The Troubadour already operates two other theatres in London – one in Wembley Park and the other in Canary Wharf, which opened in October last year and is currently home to The Hunger Games: On Stage.
At Troubadour Wembley Park, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express is currently playing.
The Greenwich theatre wouldn’t be permanent though, as planning permission has only been granted for a decade, after which the land would be used for tower blocks of flats.
These plans form part of the Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan, which will make the area “an expression of the world’s boldest architects”.
The development will span across 195 acres and create 17,500 homes.
There will also be 47 acres of open public space which will include a creative hub.
New shops and office spaces will open too, with a focus on the creative industries.
A large part of this will be a new Design District.
And there will be The Tide – a mile long park for pedestrians and cyclists with access to the riverfront.
The whole development is then set for completion in 2043.
Greenwich itself has a lot to explore, including Greenwich Park and ObservatoryCredit: Alamy
There have been a number of new openings in the area recently as well including The Dial – a three-floor microbrewery.
On the lower floor, visitors will find a tap room home to brewing facilities.
The first floor is then focused on live sports screenings and the top floor is where visitors will find a rooftop bar with a terrace.
In May last year, The Telegraph revealed how Greenwich had become one of London’s “loveliest spots”.
The publication said: “Greenwich’s riverside pubs, bustling market and impressive museums make it the ideal place for a weekend escape (even if you live in London).”
One of the main attractions of Greenwich is its sprawling green park – which if you climb to the top of, you will find the spot where the Prime Meridian line splits the globe in two.
Here you can explore a museum as well as head inside a planetarium.
For a bite to eat, head to Greenwich Market Food Court to pick up some street food.
It is open daily and features a range of cuisines including Indian, Sicilian and Ethiopian.
Near the riverfront, you will also find a ship seemingly suspended in mid air.
You can also explore Cutty Sark, which used to carry tea from China in the 19th centuryCredit: Ray Collins
The Cutty Sark used to carry tea from China to London, with the first voyage taking place in 1870.
Known as a clipper – which is a fast, three-masted sailing vessel – the ship spent eight years in the tea trade.
Visitors can explore the ship, with tickets costing £22 per adult and £11 per child.
IF you love wandering through woodland, spotting wildlife round every corner and then heading back to base to cosy up in a log cabin – this staycay is for you.
There is a hidden network of locations across the country that give Center Parcs vibes but without the price tag.
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I’ve found a forest staycation with cosy log cabins – without the hefty price tagCredit: Catherine Lofthouse Kids can go climbing at the Rosliston Forestry Centre in DerbyshireCredit: Catherine Lofthouse
It’s easy to overlook the amazing forestry centres we have across the UK as only good for a woodland walk and to while away a few hours beneath the trees.
But some offer accommodation options as well, so you can enjoy the forest fun for even longer.
I was wowed by how much there was to do when I went to visit Rosliston Forestry Centre in the heart of the National Forest on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
Within moments of setting off down the tree-lined path, I had spotted six different species of birds and a huge cheeky squirrel hanging upside down from a feeder right in front of a hide where you can get up close to nature without the animals being scared off by your presence.
On site, there are loads of facilities that wouldn’t be out of place on an upmarket holiday park, like bike hire, a small soft play for under sevens opposite the cafe and lots of fun play equipment, including a striking sparrowhawk play frame installed last year to replace a much-loved earlier version that was known to all as the Owl.
You’ll also find the real thing here as there’s a birds of prey centre on site which is often open to the public. Over Easter, visitors will be able to hold a bird for £5.
You can visit for the day or for a stay, as lodges for up to 12 guests are tucked away down a little lane, so it’s perfect for a secluded staycation.
And a half-term break for a family of four is only £479 for the week, compared to £2500 for the same seven nights at the nearest Center Parcs at Sherwood Forest.
Every school holidays, there are themed trails and extra activities on offer, so for February half-term, kids can take on a space trail to find all the planets hidden in the trees for £3.
One thing you won’t find here is a subtropical swimming dome, but if you want to recreate that element of a Center Parcs break, you’re spoilt for choice in this part of the world as you’ve got four of the UK’s best waterparks less than an hour’s drive away.
The closest and cheapest is Moorways Sports Village in Derby, where 90 minutes in the waterpark costs £10.25 per person or just £2.10 for three to five-year-olds.
As well as flumes, slides and a wave pool, there’s often an aqua inflatable obstacle course at no extra cost in the school holidays and it’s only half an hour from Rosliston.
Moorways Sports Village has a swimming pool with an inflatable courseCredit: UnknownRosliston Forestry Centre has woodland walks and cosy cabinsCredit: Alamy
Further afield, entry to the waterpark at Alton Towers starts at £18 a person, the Wave in Coventry costs £56 for two adults and two children during school holidays or a family ticket for four at Waterworld in Stoke is £92. They are all about an hour away.
Even if you splash out on a waterpark trip or two, you’ll still be quids in if you choose this Center Parcs alternative for your half-term break.
And Rosliston isn’t the only Forestry England site where you can stay overnight as well as visit for the day.
Forest Holidays offer hot tub lodges on 13 sites leased from Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales.
You can get a midweek stay for a family of four from £860 over February half-term.
Some sites are near the coast and others have outdoor adventures like archery or zipwires.
Don’t forget to check cashback sites and membership schemes before you book as you may get an upfront discount code or money back after your stay.
Blue Light Card members can get up to £70 off Forest Holidays.
So why not head to the forest this February and be wowed by the wonders of the woodland all around us?
WHEN it comes to Valentine’s Day, there is often a lot of pressure to do something worthwhile, but you don’t have to splash out on a fancy meal to have a special day.
Skip the five-star restaurant meal and head to something more memorable for a fraction of the price.
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A cinema date doesn’t need to cost much and Wuthering Heights will be hitting screens on February 13Credit: Alamy
Under £50
Scavenger Hunt
Couples who love to explore together should head off on a scavenger hunt.
Available in various cities across the UK, Will Breaker offers a number of themed scavenger hunts from just £16.50 per person.
Each lasts around one-and-a-half hours and you get a photo memento at the end.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights finally hits our screens on February 13 – just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The steamy film, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, will be shown at most major UK cinemas.
Tickets to see the new movie cost around £12.99 per adult, making it an affordable Valentine’s date.
Bouldering
For those who prefer a bit more of an active date, head bouldering.
The sport allows for lots of time chatting, but then also moments helping each other to reach the top of a climbing wall.
There are bouldering centres across the UK, so just search for the one neatest to you.
You can expect to pay around £10 for a pass, and if you need shoes and chalk a few more quid on top of that, per person.
If you fancy getting active, head boulderingCredit: Alamy
Pottery Cafes
Pottery is booming at the moment and with The Great Pottery Throw Down currently on Channel 4, what could be a better excuse than to head on a pottery-themed date?
Across the country there are lots of pottery cafes where you can select an item to paint.
Each item usually has a price, with many starting from around £10-£15 per item.
You then get to paint before your item is fired, usually for a small additional fee.
It is the perfect activity for the creative, but also for chilling and chatting.
Some cafes will even let you bring your own booze…
Pottery cafes are a great way of having some creative fun while chattingCredit: Alamy
Boom Battle Bar
Boom Battle Bar has venues across the country, and what is great about this attraction is that you can spend as little or as much as you want to.
Each bar has a range of activities including crazy golf, axe throwing, karaoke pods and shuffleboard.
You can either purchase a bundle to play multiple games and activities or pay as you go, with prices starting from £6 per person.
Wherever you are in the UK, you are never more than two to three hours by car from the sea.
And Valentine’s Day makes the ideal excuse to jump in the car for a miniroad trip to the beach.
Top spots include Brighton, where you will find a long pier full of fun activities, pebble beach and narrow alleys full of independent shops.
Alternatively, if in Cornwall or Somerset, why not explore the part of the South West Coast Path that runs through Devon.
You can head to the seaside too for a day tripCredit: Alamy
National Parks
There are many things you can do across the UK for free as well, and one of those things is visiting one of our many National Parks.
For example, you could head to Dartmoor in Devon to discover disused quarries, explore tors and see wild ponies.
Some spots in National Parks even have free parking.
Or you could head to Kielder Forest, which is has a public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.
The Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park.
There are also lots of forests across the UK with biking trails too, such as Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.
The forest spans across 27,000 acres of woodland and sits between the Severn and Wye Rivers.
It was also England’s first National Forest Park and today is enjoyed for its hiking and cycling trails as well as attractions such as Puzzlewood.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be expensive…
National Parks also provide great cheap spots for walks and hikesCredit: Getty
Under £100
Murder mystery train experience
For something truly unique, head off on a murder mystery dining experience on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Steam Train.
Costing £100 for two people, you will solve crime while enjoying a meal.
The three-course meal is prepared onboard the train and over the duration of the journey you will see the Yorkshire countryside as you solve missions.
Fancy something more stationary? Then why not head to the stationary Victorian Train Carriage at Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration in London for a ‘journey’ on the Orient Express.
Over the course of 90 minutes, you will solve puzzles and enjoy cocktails and nibbles to unravel the truth behind a murder committed onboard.
The experience costs £80 for two people.
You could even head off on a murder mystery train experienceCredit: Alamy
Dancing under Hope the Whale, you can listen to music via headphones and dance with your partner in crime.
The disco starts at 9pm and finishes at midnight.
Tickets cost £36 per person for members or £40 per person for non-members.
If a silent disco isn’t your thing, on actual Valentine’s Day you can head to a museum late event where you can sip on cocktails and learn from the museum’s scientists.
There are even dance classes hosted by Pineapple Dance Studios,
The event starts at 6:45pm and ends at 10:30pm, with tickets costing £36 for members or £40 for non-members.
And the Natural History Museum is hosting a silent discoCredit: Alamy
The Big Bakes
Fan of Bake Off? Well, The Big Bakes might be the date spot for you.
The outdoor immersive 90-minute baking competition allows you to experience the thrill of a marquee just like the one from the TV show.
The Big Bakes has venues across London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool with only a few spots left for Valentine’s Day.
In teams of two, you will create a cake using the tools and ingredients supplied.
The experience costs from £47.99 per person.
ABBA Voyage
Unlike your usual concert, ABBA Voyagefeatures digital ‘ABBAtar’ versions of the band as they looked when they performed in 1979.
The 100-minute show features the four members carrying out a concert as if they are actually on stage, with some of their biggest hits.
It truly is a mind-blowing experience, because you can’t believe the stars in front of you aren’t the real deal.
Seated tickets cost from £38.50 per person, but prices are higher on Valentine’s Day itself.
If you want to splash out extra, access to the Oceanbird Lounge costs £99 before the show and gets you unlimited food and drink.
If you or your other half is a fan of ABBA, head to ABBA Voyage to relive their songsCredit: PA
One-night hotel stay
Why not check-in for the night at a special hotel?
Many hotels across the UK still have availability for Valentine’s Day with prices under £100 total.
For example, you could head to Furzen Farmhouse in Cirencester for £86.
Set in historic stone building surrounded by countryside, the farmhouse has a kitchenette, lounge and picnic area.
Or you could head to The Belfry at Yarcombe for £87 including breakfast.
The four-star B&B is in an old school building and sits in the Blackdown Hills area, making it a great countryside retreat with picturesque walks.
Each bedroom is unique with original features including stained glass windows.
Under £200
Murder Mystery break for two
Across the UK several venues host murder mystery breaks for couples wanting to tackle a challenge together.
For example, via WOWcher, you could book a murder mystery break for two people, with hotel, a three-course meal and breakfast includes at 100 hotels across the country.
Ran by Murder 57, guests can choose where they want to stay – with destinations including Cardiff, Nottingham and Manchester – with 60 different plot lines also to choose from.
For example, you could enter the world of Agatha Christie with A Midsummer Murder.
It costs from £92.99 per person.
Luxury break at The Belfry Hotel and Resort
A romantic getaway is a classic Valentine’s gift and for less than £200 you could head to the Midlands for a break at the Belfry Hotel and Resort.
The hotels’s Love & Luxury Break includes an overnight stay with a three-course meal in the evening including a glass of prosecco each and then a a full English breakfast in the morning.
There is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights too and guests get full access to The Club for fitness and wellness.
It costs from £169 per room.
You could even set sail on a mini cruise to AmsterdamCredit: Alamy
Amsterdam mini cruise
Fancy heading out of the country but don’t want to fly?
Well, if you happen to live near Newcastle you can head off on a two-night mini cruise to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
Currently being offered on WOWcher for £92.99 per person, you could stay in a private two-berth cabin, get a glass of fizz each, have unlimited luggage allowance and get transfers to and from Amsterdam city centre.
The offer can be redeemed anytime until June 2026.
See a concert
While concert tickets do tend to sell out far in advance, sometimes people’s plans change and then tickets go on resale.
This is the case for some concerts on Valentine’s Day.
For example, you could see James Arthur at M&S Bank Arene Liverpool for £62.75 per person.
Or at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester you could see the Kaiser Chiefs for £51.75 per person.
There are also a number of concerts taking place on Valentine’s Day that you can grab last minute tickets tooCredit: Alamy
Spa day
There are lots of different places in the UK where you can head off to for a spa day.
For example, you could head to Riverhills Spa in Ipswich, Suffolk, to experience refurbished facilities.
You can even grab the ‘Sweet Valentine Package’, which includes a 30-minute treatment of your choice, four hours in the spa, hot chocolate and homemade chocolates and a robe, towel and slippers for £85 per person during the week or £95 per person at the weekend.
Alternatively, you could head to Rena Spa at The Midland in Manchester for a spa day for two.
Costing £91 per person, you will receive a meal, spa access and a 50-minute Mud Rasul treatment.
You will also get a complimentary glass of prosecco.
THE comedian John Tothill has been appeared in pubs and gig venues up and down the country, performing his stand-up routine to thousands of strangers.
So he’s better qualified than most to judge where is the the most welcoming spot in Blighty.
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Wigtown in Scotland is what John Tothill called the UK’s ‘friendliest town’Credit: AlamyJohn Tothill and Fatiha El-Ghorri travelled through Scotland to find hidden gemsCredit: Channel 4
It turns out, it’s a little seaside town called Wigtown in Ayrshire, Scotland
Fresh from his nomination for ‘Best Show’ at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year, John was back in Scotland to discover the country’s best hidden gems for a Channel 4 show called ‘Where To Next‘, with fellow comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri.
They quizzed plenty of Scots on the best lesser-known places to visit and ended up in Wigtown, after it was recommended by several people.
John told us: “Wigtown is probably the friendliest place I’ve ever been to in my life.
“I didn’t meet a single person that wasn’t nice. It was full of enthusiastic people that loved living there.
“It’s a historic place, but of course it’s still modern because people live there. That’s why I think it’s a particularly lovely place to visit, it’s full of tourist attractions, but it’s not a museum.”
The town sits on the southwest coast of Scotland overlooking Wigtown Bay – Britain’s largest local nature reserve.
Wigtown’s claim to fame is that it’s Scotland’s National Book Town and has around 17 independently run second-hand bookshops.
Most read in Best of British
This includes Reading Lasses which is not only a bookshop, but also a café with a selection of cakes which you can enjoy in front of a log-burning fire in winter, or in the garden area during summer.
There’s also The Book Shop which is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, with over a mile of shelving that holds 100,000 books.
The town holds a yearly book festival, which will be between September 25 and October 4 this year.
For a quirky way to spend a long-weekend, you can check into the flat above The Open Book and ‘play-bookshop’.
Holidaymakers can essentially manage their own bookshop during their stay, volunteer behind the till, make their own displays, and of course, read.
The experience is so in demand it has a two-year waiting list on Airbnb with the next available dates in January 2028.
It doesn’t come cheap either, four-nights at The Open Book for one person is £878.
Wigtown is filled with around 17 independently run second-hand bookshopsCredit: Channel 4You can even run your own bookshop at The Open BookCredit: Google maps
If you’re happy to stay somewhere without the bookshop experience then head to Booktown Bunkhouse where rooms start from £59 per night.
While Wigtown sits along the coast, it’s actually surrounded by marshes, and the bay is a nature reserve for birds like osprey and waders.
But you can still get beautiful sea views from the town, or if you want to head to the beach some of the nearest are Rigg Bay at Garlieston and pretty Monreith Bay.
40-minutes away from Wigtown is what John calls a ‘must-do experience’ while in Scotland.
Kitchen Coos & Ewes in Dumfries & Galloway offers a ‘hands-on highland cow experience’ visitors are given tours around the farm, and you can even give the younger calves a groom in the play-pen.
John said: “There were so many cows, and they were beautiful, really gorgeous.
“What the farmer told us is that highland cows don’t tire of human contact – and they don’t leave you alone.
“You have to stop grooming them because they will never have enough, so you have to set boundaries.”
Here you can have a guided experience, a selfie with the cows, groom them, tea and a bite to eat for £46 per person.
There are other options like the walking tour around the farm for £28pp, and even an ‘Insta Coo Tour’ where there’s ample time to take some enviable pictures from £24pp.
40-minutes in the other direction from Wigtown is Kirkcudbright, where John claims to have had some of the best food of his life at Swally n’ Scran.
You can pick up two courses for £19.95 – which includes scallops, haddock or crab.
John added: “The seafood is all locally sourced. I tried scallops andthe monkfish was incredible.”
One of the closest beaches to Wigtown is Monreith BayCredit: AlamyJohn Tothill and Fatiha El-Ghorri discovered hidden gems on ‘Where To Next’Credit: Channel 4
DO YOU love theme parks? Well, you could visit numerous across the UK for the price of just one ticket.
Merlin attractions has introduced an offer where guests can stay at one of their resorts and will receive an Essential Merlin Annual Pass (MAP).
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If you stayed at Alton Towers for one night for example, you would get a year pass to visit the other Merlin attractionsCredit: AlamyOr you could stay at Legoland Windsor Resort where there is a knight-themed roomCredit: Legoland Windsor Resort
Guests need to book between February 3 and March 1, for a stay at one of Merlin’s onsite hotels for anytime between now and June 26 and in return will be given a pass to visit Merlin attractions for free, for a year.
For example, you could stay onsite at Legoland Windsor Resort, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park or Warwick Castle.
Known as the ‘Stay For A Night, Play For A Year’ offer, each guest will get a year-long pass to over 20 attractions.
Stays at many of the resorts are themed and often include breakfast as well.
If you wanted somewhere unique to stay, you could head to Alton Towers’ Stargazing Pods, which are set around a village green and have telescopes to see the night sky.
A one-night stay in one of these pods for a family of four costs from £160 and includes free parking.
Alternatively, if you want to visit Legoland Windsor Resort, there is the Woodland Village, Resort Hotel and Castle Hotel.
Inside the Castle Hotel guests can experience a world of magic, with rooms themed around knights, wizards and kingdoms far far away.
Some attraction accommodation sites also have exclusive perks such as nine-hole golf at Alton Towers Resort or events such as Legoland Windsor Resort’s 30th birthday bash.
When looking for a place to stay, make sure to book through the direct resort booking portal only as the offer is not available on third-party websites or with non-Merlin owned hotels.
Legoland Windsor Resort also has a Woodland Village which opened a couple of years agoCredit: Alamy
For example, Chessington World of Adventures’ portal shows Hilton hotels nearby, but the offer will not apply to stays at these hotels.
Instead you should stay at the Azteca and Safari Resort Hotels onsite, which are especially ideal for fans of Julia Donaldson as there is a Gruffalo themed room.
You could also see breathtaking views of the capital on the London Eye or venture into the past at The London Dungeon.
Alternatively, head to Cadbury World in Birmingham, where visitors can head on a self-guided tour, learning about chocolate-making and the brand’s history.
In total, the experience has 14 interactive zones.
Passholders will also get 10 per cent off of Fastrack products, as well as food and drink.
What’s it like to stay at Legoland Windsor Resort?
SUN REPORTER Owen Anslow stayed at Legoland Windsor Resort and here’s what he thought…
Tucked away in the trees of Legoland Windsor Resort is the wonderful new Woodland Village, home to 130 lodges set in cute cul-de-sacs, all with their own mini playgrounds.
This charming cabin retreat, amid lush greenery, was our home for the weekend (my wife, myself and our very own woodland critter, aged eight).
Set against the backdrop of theme park craziness, the Woodland Village is a calm oasis where parents can recharge batteries – and refill wine glasses.
The £35million development is Legoland’s first carbon-neutral accommodation – a fact emphasised by the wooden keycards you collect at check-in.
And in true Legoland fashion, our cabin is gloriously childish and bright in its design – like a giant version of something my son would craft from the avalanche of bricks strewn throughout the house.
The standard lodges sleep five people, with a double bed in the main room and the kids’ area next door – complete with your standard Lego-making pit, TV and bunk beds.
Premium lodges are slightly bigger and sleep seven, with a mezzanine area overlooking a lounge section, and around the back of the village are 20 trendy glamping barrels.
The clever Woodland Village AR Experience kept our boy busy for a while, bringing to life plants and animals on the cabin walls, while Mum and Dad snuck in some downtime on the decking outside.
Everything in the Woodland Village is so enchanting that you’d be forgiven for wanting to stay there all weekend instead of heading to the theme park.
One night’s B&B at Legoland Woodland Village is from £69pp, based on four people sharing a Woodland Barrel and including entry to the Legoland Windsor theme park and a round of Legoland Adventure golf.
