London might have extortionate rents and overpriced pints, but there is one thing we’re good at. It turns out the capital is the UK’s best city for independent businesses, making it a place where indie biz owners can thrive – well, according to a new study, anyway.  The report from SumUp analysed the number of indie businesses and their average review score to come up with a total score for 10 cities in the UK. London took the cake with a total score of 13.45. Yes, we still have chain restaurants and high street shops owned by big corporations, but we’ve also got a he ..read more

Having your phone stolen is all-round pretty rubbish. These days our whole lives, from photographs to bank details, are stored on these devices; phone theft is a stress we could all do without. If it feels like the number of phone thefts in London is increasing, well, that’s because it is. Last year, there were over 40,000 phone thefts reported in the capital. But it’s a bigger problem in some London boroughs than others.  In a recent report, the Met Police revealed that Greenwich is the London borough with the biggest increase in mobile phone thefts. Last year ..read more

As London’s galleries gear up for their big summer exhibitions, they’re closing the doors on their spring shows. Which is a shame, because it’s been a pretty special season in the art world. Small gallery shows like Nick Waplington’s amazing ‘Living Room’ jostled for space with major institutions’ exhibitions like the Hayward’s huge sculpture show ‘When Forms Come Alive’ and big in-depth historical extravaganzas like Raven Row’s Brazilian art rundown ‘Some May Work As Symbols’. There was photography, painting, sculpture, immersive installations, the whole shebang, and you’ve only got a couple ..read more

We hope you’ve registered to vote (don’t forget you need photo ID), because the London Mayor election us coming up next week (on May 2, to be exact). The mayoral hopefuls have all pledged different things for London, from more public toilets to building affordable homes and tackling violent crime. But what have they said about London’s public transport? Current London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is hoping to be elected for a third term, has said he wants to run more commuter trains into the city. Khan says he wants TfL to take control of services operated by Southeaste ..read more

It’s a tough life, being an avid surfer in London. Opportunities to ride waves without leaving the city are practically non-existent: with no naturally wavy waters in the capital and no artificial ripples either, the capital’s surfers have little choice but to flock to far-off beaches (like those in Brighton, Eastbourne and Norfolk) to show off their wave-riding skills. But soon that might all change, as the London is set to get its first inland surfing centre.  Called The Wave, the venue will be in Enfield (far north London) and host a range of water sports activities. Current ..read more

Airports don’t exactly have a rep for being calming, tranquil sorts of places. From cancelled flights and lost baggage to lengthy queues and sky-high prices, airports are often very stressful indeed.  Some airports, however, are much more stressful than others – and according to a new ranking, one London air hub is mega-stressful even by airport standards. Heathrow is apparently the third-most stressful airport in all of Europe.  That’s according to research by StressFreeCarRental.com, which listed European aviation hubs based on five factors that contribute to stress: pas ..read more

Anyone who’s ever stepped inside the Royal Albert Hall will understand that it can’t be filled with just any old music – it needs scale and drama. And every year it gets exactly that with the BBC Proms, one of London’s best-loved and most dazzling cultural festivals.  The Promenade Concerts (as they’re also known) have taken place in the RAH throughout the summer since way back in 1895. They’ve been organised by the BBC since 1927.  The likes of Pete Tong, Stormzy, Kylie Minogue and even Dame Judi Dench have all made appearances at the Proms in the past, and this year ..read more

As a last-ditch attempt to cool down on London’s (albeit rare) hot summer days, I’m sure we’ve all wistfully dreamt of diving head first into the murky waters of the Thames. Thankfully, most of us come to our senses before actually doing so – as shown at the other week’s boat race, the river is horrifically (and dangerously) polluted.  But the Thames might not be un-swimmable forever. This week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to transform the river, vowing to make it swimmable by 2034. Yep, it could take an entire decade to make the Thames even remotely hygienic.  ..read more

The closure bell tolls once more, this time for Turnips in Borough Market. The restaurant launched as a pop-up from chef Tomas Lidakevicius (formerly of Jason Atherton’s City Social) in 2020, and became permanent the following year. It was connected to the Turnips greengrocers, a family-run fruit and veg wholesaler which has been part of Borough Market for over 30 years.  The al fresco restaurant was open for lunch and in the evenings, when Turnips had finished trading for the day, and served veg-forward small and sharing plates, with recent menus including cévennes onion with ..read more

Move over NYC, so long Dubai, vaarwel Amsterdam – the world’s got a new capital when it comes to attracting the best of the best workers. London has just been named the planet’s top ‘talent magnet’ by a new study.  It’s no secret that our capital has long provided opportunities for the worker bees among us. London boasts countless industries and professions, from the financial sector to hospitality.  Jargon aside, being the world’s top ‘talent magnet’ simply means that London is officially the single most attractive city to workers around the globe. The city received ..read more