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Hair Extensions For Thin Hair: How Long Do They Really Last?

Editorial Team
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Hair Extensions For Thin Hair: How Long Do They Really Last?

If you’ve got thin, fine, or flat hair that refuses to grow past your shoulders, you’ve probably found yourself staring longingly at those gorgeous, voluminous locks on Instagram, wondering if hair extensions could actually work for you. Well, here’s some brilliant news – they absolutely can!

And you’re definitely not alone in coveting thick, glossy locks. According to research, the global hair extensions market has experienced notable growth, advancing from $3.25 billion in 2024 to $3.43 billion in 2025. That’s a lot of people wanting fabulous hair! But (and there’s always a but, isn’t there?) you’ll need to know what you’re doing first.

Extensions can instantly transform your hair game, adding that thickness, volume, and confidence boost we all crave. The thing is, fine hair is a bit of a diva – it needs extra TLC and the right choice of extension type to really shine. How long your extensions last depends on a few key things: the quality of the hair, how they’re installed, and honestly, how well you look after them.

So, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of how long different extensions really last on fine hair, what affects their lifespan, and most importantly, how to get that gorgeous volume without damaging your precious strands. By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll know exactly what to expect and how to get the best bang for your buck!

Understanding Extensions For Thin Hair

Fine hair doesn’t just look different – it behaves completely differently too. Extensions that work beautifully on thicker hair might not be the best choice for delicate strands, which are more fragile and prone to breakage.

Weight matters (and we’re not talking about yours!): The lighter your extensions, the kinder they’ll be to your natural hair. Think of it this way – would you want to carry a heavy rucksack all day? Your hair feels the same about heavy extensions. They can pull on those fragile roots, leading to breakage, traction alopecia (scary name, we know), or just plain scalp discomfort. For fine hair, lightweight individual extensions designed specifically for delicate strands are your best friend – they let you enjoy all that gorgeous volume without putting your natural hair through the wringer.

It’s all about the attachment method: Some ways of attaching extensions are just better suited to thin hair than others. Take tape-in extensions, for example – they lie flat against your scalp and spread the weight evenly across each weft. Perfect for fine hair! On the flip side, bulky weaves or thick clip-ins can look a bit obvious and put unnecessary stress on your roots. Nobody wants that.

Common mistakes (we’ve all been there): One of the biggest blunders people with fine hair make is going completely overboard with density or length. We get it – if you’re doing extensions, why not go big, right? Wrong! Oversized sets that are too heavy for your natural strands will actually shorten the lifespan of both the extensions AND your own hair. Ouch. Skipping professional installation or neglecting aftercare? That’s another sure-fire way to reduce how long your extensions last.

The key is tailoring your choices to YOUR hair type – that way, you can enjoy those fuller locks while keeping your natural strands happy and healthy.

Long hair extensions
long hair

How Long Different Extensions Last On Thin Hair

Right, let’s get to the juicy bit – how long do these gorgeous extensions actually last on thin hair? Well, it depends on what type you choose and how well you treat them. Here’s the lowdown on the most popular options:

Clip-In Extensions (6-12 months)

Clip-ins are like the little black dress of the extension world – versatile, reliable, and perfect for fine hair. They’re brilliant because they give you instant results without any long-term commitment. Since you remove them at the end of each day, they’re not putting any constant strain on your scalp or follicles.

If you’re only wearing them occasionally – think nights out, special occasions, or when you’re feeling fancy – a high-quality set of Remy human hair clip-ins can last 9-12 months or even longer.

However, if you’re using them every day and constantly heat styling them, they won’t last as long. The clips themselves can lose their grip over time too, so it’s worth rotating where you place them to avoid putting repeated pressure on the same bits of hair. For thin hair, smaller wefts placed strategically will blend much more naturally than those chunky strips, giving you that natural-looking volume without any damage.

Tape-In Extensions (6-8 weeks)

Now, tape-ins are widely considered the absolute best method for thin hair – and honestly, we can see why! They use medical-grade adhesive tape that’s virtually invisible once it’s in (magic, basically). Because each weft is lightweight and sits flat against your scalp, they distribute weight evenly and avoid that bulky look some other methods can give you.

On thin hair, tape-ins usually last 6-8 weeks before they need reapplying. But here’s the clever bit – with proper care (we’re talking about avoiding oil-based products near your roots), you can reuse the same hair multiple times. That makes them pretty cost-effective in the long run, which your bank account will definitely appreciate!

A professional stylist can remove and reapply the wefts in fresh positions, keeping your natural hair safe from any stress. Win-win!

Sew-In Extensions (6-8 weeks)

Sew-ins (also known as weaves) involve braiding your natural hair and literally sewing the wefts onto those braids. While this method is absolutely gorgeous on thicker hair types, it’s not always the kindest choice for very fine strands. The tension from all that braiding can put stress on fragile roots – and nobody wants breakage.

However, if you’ve got thin-to-medium density hair that’s strong enough to handle braids, sew-ins can still work brilliantly. When they’re properly installed and looked after, they’ll last around 6-8 weeks before needing to be removed and reapplied. The key is keeping your scalp clean, moisturised, and free from excessive tension. Your scalp will thank you for it!

Factors That Affect Extension Lifespan

Even with the perfect method, how long your extensions last depends on quite a few things. Let’s break it down:

Quality of hair matters (obviously!): High-quality Remy human hair lasts significantly longer than synthetic or mixed fibre extensions. Remy hair keeps its cuticle layer intact, which prevents tangling and matting. That means smoother wear and a more natural look. Synthetic hair tends to tangle and look frayed faster – not cute.

But here’s where price really comes into play too. While clip-ins considered a relatively inexpensive option since they can be applied at home without any need for glue or tape, cheaper clip-ins often rely on a silicone coating to create that initial shine, which can give them an artificial, plastic-like texture that’s a dead giveaway. On the flip side, there are new generations of premium clip-ins that can cost between £300-400 for 160g of Remy cuticle hair – this is where all the cuticles have been carefully aligned in the same direction. This creates an incredibly silky, natural feel that moves beautifully with your own hair.

Professional installation makes all the difference: When it comes to permanent extensions (we’re not talking about clip-ins here – they’re designed for DIY), professional installation almost always gives better results. Attempting to DIY permanent extensions can lead to uneven placement, bonds that slip, or damage to your natural hair. All of these things will seriously reduce how long your extensions last, and nobody’s got time for that.

Your daily care routine: This is huge! Brushing your extensions gently with the right tools, storing clip-ins properly, and protecting your hair at night with silk pillowcases or bonnets – it all plays a role in extending their lifespan. Skip the daily care, and you’ll end up with tangled, damaged extensions much faster.

How often you style them: We all love a good styling session, but heat styling (especially at high temperatures) wears down both natural and extension hair. The more you curl, straighten, or blow-dry, the shorter your extensions will last. Always use heat protection spray, and try to keep the temperature under 180 degrees Celsius. Your extensions will love you for it.

Your natural hair health: If your natural hair is fragile, oily, or prone to breakage, it might not hold extensions as long as healthier hair would. It’s worth strengthening your hair with nourishing treatments before and during extension wear – think of it as creating the perfect foundation.

hair care
hair care

Maximising Volume Without Damaging Thin Hair

One of the biggest worries for anyone with fine hair is whether extensions will damage their natural strands. We totally get it – that fear is real! But here’s the good news: with the right techniques, you can absolutely enjoy full, gorgeous hair without compromising on health.

Strategic placement is everything: You don’t need extensions covering every single inch of your head to create a full look (thank goodness, because that would be expensive!). Placing lighter wefts strategically around the crown, sides, and mid-lengths creates natural-looking thickness while keeping stress off those more fragile areas.

Layering techniques work wonders: When extensions are layered properly with your natural hair, they create a seamless blend that looks completely natural. A skilled stylist can cut and shape your extensions so they move naturally with your hair, adding volume without any obvious lines. It’s like having a magic wand for your hair!

Choose the right weight: Extensions come in different weights (usually measured in grams), and for thin hair, lighter is definitely better. They won’t overwhelm your delicate strands, and while heavier sets might look fuller initially, they’ll put unnecessary stress on your scalp and won’t last as long.

For even more volume-boosting ideas, Cliphair has a fantastic resource on 12 tricks to add volume and thickness to your hair – definitely worth a read!

Real Timeline: Month-by-Month What To Expect

If you’ve never worn extensions for fine hair before, it really helps to know what the journey looks like over time. Here’s what you can realistically expect:

Month 1 Your extensions look absolutely gorgeous – fresh, soft, and perfectly blended. You’ll be getting compliments left, right, and centre, and enjoying that instant confidence boost that comes with amazing hair.

Months 2-3 This is honestly the sweet spot. Your extensions are still looking fantastic, and you’ve probably settled into a care routine that works perfectly for you. If you’ve got tape-ins, they’ll need reapplying around now, but the good news is the hair itself can often be reused.

Months 4-6 At this point, you might notice a bit more shedding, some tangling, or slippage, depending on what type of extensions you’ve got. This is totally normal! Professional maintenance becomes really important now to keep them looking natural and prevent any damage to your own hair.

Over 6 months High-quality permanent extensions usually need replacing between 6-12 months, so you might start noticing signs of wear and tear. Clip-ins, however, could still be in brilliant condition if you’ve looked after them well and only used them occasionally. They’re pretty impressive like that!

Maintenance Tips For Longer-Lasting Extensions

The secret to getting the most out of your extensions? Treat them like you would your natural hair – with patience, care, and maybe just a little bit of obsession (we’ve all been there!).

Gentle brushing is non-negotiable: Always start brushing from the ends and work your way up to the roots – never the other way around! Use a loop brush or soft-bristle brush designed specifically for extensions to avoid snagging and pulling. Your extensions will thank you, and so will your natural hair.

Don’t over-wash them: We know it’s tempting, but over-washing strips extensions of essential oils and shortens their lifespan dramatically. For thin hair, aim to wash clip-ins after every eight or so wears, and semi-permanent extensions just once or twice a week. Less really is more here! Wash them with shampoo and conditionr.

Choose your products wisely: Stick with sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners – they’re much gentler. Heavy, oil-based products can break down adhesive bonds and weigh down fine hair (not the look we’re going for!). A lightweight leave-in conditioner or detangling spray will keep everything smooth without adding bulk.

Sleep protection is crucial: Never, ever go to bed with wet hair, and always remove your clip-ins before you hit the hay. For the best results, braid your hair loosely or wrap it in a silk scarf before sleeping. Silk pillowcases are also brilliant for reducing friction and keeping both your natural hair and extensions smooth overnight.

Don’t skip professional maintenance: Regular appointments every 6-8 weeks help ensure your extensions are repositioned, reapplied, or removed safely. It might seem like a faff, but professional care really does reduce the risk of tangles or matting at the roots. Your future self will definitely thank you!

The Bottom Line

Hair extensions for thin hair can be absolutely transformative – we’re talking life-changing levels of gorgeous! But managing your expectations is key to getting the best results.

Clip-ins can last up to a year when used occasionally (amazing value, right?), while semi-permanent methods like tape-ins and sew-ins typically need reapplying every 6-8 weeks. The real secret to long-lasting, natural-looking results? It’s all about choosing the right type for YOUR hair, investing in high-quality Remy extensions, and sticking to a gentle maintenance routine.

By balancing your desire for that gorgeous volume with proper care for your natural strands, you’ll enjoy fuller, healthier-looking hair for months to come. And honestly? That confidence boost you’ll get from having amazing hair every single day? Totally priceless.

Trust us – your hair journey is about to get a whole lot more exciting! Now here’s how to protect your hair from damage this winter…

The Best Restaurants Near Bond Street

Editorial Team
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The Best Restaurants Near Bond Street

The gleaming heart of London’s luxury shopping universe, Bond Street remains the place where credit cards go to die and personal shoppers earn their keep. Between the Hermès windows and Cartier sparkle, the queues for Selfridges and the exclusive boutiques that don’t even display price tags, you’ll work up quite an appetite.

Fortunately, the streets radiating out from Bond Street station offer everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to more approachable neighbourhood spots happy to feed the fashion-conscious and the badly dressed without discrimination. 

We’ve pounded the pavements from New Bond Street to Grosvenor Square (gaining several stone in the process) to bring you the restaurants that provide escapism, distraction or just a simple refuel, before you hit the shops once again. Here are the best restaurants near Bond Street.

Corrigan’s Mayfair, Upper Grosvenor Street

Ideal for proper British cooking and power lunches…

Five minutes from Bond Street station on Upper Grosvenor Street, the flagship of chef Richard Corrigan continues to prove that British and Irish cooking can hold its own against just about any cuisine in the world. Or, at least, any in a few mile radius of here…

This is clubby dining room perfection, all leather banquettes and warm lighting, the kind of place where deals get done over well-executed dishes, and everyone leaves blinking into the light wondering how best to cancel all of their afternoon meetings.

The Menu du Jour (£38 for three courses at lunch, £48 at dinner) represents genuinely good value for Mayfair, particularly when those courses might include smoked bone marrow agnolotti with Jerusalem artichoke or carpaccio of pig’s head with chicken liver and foie gras. Not for the squeamish, perhaps, but brilliant if you’re game. Or, indeed, love game.

Dickie’s Bar downstairs serves excellent cocktails if you fancy arriving early, whilst the Peter Hannan côte de boeuf for two has become a signature dish amongst the city’s carnivores. If you feel tired just reading all that, the butter-poached haddock with parsnip and cured egg yolk shows the kitchen’s lighter side, confirming that their pitch-perfect cooking extends well beyond meat.

Do be warned; the ‘cheapest’ (all relative, of course) bottle here is £42 for a Languedoc white, though wines by the glass start from a more reasonable (again, relative; Mayfair, and all that) £9.50.

Book ahead if it’s the weekend, or try your luck at the bar counter for walk-ins.

Website: corrigansmayfair.co.uk

Address: 28 Upper Grosvenor St, London W1K 7EH

BiBi, North Audley Street

Ideal for progressive Indian that breaks all the rules…

Chet Sharma’s intimate 33-seater on North Audley Street has been collecting awards faster than you can say “Wookey Hole cheese papad” – their genius take on Quavers that you absolutely must order. Having worked at L’Enclume, Moor Hall and Mugaritz, Sharma brings fine dining technique to dishes inspired by his Punjabi heritage. Family recipes like Sharmaji’s Lahori chicken sit alongside inventive creations, proving tradition and innovation needn’t be mutually exclusive. It’s a match made in heaven.

The tasting menus run from £145 to £195, which sounds steep until you taste the Orkney scallop with Indian lemonade or the raw Belted Galloway beef pepper fry – then, you simply shrug as you dip deep into your overdraft, the undulating chilli heat having numbed you from the shock of the bill. For those seeking something a little kinder on the wallet, there’s a tight, super-quick ‘teja’ lunch menu, which is pitched as three courses for £45. Honestly, though, you’ll want to surrender to the full experience here; it’s quite the ride.

Pitch up at the 13-seat counter if you can. It faces the open kitchen and provides dinner theatre, though the mango wood-lined main room has its charms too.

Named Restaurant of the Year by GQ in 2022 and currently placed at number 32 in the National Restaurant Awards, booking ahead is recommended. They can’t accommodate children under 12 due to licensing, which honestly suits the grown-up atmosphere. 

Website: bibirestaurants.com

Address: 42 N Audley St, London W1K 6ZP

Scott’s, Mount Street

Ideal for seafood in Mayfair’s most storied dining room…

Just a few minute’s walk from Bond Street station, Scott’s has been serving the finest seafood since 1851, when it started life as an oyster warehouse. This is where Ian Fleming conceived James Bond’s martini preference, and where the burgundy leather banquettes beneath antique glass columns still whisper of old-school glamour.

The onyx-topped oyster bar finished in stingray skin (no idea, either) remains the heart of the operation, where champagne and Colchester natives make perfect sense at any hour. Dover sole arrives butter-poached (at £56, you’d hope they’d butter poach you too), the roasted shellfish platter for two represents the apex of British seafood, and the lobster thermidor consistently earns superlatives after all these years, despite its retrograde feel. Or, perhaps, because of it…

Interestingly, if you’ve got money to burn, Scott’s has recently launched their own exclusive Chablis collection, crafted in collaboration with Château du Val de Mercy. The ‘Exclusif a Scott’s’ range includes a Petit Chablis 2023 (£82), benchmark Chablis 2023 (£125, £22 by the glass), and Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Jouan 2023 (£155) – each meticulously chosen to complement the restaurant’s seafood-focused menu with their distinctive mineral backbone and crisp acidity.

The pavement terrace fills quickly in decent weather, whilst two private dining rooms cater to those requiring discretion. Some bar counter seats accommodate walk-ins.

Website: scotts-mayfair.com

Address: 20 Mount St, London W1K 2HE

Gymkhana, Albemarle Street

Ideal for two-Michelin-starred Indian dining in heritage club surroundings…

Five minutes from Bond Street on Albemarle Street, Gymkhana earned its second Michelin star in February 2024, cementing its position as London’s leading Indian restaurant. The interiors evoke the private clubs of the Raj era – jade green and dark timber upstairs channel Calcutta mansions, whilst the basement glows in Kashmiri red with hunting trophies from the Maharaja of Jodhpur.

It’s an intoxicating room, and that’s even before the tandoori masala lamb chops arrive, heady with cardamom and thrumming with cumin. Bolstered by walnut chutney, they are an impossibly succulent affair. For those who derive pleasure from getting their hands messy in a two star, the kid goat methi keema comes with pau rolls for DIY assembly. 

And then, it’s on to the showstoppers. The wild muntjac biryani emerges in puff pastry, dramatically opened tableside to release saffron-scented steam. Kasoori chicken tikka showcases the tandoor’s mastery, impossibly tender but still blackened and blistered in all the right places. God, it’s all so good.

A subject of some controversy lately, dinner requires a £100 per person minimum spend, taken as deposit against the final bill, though the £65 lunch set menu offers exceptional value for two-star cooking. Either way, bookend (treat yourself to a sharpener and a night cap, you deserve it) your meal at the exclusive cocktail lounge 42 upstairs features Indian-inspired drinks alongside extensive gin and whiskey collections.

Book up to two months ahead, and you will need to book. Reservations open at 6am GMT daily.

Website: gymkhanalondon.com

Address: 42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH

Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, Maddox Street

Ideal for spice-forward elegance that won’t destroy your budget…

Atul Kochhar was the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star back in 2001, and his Maddox Street restaurant (two minutes from Bond Street) shows he hasn’t been resting on his laurels. 

It’s still Michelin-level (a plate, admittedly), but the prices here fly in the face of both that recognition and its Mayfair location. The express lunch at £24 for two courses might be Central London’s best-kept secret, particularly when those courses could include Devon crab bonda or Gangtok momos with Kentish lamb. 

From the larger menu, the black dal alone justifies the journey, though at these prices you can afford to explore widely. Do so with the signature chicken tikka pie perfectly encapsulates Kochhar’s Anglo-Indian approach – familiar yet surprising. The New Forest venison keema and raw beef pepper fry with fermented Tellicherry peppercorns continue on a theme, showcasing a confidence with spicing that many fine dining-leaning Indian restaurants in London lack.

Website: kanishkarestaurant.co.uk

Address: 17-19 Maddox St, London W1S 2QH

Kroketa, St Christopher’s Place

Ideal for Spanish tapas without the West End markup…

Just around the corner from Bond Street station, this lively Spanish bar has made the humble croqueta its calling card. The St Christopher’s Place location offers excellent value in an area not known for budget dining, with four pairs of croquetas for £24 and most small plates under £10.

The blackboard menu changes weekly but always features their signature crispy croquetas – the black squid ink with aioli and ham versions consistently please the crowds. Beyond the eponymous dish, the flame-grilled pork pintxos with chimichurri and classic tortilla show impressive technique for the price point. There are even sweet croquetas to finish; the salted caramel provides a particularly indulgent finale.

The vibe channels northern Spanish bars with counter seating perfect for solo diners and small groups up to four (no reservations for larger parties). Expect Spanish covers of English songs, enthusiastic staff who genuinely care about the food, and an atmosphere that feels more Madrid than Mayfair. Open from 12pm daily, it’s the perfect place for a mid-shop pitstop. And yes, we realise that’s a clumsy rhyme scheme, but we’re keeping it anyway…

Website: kroketa.co.uk

Address: 23 Barrett St, London W1U 1BF

Naya, North Audley Street

Ideal for patisserie perfection with royal connections…

India Hicks (King Charles III’s goddaughter) has teamed up with the fourth-generation Ayan brothers from Turkish chocolatier dynasty Pelit to create Mayfair’s most talked-about new patisserie. Sitting pretty on North Audley Street, the de Gournay wallpaper and leopard print accents scream expensive good taste, and the chocolates and other sweet treats taste good. What’s not to love? Except, you know, the suspicion that the taxpayer has contributed to this place…

Anyway, the chocolate éclairs represent seven decades of Turkish chocolate expertise, the Basque cheesecake is just the right side of oozing, and the magnolia pudding has already spawned a thousand Instagram posts. They serve wine and barista-made coffee if you fancy making an afternoon of it, plus lobster rolls for those requiring something savoury before the sugar assault begins.

Website: nayaandco.com

Address: 16 N Audley St, London W1K 6WL

Carbone London, Grosvenor Square

Ideal for Italian-American theatre and tableside Caesar salads…

The hardest reservation in New York has finally crossed the Atlantic, taking residence in the former US Embassy building at The Chancery Rosewood. Not actually open for another couple of weeks, this is where you’ll come for red-sauce Italian-American glamour when the doors finally swing open. And, to be honest, you haven’t managed to score a table at The Dover.

The spicy rigatoni alla vodka is the restaurant’s signature dish across the pond for good reason, though the veal parmigiana and branzino deserve equal attention. Waiters in maroon tuxedos perform tableside Caesar salads and bananas Foster with the kind of showmanship that’s sometimes missing from the sometimes self-conscious London dining scene.

Yes, it’s going to be expensive. And sure, you’ll struggle to get a table unless you’re famous. But the Murano sconces, jewel-toned seating and general sense of occasion make this worth the effort. This is where Rihanna and Taylor Swift eat in New York, which tells you everything about the vibe they’re cultivating. 

Book the moment reservations open or prepare for disappointment.

Speaking of red sauce joints, why not check out our rundown of London’s best New York-style restaurants next? 

These 7 Tips Will Help You Pack Better for Your Golfing Getaway 

Editorial Team
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These 7 Tips Will Help You Pack Better for Your Golfing Getaway 

There’s no game quite like golf. Indeed, it could be argued that a round of the good stuff represents one of the most relaxing and simultaneously challenging pastimes there is. The game can take all day if you let it (or more, if you’re searching for your balls in the rough!) and can quickly take over your non-game time, too, if you’re seriously focused on improving your game. 

Given the pleasure that comes from playing golf and the satisfaction found in working on your game, especially if you’re golfing with trusted friends, many golfers find great joy in taking a trip devoted entirely to the pursuit.

You might have a weekend or even a full week away from technology and work with just you, your buddies, and a favourite golf course…. Heaven. The time can be restful, rejuvenating and can dramatically improve your swing. Yet a golf trip can also be a real headache if you’re not properly packed and prepared. Whilst we can’t show you how to golf or help you improve your game, we can advise you on the latter; here are 7 tips to help you pack better for your golfing getaway.

Don’t Pack Too Many Shoes

Shoes are big and bulky and tend to quickly use up spare luggage space. As such, you need to consider your footwear carefully when it comes to a golfing trip. You’ll, of course, need golf shoes and it’s a good idea to bring more than one pair, just in case the first gets sodden or ruined by rain and mud. 

It’s likely that, unless you’re going somewhere hot and bringing flip flops, you’ll only have room for one more pair of shoes, as the majority of your luggage allowance will be taken up with golf equipment. Investing in a pair of smart casual shoes (a bit of a catch-all phrase, we realise) that you can wear during the day and in the evening in more formal settings is probably the best move, here.

Ideal Tip: Don’t forget to pack some antimicrobial socks to ward off funky smelling feet. 

Check Weight And Size Restrictions

Perhaps the most important decision of all, this; you need to decide whether you’re going to hire some golf clubs, or take your own. If it’s the latter, then deciding what clubs to bring depends on your skill set – the must-have clubs are the ones you hit best with, whether that be those trusty Ping Irons or some specialised clubs.  

Most airlines consider golf equipment as a standard checked baggage item (usually with a 23kg – or 50lb – allowance), meaning you may need to purchase additional baggage allowance if you want to bring another checked suitcase with you. 

If your clubs exceed the checked baggage allowance weight, an overweight baggage fee will apply. When it comes to golf clubs, some airlines also charge an oversized item handling fee, too. The conditions and costs will vary between airlines, so check the size and weight restrictions of any carrier you’re considering before you finalise the details of your trip.  

Ideal tip: Depending on the maximum weight restriction, pack any extra clothes in your golf bag – not only does it provide extra cushioning for your clubs, but it also gives you more room to pack other items. Most golf bags have extra pockets so take advantage of this. 

Two Outfits A Day 

Most golf clubs have a dress code – chinos and a collared shirt at a minimum – which means you’re probably going to need at least two outfits per day (one for golfing and one for the evening after you’ve showered). You also want to look up what the specifics are in terms of attire at the particular course or club you’ll be golfing at. Finally, you might be in need of formal dinner attire if there are evening plans with a dress code, too. Most golfing trips involve the odd trip to a fancy restaurant or suave bar, after all…

If you’re going to be sightseeing or wandering about, be sure to pack light layers to help you deal with whatever weather you encounter. There’s a common Danish catchphrase that says ‘’there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad outfits’’, and we couldn’t agree more. Layers with a lightweight rain mac thrown in for good measure will help you quickly adjust to any surprises in the temperature or conditions you might encounter.

When it comes to packing clothing, you probably want to minimise any wrinkles and creases accrued, given the more formal standards of many golf courses, clubs, and their dress codes. This will involve packing loosely (wrinkled clothes are often the result of an over-packed suitcase). 

golfing outfit

You also want to fold items differently; fold once length-wise and then roll up what’s remaining into a cylinder. Not only will this help you save space in your suitcase, but it will also help reduce creasing. 

Of course, you don’t want to be rolling dress shirts. When folding them, try to stick with natural seams. Finally, using plastic dry-cleaning bags to help further reduce wrinkling. Plastic will help reduce friction, which can cause wrinkling. As a bonus, these bags can be reused to hold your soiled clothing (particularly sweaty clothing) without letting the scent seep into your suitcase or other possessions.

Consider A Golf Trolley Bag

If you’re planning to walk the course rather than hiring a buggy, investing in a proper golf trolley bag can make all the difference to your golfing experience. These bags are specifically designed to sit securely on a pull trolley whilst providing easy access to your clubs and accessories. Look for one with a good base that won’t tip over and plenty of pockets for tees, balls, and refreshments. Many modern trolley bags also feature insulated pockets to keep your drinks cool during those long summer rounds.

The beauty of golf trolley bags is that they’re designed to stay upright when stationary, making it much easier to organise your gear between shots. Plus, you’ll save your back from the strain of carrying a heavy bag for 18 holes, leaving you fresh for that crucial putt on the final green.

Pack A Weather Contingency Kit

British weather is famously unpredictable, and golf courses are particularly exposed to the elements. Pack a compact weather kit that includes a quality waterproof jacket (preferably one designed for golf that won’t restrict your swing), waterproof trousers, and a sturdy golf umbrella. Don’t forget a spare glove or two – wet gloves can ruin your grip and subsequently your entire round.

Consider packing a lightweight towel specifically for drying your clubs and hands, as most courses provide towels but they’re often sodden by the time you reach them. A small bottle of hand warmers can be a godsend during those crisp autumn mornings, and sun cream is essential even on cloudy days – the reflection off water hazards and sand bunkers can catch you unaware. Remember, there’s nothing worse than being caught unprepared when the heavens open on the back nine.

Space Saving Smarts

One space-saving trick is to pack only the medication, supplements and precautionary first aid items you’ll need, rather than the entire medication bottle. This might involve taking out the pills required for the length of the trip and putting them in a pill container or labelled plastic bags. 

If you’re someone who gets allergies (a common occurrence on the course), you might want to bring some allergy medication as well – you won’t be able to know what flora and fauna is present on the course until you get there. Just be forewarned that allergy medication can cause cloudiness in the mind and drowsiness in the body. This can affect your golf game and even your ability to drive a golf cart.

Don’t Pack Last Minute

This is a tip that applies to packing for any holiday, not just a golf trip; packing last-minute is a recipe for disaster. It’s easy in a frazzled state to forget something vital, and begin your supposedly relaxing trip stressed and anxious. To avoid this, pack a few days beforehand. This will give you time to realise, register and realign, if you’ve forgotten something before you’re actually away on the trip.

And with that, we wish you bon voyage. Or rather, fore!

How To Select Jewellery That Aligns With Your Personality Traits

Editorial Team
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How To Select Jewellery That Aligns With Your Personality Traits
Ideal for those looking to match their drip with their disposition…

Jewellery is not just a fashion statement; it’s also an extension of your personality. It reflects who you are and how you want to present yourself to the world. 

Whilst there have been, in the past, as many as 16 different personality types posited, the Myers-Briggs test has now largely been debunked as totally meaningless.

Instead, many contemporary psychologists now believe that there are five main personality traits or ‘dimensions’ – Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, with each person having a delicate balance of each, one often more emphasised than the others.

While of course it’s a little reductionist to put people in a personality box (us humans are all very different and complex beings after all), exploring personality traits can be both insightful and fun. With that in mind, here we offer some tips on choosing jewellery pieces that align with each trait. Let’s dive in…

Conscientiousness 

Conscientious folk are organised, responsible, and detail-oriented. They value punctuality, discipline, and hard work. When selecting jewellery, conscientious people should opt for timeless, classic designs that exude elegance and sophistication.

Minimalist & Timeless Pieces: Someone who defines as conscientious may well appreciate simplicity and orderliness. Therefore, minimalist and timeless jewellery pieces such as delicate gold or silver chains, classic stud earrings, and thin bangle bracelets would be ideal choices. These pieces are versatile, easy to maintain, and can be worn with a whole host of outfits and levels of formality, making them perfect for someone who values organisation and practicality. 

Commitment-Driven Jewellery: Conscientious people take their commitments seriously and often have a strong sense of responsibility towards others. Commitment-driven, personalised jewellery, such as engraved pendants, initial rings and cross necklaces, can serve as a meaningful reminder of their dedication to loved ones or important goals. This thoughtful touch will resonate with their responsible nature and make the piece even more special.

Functional & Practical Accessories: Self-regulation and impulse control is a defining characteristic of conscientiousness, and those with the trait may appreciate functional and practical jewellery items. For example, a stylish watch or a sleek fitness tracker bracelet can help them stay organised and on track with their daily routines while still looking fashionable.

Ethical & Sustainable Jewellery: Conscientious people are likely to be concerned about the impact of their choices on the environment. Ethical and sustainable jewellery options, such as pieces made from recycled materials or sourced from fair-trade suppliers, will appeal to their sense of responsibility and awareness.

Goal-Oriented Charms: To celebrate their achievements and long-term goals, those with a conscientious side might enjoy wearing goal-oriented imagery on a charm bracelet or necklace. These could include symbols representing milestones in their personal or professional lives, such as a graduation cap, a house, or a promotion-related emblem, or simple but subtle signs of wealth or having ‘made it’. This type of jewellery serves as a constant reminder of their accomplishments and motivates them to continue striving for success.

Extroversion 

Extroverted personalities are outgoing, energetic, and sociable. They enjoy being the centre of attention and thrive in social situations. For extroverts, bold and eye-catching jewellery pieces that make a statement are the perfect choice.

Bold Statement Pieces: Extroverts are known for their confidence and love for attention, so why not consider something that reflects your larger-than-life persona? A stunning bib necklace or a chunky bracelet would do just the trick. These eye-catching accessories are sure to turn heads and make an extroverted person feel like the star they truly are.

Colour: Another essential factor to consider when choosing jewellery for an extrovert is colour. Bright and vibrant hues are perfect for someone who loves to stand out in a crowd. Think along the lines of colourful gemstone rings, multi-colored beaded necklaces, or even a pair of dazzling rainbow-hued hoop earrings. These lively pieces will not only add a pop of colour to their wardrobe but also showcase their fun-loving nature.

Layering: Extroverts often enjoy experimenting with different styles and expressing themselves through fashion. A layered necklace set or a stack of assorted bangles would be an excellent choice for someone who loves to mix and match their accessories. This way, they can create a unique look that truly represents their outgoing and adventurous spirit.

Openness

Individuals with high levels of openness are creative, imaginative, and curious. They appreciate unconventional ideas and have a strong sense of aesthetics. Always open to embracing new experiences, for these free-spirited souls, unique and artistic jewellery pieces that showcase their individuality are ideal.

Unique Conversation Starters: Open-minded folk often appreciate bold and unique designs that make a statement. Opt for eye-catching pieces such as large pendant necklaces, oversized rings, or chandelier earrings that showcase your creative flair and willingness to stand out from the crowd. For example, a stunning geometric necklace or a pair of sculptural earrings can serve as conversation starters and reflect your imaginative nature.

Artisanal & Handcrafted Jewellery: Those with a high degree of openness tend to value craftsmanship and originality. Handcrafted jewellery made by skilled artisans is an excellent choice, as each piece is one-of-a-kind and reflects the creator’s artistic vision. Look for personalised bracelets for sale made from unusual materials or featuring intricate designs, such as a wire-wrapped gemstone or a hand-painted enamel bracelet.

Vintage & Antique Jewellery: People who value openness often have a keen interest in history and nostalgia. Vintage and retro inspired pieces offer a connection to the past while showcasing timeless elegance and charm. Consider investing in a beautiful Art Deco brooch, an Edwardian-era filigree ring, or a Victorian locket to add a touch of historical allure to your collection. 

Customisable Jewellery: As creative individuals, those with the openness trait coursing through their veins may enjoy the opportunity to express themselves through customisable jewellery. Personalised pieces, such as monogrammed pendants, initial rings, or birthstone bracelets, allow you to showcase your individuality and create a meaningful connection to your accessories. Additionally, consider working with a jeweller to design a custom piece that reflects your unique vision and style.

Expressing Subcultural Identity: Jewellery can express your subcultural identity, whether in music, fandoms, or lifestyle communities. Pieces with band logos, album art, or iconic symbols showcase your interests and help bond with others. Subcultures have unique styles, like gothic designs or bohemian natural stones. Customising jewellery adds a personal touch, and tattoo-inspired pieces with intricate designs resonate deeply. Flesh tunnels and ear weights are also popular, adding a distinctive flair. Choose jewellery that aligns with your passions to enhance your style and connect with like-minded individuals. Let your jewellery tell your story.

Birthstone Jewellery: Leading on from the above point, people with the openness personality trait are drawn to wearing birthstone jewellery as it allows them to connect with their inner selves and the world around them. Birthstones are believed to possess unique energies that resonate with an individual’s astrological sign, enhancing their personal qualities and promoting self-discovery. By wearing their birthstone, individuals with openness embrace the healing properties of these gemstones, which it’s believed can help release blockages in their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Zodiac Jewellery: People with the openness personality trait like to wear zodiac jewelry as it allows them to express their individuality and connect with others on a deeper level. Wearing zodiac jewellery resonates with their curious nature, as they explore the cosmic heritage and symbolism behind each piece. This type of jewellery also serves as a conversation starter, enabling open-minded individuals to share their interests and beliefs with others. By wearing zodiac jewellery, those with the openness trait can showcase their unique personality, embrace their astrological identity, and foster meaningful connections with like-minded people.

Talisman Jewellery: People who are open are often drawn to talisman jewellery due to their innate curiosity and desire for new experiences. Wearing talisman jewellery like a dreamcatcher, the yin-yang symbol, or the evil eye, allows them to explore the world of symbolism, spirituality, and personal growth. These individuals appreciate the unique qualities and meanings behind each piece, as they resonate with their imaginative and insightful nature.

Talisman jewellery also serves as a tool for self-expression, allowing open-minded individuals to showcase their creativity and individuality. By wearing talismans, they can harness the power of them to support their personal development and enhance their connection to the world around them.

Finding authentic spiritual jewellery can sometimes be challenging, but many specialised jewellery wholesalers now curate collections of meaningful pieces from various traditions and cultures. Whether you’re looking for chakra stones, healing crystals, or sacred symbols, a reputable jewellery wholesaler can provide access to a diverse range of spiritual jewellery that resonates with your personal journey.

Ethically Sourced & Sustainable Jewellery: As with Conscientious jewellery wearers, open-minded people often have a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the environment. Choosing ethically sourced and sustainable jewellery options aligns with these values and allows you to make a positive impact through your purchases. Look for brands that prioritise fair labour practices, use recycled materials, or support environmental initiatives, such as conflict-free diamonds or reclaimed gold.

Agreeableness

Agreeable personalities are kind, empathetic, and cooperative. They value harmony and are often drawn to symbols of love, peace, and unity. When choosing jewellery, agreeable individuals should look for pieces that represent their compassionate nature.

Charitable Jewellery: As altruistic individuals, those with an agreeable personality type may appreciate jewellery that supports a cause or charity. Many brands offer pieces where a portion of the proceeds goes towards helping various organisations. This allows the wearer to make a positive impact while also enjoying a beautiful accessory.

Symbolic Jewellery: Agreeable people often have a strong sense of empathy and understanding. Therefore, they may appreciate jewellery that carries symbolic meaning, such as pieces featuring symbols of love, friendship, or unity. For example, a necklace with an intertwined heart and infinity symbol could represent the everlasting bond between two people.

Nature-Inspired Jewellery: Given their compassionate nature, individuals with an agreeable personality type may feel a deep connection to the environment and its inhabitants. As such, nature-inspired jewellery pieces, such as leaf-shaped earrings or animal-themed pendants, can resonate with their love for the natural world.

Delicate Designs: Agreeable individuals tend to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves, preferring to focus on the needs of others. As a result, they may gravitate towards delicate and minimalist jewellery designs that subtly complement their outfits without being overly flashy or ostentatious.

Neuroticism

Those whose personalities come with a side order of neuroticism tend to be sensitive, anxious, and prone to experience many of life’s rich tapestry of emotions in a short space of time. Because of this, they often seek stability and reassurance in their lives. For those with high neuroticism, calming and soothing jewellery pieces can help provide a sense of balance and serenity.

Personalised Jewellery: Customised pieces, such as engraved pendants or initial rings, can provide a sense of security and familiarity for individuals with a neurotic personality. These personalised items show thoughtfulness and understanding, which can help alleviate any anxiety they may have about receiving gifts.

Understated Designs: Simple jewellery pieces like delicate chains, thin bangles, or small stud earrings can be comforting for those who are high in neuroticism. These understated designs do not draw too much attention, allowing the wearer to feel at ease in various social situations.

Symbolic Jewellery: Since neurotic individuals often possess emotional depth and empathy, they may appreciate jewellery with symbolic meanings. For example, a necklace featuring a tree of life pendant can represent personal growth and resilience, while a piece with an infinity symbol can signify everlasting love or friendship.

Healing Gemstones: Many people believe that certain gemstones possess healing properties and can help balance emotions. For someone with a neurotic personality, consider jewellery featuring stones like amethyst (for calming), rose quartz (for self-love), or black tourmaline (for protection against negativity).

Comfortable Materials: It is crucial to choose jewellery made from comfortable materials, such as hypoallergenic metals or soft fabrics, for individuals with a neurotic tendency. This consideration ensures that the wearer feels at ease and does not experience any irritation or discomfort.

The Bottom Line

Selecting jewellery that aligns with your personality traits is a fun and insightful way to express yourself. By dialling down into what makes you so unique, you can choose pieces that not only complement your style but also enhance your sense of self. So, next time you’re shopping for jewellery, keep these tips in mind and let your true personality shine!

Or, you could of course wear what makes you feel good…

*This article was written to entertain, rather than make affirmative claims about personality types and traits. The science on those traits hasn’t yet reached a consensus.*

How To Look After Your Jewellery To Ensure Its Longevity: 7 Top Tips

Editorial Team
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How To Look After Your Jewellery To Ensure Its Longevity: 7 Top Tips

Did you know that the most expensive jewel in the world is the Hope Diamond valued at more than $250 million? This diamond has over 45 carats and it’s as large as a smartwatch, requiring handling by specially trained professionals and 24/7 monitoring to ensure its safety.

However, handling jewellery with care shouldn’t only be reserved for record breaking diamonds. Indeed, it’s good practice for all kinds of gems, gold necklaces, silver rings, and more. What’s more, you can prevent your jewellery pieces from looking dull by cleaning them regularly, as long as you follow a few simple storage and handling methods along the way. These are those; our 7 top tips for looking after your jewellery to ensure its longevity.

Keep Your Jewellery Away From Sunlight & Oxygen

When you’re not wearing your jewellery, whether it’s a picture bracelet collection or a simple gold chain, you should keep them in a special box in a safe place in your house. Make sure that the lid of the box closes completely to prevent sunlight and oxygen from getting inside.

When oxygen gets in contact with valuable gems and precious metals, these items tend to oxidize. This process is automatic and usually irreversible, and will ruin the aesthetics of your jewellery over time. By keeping them in a special box, you prevent the oxidizing process and preserve the condition of your gems and necklaces.

Put Chalk Or A Silica Bag Inside Your Jewellery Box

Yep, precious metals such as gold, platinum, and silver don’t mix well with excessive sunlight, oxygen and moisture. A humid environment can significantly damage your jewellery pieces in a matter of years, if not months. 

That’s why expert jewellers recommend placing silica bags inside jewellery boxes, which will absorb moisture from the air and keep your jewellery items in good condition. You can use small chalk bags too. 

Do Not Store Gems Together

Although gem pieces are certainly durable, they are not indestructible. That’s why you shouldn’t store small emeralds with rubies, topaz gems or diamonds together. They might rub on each other and develop scratches over time.

Even if these scratches are microscopic, they will still alter the beauty and value of your gems. You should use multiple boxes to store gems or a large jewellery box with multiple compartments. Diamonds are the strongest of them all, and can easily scratch other gems or jewellery pieces you might have.

Since diamond jewellery deserves to shine as well as it can, it’s therefore recommended that you store diamonds separately.

Keep Your Jewellery Away From Water Sources & Chemicals

Some homeowners put jewellery items in a special box and store the box in the bathroom. This is not a good idea. As mentioned earlier, jewellery that gets in contact with moisture will be in trouble.

Similarly, some homeowners store a jewellery box close to harsh chemicals and dangerous substances. They might, for instance, hide the box in the garage next to a couple of buckets of paint. This is not a good idea as chemicals can quickly damage the beauty of your jewellery items. 

The problem with chemicals is that they can cause discolouration. Additionally, toxic chemicals might be difficult to remove once they get in contact with other metals, and slowly erode the quality of the piece over time. To prevent this, keep in a safe box free from moisture and chemical interaction.

Clean Jewellery Periodically

Even if you take appropriate precautions, some jewellery items and gems might still get dust and debris on their surface. This is almost inevitable, especially if you wear your jewellery items regularly. In this case, you should develop a habit of cleaning your jewellery periodically, even if there’s no issues visible to the naked eye.

Ideally, this should be done once or twice a month. Use only lukewarm water, a creamy soap, and a toothbrush to clean your necklaces and earrings. Don’t apply too much pressure and wipe down excessive moisture afterwards. Gently, of course. The purpose of this cleaning process is just to remove accumulated dust and debris, not scrub away furiously at blemishes. Doing so would only worsen the issue.

If you have rings or necklaces with grime and debris that can’t be cleaned with a toothbrush, you might want to use an ultrasonic cleaner. Talk to an experienced jeweller on what type of ultrasonic cleaner to use and how to best deploy it. These devices can also be rented for simple jewellery cleaning tasks.

Use Straws To Prevent Necklaces From Getting Tangled

Some necklaces are like earphones – they tend to get tangled and it can be a time-consuming process to untangle them. Untangling silver necklaces is also risky because you might break the whole silver chain or make the small individual rings scratch each other. The same story is true for gold necklaces.

Luckily, there is a simple way you can get around this problem; use a straw. Disconnect the ends of your necklace and place one end through the straw. Let it pass through the straw and out the other end. Now you simply connect the ends back.

The straw will prevent entangling no matter how many necklaces you have or how close to each other you store them. Make sure that the straw is sufficiently large to accommodate your necklace. In some cases, you can find special jewellery straws online that are purposely built to prevent entanglement. Amazing!

Keep Jewellery Pieces Away From Small Children

There are two good reasons for doing this. First of all, small children might play with jewellery and then leave it somewhere tough to locate. We’ve all been there, but you don’t want to spend another entire afternoon looking for your grandfather’s ring, do you? 

Secondly, children might accidentally swallow small jewellery pieces such as earrings, rings, pearls, and so on. Particularly important for when travelling but equally true when at home, use a jewellery box that can be locked with a key and store it high up in a closet or cabinet to prevent this.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, taking care of your jewellery pieces is not that complicated. These tips will preserve the beauty of your gems and necklaces for decades to come. On top of that, well-maintained jewellery items will likely have a higher resale value, if you do choose to cash in. 

11 Garden Zoning Ideas To Offer Shelter & Sanctuary This Autumn

Editorial Team
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11 Garden Zoning Ideas To Offer Shelter & Sanctuary This Autumn
Ideal for making the most of your outdoor space, even in more inclement conditions…

Whilst it’s verging on the perverse to bring up the onset of autumn as the new breaks about summer 2025 being the hottest on record, just like the inevitable passing of time it’s something we simply have to look straight in the eyes, as we ponder another summer coming to an end.

Indeed, with September approaching and the occasionally balmy days threatening to frost over before too long, gardeners across the UK are beginning to consider packing up the garden furniture, adding a new layer of Ronseal to the decking, and preparing their green spaces for the chilly embrace of autumn. 

But this shouldn’t mean that the UK’s gardens are a barren wasteland come the chillier seasons. In fact, with the right planning and creativity, your garden can transform into a sheltered sanctuary to relish, even as temperatures cool. With that in mind, here are 11 garden zoning ideas for autumn.

Cosy Fire Pit Zone

Nothing says autumn quite like huddling around a crackling fire pit, bangers bursting and spiced cider getting sipped amidst the crisp air. Firstly, you need to select a hardy, fire-resistant surface area in your garden to establish a fire pit. Some of the safest surfaces include:

  • Patio Slabs/Stone Pavers: These provide a heat-resistant and stable base for your fire pit. They also come in various shapes, designs, and colours, allowing you to match it with your garden aesthetic.
  • Concrete: A concrete pad can provide a safe and solid base for a fire pit. It’s resistant to heat and can handle the weight of a fire pit with ease.
  • Crushed Stone/Gravel: Crushed stone or gravel allows for good drainage and prevents any flammable material from being under the fire pit.
  • Fire-Resistant Mat: These are specifically designed for use with fire pits, and they’re made from heat-resistant materials. They can be placed under the fire pit on any surface, including wooden decks.
  • Brick: It’s quite resistant to heat and provides a classic, rustic look.
  • Sand: A thick layer of sand underneath your fire pit can act as a heat buffer.

Around this focal point, arrange comfortable seating, using warm-toned cushions and blankets for a greater sense of cosiness.

Colourful Autumn Borders

As the experts at Jacksons Nurseries encourage, it’s essential to plan ahead by cultivating plants that produce vibrant autumnal hues for a gorgeous autumn spectacle. There are several plants that thrive in the UK’s autumn climate, offering vibrant colours and spectacular displays.

One of them is the Acer tree, also known as the Japanese Maple, which provides a beautiful range of autumn colours, from fiery reds to deep purples. They are relatively easy to grow and can be planted in containers or directly in the ground.

Astilbe, a perennial plant, comes into its own in the autumn. It has feathery, plume-like flowers and fern-like leaves, which look particularly striking when they turn a golden brown colour in the autumn.

Sedum, also known as Stonecrop, is another great option. In the late summer and autumn, it produces clusters of star-shaped flowers that are a magnet for bees and butterflies. The flower heads remain attractive even after the blooms fade, providing interest throughout the winter.

Michaelmas Daisies – also known as asters – are perfect for adding colour to your garden in the autumn. These daisies, named because they bloom around the time of Michaelmas Day (September 29), come in a variety of colours, including purple, pink, and white.

Finally, consider planting grasses like Eulalia (Miscanthus Sinensis). In the autumn, this ornamental grass produces feathery plumes and its leaves turn to a lovely golden colour. It’s perfect for adding texture and interest to beds, borders, and containers.

These plants create a border that not only provides privacy but also adds a captivating cascade of ruby reds, burnt oranges and golden yellows to your garden landscape, though though do be aware that they should all be planted in early spring if it’s to be abundant by autumn. This one really is about playing the long game, we think.

Boundary Fencing For Privacy & Aesthetics

As the leaves begin to fall and the days grow shorter, ensuring your garden remains a private and inviting space becomes even more important. Consider upgrading or installing boundary fencing to create a defined, secure perimeter around your garden. Opt for materials that complement the autumnal palette, such as wooden panels stained in rich, warm tones or metal fencing with intricate designs.

Not only does boundary fencing provide privacy, but it also acts as a windbreak, protecting your garden from harsh autumn winds. For added visual interest, you can adorn your fencing with climbing plants like ivy or clematis, which will continue to add greenery and texture even as other plants begin to fade. This simple addition can transform your garden into a cosy, secluded retreat, perfect for enjoying the crisp autumn air in peace.

A Garden Room

Garden rooms offer an ideal solution for adding more functional space to your home, while blending seamlessly into your outdoor surroundings. Not only can these structures provide a dedicated area for hobbies, work, or relaxation, but they can also contribute a visually appealing element to your garden’s design.

Trends indicate a rise in multifunctional garden rooms that offer shelter, warmth, and convenience, extending the usability of your garden into the colder autumn months. These insulated spaces often include amenities like electricity and heating, transforming your garden into a year-round sanctuary.

From a cosy home office to a tranquil yoga studio, the possibilities for your garden room are endless, providing a versatile extension of your living space right in the heart of your garden. It’s also one of the only spaces in your garden that you can decorate, giving personal touches and flourishes to your semi-alfresco living – think canvas prints, collages, gallery walls and more. The possibilities are endless!

Wildlife Refuge

Autumn is the perfect time to invite wildlife into your garden. Consider allocating a zone featuring bird feeders, log piles, and a small pond. Install a hedgehog house nestled amongst foliage near your garden’s edge, and plant shrubs like Pyracantha and Cotoneaster, providing vital berries for birds during the colder months.

Read: 10 ways to make your garden more wildlife friendly

Canopied Retreat

One of the simplest ways to create a sheltered, private space in your garden is by building a canopy or pergola. Entwined with climbers such as ivy or honeysuckle, this natural refuge offers a sheltered outdoor living area to enjoy a warming brew (or something a little stronger), even under the sporadic autumn showers.

Autumn Proof Your Decking

Your decking shouldn’t only be a summer concern. That said, the seasong’s more inclement conditions call for some proactive, preventative measures. To autumn-proof your garden decking, you’ll need to start by carrying out a thorough inspection and cleaning of your decking. Sweep away any leaves, dirt, or debris that may have accumulated over time, as these can trap moisture and lead to rot. 

It’s also vital to ensure the drainage system is functioning optimally to prevent water accumulation. For sheltering from rain, consider a waterproof sealant. These are readily available in most home improvement stores and can provide a weather-resistant layer to protect the wood from moisture damage. 

Even better, if possible, install that aforementioned canopy or awning over your decking to obstruct direct rainfall. If the decking is near trees, check for overhanging branches and trim them back to prevent leaf accumulation.

Should your garden be particularly prone to windy conditions, it’s essential to ensure your decking is firmly, securely fastened to the ground. It doesn’t take much for a poorly installed deck to come loose when the winds kick up.

A Grow Your Own Zone

Autumn is not strictly about preparing for winter; it’s also a great time to plant hardy herbs and winter vegetables, ensuring your garden is a hive of activity regardless of the weather. Transform a sunny spot into a productive mini kitchen garden, growing robust herbs, fruit and vegetables that don’t mind a bit of a chill in the air. They will not only provide fresh ingredients for hearty autumn meals but also introduce beautiful textures to your garden.

Produce you can plant in autumn that fare particularly well in the UK include:

Herbs

  • Parsley: This herb grows well in cool weather.
  • Chives: They can also withstand the colder weather.
  • Thyme: Plant it in early autumn and it can be harvested until the first frost.
  • Mint: Easily grown year-round, but plant in autumn for a fresh harvest in spring.

Fruit

  • Autumn Raspberries: These start fruiting in late summer and continue into the fall.
  • Blackberries: Plant in the early autumn for a harvest the next year.
  • Apples and Pears: These trees can be planted in the autumn for fruit in the coming years.

Vegetables

  • Kale: Thrives in colder temperatures and can be harvested throughout the winter.
  • Spinach: Plant in September for a late autumn harvest.
  • Beetroot: Plant early in autumn and you can harvest young for salads or leave them to grow on.
  • Swiss Chard: It can be sown in early autumn for a winter crop.
  • Hardier varieties of lettuce and other salad leaves: These can be grown if sown early in the autumn and provided with some protection from the harshest weather.
  • Winter onions and garlic: These can be planted for a crop the following summer.

Illuminated Walkways

As the nights begin to creep in earlier, ensure your garden remains inviting with strategic lighting. Light up your garden paths using solar-powered lanterns or install spotlights to accentuate the beautiful autumn foliage, creating a magical and serene environment.

Conservatory Sanctuary

If you have a conservatory, it can become your ultimate autumn sanctuary. Fill it with indoor plants and autumn-themed décor. With a cosy throw and a good book, you can enjoy the autumn vista from the warmth of your conservatory.

Outdoor Kitchen & Dining Zone

As autumn brings the harvest season and cooler evenings perfect for hearty outdoor cooking, consider creating a dedicated outdoor kitchen area that extends your entertaining capabilities beyond summer barbecues. Install a covered cooking station with a built-in grill or pizza oven, complemented by weather-resistant countertops for food preparation.

Position this zone near your house for easy access to indoor utilities, but ensure proper ventilation for smoke dispersal. Add a sturdy dining table crafted from weather-resistant materials like teak or powder-coated metal, paired with chairs that can withstand autumn moisture. Consider incorporating infrared heaters mounted overhead or freestanding patio heaters to keep diners comfortable during those crisp autumn evenings.

This outdoor kitchen zone becomes particularly magical when hosting harvest suppers or bonfire night gatherings, allowing you to prepare warming soups, roasted vegetables, and grilled treats while remaining part of the outdoor festivities. String weatherproof festoon lights overhead to create ambient lighting that extends dining well into those earlier autumn sunsets, transforming ordinary meals into memorable al fresco experiences even as the seasons change.

The Bottom Line

Autumn need not signal the end of your enjoyment of the garden. With these zoning ideas, your garden can continue to serve as a haven of peace and tranquillity amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. So, roll up your sleeves and create a garden that not only embraces the change of seasons but thrives in it. The nostalgic, enchanting sights, scents, and sounds of autumn await!

Where To Eat Near Shoreditch High Street Station

Joseph Gann
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Where To Eat Near Shoreditch High Street Station

If you’re wondering where to eat near Shoreditch High Street station, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s smoking hot Thai food, forward thinking modern British or handmade, fresh pasta, some of the best restaurants in Shoreditch are just a short stroll away from the station.

Sitting on the Circle Line, and just a stone’s throw from both Old Street on the Northern and Liverpool Street on the Central, Shoreditch High Street Station is one of the most accessible foodie focal points in all the city. But with such an abundance of choice brings a certain paradox; just where to find the best restaurants near Shoreditch High Street that actually live up to the hype? 

We’re here to help with that; here’s where to eat near Shoreditch High Street Station.

Singburi, Montacute Yards

Ideal for punchy Thai flavours with a contemporary edge and London’s most coveted reservation…

The rebirth of Singburi in Shoreditch represents one of the most exciting restaurant relocations London has seen in years. Chef Sirichai Kularbwong, along with Nick Molyviatis (formerly of Kiln) and Alexander Gkikas (Catalyst Cafe), has traded the cult chaos of Leytonstone for a sleek glass-fronted space in Montacute Yards, and while the setting has evolved, his masterful command of Thai flavours remains unchanged.

The custom-built live fire grill takes centre stage in the open kitchen, where Kularbwong works his magic on a daily-changing menu that balances tradition with just the right amount of creative flair. The aubergine pad phet has already achieved signature status – double-fried until silky, then given vast swathes of aroma with wild ginger and chilli, turning it into something that tastes far greater than the sum of its parts.

The khua kling, traditionally made with pork or chicken, arrives as an intensely spiced dry curry of minced haddock that’s riveting, revelatory, and might have you hallucinating by the end of it. Meanwhile, the monkfish cheek green curry showcases a more delicate approach, with tender morsels swimming in a coconut-forward sauce that practically vibrates with aromatic intensity.

The transformation from the BYOB, no bookings vibes of old to the current polished operation is commendable in its ambition. Natural wines complement the bold spicing in ways that Singha simply can’t (for better or for worse), and there’s an enjoyably straightforward, satisfying cocktail list. Enjoy a couple of those at the counter; the best vantage point to watch Kularbwong’s focused approach to the stove play out in real time.

Yes, it’s pricier than the Leytonstone days, but with dishes starting at £6.50 and topping out around £20, it remains good value for cooking of this calibre. Just be prepared to fight for a booking.

Address: Unit 7, Montacute Yards, 185-186 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6HU

Website: singburi.london

Smokestak, Sclater St

Ideal for fire, smoke and meat…

For sheer proximity to Shoreditch High Street Station, Smokestak can’t be beat; you’ll catch its enticing wafts of wood smoke and grilled meats the moment you hear that familiar refrain to ‘mind the doors please’.

This is a restaurant that benefits from having a group of you round the table; their sharing beef brisket is the star of the show and could feed six easily. Complete with pickles and a few buns, this is finger food elevated to giddy new heights.

Read our full review of Smokestak here.

Address: 35 Sclater St, London E1 6LB

Website: smokestak.co.uk

Laphet, Bethnal Grn Rd

Ideal for experiencing the regional flavours of Myanmar in London…

Burmese is a cuisine that feels criminally underrepresented in London, but Laphet is flying the flag for this fabulous food and the city’s residents are taking note. 

The dishes at Laphet are divided into small and large plates ideal for cramming the table with complementary tastes and textures, as well as bowls of noodles and broth that can be enjoyed as a single dish, should you be in a hurry. 

Salads are keenly represented and their emphasis on crunch, bite and give, as well as an intricate interplay between savoury and sharp, is characteristic of the fine balancing act of Burmese food. 

The pickled tea leaf salad is a must-order, and manages to feel both indulgent and light with every bite. And the country’s national dish, Mohinga, a catfish and lemongrass broth piquant with chilli and lime and deeply herbal, is as reinvigorating a bowl as you’ll find anywhere in East London, and that’s saying something, particularly with Kingsland Road so close.

To learn more about the food, history and culture of Burma, check out the excellent book Mandalay by cook and writer MiMi Aye.

Address: 58 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6JW

Website: lahpet.co.uk

Smoking Goat, Shoreditch High St

Ideal for Thai food that reinvigorates your tastebuds and soul…

We’ve been huge fans of Smoking Goat since its raucous, ramshackle days on Brewer Street, Soho. Rest assured; since the Thai barbeque restaurant’s move to Shoreditch, the vibe remains rowdy, the chill levels still Scoville baiting, and the aroma of smoke even more pervasive, in the best possible way of course.

This is food designed to reinvigorate. Though the fish sauce chicken wings have gained deserved cult status, and their Tamworth pork chop with spicy jaew dipping sauce is a real crowd pleaser, it’s the restaurant’s work with the offal which keeps us coming back. 

With liver, heart and kidney featuring heavily in various laap, you could go to the Goat and dine very well on these intoxicating Laotian/Thai salads alone. With several rounds of sticky rice, a som tam salad and a couple of cold ones, it’s the ideal lunch in the city.

Address: 64 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ

Website: smokinggoatbar.com

Brat, Redchurch St

Ideal for Basque-inspired grill cooking and the best turbot in London…

We did mention that you wouldn’t have to walk far from Shoreditch High Street Station to enjoy some truly world class cooking, right? Well, above Smoking Goat, chef Tomos Parry’s Michelin-starred ode to his native Wales and the fish-over-flames cooking of the Basque country has resulted in one of the standout London restaurant openings of the last few years.

Bring a couple of friends and order the whole turbot, which is the restaurant’s star dish (Brat is a name for the fish in colloquial old English). It’s even been reported that Brad Pitt and Bradley Cooper are fans, as keen to luxuriate in the king of the sea, its gelatinous flesh and pil-pil style accompanying dressing as the rest of us.

And would it even be a visit to Brat if you didn’t finish with the burnt cheesecake and seasonal fruit? A couple of London’s already most iconic dishes, right there.

If you can’t get a table here, then Brat’s residency at Climpson’s Arch in London Fields is still going strong, too.

Address: 4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL

Website: bratrestaurant.com

Caso Do Frango Shoreditch, King John Ct

Ideal for the most succulent Peri-Peri chicken in town…

Hey, there’s a Nandos just a five minute walk away from Shoreditch High Street Station in Spitalfields Market, but even closer (and quite possibly, better) is Caso Do Frango, whose grilled Peri-Peri chicken qualifies as truly top notch. Considering half a chicken is only a couple of quid more here than the cost of a cheeky one, Caso Do Frango feels like a fairly thrifty treat, too.

At the restaurant, chickens are grilled over wood-charcoal, ensuring a smoky finish and blistered skin, with their secret Piri-Piri blend providing a satisfying kick of chilli. It’s not all about the chicken, though; the supporting acts and side dishes are fantastic, too, particularly the rice with crispy chicken skin and chorizo, rounded off with plantain, which is an inspired touch.

Address: 2 King John Ct, London EC2A 3EZ

Website: casadofrango.co.uk

Sticks’n’Sushi, Shoreditch High St

Ideal for elevated Japanese dining that caters to both sushi lovers and skeptics…

This stylish Danish-Japanese chain may have outposts across London, but their Shoreditch location on Kingsland Road manages to feel both special and intimate. Dark leather seating and a striking central bar create an atmosphere that makes you forget you’re in one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods.

While the extensive menu might seem overwhelming at first (there’s a reason it comes with photos), the set menus here are a foolproof way to sample their greatest hits. The ‘As Good As It Gets’ option lives up to its name, featuring standouts like the Hotate Kataifi – delicate scallops wrapped in crispy strands with miso aioli and trout roe – and their Wagyu Bites, which elevate the humble idea of beef on toast to new heights.

True to their name, both the ‘sticks’ (yakitori) and sushi portions of the menu deserve equal attention. The black cod with miso (Gindara no Miso) is butter-soft and perfectly glazed, while the Hell’s Kitchen roll, loaded with tempura shrimp and spicy sauce, proves they can nail both traditional and contemporary takes on Japanese cuisine.

As for drinks, the cocktail menu is impressive, but we opted for a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet priced at a reasonable £36 per bottle, which paired perfectly with the diverse flavours of the meal.

Part of the beauty of dining here lies in the rhythm of the meal; the dishes keep coming, each one a new surprise. At £115 for the ‘As Good As It Gets’ menu (feeding two generously), it’s not everyday dining, but for a special occasion or when you want to impress out-of-towners, it’s worth every penny. Better yet, bring a group – this is food that’s meant to be shared and debated over which stick or roll – or indeed whether stick or sushi – reigns supreme.

Address: 136 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8EA

Website: sticksnsushi.com

Where To Eat In Hove: The Best Restaurants In Hove

Joseph Gann
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Where To Eat In Hove: The Best Restaurants In Hove
Ideal for eating well in Brighton’s other half…

‘’Hove, actually’’…

It’s the rallying call of all those living to the west of Brighton’s Angel of Peace Statue, where the boundary is symbolically drawn between the effervescent seaside town and its more urbane sibling, Hove.

As you wander west from the self-proclaimed ‘London By The Sea’, along the sometimes chaotic Western Road and cross borders into Hove, you’ll notice a tangible change of pace. Things feel more gentle here, more refined, and as you land on Church Road, the start of Hove proper in many people’s eyes, you’ll also be met by a string of superb restaurants.

Though Brighton itself is rightly famed for its amazing restaurants, Hovians are equally blessed with some fantastic places to eat, with much of the finest dining to be found on this side of the unitary authority’s border.

Today, we’re taking a leisurely stroll along that main thoroughfare, Church Road and its adjoining streets, to explore Hove’s best restaurants. Care to join us?

Cin Cin, Western Road

Ideal for flawless plates of pasta…

Though you can’t walk for more than the length of a fettuccine in London without stumbling into a pasta bar, in Brighton & Hove you’ll be much harder pressed to find a place slinging freshly rolled strands of the good stuff.

In fact, to our mind, Cin Cin are the premier pasta purveyors here, and a more than capable match for any of London’s top pasta restaurants (in 2021, Cin Cin decided to test this theory, and their Fitzrovia branch opened to immediate national acclaim). 

Though the restaurant’s original location in Brighton’s North Laines has now closed, the newer, larger branch on Western Road, just seconds before you reach Church Road, is just as delicious. 

Here, a horseshoe counter and a handful of barstools overlook Cin Cin’s open kitchen, where seasonal small plates, fresh pasta dishes, and a couple of grilled bits are lovingly prepared in full view of the diners. This is dinner and a show, Hove style, and if your dinner starts with an order of the restaurant’s ever-changing, always-popular arancino (brown crab on our last visit), followed by a pasta dish from the special’s board, you’re sure to be calling for an encore.

Fortunately, Cin Cin’s desserts are respondent to the seasons and always stellar – whether it’s a festive panettone bread and butter pudding with marmalade ice cream or a summery Amalfi lemon tart, there’s no chance you’re leaving disappointed.

Then menu changes here often so you’ll want to become a regular.

Website: cincin.co.uk

Address: 60 Western Rd, Hove BN3 1JD

Read: Where to eat Italian food in Brighton

Unithai, Church Road

Ideal for Thai food, just like Aunty would make…

But leave we shall, and onwards into what feels like Hove ‘proper’, Church Road. 

One of the first places you’ll come to is Unithai, an ordinary looking Thai supermarket out front, with something very special hiding in the back. 

If you’re looking to rustle up your own pad see ew or red curry with duck, then Unithai is one of the only places in town you’ll find the requisite fresh green peppercorns, galangal, grachai, makrut lime and other esoteric ingredients needed for both dishes.

Alternatively, you could simply stroll through the shop, dish out your finest sawadee (ka/krap), and settle into one of their cosy tables of four nestled out back. Occupy yourself by listening to the soundtrack of kitchen clatter and the roar of the wok burner, and within minutes, you’ll have a freshly prepared plate of Thai deliciousness, cooked with love. In fact, we consider Unithai to do some of the best noodles in Brighton.

Website: facebook.com/UnithaiOfficial

Address: 10 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2FL

Fatto a Mano, Church Road

Ideal for wood fired pizzas with that pillowy blistered crust…

Until recently, Britain’s favourite seaside town (don’t @me Blackpool) wasn’t exactly blessed with fantastic pizza restaurants. With the popularity of fish’n’chips on the pebbles defining every dinner choice, the humble pizza was marginalised, pushed to the back of the fan ovens of Pizza Hut, Papa Johns et al. 

Fatto a Mano changed all that.

Five years since the original Fatto a Mano opened on Brighton’s London Road, several more outposts have followed suit, with one in the North Laines, one in Hove, and further operations opening in Croydon and Shoreditch.

As you’ve probably guessed, there’s no need to head to London (or London Road) to get your pizza fix; we’re simply crossing the road from Unithai and settling in for an afternoon in the sun on Fatto’s beautiful terrace.

The pizzas here are as authentic as they come; wood fired quickly, so the cheese remains delicate rather than singed, the dough soft and pillowy but with a blistered crust and restrained, respectful toppings, true to the Italian tradition. The name translates as ‘handmade’ in Italian, and that’s certainly the vibe here; everything is made from scratch and it shows. 

It’s great value, too, with most pizzas hovering around the £10 mark. With your neighbourhood pasta and Thai joints just seconds away, why would a hungry soul ever leave Hove?

Website: fattoamanopizza.com

Address: 65-67 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2BD

Slam Tacos at Bison Beer, Church Road *As of August 2025, now sadly closed*

Ideal for curious and creative cross-cultural tacos…

*Sadly, as of Wednesday 20th August, last night was Slam Tacos’ last service at Bison Beer. Watch this space, both for updates on Slam Tacos’ next move, and for who will replace them at Bison. Big shoes to fill, indeed.*

Just yards away from Fatto a Mano is Bison Beer, one of Brighton and Hove’s most popular brewery/bottle shops. 

Whilst we’d certainly grab a seat regularly at Bison for the beer alone (mine’s a See Side APA, barkeep), the Hove branch has something of an ace up its sleeve beyond the booze; the glorious food currently being served up from its ‘Slam Tacos’ residency, the brainchild of former 64 Degrees head chef Sam Lambert. 

His tacos and drinking snacks are exactly what you want to eat a few pints in, with the umami levels turned up to eleven and proudly inauthentic taco toppings – think black pudding with burger sauce, or octopus goujons – just the right side of quirky. 

We’ve previously brought on a food coma through overindulging on Slam’s superb haggis and black pepper bites (sadly no longer on the menu – bring them back-o!) and one too many craft beers here, and if you’re keen to do the same, you better be quick… Slam Tacos’ residency at Bison Beer isn’t going to be around forever. 

Arrive with enthusiasm, and get stretchered out afterwards…

Website: www.bisonbeer.co.uk / slamtacos.com

Address: 57 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2BD

Wild Flor, Church Road

Ideal for confident European cooking and a lovely winelist…

If you’ve still got the legs, then savour the two minute walk from Bison Beer to Wild Flor, also on Hove’s Church Road, to compose yourself and ready your appetite for another glorious feed.

Wild Flor is one of the most acclaimed recent additions to Brighton and Hove’s thriving culinary scene. Settling into an evening with their confident, classic French cookery and superb wine list is one of Brighton’s biggest treats; you’ll always leave squiffy and extremely well-fed.

The current menu is a true celebration of spring; the pea and lavender veloute with sheep’s milk is as fresh as you like, and the perfect warm-up for a main of salt-aged bavette steak, oyster, wild garlic and celeriac, a dish that bridges late winter and spring masterfully.

Though you can have just two courses for a tenner less, it would be criminal to miss out on the restaurant’s pastry work, the section cooking with a breezy conviction and generosity more in tune with a Paris patisserie or the bouchons of Lyon than a Hove thoroughfare. Emblematic of this sensibility is a fine version of the classic Brillat-Savarin cheesecake, with extra sparkle added via ginger and rhubarb. Delicious.

Website: wildflor.com

Address: 42 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2FN

Shiraz, Church Road

Ideal for a meal at Hove’s best Persian restaurant…

With that ginger and rhubarb still undulating on the palate and rasping on the throat, we’re slipping a few doors down to Shiraz, arguably Brighton and Hove’s best Persian restaurant.

You can smell the charcoal grill from Church Road, and those wafts of smoke are enough to entice even the weariest traveller inside. Or, a traveller who has already eaten five meals on their tour of Hove’s best restaurants. Anyway…

You won’t regret having a sixth meal at Shiraz. Skewers of marinated spring lamb chops, served on the bone, feel just right for this time of year, and taste just right, too, while naan that’s blistered and burnished from the grill is just perfect for pulling through the restaurant’s broad meze selection; the zeytoon parvardeh is particularly good.

Website: shirazpersianrestaurant.co.uk

Address: 28 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2FN

Fourth & Church, Church Road

Ideal for one the area’s hippest, most happening spots for a drink and a bite…

Three minutes west along Church Road, towards fourth avenue and opposite Hove Town Hall, Fourth and Church is one the area’s hippest, most happening spots for a drink and a bite.

Small plates, tapas, ‘bites’ – whatever you want to call them – are the order of the day here, with disparate global influences all coming together into a unified whole, promising dishes full of verve and intrigue and largely delivering on that promise.

The countertop seating and bottle-clad walls let you know that this is as much a bar as a restaurant, and in affirmatory fashion, the cocktails are fantastic. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that Fourth and Church’s martini is the finest in the city.

Website: fourthandchurch.co.uk

Address: 84 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2EB

The Urchin, Belfast Street

Ideal for a seafood-centric menu in chilled surroundings…

Housed in a residential area in a working class part of Hove just a few minute’s walk off Church Road, The Urchin remains a proper pub in the sense that it still acts as the neighbourhood living room, just with a sterling focus on serving really interesting shellfish dishes thrown in for good measure.

There’s two menus. One – an evergreen – with seaside town favourites like potted shrimp, oysters with pickled, brunoised shallot, and a quarter pint of cockles to please the locals. The other menu allows the chef’s creativity and love for travel to shine, with flourishes from further East (not Brighton – much further east) introducing spikes of kimchi, XO sauce, and an incredible soft shell crab kyiv. 

On our last visit, Malaysian prawns with lentils caused orange stains on the finger nails and purrs of appreciation on the lips, and clams in a clear dashi broth was clean and lively. Staying true to their pub (formally the Bell) origins, The Urchin have a microbrewery in the basement which results in their own beer ‘Larrikin’ on tap. If it doesn’t tickle your fancy, there are around 120 other beers to choose from. An absolute gem and a great way to wind down our tour of the best restaurants in Hove.

Website: urchinpub.co.uk

Address: 15-17 Belfast St, Hove BN3 3YS

Read: Where to eat the best seafood in Brighton and Hove

Nostos, Holland Road

Ideal for modern Greek Fare…

Western Road is, in some quarters at least, described as Brighton and Hove’s Greektown, owing to its abundance of fantastic options for Greek food. Whilst we love the gyros over at Archipelagos Gyros and the larger spreads on offer at their sibling restaurant Archipelagos just a hundred yards or so down the road, our favourite place for Greek food in the city is without doubt Nostos, just round the corner on Holland Road.

Compared to other Greek places in the area, this one leans on the slightly upscale end of the spectrum. Whilst certainly not refining or redefining the Greek classics (as in, making them significantly less nice), there are gently modern flourishes to the dishes here, which are served in a pleasingly bright and airy dining room. 

Yep, Nostos is more the cerulean blues and starched whites of Santorini than the candlelit intimacy of Greece’s tavernas, and that seems to fit this corner of Hove just perfectly.

On the plate, things manage to be both generous but breezy. A case in point is the signature kleftiko, the lamb shank braised until tender and giving, and lent succour by a subtly seasoned sweet potato puree. The restaurant’s moussaka is given similar lift by a light-as-you-like bechamel sauce that’s souffled and spacious – whipped egg whites have certainly done their job here. Lovely stuff, indeed.

Website: nostos-hove.co.uk

Address: 63a Holland Rd, Brighton and Hove, Hove, BN3 1BA

Etch, Church Road

Ideal for Hove’s best tasting menu…

If you’re looking for a thoroughly fancy fine dining experience in Hove, then there really is only one restaurant doing things at that level and with that sense of ambition; Etch.

Perhaps ‘fancy’ isn’t quite right, as Etch is a thoroughly, refreshingly unfussy experience for all the intricacy on the plate, the brusque menu descriptors and the even more curt use of punctuation in the restaurant’s name.

We’re proud to have got to the third paragraph before mentioning that the man at the stoves here is Steven Edwards, winner of what was surely the peak season of Masterchef The Professionals, when Michel Roux Jr. was presiding over things and Greg(g) Wallace was far more intermittently featured. 

Back in the room, and it’s a bright and airy one, the restaurant occupying the first floor of a Queen Anne-revival style former bank, its broad arched windows letting light flow through the dining room and lifting the sophisticated racing green leathers and weathered oaks, a recent addition after a comprehensive refit and reimagining of the space. 

All that natural light has begun to illuminate the seasonal spring dinner menu, too, and these are plates that deserve to be seen, all immaculately clean lines, glossy sauces, and the signature visual touch; a vivid, verdant puree forming a perfect circle (the ol’ record player trick) and holding the whole dish, sauce and all, within its borders.

Right now, the two best dishes are both perfect expressions of spring. A fish course of poached skrei cod, an elite species at its very pomp right now, is served with a grassy parsley mousse and rich, properly indulgent chicken butter sauce. A little preserved lemon helps cut through it all. Even better, the main; a fat, bright, blushing piece of lamb saddle and rocher of ewe’s curd, both girdled by a wild garlic puree. This one eats like a dream.

Mop up that sauce with Etch’s burnished marmite brioche and its accompanying seaweed butter, adorned with a frilly hat of deep fried nori; it’s one of the south’s best bread courses and an absolute explosion of umami and controlled corpulence. Speaking of which, when you do get round to loosening your belt, the Japanese loos are a real treat.

Anyway, Etch is remarkably good value for a restaurant that could easily wear a Michelin star above its door on a different day; a 5-course tasting menu celebrating seasonal British produce is just £50 (you can add a couple more courses and take that price to £75). Both dedicated pescetarian and vegetarian tasting menus are also available for the same £50. There are even a couple of wines by the glass for around the £6 mark; a rare find these days.

Etch is open from Wednesday to Saturday for dinner and Friday and Saturday for lunch.

Website: etchfood.co.uk

Address: 214, 216 Church Rd, Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 2DJ

The Ginger Pig, Hove Street

Ideal for traditional cooking that’s big on flavour and low on frippery…

After such globetrotting feasting, we need a walk; a short one, at least. So, we’re heading south from Belfast Street, across Church Road, towards the sea and into The Ginger Pig, one of the southeast’s most acclaimed gastropubs.

The Ginger Pig is one of five eateries from the prolific, reliably brilliant restaurant group behind the Ginger Man, Ginger Fox, Ginger Dog (now sadly closed) and the Flint House, and if you’ve eaten at any of the group’s places before, then you’ll know that the Ginger way of cooking is big on flavour and low on frippery. 

This ethos is perhaps most vividly realised at this expansive Hove pub, with Sunday roasts and a perfectly poured local pint a particular treat. We could spend a whole afternoon into evening here, and considering how much we’ve eaten on our tour of Hove’s best restaurants, we think we’ll spend the night here, too. Fortunately, the Ginger Pig has rooms.

Website: thegingerpigpub.com

Address: 3 Hove St, Hove BN3 2T

And that’s that; care to join us along the coast for Southampton for a bite next? Go on, you know you want to…

Where To Eat Near Goodge Street: The Best Restaurants

Editorial Team
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Where To Eat Near Goodge Street: The Best Restaurants

‘Goodge Street’. There’s something faintly obscene-sounding about the word that we can’t quite put our finger on – not that we’d want to put our finger on it – but what’s even more obscene here, on this strip connecting Fitzrovia and Marylebone, are the options for a damn fine feed.

From Portuguese comfort food given the fine dining treatment to Peruvian plates full of verve and vitality, there’s something to satisfy just about `anyone in this part of town. If your pockets are sufficiently bulging, that is; this part of town gets pretty pricey. With that in mind, here’s where to eat near Goodge Street.

The Ninth, Charlotte Street

Ideal for laid-back, Michelin-starred, Mediterranean-inspired plates of breezy perfection…

There can’t be many more likeable London restaurants than The Ninth, whose Michelin star doesn’t get in the way of a laid back, generous dining experience that leaves you satisfied, satiated and not too skint, either. 

Here, chef Jun Tanaka’s Mediterranean-inspired cooking is pleasingly unfussy, with dishes designed for sharing built around one or two expertly-sourced central characters. Don’t miss the crisp artichoke, its leaves all splayed out and pickable, and served with a verdant, pungent three-cornered leek aioli for dipping. Better still is the striking, oddly-photogenic turbot head, which arrives sitting on a rusty langoustine bisque that’s got proper, briny depth from a long roasting of the shells and heads. Roll up your sleeves, turn your spoon on its head, and burrow and furrow with the handle at all the delicious, gelatinous best bits of the fish. Gorgeous.

End, as just about everyone does here, with Tanaka’s signature pain perdu with tonka bean ice cream. A hefty block of custard-soaked brioche is fried in foaming butter until almost over-caramelised, its middle gooey and its edges crisp. It’s served with an ice cream so smooth it’s clearly had several rounds in the pacojet, the two plate-fellows both rich and indulgent but somehow light enough that the massive portion is gone in seconds. It’s got to be one of London’s most iconic sweet treats, and one we’ve wolfed down more times than we’re happy admitting (seven, if you’re asking). 

This one needn’t be too damaging to your bank balance, either. The set lunch menu at the Ninth, running from Monday to Saturday and costing just £35 for three courses, is one of the best priced Michelin-starred meals in the capital. With several wines available by the glass for under a tenner (the Rosato di Toscana, at £9 a glass, pairs beautifully with the turbot head from two paragraphs previous), you really can’t go wrong. 

Wesbite: theninthlondon.com

Address: 22 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NB

64 Goodge Street, Goodge Street

Ideal for sophisticated French bistro classics in a refined, intimate setting…

This small bistro deluxe in the heart of Fitzrovia delivers what every food-obsessed Londoner these days openly craves: unapologetic French cuisine with all the trimmings, minus the stuffiness. Since opening in August 2023, 64 Goodge Street has been knocking the fluff off berets across town, culminating in a well-deserved Michelin star in February of this year.

In a dining room that feels like it’s been here forever (though it was once a humble travel agents), the Woodhead Restaurant Group (Portland, Quality Chop…) has created yet another hit. There’s no bar or waiting area – just a gloriously quiet, music-free space where British Racing Green walls and polished wood set the scene for refined, sometimes rarefied indulgence.

Head chef Stuart Andrew, who’s been with the group since Portland’s launch, executes “French cooking from an outsider’s perspective” with aplomb. The kitchen sends out sauces with that kind of reduced, lip-smacking quality that they do so well across the pond. There are also snail, bacon and garlic ‘bon bons’ that reimagine escargot as aristocratic Scotch eggs; Kintyre smoked salmon with housemade blinis (something seen all too rarely these days); and a lobster vol-au-vent with sauce américaine that’s more generous with the crustacean than the pastry or price (at lunch, three courses are £59) deserves.

For dessert, the Crêpes Suzette with brandy and vanilla ice cream is positively hedonistic in its booze content, and just glorious. The Paris-Brest, meanwhile, is more textbook perfection.

Wine lovers will feel right at home with a thoughtfully curated list that begins with a handy explainer of their approach. From assiduously sourced house pours (starting at a palatable £7 a glass) to special bottles from the world’s best winemakers, there’s something for every budget. Burgundy, naturally, gets star billing, with entire pages devoted to the region’s beguiling bottles.

Yet another confirmation that French fine dining is back, baby. Just, in this case, the chefs are British. 

Website: 64goodgestreet.co.uk

Address: 64 Goodge St, London W1T 4NF

Lisboeta, Charlotte Street *Now in their final week of service (August 2025)*

Ideal for a celebration of the food of Lisbon, from its street food snacks to its sophisticated sharing dishes…

*Just yesterday it was announced that Lisboeta was to close this week, to relaunch as a new concept headed up by esteemed chef Leo Carreiraa. Called Luso and due to open in September, we can’t wait to see what they have in store.*

Lisboeta is a charming Portuguese restaurant that brings the essence of Lisbon to the heart of London. A noble aim indeed, and one in no more capable hands than those of chef patron Nuno Mendes, one of the city’s most acclaimed, beloved food figures.

Lisboeta is his love letter to the city he grew up in. This restaurant is more than just a place to eat; it’s an experience that celebrates the lifestyle, tradition, and emotion of belonging to Lisbon.

In a space set across three floors, you’ll find different styles of eating, embodying the dining culture woven into the very fabric of Lisbon life. At ground level, it’s a kitchen counter that overlooks the flickering of flames and the clatter of pans, ideal for a quick empada or bifana and glass of crisp Alvarinho, full of verve and minerality. Venture further up, and a sweeping staircase reveals a light and airy dining room with larger groups swooning over sharing plates of red prawn and cuttlefish rice. It’s properly rich and funky, even before you squeeze those rust coloured brains all over an already striking dish.

Wherever you pitch up and however stacked your squad depth, Mendes’s bacalhau à brás from the petiscos (small plates) section of the menu is pretty much obligatory. It’s a stunning version of a dish we didn’t know needed a reverent cheffy touch. Perhaps even more obligatory is the pork fat custard and port caramel dessert, which is genuinely, possibly, one of the best sweet dishes we’ve ever had. Wibbly and wobbly, savoury and sweet; this one’s got it all. We’ll say no more; just order it. 

Do be aware that Lisboeta is closed on Sundays, so plan your visit accordingly.

Website: lisboeta.co.uk

Address: 30 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NG

Read: Where to eat the best seafood in Lisbon

Pahli Hill, Mortimer Street

Ideal for some of the finest regional Indian plates in London…

When you step into Pahli Hill’s warm wood, leather clad space just a moment from the throngs of Oxford Street, it’s only natural to breathe a sigh of relief. There’s a transportative quality to proceedings at this modern Indian restaurant, whether it’s in the tastefully done colourscape or the aroma of dried spices toasting in the kitchen that have wafted invitingly into the dining room.

Based around Bombay’s sociable ‘building societies’, there’s certainly a conviviality in the air, and on the plate there’s much to lift your mood further. We’re big fans of the set lunch menu, served from midday until 2:45pm, Tuesdays to Fridays, and seemingly designed to give weary shoppers a much needed blast of respite and rejuvenation. For just £32, you get yourself a three courses which is, really, so much more than that; each ‘course’ is a spread of complementary bites and bigger dishes. 

The papadi chaat to start feels like a meal in itself, a riot of spicy, sweet and sour notes, and contrasting textures and temperatures. Each bite offers something different, from pomegranate seed pops of sharpness to herbal piquancy brought by coriander chutney, all anchored by soothing chickpeas and the papdi (crisp shards of wafer) itself. No wonder this dish earned head chef and owner Avinash Shashidhara a place at the 2023 Great British Menu banquet.

Follow this with a canteen-style thali of chicken, fish or vegetables with all the trimmings, and a spiced vanilla rice pudding, and sit and contemplate for a while if you do truly want to return to another Uniqlo this afternoon.

Website: pahlihillbandrabhai.com

Address: 79-81 Mortimer St, London W1W 7SJ

Salt Yard, Goodge Street

Ideal for Spanish-Italian hybrid tapas in a smartly informal setting with a great sherry list…

The forefather of a pioneering group famous for its hybrid Spanish and Italian tapas, this smartly informal Fitzrovia favourite seamlessly combines two culinary cultures under one roof. The buzziest vibe is undoubtedly in the bustling low-lit bar rather than the basement dining room, where the atmosphere can swing from void-like when empty to merely noisy when full.

Food-wise, there’s plenty to enjoy, especially if you stick to the classics. The blistered padrón peppers deliver that sunny booze food that works all year round, while the cylindrical croquetas of jamón, leek and manchego (£9) is the Iberian peninsula’s food in microcosm. At £8.50 each, the Salt Yard signature of goats cheese stuffed tempura battered courgette flowers deliver exquisite mouthfeel, with a pleasing, lingering base note of florality from a drizzle of blossom honey. This one’s a classic for a reason.

Under Head Chef Panajot Prifti, the dishes range from the intricate to the beautifully simple, constantly evolving whilst staying close to their roots. The charcuterie is impressively curated, the pistachio salami a winner, the San Daniele prosciutto lifted higher when drizzled with walnut oil – an inspired touch.

Open daily from noon until 11pm and a short walk from both Goodge Street and Oxford Circus, Salt Yard has weathered nearly two decades in the capital’s brutal restaurant scene. While newer Iberian behemoths like Barrafina, Sabor and José may have raised the tapas bar, this Fitzrovia stalwart still offers a reliable slice of Spanish-Italian sunshine, especially when you’re armed with a glass of cold sherry.

Website: saltyardgroup.co.uk

Address: 54 Goodge St, London W1T 4NA

ROKA, Charlotte Street

Ideal for sushi, sashimi and robatayaki, served in a high-end setting…

For contemporary Japanese cuisine that sits somewhere between the bling of Dubai’s sushi restaurants and the raucousness of Tokyo’s backstreet izakayas joints, ROKA is the place to head if hunger strikes when you’re on Oxford Street and you’re willing to part with a pretty penny. 

Specialising in robatayaki (charcoal-grilled) dishes and featuring a central robata grill, ROKA Charlotte Street has been open since 2004, with three subsequent branches following in the two decades since.

Still, it’s to the mothership (incidentally the closest to Oxford Circus of the four outposts) that we head for premium Japanese and British ingredients grilled with precision, so the smoke and char complements rather than overpowers.

You wouldn’t, after all, want to fork out £100 on a portion of tokujou wagyu only for it to arrive decimated by the flame. Fear not; this one hits the table barked but blushing, glazed with a piquant wasabi ponzu and finished with whispers of finely sliced spring onion. The black cod, marinated in yuzu before getting kissed by the coals, is even better, with a properly caramelised crust given way to flakes of pearlescent flesh. 

The chefs here don’t spend all their time wrestling with errant bricks of bincho-tan, however. There’s also an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi, and a tasting menu that combines the raw menu with the grilled. Yours for £105 per person.

Though ROKA doesn’t feature in London’s Michelin Guide, it does boast 3 AA Rosettes, considered to be roughly equivalent to a star.

Address: 37 Charlotte St., London W1T 1RR, United Kingdom

Website: rokarestaurant.com

Lima, Rathbone Place

Ideal for colourful, contemporary Peruvian plates… 

After a major refurb, Lima Fitzrovia has returned as a refreshed and revitalised version of its former Michelin-starred self. Last year, in celebration of its 10th birthday, the pioneering Peruvian restaurant welcomed its second decade with a new menu of bold, contemporary takes on Peru’s culinary culture and Lima’s modern influences.

Led by newly-appointed culinary director Roberto Sihuay, the menu masterfully blends Peruvian ingredients and cooking traditions with elements of Japanese (Nikkei) and Chinese (Chifa) cuisine. 

The results are truly delightful, exemplified in dishes like the tuna Nikkei tartare whose shisho tempura brings added texture, and the grilled secreto Iberico resting atop purple potatoes, its run-off of juices softening those sometimes stubborn tubers into something rich and giving. 

There’s also a vibrancy to the main room that was perhaps lacking in Lima’s previous incarnation, with an uncluttered sense of space and harmony now defining the dining here. The multicoloured woven lampshades flown in from Lima (the city) and the expansive skylight just add to that sense of air and elevation. For a country so famed for its altitudes, this feels an apt touch.

Read: The best Peruvian restaurants in London

Address: 31 Rathbone Pl, London W1T 1JH, United Kingdom

Website: limalondon.com

Berners Tavern, Berners Street

Ideal for upmarket Modern British fare, served in sophisticated surrounds…

Housed within the London EDITION Hotel, Berners Tavern isn’t – as the name suggests – really a pub at all, but rather, an opulent dining room that’s all high ceilings, twinkling chandeliers and booths designed for striking deals in.

Another Central London spot that falls under the watchful eye of restauranter Jason Atherton and headed up by experienced chef Poptelecan Ionut, the all-day a la carte menu at Berners Tavern showcases contemporary British cuisine via some of the best ingredients you’ll find in Albion. 

So, that’s Orkney scallop, served raw in crudo form and allowed to do all the talking, Cumbrian Herdwick lamb that’s braised for 8 hours until it collapses under a mere click of the fingers, and the restaurant’s pride and joy, its selection of steaks sourced from Scotland’s revered Buccleuch Estate and char-grilled in a specialist Mibrasa oven and served with skin-on fries. 

The winelist at Berners is a hefty, 40-odd page tome or largely Italian and French wines, though you’ll find some intrigue in the lower reaches; the Macedonian 2018 Ktima Ligas is particularly special, and at £95 a bottle (as opposed to its bottle shop price of around £45), it’s also an eminently reasonable mark-up – 100% is relatively unheard of in Central London.

Read: Where to find the best steak in London

Address: 10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP, United Kingdom

Website: bernerstavern.com

And with that, we’re stuffed.

7 Days In Saint Martin: A Unique Dual-Nation Caribbean Experience

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7 Days In Saint Martin: A Unique Dual-Nation Caribbean Experience

Ideal for those seeking variety, culture, and endless beach options on one spectacular island…

Saint Martin. Sint Maarten. Two names, one island, zero border controls, and endless confusion about which currency to use where. This 87-square-kilometre speck in the Caribbean has been amicably shared between France and the Netherlands since 1648, making it the smallest inhabited island divided between two nations. The result? A place where you can have croissants for breakfast, Gouda for lunch, and somehow end up at a casino watching planes land metres above your head by dinner.

The island’s shared governance has created a fascinating blend of influences that defies simple categorization. You’ll find excellent restaurants, bustling markets, quiet coves, and lively entertainment districts scattered across both territories. Want hedonistic beach bars? Got them. Michelin-worthy dining? That too. Peaceful hidden coves? Absolutely. All within a 20-minute drive of each other. Here’s our guide to the perfect week in Saint Martin.

Day 1: Landing In Chaos, Finding Paradise

You’ll likely arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side, famous for those Instagram shots of planes roaring just metres above Maho Beach. Yes, it’s as mad as it looks. No, don’t stand directly behind the jets unless you fancy being sandblasted into next week.

Collect your rental car (having your own wheels gives you the freedom to explore every hidden corner of the island) and remember: you’ll be driving on the right side, but half the cars are right-hand drive imports from Japan. The roundabouts are numerous and add to the Caribbean driving adventure.

Head to your accommodation. If you’ve opted for one of the luxury vacation villas in Saint Martin, you’re likely perched in the hills above Terres Basses or Orient Bay with views that’ll make your Instagram followers weep. Otherwise, Simpson Bay or Cole Bay offer convenience, while the French side’s Grand Case puts you at the island’s gastronomic epicentre.

Drop your bags and make for Grand Case for dinner regardless. This one-street village punches absurdly above its weight gastronomically. L’Auberge Gourmande does French classics with Caribbean twists under new ownership, while Talk of the Town serves sublime Creole fusion in a beachfront “lolo” setting. Book ahead or explore the other local barbecue stands which serve brilliant grilled fish and ribs for a fraction of the price.

Read: 10 must visit ports for your next luxury Caribbean cruise

Day 2: Beach Hopping, French Side

Start with coffee and croissants at a Grand Case bakery, then begin your beach reconnaissance. Orient Bay is the French Riviera transported to the tropics: beach clubs, water sports, and a clothing-optional section at the southern end if that’s your thing. Pay for a sunbed at one of the beach clubs like Kontiki (note they close seasonally in October); it’s worth it for the service and facilities.

For lunch, stay beachside. La Playa at Orient Beach does excellent wood-fired pizzas and cold rosé, a combination that’s dangerously moreish. The afternoon demands a change of pace. Drive to Anse Marcel, a protected bay that feels like it belongs to a private resort but doesn’t. The water here is absurdly calm, perfect for swimming or just floating while contemplating your life choices that led you to this moment of perfection.

As the sun starts its descent, position yourself at Friar’s Bay. Order a ti’ punch (rum, lime, sugar, and danger) from Friar’s Bay Beach Café and watch the sunset paint the sky colours that would seem garish anywhere else but make perfect sense here.

Day 3: Philipsburg & The Dutch Side Circus

Today, embrace the Dutch side’s vibrant commercial energy. Philipsburg, the capital, is where cruise ships bring thousands of day-trippers hunting for duty-free treasures and designer finds. It’s buzzing with life and retail therapy at its Caribbean best. Front Street and Back Street offer everything from locally-made Guavaberry liqueur to Cuban cigars.

The Boardwalk is actually rather pleasant, stretching along Great Bay Beach. Stop at Holland House Beach Hotel’s Ocean Lounge for lunch; their lobster thermidor is excessive in all the right ways. Post-lunch, escape the crowds at Little Bay Beach, accessible by walking through Divi Little Bay Resort (small parking fee applies). The protected cove offers excellent snorkelling and calm waters.

Evening means Maho Beach for the sunset plane-spotting spectacular. The Sunset Bar & Grill has a surfboard displaying arrival times, and yes, people really do get blown into the water by jet blast. It’s thrilling entertainment unique to Saint Martin. For dinner, head to The Palms at Simpson Bay for sophisticated Caribbean seafood, or if you’re feeling lucky, hit Casino Royale afterwards, the island’s largest gaming facility.

Read: Can you fly directly from the Caribbean to the UK?

Day 4: The Laid-Back Beaches

Time to discover the island’s quieter corners. Start early at Dawn Beach on the Dutch side, watching the sunrise with only pelicans for company. This undeveloped beach offers tranquility without commercial distractions.

Drive to the French side’s Baie aux Prunes (Plum Bay), one of those beaches that locals hope tourists won’t discover. Too late now. The sand is white, the water graduated from turquoise to sapphire, and the crowd non-existent on weekdays. No facilities here, so bring water and snacks.

Continue to Baie Rouge for lunch. This stunning beach lost its famous Chez Raymond in 2022, but the pristine sand and turquoise waters remain spectacular. Pack a picnic or grab takeaway from nearby establishments. The afternoon is yours to perfect the art of doing absolutely nothing. This beach has just enough waves to be interesting but not enough to be annoying.

As evening approaches, drive up to Pic Paradis, the island’s highest point at 424 metres. The road is rough, but the 360-degree views are worth the rental car damage waiver. Time it right and you’ll see both sunset and moonrise, the lights of Anguilla twinkling to the north.

Day 5: Marigot & Market Day

Wednesday or Saturday means market day in Marigot, the French capital. The waterfront market is tourist-focused but charming, with stalls selling everything from fresh passion fruit to local crafts and artwork. The authentic local market near the stadium offers proper Caribbean atmosphere with vendors showcasing everything from dasheen to the latest electronics.

Explore Fort Louis, the ruins overlooking Marigot Bay. The 15-minute climb is sweaty but rewarded with views and a fascinating history of failed military ambitions. Below, Marigot itself deserves exploration. The Marina Royale complex houses upmarket boutiques and restaurants along its repaired quayside, though the actual boat anchorage remains closed with vessels now using Fort Louis Marina. Le Tropicana offers excellent French-Asian fusion for lunch, or grab a sandwich from a local bakery and eat by the water.

Afternoon calls for Galion Beach, where shallow, calm waters make it perfect for families or terrible swimmers. The sole beach bar does decent cocktails and better people-watching. For dinner, splurge at Le Pressoir in Grand Case. Their seven-course tasting menu is an investment, but the wine pairings and tableside flambéed desserts make it worthwhile. Book well ahead and dress up a bit; this is French territory after all.

Day 6: Adventure Or Indulgence

Decision time. The adventurous should take the ferry from Marigot to Anguilla (bring your passport). This British territory, just 20 minutes away, offers beaches that make Saint Martin’s look average. Shoal Bay East is perfection incarnate, while lunch at Scilly Cay (a tiny island off Island Harbour) involves grilled crayfish and rum punches that could floor a pirate. Ferries run nine times daily from 8:30am to 6:00pm, costing $30 USD one-way.

Alternatively, embrace indulgence with a beach day at Baie Longue or exploring the island’s lesser-known spots. The exclusive Terres Basses area offers some of the island’s most pristine beaches.

Either way, return for sunset at Mullet Bay Beach, where the calm waters and palm trees create postcard clichés. The beach bar does acceptable food and excellent rum punches. For your penultimate dinner, try Spiga in Grand Case for Italian that would impress actual Italians (note they close for vacation in summer, reopening in October).

Day 7: Last-Minute Everything

Your final day depends on flight times, but assume an evening departure. Morning means last-minute shopping in Philipsburg for duty-free rum and those Cuban cigars that make perfect gifts. Or hit Marigot for French wines and designer goods at genuinely competitive prices.

For a farewell lunch, return to a favourite beach. Simpson Bay Beach on the Dutch side offers calm waters and several excellent beach bars. The Karakter Beach Lounge does sophisticated beach food, while the Lazy Lizard brings proper beach-shack vibes.

If time allows, take the short drive to Cole Bay Hill lookout for final panoramic views. The dual nature of the island is most apparent from here: two nations sharing one island, creating something uniquely Caribbean yet utterly unlike anywhere else in the region.

The Practicalities

When to Visit: December to April is peak season with perfect weather and peak prices. May to November is hurricane season, though real storms are rare. September and October offer the best deals if you’re willing to gamble with weather.

Getting Around: Rent a car for maximum freedom to explore. The island is small and easy to navigate. Taxis are readily available for those who prefer not to drive. Be aware that traffic can build up around Simpson Bay and Marigot during rush hour and cruise ship days.

Money Matters: Euros on the French side, US dollars on the Dutch side, though dollars are accepted everywhere. ATMs are plentiful. Credit cards widely accepted except at the smallest local spots.

Language: English everywhere on the Dutch side, French and English on the French side. A “bonjour” goes far with French-side locals.

Stay Connected: Get a local SIM card from FLOW or TelCell, or prepare for shocking roaming charges. Most restaurants and bars have WiFi.

Beach Etiquette: Some French beaches are clothing-optional. If nudity offends, avoid the southern end of Orient Bay. All beaches are public, though resorts might try to suggest otherwise.

This week in Saint Martin isn’t about choosing sides in the Franco-Dutch divide. It’s about embracing both, understanding that sometimes the best islands are the ones that offer delightful variety at every turn. You’ll leave with a golden tan, wonderful memories of excellent cuisine, possibly some duty-free treasures, and definitely plans to return. Because seven days on an island this wonderfully diverse is never quite enough.

8 Unique Outdoor Hobbies Full Of Discovery To Try Today

Editorial Team
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8 Unique Outdoor Hobbies Full Of Discovery To Try Today

Ideal for discovering a part of the UK you never knew existed!

Do you ever get the feeling that there is an abundance of unexplored, undiscovered potential right on your doorstep? That you may have been wasting your time and money on all those holidays far-flung when the UK has so much to offer in its own right? That you’d love to find a new motivation to get out there and traverse pastures new?

Today, we’re here to give you that new motivation. Whether you’re living in a city and want to discover the hidden secrets nestled in the nooks and crannies of the urban landscape, or you have the Great British countryside on your backdoor and you can’t wait to explore, we have an activity for you. Here are 8 unique outdoor hobbies full of discovery to try today, IDEAL for discovering a part of the UK you never knew existed.

Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)

In the UK, we’re never too far from a suitable body of water – our green (and rather wet) land is home to canals, lakes and rivers aplenty, all of which are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Not to mention, we’re an island surrounded by water, and SUP on the seas is very much a thing, too! 

Aside from that ease of accessibility, there are so many other great reasons to try stand-up paddleboarding. Since you’re here for discovery and adventure, exploring the lakes and canals sounds pretty exciting to us. Moreover, there’s something magically meditative about being at one with nature and the water, standing tall and in control. It lets you unplug and switch off, allowing you to explore the corners of your own mind just as mind as the landscape around you.

What’s more, you get to enjoy the scenery from a whole new vantage point, bringing you closer to nature and far more in touch with the changing of the seasons and the movements of the earth than scrolling through your Instagram feed could ever get you.

Metal Detecting

Hunting for treasure? Now that sounds pretty adventurous to us! Indeed, on the back of the success of the tender, perfectly-pitched hit BBC comedy Detectorists, interest and participation in the hobby of metal detecting has risen hugely, with record numbers of discoveries happening in a post-lockdown boom for the pastime.  

That said, there can sometimes be tension with genuine archaeologists, and metal detecting should be treated as a bit of fun, rather than a way to unearth buried treasure and cash in. 

As The National Council for Metal Detecting told the Independent, “Detectors are hobbyists. They don’t go out to make a fortune. Any serious metal detector knows there isn’t much money in it. And they don’t dig without getting a special licence and abiding by the rules.” 

Abide by those rules, however, and you’ll find a sociable past-time that helps you explore the length and breadth of the UK in one of the most unique ways possible. If you’re keen to get involved, then metal detectors at the ready; England’s east coast is the most popular place for metal detecting, with East Anglia and, more specifically, Norfolk, the epicentre of the fun.

Padel Tennis

If you’re looking for a racket sport that combines the best of tennis and squash whilst getting you outdoors to explore new venues, then padel tennis might be your perfect match. This fast-growing sport, played on enclosed courts roughly a third the size of a tennis court, is taking the UK by storm with new clubs opening up across the country.

What makes padel particularly exciting for discovery is that many clubs are popping up in unexpected locations – from converted warehouses in industrial areas to purpose-built facilities in countryside settings you might never have visited otherwise. Grabbing your padel rackets and heading out to try different courts becomes an adventure in itself, as each venue offers its own unique atmosphere and often stunning surroundings.

The sport’s social nature means you’ll quickly discover a welcoming community of players, and since padel is typically played in doubles, it’s an ideal way to meet new people whilst exploring different corners of the UK. Many clubs also offer coaching sessions and social tournaments, giving you even more reasons to venture out and discover new places whilst perfecting your technique with those padel rackets in hand!

Gold Panning

A hobby that is similar to metal detecting and has seen equivalent spikes in popularity is gold panning.

A wonderful way to get outside and enjoy some fresh air whilst exploring the vast British countryside, gold panning involves sifting through sediment found in shallow lakes and rivers that run near gold mines in order to find small pieces of gold or other treasure. Mountains and hills are also popular locations for gold panning, with the Lake District, Northern Pennines and the Forest of Dean the current UK hotspots for the activity.

Again, there is regulation on gold panning in the UK. As the BBC points out, ‘’You must have the landowner’s permission and avoid sites with an environmental designation.’’

Once you’re sure that your gold panning exploits aren’t breaking the law, it’s time to make the most of your newfound hobby to explore some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. Check out our tips on the top things to do on your visit to the North Lakes for more on that.

Bouldering

Rock climbing is a great way to challenge yourself physically and mentally, as well as exploring some of the country’s more striking scenery. 

But if you’re really going to take things up a notch, then have you considered bouldering? This is a type of rock climbing that does not require any ropes or harnesses, leaving the boulderer (perhaps not the official term) free to explore and discover any which way they choose!

Some of the best places for bouldering in the UK include Snowdonia and its Llanberis Pass boulders, the valley boulders at Burbage in Derbyshire, (Cratcliffe in the county is another great bouldering spot), and Stone Farm in East Sussex, to name but a few.

You could also try Fisherground in Eskdale, which is part of the Lake District, if you’re keen to try out gold panning and bouldering in a single sitting!

Canyoning

Whilst we normally associate canyons with the USA, you might be surprised to hear that the UK boasts some dramatic, stunning canyons, too.

Canyoning is a great way to gain access to parts of the country you may have never seen before (and certainly areas not available via convenient footpaths or by car!), as it involves hiking, rappelling, kayaking and even swimming through canyons in the name of accessing new and exciting scenery and vistas. 

Whilst the Lake District, once again, provides some of the finest canyoneering opportunities in the UK, it’s in Scotland that the majority of the finest canyons are found. 

According to Red Bull (hey, those wings it gives you might come in handy here!), the Grey Mares Tail Canyon in Kinlochleven is our premier destination for this thrilling, hands-on hobby, with Bruar Falls in Perthshire and the Dollar Canyon in Clackmannanshire also great canyoning spots.

Geocaching

Geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt, and can be done with any smartphone as all you need is access to GPS. In fact, it’s an activity taking the world, and that includes the UK, by storm. 

Simply search your location and find out about hidden gems near you and as you find more treasure, you’ll be given clues to move on. Sometimes, the treasure takes the form of a logbook and pen, to record your movements, or sometimes a Tupperware box containing a trinket is your reward. 

It’s a great activity for autumn and you can do it alone, in pairs or bring the whole family along for the ride. It’s also a fantastic way to discover natural and interesting places in your local area or when on holiday, as well as unearthing hidden gems in your city, too!

With meets and events up and down the country, it’s a hugely sociable activity; check out the Geocaching Association of Great Britain for more on getting started!

Photo by Abenteuer Albanien on Unsplash

Parkour

For those keen on a spot of urban exploration mixed in with some good ol’ fashioned exercise, then it’s time to limber up and let fly. Indeed, parkour has experienced a huge rise in popularity and visibility in recent years, and there are now multiple parkour facilities all over the country.

Many choose to learn the ropes (spoiler: there are no ropes) in a padded, risk-free environment first, establishing better balance and gaining confidence, before taking to benches, walls and first-floor rooftops for parkour-proper. 

In the UK, Brighton is generally considered to be the best place to enjoy a spot of free-running, with plenty of open space, low-rise buildings, and a wide range of pylons, walls, bandstands, railings and coastal landmarks right on the seafront. The famously tolerant nature of the residents in Brighton certainly does no harm either, as you run, jump and vault in public with abandon!

While you’re in the city, check out these other alternative things to do in Brighton and Hove. We’ll see you on the promenade?

The Ideal Week in Peru: From Lima To Cusco In 7 Days

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The Ideal Week in Peru: From Lima To Cusco In 7 Days

Ideal for those seeking ancient mysteries, culinary revelations, and altitude-defying adventures…

Say it loud so you know how it feels; Peru. The name alone conjures images of mist-shrouded citadels perched impossibly high in the Andes, vicuñas grazing on windswept altiplano, and cevicherías bustling with locals arguing over the perfect leche de tigre. But how do you possibly distill a country three times the size of California into just seven days?

Truth be told, you can’t. Not entirely. But what you can do is craft a journey that captures Peru’s essential spirit, from the Pacific-lapped sophistication of Lima to the thin-aired majesty of Cusco, with enough time to commune with the enigmatic Machu Picchu. This isn’t about ticking boxes or racing through photo ops. It’s about finding that sweet spot between ambitious and achievable, where you’re moving fast enough to see the highlights but slow enough to taste the anticuchos and feel the altitude.

Day 1: Lima’s First Impressions

Forget what you’ve heard about Lima being merely a gateway city. Peru’s capital deserves better than a bleary-eyed airport transfer, though one evening and morning will give you a tantalising taste before heading to the mountains.

Touch down at Jorge Chávez International and make straight for Miraflores, Lima’s polished coastal district where paragliders drift past gleaming towers and surfers bob in the Pacific below. If you arrive by mid-afternoon, squeeze in a visit to Huaca Pucllana, a 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid that rises incongruously from the heart of the neighbourhood. The pre-Incan Lima culture built this when London was barely a Roman trading post, and somehow it’s survived earthquakes, urban sprawl, and centuries of indifference.

Huaca Pucllana

Come dinner, you’ve got a decision to make. Central, ranked among the world’s best restaurants, offers a 14-course vertical journey through Peru’s ecosystems. But if spending several hundred pounds on dinner is beyond your budget, head to La Mar for ceviche that’ll rewire your understanding of raw fish, or Isolina for comfort food that’d make a Limeña swell with pride. The causas here (layers of yellow potato, avocado, and seafood) are architecture on a plate.

Read: 12 traditional Peruvian foods you have to try today 

Day 2: Into The Mountains

Grab breakfast at your hotel and catch the morning flight to Cusco. The 90-minute journey climbs from sea level to 3,400 metres, higher than the peak of Mount Olympus, and your body will notice. That lightheaded feeling? The slight nausea? All normal. Welcome to altitude.

Check into your hotel near the Plaza de Armas (spring for one built into colonial foundations if you can) and spend your first afternoon acclimatising. This isn’t wasted time; it’s essential prep for what’s ahead. Sip coca tea in the courtyard, wander gently around the plaza, and let your body adjust. The extraordinary beauty of this city helps distract from any discomfort: Inca stones form the foundations of Spanish colonial buildings, indigenous women in traditional dress sell textiles on ancient steps, and church bells echo off mountain peaks.

Plaza de Armas

By evening, when you’ve found your high-altitude legs, seek out Chicha for modern interpretations of Cusqueñan classics. The quinoa soup here could convert a committed carnivore, and the alpaca anticuchos prove that sometimes the tourist option is actually brilliant. Just go easy on the pisco at this altitude.

Day 3: Sacred Valley Wonders

Today brings relief as you descend into the Sacred Valley, that fertile corridor that fed the Inca Empire and still produces some of Peru’s best corn, potatoes, and quinoa. The landscape alone justifies the journey: emerald terraces climbing impossible slopes, snow-capped peaks piercing cobalt skies, and the Urubamba River threading through it all like a green silk ribbon.

Your first stop is Chinchero, a traditional Andean village where local women demonstrate ancient weaving techniques. Watch them transform alpaca wool into vibrant textiles using natural dyes from plants and minerals. The reds come from cochineal insects, the purples from corn, the blacks from a carefully guarded combination of local plants. It’s touristy, yes, but these are genuine artisans keeping traditions alive.

Continue to Moray, where mysterious circular terraces plunge into the earth like agricultural amphitheatres. Each level has its own microclimate, leading archaeologists to believe this was an Incan agricultural laboratory. The symmetry is hypnotic, the scale bewildering. 

If navigating between these sites feels daunting, we’re big fans of the Peru tour packages with Kuoda Travel, who combine tailored itineraries with deep local expertise, taking you to both the famous sites and hidden gems that independent travellers often miss.

Just down the road, the Maras salt mines cascade down the mountainside in thousands of geometric pools. Families have worked these salt pans since Inca times, channeling mineral-rich spring water into shallow pools where it evaporates under the Andean sun. The pink-tinged salt makes excellent souvenirs, and buying directly from the workers ensures your soles go straight to the source.

End your day in Ollantaytambo, where you’ll spend the night. This living Inca town deserves more than a rushed visit. The locals still inhabit buildings erected 500 years ago and use the original irrigation channels. After checking into your hotel, climb the fortress ruins as the afternoon light turns the valley gold.

Day 4: The Main Event, Machu Picchu

The alarm sounds at 4:30am, but this is what you came for. The early train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes takes 90 minutes through scenery that shifts from high-altitude desert to cloud forest. Suddenly, orchids and butterflies surround you, the air thick with moisture and mystery.

From Aguas Calientes, buses zigzag up the mountain to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Then, finally, you round that last corner and there it is: the postcard view, the screensaver image, the reason thousands of people fly halfway around the world. And it genuinely does take your breath away. The perfect preservation, the impossible location, the sheer audacity of building a city in the clouds… no photograph captures it.

Hire a guide for the first two hours (they’re worth it for the context), then wander solo. If you’ve pre-booked, climb Huayna Picchu or take the less-crowded Machu Picchu Mountain trail. Otherwise, explore the main site’s nooks and crannies. The residential quarters, the prison group, the industrial sector: each area tells a different story about Incan daily life.

Find a quiet corner away from the crowds, sit on a 500-year-old stone, and contemplate how the Incas built this without wheels, iron, or written language. Stay until closing time if you can. The late afternoon light, when day-trippers have departed, reveals the site at its most magical.

Return to Cusco on the evening train, exhausted but exhilarated.

Day 5: Cusco Explored

After yesterday’s early start, today allows for a leisurely exploration of the former Inca capital. Begin at Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, once covered in gold sheets that the Spanish promptly melted down. The Santo Domingo church built atop it creates a fascinating architectural dialogue between conqueror and conquered.

The San Pedro Market offers an authentic slice of local life. Navigate past piles of potatoes in rainbow hues, past the juice ladies who’ll blend you combinations that sound revolting but taste like revelation, past the witchcraft section where dried llama foetuses supposedly bring good luck to new constructions.

For lunch, try a picantería, where locals gather for hearty one-pot meals and chicha (corn beer). It’s not fancy, possibly not entirely hygienic, but absolutely delicious and costs less than a London pint.

Spend your afternoon in San Blas, the artisan quarter. Every other doorway leads to a workshop or gallery. Watch craftsmen carve religious figures, weavers work traditional looms, and jewellers transform silver into intricate designs. The neighbourhood’s narrow streets and white-washed walls feel more Mediterranean than Andean, especially when the afternoon sun casts long shadows.

As evening approaches, climb to San Cristóbal church for panoramic views across terracotta rooftops to the mountains beyond. Time it right and you’ll catch the sunset painting the city gold.

Day 6: Rainbow Mountain Or Relaxation

Decision time. Adventure seekers should set their alarms for a day trip to Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain. This natural wonder, striped with mineral deposits in reds, greens, purples and golds, only became accessible to tourists after climate change melted the snow that covered it. The trek is challenging (you’ll reach 5,200 metres), but the otherworldly landscape rewards the effort. Tours include breakfast, lunch, and transport, though be warned: this is a full day commitment with a 3am start. 

Alternatively, those craving a gentler pace can explore more of Cusco. Visit the Cathedral with its fascinating blend of Catholic and Andean symbolism (spot the guinea pig at the Last Supper). Browse the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales, where you can buy directly from rural weaving communities. Or simply park yourself in a plaza-facing café with a good book and watch the world go by.

Whatever you choose, make your last Cusco dinner memorable. MAP Café, in the courtyard of the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, offers sophisticated takes on Andean ingredients. The tasting menu paired with South American wines makes a fitting farewell to the mountains.

Day 7: Return Via Lima

The morning flight returns you to Lima with just enough time for lunch and last-minute shopping before your international departure. Head straight to Barranco, the bohemian district you missed on arrival. Street art explodes across colonial facades, galleries hide in converted mansions, and the Bridge of Sighs supposedly grants wishes to first-time crossers who hold their breath the entire way.

Canta Rana in Barranco serves sublime seafood in a buzzing atmosphere that feels like a secret the locals are sharing with you. Order the catch of the day and a pisco sour for your final taste of Peru. If time allows, browse the artisan shops along Avenida San Martin for quality handicrafts without the hard sell of tourist markets.

Head to the airport three hours early. Lima traffic is unpredictable, and Jorge Chávez isn’t the world’s most efficient airport. As you wait at the gate, probably sunburnt and definitely exhausted, you’ll already be planning your return. Because seven days in Peru isn’t enough. But then again, the best trips always leave you wanting more.

The Essentials

When to Go: May to September offers dry weather and clear mountain views, though expect crowds at Machu Picchu. Shoulder seasons (April and October) balance decent weather with fewer tourists.

Getting Around: Flights between Lima and Cusco are frequent and affordable. Book Peru Rail or Inca Rail tickets to Machu Picchu well in advance. In cities, Uber works brilliantly and costs pennies compared to UK prices.

Altitude Matters: Take altitude sickness seriously. Arrive in Cusco with time to acclimatise, avoid alcohol initially, and keep hydrated. Coca tea helps, as do Sorojchi pills from any pharmacy.

Money Matters: Bring US dollars in good condition to exchange. ATMs are plentiful but charge hefty fees. Budget £30-40 daily for food and transport, more for Lima’s upmarket restaurants.

Stay Connected: Buy a SIM card at the airport. WiFi is reliable in hotels and cafés, patchy elsewhere.

This week in Peru isn’t about doing everything. It’s about experiencing the essential: the taste of perfect ceviche, the vertigo of Incan engineering, the thin air that makes everything feel slightly dreamlike. You’ll return with the obligatory Machu Picchu photos, certainly, but also with salt from ancient mines, textiles from highland weavers, and memories of sunrise over the Sacred Valley. Those are the souvenirs that matter, long after the alpaca jumpers are forgotten at the back of the wardrobe.

8 Of The UK’s Best One-Day Motorbike Trips

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8 Of The UK’s Best One-Day Motorbike Trips

The United Kingdom, with its diverse landscapes, historic routes and relatively compact square mileage, offers some of the most exhilarating one-day motorbike trips in the world. Whether you’re a lover of all things local looking to appreciate what’s already in your backyard – sorry, garden – or a visitor looking to explore the country’s beauty, these rides promise an unforgettable experience, and all within a simple day’s driving! What’s not to love?

Anyway, enough waffling; We can see your hands are beginning to rev. Here are 8 of the UK’s best one-day motorbike trips, complete with stunning sites, legendary roads, and practical tips to make the most of your journey.

The Lake District Loop: A Ride Through Nature’s Masterpiece

Route Name: The Lake District Loop
Approximate Length: 110 miles
Estimated Duration: 4-6 hours

Starting Point: Kendal
Key Roads: A591, A592, A5091, A66, and B roads

Embark on a journey through the heart of the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its breathtaking scenery and winding roads. Begin your trip in Kendal, heading north on the A591 towards Windermere, where the road hugs the lake, offering stunning views and a gentle introduction to the day’s ride.

As you continue, the Kirkstone Pass awaits, with the A592 taking you up to the highest pass accessible by motorbike in the district. The challenging bends and steep inclines will test your riding skills, but the panoramic views from the top are a worthy reward.

After the thrill of the pass, take a moment to relax at Ullswater, the second largest lake in the area, before joining the A5091 towards Troutbeck. Here, you’ll find a delightful mix of straights and curves, perfect for a leisurely ride.

The final leg of the loop involves the A66, which offers a faster pace and sweeping views of the surrounding fells. As you complete the circuit and return to Kendal, you’ll have experienced some of the best riding the UK has to offer.

Key Stops

  • Windermere: Enjoy a lakeside break and perhaps a boat trip.
  • Kirkstone Pass Inn: A historic pub for a well-deserved lunch.
  • Ullswater Steamers: Take a short cruise to rest your legs.

The Peak District’s Snake Pass: A Serpentine Adventure

Route Name: The Snake Pass
Approximate Length: 42 miles
Estimated Duration: 1-2 hours

Starting Point: Glossop
Key Roads: A57

The Snake Pass, named after the serpentine river it follows, is a legendary route that cuts through the Peak District National Park. Starting in Glossop, the A57 will be your guide as you traverse this iconic road.

As the guys at Motorcycle Decals tell us, this particular route is renowned for its series of bends, climbs, and descents, providing an engaging ride that demands your full attention. The scenery is equally captivating, with the moorlands offering a stark beauty that changes with the seasons.

As you reach the summit, take a moment at the Snake Pass Inn to soak in the views before descending into the Hope Valley, where the landscape opens up to reveal the charming villages of the Peaks.

Key Stops

  • Ladybower Reservoir: A picturesque spot for a break and photos.
  • Castleton: Explore the local caves or enjoy a traditional pub lunch.

The Pennine Way Explorer: Manchester’s Mountain Gateway

Route Name: The Pennine Way Explorer
Approximate Length: 125 miles
Estimated Duration: 4-6 hours

Starting Point: Manchester
Key Roads: A57, A628, A616, A6024

Starting from the bustling heart of Manchester, this route offers urban riders a perfect escape into the dramatic landscapes of the Peak District’s northern reaches. For those who’ve had their bikes delivered via Greater Manchester motorcycle transportation services, this represents an ideal inaugural journey to test both machine and rider on some of England’s most characterful roads.

Head east from Manchester on the A57, passing through the historic market town of Glossop before tackling the notorious Woodhead Pass. This section of the A628 is a real test of concentration, with its sweeping bends and elevation changes providing thrills aplenty as you crest the Pennine watershed.

The route then loops south via the A616 through the hauntingly beautiful Bleaklow moors, where the landscape takes on an almost otherworldly quality. The final stretch along the A6024 brings you through the picturesque village of Holmfirth (famous for ‘Last of the Summer Wine’) before winding back towards Manchester through the stunning Saddleworth Moor.

This circuit perfectly showcases the contrast between urban Manchester and the wild Pennine peaks, offering everything from technical mountain passes to flowing valley roads, all within easy reach of the city.

Key Stops

  • Woodhead Reservoir: A dramatic stop with views across the Pennine peaks and remnants of the old railway line.
  • Holmfirth: Explore this charming Yorkshire village with its independent shops and cafés, plus stunning valley views.
  • Saddleworth Moor: Take in the expansive moorland vistas and perhaps visit the historic Marsden Moor Estate visitor centre.

The Coastal Rush: North Coast 500’s Scottish Splendour

Route Name: North Coast 500 (Inverness to Applecross section)
Approximate Length: 140 miles
Estimated Duration: 5-7 hours

Starting Point: Inverness
Key Roads: A835, A832, A890, and A896

While the full North Coast 500 is a multi-day affair, the section from Inverness to Applecross can be tackled in a day and is a highlight of the route. This trip takes you through some of Scotland’s most dramatic coastal landscapes, with the road itself offering a thrilling ride.

From Inverness, head west on the A835, passing through the picturesque scenery of the Highlands. The route then merges onto the A832, leading you towards the A890 and eventually the A896, which will take you to the Bealach na Bà – a historic pass through the mountains with hairpin turns reminiscent of the Alps.

The road to Applecross is narrow and challenging, but the sense of achievement upon reaching the coastal village is unparalleled. The local inn provides a warm welcome and a chance to reflect on the day’s adventure.

Key Stops

  • Loch Maree: One of Scotland’s most beautiful lochs.
  • Bealach na Bà Viewpoint: For breathtaking views of the route you’ve conquered.
  • Applecross Inn: Renowned for its seafood and hospitality.

The Yorkshire Dales Circuit: A Journey Through Time

Route Name: The Yorkshire Dales Circuit
Approximate Length: 130 miles
Estimated Duration: 5-6 hours

Starting Point: Skipton
Key Roads: A65, A684, A6108, and various B roads

Starting in the charming market town of Skipton, this circuit takes you through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The A65 will lead you to the A684, a road that meanders through the dales and past traditional stone villages. The route is a mix of fast straights and tight bends, offering a varied riding experience.

The A6108 will take you past the historic Jervaulx Abbey and towards the picturesque town of Richmond. From there, you can loop back towards Skipton on a selection of B roads that offer some of the best-kept secrets of Yorkshire riding.

Key Stops

  • Ribblehead Viaduct: An iconic railway structure with stunning views.
  • Hawes: Home to the Wensleydale Creamery, perfect for a cheesy pit stop.
  • Aysgarth Falls: A series of impressive waterfalls, ideal for a scenic break.

The Brecon Beacons: Wales’ Wild Beauty

Route Name: Part of The Wales Way
Approximate Length: 100 miles
Estimated Duration: 3-4 hours

Starting Point: Abergavenny
Key Roads: A40, A470, A465

Wales is known for its rugged landscapes and the Brecon Beacons are no exception. This route starts in Abergavenny, known as the gateway to Wales. The A40 and A470 will take you into the heart of the national park, where you’ll be greeted by sweeping roads and panoramic views.

The A470, in particular, is a highlight, offering a combination of challenging twists and long, open stretches. The route also takes you past Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, before looping back via the A465, which provides a faster-paced ride back to Abergavenny.

Key Stops

  • Llandovery: A quaint market town with plenty of cafes for a rest stop.
  • Brecon: Explore the town’s historic cathedral or the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh.
  • Pen y Fan: For those who fancy a quick hike to stretch the legs and breathe in the mountain air.

The Cornish Coastal Cruise: Surf, Sea & Serenity

Route Name: Part of The Atlantic Highway
Approximate Length: 90 miles
Estimated Duration: 3-5 hours

Starting Point: Newquay
Key Roads: A39, A3075, B3276

Starting in the surf capital of the UK, Newquay, this coastal route takes you along the A3075 before joining the B3276, which is a stunning coastal road with views over the Atlantic. The route hugs the coastline, passing through picturesque fishing villages and beside some of the UK’s best beaches.

The A39, known as the Atlantic Highway, offers a smooth ride with gentle curves that are perfect for cruising and taking in the sea air. The route ends in the foodie haven of Padstow, where you can enjoy some of the best seafood in the country.

Key Stops

  • Bedruthan Steps: A dramatic coastal viewpoint.
  • Padstow: Famous for its restaurants, including those owned by celebrity chef Rick Stein.
  • Tintagel Castle: The legendary birthplace of King Arthur, a short detour from the main route.

The Antrim Coast Road: Northern Ireland’s Coastal Charm

Route Name: The Antrim Coast Road
Approximate Length: 120 miles
Estimated Duration: 4-5 hours

Starting Point: Larne
Key Roads: A2

The Antrim Coast Road is one of the most famous motorbike routes in Northern Ireland, offering riders a spectacular coastal journey. Starting in Larne, the A2 takes you along the coast, providing stunning views of the Irish Sea and the rugged cliffs.

The route passes through the Glens of Antrim, nine glacial valleys that offer a magical backdrop to your ride. As you continue, you’ll come across the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, both worth a visit.

Key Stops:

  • Glenarm Castle: Explore the walled garden and tea room.
  • Giant’s Causeway: Marvel at the unique geological formations.
  • Bushmills Distillery: Take a tour and sample some traditional Irish whiskey.

The Bottom Line

Remember to ride responsibly, respect the local areas, and above all, enjoy the freedom and adventure that comes with exploring the UK on two wheels! Vroom vroom…

Getting Married In Rome: The Reality Behind The Romance

Travel Team
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Getting Married In Rome: The Reality Behind The Romance

There’s a particular type of wedding daydream that involves cobblestone streets, golden hour light spilling across Renaissance architecture, and tables groaning under the weight of authentic Italian food. Rome delivers all of this, genuinely. But the city’s wedding industry operates on entirely different principles to what most British couples expect, and those differences matter more than the Instagram aesthetic suggests.

More than 10’000 destination weddings happen in Italy each year, with many focused on the capital city. The couples who rave about the experience afterwards are invariably the ones who understood what they were signing up for. Not just the romantic bits, but the practical realities: the paperwork, the timing, the costs, the fact that Italian noise ordinances might cut your garden party short just as things get going.

The Legal Maze (& How Most People Avoid It)

Getting legally married in Italy involves the Nulla Osta, a declaration that you’re free to marry. This requires birth certificates, proof of residence, and a statutory declaration, all officially translated into Italian, apostilled, and submitted to Rome’s municipal office at least three days before your ceremony. The British Embassy in Rome no longer handles this, so you’ll need your certificate of no impediment from your UK register office first. The whole process takes 10-14 weeks minimum.

Most British couples simply don’t bother. They marry legally at their local register office, then have a symbolic ceremony in Rome. It’s simpler, faster, and means you can choose a celebrant who’ll create something personal rather than reading from a municipal script.

What Things Actually Cost

Getting married in Rome can be an expensive business. Roman wedding venues don’t work like British ones. That £3,000 you might pay for a countryside barn? In Rome, €3,000-€8,000 gets you access to the space alone. But these aren’t barns. These are Renaissance palazzos with original frescoes, eighteenth-century villas with formal gardens, rooftop terraces overlooking the Forum. Historic villas like Villa Aurelia, perched on the Gianicolo hill with panoramic views across the entire city, start at €12,000 for venue hire. Palazzo Brancaccio, with its ballrooms featuring original nineteenth-century frescoes and chandeliers, operates in a similar bracket.

Catering runs €120-€250 per person for a four-course Italian meal with wine. And it needs to be four courses: antipasti, primi, secondi, dolce. This isn’t excess, it’s how formal Italian meals work.

Many prestigious venues require approved suppliers. Villa Miani works exclusively with three catering companies. These restrictions exist because historic properties demand suppliers who understand how to work in delicate spaces without damaging irreplaceable architecture. If supplier flexibility matters to you, you’ll want to dig deeper to discover the best wedding venues in Rome that allow external vendors, typically privately owned palazzos rather than state-protected buildings.

The Evening That Never Ends

Roman weddings operate on a completely different clock. Ceremonies start at 5-6pm, often in private chapels with baroque altarpieces or in manicured gardens with cypress trees and stone balustrades. Aperitivo runs from 6:30-8pm with substantial food: arancini, bruschetta, prosciutto, sometimes pasta stations. At luxury venues, this often takes place on panoramic terraces with the city spread below as the sun sets.

Dinner doesn’t begin until 8:30 or 9pm and continues until midnight. Dancing starts around 12:30am and goes until 2-3am.

British guests find this timeline baffling. You need to warn people explicitly: dinner will be at 9pm, plan afternoon activities, eat a light lunch. Otherwise you’ll have confused relatives getting genuinely hungry around 6:30pm.

Here’s another surprise: Italian noise ordinances mean outdoor amplified music must end by 11pm or midnight depending on location. Some central venues have 10pm cutoffs. Your garden party goes silent right when British weddings typically hit their stride. The best luxury venues have beautiful indoor spaces for exactly this reason, allowing celebrations to flow naturally from gardens into frescoed ballrooms as the evening progresses.

Transport & Accommodation

Rome’s historic centre is carved up by ZTL zones, limited traffic areas where coaches need special permits arranged weeks ahead, costing an extra €200-€400. Rome doesn’t have enough taxis, so don’t assume 60 guests can grab cabs after your 2am finish. Accordingly, you’ll need pre-booked coaches (€800-€1,200 each) or private hire cars booked months in advance.

Many beautiful villas sit 30-40 minutes from central hotels through chaotic Roman traffic. Keep your ceremony and reception close together, ideally at the same venue. The advantage of choosing an established luxury venue is that they’ve handled these logistics hundreds of times and know which transport companies are reliable.

For accommodation, most couples house guests in Monti (walkable, excellent restaurants), Trastevere (atmospheric but cobblestoned and rowdy on weekends), or near the Spanish Steps (refined, expensive, home to Rome’s grand hotels like the Hassler). Book room blocks 6-8 months out for peak season and negotiate 10% discounts for 15 or more rooms.

Read: Beyond Venice and Tuscany, 7 Italy’s More Distinctive Wedding Regions

Weather & Flowers

June through August averages 30-35°C, genuinely hot in formal wear. Many historic buildings can’t install modern air conditioning due to preservation rules. You’ll need shade structures (€400-€800) and to schedule outdoor elements after 6pm. The best luxury venues have shaded loggias and indoor backup spaces that feel like upgrades rather than compromises. September and October are more comfortable at 22-26°C, though October brings higher rain risk.

Roman florists favour garden-focused arrangements: roses, olive branches, lemons, abundant greenery. The aesthetic is ‘gathered from a villa garden’ rather than ‘dramatic installation’. When you’re working with Renaissance architecture, restraint often works better than excess. A simple arrangement of white roses in a frescoed chapel can be more striking than elaborate installations competing with the architecture. Budget €2,500-€6,000 for full floral design from established companies like Fiori e Foglie or Il Roseto.

What Roman Wedding Food Actually Means

Roman caterers approach wedding food completely differently to British suppliers. The default is traditional regional cuisine: carbonara made properly with guanciale and pecorino, saltimbocca alla romana with veal and prosciutto, cacio e pepe, porchetta from nearby Ariccia, carciofi alla giudia. This is what Roman caterers have cooked thousands of times using local ingredients and generations-old techniques.

Asking for ‘modern fusion’ or ‘Asian-inspired’ dishes rarely works well. It’s not their expertise, and the quality difference between a Roman caterer doing proper Roman food versus attempting something outside their wheelhouse is substantial.

The meal structure differs from British weddings. Aperitivo food is a bonafide spread because dinner is still two hours away. Then comes antipasti with premium cured meats and aged cheeses. The primi course is usually a choice of two fresh pastas or risotto made to order. Secondi means premium cuts of meat and locally caught fish with seasonal vegetables. Finally comes dolce, which might be a dedicated dessert course or the wedding cake itself, served with espresso and digestivi like limoncello.

Wine flows throughout dinner. At luxury weddings, expect regional wines from Lazio, Tuscany, or Piedmont rather than house wine. Some couples add an open bar for cocktail hour, but unlimited spirits all night isn’t the norm.

Vegetarian is straightforward, with endless vegetable-based primi available. Vegan requires clearer communication because Italian cooking relies heavily on butter, cream, and cheese. Gluten-free is well understood, but kosher or halal certification is genuinely difficult with only a handful of certified caterers available.

One crucial difference: Italian wedding portions are generous, deliberately so. You will have leftover food. This is completely normal. Italian hospitality culture means abundance, and attempting to ‘optimise’ portions will result in a meal that feels stingy by local standards.

Read: The 22 best restaurants in Rome

What Typically Goes Wrong

The most common mistake is creating impossible timelines by spreading locations across the city. Keep things geographically tight. Second issue: not warning British guests that dinner won’t be until 9pm, leaving them confused and hungry (and, you know, drunk). Create detailed information packs with suggested afternoon activities and explicit timeline details.

Third problem: expecting Italian vendors to respond as quickly as UK suppliers. Email responses can take three or four days. This isn’t unprofessionalism but a different business culture. Either build buffer time into communications or hire a planner who’ll interface with vendors. Working with an established luxury venue often solves many of these problems, as they’ll have on-site coordinators who understand both Italian and British expectations.

Whether It’s Worth It

For 40 or more guests, Rome costs roughly £8,000-£12,000 more than a comparable UK wedding. But cost comparisons miss the point slightly. You’re not just paying for a wedding venue but for genuinely extraordinary architecture and settings that simply don’t exist elsewhere. Where else can you marry in a Renaissance villa overlooking the Eternal City, with Michelangelo’s dome visible from your terrace?

Rome forces a multi-day experience (go on then; you’ve twisted our arm). Guests won’t fly out just for the wedding day. You’re creating a long weekend where your wedding is the centrepiece of an Italian experience, with welcome drinks, group activities, and recovery brunches.

The couples who love their Rome weddings are those who embrace the differences: the late timing, the leisurely meals, the Italian aesthetic. They’re not trying to recreate a British wedding in an Italian setting. If you can do that, Rome offers something genuinely special. If you’d rather have complete control without language barriers or cultural differences, there’s no shame in choosing the Cotswolds instead. Not every wedding needs to be a destination event, and a brilliant wedding at home beats a stressful one abroad every time.

5 Surprising Potential Benefits Of Drinking Hydrogen Water

Editorial Team
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5 Surprising Potential Benefits Of Drinking Hydrogen Water

Water is fundamental to life. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body depends on it. But in recent years, scientists have been investigating whether water infused with molecular hydrogen could offer benefits beyond basic hydration. With over 3,000 published studies and more than 200 human trials examining its effects, hydrogen water has captured the attention of researchers, athletes, and health-conscious individuals worldwide.

From professional sports teams to wellness enthusiasts, people are increasingly turning to hydrogen-rich water as a potential tool for supporting their health goals. Whilst the science is still evolving, preliminary research suggests this enhanced form of water might help combat oxidative stress, the cellular damage linked to ageing, inflammation, and numerous chronic conditions.

But what exactly makes hydrogen water different from your regular glass of H₂O? And more importantly, could the emerging research translate into real benefits for your daily life? This guide explores the current scientific understanding of hydrogen water, examining both its promising potential and the limitations of what we know so far.

What Is Hydrogen Water?

At its core, hydrogen water is surprisingly simple: it’s regular drinking water that has been infused with molecular hydrogen gas (H₂). Think of it like sparkling water, but instead of carbon dioxide creating the bubbles, it’s hydrogen, the universe’s smallest and most abundant element.

The concept took off after a landmark 2007 study in Nature Medicine showed that molecular hydrogen could work as an antioxidant in the body. Since then, researchers have been exploring whether this tiny molecule might offer unique health benefits when dissolved in water.

What makes hydrogen particularly interesting is its size. Being the smallest molecule in existence, it can potentially get into parts of your body that other antioxidants can’t reach, including crossing into your brain. It appears to work selectively too, which means it might neutralise the bad stuff (harmful free radicals) whilst leaving the good stuff (beneficial compounds your body needs) alone. Though scientists are still working out exactly how it all works.

Whilst you can buy hydrogen water ready-made or use special tablets, many people are opting for portable hydrogen generators for convenience and cost-effectiveness. The Piurify Hydrogenator Bottle, for instance, uses electrolysis technology to infuse regular water with hydrogen in minutes, making it practical for daily use whether at home, work, or whilst travelling.

drinking water

The Science Behind Hydrogen Water

The surge in hydrogen water research over the past decade has produced some interesting findings, though we’re still learning more every day. Whilst early studies with animals showed promising results, human trials are now giving us a clearer picture of what hydrogen water might (or might not) do for our health.

A major 2024 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences looked at 25 different studies and found that about 75% showed positive effects. However, the researchers were careful to point out that we need bigger and better studies before we can make any firm conclusions. The benefits varied quite a bit from person to person, which is pretty typical for this kind of research.

Another comprehensive review looking specifically at exercise performance found that most athletes who tried hydrogen water reported some improvements, though a handful of studies showed no significant benefits. What’s interesting is that research in the journal Antioxidants suggests hydrogen water works by getting right into your cells’ energy centres (called mitochondria) where it might help reduce damage from exercise and daily stress. But again, scientists are still piecing together exactly how this process works.

5 Potential Benefits of Drinking Hydrogen-Rich Water

Switching regular water for hydrogen water, then, could potentially have several benefits, according to current research.

#1 May Help Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

One of the most researched potential effects of hydrogen water is its possible ability to reduce oxidative stress, which basically means it might help protect your cells from damage. Studies suggest that hydrogen molecules might be able to get deep into your cells and tissues, potentially helping to neutralise harmful free radicals.

According to the exercise performance review mentioned earlier, this could make hydrogen water potentially helpful for anyone dealing with inflammation, from weekend warriors with sore muscles to people managing chronic conditions like arthritis. Though of course, individual results may vary.

drinking water

#2 Could Potentially Boost Energy and Focus

If you’re struggling with that 3pm slump or general brain fog, hydrogen water might offer a natural alternative to your usual caffeine fix. Research suggests it could help your cells produce energy more efficiently, which may lead to feeling more alert and focused throughout the day. Though more studies are needed to confirm these effects.

Many users report feeling more refreshed and mentally sharp after making hydrogen water part of their daily routine, although these reports are largely anecdotal at this stage.

#3 May Support Faster Post-Workout Recovery

We all know that post-workout soreness that makes climbing stairs feel like scaling Everest. Exercise naturally causes stress in your muscles, which contributes to that familiar ache and fatigue. Hydrogen water might help reduce this stress, potentially leading to faster recovery times and less muscle damage.

A study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that hydrogen water could help improve muscle endurance in trained individuals. Other research has shown potential reductions in lactic acid buildup after exercise, which is that burning sensation you feel during intense workouts. Though it’s worth noting that results have been mixed across different studies.

This is why many athletes are starting to include hydrogen-rich water in their pre and post-workout routines. It’s potentially a natural way to support performance and recovery, though the best timing and amounts are still being worked out by researchers.

#4 Could Promote Healthier Skin from Within

Your skin is often a reflection of what’s happening inside your body. Environmental damage and stress can accelerate signs of ageing and leave skin looking dull. Hydrogen water might help by potentially protecting your skin from oxidative damage at a cellular level, possibly promoting clearer, more hydrated skin over time.

Studies have shown that bathing in hydrogen water for eight weeks could reduce skin irritation and itching in people with certain skin conditions, whilst also potentially improving skin moisture and overall appearance. When combined with your usual skincare routine, this internal hydration boost could potentially enhance your results. Though as with all the benefits we’re discussing, more research is needed to confirm these skin benefits.

Read: Should I use purified water in my beauty regime?

#5 Gentle, Safe, and Easy to Use Daily

Unlike many supplements or wellness products that come with a laundry list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, hydrogen water is refreshingly simple. It’s just water with added hydrogen gas. No artificial ingredients, stimulants, or sugars. That makes it an easy, fuss-free addition to pretty much any lifestyle.

The FDA has classified molecular hydrogen as Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS), and research involving those 3,000 studies suggests it’s well-tolerated with minimal to zero side effects. A small number of first-time users report temporary digestive changes during the first week, but these typically sort themselves out quickly.

drinking water

What The Research Shows About Athletic Performance

The exercise performance review we mentioned earlier revealed some interesting findings for fitness enthusiasts. Whilst a few studies showed no significant benefits, the majority suggested that hydrogen water may help athletic performance across various sports. 

Interestingly, your fitness level might influence how much you benefit. Research published in BMC Sports Science found that trained athletes showed greater improvements in high-intensity performance compared to untrained individuals after seven days of hydrogen water consumption. This suggests that if you’re already fit, you might see more noticeable benefits, though scientists are still figuring out exactly why this happens.

Optimal Usage & Other Considerations

Current research suggests that consistency is key. You’re more likely to notice benefits from drinking hydrogen water regularly rather than just having the occasional glass. Some studies show that antioxidant markers in your blood could improve within just 30 minutes of drinking hydrogen water, whilst fitness improvements typically start showing up after 2 to 3 weeks of daily consumption.

For more significant health improvements, such as potentially reduced inflammation and better metabolism, you might need to stick with it for 8 to 12 weeks. Though remember, these timeframes are based on limited studies and everyone’s different.

Here’s something important: hydrogen water is best drunk quickly. The hydrogen gas starts escaping pretty much immediately (you can actually see the tiny bubbles rising to the surface), so most experts recommend drinking it within 2 to 3 minutes of preparation for the best potential benefits. Think of it like a fizzy drink that goes flat, except much faster.

The Bottom Line

Hydrogen water may be simple in concept, but it could potentially offer a way to support your long-term wellness. Its possible benefits are wide-ranging and supported by emerging research, including potentially lowering inflammation, boosting energy, improving skin, and aiding workout recovery. Though it’s crucial to remember that definitive conclusions are still waiting on further study.

What sets it apart is how accessible it’s become. With portable, user-friendly options now available, it’s easier than ever to enjoy hydrogen-rich water at home, at work, or on the go. No complicated setup or ongoing costs involved.

Let’s be clear though: hydrogen water isn’t a miracle cure or a replacement for a healthy lifestyle. The scientific community continues to investigate its effects, and individual results may vary considerably. As with any wellness product, it’s worth chatting with your GP before making significant changes to your routine, particularly if you have existing health conditions.

If you’re looking for a low-effort addition to your routine that might support your wellness goals, hydrogen water could be worth exploring. It’s clean, convenient, and may support your body from the inside out. Just remember to keep your expectations realistic whilst the science continues to develop. After all, the best wellness trends are the ones that complement, not complicate, your healthy lifestyle.

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