free

WITH Christmas this week, you more than likely already have a few things in the diary – but for those odd days around the big day itself, here’s some inspiration for when you need to get the kids out the house.

Whilst a lot of places are closed on the big day itself and Boxing Day, many attractions, destinations and events are still open the rest of the week.

And some even on Christmas Eve.

So here’s a round up of some of the best free things to do across the UK between December 22 and 28.

Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry, Reading Museum

Located at Reading Museum, just two minutes from Reading train station, visitors can see Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry – a full-size replica of Normandy’s Bayeux Tapestry.

This is ideal to see ahead of the Norman Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum in autumn next year – though, this will be a paid-for experience.

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Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry is a full-size replica of the Norman one and is permanently located at Reading Museum, which is free to visit.

The tapestry measures 70 metres long and depicts the Norman conquest of England.

In the late 19th century, Britain decided it should have its own tapestry and so a group of Victorian embroiderers recreated the tapestry in full.

There are two main differences between the British tapestry and the Norman one – the Victorian embroidered underwear on the naked people in the British one and the ladies who embroidered the British one added their names to the end of the tapestry.

Head to the museum between December 22 and 24 to catch a glimpse of the tapestry before the museum closes for Christmas.

Paul Vanstone x David Aaron – Carrara Triceratops Skull

From now until December 31, you can see a marble life-sized skull of a Triceratops in Mayfair, London.

Created by British artist Paul Vanstone, the sculpture has been created in collaboration with the David Aaron gallery.

The sculpture can be found in Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum Exhibition, Preston

At The Harris in Preston, visitors can explore a hands-on exhibition of Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit.

Named A Case at the Museum, the exhibition marks the reopening of The Harris and showcases 35 years of Wallace and Gromit.

The exhibition explores the life of the creator of Wallace and Gromit – Nick Park – from growing up in Lancashire to the influence the region had on his characters and films.

Through the exhibition, visitors get to see original sets and models, storyboards, concept art, early sketches and even strike a pose in Wallace’s living room.

The museum and exhibition are both free to visit, with the museum only closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Though on Christmas Eve, The Harris is only open until midday.

Christmas Bauble Trail, St Albans

Until December 28, families can venture on a Christmas bauble trail around St Albans.

There are 12 baubles in total to spot, and you could even win a prize.

Boxing Day Swims, Various

A number of locations across the country host a Boxing Day Swim each year, where brave souls run into the chilly water for a dip.

A lot you have to either pay for or pre-book, but there are still a number that are free to participate in.

Though, most swims are for charity so donations are encouraged.

For example, you could head to Ventnor Bay on the Isle of Wight, where swimmers often wear pyjamas before running into the water.

The swim takes place on Boxing Day at 12pm.

Or head to North Norfolk Beach for the Runners’ Boxing Day Dip, where there is both a run starting at 11:30am and a splash in the sea at 12:30pm.

To find out if there is a Boxing Day Swim near you, just search your location and ‘Boxing Day Swim’.

Alternatively, some places host a New Year’s Day dip.

Christmas Lights, Various

Before they disappear for another year, make sure to check out the Christmas lights near you.

Whether that be Regent Street‘s iconic angels or the houses decked out in your nearby village, spotting Christmas lights makes the ideal festive walk.

Snoopy in the City, London

Until January 16, if you live in London you can still explore the Snoopy in the City sculpture trail.

Dotted around London’s Fleet Street Quarter, there are 12 Snoopy sculptures, all decorated by different artists, to find.

The trail celebrates 75 years of the Peanuts comic strip, created by Charles M Schulz.

Those trying to follow the trail can download a map on Wild in Art’s website.

Ikea events, various

In the lead up to Christmas, Ikea is still running its events including free ‘present hunts’ at Ikea Cardiff until December 23.

Or at Ikea Lakeside, visitors can make Christmas cards with the last session taking place on December 23.

Also tomorrow, from 10am to 11am, head to Ikea Southampton to have breakfast with Santa.

Justin Carter’s Liquid Light at the BottleWorks, Newcastle

Artist Justin Carter, who has showcased his work in Europe, Japan, China, Australia and America, has an exhibition at the BottleWorks in Newcastle.

The exhibition ‘Liquid Light’ showcases how important location can be to Justin and features a number of watercolour artworks.

You can visit on December 23 from 10am.

Ice skating, Blackpool

Ice skating at Christmas usually costs you an arm and a leg for just one person.

And then by the time you calculate how much it will cost for a family of four, you are nearing the £100 mark.

Up until January 4, you can head to the outdoor skating rink in Blackpool at the Christmas by the Sea village.

It sits below the iconic Blackpool Tower and is free to visit, with free skate hire as well.

The ice rink measures 20 metres in total and is open each day between 12pm and 9pm (apart from Christmas Day).

You don’t need to book, just turn up.

Christmas Rave, London

On Christmas Eve in the capital you can head to a free rave.

Located at Club Makossa in East London, ravers can head underground for some techno before the big day.

Whilst entry is free, there is a £1 donation to New Horizons Youth Centre in King’s Cross.

You can also enter a raffle at the rave and could win numerous prices from a £30 bar tab to event tickets.

The rave starts at 5pm and ends at midnight.

For more inspiration on what to do during the Twixmas period, here are 50 things to do between Christmas and New Year across the UK – including free activities and immersive experiences.

Plus, all the UK rides and attractions that we lost in 2025 and the exciting ones coming in 2026.

WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Rosenberg is still trying to understand why President Trump would free the man who defrauded him out of a quarter of a million dollars.

Rosenberg, a retired wholesale produce distributor living in Nevada, has supported Trump since he entered politics, but the president’s decision in November to commute the sentence of former private equity executive David Gentile has left him angry and confused.

“I just feel I’ve been betrayed,” Rosenberg, 68, said. “I don’t know why he would do this, unless there was some sort of gain somewhere, or some favor being called in. I am very disappointed. I kind of put him above this kind of thing.”

Trump’s decision to release Gentile from prison less than two weeks into his seven-year sentence has drawn scrutiny from securities attorneys and a U.S. senator — all of whom say the White House’s explanation for the act of clemency is not adding up. It’s also drawn the ire of his victims.

“I think it is disgusting,” said CarolAnn Tutera, 70, who invested more than $400,000 with Gentile’s company, GPB Capital. Gentile, she added, “basically pulled a Bernie Madoff and swindled people out of their money, and then he gets to go home to his wife and kids.”

Gentile and his business partner, Jeffry Schneider, were convicted of securities and wire fraud in August 2024 for carrying out what federal prosecutors described as a $1.6-billion Ponzi scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors. After an eight-week trial, it took a jury five hours to return a guilty verdict.

More than 1,000 people attested to their losses after investing with GPB, according to federal prosecutors who described the victims as “hardworking, everyday people.”

When Gentile and Schneider were sentenced in May, Joseph Nocella Jr., the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher Raia, a senior official in the Justice Department, called their punishment “well deserved” and a warning to would-be fraudsters.

“May today’s sentencing deter anyone who seeks to greedily profit off their clients through deceitful practices,” Raia said in a statement.

Then, on Nov. 26 — just 12 days after Gentile reported to prison — Trump commuted his sentence with “no further fines, restitution, probation, or other conditions,” according to a grant of clemency signed by Trump. Under those terms, Gentile may not have to pay $15 million that federal prosecutors are seeking in forfeiture.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters this month that prosecutors had failed to tie “supposedly fraudulent” representations to Gentile and that his conviction was a “weaponization of justice” led by the Biden administration — even though the sentences and convictions were lauded by Trump’s own appointees.

The White House declined to say who advised Trump in the decision or whether Trump was considering granting clemency to Schneider, Gentile’s co-defendant. Attorneys for Gentile and Schneider did not respond to a request seeking comment.

Adam Gana, a securities attorney whose firm has represented more than 250 GPB investors, called the White House’s explanation “a word salad of nonsense,” and questioned why Trump granted Gentile a commutation, which lessens a sentence, rather than a pardon, which forgives the offense itself.

“If the government wasn’t able to prove their case, why not pardon David Gentile? And why is his partner still in prison?” Gana said. “It’s left us with more questions than answers.”

‘It hurts a lot’

To Rosenberg, Tutera and two other investors interviewed by The Times, the president’s decision stripped away any sense of closure they felt after Gentile and Schneider were convicted.

Rosenberg has tried not to dwell on the $250,000 he lost in 2016, after a broker “painted a beautiful picture” of steady returns and long-term profits. The investments were supposed to generate income for him during retirement.

“A quarter of a million dollars, it hurts a lot,” Rosenberg said. “It changed a lot of things I do. Little trips that I wanted to take with my grandkids — well, they’re not quite as nice as they were planned on being.”

Jeffrey Rosenberg, a longtime Trump supporter, said he felt “betrayed” after the president granted clemency to convicted fraudster David Gentile.

(Scott Sady / For The Times)

Tutera, who runs a hormone replacement therapy office in Arizona, invested more than $400,000 with GPB at the recommendation of a financial advisor. She hoped the returns would help support her retirement after her husband had died.

“I was on grief brain at the time and just feel I was taken advantage of and really sold a bill of goods,” said Tutera, 70. Now, she says: “I have to keep working to make up for what I was owed.” She has been able to recover only about $40,000.

Tutera said her sister, Julie Ullman, and their 97-year-old mother also fell victim to the scheme. Their mother lost more than $100,000 and now finds herself spending down savings she had planned to leave to her children and not trusting people, she said.

“That’s really sad,” Tutera said. “People, unfortunately, have turned into thieves, liars and cheaters, and I don’t know what’s happened to the world, but we’ve lost our way to be kind.”

Ullman, 58, who manages a medical practice in Arizona, said the financial loss was life-changing.

“I’m going to have to work longer than I thought I would because that was my retirement fund,” Ullman said.

Mei, a 71-year-old licensed acupuncturist who asked to not use her full name out of embarrassment, said a broker introduced her to the GPB investment funds at a lunch meeting targeting divorced women. She eventually invested $500,000 and lost all of it. It was only through lawsuits that she was able to recover roughly $214,000 of her money, she said.

Mei had planned to retire in New York to be close to her children. But the loss of income has forced her to live in China, where the cost of living is much lower, six months out of the year, she said.

Mei fears Trump’s decision to commute Gentile’s sentence will allow these schemes to continue.

“Donald Trump is promoting more white-collar financial criminals, for sure,” Mei said. “How unfair.”

Bob Van De Veire, a securities attorney who has represented more than 100 GPB investors, said he has mostly handled negligence cases against the brokers who touted GPB investments.

“Based on all the red flags that were present, they should have never sold these investments at all,” Van De Veire said.

Gana, the securities attorney, added that he will continue to fight for victims in civil court, noting the clemency only addressed the criminal conviction.

The commutation caught the eye of Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who sent a letter to the White House last week asking several questions: Why, for example, did Gentile receive clemency while Schneider did not? And what were the trial errors cited as a reason for the commutation? He said victims deserve answers.

“They will not forget that when they needed their government to stand with them against the man who stole their futures, their President chose to stand with the criminal instead,” Gallego wrote.

Rosenberg, the retiree from Nevada, said he still supports the president but can’t help but think Trump’s decision makes him “look like another of the swamp” that Trump says he wants to drain.

“I think Trump does a lot of good things,” he said, “but this is a bad one.”

Still, Rosenberg is hopeful Trump may do right by the victims — even if it’s just by admitting he made a mistake.

“I would like to think that he was fed some bad information somewhere along the way,” he said. “If that is the case … at least come forward and say, ‘I regret it.’ ”

The top of the tower had disappeared in the mist, but its bells rang clear and true, tolling beyond the abbey gates, over the slopes of frost-fringed trees, down to the town in the valley below. Final call for morning mass. I took a seat at the back of the modern church, built when the Abbey of Saint Maurice and Saint Maurus relocated to this hill in Clervaux, north Luxembourg, in 1910. Then the monks swept in – and swept away 1,000 years. Sung in Latin, their Gregorian chants filled the nave: simple, calming, timeless. I’m not religious and didn’t understand a word, but also, in a way, understood it completely.

Although mass is held here at 10am daily, year-round, the monks’ ethereal incantations seemed to perfectly suit the season. I left the church, picked up a waymarked hiking trail and walked deeper into the forest – and the mood remained. There was no one else around, no wind to dislodge the last, clinging beech leaves or sway the soaring spruce. A jay screeched, and plumes of hair ice feathered fallen logs. As in the church, all was stillness, a little magic.

I’d come to Luxembourg by train, with the notion of finding a frozen fairytale. This tiny grand duchy, about the size of Dorset, has a ridiculous number of castles – as many as 130 (depending on your definition). It’s the legacy of being sited at the heart of western Europe, suffering centuries of incursions. Some of these castles have been restored for visitors; some are places you can stay at (with lower rates off-season). Add in rimy forests, chanting monks and the fact all public transport is free – maybe the most magical thing of all – and my hopes Luxembourg would make an atmospheric winter break were being fulfilled.

My walk ended at Clervaux Castle. It dates from the 12th century, but was destroyed during the second world war’s desperate Battle of the Bulge, which played out in these cold forests in December 1944. The castle has since been rebuilt and now houses the 1950s Unesco-listed photo exhibition The Family of Man. It was almost empty as I moved between the 503 images, taken by the most prestigious photographers of the age, depicting normal people in all life stages, the ordinary rendered extraordinary. There are no captions or locations; each photograph is its own whole story, containing multitudes. It was incredibly uplifting.

You can’t spend the night at Clervaux Castle, but 10 minutes away by (free!) bus is Chateau d’Urspelt, where you can stay. When I arrived, this castle looked Disney-cute, fairy lights dripping from its white-washed turrets. Eighty years ago, it was quite different. The US 1st Battalion 110th Infantry had its HQ here in December 1944, before being overwhelmed by German forces. After the war, Urspelt fell further into ruin, until 2005, when a local entrepreneur decided to restore it and turn it into a smart hotel. I skipped the snazzy spa, and the ice rink sparkling in the courtyard, but relished a fruity Luxembourgish pinot noir in the low-lit bar, which hides like a speakeasy in the castle’s historic cellars.

One of the country’s most impressive castles is Vianden (less than an hour from Clervaux via a free bus), a beast of a bastion, lording over the River Our, on the German border. It was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on Roman foundations, altered multiple times, left to rot, then, from the 1970s, painstakingly restored to its medieval pomp. On a pallid winter’s day, it was crowd-free. I rattled around its vast state rooms and marvelled at the layered history visible in the visitor centre, which is built around past excavations.

It’s not just the castle that gives Vianden its fairytale feel. There’s the winding river, the tight-pressed wooded hills and the village itself, with its remnants of 13th-century walls and pretty, cobbled main street. I opted to escape reality entirely in the Ancien Cinéma cafe, a former movie theatre where you can grab a coffee, sit on a couch and watch whatever’s on the big screen, surrounded by film paraphernalia.

My final stop was a castle unlike any other. Chateau de Clémency, close to the Belgian border, is a five-room guesthouse and the 2025 winner of Luxembourg Tourism’s Best Host award. Dating back to 1635, it was only ever a small residential retreat, with no military function. When Pascal Zimmer – former judoka, self-taught tailor and architect, and restorer of historic buildings – bought it 20 years ago, it was a proper mess, in need of either demolition or renovation. He saw the property’s true value and he liked the staircase – “You could say I spent €400,000 on some stairs …” he confessed, pointing out the stone pleasingly worn by 400 years of footfall.

“When you think about castles, you think of Windsor or Versailles. But this is a Luxembourgish castle, not so expansive, not so well done; you can’t restore it in the same way.”

So, to that end, Clémency is Pascal’s own artistic vision. Each room has a different theme, from belle époque “Peggy’s” to the “Roaring 20s”. “Tribute” pays homage to the local steel industry on which Luxembourg’s wealth is built. “My father was a miner,” Pascal said. “He was a humble guy; he’d say all he wanted was a small, clean room. This is a small, clean room.” A patchwork blanket covers the bed, while the bathroom is black polished concrete, a nod to life underground. I stayed in “Sherlock”, a Holmesian fantasy suite; the lounge was a steam-punkish curiosity shop of moody portraits, scientific implements and stuffed cats.

There isn’t much to do in the town of Clémency itself, although that hardly mattered. It was only 40 minutes by public transport (did I mention: all free!) into Luxembourg City, a capital perched on a precipitous rock, like something from a storybook. It was a shorter hop to Bascharage, where I got cosy in D’Braustuff, a gemütlich brewery-brassiere serving Luxembourgish classics – I tucked into a hearty wäinzoossiss (traditional sausage). But when darkness fell, I was also content to stay in my castle with a book – the shelves were full of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle – and enjoy an alternative winter’s tale.

The trip was provided by Luxembourg tourism board and Byway, which can arrange bespoke itineraries including Eurostar tickets, Interrail passes and accommodation. Château de Clémency has doubles from €99. Château d’Urspelt has doubles from €174

A T-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother was among the post-match talking points at Old Trafford – even after a game as thrilling as the 4-4 draw between Manchester United and Bournemouth.

Jordan Mainoo-Hames wore a ‘free Kobbie Mainoo’ T-shirt during the match, a move that risks making a delicate situation even more fraught.

Mainoo’s United future is the subject of huge debate, with head coach Ruben Amorim yet to hand him a single Premier League start this season.

Amorim has defended himself on numerous occasions against allegations he does not rate Mainoo and that he has no trust in United’s academy.

The 20-year-old was keen to join Napoli in the summer but United refused to sanction the move.

Mainoo was introduced to rapturous applause with just under 30 minutes left of Monday’s game against Bournemouth. It was his third-longest runout in a Premier League match this season, taking his minutes for the campaign to 302.

It is understood that Napoli are still keen to sign the England international – as are a large number of other clubs.

But United know if they were to let Mainoo leave for the remainder of the campaign to improve his chances of making England’s World Cup squad, they would have to spend significantly more to bring in a replacement because he is on relatively low wages.

Amorim was not asked about the T-shirt post-match, but spoke about Mainoo last Friday.

He refused to say if he would sanction a January move but he would welcome Mainoo seeking him out for a chat.

“I had some conversations with him, especially last year, and with other players, but about that subject, no, I didn’t speak with him,” said Amorim.

“I will be really pleased if Kobbie comes to talk to me about that. I just want my players happy.

“I understand every individual has their goals and the frustration doesn’t help anybody.

“I’m not going to say what I would say but I would talk to him.

“I am completely open, that is clear. I have my ideas and that is also clear. I will not change if I don’t believe it but I’m open to speak with any player. I love that.”

Amorim has not just upset Mainoo recently.

Before the Bournemouth game, he claimed 18-year-old defender Harry Amass was “struggling in the Championship” with Sheffield Wednesday, even though he is the club’s player of the month. In addition, he said 18-year-old forward Chido Obi was “not always a starter in the Under-21s”.

The comments are understood to have gone down badly with both player representatives and senior academy staff.

Both 18-year-olds posted on social media highlighting their achievements before later deleting their posts.

Amass posted a photo holding Sheffield Wednesday’s player of the month award for November with a smiling emoji, while Obi also posted an Instagram story showing him celebrating a goal for the Under-21s against Manchester City in August.

IT’S the final week before Christmas arrives, and with some schools now breaking up and people using up their annual leave, there are plenty of free events to enjoy across England.

Whether you’re looking for something free to do with the kids or want to enjoy a bit of festive cheer yourself, there is something for everyone.

Don’t celebrate Christmas? Not to worry, there are things for you too.

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge

This Sunday, December 21, the Winter Solstice will take place.

On the day, English Heritage provides free access to Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England to see the moment itself.

Parking must be pre-booked or there is a regular bus service from Salisbury city centre.

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Waterstones Christmas events

A number of Waterstones stores across the UK are hosting free Christmas events this week.

On December 17, head to Waterstones Newton Abbot in Devon or Newport on the Isle of Wight for some late night shopping with mulled wine and mince pies.

On December 18, a number of stores are running events including late night shopping at Waterstones Merry Hill, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield and Doncaster.

Also on December 18, you could head to Waterstones Exeter, Roman Gate, for a festive evening with appearances from Kate Lord Brown (author of The Golden Hour) and Alexandra Dawe (author The Stitchwort Curse), alongside the Global Harmony Choir.

Lowry 360, Manchester

Manchester has a new free immersive gallery experience, where visitors can immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of LS Lowry’s iconic painting, Going to the Match.

You do need to book tickets though, which also gives you access to Modern Life: The LS Lowry Collection and Quentin Blake and Me.

Tudor Christmas – the final Gresham College lecture

Gresham College lectures are free public talks in London, that have been running for over four centuries and cover a vast variety of topics.

The final lecture of the year will be all about how the Tudors celebrated 12 days of feasting, carols, gift giving and mischief under the Lord of Misrule.

If you cannot attend in person, there is also a livestream of the lecture.

It takes place on December 17, from 6pm to 7pm.

Carol Services

With it being the festive season, there are a number of free carol services across the UK.

For example, you could head to Toddler Carols at Bristol Cathedral, which is an informal carol service where “energy, noise, and movement that young children bring” is welcome.

The carol services take place on December 17 at 11am, 2pm and 3:30pm.

At Langham Place, in London, there will also be free All Souls Carols with Christmas punch and mince pies.

There’s no need to book, but it is recommended that if you want a seat, to turn up early.

The event will take place on December 18 at 5.30pm and 7.30pm, December 20 at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm and on December 21 at 9.30am, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

If you are looking for a free carol service near you, look at local churches websites and Christmas markets as these places often host a festive sing-song session.

Cotehele: Wassail! in Saltash, Cornwall

At the National Trust‘s Cotehele, there will be an annual Wassail this week, which is supposed to scare away evil spirits from the orchard to ensure a good harvest next year.

The event includes singing songs alongside a band and fancy dress is encouraged.

It takes place on December 20, 11am to 12:30pm.

Birmingham Xmas Reindeer Trail

In Birmingham city centre you can currently discover a Reindeer Trail including Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.

Four of the reindeer have been given a refresh since last year, with new designs.

And there is even a Roy Wood I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day theme.

Visitors can find a trail map online, which can be downloaded and for kids there’s a game to find a hidden word.

On each reindeer there is a letter and when collected all together the letters spell out a word.

The free event runs until January 6, with reindeer spread across the city centre.

The Cosy Christmas Corner at Ikea Bristol

Ikea stores across the UK run a lot of events, most of which are free.

On Sunday, December 21, between 12pm and 4pm, head to Ikea Bristol and enjoy the Cosy Christmas Corner, where there will be storytelling.

You don’t need to book and when there, the Christmas Elf will share festive stories lasting 15 to 20 minutes a time.

The Austen Ball at the Bank of England

Head to the Bank of England in London on Thursday for The Austen Ball, which will be an evening inspired by the world of Jane Austen.

The event will transform the Stock Office into a grand ball, with a free historical dance workshop and silhouette portrait-making.

The event takes place on Thursday 18 December, from 5.15pm to 8pm.

Christmas in Comer Woods

Located at Dudmaston Estate, in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, there is a volunteer-led three mile walk through Sandilands.

Visitors can enjoy the coastal air as well as potentially see some local wildlife.

Volunteer-led walks will run from December 15 to 24, from 9am to 3pm each day.

Harland Miller at the Design Museum

There is a new display at the Design Museum in London showcasing paintings by the artist Harland Miller and it includes brand new work by the artist.

Visitors cam head to the museum between now and January 26 to see the canvases, which reflect on Miller’s time living in Los Angeles.

La Nativité at Bristol Cathedral

In Bristol, head to La Nativité on Monday, which will feature music, the smell of incense and be performed by candlelight.

And, for the first time in 18 months, the cathedral organ will be heard again following restoration.

Messiaen’s 1935 masterpiece will be played through the performance as well.

No charge or booking required and the show takes place on December 15, 7pm to 8:30pm.

For more inspiration on things to do with the kids over the festive period, a huge new waterpark has opened with 16 attractions and lazy river.

Plus, a huge movie and TV studios opening as top UK attraction next year – that lets you walk onto sets like EastEnders.

A new hotel and resort, owned by a famous chain with properties around the world, is set to open in the heart of the British countryside, offering ‘free desserts’ every day for guests

There’s a catalogue of luxury hotels dotted all over the UK, but there’s one that might just stand out from them all after it opens its doors to Brits. The Swiss brand Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, known for offering guests an hour of complimentary desserts every day, is set to open its first hotel in the UK.

Dubbed the ‘chocolate hotel’, Mövenpick has establishments all over the world, from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and even as far as the Pacific in Australia and New Zealand. In an exciting move, the well-known chain, owned by Accor, will open a new hotel in late 2027 at the Old Thorns Estate & Resort in Liphook, Hampshire, across 400 sprawling acres.

After a full renovation, the luxury hotel and resort will boast 194 bedrooms, a championship-level golf course, four restaurants, a wellness centre with spa, 2,500 square metres of conference and meeting spaces, and a ballroom accommodating more than 500 guests.

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Mövenpick is known for its premium and varied ice cream, which was acquired by Nestlé. Guests staying at the hotel can expect to enjoy an extensive selection of delicious treats, including éclairs, truffles, and brownies, as well as a chocolate fountain, during the brand’s famous ‘chocolate hour’, along with other food offerings.

What’s more, these desserts are famed for being complimentary for guests every day for 60 minutes. What makes the hotel chain stand out is its in-house chefs, who provide various workshops, demonstrations, and experiences for their guests, from truffle rolling to cupcake icing during the famed ‘chocolate hour’.

Graham Dodd, VP development for UK and Ireland, premium, midscale and economy brands at Accor, said: “Bringing Mövenpick to the UK marks an important step in strengthening our premium brand portfolio and reinforcing our growth commitment for this important market.

“Mövenpick is a world-renowned brand that is recognised for its culinary excellence and environmental responsibility, which align perfectly with the expectations of UK guests. The Old Thorns estate provides an exceptional backdrop to introduce the brand in this incredibly important destination for Accor.”

Renovations are expected to take place over the next two years to transform the former Old Thorns Estate & Resort into a new Mövenpick property in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, just an hour from London. The chain aims to expand its leisure and wellness facilities, elevate the dining experience, and restyle the guest bedrooms, all with an approach rooted in its Swiss-inspired hospitality.

Israr Liaqat, group CEO of Select Group, added: “This property stands as a landmark of character and opportunity. Its celebrated history aligns seamlessly with Mövenpick’s commitment to authentic experiences and Swiss-inspired hospitality. Together with our trusted and established partner Accor, we will elevate this iconic property into a world-class resort destination, blending heritage with the sophistication of the Mövenpick brand.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is set to join Dutch giants Ajax on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The Japan international is scheduled to undergo a medical on Tuesday.

BBC Sport revealed in July that Tomiyasu and Arsenal had reached a mutual agreement to terminate the versatile defender’s contract a year early, making him a free agent.

Arsenal signed defenders Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera in the summer, meaning Tomiyasu’s first team opportunities would be limited.

The 27-year-old has been completing a rehabilitation programme following knee surgery in February, but is now back training and poised to restart his career in Amsterdam, provided he passes a medical.

Sources have indicated his agreement with Ajax does not include an extension option.

Tomiyasu, who joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021, made 84 appearances for the Gunners. His final game for the club was in October 2024 in a 3-1 win over Southampton.

Ajax are currently fourth In the Eredivisie.

GUINNESS has opened a £75million brewery in London offering exiting new beers and even the chance to take a stout selfie – stoutie.

The new Open Gate Brewery will instead brew a range of new experimental beers alongside tours, a gift shop and plenty of chances to try a pint of the famous stout.

The Covent Garden site cost just under £75 million and spans several Victorian warehouse-style buildings where four core beers will be brewed on site – a London porter, lager, IPA and pale ale.

There will be seven more beers which will be exclusive to the new brewery including the Winter Warmer and Apricot Sour.

The beer made on site is exclusively available in the tasting room, restaurants and bars on site and the drinks are named in honour of the local area – Convent Classic IPA, Old Brewer’s Yard Porter and Piazza Pale Ale.

Dublin-brewed Guinness will still be on tap of course, and visitors can even have their selfies or “stouties” printed on the head of their beers for a truly personal pint.

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The site itself has been used for brewing on and off for three centuries and will be the first UK-based Guinness brewery open to the public.

Previously, the stout was brewed at Park Royal in West London until 2005 but the Open Gate location is both a micro-brewery and attraction.

The new location will

Barry O’Sullivan, the managing director of Diageo Great Britain, said: “London has played a critical role in Guinness’s success throughout its history, and two centuries after the black stuff arrived in the UK capital, one in seven pints poured in the city is now a Guinness.”

He added that he expects to see half a million punters walk through the gates in the first year and that the venture is a “vote of confidence” in London’s hospitality industry.

Mr O’Sullivan said the new brewery will create 250 jobs.

Heading up the restaurants is executive chef Pip Lacey – who previously worked under Gordan Ramsay.

Her debut restaurant won rave reviews and she will be at the helm of three different food stops – a seafood restaurant on the fifth floor, “grilled feasting” on the ground floor and a casual pie place on in the courtyard.

Mr O’Sullivan and Diageo’s global director for beer, vodka, liqueurs and convenience, Gráinne Wafer, hope for the brewery will have a ripple effect for hospitality across the city.

Iconic London pubs like Soho’s the Devonshire are already in talks with the team to get something in the pipeline.

O’Sullivan said: “I live in Soho, and there’s a really special relationship with everything we do.”

Whilst this is London’s first public Guinness brewery, Open Gate sites have opened up in Baltimore and Chicago and both report uplift across the city, in Guinness sales and the wider hospitality sector.

For a look inside the factory, visitors can take a £30 tour of the brewery or for something more special a £95 “Guinness masterclass”.

The “Open Gate Experience” at £30 includes a behind-the-scenes look at the micro-brewery and promises to be a “tasting adventure never experienced before”. The tour is 90 minutes and incudes a tasting flight.

The £95 “Guinness Masterclass” includes a complementary engraved glass as well as a masterclass and trip into the brewery’s archives. The experience allows punters to “get closer to Guinness than you’ve even been before”.

The masterclass is available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm only, starting in February.

Visitors can pour their own pint and sip it – or split it – in Bar 232, named in honour of the temperature that the barley is roasted at for the iconic stout.

The gift shop at the end of the tour offers G-branded glasses, football shirts, beer towels, golf balls, chocolates and for those short feeling festive, Guinness Christmas jumpers.

The brewery officially opened its gates on December 11 and looking ahead it seems it will be a lovely day for a Guinness.

This year marks a critical juncture for the global realisation of the right to education.

In just three weeks, we will start the final four-year countdown to 2030, when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should have been achieved. That includes SDG 4, which calls for inclusive, equitable, and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

At the heart of the commitment to lifelong learning was the recognition that free primary education alone is insufficient to prepare children to succeed in today’s world.

Early learning opportunities create vital foundations

Early childhood learning has profound long-term benefits for children’s cognitive and social development, educational attainment, health, and employment prospects. It’s also a powerful equaliser. It can narrow early achievement gaps for children from disadvantaged households and place them on a more equal footing with better-off peers.

Giving children access to quality early childhood care and pre-primary education can help get them ready to learn in primary school, supporting them to acquire vital early literacy and numeracy skills.

Despite these benefits, nearly half of all children miss out on early childhood education. In low-income countries, just one in five children has access to preschool.

Secondary education is the key to unlocking more and better human capital

Secondary education is also increasingly important for success in today’s world. Children with secondary education are more likely to find work as adults, earn more, and escape or avoid poverty.

The inclusion in the SDGs of both early childhood and secondary education reflects a broad international consensus that they are essential to children’s development and national progress.

Unfortunately, this consensus is not adequately reflected in international human rights law.

Strengthening children’s right to education

Existing international law guarantees children free and compulsory primary education. However, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) says nothing explicit about early childhood education. Nor does it require states to guarantee every child free secondary education.

While the SDGs are significant political commitments, they do not have the force of law. Countries report on their progress through voluntary national reviews, with no formal mechanism for children to claim redress if governments fail to deliver, nor a plan for ensuring progress beyond the year 2030.

Better legal protection, monitoring and realisation

A strong and clear legal standard in a human rights instrument would have the force of law, be subject to independent monitoring mechanisms, and need not be limited to a specific time period.

This is why Sierra Leone, Luxembourg, and the Dominican Republic moved a resoultion at the UN Human Rights Council calling for the development of a new human rights treaty that makes early years, pre-primary, and secondary education an undeniable part of the right to education.

I am delighted that the resolution was co-sponsored by 49 additional states and that significant progress was achieved during consultations on the initiative in Geneva earlier this year.

The power of international law to effect change

I am under no illusion that a new human rights instrument will offer a panacea to the challenges many states face in delivering a quality education to children. In fact, some people argue that international law in general—and international human rights law in particular—has had its day.

It’s true that the international human rights regime faces significant challenges and serious threats. But universal human rights laws and practices still have a central part to play in defending and advancing human dignity.

International human rights law has shaped legal and public understandings of human dignity and non-discrimination, resulting in improved rights for individuals, including women, children, persons with disabilities, minorities, and other vulnerable groups. Billions of people now possess rights that protect them from practices that had long been common in many societies.

For example, in the decade following the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, nearly twenty countries, including Sierra Leone, adopted or amended national legislation to raise their minimum age of voluntary recruitment to at least 18.

Human rights treaties can and do influence policy and practice. They also help build political will to ensure that the rights they set out can be enjoyed in practice.

Affirming our commitment to education

As the due date of the SDGs approaches, there is still a wide gap between what we committed to and what we have achieved.

Supporting this new human rights treaty, which will make it clear that the right to education includes learning both before and beyond primary school, is an important way to commit to closing that gap.

It will also provide a much-needed signal that international cooperation to advance human rights is still viable.

So on International Human Rights Day, I urge other UN member states to join Sierra Leone and the other countries supporting an Optional Protocol on the right to education, to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive a quality, free pre-primary and secondary education.

The Trump administration has accused ICEBlock of making federal agents vulnerable to attack and called for its removal.

The developer of a popular app used to monitor and share alerts about immigration enforcement activities has sued the administration of United States President Donald Trump for pressuring Apple to remove it.

ICEBlock, whose name refers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had one million users before it was dropped from Apple’s app store, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday.

Developer Joshua Aaron alleged in the complaint that the Trump administration’s campaign against the tracking app amounted to a violation of free speech.

“When we see our government doing something wrong, it’s our duty as citizens of this nation to hold them accountable, and that is exactly what we’re doing with this lawsuit,” Aaron said in the lawsuit.

The suit calls on the district court system to protect the Texas-based software company from “unlawful threats” under the Trump administration.

It also names as defendants some of Trump’s highest-level officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons.

First released in April, ICEBlock quickly became a widely used tool across the US as communities sought ways to share information about immigration raids.

Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has pushed a campaign of mass deportation, targeting a wide range of immigrants, many of whom are in the country legally.

Those raids, many carried out by heavily armed immigration agents in military-style attire, have also faced repeated accusations of human rights abuses.

Critics have questioned the violence used in some arrests, as well as the ICE officers’ use of face masks and plainclothes to conceal their identities.

There have also been reports of inhumane conditions once immigrants are in custody, including overcrowding, a lack of sanitation and faeces-smeared walls.

Human rights advocates have also questioned the speed with which deportations are being carried out, claiming the immigrants arrested have no opportunity to exercise their due process rights and are often prevented from contacting lawyers.

Even US citizens have been accidentally detained in the immigration sweeps. Some immigrants have been deported despite court orders mandating that they remain in the US.

The Trump administration has faced fierce criticism and judicial rebukes for its tactics.

But it maintains that software like ICEBlock puts federal immigration agents in danger of retaliation.

“ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line,” Attorney General Bondi has said.

In October, ICEBlock was pulled from Apple’s app store, a popular platform for downloading mobile software. The Justice Department confirmed that it had contacted Apple to push for the removal.

The lawsuit states that the tech company told Aaron the app had been removed following “information provided to Apple by law enforcement”.

Aaron has countered that the app is an exercise of essential free speech rights and is meant to help protect people from overbearing government activity.

“We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and affirm that ICEBlock is, in fact, First Amendment-protected speech and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron told The Associated Press news agency in an interview.

“I mean, these are people that are wearing masks — which is the antithesis of everything about this country — and they are not identifying themselves, and they’re zip-tying children, and they’re throwing women into vans.”