Josette Punter-Thomas

There are a million podcasts out there, and 2024’s releases are showing no signs of slowing down. There’s already been a load of bangers since the beginning of the year, and here at Time Out, we’re determined to listen to them all. After all, how else are you going to know which one to choose? We’ve rounded up our favourites, from political podcasts that look behind the news to comedy podcasts with your favourite funny people, and plenty of those all-important investigative whodunnits to keep you up at night. If you’re looking to dig deeper into one genre, we’d recommend trying our specialist lists on for size (you’ll find them below). But for a full list of good, addictive podcasts of every genre, read on.  We update this list with brand-new podcasts every month, so check back for more fabulous podcast recommendations from the Time Out team. Happy listening! RECOMMENDED:🎧 The best news podcasts😂 The best comedy podcasts 🗞️ The best history podcasts

When you think about it, beaches are actually pretty simple. All you need are some crystal-clear waters, long stretches of sun-kissed shoreline and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous, ‘gram-worthy patch to lie down and chill out (whilst, obvs, slathered in a healthy dose of sunscreen).  Though plenty have sun, sand and sea in common, no two beaches are truly alike – nature just doesn’t work that way. The glistening white shores of tropical, palm tree-lined bays are a million miles away from volcanic black pebbles along rugged Nordic coastlines. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t all magnificent, and the ones in this list are the very best this planet has to offer: take a look. RECOMMENDED: 🌍The best things to do in the world🏊‍♀️The most spectacular places to swim in the world 🤿The best places to go snorkelling in the world🧗‍♀️The best caves in the world to explore

‘I was just an ordinary Black guy from the ghetto’: that’s how photographer Charlie Phillips describes himself. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Phillips arrived in the UK aged 11, settling in Notting Hill. After suffering great damage in World War II, it was one of the more affordable areas at the time – landlords built up houses and converted them into rooms to let out to accommodate an influx of migrants. Charlie recalls it being normal for multiple people to live in one room, himself sharing with five other people. Photograph: Charlie PhillipsNotting Hill Carnival, 1968 Photograph: Charlie PhillipsDancers at Cue Club, 1970 Phillips began his journey as a photographer aged 14, armed with nothing but a Kodak Retina camera left behind at a house party by an American soldier. Initially, he thought it would only be a short stay in the UK and wanted photos to take back to Jamaica to show what life was like here: documenting his environment, friends and family. Decades later, Phillips still resides in London, now living in Brixton. Over the years, his photographs have been displayed in galleries around the world, including Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery. Yet, despite continuing his passion well into old age, Phillips’ work remains largely unpublished. That’s why he’s teaming up with Bluecoat Press to fundraise to release a beautifully curated photo book of his London street photography. Photograph: Charlie PhillipsChild with his grandparents, 1973 Photograph: C

Street food vendors are the unsung heroes of any city, giving locals and tourists alike a taste of community (and seriously good snacks). From quick eats to full on meals, slapping one (or a few) on your to-do list when exploring a new city is an absolute must do, and the best of it will tell you about a city’s culture or history. If food is the way to a person’s heart, our list of fabulous street food around the world are sure to make you fall in love. Some are well-kept family recipes that uphold their heritage and others put a modern twist on tradition, but all of them will remind you of your trip for years to come. From tamales to falafel, here is our bucket-list worthy guide to the world’s best street food. RECOMMENDED: 🍸 The world's best rooftop bars🌏 The world's best cities for food🍞 The best sandwiches in the world🏙️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world

Apparently, summer is now upon us but in true British summer style, we’ve been promised 50 days of rain instead of summer rays. So if you want to avoid freezing cold temps, this may  not be the time for wild swimming  (unless you’re an ice bath enthusiast). But fear not: we’ve got the solution! Luckily,  there’s a whole bunch of heated outdoor AND indoor pools for you to take advantage of throughout the UK if having a dip is your only goal this summer. Count your lengths, catch up with a pal or simply bubble away in the shallow end and relax under a cloudless sky. We’ve rounded up the best spa pools, lidos and swimming pools to cater to your water based needs – and all of them are heated to perfection. Go on, dive in: here are the best heated outdoor pools in the UK. RECOMMENDED:💧 The UK’s best outdoor swimming pools📸 The UK’s most Instagrammed villages🪂 The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🚴 The most beautiful bike trails in the UK🏠 The best UK Airbnbs with swimming pools

The summer holidays are coming to an end, and parents across the globe are desperate for some peace and quiet. Sure, spending quality time with the kids is beautiful, but those beaches and city breaks look mighty tempting, right? It isn’t as simple as that, obviously, but September offers a different travel atmosphere from the one experienced in the heady days of summer. The weather is altogether more temperate, for a start, which can be a brilliant thing, and from rural wine tours to lazy beach stays, the best places to travel in September are a blissful collection of everything this beautiful world has to offer. Just make sure you line up the grandparents to look after the kids in the meantime.   RECOMMENDED:🧳 Full guide to the best places to travel🏘️ The world's coolest neighbourhoods📸 The best cities for culture right now

Não faltam razões para tantos viajantes afluírem a Portugal: é banhado pelo sol quase todo o ano, nunca falta cultura para descobrir e ainda é bastante acessível para muitos estrangeiros. No entanto, a maior parte do turismo concentra-se nos mesmos destinos (Lisboa e Algarve) e na mesma época do ano (o Verão). Assim, na esperança de mitigar o turismo sazonal e redistribuir alguns dos seus visitantes para locais idílicos menos conhecidos, Portugal está a desenvolver um trilho de três mil quilómetros – que será o percurso pedestre circular mais comprido do mundo. A rota faz parte de uma iniciativa para promover o turismo de saúde e bem-estar. Chama-se Palmilhar Portugal e surgiu como uma solução para ajudar partes menos desenvolvidas do país a beneficiarem do turismo, particularmente fora da época alta. Preparado para o desafio? O percurso será caminhável e ciclável, com partes acessíveis a pessoas com mobilidade reduzida. Um pouco de tudo para todos. Embora possa levar anos a ficar concluída, a primeira parte da rota será inaugurada no final de Julho em Alenquer. A rota completa deverá abranger 90 a 100 concelhos, passando ao longo das fronteiras norte e sul, serpenteando vinhedos e vilas e acompanhando a costa. Uma aplicação estará disponível para os caminhantes, que também vão receber um passaporte físico para carimbar ao longo do percurso. Para mais tarde recordar, burum!  Depois da inauguração da primeira parte do trilho este Verão, virá a abertura de rotas no Alentejo, no

London pizza aficionados – ever had a New Haven style pizza? While NH might be less well-known than its Neapolitan, New York and Detroit counterparts, it’s on the up. And soon one of the UK’s most hyped New Haven pizzerias will be landing in London.  Later this month, two culinary giants will combine to bring NH-style pizzas to London. St Albans’ hyped joint Gracey’s will be cooking up its pizzas at legendary southeast London cafe Terry’s.  That’s right: for the first time in the 40-year history of Terry’s, pizza will be on the family-run Borough caff’s menu. It’ll be collabing with Gracey’s, a St Albans pizzeria that opened in lockdown and has since become a cult favourite. So what exactly is a New Haven style pizza, you ask? Well, it’s a thin-crust and well-cooked style much more like New York-style ’zas than the deep-dish likes of Chicago or Detroit. It dates back to American Italian immigrants in the 1920s. Co-owner of Gracey’s James Woodley told the Standard that the pop-up will blend New Haven classics with Terry’s British comfort food. The ‘Black Pig’ pizza will see Terry’s black pudding and sausage alongside chilli, fior di latte mozzarella, Spenwood – a British take on parmesan – and hot honey. Who knew black pudding would ever make it onto a pizza? For a more traditional New Haven slice, the ‘Fresh Mootz’ pizza will feature crushed San Marzano tomatoes, thinly sliced garlic, confit garlic oil, wild Sicilian oregano, and pecorino from Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden. I

There's a good reason so many travellers flock to Portugal: it’s drenched in sun, packed with culture and it’s fairly cheap, too.  However, most of Portugal’s tourism is concentrated on the same destinations (like Lisbon and the Algarve) at the same time of year (summer). So, in the hopes of mitigating seasonal tourism and redistributing some of its visitors to lesser-known idyllic spots, Portugal is developing a 3,000 km (1,860 mile) trail – set to be the longest circular walking route in the world.  The route is part of a Portuguese initiative to promote ‘wellness’ and ‘health-driven’ tourism. Called the ‘Palmilhar Portugal’ project, the idea for the route came about as a solution to helping underdeveloped parts of the country benefit from tourism, particularly outside of the summer months. Up for the challenge? The route will be walkable and cyclable, with parts of it accessible to those who are less mobile. A little something for everybody – we love to see it.  While it could take years to be completed in full, the first part of the trail will open at the end of July in Alenquer, just north of Lisbon. Eventually, the full route will span across 90-100 districts, passing along the northern and southern borders and winding its way past vineyards, through towns and along the coastline. An app will be available to walkers, who will also receive a physical passport to be stamped along the way for mems. How cute?! After the first part of the trail opens this summer, the followi

M&S has a special place in Brits’ hearts, old and young. From sweetie staple Percy Pigs and Colin the Caterpillar being centre stage at most parties to the chain’s bougie meal deals, it’s not hard to see why Marks and Sparks is so beloved.  And now we have some exceptionally exciting news for London-based M&S stans. It’s been revealed by the supermarket giant that the capital will be blessed with the arrival of not one but two new M&S food halls.  The market style food halls are set to open at Friern Bridge Retail Park (which is in Barnet, north London) and Sidcup (southeast London).  And that isn’t all. M&S apparently wants to spend a whopping £30 million upgrading other branches in the capital. Outlets in Chancery Lane, Teddington, Blackheath and Islington will all be getting glowed-up with stuff like bigger in-store bakeries and ‘click-and-collect’ facilities. The tension between us and those flashy new bakery sections is palpable.  In total, 25 M&S branches across the UK will receive upgrades. They’ll all be spruced up by summer 2024 – except for the Islington one, which will be completed by early 2025. The Sidcup food hall is on track to open on June 19 and the Friern Bridge one will open in August. Time Out and M&S From store openings to closures, we at Time Out keep up to date with M&S up and down the UK. Check out these alternative designs for the chain’s iconic Marble Arch store and read about the closure of a south London Marks and Sparks that is over 100 years old.

Have you been making the most of TfL’s cheap Friday tube and train fares? For over two months, Londoners have enjoyed off-peak prices all day on Fridays – but that’s all coming to an end this week.  Since March 8, on Fridays Londoners have saved a few quid per journey (a god-send in this economy) with fares being capped at off-peak rates during peak hours (6.30am to 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm) in zones 1-6. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan implemented the scheme in an effort to encourage people to go out more on Fridays (which, post-pandemic, has proven a popular day to work from home) and help boost the hospitality sector. TfL tried so hard to get Londoners to paint the centre of town red that it even partnered with OpenTable, a restaurant booking company, to offer special menus and discounts.  The trial was always set to end this weekend on May 31 – though this might not be goodbye forever to cut-price Fridays. TfL says that data gathered from the past three months will be used to ‘inform future policies or potential innovative approaches’ that could encourage the people back onto public transport. Haven’t yet made the most of all-day off-peak Fridays? Fear not. You still have one more chance to take advantage of this discount on Friday before it is discontinued. Time to get the mates together for one last hurrah and explore one of the best things to see and do in London this weekend.  Did you see that a festival of hot air balloons will float over London in July? Plus: this is what t

Did you know that Nutella turns 60 years old this year? It’s been six whole decades of chocolatey goodness flying off supermarket shelves and into our mouths by the spoonful. So, it’s no wonder that we’re going nuts (pun intended) for Nutella’s first pop up in Soho. Nutella is marking its 60th anniversary by opening a spread-themed pop-up in central London. Called the Nutella Smile Cafe, visitors will be able to get their hands on plenty of delicious choc-tastic goodness and limited edition merch.  Featuring dishes such as Pineapple & Mango Breakfast Waffles, all food will be topped with the recommended serving size of Nutella’s sweet spread (just 15g, if you were wondering – though, admittedly, we’re all probably guilty of eating more than that). You’ll also be able to take home limited edition jars of Nutella celebrating the brand’s 60th birthday.   Just in time for the end of the May half term, the Nutella Smile Cafe will open its doors on Thursday May 30 and be open until June 1.  You’ll find the pop-up at 59 Greek Street (W1D 3DZ) and you can confirm a spot by booking a (completely free) ticket on Eventbrite here.  Did you see that a festival of hot air balloons will float over London in July? Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.