Longtail

AROUND the world there are plenty of train stations – but not all of them can be classed as ‘beautiful’.

However, some look less like a place full of commuters and more like a work of art and have been given a prestigious award by Prix Versailles.

Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions, which includes airports, hotels and other buildings.

Now, it’s released the finest train stations that make up the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Passenger Stations List 2025’.

Two of these are in France, and both in the suburbs of Paris, so Brits can visit them in just a few hours.

Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France and its impressive train station opened last year.

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Saint-Denis Pleyel was designed by Japanese studio Kengo Kuma and Associates.

The station is tiered on different levels and decorated with wooden slats and floor to ceiling glass windows, so the inside is flooded with light.

Above the station itself is a rooftop park, and inside, is a huge open space with plenty of multi-level escalators.

Gustave Roussy Station in Villejuif, which is 40-minutes south of Paris opened in January 18, 2025.

The station was designed by the architectural firm Dominique Perrault Architecture.

It’s an underground cylindrical station with an open-air, multi-layered roof and is in the style of an ‘upside down skyscraper’ – it’s one of France‘s deepest passenger stations.

Over in Belgium is the Mons railway station which has a suspended canopy which is a nod to the Galerie de la Reine shopping arcade in Brussels.

The station originally opened in 1841, but went through its most recent transformation in 2025.

The judging panel said: “It’s a streamlined style made up of steel and dazzling white to form a cathedral-like walkway”.

Other stations receiving the award include Gadigal Station in Sydney, Australia.

The name honours the Aboriginal people who were original custodians of the land around that part of Sydney, and inside are bright tiles in colours such as yellow, purple, red and blue.

Baiyun Station in Guangzhou, China has also picked up the award for its recent transformation which has added shops and even an urban park.

It’s dedicated to 24 high-speed train lines, six subway lines and three bus terminals.  

Another is KAFD Station, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, which is very futuristic-looking with a wave-like exterior that is meant to resemble sand dunes.

Also in Riyadh is Qasr Al Hokm Station which has been described as being like a “periscope” as the glass roof reflects light throughout the station.

Bringing the outdoors in, there’s also a “luxuriant garden unexpectedly materialises within the subterranean space”.

Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles, underscores the grandeur of the ideals  embodied by these edifices: “Excellence lends itself to recognition and humility, and is a necessary quality in this day and age,  when there is such a need to extend the harmony manifested in these new passenger stations across  entire continents.  

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“The commitment and the technical and aesthetic prowess demanded by these structures are the  highest possible tribute to the building community.  

“Already a part of this century’s heritage, this infrastructure is revitalising the role that we as a society  attribute to mobility. At each site, beauty is given concrete form, like a lung breathing new life into the  city, a shared symbolic territory in the service of its inhabitants.”

TUCKED away in 500 acres of woodland is an enormous climbing frame, that now doesn’t cost a penny to enter.

Called Hermit’s Hollow, it’s a play haven for kids with wooden bridges, walkways, treetop canopies and spiral slides.

Hermit’s Hollow is found at Coombe Abbey Park in Coventry and was built just two years ago in 2023.

Since its opening, families had been charged a £3.95 entry fee with visitors having to book tickets for a two hour slot online.

But the great news is that these fees have been scrapped from November 3, 2025 and entry is now completely free.

Hermit’s Hollow is an exciting place for kids to run about along the wooden walkways, tree towers, a tube slide and an accessible companion slide.

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There is also a small area for toddlers to explore.

The only bad news is that Hermit’s Cafe and on-site toilets which is located within the woodland playground will close.

It’s a popular spot for families, especially during the warmer weather with one mum writing on Tripadvisor that it’s the best place for a “perfect day out with the kids“.

Another said: “The walk is lovely not huge but the kids loved it, log walking, making dens, and they loved the woodland climbing.”

The climbing area is open between 10am until 4pm each day.

Aside from the climbing frame, there’s plenty to do in Coombe Abbey Park as it has plenty of woodland and lakeside walks as well as other activities, and even Go Ape.

The adventure chain is found within the grounds and there’s plenty to do from Treetop challenges, to axe throwing, archery, driving mini land rovers.

Or head closer to the huge Coombe Abbey Hotel where you can stroll around the pruned gardens and mazes.

Visitors can pop into Café in the Park at Coombe Abbey where they serve up breakfast offerings from the ‘Full Park Breakfast’.

There are as well as toasties, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or main meals like fish and chips, chilli and there’s a dedicated kid’s menu.

Coventry itself has been labelled as an ‘underrated’ city in the UK, and it’s seeing an increase in the number of tourists.

Some of the biggest attractions there include The Wave in Coventry which is an enormous indoor waterpark with one of the biggest wave pools in the country.

It has six water slides, one being The Crestar, which has two giant spheres with lighting effects.

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The Cascade is another ride at the waterpark, as is The Torrent, which is a ride where the floor drops from beneath – and is arguably one of the scariest rides.

The Rapids, which has been described as the “Big Dipper on water”, is the park’s water coaster, where powerful jets hurl riders uphill before dropping them down through tight corners and tunnels.

One writer reveals what his stay at the Coombe Abbey Hotel was like…

Read on to hear what one writer made of this historic hotel…

Where is the Coombe Abbey Hotel?

On 500 acres of renowned beauty, this historic hotel is in Coventry situated in Coombe Abbey’s Country Park, just off the M6.

What is it like?

Next time somebody wants to send you to Coventry, stay at this complex, which dates back to 1150 and has links to royalty, the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII and the Gunpowder plot. Enjoy a view of the moat, the lake and the courtyard to the Capability Brown designed gardens, depending on where you are in the hotel.

What is there to do at the hotel?

The corridors and communal rooms are packed with artefacts, art, history and heritage, that are well worth exploring as you wander from bar to room to

restaurant, while the scenic lake, gardens and grounds are perfect for a stroll. 

Enjoy one of the many choices of afternoon tea, from Abbot’s Afternoon Tea to Sparkling Afternoon Tea as a post-walk treat. For kids, you can discover Go Ape in the woodlands.

What is there to eat and drink?

Unless you want to drive, you’d better eat here as it’s about a ten-minute walk to the edge of the grounds and some way beyond that to any restaurants. That being said, you really do want to eat here. The ambience is classy, the food is great, and the breakfast really sets you up for the day.

The dinner menu features meaty dishes of beef shin with fondant potato and confit duck leg with spiced braised cabbage, as well as vegan, vegetarian and fish options.

What are the rooms like?

The minimum standard in basic rooms is real quality and comfort, while the decor and design in the feature heritage rooms are charming and characterful. Rooms start from £149 a night based on two sharing.

EVERY year an enormous – and free – parade takes place in London with floats and live bands – and something new is launching this year.

The Lord or Lady Mayor’s Show dates back to the 13^th century and is full of of celebratory entertainment, and this year is a very special one.

Dame Susan Langley DBE will be appointed as the Lady Mayor, which makes her only the third woman to hold the post in over 800 years, and the 697th Mayor of the City of London.

She will also be the first ever to be titled the ‘Lady Mayor of London‘.

To celebrate her inauguration, there will be a traditional parade of bands and 50 floats throughout the city.

Over 7,000 people take part in the event from all over the world – and the procession is over three miles long, which is longer than the actual route.

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The event is completely free and you’ll get to see marching bands, a huge Cinderella carriage, dancers, even a resorted Bluebird K7 (a hydroplane) will make an appearance.

There are representatives of all three armed forces there too, Taiko drummers and mounted knights.

This year, the Lady Mayor’s Show will be held on November Saturday 8, 2025 between 11AM and 2.30PM.

Roads will be closed as people line up in the streets to see the event underway – so don’t travel by car as you’ll meet lots of no entry signs.

In the morning, the Lady Mayor’s Show will begin at Mansion House and go towards the Royal Courts through St Paul’s.

In the afternoon, the parade will come back through Embankment and Victoria Street.

The official website suggests for a ‘full experience’, to watch the outward procession between 11AM and 12PM between Bank and St Paul’s.

For a quieter experience with fewer crowds, watch the parade on its return to Mansion House between 1.15PM and 2.30PM around Embankment.

Historically, the Lord Mayor’s Show is the oldest and longest civic procession in the world.

It started as early as the 13th century when King John granted that the City of London could appoint its own Mayor.

The condition being that each new Mayor would have to pledge loyalty to the Crown.

The journey then became a huge event that has been held for around 800 years and was eventually named the Lord Mayor’s Show.

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For more free events in London, check out the full list of London’s best Christmas lights and when they will be switched on this year.

Plus, is this England’s most beautiful Christmas market? The 100-stall festive event in the middle of a palace courtyard.

Damon Albarn has opened up about his emotional journey while recording Gorillaz’ upcoming album.

The singer and his bandmate Jamie Hewlett poured the grief of losing their dads into their ninth record, The Mountain, and Damon revealed he scattered his father’s ashes in India while making the collection.

“Both Jamie and I lost our fathers,” Damon said.

“We did two quite amazing, magical trips to India.

“India is a very interesting place to carry grief, because they have a very positive outlook on death.

“England is just really bad at dealing with death.

“In a way, I think this record is in that tradition of celebrating their lives.

“I did things I’d never done before. I swam in the Ganges in Varanasi.

“I watched the bodies being burnt on the banks of the Ganges.

“In England when we cremate a body we don’t even look at the bodies, it’s covered up immediately and then it’s put in the fire, the little curtains close and that’s it.

“On the banks of the Ganges, every family is there with the body wrapped in a shroud and they’re burnt, and it’s going on everywhere. It goes on 24 hours a day and it’s been going on for thousands of years.

“I took my dad’s ashes there and I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.”

Indian culture helped shape the record — which will be released in March — with the album’s cover art featuring the title in Devanagari, a script used to write the Indian Sanskrit language.

And this time around the pair will not make their famous, animated music videos and instead are creating a one-off production.

Damon added: “We’re making a full eight-minute thing.

“This is why there are no videos at the moment, because it’s serious stuff. It’s really great that Jamie is concentrating on doing one animated thing.

“It’s a big amount of work, any animation. It’s kind of our Achilles’ heel because no other band has to spend that kind of time just to produce one small thing.

“So let’s make it a piece of art in itself and not really rely on it for the promotional aspect of things and let it breathe in its own way.

“I think fans are going to love every aspect of this record.”

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Personally, I cannot wait.

Jen’s perfect pairing

Jennifer Lawrence put on her poshest frock to party in the Big Apple after promoting her new film, Die My Love.

The Hunger Games star appears alongside Robert Pattinson in the black comedy, out this Friday.

And the pair coordinated their outfits for the New York premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater.

J-Law then changed into a blue gown before heading out for a night on the town with her pals.

The actress has a busy few months coming up. She is starring in and producing upcoming murder-mystery movie The Wives, before kicking off a new project with legendary director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jen and Leo are set to play the leads in a terrifying film adaptation of Peter Cameron’s ghost story, What Happens at Night.

She did the chart double last month but Olivia Dean is keeping her feet firmly on the ground.

The singer scored No1s with her album The Art of Loving and single Man I Need, becoming the first British solo female artist to top both charts simultaneously since Adele in 2021.

Asked whether she’s let her success go to her head, she said: “I don’t think so. I feel like I try really hard and think all the time about not becoming a p***k. That would just be horrible.

“I’ve met some and it’s just like, ‘Oh no, it got to you’.”

On how success depends on the people around you, Olivia continued: “A lot of people work really, really hard. It’s really important to recognise that yes, you’ve worked on your skill or your craft, but all the people around you had to believe in it and be there to make it happen as well.

“It takes a village of people to make an album or do a campaign. There’s a lot that people don’t see.”

It sounds like Olivia has a lot of goals in the future, though – including headlining Glastonbury and releasing an album of standards.

On the And The Writer Is… with Ross Golan podcast, Olivia was also asked if she had written a musical yet.

She said: “No, but I would like to in the future. It’s definitely on the bucket list for me.”

Time to say ’ello to Eli

Hot prospect Eli released debut album Stage Girl at the weekend, jam-packed with infectious melodies.

It looks like her label, RCA Records – also home to Britney Spears, P!nk and Shakira – has unearthed another gem.

But her collection of tunes also features references to a battle with her identity, which the American singer has now overcome.

In an exclusive interview, Eli, who is a trans woman, said of her album: “It was made in a flow state.

“But that was after a year or two of complete wits’ end, last straw, end of the rope, repressing everything under the sun as a human being for 20 years of my life.

“I was just like, ‘I need this joy and I need this super-extravagant pop’.”

Part of her journey of discovery is related to listeners in album highlights Girl of Your Dreams and Falsetto, and Eli now hopes that her music will help people to accept those in the queer community.

She explained: “I like the idea that this is going to play in Walmart in Kansas, for the lady who thinks I’m the spawn of Satan.

“And she’s going to be like, ‘Wow, this song is so good’.

“I feel like there is a sort of trickle-down effect of awareness of my humanity and trans humanity in general.”

Eli is already feeling the love following her album release – Mark Ronson, Demi Lovato and Zara Larsson have all voiced their support and her fan base is growing and growing.

Eli added: “I feel so excited by the community I’m existing in in LA right now.

“I feel like everyone is so supportive of each other.

“And it’s so refreshing and so cool.”

Dazzled by Doja

Doja Cat looked a true member of the glitterati as she joined A-listers for a night out.

The rapper sported a sparkly orange dress at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles and completed the ensemble with a curly blonde wig in a nod to Marilyn Monroe.

This is not the first time she has gained inspiration from the Hollywood legend. At the 2022 Grammys, she wore a custom-made crystal Versace gown – which took 475 hours to make.

Doja attended the fundraising bash alongside a host of stars, including actresses Demi Moore, Salma Hayek and Cynthia Erivo all of whom dazzled in their ’fits.

Keep sparkling, ladies.

Robyn’s return so sexi

Singer Robyn is planning to drop a new single in the next few weeks, then her ninth album in 2026.

It is seven years since the Swedish-born star put out her last collection, Honey, and an industry insider tells me the new one, with alluring title Sexistential, promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

They said: “Robyn has spent years working on this music and has been really inspired by loads of up-and-coming artists.

“She has worked with some very cool people and all the stops are being pulled out for this to be her biggest record in decades.”

Robyn has joined Gracie Abrams and Charli XCX on stage for surprise performances over the past year.

But by the sounds of it, next year she will likely be performing plenty of big gigs of her own.

Cat Burns opens up about losing her grandad and breaking up with a long-time girlfriend on her new album How to Be Human.

The singer and Celebrity Traitors star told The Sunday Times’ Style mag: “While grieving, a quote that stood out to me was: ‘Grief is just love with no place to go’. That helped guide the message of the album.”

A Brum deal for Benson

Benson Boone is due back on stage tonight at London’s O2 Arena after he was forced to cancel his Birmingham show on Saturday.

The Beautiful Things singer, who is on his American Heart World Tour, told fans he wouldn’t have been able to put on the show at the Utilita Arena due to problems with his voice.

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In a statement, he told fans: “Birmingham I am so so sorry but I will not be able to perform. I have tried everything I can to revive my voice, but I cannot give you the show I’d like to be able to give you with the condition of my throat right now.

“I’m working with my team to find a date to reschedule as soon as possible. I promise I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you guys so much.”

We’re sending you our best, Benson, and we hope you can make the show tonight.

A SEASIDE capital city a short flight from the UK, with no council tax or TV licence fees and you can eat outside in winter… what’s not to like?

That’s the score in my adopted home town which I moved to from the UK just over 11 years ago.

Though it’s Europe’s smallest capital, Malta’s Valetta squeezes in 320 monuments and over two dozen churches into an area half the size of Hyde Park with more history per square metre than anywhere else on the Med.

But Valletta’s more than just a pretty face.

Since it was crowned the European Capital of Culture in 2018, the once-sleepy capital has roared back to life with millions of euros invested in attractions, architecture and nightlife.

Living here has its perks. I pay no council tax, no TV licence, and car insurance costs are a fraction of what I used to pay in the UK.

Public transport is free, a recent vet check-up for my cat cost just €25 (£21.74), and with 300 days of sunshine a year, I’ve never needed the heating or a tumble dryer.

Life doesn’t grind to a halt in winter either.

In summer, it’s all alfresco dining and harbour views; in December, the city gate glows with a Christmas market – and you can still enjoy a lunch outside in the sun.

Come February, Carnival takes over with parades and costumes, and later the festas, Malta’s patron-saint celebrations, light up the streets with fireworks, brass bands and confetti.

Valletta knows how to celebrate, and food plays a big part.

For a real taste of Malta, start underground at Nenu the Artisan Baker that is hidden in a vault on one of the city’s backstreets, where even locals flock for the nation’s much-loved ftira bread.

Its founder, Carmel Debono, known as Nenu, was born into a family of Qormi bakers in the 1950s and still fires up a 100-year-old oven to make traditional Maltese loaves like Ħobża tal-Malti and ftajjar.

It’s a slice of Maltese history, served the old-fashioned way.

Then head down to the Valletta Waterfront, where locals fill the tables, especially for Sunday lunch.

Stop at Tribelli, a former warehouse from the 1600s turned into a family-run Maltese restaurant serving traditional dishes like rabbit stew, fried pasta and platters of local cheeses, sausages and bigilla, a broad bean dip.

Order a bottle of Maltese wine and sit on an outside table with one of the city’s best views of the Grand Harbour.

If looking for more of a quick bite, Valletta’s full of cheap eats.

Grab a pastizz, a golden, flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas – at under a euro each, they’re the best bargain in town and loved by everyone from builders to bankers.

Once stomachs have been lined, it’s time to head to Strait Street, which was originally Valletta’s red-light and sailors’ quarter.

Now lined with glitzy neon signs and balconies strung with fairy lights, it’s instead home to vintage shopfronts and cocktail bars like Tico Tico and Yard 32.

It’s also worth making a pit stop at The Pub, the tiny watering hole where actor Oliver Reed died while filming Gladiator.

The staff even wear his legendary last bar order on their T-shirts.

Public buses in Malta are free for residents, but the city is so compact that tourists can cover most of it on foot.

Don’t miss St John’s Co-Cathedral with its extraordinary Baroque interior, or the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Grand Harbour.

Day trips are easy too, with ferries running to the Three Cities or the sister island of Gozo.

Accommodation covers the full spectrum. At the luxury end, you’ve got five-star hotels like The Phoenicia Malta and Iniala Harbour House, both beautifully restored historic properties.

But there are also dozens of boutique hotels, guesthouses and Airbnbs that keep things affordable.

Valletta is a far cry from the all-inclusive coastal resorts that once put Malta on the package-holiday map, but you can still get very affordable return flights from £40 to the UK.

With all this going on, it’s little wonder Valletta’s just been crowned the world’s best city by Condé Nast Traveller.

Ten years on, I still pinch myself, sipping a glass of local Girgentina wine up in a city rooftop bar, with the UK reachable in three hours on a plane, but feeling like a lifetime away.

SOME places in the UK are especially memorable thanks to television series that have been filmed there, particularly in the south of England.

The pretty village of Looe is famous for being the backdrop of Beyond Paradis and Port Isaac was used for years in Martin Clunes‘ series Doc Martin – now the Lizard peninsula is set to be big thanks to the HBO Harry Potter series.

Earlier in autumn, the coastal peninsula of Lizard became a magical backdrop as actor John Lithgow who plays Albus Dumbledore, was spotted filming there.

Thanks to its location, the area is expected to soar in popularity next year, following in the footsteps of many other television series.

The Lizard peninsula is the southernmost point of the British mainland and is mostly recognisable thanks to its incredible coastline.

One of the spots where Harry Potter has been filming is in Cadgwith Cove, a small fishing village.

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The beach on the cove is split in two, one part is where you’ll find the fishing boats, and the other is where visitors and locals will go swimming, snorkelling and rock pooling.

Further around Cadgwith Cove is a 200-foot blowhole called the ‘Devil’s Frying Pan’.

The village itself is full of chocolate-box looking cottages, and anyone wanting to stay in Cadgwith Cove can do so at the local inn.

Harry Potter is also expected to film in Kynance Cove, a tidal beach famous for its white sand, turquoise sea and rock stacks.

Anyone can visit Kynance Cove, but there is a small fee for parking – unless you’re a National Trust member.

It’s worth the trip though with some visitors even describing it as “the best beach, give you Portugal vibes”.

Others describe it as a “Cornish gem”, however, there are warnings of strong waves and fast-rising tides.

Kynance Cove was even voted as being one of the World’s 50 Best Beaches in 2024.

While there aren’t many facilities, there is a cafe on the beach that serves sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, pasties and hot drinks.

For more budget-friendly holiday stay option on the peninsula, Brits can head to Lizard Point Holiday Park run by Parkdean Resorts.

The site is closed for the winter season, but reopens in March next year.

A five-night stay in May on a Trelan Caravan with a flatscreen TV, comfy sofas and sleeps up to six starts from £219, which is £7.30pppn.

The Compass Bungalow is the same price but sleeps up to four people; however, it is more spacious and has a brand new kitchen and bathroom.

Facilities include indoor and outdoor pools, kart and bike hire, children’s shows from PAW Patrol to Milkshake Mornings.

Kids can also check out the soft play, amusement arcade, bungee trampoline, adventure golf, high ropes, table tennis, football as well as art and craft sessions.

There are on-site bars and restaurants, an ice cream parlour, drinks van and Street Eats for takeaways.

Port Isaac further north became so well-known after being used as the filming location for the BBC Doc Martin series that ran for 18 years.

It became the fictional village of Portwenn, showing off its clusters of stone cottages and narrow streets.

Beyond Paradise, starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton, is filmed in the beautiful town of Looe, also in Cornwall.

The spin-off to Death in Paradise started in 2023 and is set in the fictional town of Shipton Abbott. The beaches of Looe and Fore Street are popular locations and the Guildhall is what they use for the Shipton Abbott Police Station.

Martha’s restaurant, The Ten Miles Kitchen, is filmed in The Stables, Port Eliot House & Gardens a cafe 20 minutes inland from Looe in the parish of St Germans.

It’s a great place to pop in for a coffee or brunch and a look over the garden estate.

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Here are five locations from popular TV shows that are free to visit…

Gavin and Stacey

Gavin and Stacey came to an end with the finale episode over Christmas, but you can still keep the show’s spirit alive with a trip to Barry, Wales.

Trinity Street in Barry is home to the homes of Gwen, Uncle Bryn, and Doris – now belonging to Gavin and Stacey.

On Barry Island itself, there’s the famous Marco’s Cafe and the Arcade where Nessa worked the slots.

Just up the road is The Colcot Arms aka Smithy’s local Essex hangout and of course the Tadross Hotel which doubles as The Dolphin – where pints cost £4, according to reviews left by guests.

Midsomer Murders

In rural Oxfordshire there is one of the deadliest villages around, Midsomer. ITV’s Midsomer Murders is filmed mostly in the quaint and historic town of Wallingford.

Wallingford isn’t the only location used. Just 30 minutes up the road is the village of Thame which also doubles as Causton village.

In Thame, the Spread Eagle, a red-brick hotel that serves up four roast mains on a Sunday, has been used for filming. They’ve also used The Black Horse, which has monthly offers from Happy Hour to deals on main courses.

Rumsey’s Chocolaterie has also appeared on-screen, and it’s worth a trip there just for the hot chocolates alone. They also offer workshops where you can make truffles and chocolate figurines.

At the Thame Museum, they offer a free Midsomer Walking Tour leaflet and there’s an opportunity to have a photo taken next to the ‘Causton Town Hall’ sign.

All Creatures Great & Small

The Yorkshire Dales is the home to beloved series All Creatures Great and Small.

Grassington becomes the fictional market town of Darrowby and there are lots of familiar sights, as most of the village is used for filming.

The production team dress up shop fronts, with The Stripey Badger Bookshop becoming G F Engleby Grocers and The Devonshire transforming into the Drovers Arms.

The traditional family pub is very highly rated and offers everything from hearty breakfasts to Sunday lunch. It even offers ‘Dining for Dogs’ with ‘Diced Chuck Steak Doggy Dinner’ or ‘Sausage Stew’ on the menu.

For the chance to spot some filming, plan a trip in late Spring, early Summer as the cast begin with the Christmas special around that time.

Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife has returned for series fourteen and there are plenty of locations from over the years to visit for free.

In the latest series, the ladies of Nonnatus house took a trip to the seaside which was filmed on West Wittering beach, in Sussex.

The cast were unlucky though, and filmed during Storm Agnes which resulted in Cliff Parisi developing hypothermia.

Another recognisable location is the lighthouse from the 2019 Christmas Special, where Nurse Val and Nurse Lucille go to Scotland.

It’s actually the Eilean Glas Lighthouse on the east coast of the island of Scalpay. To get there, park in the village of Kennavay and take the 30-minute trail. The building also operates as a small museum and serves tea and coffee during open hours.

Shetland

Talking of Scotland, Shetland is the filming location for Shetland, obviously. The TV series starring Ashley Jensen is filmed in the main town and port, Lerwick.

The most recognisable spot of Lodberries House, which was the home of former lead DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall).

Another popular location for the show is Commercial Street, which has featured in almost every single series of Shetland ever.

There are also lots of other iconic locations in Lerwick, including Lerwick Town Hall, Bain’s Beach and Lerwick Harbour.

You can get to Shetland by flying to a Scottish terminal, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Kirkwall all have direct flights to Lerwick.

For more on Harry Potter, here’s the quaint suburb 30 minutes from central London that’s Harry Potter’s new childhood home.

Plus, the tiny pretty village in ‘trending’ English county that has its own castle and beach and is a great stop for Potterheads.

THE once chart-topping boyband is said to have cut all final ties following a long-running secret divide, years of silence and bitter behind-the-scenes fallouts.

The British boy band – made up of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and the late Tom Parker – have been at loggerheads since their split in 2014.

The platinum-selling group were behind hit songs such as “Glad You Came”, “All Time Low” and “Chasing the Sun” before they disbanded.

They briefly reunited in 2021 for a charity concert in Tom’s honour, but old wounds have reopened – and some members are said to no longer be on speaking terms.

Insiders claimed friendships “never fully healed” after the band’s initial breakup, with egos, solo projects and clashing personalities driving a deeper wedge between the lads.

The break up

The Wanted announced they were to split in January 2014 to “pursue personal endeavours” after completing their upcoming ‘Word of Mouth Tour’.

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In a statement posted on their website, the band said: “The Wanted are pleased to announce the release of their new video and single ‘Glow In The Dark’ taken from their November release ‘Word of Mouth’.

“They are very excited to perform ‘Glow In The Dark’ along with their smash singles ‘I Found You’, ‘Chasing The Sun’, and ‘Glad You Came’, amongst others for their fans on their upcoming ‘Word of Mouth Tour’.

“This tour will be their last for a while as Tom, Max, Jay, Siva and Nathan have collectively decided to take time to pursue personal endeavours following the tour’s conclusion.

“The band wants to stress to their fans that they will continue on as The Wanted and look forward to many successful projects together in the future.

“They thank their fans for their continued love and support and look forward to seeing them on tour.”

‘Very difficult conversations’

Although their official statement claimed they’d “continue on as The Wanted,” Max later revealed that simmering tensions and clashing ambitions had secretly driven the group apart.

Max admitted: “Over the past year, there has been a lot of tension. Our personal lives drove us apart – things started to happen and we were drifting. We used to be such a brotherly pact, but it started to feel like it wasn’t The Wanted anymore.”

He went on to confess that he and bandmate Nathan were the ones who pushed for the split – despite protests from the others.

“We had a very difficult conversation,” Max said. “Our manager Scooter Braun asked us who would want to take a step out after and try to do their own thing. Me and Nathan both said we have other ambitions.”

Both singers went on to be represented by Braun – with Nathan briefly finding solo success (and headlines) thanks to a short-lived PR romance with Ariana Grande, while Max landed a role on Glee.

But behind the scenes, the duo’s diverging paths reportedly caused even more tension within the group.

Siva hits out at Max

Siva hit back at bandmate Max after The Wanted split, slamming his comments about “personal relationships causing issues” as “untrue and very unfair.”

Speaking out in an interview, Siva instead blamed their E! reality show The Wanted Life for sparking tension within the group.

He said: “I think from doing the TV show we all kind of knew where we stood and from that I felt like there was some sense of… I felt like it was every man for himself looking back on when the show aired.

“I’ve never been that way and I’d never actually seen it before until I looked back at the show. I think that is where we lost the team element and from there it kind of just went.”

Despite the rift, Siva said he wanted to find common ground with Max, adding: “Aside from the drama with Max, I’m going to talk to him to find a way forward and be adults about it.

“All of us boys are like brothers, it’s all I’ve ever known and we’re going on tour together.

“I think we’re just going to be professional with each other and give the fans a good show – because it’s all about the fans at the end of the day.”

Nathan cutting ties

In 2016, Nathan admitted he wasn’t talking to Siva or Max anymore.

Nathan told Yahoo: “I still class Jay [McGuiness] as a really good friend. He’s a really nice person. And Tom [Parker], I’m not so sure about where the others are at but I’m sure they are very busy and very happy.”

However, Nathan admitted that if everyone was on board with a reunion, he would be happy to have a “conversation” about it.

He said: “Obviously, I am very focused on my solo career at the moment, so I haven’t thought about the band ever getting back together, but you never know what is going to happen in the future.

“If there was an opportunity and everyone wanted to, it’s a conversation, but if everyone is still happy doing their own thing, then I think everyone will just be happy to continue as they are.”

Meanwhile, Siva was living in Los Angeles, attempting to crack Hollywood.

Tom’s cancer diagnosis

The band eventually put their differences aside when tragedy struck, after Tom was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in 2021.

His illness brought the group back together, reuniting them publicly in October that year.

Reflecting on the reunion, Max said: “I think I speak on behalf of everyone, in the time away from it, it gave me time to reflect and appreciate what we’d achieved and how good our music actually was.

“Because at the time we were doing it, it was so packed in that we didn’t get to really appreciate how much we enjoyed each other’s company or how good our music was because… like, every day, it was all a bit mad.”

Jay added: “Even when we were under so much pressure and we’d be squabbling and whatever was going on, we always had fun, we were always very down to earth. But really,” he continued on a more serious note, “time helps a lot. And all of our perspective has changed.

“We are grateful, we’re the boy band that walk into the room and are, like, ‘I’m just happy to be here.’ Back in the day, Max has said this a few times, we wanted a number-one after number-one because we’d had that, and we felt terrible when we didn’t get that. And when five young men have that sort of ambition, it can get really tense.”

Jay said he believes the group reunion proved they could finally let bygones be bygones and simply enjoy being together again.

The Wanted made an emotional return to the stage at the Stand Up To Cancer concert organised by Tom at London’s Royal Albert Hall, an event later featured in the Channel 4 documentary Inside My Head.

“There was a moment where I thought I was going to break down and have a meltdown,” Tom admitted.

“But the boys just comforted me… It was just an emotional night all around, even for the whole day and stuff. And just walking into the venue – we had never played the Royal Albert Hall before, when we played all around the world.”

He added: “There’s just something beautifully special about it.”

Max and Siva tour

The Wanted fans were left baffled in May 2024 after Max announced he was heading on tour with just one of his bandmates.

The Strictly Come Dancing star revealed he would be touring alongside Siva – but without Jay or Nathan.

The duo performed in America for a number of dates and finished up in India.

Before the tour, Max told fans: “Myself and Siva can’t wait for this! Our first time in India… dream come true!”

Fans were quick to question the absence of Jay and Nathan – sparking fears the original line-up had officially fallen apart.

It later emerged that Jay would be performing in 2:22 A Ghost Story in Dublin, while Nathan is thought to be focusing on new music.

The shows marked the first time members of the group have performed since the tragic death of bandmate Tom.

The divide

The band have openly admitted there was a clear divide during their heyday – with Max and Tom on one side, and the others forming their own group.

Max and Siva even confessed they never imagined they’d end up touring as a duo when The Wanted went on hiatus in 2014, admitting they “weren’t the closest” and barely spent time together off stage.

Max said: “I’m not going to lie, if you’d said to us 10 years ago that it’d be me and Siva doing this together we’d be like no, never.

Siva agreed: “Max was with Tom, I was with Nathan and Jay.”

Max continued: “Apart from working, we didn’t spend any time together, so I feel like I’ve got to know Siva more in the last year than in the whole 10 before it.

Reflecting on Jay and Nathan’s decision not to rejoin the group, Max added: “We had lots of conversations with the other boys and each other.

“The other boys are so happy doing what they’re doing and they’re really focused on their lives and their careers.

Siva added: “We missed being in the band… we really wanted to get back on stage.”

Future reunion?

Earlier this year, Nathan told The Sun they would never get back together – as the band “will only ever be a five-piece.”

Nathan, Tom, Max, Siva and Jay reunited for a greatest hits album and one-off show in 2021, which was followed by a tour in early 2022, ending just two weeks before Tom’s passing.

Speaking about the emotional concerts, Nathan said: “Obviously, you’d give anything for it not to have happened.

“But, equally, I’m so grateful that we were able to have that time, given that it did happen.

“It was just such a special time and the reception that he got every night, he really felt it. And it meant so much to him that he could do that.

“He was desperate to do that tour. There were tough moments, but we were having some of our fondest memories with Tom over that time.

While Max and Siva toured as The Wanted 2.0 – a four-piece reunion with Nathan and Jay seems out of the question.

Nathan said: “I’m really happy for them. They get a lot of enjoyment in performing the music and they see it as a tribute to Tom.

“Whereas Jay and I’s approach to it is that there’s a lot of emotion attached to that still. And I think we would find that really difficult.

“It’s just two different approaches and neither one is wrong. I think it’s really difficult imagining The Wanted as a four-piece because The Wanted has been and will only ever be a five-piece.

“It’s difficult imagining not performing with Tom.”

Nathan’s wedding

Nathan tied the knot with his girlfriend of six years Charlotte Burke in October 2025.

Nathan opted for an intimate celebration, inviting just 61 of their closest friends and family, among them was his bandmate Jay.

But Max and Siva were noticeably absent from Nathan’s wedding.

Speaking to OK! Nathan said: “We haven’t touched base recently, so I’m not sure they would have known the wedding date.

“With them being out in America at the time, we’ve not had the chance to [catch up], but I’m sure we will soon.”

He added: “We had a room full of people we’re comfortable with, so it was a really safe space and allowed us to relax.”

However, it now seems that Max and Nathan might not be talking at all.

Unfollow

Fans on Reddit noticed that the pair unfollowed each other on Instagram, cutting off social media communication.

One said: “Couldn’t help but notice Max and Nathan unfollowed each other? I wonder if there’s any beef between them lol.”

Another added: “I’ve always suspected Max and Nathan had a falling out before they broke up the first time.”

A third penned: “It’s a real shame because teenage me loved Nathan and Max’s interactions.

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“I remember when Nathan used to comment on Max’s ig posts around 2 years ago.

“They haven’t followed each other in a very long time.”