Things to do in London this week

With thanks to Country and Town House:

October 09, 2026   |    Weekly 9 October Dear Reader, I've never known what to do with my hair. It's been the same for the past 20 years at least – put up in a bun or a ponytail – so much so that it's now a signature look. It's not intended as such. I have long hair and lots of it but it's thin and wispy and I can't stand anything crowding my face or getting in my eyes, so the easy updo is my go-to. And as for the colour... I can't quite give up being blonde even though I started highlighting it as a teenager, pulling clumps of hair through the holes of a plastic hood and painting it with toxic purple bleach. What does hair look like in the second half of life? I dream of cutting it into a shaggy bob, getting an eyelash skimming fringe, or just even cutting off the dried out ends and wearing it loose. But I know, when I visit Neville Hair & Beauty in Knightsbridge for my biannual cut and colour (Jack and Justyna are amazing), I'll sit in the chair and, after professing my fantasies, say, 'Blonde please, and don't worry about the cut; I only ever wear my hair up anyway.'  C&TH’s Top Reads Of The Week CULTURE 11 Secrets From The Traitors Castle From celebrity casting calls to no jewellery on set rules, here’s a peek behind the scenes FOOD & DRINK Daniel Craig Is Opening A London Pub The former James Bond is swapping martinis for pints FOOD & DRINK 3 London Bars Named Among World’s Best The prestigious 50 Best Bars 2026 list is here STYLE Laura Jackson On Her Personal Style Rules The brand founder and broadcaster on her style crush and favourite cult labels STYLE Why Do Bake Off Contestants Wear The Same Clothes Every Episode? The wardrobe mystery, explained TRAVEL The UK’s Loveliest Autumnal Spots Leaf peeping hotspo destinations, foodie festivals and more: staycation adventures to embark on this season INTERIORS These Are The Most Beautiful Schools In The World From Cairo to Cambridgeshire, it’s a treat to study in these beautiful buildings every day Spotlight: Top Travel Trends For 2027 From Traitors-inspired castle stays to racecations and citizen science projects, Ellie Smith highlights the biggest trends for the year ahead © Unsplash With just three months left of 2026, many of us are beginning to look ahead to our 2027 adventures – so what’s hot in the world of travel? Mystic adventures are forecasted to be big next year according to travel PR agency Lemongrass Marketing’s new report, which highlights how travellers are increasingly being drawn to folklore-rich regions and moody landscapes rooted in history. Scotland is indeed experiencing a boom in tourism, with the misty glens and majestic castles backdropping The Traitors sparking trips (figures from VisitScotland show over a third of European travellers are inspired to come to the country having seen it on screen). Meanwhile, the anti-optimisation backlash has trickled into the travel sphere: tired of measuring, tracking and scoring every aspect of our lives, we’re preferring simpler itineraries and more unstructured time on trips. Fitness tourism (dubbed ‘sweat-jetting’ by TripAdvisor) will also continue to soar in 2027, with Google searches for ‘marathon abroad’ having surged by 1,255 percent in the past year and Hyrox fans continuing to turn race weekends into holidays. Find more trends here. C&TH Partnership: Weatherbys © Unsplash At Weatherbys, the focus is on you – banking should feel personal, because every individual and every situation is different. Advisors take the time to understand you, shaping advice around your ambitions, your goals and your way of life as the strongest relationships are built on respect, trust and confidence. Private banking is more than a service; it’s a partnership, grounded in clarity. Find out more at weatherbys.bank Staying In Forever… Property of the Week Located in the heart of one of the Aosta Valley’s most prestigious Alpine destinations, fashion enthusiasts and film fans alike may recognise this Italian villa from its starring role in House of Gucci (2021). Prior to its on-screen success, it also served as Queen Margherita of Savoy’s favourite summer escapes. On the market for €2.9 million, engelvoelkers.com Competitions Win a two-night stay for two in a sea-view room at W Algarve, Portugal Win an Abode boiling water tap worth up to £949 Win a midweek stay for two people at THE PIG-at Bridge Place Book Your Ticket To Decorex 2026 C&TH Partnership This October, join the designers, architects and specifiers shaping what’s next for interiors. Across four inspiring days at Olympia, London, discover exceptional brands, uncover emerging trends, experience craftsmanship brought to life and build valuable connections with the people behind great design. For nearly five decades, Decorex has brought together 12,500+ design professionals, 280+ brands and 70+ countries under one roof – making it the UK’s destination for high-end interiors and meaningful industry connection. decorex.com Good News Some good news for people travelling to the UK from abroad: the government has confirmed the country’s national museums will remain completely free for all visitors. All 15 DCMS-funded museums – the majority of which are in London – have been free since 2001, but earlier this year there was a bid to introduce an entry fee for international tourists. However, after months of discussions, it has now been decided that the impact of charging visitors would outweigh the benefits. ‘Our museums are the places that light up the world,’ said culture secretary Lisa Nandy. ‘That's why they must be free, forever, for everyone to access.’ Subscription Offer Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39

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October 08, 2026   |    Daily 8 October Staying In… Cook With Mini Squash Around this time of year, supermarkets begin to fill up with mini squash: the aesthetic micro-pumpkins which often crop up in autumnal displays. But this fruit – yes, squash is technically a fruit, not a vegetable – shouldn’t be resigned to decor. There’s plenty you can do with baby squash in the kitchen, from baking it whole with a drizzle of olive oil to chopping it into smaller cubes and roasting with salt and spices, then serving alongside a protein or as part of a salad. Mini pumpkins, meanwhile, are great for autumn dinner parties: slice off the top, then scoop out the filing and stuff it with chilli or soup. Better still, squash is packed with goodness: rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, which supports both eye and skin health, as well as being a good source of iron. Here’s everything you need to know about the different types and how to use them in your cooking.  Going Out… Juergen Teller, Young Pink Kate London 1998 © Juergen Teller, All Rights Reserved. Check Out Tate Britain's 90s Exhibition One of this year’s most anticipated exhibitions, Tate Britain's The 90s: Art and Fashion opens today. Visitors will find seven rooms filled with art and images depicting the decade at its most charged. Sarah Lucas's Dr Martens with razor blades welded to the toecaps start things off; Alexander McQueen's beaded gown recreating Joan of Arc's burning skin – with video of the original show, model surrounded by fire – stop you in the middle. Damien Hirst's formaldehyde works, Tracey Emin, Helen Chadwick and Chris Ofili's No Woman No Cry fill out the YBA contingent, while a whole room given over to rave and queer nightlife photography – Juergen Teller's young Kate Moss, Eddie Otchere's Metalheadz sessions at the Blue Note, Mark Leckey's Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore on loop – captures the last truly anonymous dancefloor. Our must-see is Hamad Butt's Familiars: glass vessels of toxic iodine, bromine and chlorine, built so that touching any part of the installation would shatter it and release the gas. It last showed here in 1995 when exactly that happened and the gallery had to be evacuated. Until February, tickets are £22. Book here and read our full review here. Staying In Forever Property of the Day This Canary Wharf home is the tallest residence in the UK, lording 764 ft high over the River Thames. Located in the highest residential building in Western Europe, the three-bedroom penthouse rests on the 74th of 75 floors. Residents also gain access to a sky-high residents’ gym, plus studio space, private bars, dining rooms and a cinema. On the market for £7,000,000, chalegrove.co.uk Little Luxury Morris & Co. has launched a landmark new wallpaper collection inspired by visionary architect and designer C.F.A. Voysey – a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. This whimsical range sees Morris & Co. transforming Voysey’s nature-inspired drawings into designs that feel both historically significant and contemporary. The Dory Wallpaper, for instance, features Voysey’s archival Dory fish reworked in an etched style, set against a washed background. £194 per roll, wmorrisandco.com Competition Win a midweek stay for two people at THE PIG-at Bridge Place, a three-course dinner for two including a bottle of wine, and breakfast for two the following morning. Pssst… We finally have a first look at Blue Planet III, David Attenborough’s landmark nature documentary series which is back for a third season. Four years in the making, it’s set to be quite the visual spectacle, using a new generation of camera technology such as splash drones and long-term remote underwater cameras to paint a contemporary picture of the state of our oceans. Whatever You Do, Don’t… Give up hope if you didn’t manage to secure Glastonbury tickets. There are still other ways to attend the festival, from trying again in the resale to volunteering for a charity – find ideas here. Subscription Offer Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39

© 2026 Country & Town House Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, United Kingdom

October 07, 2026   |    Daily 7 October Staying In… Watch Carrie On Prime Video With October now well underway, we’re officially in the thick of spooky season. And what better way to celebrate than revisiting Stephen King’s horror classic, Carrie. There have been plenty of onscreen adaptations over the years – who could forget the 1976 film starring Sissy Spacek? – but for fresh blood, check out Prime Video’s brand new miniseries, which drops on the streamer today. Grounding the genre-defining novel in today’s digital age, this version of Carrie sees newcomer Summer H. Howell take on the titular character. Having spent her life in seclusion with her mother (Samantha Sloyan), it’s a shock to the system when the sudden death of her father forces Carrie White to enter public high school for the first time – where she must contend with a new social life, a bullying scandal and the emergence of her growing telekinetic powers. Episodes out now on Prime Video. Going Out… Go To The London Film Festival More partial to the big screen? The annual BFI London Film Festival is the place to be as it returns to the capital for its 70th year. Running from 7 to 19 October 2026, the annual event boasts a jam-packed schedule of premieres, awards, talks and storytelling. This year’s highlights? Taika Waititi’s take on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara And The Sun; Artificial, an AI biopic starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Challengers’ Luca Guadagnino; and Cynthia Erivo’s onscreen turn in the one-woman legal drama Prima Facie. Plus much more. Discover our full list of highlights here.  Staying In Forever Property of the Day This year, the world bid a final farewell to Dolly Parton. As well as her impressive catalogue of music, film and philanthropy work, the country star also left behind an extensive real estate portfolio – including this Hollywood Hills home. Purchased in 1985 and sold in 1990, today the four-bedroom home features a cinema room, pool, spa, and ocean views.  On the market for $7,950,00. Find out more at leveragere.com and nourmand.com Little Luxury ‘Our customers love knowing their coat wasn’t mass-produced, that it was designed in London with lots of love,’ says Charlotte Simone, ‘Making less also means we don’t sit on surplus stock. If you want something fast, there’s plenty of fast fashion out there. We believe in less but better.’ We spoke to the queen of coats ahead of last night’s Drop of her Winter 1 collection, with icons like this one, the Olive in green and pink (£385). Read our full interview and see more of the collection here. And shop the Drop (quickly) at charlottesimone.com. Competition This competition gives you the chance to win your choice of Abode boiling water tap and create a wash zone that’s designed around you. Whether you’re making a morning coffee, filling a pan, preparing food or tackling the washing up, instant filtered boiling water is always on hand. Pssst… It seems Harry and Meghan are settling well into their new Cotswolds life, enjoying the pubs and members’ clubs of Chipping Norton. In September Meghan was seen at Soho Farmhouse, and now the couple have been spotted together for the first time since returning to England. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were photographed heading into quintessential country pub The Falkland Arms for lunch (Meghan reportedly ordered the fish and chips, while Harry opted for a chicken, leek and ham pie). Whatever You Do, Don’t… Panic because Venus is in retrograde. While astrologers view planetary retrogrades as disruptors, they’re not always negative: Venus represents money, pleasure and personal values, so this period is associated with reconsidering those parts of your life. Here’s what the cosmic phenomenon means for every star sign.  Subscription Offer Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39

© 2026 Country & Town House Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, United Kingdom

October 06, 2026   |    Daily 6 October Staying In… Read Partita By Barbara Kingsolver It was a blog post accusing Barbara Kingsolver of being a phoney that sparked the idea for her latest novel: Partita. Appalachian-born and raised, the Demon Copperhead writer had a difficult childhood – a fact that the blogger failed to buy, considering her achievements as a child piano prodigy. ‘This notion that I couldn’t possibly have fallen in love with playing the piano as a person in a small rural town, that offended me,’ she said. ‘Why do most people think this? [...] Those were all questions that made me excited to write this book.’ The book in question follows the story of Livia. Stuck in an unhappy life on a Tennessee dairy farm reeling from her older brother’s death, the gifted musician is awarded a piano scholarship, and a ticket out. One day Livia catches a glimpse of a man, a revolutionary, and falls madly in love – a moment that spells disaster for her new life. Out on 8 October, uk.bookshop.org Going Out… Go Pumpkin Picking Autumn is upon us, which means pumpkins are back in season. Whether it’s for your inspired Halloween display or to use in a fresh, seasonal dish, pick your own at one of these charming pumpkin patches located not far from London. A popular spot is Tulleys Farm in West Sussex, where over 1.5 million squashes have sprung up across 100 acres; the farm also hosts ‘Pumpkin Nights’ complete with live music, marshmallow roasting and woodland walks. Over in Essex, the family-run Cobbs Farm opens its gates every autumn for a few days for the pumpkin-loving public (find opening dates for 2026 here), while Crockford Bridge Farm in Surrey is hosting its annual pumpkin picking experience from 3 – 18 October 2026 (with street food vendors on weekends). Find more spots to visit here. Staying In Forever Property of the Day Standing on the site of the former walls of Richmond Palace – once one of England’s most important royal residences and a favourite home of several monarchs, including Elizabeth I – this house was built in 1703 following the Civil War, after much of the palace was sold and gradually dismantled. Today, the Grade II listed home features five bedrooms, a large reception room, kitchen/dining space, cinema room, gym and wine cellar.  On the market for £11,500,000, struttandparker.com Little Luxury Cult Irish beauty brand Poco Beauty has made its UK debut, launching at Selfridges. Its hero product? The Universal Glow Original, an all-in-one SPF 30, skin booster, primer and colour corrector which uses light reflecting technology to create a natural, lit-from-within glow – all while protecting from UV damage. £32 for 40ml, pocobeauty.com Competition Enter here for the chance to win a memorable escape to the historic city of Chester and stay at The Queen at Hotel Chester – Handwritten Collection, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks that once welcomed notable guests including Charles Dickens and Lillie Langtry. Pssst… Chelsea hasn’t got much to offer when it comes to rooftop dining, so we’re excited to hear about the arrival of new restaurant Beatrix – launching on the King’s Road in January 2027. Created by the group behind Mexican restaurant Ixchel down the road, it’s set to take over the top floor of The Gaumont building opposite Chelsea Town Hall, offering classic British brasserie fare. Whatever You Do, Don’t… Give up on your Sober October pledge. Going teetotal for a month offers a whole host of benefits for body and mind – from better sleep to improved gut health (here are some tips for completing the challenge). Subscription Offer Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39

© 2026 Country & Town House Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, United Kingdom

October 05, 2026   |    Daily 5 October Staying In… Listen To Joe Wicks’ New Podcast The world of wellness can feel like a minefield – but Joe Wicks is here to debunk the fads. His new video podcast, Health or Hype, sees the fitness coach trying out some of the most googled topics spanning nutrition, sleep, movement and mental health, to see what’s really worth our time and money. What happens, for instance, when he drops down to 2,000 steps a day? Spends 24 hours alone in a rainforest? Locks himself inside a Joe-sized box to tackle anxiety? Created in partnership with Bupa, the podcast features conversations with top neuroscientists, nutritionists and coaches to cut through internet noise and deliver evidence-backed ways to feel better. Watch on YouTube or listen on Audible. Going Out… Book This Special Ruinart x Osip Dinner Champagne brand Ruinart is celebrating the release of its Singulier Edition 20 with a supper series at Michelin-starred farm-to-fork restaurant Osip in Somerset. The two brands share a deep respect for nature: Ruinart Blanc Singulier is the latest in a collection of cuvées designed to respond to the impact of climate change on champagne, with each edition shaped by the year’s uncharacteristic conditions. Meanwhile, Osip is guided by biodynamic principles and regenerative agriculture, sourcing the majority of produce from its own farm and adopting a low-waste approach to fine dining. The exclusive series will explore how gastronomy and agriculture can evolve in harmony with nature, featuring carefully curated menus that celebrate the seasonality of British produce – shaped by the time of the harvest. There will be three dinners on 16 October, 20 November and 11 December, with tickets priced at £290pp. Book via emailing reservations@osiprestaurant.com or phoning 01749 987277. Staying In Forever Property of the Day This Colorado estate once served as the Aspen retreat of newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch. Set in the private, gated residential community of Starwood, the two-acre spread features six bedrooms, a glass lift, two bars, a wine cellar and a steam room.  On the market for $29,850,000, sothebysrealty.com Little Luxury With the heat of summer settling down, we can turn our attention to the next seasonal event: autumn showers. If you’re hoping to evade the rain in style, look no further than Musto. Ideal for countryside adventures – whether you’re hiking through fields, walking the dog or simply trekking to the pub – the brand’s latest waterproof jacket features snag-resistant brushed fabric that’s kitted out with Musto’s Ocean Tech™. The result? Wet weather protection, with added breathability. £285, musto.com Competition Yearning for a sun-drenched escape that promises avant-garde design, electric social energy, and a contemporary take on Portuguese hospitality? Here is your chance to win a two-night bed and breakfast stay for two at the effortlessly chic W Algarve, complete with dinner on one evening.  Pssst… Ever wondered if celebrities get better treatment on The Traitors? Well, when it comes to food, previous contestants have hinted the menu does get upgraded for A-listers. Last series, we saw the cast tucking into lasagna and steak, which ex-civilian player Rayan Rachedi (season one) says was a step up from the regular version’s offering. Posting on X, he wrote: ‘I can assure you steak was NOT an option at dinner for the non-celebrity series’. Here’s everything else we know about the food served on the show (including: do they actually eat the breakfast spread?). Whatever You Do, Don’t… Allow random clutter to accumulate on the sides if you’ve got a small loo. ‘Accessories are often overlooked in bathrooms. The last thing you want is a stunning new space and a toilet roll just sitting on the floor or a ledge,’ explains Jo Sangster, Senior Sales & Design Consultant at Ripples London. ‘Always make sure you have a toilet roll holder, towel rail and a space for hand soap.’ Clever storage solutions, such as skirted sinks and mirrored cabinets, can keep the space feeling tidy without compromising on the overall design. Find more tiny bathroom tips here. Subscription Offer Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39

© 2026 Country & Town House Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, United Kingdom