pride in London Which roads in London will be closed for the 2023 Pride Parade? To make way for the parade a lot of roads are going to be closed throughout central London. These are all the closures: Soho Archer Street: 9am to 4am Dean Street: 6am to 4am Golden Sqaure: 6am to 4am Soho Sqaure: 6am to 4am Area around Hyde Park Corner Roads in this area will be closed from 10am to 9.30pm.  Berkley Street Bolton Street Brick Street  Clarges Street  Down Street Half Moon Street Mayfair Place Old Park Lane Stratton Street White Horse Street Park Lane Roads in this area will be closed from 8am to 7pm. Brook Gate Culross Street Dunraven Street  Green Street Mount Street Park Street  South Street Stanhope Gate Upper Brooks Street  Wood’s Mews Central London These will be closed from 11am to 10.30pm.  Charing Cross Road Duncannon Street Great Castle Street Langham Place Little Portland Street  Northumberland Avenue Regent Street Shaftesbury Avenue  Strand William IV Street Will train and tube stations be impacted?  London Underground and train stations will all be open as usual, but prepare for crowds as stations around the parade are expected to be very

June might’ve seen some sort of respite for London commuters from strike action, but, as previously threatened, major industrial action is kicking off once again in July. Strike action is taking place across the country, but it’s also affecting the capital. Here’s everything we know about the situation right now. When are the next London train strikes? Aslef staff working for Avanti West Coast will strike on July 2. There will then be an overtime ban for Aslef workers commencing on July 3, lasting until Saturday July 8. The overtime ban will likely lead to further disruption and cause last-minute cancellations.  A fresh wave of strikes was also recently announced by the RMT union. More than 20,000 workers across 14 rail companies will go on strike on three days: July 20, 22 and 29, after negotiations between rail firms and the government stalled.  Which London train lines will be affected? A large number of lines will be affected by the strikes.  Avanti West Coast c2c Chiltern Railways Cross Country Trains East Midlands Railway Greater Anglia Great Western Railway GTR  LNER Northern Trains South Eastern South Western Railway Transpennine Express West Midlands Trains For Londoners, it’s worth noting that GTR operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services. The Stanstead Express will also be affected.  Are there any tube strikes? There are no tube strikes currently planned. But many London underground workers belong to the RMT union, and a few wee

The time has come for us to don our summer dresses, grab a glass of Pimm’s and head to south west London to watch the world’s best tennis players thwack balls at each other as hard as they can, until someone eventually wins. There will be grunting, grass stains, and maybe even tears. That’s right, Wimbledon is here once again. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 tournament.   Recommended: Wimbledon tennis screenings in London The ultimate guide to Wimbledon 2023 When is Wimbledon?  Wimbledon 2023 takes place from July 3 to July 16.  How to watch Wimbledon on TV?  The Wimbledon Championships will be broadcast daily on BBC One and BBC Two.  If you’re lucky enough to subscribe to BT Sport, Sky Sports, Virgin Media or Amazon Prime, you can watch the games broadcast on Eurosport 1. Singles matches will be broadcast live, and they’ll show highlights too.  What about live streams?  If you don’t have a TV, have no fear. The action will be streamed on BBC iPlayer,  Discovery + and Eurosport's on-demand streaming platform. Is Wimbledon on the radio?  Wimbledon is on the radio, with commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live every day. The tennis competition also has its own official radio channel: Wimbledon Radio. You can listen to it online or on 87.7FM.  When is the Wimbledon draw? The draw for the men’s and women’s singles tournaments will take place on Friday June 30 at 10am. It’s to be held at the All England Club. These four London boroughs have the longest life expectancy in t

In London there are quite a few things that could make our lives shorter. The air quality isn’t great, a lot of our jobs are pretty stressful, and then there’s the peril of being hit by a double-decker bus. And yet, some London boroughs have taken the top four places for the highest life expectancies in the country, according to one study.  London boroughs Westminster, Camden, Harrow and Barnet have the four highest life expectancies in the UK, according to the study by Psychic World. The west and north London boroughs beat Buckinghamshire, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire which were also in the top 10.  Westminster and Camden both have overall life expectancies of 85, four years more than the national average of 81.2 years. Harrow and Barnet weren’t far behind with average life expectancies of 83.95 and 83.75, respectively.  What’s more, is women were expected to have longer lives in all four boroughs. If you’re a woman who wants a long life, better move to Camden, where the average life expectancy is 87.7 years old, over 6 years more than the UK average. The study also took into account health. According to the research, men in Westminster can expect to spend 78.3 percent of their lives in ‘good health’ (which clinicians define as the absence of disease). Women in the borough can expect to live 74.9 percent of their lives in ‘good health’.  Not all London boroughs were full of healthy people living long lives, however. Barking and Dagenham had an overall life expectancy

This Saturday, London will be awash with the rainbow colours of Pride as the annual parade (and plenty of partying) takes place in the city centre. TfL will also be showing its support to the queer community by decorating trains and buses with colourful Pride bus and train wraps, as well as putting up a load of posters featuring London LGBTQ+ icons. Keep your eyes peeled! Double-decker buses, Overground and Elizbeth Line trains will be given the rainbow treatment and wrapped in a design that features the stripes of the Pride flag and the slogan ‘Every story matters’.  Look out for posters featuring stars such as Bimini, Gok Wan, comedian Dee Allum, drag queen Asifa Lahore, and dancer Queen Mojo. Queer TfL staff members will also be celebrated on posters, and they will show their pride through designs, poems and craftwork across the network. Plus, Tube station whiteboards will be decorated with quotes from LGBTQ+ books, including Nick Grimshaw's ‘Soft Lad’ in some stations.   The technicolour wrap has already been splattered across the Route 63 bus that runs between Honour Oak and King’s Cross. And you can spot it on the Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford, and the Dalston/Highbury & Islington to West Croydon/Crystal Palace/New Cross Overground lines from today. The Pride Lizzie Line train will be in action from June 30. Your ultimate guide to Pride in London this year. Everything you need to know about the London Pride parade 2023. 

The future is here! Three ‘unashamedly modern’ new houses could be built in Barnet, north London.  Scandis do everything better, and these nordic-inspired homes designed by BÜF Architecture are no exception. They haven’t been granted planning permission yet, but if built, the futuristic houses will each have a single-storey white brick base, inspired by ‘mews housing and garden walls’, with an upper floor made of lightweight timber blocks which are set back from the ground-floor front of the house. Looking relatively compact, each 306 sqm home will have three or four bedrooms and the holy grail: a south-facing garden. The plan is to build the houses on a plot of land at the end of a cul-de-sac just off Chipping Barnet High Street. The site, which is surrounded by gardens, car parks and industrial buildings, is currently used as a parking space for the surrounding businesses. BÜF Architecture called the designs ‘unashamedly modern’, but ‘informed by a subtle approach to place and surroundings’. The firm explained how the timber block upper floors would blend in with the tree canopies above, but the solid white brick ground floors would give a sense of solidity.  If given permission, the properties could be built by late 2025.  A ‘Berlin-themed’ ball pit is coming to London. The largest full-timber structure in Britain is being built in London.

A massive timber office block in central London is set to be the UK's first of its kind. On the corner of Gray’s Inn Road and Clerkenwell Road, the brand new structure will replace a building from the 1960s.  Being built over the former Holborn Town Hall, the nine-storey block by Piercy&Co will use 100 percent renewable energy and is set to be carbon net zero. The 13,900 sqm green structure will also have photovoltaic panels, all-electric heating, hot water, and cooling systems, as well as demand-driven displacement ventilation to the office floors. The exterior of the building will be made of laminated timber slabs arranged into a glulam frame, giving the tower a wooden appearance.  Picture: Piercy & Co Piercy&Co director Harry Bucknall said: ‘Of course, the decision to replace a building is not one that is ever taken lightly, and in this instance is a consequence of detailed whole-life carbon studies, concluding that this was the most environmentally responsible approach. ‘[With this approach] comes the responsibility of designing a building that sets a high standard for ecologically responsible construction, and a design that is of a quality and adaptability that ensures the building has the best possible chance of still being here in 100 years’ time.’ The project is set to be complete in early 2026.  Could cities soon be made of mushrooms? These are officially the greenest cities in the UK.

When we say ‘Berlin’, what’s the first thing that springs to mind? Perhaps techno, or döner kebabs? But what about adult ball pits, and boobs? This summer, Ballie Ballerson is opening a ball pit themed around the über-cool European city, and it’s going to be decorated with er… breasts.  If you’re feeling confused, let us explain. Ballie Ballerson’s limited-time-only summer pit is designed to emulate a Berlin swimming pool. We know what you’re thinking, sounds grubby. Luckily it’s not modelled after the kind of swimming pool you’ll find at KitKatClub. The ball pit is actually inspired by Berlin’s growing Freikorperkultur (free body culture) movement, which recently made sure that women and non-binary people were allowed to go topless at Berlin’s swimming pools, hence all the bazoomas.  If that’s your thing, then great for you! We can assure you that the artificial brüste will be giant and feel real to the touch. Inside the pit itself will be a load of blue-hued balls, representing the pool’s water.  Sadly, you won't be allowed to go topless at this Berlin swimming pool, we're still in London after all.  Ballie Ballerson’s boob-themed ball pit opens on July 6. 97-113 Curtain Road, EC2A 3BS. Sonora Taquería finally opens its first restaurant. Beyoncé donated £8,000 to a beloved north London Nigerian restaurant.

Sceptical about going on a staycation because we get so much damn rain here in the UK? One popular British tourist destination has come up with a solution to the eternal problem of wet weather during summer. Tourists who get rained on during their summer holidays on the Isle of Wight are to be given money off future visits, as one ferry company has added a ‘sunshine guarantee’. If you’re considering going based on this new scheme, which they’re calling the ‘splashback discount’, this is the fine print you need to be aware of.  To get their money back British holidaymakers will need to stay on the island for at least five nights in June, July or August. They won’t be handing out discounts willy nilly, as it needs to rain for eight hours or more on at least one day.  The discount is also only available to tourists who are travelling onto the island in a private vehicle like a car, minibus, motorhome or motorcycle. To be eligible, trips must start from Southampton and be booked between June 19 and midnight on June 23. Customers won’t get a full refund, but they will be dishing out a 25 percent coupon code that can be redeemed on future holidays until August 31, 2024.  If this is enough to persuade you to take a trip to the not-so-sunny Isle of Wight, get those raincoats and wellies at the ready! ICYMI: How to see Mars, Venus and the moon line up in the sky tonight. Plus: There will be strikes at Heathrow Airport basically every weekend this summer.