13 of the best things to do in Stirling
Stirling is a relatively small city about an hour away from both Glasgow and Edinburgh with plenty of history. It also sits at the gateway to the Highlands and is …
HMV to reopen historic Oxford Street store
HMV is to reopen its historic Oxford Street store later this year after a four-year absence.
The music retailer shut the flagship store in 2019 after tumbling into administration before a rescue takeover by Canadian Doug Putman’s Sunrise Records.
The site, where HMV opened its first shop in 1921, has been operating as an American sweet shop since the closure.
It is understood that HMV has signed a deal to replace the current occupant, whose lease is set to expire in around six months.
HMV said the return to 363 Oxford Street was the “latest sign of a dramatic turnaround” after collapsing four years ago, with the firm bouncing back to profit last year.
The store will feature the company’s new logo and new store layout, which it has been rolling out since 2021.
The retailer has shifted further towards pop culture merchandise, vinyl, music technology, such as headphones, and live music and signings in stores amid waning demand for DVDs and CDs.
HMV said it will have brought the concept, which it dubs HMV Shop, to 24 new sites and 14 existing stores by the end of the year.
Mr Putman said: “The expansion of our fan-focused pop culture offer is really working for us and the reopening of our flagship represents the culmination of a good few years of hard work.
“We are also opening stores in Europe this year, so while it is the culmination of one phase of work, more excitingly we see it as the launchpad for an exciting new era for HMV.”
Councillor Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: “It’s fantastic to see this iconic brand back on Oxford Street, where it stood as a driver of music and pop culture in the capital for so long.
“It’s also particularly pleasing it is replacing one of the many US candy stores which sprang up during the pandemic.”
It comes days after the boss of Marks & Spencer described the landmark shopping street as a “national embarrassment”.
Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S, said in a letter to the Evening Standard: “The high street which is meant to be the jewel in London’s crown today is a national embarrassment, with a proliferation of tacky candy stores, antisocial behaviour and footfall remaining in the doldrums, 11% down on pre-pandemic levels.”
HMV to reopen historic Oxford Street store – Londontopia – The Website for People Who Love London
2023 Vacation Deprivation Report: How Brits are embracing workplace flexibility to make the most of their holidays
Feeling like you just really need a holiday—like you work too much and have too little time off? Chances are you’re one of the many Brits who consider themselves holiday deprived. In fact, according to Expedia’s 23rd annual Vacation Deprivation Report, global annual leave deprivation levels are the highest they’ve been in 10 years.
56% of UK adults reported feeling holiday deprived, the second-highest rate seen in the past 10 years. This is nearly on par with deprivation levels Brits reported in 2021 (63%), which followed a year characterised by travel restrictions and lockdowns.
The biggest factor at play in the UK is the workplace and workers seeking flexibility from their employers. 70% of workers would be more motivated to change their job if they had the chance to get more holiday days and 62% are working remotely in order to make the most of their annual leave allowance.
While most Brits also feel their employers are supportive of them taking time off (72%), 25% felt they couldn’t go away last year because their work schedule did not allow for time off or there was not enough staff to cover their workloads.
Despite these barriers, Brits are on a path to reduce vacation deprivation in 2023. 44% of Brits plan to take more holiday days (21-30 days) in 2023 compared to 29% in 2022, while almost three-quarters, 74%, of UK adults tend to prioritise holidays over other luxuries in their everyday life.
To help vacation deprived Brits reclaim their time off, here are Expedia’s top five tips to help you get on your way:
Work smarter, not harder, when planning your next trip: For the travel planner in the group, Expedia’s new trip planning boards, launching on the Expedia app in June 2023, are made to make your life a whole lot easier. This collaborative tool takes the stress out of trip planning by allowing groups of travellers to plan the perfect trip together.
Feel confident knowing you’ve got the best travel deal: Handy new Expedia tools including Price Tracking can help guarantee you’re getting a great deal by tracking flights on the Expedia app.
Spend your travel pounds wisely: By bundling your travel by booking your airfare, hotel and car at the same time on Expedia, you can instantly unlock savings.
Don’t risk leaving money on the table: Expedia members earn Rewards points for every booking that can be redeemed as pounds off on the next trip. By entering mileage plan numbers at checkout, travellers can also earn their airline miles on top of Expedia points, which is an easy way to double-dip and rack up travel rewards even faster.
Anticipate travel disruptions: Demand is high, and airlines are still operating fewer flights than pre-pandemic. That means full flights are expected this summer, so make sure you arrive at the airport early and give yourself plenty of time to get through security. According to Expedia’s 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report, departing before 3 p.m. also cuts your chance of flight cancellation in half, so take the early flight.
About the Report: Expedia first commissioned Vacation Deprivation in 2000 to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide. The annual study is currently in its 23rd year and was conducted online among 14,527 respondents across North and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Commissioned from February 9 – March 3, 2023 on behalf of Expedia by Northstar Research Partners, a global strategic research firm, responses were gathered using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. Looking at the margin of error for the global average, a 1-4% difference is statistically significant at 90% confidence.
See the Full Report
Learn more about what’s stopping workers from taking time off.
The post 2023 Vacation Deprivation Report: How Brits are embracing workplace flexibility to make the most of their holidays appeared first on Expedia.co.uk.
We tried the huge new Pret menu drop and here's what's good (and not so good)
You can keep your extremely specific seasonal streetwear launches, because the S/S2023 drop we’re genuinely most excited about is the new Pret a Manger menu.
With 19 brand new bits, it marks the biggest range of new offerings from the high street hero since 2019. This is extremely large news in the al desk-o lunch game, not least because the new menu could come to define your snacking style for many months.
There are salads, wraps, toasties, rolls, bloomers, puddings and cakes, and we here at Time Out have eaten each and every single one of them, so we can let you know what’s hot and what you definitely don’t want to cop.
Read on for a perhaps overly detailed guide to everything from their King Charles-ready Coronation Chicken Bloomer, to the Avo Brunch Rye Roll and Spicy Salami Toastie.
1. Chocolate Espresso Cake
Who the hell gets cake from Pret? Well from now on, we do – possibly daily. Maybe even hourly. And it’s all down to this immense hunk of coffee cake. Thrillingly and perversely moist, this wildly seductive slab of heaven comes complete with mega chunks of chocolate and a thick layer of coffee buttercream. We are in love and there’s nothing you can do to tear us apart. Leonie Cooper
FIVE STARS
2. Veggie New Yorker Bloomer
Tangy American mustard, a satisfying crunch from the pickles and the most convincing vegan cheddar I’ve ever encountered, the Veggie New Yorker delivers everything you’ve ever wanted from a Pret sarnie. I truly don’t know why they ever took it off the menu, and the news that it’s making a triumphant return genuinely might be the best thing that has happened to me all week. I’m deadly serious. If there’s anything at all to fault, it’s that the advertised ‘crispy’ onions invariably go a bit moist after a few hours cosying up to that tart red cabbage. But I’m nitpicking here because frankly this is a God-tier Pret order. And it’s vegan to boot! I love you, Veggie New Yorker. Never disappear like that again. Rosie Hewitson
3. Korean-Style Chilli Chicken Salad
Pret is coming for Itsu with its very own chilli chicken combo. Boasting a Crossfit connoisseur’s combo of brown rice, quinoa, edamame, big strong spinach leaves, fresh mint, dainty radish slices, and some raw, naked protein in the shape of chicken and a whole egg, this is truly a big bowl of health. The BBQ spice on the chicken is hotter than your average and extra chilli and lime dressing zings with intent. Very, very good. Leonie Cooper
FIVE STARS
4. Curried Chickpea & Mango Wrap
The best Pret sarnies are fresh, colourful and somehow make you feel quite virtuous despite the fact that you’ve just spent like nine quid you didn’t really need to on lunch and it’s only Tuesday. This wrap is exactly that; creamy chickpeas, a warm hum from the ‘coronation’ sauce, a bit of zing from the pickled onions, big crunchy slabs of cucumber, just the right balance of sweetness from the mango chutney. It’s maybe a touch heavy on the sauce – there’s a danger it might end up going a bit soggy by teatime – but otherwise this is a solid addition to the menu. Rosie Hewitson
FOUR STARS
5. Vietnamese-Style Prawn Salad
More tang than a pack of Haribo, and enough veg to fill you up while still patting yourself on the back for eating healthy. Your main flavours are lime and chilli heat, your mean textures are red cabbage crunch and cucumber snap. Big flavours, big textures, big hit. Eddy Frankel
FOUR STARS
6. Black Forest Dessert Pot
Unexpectedly contrasting in its textures, this miniature 1970s pudding pretty much does everything right. The granularity of the chocolate cake is offset marvellously by the cherry stuff. Think of it as a Gü pot that’s got itself all dolled up for a night on the tiles. It’s out to impress. And it does! Joe Mackertich
FOUR STARS
7. Pesto, Mozzarella & Roasted Tomato Toastie
Like all of Pret’s toasties, this one comes sandwiched between two slices of standard seeded bread. Sometimes you get a mouthful of straight crust, but it mostly makes for a pretty damn decent toastie. Filling-wise, the toms are salty and tangy and the mozzarella has a respectable cheese pull, made all the better by a thick layer of pesto and fresh basil. The slices of un-roasted red pepper are a strange addition and I still don’t know if I’m mad about it or not, but they did provide a welcome crunch in what is otherwise a sandwich of softness. Ella Doyle
FOUR STARS
8. Korean Style Sticky Mushroom Salad
A solid salad that’ll satisfy your stomach grumbles thanks to a healthy serving of brown rice and quinoa. The slaw and roasted mushrooms add a sprinkle of Asian fusion flavour, with the chilli and lime sauce adding extra zing. There’s also a boiled egg thrown into the mix, which gives proceedings a hint of French flavour. Highly decent. Jess Phillips
FOUR STARS
9. Spicy Salami Toastie
We’re not sure if this would pass official muster on the mean streets of Milan, but this spicy salami toastie brings the goods when it comes to seriously melty mozzarella. The salami isn’t as spicy as we’d hoped – even with a sprinkle of chilli salt to up the heat – but if you’re looking for hot cheese, this bloomer’s your boy. Leonie Cooper
THREE STARS
10. Avo Brunch Rye Roll
Tasty but messy. Take heed: this is NOT a grab-and-go lunch. Taking a bite caused slices of avocado and boiled egg to spill out all over my hands. There’s also a dusting of flour on the roll that got on my face. But the bread is nice and fresh, the chipotle ketchup adds a nice kick of flavour, and it’s stuffed with Pret’s distinct brand of tangy sundried tomatoes. If you’re into Pret’s egg and tomato breakfast baguette, this is a great contender. Grace Beard
THREE STARS
11. Greek Salad
Sure, a small salad as this is never going to fill you up properly, and though we long for a high street Greek salad to be served in the traditional way, with an entire block of feta for you to smash into wantonly, this is a particularly decent take on the Hellenic standard. Crisp greens, a tart, tangy dressing and even some hidden sundried tomatoes in the mix, we’re not quite sure who in this economy is getting sides with their lunch, but if you’re only a wee bit hungry, this is a winner. Leonie Cooper
THREE STARS
12. Pret’s Coronation Egg Bloomer
Overpowered by the taste of one pesky condiment (mango chutney) which makes the sarnie too sweet. There’s a good range of ingredients, including positive additions of fresh coriander, pickled onions and crunchy onion bits, but the overall taste is not giving ‘coronation’. It was lacking in mayo, salt and that smoky curried flavour you’d be expecting in coronation dressing, alas. India Lawrence
THREE STARS
13. Salted Caramel Dessert Pot
A respectable addition to the Pret-ty Puds sub-genre, this smooth inverted mound of sweetness is objectively better than the chain’s chocolate mousse and lemon cheesecake, but falls some way short of the benchmark set by the new Black Forest Dessert Pot (we stan). The vanilla cheesecake and biscuit base are pleasingly light, but there’s not a huge amount to it beyond the sugar hit. Fine. Joe Macktertich
THREE STARS
14. Mexican-Style Chipotle Chickpea Salad
The chickpea game is strong with this one. It’s just a shame that you have to hook-a-duck them from mediocre and vinegary salad greenery – a few pine nuts or sunflower seeds wouldn’t go amiss. You get about two tomatoes and a sliver of avo for your money. Definitely more of an appetiser than the main event. Jess Phillips
TWO STARS
15. Coronation Chicken Bloomer
If it wasn’t filled with radioactive yellow gloopy stuff, I’m really not sure I’d know this was a coronation chicken sandwich. It’s not that it tastes bad, it just lacks the curried kick you want from a sarnie like this. The pickles try their best to muscle in and bring a bit of tang to the party, but it’s not enough. Disappointingly bland. Alex Plim
TWO STARS
16. Korean-Style Chicken & Slaw Wrap
The flavour is great, but the format is all wrong. Pret’s Korean-style BBQ chicken more than proved its worth in the new Chilli Chicken salad (see above), but in a wrap things quickly lose their star power. The cucumber batons are too big, and the wrap to filling ratio seems absurd. Too much dough, not enough juicy middle. Get the salad, and snub this. Leonie Cooper
TWO STARS
17. Chicken & Stuffing Baguette
Stuffing? At this time of year? A deeply unseasonal offering, this festive baguette seems more than a little out of place in Pret’s spring menu. This might have been alright if it was a real showstopper, but it’s pretty damn bland, with mayo, chicken and a barely perceptable herby pork stuffing. A hard pass. Leonie Cooper
2 STARS
18. Korean Style Mushroom & Avocado Wrap
Squeaky chunks of cucumber, squishy roasted chestnut mushrooms and a crunchy-ish veneer of salad give this a strikingly busy texture, but the weapons grade Korean BBQ sauce drowns out pretty much every flavour beyond the sweet rye wrap. If there was avocado in this it was beyond my powers to detect – perhaps the sauce had simply nuked it. I don’t think I’ve ever had a British made, Asiatic sauce-based wrap that wasn’t essentially spoiled by the overpowering sauce and this was sadly no exception. Andrzej Łukowski
TWO STAR
19. Italian Deli Bloomer
Pesto is the overwhelming flavour of this otherwise bland and lacklustre sandwich. For £5 (or whatever it costs) there is a shameful lack of filling here. The layer of Greve cheese is so flimsy you can barely taste it, and the same could be said for the salami. The bread is thinly sliced and flavourless. It’s no better than the sad sandwiches I make at home when I’m trying to save money on lunch. India Lawrence
ONE STAR
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Staying At Babington House with Children
One thing I love about having Oscar is taking him to some of my favourite places and being able to see them through his eyes. Babington House, a country house hotel near Bath in Somerset is one such place, I’ve been a few times before but it makes it even more special to visit with him. Part of the Soho House Group and sister hotel to Soho Farmhouse, Babington House hits the mark of being super stylish and luxurious with high end service whilst also being relaxed, casual and informal. While the Soho House hotels are designed more with adults in mind, there are also certainly great facilities for children too.
As I have written a full review of Babington House previously, this blog post will mostly focus on the child-friendly elements of the hotel.
Our Room, Hotel Interiors and Style of Babington House
Babington House is a stunning converted Georgian Manor house located on a beautiful rolling grounds and a lake. The hotels interiors are in Soho House’s signature ‘comfy luxe’ style – think deep velvet sofas, burnished brass and antique fireplaces interspersed with luxurious marble and real artwork by the likes of Tracey Emin.
We stayed in the split level Stable Block rooms which are located in a separate building from the main house. These are the main child-friendly rooms at the hotel but The Lodge (a separate building located at the hotel gate) also allows children to stay. As a tip, we found Babington House much easier to book for child-friendly rooms (I think they have more of them?) then Soho Farmhouse and we were able to book two Stable Block rooms only around two months advance. I’ve stayed at Babington a few times but the Stable Block room was easily the nicest room that we’ve had! My sister and I had rooms right next to each other in the Stable Block and she stayed with 11 year-old Charlie and 5 year-old Jackson while we were with 3 year-old Oscar.
Downstairs features an incredibly comfortable lounge area with a gorgeous coffee table books and a bowl full of apples – Oscar proceeded to take a bite out of each one! There’s a coat cupboard and plenty of space to store a buggy. 
On the other side of the room is a kitchenette with a fridge and microwave and full compliment of snacks(including homemade cookies), soft drinks and alcohol. I liked the fact the TV could be hidden away behind a blind.
Adjacent to the living area are the children’s spaces.
The children’s bunk room is super cute and I love the sage green colour.
The big chalk board was perfect for Oscar who loves drawing and writing. He immediately started sketching his favourite Numberblocks characters on the wall. 
There’s a book case of classic tales.
And a basket of toys…
The kids bathroom is next to the bedroom and can be used as a wet room shower or for a bath. The bath itself is slightly smaller than the main bath for little people and there’s two sinks, a lower one for kids. I loved the inclusion of the little bath toys and the Baby Cowshed toiletries. The toilet is handily located in a separate closet downstairs.
The upstairs master bedroom is just gorgeous, it’s super spacious and plenty of room for an extra cot if needed. The beds at Soho House are always amazing and this was the usual marshmallow dream bed, stacked with the softest pillows! There’s a large amount of wardrobe storage and a TV that hides in the sideboard! Something that I love about Soho House is that they always tick the boxes for the detail and that for me is a full length mirror, a dressing table with plug sockets, sockets by the bed for phone charging and plenty of light for getting ready. Not only this but there a straightening irons provided, a Dyson hair dryer and a full supple of toiletries and hygiene products… the idea being you don’t need to pack much you can come straight after work with a small bag to Babington House, your home away from home! There were some gorgeous sample size face products by Soho Skin, Soho House’s new skincare range.
The bathroom is just beautiful and I love the scallop and marble vanity. The shower and bath are just huge and all the signature Cowshed products come full size in lots of different fragrances plus there are big fluffy robes to wrap yourself up in!
Child Care at Babington House
Teeny House and Loft is the perfect hideaway for kids! Opening hours are Monday to Saturday: 10am to 5pm, Sunday: 10am to 4pm and it’s closed between12.30pm and 1pm daily. Prebooking is necessary. As overnight guests we had a complimentary session of 2 hours a day. Of course we were apprehensive about leaving Oscar in a different setting but he was with his cousins and they loved it! It’s alway difficult to get photos of a kids club or nursery but take my word it was beautifully set up with role playing toys, puzzles, musical toys and arts and crafts. We thought Charlie at nearly 12 might be too old for it but he loved it too and was very happy to stay as soon as he saw an Xbox there! The boys came away with crafts and big smiles after spending an hour and half at Teeny House!
For the evening the hotel can arrange babysitters and we organised a baby sitter for each room whose references were completely trustworthy as they come either directly from Teeny House or a local agency. Oscar took to his babysitter straight away which was great as he doesn’t always.
Experiences and Activities
Babington House is a place for relaxation and getting away from it all so don’t expect a hive of activity. The top activity for the boys was swimming in the hotel’s gorgeous indoor / outdoor pool overlooking the lake. One thing to be aware of is children’s swimming times: 9.30am-11.30am and 3.30pm-6pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am-11.30am over the weekend. We did find it a little frustrating the children’s swimming times were limited but we managed to get the boys there for at least an hour a day and they loved it!
Located near the pool there is also a cinema showing children’s films first thing in the morning too.
And for adults? Honestly if you’re anything like me, I love going to hotels like Babington House and sitting in a cosy lounge by the fire or sitting out on the terrace in the sun. Just sitting. With a drink of course. But if you’re the active type there’s a gym, tennis, padel courts, cricket, croquet and cycling are all options.
If you’re a sloth like me, the Cowshed spa is also a good option featuring signature treatments for body, face, hands and feet as well as beauty treatments for brows, lashes and hair removal. There’s a huge range of maternity treatments too for back, legs, full body, face, manicure and pedicure. Though I didn’t go for a pregnancy treatment this time, I enjoyed a brilliant massage last time I stayed at Babington House.
Food
Food at Soho House hotels and Clubs are all about home comforts and members know that there will always be certain items consistent on the menu in every house. The Orangery is the hotel’s restaurant and the menu features house regulars such as Mac ‘n Cheese, burgers, pizza, fries and avocado on toast as well as seasonal British dishes. Breakfast is a selection from the farm table or a choice of hot dishes such as full English breakfast.
The lunch and dinner menu are similar, being pregnant, I preferred the lighter fish dishes such as Chalk stream Trout but Mr S and my sister shared a Club steak and last time I was at Babington my friend and I shared a succulent chicken. On the Sunday we enjoyed a fantastic Sunday Roast.
In terms of kids’ food The Orangery is adults only after 7pm (14 years and over) while The Snug, Study, Log Room and Deli Bar are child-friendly at all times. On the first night we got dinner for the kids in restaurant early – there’s a special child’s menu of simple pizza, burgers and pasta with ice cream and brownies etc for dessert while on the second night we ordered room service from a similar menu. We had babysitters both nights in order to have an adult only meal in the Orangery.
There’s also a complimentary afternoon tea everyday!
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love Babington House and it’s a personal favourite of mine. Whilst restrictions on swimming pool and restaurant use mean it’s not the most child-friendly hotel I’ve been to, the family room that we had was absolutely brilliant and our children loved the Teeny House.
Great For Kids
Lots of beautiful green space for running around.
Plenty of sports including swimming in the indoor / outdoor pool.
Multi level kids club suitable for little ones and pre-teens.
Great For Parents
Luxury decor and beautiful spaces; no compromise on the space and style with the family room.
Impeccable service that is discreet and relaxed.
The stunning Cowshed Spa.
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Random Things to do!
