Victorian

A HUGE car race track, retro arcade games and private Singpods – it certainly doesn’t sound like your classic pub?

Calling itself the ‘modern playhouse for Battersea,’ it recently reopened after a £1million refurbishment and I was one of the first to go down.

Formerly known as the Four Thieves, the ‘adult playground’ now called The Thieves, sits between Battersea and Clapham Common.

You can do everything you can do at a usual pub, like grab a cocktail, beer or bite to eat from their menu – from brunch to a hearty Sunday roast.

But beyond the pretty bar and plush velvet seating is also a plethora of other activities.

Let’s face it, the main event is upstairs inside The Thieves Gambit.

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Heading inside the arcade, you’re immediately greeted by a buzzy atmosphere, laughter, and of course, plenty of competitive jibes.

It’s slightly overwhelming at first because of the sheer amount of games – and the sound effects that go with them.

There’s air hockey, golf putting, Mario Kart, pool tables, virtual darts, basketball, and classic games like Pacman, Space Invaders, Tetris and Mortal Kombat.

Crazy Light was another favourite, buttons light up and you have to press them – the faster the better, obviously.

The main event though is the TRBO Raceway, previously called Moonshine Raceway, where players sit in gaming chairs and literally race cars around the track.

It might remind some of old Scalextric games – there’s even an MC hyping up drivers and if it’s possible, making everyone even more competitive.

It’s not easy either as I found out when coming last.

To play the games you need to add credit to your TRBO card which starts at £10 for 500 coins and you can top up throughout the night.

Downstairs in the basement is where you can sing your heart out inside the karaoke room.

If you fancy, you can book out a Singpod to privately belt out some ballads with your mates.

Not being much of a singer myself, this is one that I decided not to take on.

When you’re done with the games, head back down to the bar area where there are a host of live performances.

It’s not just a guy singing with a guitar either, I’m talking mega party vibes.

There will ABBA parties, Taylor Swift socials, cabaret shows, and themed brunches all under spinning disco balls and and flashing lights.

Coming up on the calendar are 70s dance parties to ‘Twisted Time Machine’ with tunes from the party eras, comedy nights, quizzes.

For guaranteed entry, time at the arcades, or a table for eating – make sure to book before you go.

Otherwise, happy playing!

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For more fun, check out the new adult-only indoor playground with pub games and prosecco-flavoured candyfloss to open in the UK.

And for when the sun is shining, check out the best riverside pubs across the UK including a moored boat and one ‘that feels like the south of France’.

A HISTORIC Victorian bathhouse is getting a new lease of life after closing nearly 50 years ago.

Manor Place Baths in South London is a 19th century bathhouse that was once a huge swimming pool complex.

It later became a boxing venue before closing in the 1970s.

However, a new attraction is set to open inside the bathhouse, as part of a collaboration with Nike and Palace Skateboards.

Inside will be a thee ‘zones’ –  The Park and The Cage, The Front Room, and The Residency. 

A free to use skatepark is in the area where the men’s swimming pool use to be (having since been paved over).

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The ‘world-class’ skatepark will be made of concrete, with ramps, ledges and benches.

There will also be an underground football cage which can be used for three-a-side.

The Front Room will be an art venue with workshops and pop ups, as well as having Nike clothing on sale.

And The Residency will be creative studio spaces, which will be on rotation every nine months.

Events will include “skate jams,” women-only sessions and a number of others.

Opening from November 11, it will be free to visit and open six days a week.

Palace co-founder Lev Tanju said: “We had an idea of creating a large space for the community that would be about skateboarding and sport, and a space you could generally hang out in.”

Gareth Skewis, also co-founder of Palace, said: “I want Manor Place to be somewhere safe and friendly where people can skate, play football and discover new things.”

It has even been backed by English footballer Lenna Gunning-Williams.

She said: “Manor Place is important for the next generation because it’s so accessible.

“It’s going to be a place where people can connect — and it’s not just for footballers, it’s for skaters and creatives too.” 

Another Victorian bathhouse in the UK is being turned into a new attraction as well.

Kings Hall in Clapton, previously called Hackney Public Bath is undergoing a £71million upgrade.

With a new swimming pool and sauna, it hopes to reopen by 2028.

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In Manchester, there is a Victorian swimming pool that only opens to the public every few years.

Or you can stay in a converted bathhouse – here’s how.

A SEASIDE train station dating back nearly 180 years has been returned to its former glory.

The train station in North Yorkshire has undergone a massive £3.6 million restoration project – and it’s just minutes away from the traditional seaside towns of Scarborough and Bridlington.

Sitting on the North Yorkshire coast, the town has been one of the most popular seaside destinations in England for decades.

In the 60s and 70s, it welcomed thousands of tourists every year to Billy Butlin’s campsite, one of the earliest holiday camps in the UK. 

Nestled between Scarborough and Bridlington, in its heyday Filey pulled in more than 150,000 guests every year.

Holidaymakers at the hugely popular resort enjoyed swimming, sunbathing, dancing and amusement arcades.

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In the evening, if they hadn’t retired to their chalets, they were treated to entertainment from the famous Red Coats.

The Butlin’s campsite was so popular that it had its own branch and station on the north east railway.

Despite its popularity, it was no match for the boom in affordable trips to the Spanish Costas in the 1970s.

It was shut in 1983 and by 2001 it resembled a ghost town with the shells of abandoned cabins and drained swimming pools filled with rubbish.

While the once-thriving Butlin’s resort has now been transformed into a £25 million coastal holiday village with pools, saunas, an arcade, and spa, there are still signs of nostalgia in the town for the casual visitor – none more so than at the recently revamped train station.

Main features such as the lantern roof at the station have been reinstated to what they would have looked like when it first opened in 1846.

This includes extensive glazing and tile work and adding safe walkways for easier maintenance.

The huge restoration project, which was backed by the Railway Heritage Trust, also includes improvements to the café, toilets, drainage, and in the train shed – including two ornate cast iron windows.

Network Rail has worked with partners on the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed building.

Jake Walton, Network Rail senior asset engineer, said: “Seaside stations like Filey hold a special place in the hearts of people from much further afield than their towns – being closely linked to generations of memories of days out.

“We’re delighted to have completed a wide-ranging suite of improvements here at Filey which protect the building as a piece of railway heritage while making the station fit for modern passenger use, and for generations to come.”

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said it was “great to see a building with such heritage be looked after to make sure that families and friends can come together on our beautiful coastline for another 180 years”.

The Railway Heritage Trust backed the project with contributions totalling £53,000 for restoration of the train shed windows and roofs of the ancillary buildings.

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Tim Hedley-Jones, Railway Heritage Trust executive director, said the station, built by renowned North-Eastern railway architect GT Andrews, “is still fulfilling the role for which it was built”.

He added: “It retains its original character as a railway station from the first half of the 19th century.”