Why the Bank of England museum is a one-of-a-kind Toast the City Where else in the country can you walk into a museum and without any guard present, lift a gold bar worth £1.2 million? Welcome to the Bank of England museum, one of the City’s hidden gems. Apart from the gold bar, a reminder of the 400,000 beneath you, the museum is a real treasure house, [...]
Trainspotting the Musical: A bad, bad trip down memory lane Life&Style Trainspotting the Musical | Theatre Royal Haymarket | ★☆☆☆☆ I was 13 when Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting adaptation was released – I’d never seen anything like it and it became a seminal text of my teenage years. Two decades later, I luxuriated in the condensed hit of nostalgia of the 2017 sequel. I’ve read the books: [...]
Can football conquer the US? Why culture is key this World Cup Sport Business Dame Heather Rabbatts DBE discusses why culture is key to football conquering the US after the World Cup Football has been a pivotal part of British culture for decades, but the last month alone has seen the drama of the Premier League climax, the success of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Europe and the [...]
One year after Brian Wilson’s death: Beach Boys founder a genius like no other June 11, 2026 A year ago today, Brian Wilson, the introverted, vulnerable genius behind the Beach Boys, died in his sleep at home in Beverly Hills. He was 82 years old, and his health was ruined: his death certificate included respiratory arrest, sepsis, cystitis, neurodegenerative disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea and chronic kidney disease. His mental state had long been [...]
War Horse gallops triumphantly back to the National Theatre June 3, 2026 War Horse | National Theatre (Olivier) | ★★★★☆ This month has seen the revival of two classic equine plays, one about a young lad who is in love with a horse in a good way (War Horse) and one about a young lad who is in love with a horse in a very, very bad [...]
100 candles in the wind: Celebrating Marilyn Monroe’s centenary June 3, 2026 This week marked the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. It seems both absurd – she was younger than national treasure Sir David Attenborough – yet also somehow reasonable: she is now a figure from the past, barely even brushed by the outstretched fingertips of memory. Marilyn’s status as an icon is assured, hard-wired into [...]
Music venues are in dire straits: V&A show asks how we can help May 28, 2026 As the V&A opens its Lost Music Venues exhibition, James Balmont asks we can save the grassroots institutions under threat A trip to the V&A often conjures up images of great Renaissance sculptures, haute couture and centuries-old tapestries – but those patronising the Kensington institution this summer will find something very different. In Lost Music [...]
New Married At First Sight series still in edit despite ‘troubling’ allegations May 20, 2026 Channel 4’s new chief executive, Priya Dogra, has said allegations surrounding Married at First Sight (MAFS) UK were “really hard to watch”, as the broadcaster weighs the future of the hit reality show while the next series remains in edit. Dogra confirmed on Wednesday that no decision had yet been made on whether the upcoming [...]
The Capitalist: Ian Mckellen goes off-script at Olivier Awards April 16, 2026 Dispatch from the Olivier Awards, Jeremy King and AI sermons; catch up on the latest gossip in this week's The Capitalist.
On this day in 1660: The birth of Sir Hans Sloane, father of the Sloane Ranger April 16, 2026 On this day, 16 April, in 1660, Sir Hans Sloane, whose name would later be lent to London socialite class the Sloane Rangers, was born.