holidays

DEVON is the only county with two coastlines – and it certainly has the impressive beaches to show for it.

Growing up in South Devon, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time enjoying its spectacular seaside – in particular along the English Riviera.

The Riviera spans 22 miles of pretty coastline along the South West Coast Path.

It has been hugely popular among holidaymakers ever since the Victorian era, thanks to its micro-climate.

The unusually warm weather means it is home to plenty of tropical plants and palm trees, giving it a Mediterranean feel.

In my 20 years living in the area, I’ve experienced all 25 stunning beaches across the three towns that feature on the Riviera – Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

Each spot is different, with some being better for families while others are better for confident explorers.

As a local who has been to all of them, here’s my verdict on each…

25. Saltern Cove

Saltern Cove is a rocky, shingle beach that is my least favourite of all 25.

It’s rough underfoot, so I’d recommend taking beach shoes if you go in the water, and it’s best reached by kayak or paddle board.

The cove is a Special Site of Scientific Interest and as a result, is also a local nature reserve.

Near Goodrington Beach, you can head to the cove via Goodrington Sands or the South West Coast Path, and dogs are allowed all year-round.

24. Churston Cove

North of Brixham, Churston Cove is a quiet, shingle beach surrounded by dramatic cliffs.

This cove is popular among locals because it’s less well-known among tourists.

The water is particularly clear and calm compared to many of the other beaches.

I would say only venture to this spot if you are a keen hiker as the path is steep and uneven, but it does make for a scenic walk.

23. Watcombe Beach

If you want to see a beach with dramatic scenery, head to Watcombe Beach.

This secluded, quiet cove is surrounded by dramatic red cliffs scattered with towering trees.

The beach itself is a mixture of sand, shingle, and pebbles.

To get to the beach, your best bet is to park in the car park off Moor Lane and you will need to walk down a 500-metre, steep path.

22. Maidencombe Beach

For another dog-friendly spot, head to Maidencombe Beach in Torquay.

The beach is another place that features the county’s famous red sandstone cliffs, but is also a great spot to go rock pooling.

To get to the beach, you will need to head down a steep path and quite a few steps – so that is worth bearing in mind.

There is also a family-run cafe at the beach, where you can rent a paddleboard or kayak.

21. Oyster Cove

For another quiet spot, visit Oyster Cove in Paignton.

Popular with locals, to get to the beach you will have to head down a number of steps from the South West Coast Path above.

When the tide is low, loads of rockpools emerge to explore.

Your four-legged friend is allowed all year-round too.

20. Shoalstone Beach

Shoalstone Beach is another shingle beach that’s a 15-minute walk from Brixham’s main harbour.

The sea is quite rough here, but that’s no problem because Shoalstone seawater swimming pool is right next to the beach – the 53-metre tidal pool recently reopened following repairs.

There is a promenade to walk along and dogs are allowed year-round.

The Berry Head Hotel is a short walk away and perfect for a weekend stay, with rooms from £176.

19. Livermead Sands

Along the seafront from Torre Abbey Sands, heading towards Preston and Paignton, you willl find Livermead Sands.

It sits below a hotel by the same name and is a small red sand beach that completely disappears at high tide.

If you are staying at the hotel, there is direct access to the beach.

In the summer, make sure to catch the Red Arrows who fly over the beach.

18. Hollicombe Beach

Hollicombe Beach sits between the towns of Paignton and Torquay and is backed by red sandstone cliffs.

The quiet, sheltered beach features the famous red Devon sand and it’s quite long and thin, so you have to time your visit right to get the most of the space.

Wait until the tide washes out and suddenly a ton of rock pools will emerge, making it the best spot to go hunting for sea creatures.

Accessed by a steep, narrow slope, it’s good for older kids as it’s shallow water extends quite far out.

17. Man Sands

If you want to go to a secluded spot, head to Man Sands when on a hike from Sharkham Point.

The beach isn’t the most accessible, but the view is worth it when you get there.

And when the tide heads out, you will be able to explore a number of coves and rockpools.

It is a great spot for wildlife lovers as well, as behind the beach is a green area where birds live, and it is managed by the National Trust.

16. Beacon Cove

Growing up, I used to visit this beach a lot, tied in with a trip to the now- abandoned Living Coasts.

The beach sits between two cliffs and features a mix of pebbles and shingle.

The water is always very clear.

This spot even has the stamp of approval from a local celeb – Agatha Christie – who used to bathe here when it was a Ladies’ Bathing Cove.

15. Corbyn Beach

If Torre Abbey Sands is too busy for you, head to Corbyn Head Beach.

It is only a few minutes’ walk away from Torre Abbey Sands, but is much quieter and less busy.

Corbyn Head sits at the end of the beach, which is even believed to have inspired Baldy’s Head in Agatha Christie’s novel, Postern of Fate.

There’s a slipway from the road to the beach, making it super accessible, and you can grab a light bite from the cafe there too.

14. Fairy Cove

Located just behind Paignton Harbour, this quiet red-sand and pebble cove is a great spot for a peaceful escape.

The beach isn’t huge, but thanks to being tucked behind the harbour, you will only find locals there.

The sea here always tends to be a bit calmer as well, and has a nice gradual entry without getting deep quickly.

Not too far from the high street, it is the ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle.

13. Meadfoot Beach

A short drive from Torquay town harbour, you’ll reach Meadfoot Beach, which boasts a mix of shingle and pebble.

This beach has very clean water, but is known for being a little rockier underfoot when paddling.

It is also quieter, and thanks to a small car park and parking along the road, it is the perfect place to head wild swimming or kayaking, as crowds don’t get in the way.

There are also some seasonal beach huts and a cafe.

Make sure to look out for Thatcher Rock as well, and if you have binoculars you will be able to spot local birdlife on the towering sea rock.

If you want to extend your stay in this slightly quieter area of the English Riviera, you can book into The Osbourne Hotel, which looks right out to sea and costs from only £68 per night.

12. Anstey’s Cove

Anstey’s Cove was once used as a smugglers’ hideout thanks to being so secluded.

And today that secluded nature remains, with a shingle beach that is dog-friendly year-round.

The beach itself is surrounded by towering cliffs and woodland, making it a nice sheltered spot, hidden from the main tourist beaches.

It is a great stop when hiking along the South West Coast Path and to see dramatic rock formations.

11. Oddicombe Beach

Tucked under towering cliffs near Babbacombe, just outside of Torquay, you’ll find Oddicombe Beach.

The beach is another great family spot and you can have the added fun of getting there via the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.

At the beach, there are beach huts to rent, as well as a shop and cafe.

It is worth noting parking is a distance away, so I would say this is not a suitable beach for families with pushchairs.

10. Breakwater Beach

Another one of my fave spots is Breakwater Beach in Brixham.

Known as one of the cleanest beaches on the English Riviera, you will always spot brave wild swimmers and scuba divers in training.

The seabed here is actually home to a rare seagrass as well as seahorses.

If you walk along the beach and breakwater, you almost certainly will spot some of the town’s resident seals.

I am yet to visit and not see them, and I have been well over 20 times.

The Grade II historic site spot also holds a lot of history, as it was used as an embarkation point for the D-Day landings, where 30,000 troops with ammunition were loaded onto vessels.

9. Fishcombe Cove

On the edge of Brixham, you will find Fishcombe Cove, which is a dog-friendly beach with a mix of sand and shingle.

It sits right on the South West Coast Path, so is a good point to stop and enjoy the views of the bay.

It is also popular with wild swimmers and paddleboarders.

It used to be an important site for the lime kiln industry, with workers burning limestone to make lime for building.

8. Paignton Sands

When people think of traditional seaside towns, the image they see is pretty much Paignton Sands.

The long-stretching red sand beach features shallow water ideal for kids, a pier with arcades, crazy golf, a cinema, and spots to grab a bite to eat.

There always tends to be sand here, so it is ideal for a long day in the sun.

And thanks to being a short walk away from Paignton high street and train station, there’s a whole host of other things to do, including a huge playpark – making it the best spot on the coast for entertainment.

7. Preston Sands

If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of Paignton Sands, head to Preston Sands instead.

The beach actually connects up with Paignton Sands, but is much quieter.

Backed by a green, it is a great spot for an early evening walk with an ice cream in hand or an afternoon picnic.

In fact, the green was used during World War I to house seaplanes that used to operate day trips around Torbay.

6. Torre Abbey Sands

Not too far from Torquay town centre, Torre Abbey Sands sits next to a road where you’ll find a lot of parking.

The long, red sandy beach is ideal for families as it’s sheltered and close to a number of facilities including toilets, an ice cream shop, a chippy and even a Lounges restaurant.

At low tide, the beach is huge as well, meaning there is plenty of space for families.

If lucky, you might catch ‘The Sandyman’ – artist Geoffrey Ward – who creates large patterns on the beach using a rake.

5. Broadsands Beach

While you can park at the south end of the beach, I would recommend walking to the beach from Broadsands.

There, you will pass under a towering viaduct designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Then it takes about five minutes along a lane to reach the beach, which has golden soft sand and isn’t as busy as other spots on the coast.

At either end of the beach, you’ll find rock pools, and then in the middle of the beach is a lifeguard, where you can also hire kayaks and paddleboards, and a cafe.

4. St Mary’s Bay

If you are looking for a spot that really transports you elsewhere, then head to St Mary’s Bay.

Here you will find soft sand, surrounded by cliffs covered in forest, making you feel as if you were somewhere more tropical.

The water itself is usually calm and clear as well.

You can head to the beach along the South West Coast Path too.

3. Babbacombe Beach

Next door to Oddicombe Beach, connected by a wooden coastal walkway, you will find Babbacombe Beach.

The beach is mostly pebbles, but is also sheltered, often making it a preferred spot for snorkelling and diving.

You might be able to see grey seals floating in the water too.

The serene spot even has its very own ‘inn on the beach’, with a pub.

Called the Cary Arms, the hotel sits right above the water and features a spa with an indoor pool that looks out to sea.

Rooms cost from £232 per night.

2. Goodrington Sands

No other beach in the UK can say it sits right by the UK’s largest outdoor waterpark.

But that isn’t all Goodrington Sands boasts.

With a Premier Inn right by the beach to extend your stay, there are plenty of things to do.

The beach is split into two – north and south beach.

With steam trains running along the north beach, this tends to be the more family-friendly spot.

It is also where you will find watersports activities, ice cream shops, chippies, and the waterpark.

The south end tends to be the dog-friendly walkers’ spot, backed by a huge green where you will also find a small lake with pedalos, karts and crazy golf.

For a bite to eat, head to Brewers Fayre Inn On The Quay.

1. Elberry Cove

Elberry Cove is just a short walk from Broadsands Beach and is my top pick.

A stunning pebble beach with clear waters that look like the Med and are always so inviting.

Every time I have visited, that moment where the beach comes into view makes me feel warm and fuzzy, and as if I have been picked up and dumped on some remote Greek island.

At the far end of the beach is a small bathhouse ruin that dates back to the 18th century.

It used to let Lord Churston, who built it, swim directly into the sea and even had an early version of the hot tub, which used to be heated by fire.

The cove is even believed to have connections to Agatha Christie, who grew up in the area and used it as a setting in her novel The ABC Murders.

It is also a great spot for watching nearby jet skis bounce over the sea.

HUGE headliners. Gorgeous Suffolk countryside. Woodland spas. Entire fairgrounds, theatre and comedy tents. Oh, and fluffy pink sheep.

If you’re looking for the UK’s best family festival, you’ve found it at Latitude.

I visited the festival this year to celebrate its 20th birthday, and as a first-timer, it truly surprised me.

This year I sang my heart out to sets from Tom Odell and Lewis Capaldi, but over the years, the festival has hosted artists like The 1975, Liam Gallagher and Florence + The Machine.

Pair those headline sets with DJ sets from Dermot O’Leary and Gok Wan, and you’ve got yourself a pretty interesting line-up across the festival’s six music stages.

The thing that struck me the most about this festival was just how family-friendly it is.

Read more on UK festivals

WILD ONE

I went to Britain’s summer camp for ADULTS – like Glastonbury meets Famous Five

PIK ‘N’ CHUSE

I took my son to Lego festival with Pokemon ‘battles’ and F1 brick car racing

At the very front of the main stage, you’ve got dedicated superfans stood against the barrier.

Zoom to the outer edges of the crowd, and you’ve got multi-generational families sat on camping chairs and picnic blankets, with pully trolleys packed with snacks, toys and games.

And when I say this is an all ages festival, I mean ALL ages.

I saw pairs of grandparents slow-dancing together as well as tiny toddlers grooving on the grass.

Those who wanted to stay out late or head to over 18’s zones could do just that, whilst those who want to peel off early to put the kids to bed can easily do so, too.

It was refreshing to find a festival where you can enjoy huge headline acts such as Lewis Capaldi and David Byrne, and not get caught up in the pushing, shoving and moshing that comes with other UK festivals.

Although – if you are wanting that vibe – head to the Trailer Park late at night, where alternative and up-and-coming acts like Grooveline put on incredible, high-energy sets.

This is also the area of the woods that’s best for exploring, where you’ll find everything from a redneck oracle offering life advice, to a rat-themed caravan hosting a rat-themed rave.

I won’t lie, this exploration was done during the early hours of the morning and I was starting to question my own eyes. But I can assure you that the Trailer Park, in all of its randomness, is real.

There’s even a secret, apres-ski themed stage that plays dance music and blasts fake snow over the crowd – accessible only by crawling through an unsuspecting ski shed.

Forgetting the chaos of the nighttime escapades, this festival experience can also be as relaxed as you want it to be.

Maybe it’s the chilled Suffolk countryside that puts everyone at ease, but this festival has an incredibly relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

There’s even free punting trips along the river, where you’ll cruise by a floating stage that puts on experimental art performances and classical music from a live orchestra.

And if you really want to unwind, there’s an entire wellness area dedicated to just that.

Slip through sparkling streamers into the zen zone and find food trucks serving nourishing smoothies, massage tents, saunas and daytime yoga sessions.

My favourite part of this zone was the “peace tree”, draped in flowers and colourful hangings, with soft cushions scattered across the grass beneath it.

It’s the ideal spot for a quick moment of meditation (or, let’s be honest, to retreat to when you’ve had one too many drinks).

Here, you can simply lie back on the earth, rest your head on a cushion, and breathe – and don’t worry, no one will judge if your quick lie-down turns into a full afternoon snooze.

To the left of the zen zone you’ll find the comedy tent, where you can catch a stand-up show from both budding talent and big names.

I managed to catch a set from the hilarious Sue Perkins, which started with all things Bake Off and ended on embarrassing, behind-the-scenes moments from her Netflix travel show.

Just a few minutes’ walk from the comedy tent will take you to the massive dedicated kids area, which is packed with free workshops, theatre shows and more from 10am – 6pm daily.

The baby and toddler tent offers a sheltered soft play plus areas to feed, change and even bathe the little ones.

For older kids, there’s a fairground with a giant helter skelter, plus a kids theatre tent with song and dance workshops, arts and crafts activities and pop-up Punch and Judy shows.

Over in the forest, you’ll find bushcraft skills, pop-up museums and interactive space and science stations. All in all, it’s pretty impossible for kids to get bored here.

When it comes to camping, there’s plenty of options.

There’s general weekend camping, plus dedicated family camping zones, ideal if you have children aged 16 and under in your group.

The family camping zone has its own ‘Enchanted Garden’ area with extra activities, plus it’s only a short walk from here into the main arena, which is ideal for those with little legs.

I stayed in the Pink Moon glamping area, which is well worth it if you’re looking to treat yourself.

Here there’s plenty of sparklingly-clean loos and showers, plus lounge zones with sofas and a dedicated pamper tent, complete with mirrors, hairdryers and straighteners that are yours to use.

As for food and drink, you’re pretty spoilt for choice here.

Stonebaked pizzas, macaroni cheese bowls, loaded jacket potatoes, coconut curries, duck wraps, fluffy Biscoff pancakes…my mouth is watering just thinking back to the meals I had.

Expect food festival prices, but my top recommendations would be to grab a salted maple iced latte from Pantha Coffee (£5), and indulge in home comforts with a full-on roast dinner from Roasthost (£18).

You can even just grab a side of roasties with gravy and cauli-cheese for a cheeky snack (£10).

Or head to The Local Larder by the kids zone to pack your own picnic, where you can put together a lunch of scotch eggs, sausage rolls, cheese twists, salads, pastries and more.

Ultimately, Latitude Festival can be whatever you make it.

Want a wholesome family camping weekend where the kids have a fairground and woodland workshops on their doorstep? Sorted.

Or days of drinking at waterfront wine bars, going punting, catching a few DJ and comedy sets thne ending the night by dancing to drum and bass? That’s easily done, too.

All of this in a fantastical woodland setting dotted with pink sheep, hidden forest raves and floating river stages – I’d say that’s a recipe for a pretty magical weekend.

Latitude 2027 Early Bird tickets go on sale on August 13 at 10am.

Day tickets start from £110 for adults and £18 for children.

General weekend camping tickets start at £308 for adults and £28 for kids, which covers four nights of camping plus entry to all free performances, workshops and activities.

Pink Moon camping starts from £285 per adult for the weekend, excluding a festival entry ticket.

See latitudefestival.com.

Booking Latitude? Try Klarna

Klarna lets you split up the payments for your festival tickets, plus their debit card is packed with travel benefits.

Spread out your festival ticket payments by using Klarna, which offers flexible payment options such as splitting the cost of your ticket into three payments.

You can purchase Latitude tickets directly through the Klarna app, or choose Pay with Klarna at checkout.

For even more travel benefits, check out the Klarna Card.

The Klarna Card charges no foreign exchange fees, so you can tap abroad without worrying about any extra charges.

The card is accepted in over 200 countries, wherever Visa payments are accepted.

Pair it with a Klarna membership and you’ll also get travel insurance, cancel for any reason cover plus airport lounge access.

See klarna.com/uk/.

TRAVELLERS are being warned about taking a popular everyday item on board flights.

Earlier this week, a Swiss International Air Lines flight was diverted to Bangor in Maine, America, due to smoke in the cabin.

The smoke came from a damaged headphone charging case, which had fallen between the seats and become stuck, causing it to overheat.

The plane had come from Zurich in Switzerland and was heading for JFK Airport in New York.

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) incidents involving lithium batteries – which are found in headphone charging cases, as well as power banks – are on the rise.

Any items with lithium batteries have to go in hand luggage.

Read more on travel inspo

SO FLY

Our fave beach hols under 5 hours from UK with Caribbean dupes & £2 bottles of wine

BARGAIN ALERT

You can stay at these award-winning UK holiday parks from £2.88pp per night

These include:

• Power banks
• Vapes
• Bluetooth speakers
• Electric fans
• Fitness and smartwatches
• Digital cameras
• Wireless headphones & charging cases
• Tablets
• E-readers
• Laptops

The CAA has warned that if any of these cause an issue during a flight, such as overheating or starting to smoke, you should notify a member of the cabin crew as quickly as possible.

If these items aren’t packed correctly, such as in your hold luggage and not your hand luggage, there could be flight delays or cancellations as a result.

Back in May, an easyJet flight had to divert when a passenger informed crew during the flight that the portable charger was in the hold of the aircraft.

The flight was then forced to land in Rome, Italy, instead of reaching its destination, London Luton.

The CAA previously commented: “Passenger awareness remains low – over a third (36 per cent) of travellers are unaware of the dangers of packing batteries in checked baggage, even though 92 per cent fly with a mobile phone, 55 per cent with a laptop and 49 per cent with a power bank – suggesting hundreds of batteries could be incorrectly packed on a typical flight.”

According to the CAA, there are around two lithium battery incidents every week – and often, these incidents cause delays as well as diversions.

People are frantically trying to get in shape for their summer holidays – but it could be a lot more effective

It’s the time of year when people are looking at their waistbands and thinking they’d like to make one last push to get it all a bit flatter. Many will be crashing out sit-ups like mad – however one expert has suggested that this exercise might not be the best way.

Dr Lee Brown, senior lecturer in strength and conditioning at the University of East London, has said that people might be making a mistake. He told the Guardian “It’s embedded in the archaic practices of boxing coaches and therefore everyone seems to follow it. But they’re far from the best exercise for training your core.”

Sit-ups are a classic bodyweight core exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and chest. They involve lifting the upper body from a flat, lying position up toward the knees.

However Dr Brown said that the abdominal muscles are used a lot less than people imagine. Also if you’re doing too many sit-ups, it can cause problem.

“If you’re doing too many sit-ups, it can cause problems with the lower back. Overworking the hip flexors can make them hypertonic [stiff and tight]. Your torso leans forward because you have overly toned and tight hip flexors, creating an imbalance and a dumping ground for shearing forces in your lower back.”

Brown recommends moves such as planks, side planks, farmer’s carries (walking while holding a heavy weight in each hand), suitcase carries (walking with a weight in one hand to challenge stability) and bird dogs (lifting the opposite arm and leg from all fours). Pilates and yoga can also help build core strength.

“I worked with a sprinter who’d had a back injury and had been doing sit-ups forever,” Brown says. “I asked him how long he could hold a plank for. He said less than 30 seconds. Six weeks later, he could hold one for seven minutes and his back pain had gone.”

A study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Medicine looked at 117 people with and without back pain to find out whether core strength was implicated. Participants were asked to perform the plank, one of the most popular trunk muscle stabilisation exercises prescribed to enhance neuromuscular control and spinal support. Researchers from Daemen University in New York were surprised to find that back pain sufferers were able to hold a plank for “significantly longer” than those without, suggesting they had better levels of abdominal strength.

The coastal spot has been ranked the worst seaside town in the UK by Which? magazine for the second year in a row – but one YouTuber made the 250-mile trip to see if the verdict was really justified

A popular coastal spot has made headlines once more – and not in a positive light. Which? Magazine has just ranked Bognor Regis bottom of its yearly list of Britain’s best and worst coastal spots for the second consecutive year.

The magazine polled more than 5,300 individuals about their experiences visiting UK coastal destinations over the past year, canvassing their opinions across a range of factors including beach quality, scenery, food and drink, accommodation, tourist attractions, shopping and value for money.

The Mirror’s own Levi Winchester, who grew up in the town, has witnessed its gradual decline over the years. “I remember many happy summers playing down the beach in Bognor Regis. At low tide, you could see sand for miles, as the smell of fish and chips wafted through the air,” Levi recalled when asked for her thoughts on a town that once served as a home to George V for three months.

“The town was always buzzing with families enjoying their trip to Butlin’s-and while the seaside resort still attracts large crowds every year, the town itself has lost its heart. The promenade lacks love and is in need of a serious revamp.

“Even under the lights of the pier, it still just feels grey and miserable. Like many other UK high streets, the main town centre is empty now with hardly any shops left. I barely recognised it when I last visited.”

One YouTuber decided to visit the spot last year after its first dismal ranking to see if it truly matches up to the title of being the UK’s worst. James Burton documented his trip on By The Curb channel and kicked it off by paying a visit to Butlin’s.

Butlin’s Bognor Regis Resort is one of the UK’s most iconic holiday destinations and one of only three remaining Butlin’s resorts, alongside Minehead and Skegness.

Over the years, it has undergone significant redevelopment, transforming from a traditional chalet-style camp into a modern family resort while retaining its much-loved heritage.

And after visiting, James believed it showed Bognor has a lot to offer. “Worst seaside town in the UK?” before continuing: “Absolute waffle. It’s lovely. I’m not going to say it’s the best. But it is nice. Yet again, I’ve proved them all wrong, I just come here, walked around and proved them wrong.”

James then enjoyed a beer, remarking: “It was just £4.90, which is not bad value really with that spectacular view.”

Butlin’s Resort Bognor Regis still welcomes over 385,000 visitors each year, with 300,000 staying as overnight guests and 85,000 popping in for a day visit.

James turned up just in time to catch one of the company’s iconic redcoats leading a crowd of delighted youngsters through an energetic rendition of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” and declared: “I’d have loved this as an eight-year-old.”

Living “life on the edge,” James also ventured into one of the resort’s numerous restaurants: “To be honest it looked a nice restaurant.

“I’ve never seen so many chicken nuggets though, they must go through thousands of chicken nuggets.”

Despite struggling to find his way out of the resort, James left with a positive impression: “I liked it. It looked good.

“I’m going to bring my daughter to a Butlin’s…it’s gone up in my estimation.”

Overall, James concluded that Bognor didn’t deserve its poor reputation: “It’s tidy. The people are friendly.

“It’s got a lovely beach. I know it’s a pebbly beach, but that don’t matter. You’ve got Butlin’s. Butlin’s was great.”

Perched in our glass-fronted eyrie, 300 metres out to sea, we watch a murmuration of starlings rise and fall and swoop around us. When the show is over, we turn our attention to the food. I have a bespoke vegan menu based on the best early summer ingredients: jersey royals, asparagus, strawberries. My boyfriend orders off the weekly changing à la carte: slow-cooked beef dumplings followed by butter-poached halibut.

We are at Ebb, a restaurant at the end of the pier in Worthing, West Sussex, which opened in May. Its art-deco design and fine-dining dishes are a far cry from the fish-and-chip shops and ice-cream parlours more commonly found on seaside piers. But traditionalists need not despair: downstairs at Perch on the Pier, fish and chips – as well as tofish (tofu) and chips – are always on the menu, with a knickerbocker glory to round things off in fine retro style.

Worthing pier, which opened in 1862, is one of Britain’s surviving 19th-century pleasure piers. “The seaside piers around the coast of Britain stand as a powerful reminder of the achievements of Victorian engineers and entrepreneurs,” says the National Piers Society website. “However, of the 100 piers that once graced our coastline, only half survive, and several of these face an uncertain future.” The society campaigns to preserve the piers for everyone’s enjoyment, and has saved several that were at risk of demolition.

Worthing may well be the foodiest pier in the UK, but they all have their charms. Here are 10 well worth a stroll out to sea.

Best for overnight stays: Garth pier, Bangor, Gwynedd

Bangor’s 458-metre (1,500ft) pier stretches out halfway across the Menai Strait, backdropped by the Eryri mountain range (Snowdonia). To coincide with its 130th anniversary this year, the Pier Master’s House at the entrance has been turned into a holiday let (from £140 a night, sleeps six). The pavilion at the far end is now a cafe, and the smaller Victorian kiosks dotted along the pier house independent businesses selling gifts, artworks and local food. There is a programme of weekend events over the summer, from busking and children’s fun days to a dog parade.

Bournemouth pier (first opened 1856, current structure 1880) boasts the world’s first pier-to-shore zip wire, a 250-metre dual line starting from the end-of-the-pier tower. As well as the PierZip, it has RockReef, an indoor climbing centre with 28 climbing walls, an aerial obstacle course, a vertical slide, a “leap of faith” and caving tunnels. The pier is the best place to watch Bournemouth’s Friday fireworks (10pm, until 28 August), and there is regular live music at its Key West restaurant (until 28 August). The town’s other pier, Boscombe (opened 1889), is next to free bouldering obstacles and slacklines, and near the beach volleyball courts.

Best for traditional seaside fun: Britannia pier, Great Yarmouth

Britannia pier won the coveted 2026 Pier of the Year award, taking over from last year’s winner Llandudno, and beating runners-up Herne Bay and Swanage. The 250-metre pier was built in 1858, but as with many of the original Victorian piers, it has been damaged, demolished, rebuilt (in 1901), burned down and reconstructed over the years. The current owners bought it in 2022 and have spent £2.2m restoring and upgrading it. Its attractions include a theatre, fun fair, arcades, fish and chip shop, pub and nightclub. Holidaymakers can also visit the town’s Wellington pier, further south along the seafront, which opened in 1853 and has a bowling alley, arcade and ice-cream parlour.

Best for culture: Penarth pier, Glamorgan

While Penarth pier dates back to 1894, as a landing jetty for the steamships in the Bristol Channel, its art-deco pavilion wasn’t built until 1929. This former dancehall has recently been restored and is now a cinema and arts centre, with year-round film screenings, art exhibitions, live music, workshops and talks. Coming up this month is a jazz brunch, a drawing workshop, and a knitting and crocheting social, alongside summer blockbusters The Odyssey and Minions & Monsters. There is a cafe in the pavilion, and a coffee shop, ice-cream parlour and chippy elsewhere on the pier.

Best for exploration: Roker pier, Sunderland

Roker pier is distinctive for its red-and-white striped granite lighthouse, completed in 1903. After extensive restoration, and closures due to storm damage, pier and lighthouse are now open for guided tours (£14 adults/£10 children, to 27 August). Visitors walk the length of an underground tunnel to reach the lighthouse – the route the keeper used in bad weather – then climb to the top to take in the views. For post-tour refreshments, the pier’s former toilet block is now a gin bar, Tin of Sardines, with brunch and tapas menus served on the terrace in the summer.

Best for beauty: Clevedon pier, north Somerset

England’s only Grade I-listed pier opened in 1869 to receive paddle steamer passengers from Devon and Wales. It is made from discarded wrought iron railway lines shaped into eight arches, nearly 15 metres high. In 1980, during a campaign to save it from demolition, the then poet laureate John Betjeman described it as “the most beautiful pier in England”. “Clevedon without its pier would be like a diamond with a flaw,” he said. The pier was duly saved, and now its Victorian pagoda is a cafe, its toll house is a museum and gift shop, and there is a modern restaurant, the Glass Box. The sea view from the porthole room is streamed live 24/7.

Best for nightlife: Royal pier, Aberystwyth

The oldest pier in Wales (1865) was designed by Eugenius Birch, a renowned seaside architect best-known for Brighton’s now-ruined West pier. Today, Royal pier is billed as “the number one destination for competitive socialising in Aberystwyth”, with three bars and a nightclub. There is a host of activities in the Billiard Bar, including shuffleboard, augmented-reality darts, footpool and interactive mini golf; the Upstairs Bar has seven pool tables; and the Inn on the Pier is a restored Victorian boozer, with stained glass and custom tiles. DJs play chill-out tunes in the pier garden over the summer, and the Pressure Nightclub is open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Best for variety: Blackpool

Blackpool is the proud home of three piers: Blackpool North (1863), Blackpool Central (1868) and Blackpool South (1893). The Grade II-listed north pier is the oldest surviving Birch pier, and has an art-deco theatre, a two-tier carousel, bars and an arcade. It was sold in June and is open until at least the end of the year before a promised £10m refurbishment. The central pier has Blackpool’s Big Wheel, a funfair and a show bar with live performances. The south pier has a more high-octane funfair, with a rollercoaster, a freefalling swing and a reverse bungee ride, and is next to Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach for more adrenaline-fuelled fun. Its many food and drink options include the Gin House and a loaded jacket potato stand.

Gravesend’s pier opened on the Thames in 1834, and is the oldest surviving cast-iron pier in the world. It was once a hub for steam packets to London – more than 3 million passengers used it between 1835 and 1842 – and today there are still occasional summer sailings to the capital with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. Just by the entrance to the pier is the ancient Three Daws pub, which was licensed in 1565 as the Three Cornish Choughs and renamed in 1745. This old smugglers’ haunt, which has three underground tunnels, now hosts a summer beer and music festival (7-9 August) and an Oktoberfest (18 September).

Best for rainy days: Sandown pier, Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight once had an incredible 11 piers, and four still survive: Ryde (the second-longest in the UK, after Southend-on-Sea in Essex), Sandown, Totland (for sale) and Yarmouth. Sandown (1879) is a particular paradise for families, whatever the weather. There is the Aztec-themed Lost World indoor crazy golf, with lighting and sound effects; the Magic Island indoor adventure play area; and Superbowl 10-pin bowling. The end of the pier has rides such as dodgems and teacups (Easter to September only); there is a cafe, ice-cream kiosk and burger bar; and Scruffy Jacks bar shows live sport.

An expert said it was a common error

People who shop at duty free in airports are being told to think twice by an expert.

Holidaymakers could end up paying 10 times more than they need to for perfume if they buy it at the airport instead of planning ahead, according to an expert. While many travellers still assume airport duty-free offers the best deals, UK fragrance research site ScentVerdict said the departure lounge was one of the worst places to buy perfume because shoppers are rushed into making expensive decisions.

The biggest example is Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry. A 100ml bottle typically retails for around £300, but analysis by ScentVerdict found 14 UK dupe brands selling their own interpretation for a median price of just £30 – around one tenth of the cost.

Daniel Grimes, founder of ScentVerdict, said buying perfume at the airport was a mistake many travellers make.

He added: “The departure lounge is the worst place on Earth to buy perfume, because it is the one place where you are shopping against the clock. The ‘duty-free’ label does the persuading; you have not smelled the thing properly, and your flight is boarding.

“Decide before you fly, not at the gate. Take Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry as an example.

“It is around £300 at retail for 100ml; 14 different UK dupe houses sell their own version of it and the typical price is about £30 for the same 100ml, roughly a tenth.

“It will not be identical and you are not buying Tom Ford. But if what you want is that cherry-and-almond hit rather than the box it comes in, the maths is hard to argue with.”

The findings suggest dupe fragrances tend to sell for broadly the same price regardless of how expensive the original designer bottle is. Across 10 of Britain’s most popular fragrances, originals ranged from £89 to £310, while equivalent dupes typically sold for around £30.

The most extreme example remains Creed Aventus, one of the UK’s best-known men’s fragrances. A 100ml bottle retails for £310, while the median price of a comparable dupe is just £29.

Even fragrances with much lower retail prices show a similar pattern. Montblanc Explorer sells for around £89, while a typical dupe costs £25, suggesting dupe brands price according to what shoppers expect to pay rather than matching the original fragrance. Grimes said many people assume dupes simply undercut luxury brands by a percentage, but the figures suggest otherwise.

He continued: “That flat £30 is the story. The dupe houses aren’t pricing against the original at all. They charge what someone will pay for a dupe, and it barely shifts whether they’re copying an £89 Montblanc or a £310 Creed.

“The saving isn’t really a discount. It just tracks whatever the designer decided to charge.”

He added that shoppers should still compare prices before deciding, as some designer fragrances are regularly discounted outside airports, narrowing the gap between the original and a dupe.

Retail prices for the designer fragrances were checked at John Lewis, Boots and The Perfume Shop on July 17, 2026, while dupe prices represent the median price charged across brands selling equivalent fragrances at each bottle size.

Brits have been warned of disruption at a major UK airport as airlines face the risk of ‘running out of fuel’ in coming days

Thousands of Brits heading on their summer holidays from a major UK airport could face disruption over the coming days due to a fuel shortage.

Gatwick Airport has sent out a jet fuel warning to pilots as the UK’s second-largest airport faces supply issues.

The potential shortage could affect easyJet and British Airways flights from the airport during the peak of the season, as well as other major carriers like Wizz Air, TUI, and Jet2.

The memo sent out by Gatwick warned airlines: “For the attention of all crews: Gatwick has a shortage of fuel for the next two days.

“Please uplift max possible fuel at outstations.”

Another document warned of a “potential disruption to the Gatwick fuel supply”.

An airline source told The Sun: “Pilots will try and take on as much fuel as they can from their foreign destinations to bring back to the UK, but they will be limited by factors such as the maximum take-off weight and the maximum landing weight back at Gatwick.”

The issue is likely to cause “disruption” from Monday, according to the source.

In the event of an airport fuel infrastructure crisis, major short-haul operators like easyJet can partially insulate themselves by carrying extra fuel from inbound European flights to bypass Gatwick’s pumps entirely.

But the airline’s sheer flight volume will still put the operation under strain.

Meanwhile, British Airways and other long-haul flight carriers, which cannot tanker fuel and remain entirely dependent on Gatwick’s local supply to get off the ground, are more culnerable

It is believed that the shortage is not connected to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but rather to a technical issue at one of Gatwick’s fuel farms.

A spokesperson for Gatwick Airport said: “Following a technical issue impacting fuel supply to the airport, airlines have been advised to monitor fuel availability.

“We are working closely with external suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and minimise any potential disruption. All airlines are operating as normal.”

The Mirror has contacted easyJet and British Airways for further comment.

The UK travel company has stopped all coach and minibus services as a liquidator has been named after a decade in business

A UK travel company has plunged into liquidation as its website disappears completely, with passengers unable to make new bookings.

TS Travels Group Ltd offered ‘reliable and safe coach services for tours in West Yorkshire‘.

They claimed to have experienced drivers and well-maintained vehicles ahead of the collapse.

The business covered Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Bradford and provided private hire, corporate transfers and school trips.

On July 29, 2026 a liquidator, Laura Anne Walshe of Keywood Group Limited, was appointed.

According to Companies House the travel firm had been in operation for over a decade, incorporated on July 3, 2015.

The company’s full accounts dated up to July 31, 2025 shows that they had over £250,000 worth of debts. It is unclear whether the closure has created job losses.

It is not the first West Yorkshire based travel company to go bust in recent months. Gold Crest Holidays, based in Ilkley, confirmed it had ceased operations after more than 30 years in January.

The family-owned coach tour operator said it was “deeply saddened” to have entered liquidation at the beginning of the year.

A family trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida can be notoriously expensive, but a travel expert who’s visited almost 50 times in the last six years has a money-saving hack

An avid Disney World Resort fan has been to the popular park a whopping 48 times, and during that time, he’s uncovered nifty travel hacks that can help families save hundreds.

Those who have been to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will know how expensive a holiday can be, and those who haven’t will have heard about its hefty price tag. From flights, hotels, theme park passes, restaurants, and all the additional extras, it can quickly add up, with trips to ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’ costing anything from £1,500 to £4,000 per person.

For a family of four, that could amount to anything from £4,000 to more than £10,000 for a 10-night trip. It certainly doesn’t come cheap, but for many, it’s a bucketlist holiday that’s well worth forking out for, and there are ample ways to help keep the costs down.

One of the best-known ways to save some serious cash is to book the cheapest available flights and opt for budget-friendly hotels outside the resort but close enough to travel back and forth each day. Yet, there’s another nifty money-saving tip that Disney expert Mark Patterson highly recommends to anyone planning a trip.

Matt, who has been to Florida’s Disney World Resort a whopping 48 times in the last six years for work and pleasure, told the Mirror: “All the restaurants at Disney are expensive, so the hotels I like have a kitchenette with a stove and a full-size fridge, so you can buy food and cook it.

“You can then take it into the park with you, and that can save a lot of money. Even if you just take two meals in for the family, that can save you easily $100 (£74.71) to $200 (£149.42) per day.”

Booking a hotel room or resort with a kitchenette to make meals for the day isn’t the only way to save some extra cash. The travel expert who lives in Southern California advised holidaymakers to book a hotel that offers free breakfast to help avoid hidden costs that can quickly add up to hundreds.

And there’s one area he recommends for that budget-friendly hotel with a free breakfast. “The Flamingo Crossings area is my favourite, it’s newer, and the hotels are all new, and they all have free breakfast. They offer good, reasonable prices there.”

However, he noted that, due to its location, visitors have to drive, get a lift, or take a shuttle bus to the park each day. Yet, with free breakfast included, it might be well worth travelling a little further to help cut costs.

Matt certainly knows what he’s talking about, having stayed at 36 different hotels during his trips to Disney World. He also aims for an average hotel price of around $100 (£74.71) to $200 (£149.42) per night to make it more affordable, while looking out for any hidden fees.

Another area he recommends is Disney Springs. He said: “The Disney Springs area has a range of hotels, right there within walking distance to the shopping area, and it’s where pretty much everybody goes to eat at night. It gets very busy and popular, so being able to walk to that is very handy.

“However, the bad thing about that, or something you have to trade off, is that only one of the hotels offers a free breakfast; all the others you have to pay for. So I might get a hotel for around $100 (£74.71) per night, but will then have to pay for breakfast, which is $28 (£20.92), along with paying for parking, which can be around $25 (£18.68) and a resort fee of around $40 (£29.88).

“So it can literally double the price of what I thought I was going to pay. Disney Springs area is great, but you’ve got those little hidden fees.”

Mark documents his many trips to Walt Disney World Resort on his website, DDadBudget, with various pieces of advice to fellow fans.

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

Millions visit the Lake District every year but those who help look after the national park in Cumbria say overtourism tensions are threatening to boil over

Wild campers visiting the Lake District are ignoring the long-standing Countryside Code – with human excrement, fly-camping and irresponsible behaviour surging this summer, campaigners say.

Those who manage the national park, which attracts millions of tourists every year, claim some guests are making life hell for locals. They say brainless parking, inconsiderate camping and mass littering is making a mockery of the “leave no trace” government guidelines to protect the environment. Paths blocked by campervans, discarded tampons and nappies and dogs let loose are just some of the other issues reported.

Judith Derbyshire, a Westmorland and Furness councillor, has referenced a report made by patrol officers who are responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour. She says, as enforcement officers and volunteers battle to preserve the stunning national parks, problems are only increasing.

Tourists risk huge fines in Lake District

She says the council has very few officers and a round-the-clock response service is a thing of the past. Local laws were tightened earlier this year in response to resident complaints.

Those causing environmental damage such as littering, starting fires, or the inappropriate use of motorhomes can now be fined up to £100 – but according to many locals, the rules are being flouted regularly.

Ms Derbyshire, who is responsible for community safety, says since Covid there has been a huge increase in visitors with many arriving without plans for accommodation. That leads to “fly-camping” – taking spots away from designated camp sites.

‘You shouldn’t be doing that’

Reading the report, she told the BBC: “Fifty-plus members of the public engaged with, 10 overnight campers spoken to, eight bags of rubbish collected and they had the joy of seeing one man using a bush as his toilet. I’m going to lower the standard of the conversation here but the issue is to do with human poo.

“Don’t feel you can just come up, park up on a lay-by and then go and put a tent up down by the lake shore – you shouldn’t be doing that.

“Putting it bluntly, we are going to have strong cutbacks from our funding as a local authority, we’re not going to have the staff to be able to put that sort of thing in place.”

She says people can contact police if they see anyone behaving in a dangerous way – such as lighting a bonfire that could spread to a large area. Working together with residents and visitors is vital to getting the situation under control.

Ms Derbyshire added: “We want people to come to Lake District and it’s good that there’s a wider range of people coming here, it’s just that we need to get them educated so they know what they can do and what they can’t do.”

‘It really saddens me to see’

Earlier this summer, footage showed the moment dozens of cars were covered in slurry after they parked in a private field just yards away from Rydal Water, one of the country’s prettiest beauty spots.

A large number of instances of littering, wildfires, and campers leaving equipment behind (known as fly camping) were logged in the Friends of the Lake District’s annual survey.

One unhappy local wrote in this year’s survey: “Some people have no social conscience and do not care about the impact of their behaviour on the environment or other people. We see litter on the fells, on lakesides and thrown out of cars onto grass verges. We even saw someone having a BBQ sat right next to a sign prohibiting it on Ullswater last year.

Another added: “I’m from the Lakes and have always appreciated the tourism and what it does for the area. However, I feel we have now got to the stage where tourism is over capacity and negatively impacting the area and the quality of life for residents and animals. Frequent traffic jams, poorly parked cars, and most upsetting of all, litter.

“Today we came across a discarded used nappy and a tampon. My children and I frequently go out with our litter pickers. It really saddens me to see the Lake District in environmental decline.”

DO you need more ideas on how to keep the kids entertained over the summer holidays but want to keep it cheap?

Check out this full list of every single museum in England that offers free entry – from Victorian homes that are like stepping back in time, to boarding world-famous locomotives.

North East

Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh 

Home to personal letters and family portraits of Grace Darling, who saved nine people from the wrecked SS Forfarshire in 1838.

Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley 

A former hotspot for joiners, carpenters, blacksmiths, and repair shops in 1850, with insight into the history and culture of the village. 

Worsbrough Mill Museum, Barnsley

Learn about the milling industry in the region.

Oakwell Hall Country Park, Batley 

Step back to the 1690s and discover different Elizabethan period rooms and what life was like for the Batt family. 

Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford 

Learn about the lives of the families that lived in Bolling Hall over different time periods. 

Bradford Industrial Museum, Bradford 

Home to a range of exhibits related to textile machinery, engineering innovations and motor vehicles.

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford 

Witness a range of artworks from Old Masters to 20th-century British paintings.

National Science and Media Museum, Bradford 

The most popular museum outside of London with seven floors of galleries and three cinemas including the UK’s first IMAX. 

The Bayle Museum, Bridlington 

Learn about Bridlington’s history through archaeological artefacts.

Killhope Lead Mining Museum, Cowshill 

Get a unique insight into a 19th-century lead mine. 

The Moors National Park Centre, Danby 

Learn about the people, places, and wildlife through an interesting collection put together by a group of artists.

Cusworth Hall Museum and Park, Doncaster 

A Grade I-listed building with insight into local lives from the 18th-century to the present day. 

Danum Gallery Library and Museum, Doncaster 

Learn about the city’s past as a Roman settlement and Doncaster’s status as an industrial powerhouse. 

Durham Cathedral, Durham 

Uncover the relics of St. Cuthbert, saint of the early Northumbrian church, such as his cross and coffin, manuscripts, and a colourful crucifix.

Bankfield Museum, Halifax 

A diverse range of displays including the Havercake regiment and a textiles gallery. 

Heugh Battery Museum, Hartlepool

Learn about British military history at this museum, home to the UK’s only First World War Battlefield.

Byland Abbey, Helmsley 

One of England’s biggest monasteries, with early gothic architecture which inspired the famous York Minster rose window. 

Tolson Museum, Huddersfield

See displays on natural sciences, technology, and archaeological artefacts dating back to prehistoric times. 

Arctic Corsair, Hull 

Dive into Hull’s deep-sea fishing industry at this museum that includes a historic deep-sea trawler built in 1960.

Ferens Art Gallery, Hull 

A fine art collection with everything from Viking swords and Roman mosaics to a full-sized Wooly Mammoth.

The Hull and East Riding Museum of Archaeology, Hull

Artefacts dating back 235 million years of ancient civilisations and natural history.

Streetlife Museum of Transport, Hull 

Explore this collection of horse-drawn carriages and vintage cars, or hop on Britain’s oldest tramcar.

Wilberforce House Museum, Hull 

The private collection of William Wilberforce, a British politician who helped to abolish the slave trade.

Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley 

Home of Victorian millionaire and textile manufacturer, Henry Isaac Butterfield.

Royal Armouries, Leeds 

Historic weaponry and armour, from Japanese samurai swords to modern warfare including Henry VIII’s armour.

Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough

Discover the town’s history with dinosaur installations and a slice of meteorite from space.

Discovery Museum, Newcastle 

Collection of scientific and technical materials, including Joseph Swan’s lightbulb and the world’s first ship powered by steam turbines. 

Great North Museum Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne 

Learn about natural history and archaeology with 800 objects from the Ancient Greeks, Roman Empire and Anglo-Saxons. 

Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

Home to a collection of art and sculptures including Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces.

OuseBurn Farm, Newcastle upon Tyne 

Working city farm that includes a sensory trail. 

Pontefract Castle and Visitors Centre, Pontefract 

Medieval fortress built around 1086 where you can dress up as a lord, lady or soldier.

Zetland Lifeboat Museum and Redcar Heritage Centre, Redcar 

Home to the world’s oldest surviving lifeboat with maritime history dating back to the 1800s. 

Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, Sheffield 

Discover steelworks dating back to the 1700s and learn what it was like to live and work onsite. 

Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield 

Learn about life in Victorian-era Sheffield, with artefacts including a 1760’s chocolate pot and Metrovick milk float.

Millennium Gallery, Sheffield 

All things art and design in Sheffield, including one of the finest collections of metalwork in the world. 

Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Sheffield 

Grade II-listed botanical gardens with 18 areas, including a warm Mediterranean Climate Garden and the Asia Garden.

Weston Park Museum, Sheffield 

Home to archaeological artefacts, zoological specimens and works of art.

Locomotion Museum, Shildon 

Hop aboard the Flying Scotsman and experience the power of steam travel. 

South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, South Shields 

Discover the history of South Tyneside inside this historic building with a Victorian tea room, served by costumed staff.

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Sunderland 

Home to 108,000 objects dating back to 1810, as well as more than 2,000 plants and trees.

National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield

Discover the history of the British coal mining industry with guided underground tours.

Sandal Castle, Wakefield 

Wander through the grounds and learn about the Battle of Wakefield and the castle’s ties to Richard III. 

RNLI Whitby Lifeboat Museum, Whitby 

Custom-built double boathouse where you can learn about the lifeboat history in Whitby.

Robin Hood’s Bay Museum, Whitby 

Range of displays on Whitby’s shipwrecks, the last lifeboat stationed in Bay, and its smuggling history.

National Railway Museum, York 

Collection of iconic British railway vehicles, significant artefacts and historical locomotives in York.

North West

The Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness

Built over a 19th-century dry dock with displays on decorative and applied art, archeology, textiles, and fine art, plus a unique collection of ship models. 

Birkenhead Priory and St Mary’s Tower, Birkenhead 

Merseyside’s oldest building, with the remains of St Mary’s church.

Lady Lever Art Gallery, Birkenhead

30 rooms of paintings, sculptures and decorative art, from tapestries to vintage furniture and Chinese porcelain.

Wirral Transport Museum, Birkenhead 

Museum delving into the history of transport in Birkenhead.

Witton Country Park and Visitor Centre, Blackburn 

480 acres of mixed woodland and parkland with a collection of natural sciences and land transport.

Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Burnley 

Former home of Towneley family for over 600 years, with collections of fine art, local history, and ancient civilisations. 

Grosvenor Museum, Chester 

Museum housing everything from Roman tombstones to 400 years of Chester hallmarked silver, and prehistoric urns. 

Queen Victoria Monument, Liverpool 

Monument to Queen Victoria built in 1906 on the former site of Liverpool Castle.

Sudley House, Liverpool 

Former home of Victorian merchant George Holt.

Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, Liverpool 

Currently operating at a smaller location in Liverpool due to a refurbishment, this museum has two galleries exploring contemporary art. 

Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool 

Uncover artworks across different eras, dig into archaeological items, and spot oceanography displays. 

Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

National gallery of the North, with paintings and sculptures from Rembrandt, David Hockney and Rodin.

Lytham Windmill Museum, Lytham 

Five floors of exhibitions on milling processes, the importance of lifeboats, and the history of Grade II-listed buildings. 

Greater Manchester Police Museum, Manchester 

Learn about the history of policing with photographs and records pre-dating 1974.

Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester 

Browse artists and designers such as William Ratcliffe, Bernado Daddi and Coco Chanel.

Manchester Museum, Manchester 

After reopening in 2023, this was named Europe’s Museum of the Year, and has 4.5 million items across four floors.

Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester

Home to 250 years of innovations across science and technology, as well as UK’s oldest surviving train station.

Ordsall Hall Museum, Manchester 

Salford’s oldest building dating back to 1177, with over 10,000 artefacts.

People’s History Museum, Manchester 

Learn about the history of the working class in the UK, with displays on the Peterloo Massacre and the women’s suffrage movement. 

Portland Basin Museum, Manchester

A restored 19th-century warehouse showcasing local history, industry, and trade.

Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Manchester 

A reconstructed Victorian street with original shop fronts and a large collection of Pilkington Ceramics.

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester 

A collection of over 60,000 artworks including works from Turner, Picasso, and Peter Blake. 

Anderton Boat Lift, Northwich 

One of the UK’s only two working boat lifts. 

Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston 

Discover art, culture, and history, with displays on printed textiles, the remains of an elk, and glassblown scent bottles. 

The Whitaker, Rawtenstall 

A diverse collection of history, fine art and textiles, with displays on the Haslingden Coat of Arms and prisoner of war poems.

Samlesbury Hall, Samlesbury 

A stately home dating back to 1185 with cafe and shepherd huts and UK’s first wafflery.

Imperial War Museum North, Stretford 

A museum offering perspective on how war and conflict changes everyday lives.

The World of Glass, St Helens

Learn about the history of the glass industry with live glass blowing demonstrations. 

Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Warrington 

Grade II-listed building with an art collection dating back to 1857.

East Midlands

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Buxton 

Marvel at archaeological and geological wonders of the Peak District.

Cromford Mills, Cromford 

A UNESCO site displaying how Sir Richard Arkwright changed the modern factory system and textile industry.

Canons Ashby, Daventry 

Grade I-listed Canons Ashby House, with a collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean artistry.

Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby 

An impressive collection of works by artist Joseph Wright as well as archaeological items, ceramics, decorative art, and objects from all over the world. 

Pickford’s House, Derby 

Georgian townhouse and gardens showcasing domestic life from the 18th to 20th centuries.

New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester 

Displays include a 15-metre Rutland Dinosaur and stories about Leicester’s achievements and obstacles.

Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester 

Built in 1511, with exhibits on the Leicestershire Regiment and Tudor objects.

University of Leicester Botanic Garden, Leicester 

A beautiful garden spanning 16 acres, featuring an arboretum and tropical plants.

Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery, Lincolnshire 

Displays everything from artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, to works by Turner, as well as forensic processes of the Anglo Saxons. 

Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincolnshire 

Home to 250,000 items dating back to 1750, including a World War I tank, as well as a museum trail and playground for kids.

Charnwood Museum, Loughborough 

Collection centered around geology, archaeology and local history, including one of the world’s oldest fossils.

Green’s Mill and Science Centre, Nottingham 

Former home of mathematical physicist George Green with displays related to science, technology, and social history.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton 

Impressive collection of 15,000 pairs of shoes, alongside history and art of shoemaking.

The Harley Foundation, Worksop, Northamptonshire

Includes artworks from Van Dyke, Michelangelo and Sir Thomas Lawrence. 

Wellingborough Museum, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

Diverse display from pre-historic eras to the present day, including coins, medals and costumes.

Oakham Castle, Oakham 

Huge collection of horseshoes, alongside displays on Norman history and architecture. 

Rufford Abbey and Country Park, Ollerton 

Collection exploring architecture, decorative and applied art, and religion, as well as the Runnford Abbey Ruins. 

Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding 

15th-century, Grade I-listed building with five acres of public gardens and a war memorial. 

Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne

Grade II-listed corn mill that tells the stories of the people who worked on Britain’s waterways. 

West Midlands

National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas 

British site of national remembrance with over 400 memorials and 25,000 trees. 

Bewdley Museum, Bewdley 

A riverside museum exploring the town’s local history.

Aston Hall, Birmingham 

Grade I-listed Jacobean house with a beautiful public park, as well as collections from the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. 

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham

Collection of art and design from Pre-Raphaelite artists, including oil paintings, tapestries and ceramics.

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham 

Diverse media collection with displays on sound, photography, and paintings. 

Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford 

Learn about the heroes of the RAF and famous aircraft dating back to 1918. 

Himley Hall and Park, Himley 

Explore 180 acres of landscaped parkland with three galleries.

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Lichfield 

Learn about the first lexicographer Samuel Johnson, who created A Dictionary of the English Language.

Brampton Museum, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Award-winning museum where you can learn about 2,000 years of the local town.

Ancient High House, Stafford

The biggest timber-framed house in England open to the public

Stafford Castle, Stafford 

Step back to 1100 AD with archaeological artefacts and learn about the history of the castle.

Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent 

Tour around the last working Victorian potbank in a Grade II-listed building. 

Walsall Leather Museum, Walsall 

Learn about Walsall’s leather trade in a renovated Victorian factory building.

Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton 

Step back into the Edwardian period and discover local history in Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton 

Home to contemporary art from the likes of David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

East of England

The Higgins Bedford, Bedford 

Collection of watercolour, prints and decorative art – with displays on the works of William Burges and Edward Bawden.

Bury St Edmunds Abbey, Bury St Edmunds 

The wealthiest Benedictine monastery in medieval England includes the shrine of St Edmund and the 14th-century Great Gate. 

The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Huge collection of artworks and objects formerly owned by Cambridge alumni Richard Fitzwilliam, from ancient Egyptian coffins to Renaissance masterpieces. 

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge

Collection of archaeology and anthropological items including Roman pottery and objects from predynastic Egypt. 

The Polar Museum, Cambridge 

Learn about the history and science of polar exploration, Arctic art and culture.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science, Cambridge 

Dig deeper into a collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils dating back two million years.

Peterborough Museum, Cambridgeshire 

Home to 227,000 items from the city’s history and artistic heritage, including ceramics from the Roman empire and Jurassic fossil remains.

Hollytrees Museum, Colchester 

Glimpse into life for both the rich and the poor in 18th-century Colchester, and get the chance to dress up as a servant. 

Henry Blogg Museum, Cromer 

Discover the life of hero Henry Blogg, who helped 387 rescues at sea and created a hull shape for a new lifeboat. 

Hylands House and Estate, Essex 

The Neo-Classical Hylands House is surrounded by 574 acres of parkland, and the popular Go Ape attraction.

Cromwell Museum, Huntingdon 

Collection of artefacts, paintings, and material relating to Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate. 

Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich 

Tudor brick mansion featuring collection of items from the Tudor period including clothing, children’s toys, and musical instruments. 

Stockwood Discovery Centre, Luton 

Learn about Luton’s local history and see Europe’s biggest collection of horse-drawn carriages.

Bhaktivedanta Manor, Radlett

78 acres of land featuring an organic farm, monastery, and Hare Krishna temple in Hertfordshire.

Great London & Outer London

Myddelton House Gardens, Enfield 

Former home and gardens of the horticulturist, Edward Bowles. 

Bank of England Museum, London 

Deep dive into 1,500 years of monetary history with a famous 13kg gold bar you can hold, worth £380,000.

British Museum, London

The UK’s biggest museum, with the world’s largest collection of works – eight million pieces exploring human history, art, and culture. 

Geffrye Museum of the Home, London 

Step back into British homelife, from 1600 to the present day, with a series of period room displays. 

Grant Museum of Zoology, London 

One of the oldest natural history collections, dating back to 1828, including 68,000 zoological specimens.

Guildhall Art Gallery & London’s Roman Amphitheatre, London 

Home to City of London’s art collection dating back to the 1600s, as well as a famous Roman amphitheatre. 

Horniman Museum and Gardens, London

Collection with over 350,000 anthropological and historical items as well as musical instruments and taxidermied animals.

Kenwood House, London 

A 17th-century house in Hampstead Heath, used to film Notting Hill, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park.

Museum of London Docklands, London

A 200-year-old warehouse featuring the history of trade and how pirates transformed the capital in the 1600s. 

Museum of the Order of St John, London 

Learn about the history of St John Ambulance dating back 900 years.

National Army Museum, London . 

Wander through warfare across the ages, from English Civil War and Seven Years War to present day.

National Gallery, London 

2,600 pieces of art, from the Renaissance, Impressionism and Gothic periods.

National Portrait Gallery, London 

The world’s biggest portrait collection, with artworks of some of the most important and iconic British people. 

Natural History Museum, London 

One of the UK’s most popular museums with 80 million items, including the famous blue whale skeleton.

Petrie Museum, London 

One of the world’s biggest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology.

Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London

UK’s oldest church, founded in 1123, and still a place of worship.

Royal Air Force Museum, London

Discover the history of aviation and the RAF with famous aircraft including the WWII bomber, Avro Lancaster.

Royal Hospital Chelsea, London

British Army soldier retirement home exploring the history of the residents and the building. 

Science Museum, London

Family-friendly museum where you can discover famous inventions from rockets and computers, to aviation and trains, across 50 exhibits and regular pop-up events.

Sir John Soane’s Museum, London

Former home of the English architect most famous for designing the Bank of England.

Tate Britain, London

Biggest collection of British art in the world, dating back to 1897.

Tate Modern, London

Britain’s national collection of contemporary and modern art, including Picasso and Matisse.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

World’s biggest museum of arts and design, with more than 2.8 million objects.

The Wallace Collection, London 

Former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford, with collection of fine and decorative arts.

William Morris Gallery, London 

Step inside the famous textile designer’s former home and learn about his influence on the design industry.

South East

Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury 

Grade II-listed building with works from David Hockney, as well as an ancient Egyptian mummified cat, and the original Bagpuss. 

The Novium, Chichester 

Former Roman bathhouse exploring 500,000 years of Chichester.

Dover Museum, Dover 

Learn why Dover is England’s ‘Lock and Key’ having survived invasions from Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror and Napoleon. 

The White Cliffs of Dover, Dover 

Visit deep shelters built for soldiers in World War II.

Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne 

Extensive collection of modern British and contemporary international artworks. 

Royal Holloway Art Collection, Egham 

Collection of paintings, drawings, and prints by artists including John Everett Millais, Edward Burne-Jones, and John Nash. 

Hastings Fisherman’s Museum, Hastings 

Dive into the fishing industry and maritime history of Hastings. 

Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings 

Collection of over 90,000 objects on everything from natural sciences and decorative arts, to world cultures and a dinosaur gallery. 

Shipwreck Museum, Hastings 

Learn about maritime disasters, and see shipwrecks including from the English Channel.

The New Forest Centre, Lyndhurst 

An independent charity dedicated to showcasing traditions, origins, and wildlife of the New Forest.

Maidstone Museum, Maidstone

Collection of more than 600,000 artefacts and specimens, exploring fine art, human history, and textiles.

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford 

UK’s oldest public museum, exploring the works of artists and archaeologists dating back to 8,000 BC.

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford

Home to the world’s best collection of early scientist instruments.

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

Houses the Oxford University’s collection of over 500,000 archeological and anthropological objects.

Dorchester Abbey Museum, Oxfordshire 

Displays dating back 6,000 years, with artefacts such as prehistoric stone tools, Roman fortified settlements, and an Iron Age village. 

Hook Norton Brewer Museum, Oxfordshire 

Victorian brewery with guided tours and free beer samples.

The Oxfordshire Museum, Oxfordshire 

Learn the story of Oxfordshire, from the Jurassic period through to the Victorian era and modern day.

Boathouse 4, Portsmouth 

Discover the history of maritime craftsmanship including the development of boatbuilding.

Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, Portsmouth

Look into the local history and heritage of the city including special moments from Portsmouth FC.

Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson, Portsmouth 

A Victorian fortress, home to the national collection of artillery and historic cannon.

Southsea Castle, Portsmouth

An important landmark built by King Henry VIII, where he watched the sinking of The Mary Rose in 1545. 

The Museum of English Rural Life, Reading

Discover the traditions and daily routines of rural life dating back to 1750 in Reading.

Winchester City Mill, Winchester 

View the waterwheel and machinery of an ancient water-powered corn mill.

The Lightbox, Woking 

A museum housing contemporary art including the works of Elisabeth Frink, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Barbara Hepworth.

Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, Worthing

One of the UK’s biggest displays of costume and textiles. 

South West

Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, Barnstaple 

Learn about North Devon’s local history across 12 galleries with annual events and a tearoom.

Avon Valley Railway, Bristol 

See tracks, locomotives, and carriages from the Avon Valley Railway, dating back to 1869.

Blaise Castle House Museum, Bristol 

Learn about Bristol homelife across the last 300 years with a costume collection of 10,000 items.

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol 

Three floors of of art, costume and textiles, ceramics, archaeology and religion.

Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, Bristol

Discover how and why the famous bridge was built.

The Georgian House Museum, Bristol 

An 18th-century townhouse that shows what life for the wealthy was like in Bristol.

M Shed, Bristol

Collection of 3,000 artefacts as well as a Banksy built into a 1950s transit shed by the docks.

The Red Lodge Museum, Bristol

Learn about 400 years of the historic house, once a party place for royals and a Victorian reform school.

Brixham Heritage Museum, Brixham 

Former police station that explores the town’s history with 10,000 objects.

Castle Bude, Bude 

Built into the sand, the 1830 castle is now home to a local museum, art gallery and cafe.

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, Charmouth 

Learn how to collect fossils with guided walks and rockpooling.

The Wilson, Cheltenham 

A collection of arts and crafts from World War I, and Chinese ceramics.

Red House Museum and Gardens, Christchurch 

A former Georgian workhouse turned into a museum displaying the local town’s history dating back to the Ice Age.

Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, Dorchester 

Find out about a group of farm workers who became martyrs for forming a trade union, influencing modern day unions.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter 

Home to an impressive collection exploring zoology, anthropology, fine art, archeology and geology.

Gloucester Folk Museum, Gloucester

One of Gloucester’s oldest buildings with music and theatre events.

Museum of Cornish Life, Helston

One of the largest social and cultural history collections in South West Britain.

Otterton Mill Centre and Working Museum, Otterton 

See a historic water mill along with a gallery of arts and crafts.

Poole Museum, Poole 

Learn about Poole’s history from Ice Age to present day.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St Ives

Learn about the sculptor’s life and explore her studio and gardens.

The Museum in the Park, Stroud 

Unique 4,000-strong collection of items, from dinosaur bones to the world’s first lawnmower.

Durlston Castle, Swanage

Learn about the Victorian history of the folly with cafe and rooftop views

The Museum of Somerset, Taunton 

Explore 400 million years of Taunton’s history. 

Cockington Court, Torquay 

Watch artisans, like chocolate makers, painters and glassblowers, at work with seasonal gallery shows.

Longleat House, Warminster 

Explore an Elizabethan manor house with 900 acres of parkland.

THE UK was set to have a record-breaking waterpark that would be open all year round – only for plans to be scrapped.

Elysium Water Park was originally planned to be built in Bournemouth and was due to open in 2023.

The proposed waterpark would have been the biggest in the UK and would have ‘put Dorset on the map’.

It would have been both an tropical indoor and outdoor waterpark drawing in plenty of visitors from all over the country.

Inside were plans for swimming pools, waterslides, transparent flumes and rapids.

There were plans to build a lagoon surf park too – developed through Adventure Out There 365.

COAST EFFECTIVE

Best UK family theme & waterparks with cheap stays from just £3pp a night

DIVE IN

Mega waterpark hotels with EVERYTHING you ever wanted & all inclusive from £189pp

The lagoon itself would have cost £35million, made from a machine capable of producing more than 2,400 ocean-like waves per hour.

It also promised a “top quality wellness and beauty spa that offers a multitude of facilities including a sauna, hammam spas, massage and beauty treatments, exercise and dance options.”

“Elysium will offer so much more than just the core waterpark experience, and will also incorporate another significant trend, the water-based spa aimed at 18+ age group.”

It could have become a destination for weekend breaks too as proposals revealed plans for a 145-bedroom hotel and glamping site.

If it opened, the attraction would have provided 500 jobs and been able to welcome over one million visitors each year.

Building work was expected to start in 2019 but faced hurdles like delays during Covid as well as funding.

Another issue that led to the downfall of the attraction was to do with the area that the park was set to be built on.

The land was considered a green belt area – essentially open land to stop cities from extending too far.

It was also near a site of special interest, and didn’t have planning consent either.

The £75million project officially came to a halt when Elysium Water Park UK LTD was dissolved two years ago, according to Companies House.

Here are all the new water attractions set to open across the UK…

Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Back in 2024, the theme park submitted plans to build an African-themed waterpark with six waterslides, two lazy rivers and rapids.

If given the go-ahead, it will have a kids wave pool, splash pad, spa pool, a safari beach, cafe and outdoor restaurants.

Therme Manchester

When Therme Manchester opens, it will be the “largest water-based wellbeing destination in Europe“.

It will be every waterpark’s fan dream with spa and wellness facilities that will be split into three distinct zones – Play, Relax and Restore.

Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge wants to open a 50,000m² complex with a hotel, another an adventure park and the last, an indoor waterpark.

It will be lots of family-friendly pools, slides, rides and splash pads.

Seahive

While not a waterpark per se, Seahive is set to be a huge new water attraction near Deal in Kent.

If it gets the go-ahead, Seahive would be the world’s first surfing wellness resort with a dedicated surf lagoon for every skill level with waves ranging in size from 50cm to 2m.

The Cove Resort
Similar to Seahive, in Southport there will soon be Cove Resort which is a £75million new attraction with incredible views across the Irish Sea.

Visitors will be able to experience leisure activities like an outdoor lagoon with opportunities for surfing.

AIRLINES were today warned the UK’s second biggest airport is running out of fuel, sparking fears of a summer holiday getaway meltdown for thousands of passengers.

Disruption is likely to long-haul flights in and out of Gatwick Airport.

Pilots were sent emergency alerts about the shortages and urged to load up on extra fuel at other airports.

In one memo seen by The Sun, staff were warned: “For attention of all crews: Gatwick has a shortage of fuel for the next two days.

“Please uplift max possible fuel at outstations.”

Another “emergency” notification issued to aviation bosses told of “potential disruption to the Gatwick fuel supply”.

FESTIVAL TRAGEDY

Teen girl, 17, dies at major UK festival headlined by Scissor Sisters

SEX PROBE

Top cop accused of having sex with 2 junior colleagues paid £55k after quitting

A senior source told The Sun: “The fuel shortage will affect all airlines.

“Long-haul flights are under the most threat.

“Pilots will try and take on as much fuel as they can from their foreign destinations to bring back to the UK. But they will be limited by factors such as the maximum take off weight and the maximum landing weight back at Gatwick.

“Most flights beyond 2.5 hours will still need extra fuel in Gatwick.

“The fuel shortage warning came with many long-haul flights already enroute to the UK, meaning crews were unable to bring extra fuel with them.

“Pilots will be trying to supplement as much fuel as they can down-route to protect the long-haul flights and stretch out supply.

“The longer the fuel shortage lasts, the tighter it will get. It means there is a good chance of disruption, particularly Monday onwards.”

The Sun understands that engineers are battling to fix a technical issue at one of the major fuel farms serving the airport. Gatwick bosses urged airlines to take more fuel on flights to help alleviate the issue.

The issue is understood to be unrelated to the threat to airlines of jet fuel shortages due to the Iran war.

The conflict in the Middle East has led to the effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, normally a key route for Europe’s jet fuel. The crisis has led to near doubling in fuel prices.

Last week Gatwick passengers suffered water shortages after a power failure at a treatment works that serves the area.

Passengers told of confusion and frustration as all bars and restaurants were shut, and some were left with nowhere to sit, and long waits outside toilets.

Around 43 million passengers travel through Gatwick’s two terminals each year.

A London Gatwick spokesperson told The Sun of the fuel crisis: “Following a technical issue impacting fuel supply to the airport, airlines have been advised to monitor fuel availability.

“We are working closely with external suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and minimise any potential disruption.

“All airlines are operating as normal.”

YouTubers Alex and Emma bought a six-room house with an attic in Sicily for £35,000, but they noticed an issue when they considered the cost of doing the necessary renovations

A British couple who bought a cheap Italian property noticed a major issue with the property that they hadn’t considered.

There’s been a growing trend of foreigners snapping up cheap houses in Italy, sometimes for as little as £1. The idea is that decaying and dilapidated buildings are bought, often by international buyers, to replace ageing and shrinking local populations.

The problem is that there is often a catch with the properties, and this is something that British YouTubers Alex and Emma noticed when they paid £35,000 for a six-room house in Sicily.

After buying the property two years ago, the couple, who post on their channel Travel Beans, decided to do up the building. But they have now put those plans on hold as they fear it will cost them a lot more money than they originally bargained for.

They originally intended to spend £45,000 on the renovations, but now fear the total cost of the project could exceed £100,000 (including the initial house purchase) after a word of warning from their friends Sara and Luca.

Alex joked: “The worst thing that could happen – people who know more than us peed on our dreams.”

Emma then added: “Is this becoming a money pit? Could the money be better spent elsewhere? Sara and Luca told us that it (the money they were quoted for renovations) could even double. As they have no much more experience than us it would be ridiculous not to listen to their warning.

“The question is at this point in our life where do we want the next £50,000 or £60,000 to go.”

They plan to renovate the roof terrace, which has views overlooking the Mediterranean, as well as putting in a second bathroom and doing some other odd bits and pieces.

Alex and Emma are also concerned that putting money into their Italian home could get in the way of one of their big dreams – ultimately buying a home back in the UK.

They are wondering whether their Sicily dream is competing with their desire to buy property in the UK as Emma said: “Every pound spent on the Sicily house delay our UK dream.

The digital nomads, who have two children, initially chose Sicily because it “represents freedom from the conventional way of living.

Emma said: “Sicily wasn’t a completely random purchase for us. It’s what we’ve been doing our whole adult life. Finding unconventional ways of living, prioritising freedom, and not needing a tonne of money to do it.

Alex added: “Sicily was the next logical step to have a base in Europe now that we’ve got a family. It was an affordable asset that improved our life.”

With their eldest child set to start school in just over a year, and they concede that this will be the last opportunity to travel in a straightforward way for while.

FOR quieter destinations and cheaper prices, a late summer holiday – when kids have gone back to school – is ideal.

And now is the perfect time to book one, whether you want to relax on a beach, sail the ocean, tour wineries or experience some Disney magic.

Trisha Harbord selects ten top trips to enjoy in the UK or abroad, with or without the little ones . . . 

NORWEGIAN FJORDS CRUISING

SAY goodbye to chores and ride the waves aboard P&O Cruises’ Britannia.

The round-trip from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords, stops at Haugesund, Olden, Alesund and Stavanger, and takes in the Viking region, breathtaking glaciers, lush forests and stunning lakes.

In Olden, try the Loen Skylift, one of the steepest in the world, for an amazing view.

OO ARR!

The massive new pirate-themed waterpark open in Spain & you can stay for £34 each

QUEUE KNEW

Greece backtracks over plans to scrap queue-causing new rules for Brits

Britannia is an entertainment centre, with comedy, musical shows, bars, speciality restaurants, sports, a cookery club, kids’ clubs, play areas and a night nursery.

GO: Seven nights’ full-board from £785pp departing Southampton on September 11. See iglucruise.com.

BULGARIAN BLACK SEA ACTION

IF you like an active holiday, Bulgaria’s Black Sea is for you.

Along Sunny Beach, there are watersports galore, catamaran cruises, a theme park, Jeep safaris and biking.

The nearby Tui Blue Nevis hotel offers a multi-sports court for tennis, football and volleyball, pool games, guided walks, arts and crafts, and cooking classes.

Evening entertainment includes singers, acrobats, outdoor cinema and silent disco.

Don’t miss the ancient city of Nessebar, a Unesco World Heritage site.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £579pp including Manchester flights on September 10. See tui.co.uk.

LUXURY GREEK ODYSSEY

WHAT could be more enticing than fabulous food and cool cocktails in a gorgeous Greek island boutique hotel?

The 3* adults-only Nathalie Hotel in Ixia, Rhodes, is small and friendly with rooms that sleep up to four guests.

Or push the boat out and book a Jacuzzi room and Rooftop suite with views over the ocean and spectacular sunsets.

Ixia has a buzzing nightlife, with bars, tavernas and cafes, and is a surfer’s paradise.

Take a bus or taxi to explore the cobbled streets of Rhodes old town.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B from £579pp including flights from Stansted on September 27. See jet2holidays.com.

AND RELAX… WITH THE BELFRY BREAK

TREAT yourself to a relaxing break at one of the UK’s finest country resorts – The Belfry, set in 550 acres of countryside.

The spa has pools, sauna, steam rooms, A Fire & Ice Experience and aroma caves.

The resort has three golf courses, a driving range, restaurants and a cinema room.

A highlight this summer has been surfing simulator WaveSurfer, which will run at weekends during September.

GO: The Pamper or Putt offer is from £259 a night, including dinner, overnight stay, breakfast and your choice of a round of golf on The Derby or a 25-minute spa treatment.

Family two-night B&B weekend offer from £404. thebelfry.com.

LIFE’S A BEACH ON TURKEY’S RIVIERA

THE sun shines 300 days a year on the stunning beaches of Turkey’s riviera.

And the Prime Beach Hotel, in popular Marmaris, has its own private beach.

The 5* resort also offers an aqua park, pools, restaurants and snack bars.

Adults will love the wellness and spa centre, featuring a traditional hammam.

If you can travel for up to three hours, take a day trip to the thermal pools of Pamukkale or ruins of Ephesus, both Unesco World Heritage sites.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £757pp including flights from Luton on September 30. Price includes a free child’s place. See easyjet.com.

BEAT THE QUEUES AT DISNEYLAND PARIS

SEPTEMBER is a fantastic time of year to visit Disneyland Paris, especially if you avoid the weekend for shorter queues.

This year is a big one for the attraction.

The new World Of Frozen has opened in Adventure World, along with Cascade Of Lights, a fireworks, water and drone spectacular.

New for summer are Princess Cavalcade Mickey And The Magician show. Grown-ups will love thrill rides, such as The Twilight Zone: Tower Of Terror  and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.

GO: Two nights’ room-only at the Hotel Santa Fe and three-day park tickets from £831pp, for arrival on September 28. See disneylandparis.com.

CATCH A SEAFOOD FEAST IN DEVON

DIVE down to Devon for two-week festival England’s Seafood Feast, which showcases the county’s culinary qualities and begins on September 21.

Restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham create exclusive tasting experiences, including seven courses over seven hours in seven restaurants by seven local chefs, with seven award-winning drinks.

Riviera Bay Coastal Retreat in Brixham has lodges, caravans and chalets.

GO: Three nights’ self-catering in a two-bedroom lodge is from £369. See landscovecoastalretreats.co.uk and englishriviera.co.uk.

ESSEX HAS A TOUCH OF GLASS

WINE tourism in Essex is booming and the county is now home to 58 vineyards.

Treat yourself to a luxurious stay in the beautiful grounds of Bardfield Vineyard near Braintree and you won’t need to book a taxi home after tasting their rosé, Bacchus or sparkling brut wines.

A tasting tour with ploughman’s lunch costs £40 per person.

Bed down in a rustic cart lodge, with two double en-suite bedrooms and kitchen.

Head to Saffron Grange for sparkling wines, or try the award-winning Tuffon Hall vineyard.

Both tours cost £25 per head.

GO: A cart lodge at Bardfield from £140 a night. See visitessex.com.

YORKSHIRE GOES BARKING MAD

CHEF James Martin will join pooch lovers at DogFest On The Farm at Harewood House, Yorkshire, on September 12-13.

James, who says his cocker spaniel Cooper is his best mate, will be giving cooking demos and dog nutrition advice.

Your four-legged friends can play in the giant ball pit and splash around at a pool party.

Trainers are on hand and there are sheepdog trials and breed meet-ups.

Tickets from £24.50. See dogfest.co.uk.

A perfect base for the festival is the Old Barn, near Harrogate.

GO: Three nights’ self-catering is from £525 for arrival on September 12. See caninecottages.co.uk.

TRY WALES FOR WALKING

WALKING tour company Ramble Worldwide is 80 years old this year.

It offers guided holidays in the UK and abroad for all levels of fitness, including along the beautiful Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire coasts.

Ramblers who choose Wales will find clifftop paths, coves and fishing villages, with the chance to see seals, dolphins and porpoises, and Cilgerran Castle.

Groups of ten to 12 are based at the 3* Gwbert Hotel, on the River Teifi, for walks of around ten miles a day.

GO: Five nights’ half board from £699pp for arrival on September 28. See rambleworldwide.co.uk.

A CLEVER suitcase trick has gone viral on TikTok which will get you two checked suitcases for the price of one.

Travellers have called it a huge “new life hack.”

For those looking to save on pesky baggage fees, TikTok may have just found the answer.

A user has posted a video to the social media site giving holidaymakers a sneaky travel hack for those planning on bringing back a mountain of holiday souvenirs and shopping.

The viral trick involves placing a large packed suitcase inside an empty one.

Zip them both up, check them into hold luggage and you’ve managed to take away two bags for the price of one.

DON’T FORGET

15 MUST-HAVE Amazon travel items that you’ll need for your holiday – from 79p

PLANE PAIN

Travellers are more likely to get a train between cities than fly, poll finds

Travellers can then fill the empty suitcases with a host of holiday purchases and bring the two bags back on the return flight, ideal for those heading on long-distance trips.

You will obviously need to pay for both suitcases on your return, but you’ll have scrimped some cash on the outbound flight.

It also means you won’t need to buy an extra suitcase during your trip if you already had spares at home.

However, an even handier hack has emerged online for those looking to max out their holiday packing.

Pop a smaller packed suitcase inside a large suitcase for your outbound flight.

On the return, you can check in the larger suitcases filled to the brim with new purchases and souvenirs, and keep the smaller bag as your free carry- on bag.

The result is only having to pay for one checked bag on each flight.

Fans of the popular hack poured praise on the social media platform.

“This is absolutely freakin’ brilliant,” wrote one user.

Another added: “Doing this for years, saves you space in the big suitcase and gives you extra space once you use it as a carry-on the way back.”

“This is a great idea because I have about 55 suitcases from each time I had to buy an extra one,” said another.

Another said: “Oh my god new life hack unlocked.”

A savvy packing hack has also been doing the rounds on social media, helping shoppers whittle down their wardrobe into just nine essential items.

The trick means you can save on baggage fees by only bringing one free hand luggage bag.

FREE trackers for soft toys are being offered to easyJet customers to help kids avoid losing them on holiday.

The Teddy Trackers devices fasten to children’s companions, and can be located via safety app Life360.

EasyJet, the airline and package holiday provider, has teamed up with Teddy Trackers to give parents peace of mind while they travel.

It comes after research, conducted by Censuswide, found two thirds of parents say their child has lost their favourite soft toy or comforter on holiday.

Stuart Wright, customer director at easyJet holidays, said: “We know that it’s often the little things that make the biggest difference to a family holiday.

“For many children, a favourite teddy or comfort toy is an important part of the journey and losing it can be upsetting at what should be an exciting time.

GUN HORROR

At least three dead after ‘gunman opens fire’ outside burger restaurant

KATIE’S DINNER

Junior Andre cooks mum Katie Price dinner & admits ‘she wont eat otherwise’

“That’s why we’ve launched Teddy Trackers, giving families extra peace of mind while they’re away.”

The study also found 30 per cent of mums and dad’s of kids who lost toys while they were away, immediately bought an identical replacement online when they got home.

They would hope their little ones wouldn’t notice.

Nearly fourt in five parents say their child’s favourite toy travels with them on most, if not every, family holiday and more than half admit they would change their holiday plans to retrieve a lost toy.

Around 33 per cent of mums and dads say their child’s favourite toy is considered a member of the family.

Among the nation’s most-loved companions, stuffed bunnies take the number one spot as the most commonly lost toy at 26 per cent, followed by traditional teddy bears, and action figures or dolls.

The top toy names reported are Bunny, Teddy, Fluffy, and Billy.

Life360 claims more than 40,000 toys have been actively tracked around the world in the last 12 months through its trackers.

Tom Rizzo, GM International at Life360, said: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with easyJet right in the middle of the busy summer holiday season, helping families to avoid teddy-related disasters.

“By slipping a Life360 Tile tracker onto a soft toy, the fear of losing it disappears.

“Whether a beloved bear is left behind at security or vanishes under a poolside sunbed, parents can pinpoint its location in seconds using the Life360 app.

“Best of all, the Tile is theirs to keep, meaning families will never have to worry about a lost furry companion on future adventures.”

JULIUS CAESAR may have crossed the Rubicon when he went to Rome – but my tip is to head over the River Tiber to see the Trastevere neighbourhood.

It’s the Italian capital’s more edgy, bohemian district with a warren of cobblestone streets, charming alleyways and intimate squares.

There are lively food and clothes markets, individual shops, craft beer and aperitivo bars plus great-value trattorias.

And while it’s an easy, 15-minute stroll from the city centre, there are excellent places to stay if you choose to base yourself here.

I began my visit in the tranquillity of Trastevere’s headline act — the glorious Botanical Garden of Rome (ortobotanicodiroma.it, €5).

With only a handful of visitors on a pleasant late autumn day, it felt like I was in a private sanctuary.

G.O.T. TO SEE THIS

What to expect from the Game of Thrones Studio Tour attraction

SUNNY STEALS

Sun-drenched European holidays with £1.50 pints and stays from under £9pp

Chatty parakeets flew overhead as I walked through a bamboo grove to a Zen-style Japanese garden.

I stumbled across a group watercolour lesson and was invited to join in.

Having not sketched anything for decades, I was pleasantly surprised at my naive-in-a-good-way results.

I ambled on to Trastevere’s serene side streets to browse the numerous artists and artisans’ studios.

In one, I was shown the artist’s latest works in progress, which are to be exhibited in the Vatican.

My base in Trastevere was as full of character as the soulful neighbourhood.

The 4* Trastevere Roma UNA Esperienze is in a former late 19th century palazzo and my spacious room came with a quiet elegance and a coffee machine.

I had lunch at the Vista panoramic roof terrace and bar, savouring a fine, smoky Bucatini all’Amatriciana — appropriately, a classic Roman pasta dish — that will live long in the memory.

After my afternoon of exploring, I returned to the Vista for dinner and first took in the view across Rome’s rooftops to the 266ft-high Victor Emmanuel II national monument.

It’s an entrancing sight, best experienced with an Aperol spritz or Negroni in hand.

And, like that backdrop view, my dinner of veal escalope was sheer perfection.

After dinner, sociable owls can spread their wings into a buzzing Trastevere nightlife.

There’s a choice of heady aperitivo bars, before moving on to the late-opening venues — Bar San Calisto keeps going to 1.30am every night and is a local institution.

While the area has a working-class history, there is no shortage of classic Roman architecture, from opulent palazzos to the striking Porta Settimiana, the 3rd-century AD arched entrance to the north of the neighbourhood.

All of these are flanked by shuttered, ivy-clad orange apartments.

As it was a delightful 25C on my late autumn visit, I strolled across the Tiber and found myself outside the Pantheon in no time at all.

The Trevi Fountain and Temple of Hadrian are close by, too.

UNA Esperienze has a quartet of 4H hotels in Rome, and I found myself walking by the brand’s Maison Roma Piazza di Spagna.

In contrast to the earthy magic of Trastevere, it is situated on the exclusive Via Margutta, made famous in the classic movie Roman Holiday and where La Dolce Vita director Federico Fellini had an apartment.

But here’s the real secret: when in Rome, make your home base at the UNA Trastevere hotel and experience the very best of both worlds.

Art, architecture, families, food, friends and wine in one beautiful melting pot.

You’d cross the Rubicon (and Tiber) for that any time.

WHEN you think of a holiday to the Netherlands, most people only think of Amsterdam.

Yet as someone who lived in the country for more than two years, there are so many other amazing places that are overlooked by Brits, but are just as beautiful and with far fewer tourists.

Even better – you can get to them all easily by train for under €35.

From the ‘Venice of the North’ to cheap beer, here are some of my off-the-beaten track places to go as an alternative destination.

Giethoorn

The village of Giethoorn in the province of Overijssel has two nicknames – the ‘town with no roads’ or ‘the Venice of the North’.

The latter nickname comes from its many canals, which you can easily traverse by boat.

DAM GOOD

See last Dutch Grand Prix for just £899 on unforgettable 5-night trip to Amsterdam

NETHER BETTER

I visited the Amsterdam-alternative city named top destination for 2026

In fact, this mode of transportation over the use of cars is so popular, you’re likely to have more boat traffic than road traffic, with lines of them queuing up.

At the entrance of Geithoorn, the first thing you’ll notice is that the village is floating on a massive lake. Instead of paying for a tour, opt for renting a tiny wooden boat and explore the canal belt at your own pace. 

If you want to keep things cheap, consider popping into a local supermarket, such as Albert Heijn (just make sure to before entering the village as there are no supermarkets floating about).

Travel down the waterways and you’ll eventually hit a massive pond called Boveenwijde. For many, this is the moment to switch off the engines and enjoy the sun. 

This is also the perfect time to crack open one of those beers you bought from the supermarket, taking in the peaceful scenery by water.

While you’re there, head to Northwest Europe’s largest peat bog wetland – the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. 

As you make your way through the maze of lakes, ponds and ditches, you might even spot otters floating next to you. 

When it comes to places to stay, Giethoorn Old Art Hotel offers guests a perfect base where you can wake up to river views every morning. 

Rooms start from €87.76 (£75.21) per night. 

Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Steenwijk followed by Bus 70 for €33 (£28.30),with a journey time around two hours.

Groningen 

Go all the way up to the very top of the Netherlands where you almost hit the coast of the country and you’ll find one of the biggest student cities in the country – Groningen.

The reason for its popularity with students on a budget? The cheap beer.

I managed to find a cold crisp pint for as little as €3.50 (£3) during my student days, but you need to know where to look.

The Warhol bar is easy to sport, with its neon-green Grolsch sign outside and colourful graffiti plastered on the walls. 

Make your way through the crowds and red lighting from above and you’ll find a busy bar with wacky animations turning around on the screen behind and pints from €4 (£3.40)

Otherwise there is also ORKZ bar just a bit further down, built into a former Roman-Catholic hospital. 

It only became a bar after legal squatters took over in 1979, and now is found in the old kitchen of the hospital and run entirely by volunteers.

Inside find head-banging music, grunge, and famously the city’s cheapest beers where a pint starts from €3.50 (£3).

In the midst of barhopping, check out Grote Markt, a buzzy square in the middle of the city. 

Once a central trading spot since the Middle Ages, admire the 15th century gothic Martini Tower – a landmark of the city. 

Stay at Martini Hotel in the city center during your trip. Rooms start from €96 (£82) a night and guests can rent bicycles from the hotel to explore the sights of Groningen. 

Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Groningen for €33.30 (£28.50), taking around two hours.

Gouda

Everyone has heard of the famous Gouda cheese, so why not take a short trip down to the city that invented it?

If you’re visiting during April and August, head to the market square in front of the Stashuis on Thursday morning to find the Cheese Market.

Or dive into the world of cheese by going on the Gouda Cheese Experience. 

Found inside an aptly-painted yellow building, visitors are taken on an interactive journey exploring what it takes to become a cheese master.

Another famous snack of the Netherlands is the stroopwafel – and while popular in Amsterdam it was actually invented in this town. 

Once the ‘poor man’s cookie’ in the 18th century, it has since become a much-loved quick bite to eat.

One of the most fun places to get them is from a vending machine which serves them warm from €2 (£1.70) – and there are more than 286 compartments to choose from. 

Stay at City Hotel Gouda, a stylish hotel along the Gouwe River and a short walking distance to the city’s best attractions. Rooms start from €130 (£112) a night. 

Take a 50 minute Intercity train from Amsterdam to Gouda starting from €15.10 (£13).

Den Bosch

In the south of the Netherlands (past Eindhoven) is the small city of ‘S-Hertogenbosch or as the locals call it, Den Bosch. 

Right by the station is the Banketbakkerij Jan de Groot bakery, with the local delicacy of Bossche Bol – think a chocolate eclair but rounder – for less than £3.

One of its most famous festivals in town is celebrated in February, with the four-day Oeteldonk where locals dress up as cartoon frogs.

The city changes its name during the carnival to Oeteldonk which translates to Frog Hill which explains the frog costumes. 

Don’t worry if the full froggy outfit is too much for you – you can show your support by wearing a combination of red, white and yellow. 

As long as you dance to the tunes of the carnival clubs as soon as you step inside, you’ve got the right spirit.

Close to the main station in Den Bosc  is the charming Duke Hotel with quaint rooms that start from €118 (£101) a night.

Take a 49 minute Intercity train from Amsterdam starting at €15.30 (£13.11).

PLANS for a brand-new luxury hotel resort located in the European countryside have been unveiled.

The spot is known for its award-winning golf course and has now partnered with a renowned luxury hotel brand for the project.

Nobu Hotels has announced plans for its latest luxury destination which will welcome visitors to Portugal’s Eastern Algarve.

The site will be Portugal’s second Nobu location, with the lifestyle hotel chain previously announcing plans for an expansion in Lisbon on Avenida da Liberdade.

Construction for the Algarve holiday spot is set to begin in 2027, with plans to accommodate guests in 2029.

The hotel will reside within more than 1,000 acres of countryside at the iconic Monte Rei site, known for its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf course.

ROOM FOR MORE

I slept in London’s cheapest underground hotel with £39 windowless rooms

HOT PROPERTY

The ‘best-kept secret’ beach in the UK that’s getting popular

Plans for the new Nobu Hotel include 100 guestrooms and suites, alongside a signature Nobu restaurant and dedicated wellness and lifestyle amenities.

As part of the development, over 226,000 sq ft of land will become villas and branded residences, meaning guests and owners can enjoy Nobu services while living on the Monte Rei site.

According to Nobu Hospitality, in the past two decades, Monte Rei has garnered international reputations owing to “its award-winning golf, high standards of service, residential community and enviable location in one of Portugal’s most characterful resort regions”.

The resort hopes to combine the luxury and hospitality of Nobu with the exceptional privacy offered by the Monte Rei setting.

CEO of Nobu Hospitality, Trevor Horwell, said: “Monte Rei offers a rare combination of natural beauty, privacy and an established reputation for exceptional golf and residential living.

“Together with Norfin, we have the opportunity to create a distinctive Nobu destination that feels deeply connected to the Eastern Algarve while delivering the hospitality, dining, design and service for which the brand is known around the world.”

The project is set to bring together an international design team, including DSA Architects and the Rockwell Group, to develop the architecture and vision of the luxury resort.

CEO of Norfin, Miguel Mateus, has called the new plans an “important milestone” for Monte Rei.

“The resort has long been recognised for the quality of its golf, service and residential environment.

“We are now building on that legacy with a broader ambition for the destination – one that brings together world-class hospitality, exceptional residential living and carefully designed leisure experiences.

Istanbul

Inspired by Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express