From a turkey farmer to a choirmaster, we ask the people who help make Christmas special where they go for a festive pint or two Sarah Mitchell, assistant manager at the Churchill Arms, Britain’s ‘most festive pub’Every Christmas the Churchill is decorated with loads of Christmas trees and lights. In 2016 we got a lot…
It’s only two years since an attempted coup but Istanbul is moving on and reinventing itself The whole time I was in Istanbul I was convinced I could hear a dull groaning sound. At last I realised what it was: the collective grumbling every time someone described the city as “where East meets West”, or…
Stuck for an original Christmas present? With 24 days until the main event, we unwrap one great suggestion per day With a new, bigger site for March 2019, Crystal Maze Live in central London will include 32 new games inspired by the 1990s TV show. Guided by a maze master, teams (age 13+, from £54.99pp,…
From traditional pantos and carols by candlelight to pop-up winter bars and a disco in an igloo, we round up sparkling festive events across the UK Edinburgh’s major new Christmas attraction is Silent Light, a silent party on George Street. It takes place up to five times a day under the Street of Light, an…
They travelled across the country for a year to find Australia’s best swimming spots. In this book extract, the couple share some of their discoveries Every body of water in this country has a compelling story behind it. Australian swimming spots tell this country’s social and political history. Indigenous Australians – whose First Nations far…
Whether it’s a city centre pub, church or a shed in the country, we want to know about your favourite small music venue Intimate, atmospheric venues make for memorable gigs. We want to hear about anywhere you’ve been to recently that’s made an impression on you: perhaps somewhere you danced the night away, were so…
South Island’s scenic Christchurch to Picton rail journey reopens on Saturday after earthquake damage led to closure in 2016 One of the world’s greatest scenic rail routes has reopened on New Zealand’s South Island after being closed for two years following the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016. The Coastal Pacific train route, part of which hugs…
Amid fells alive with birdlife and red squirrels, this stylish hotel in the north-west corner of the Yorkshire Dales proves a great base for walking Coming up the drive to this elegant mid-Victorian mansion house, I notice a number of things: that the lane is flooding, the trees are shaking and that dark clouds are…
Fun, interactive travel books can open up the world for younger readers. Vivien Godfrey, head of Stanfords, picks some of her favourites of 2018 This book was already popular in our children’s department and has been made even better with this special edition, which includes 16 new maps. The collection of 68 maps takes you…
Festive markets have only become a fixture on the UK’s Christmas calendar in recent years but the tradition stretches back centuries The forerunner of the Christmas market as we know it was Vienna’s December Market in the middle ages. It was first recorded in 1298, when citizens were granted permission to hold a Krippenmarkt during…
