The Midnight Bell at Sadler's Wells review: a splendidly seedy dance drama
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Time Out
a day ago
- Time Out
Hyped London bakery Layla is opening a second site
Londoners love a good pastry. Just head to one of the city's most hyped bakeries, like Toad, Jolene or Fortitude, on a Sunday morning to see Damson Madder-clad city dwellers lining up in their droves to get their hands on the latest drop of a limited edition danish. It's good news then for all the city's croissant lovers, because another popular bakery, Layla, has just announced it is opening a second site in London. Layla Bakery, a popular spot in Notting Hill that often see sees queues winding down Portobello Road, will open its second outpost further west in Acton this September. The new site will be geared towards takeaways, with a few stools inside and a couple of benches outside. The Acton branch will be serving up similar bakes to the Ladbroke Grove location, including sourdough breads, sandwiches, pastries and tarts. They will serve the bakery's most popular offerings, as well as exclusives for local customers. Recent Layla eats include raspberry and lemon verbena 'bowties', peach and mascarpone olive oil cake and yuzu Swiss meringue custard tarts. Layla's founder Tessa Faulker said Acton was chosen for its community spirit, and head baker Colton Dinner (lovely bit of nominative determinism here) will take charge as the executive baker at both outposts. Layla Bakery Acton will opens Thursday September 4 at 53 Churchfield Road, Acton W3 6AY. The best bakeries in London for 2025, according to Time Out. The best bar in London in 2025, according to Time Out.
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Londoners are trying to explain Hackney to Americans after Charli XCX's wedding
Charli's choice of wedding venue has caused a stir (Picture: @CharliXCX; Getty; Shutterstock) If there's one part of London that's changed significantly over the years, it's Hackney. The borough has long been home to some of the most deprived areas in England, with a history of poverty and various other social challenges. But lately parts of it have been heavily gentrified, with spots like Dalston and London Fields now touted as 'artsy' and 'trendy', while in 2023, Hackney Wick was even named the 'coolest' place to live in the whole of the capital. As such, some might now say that Hackney is pretty 'brat' and this weekend's events seem to confirm as much… That's because Charli XCX — real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison — got married there. The popstar tied the knot to The 1975 drummer George Daniel this weekend in a low-key ceremony in Hackney. Hackney has been heavily gentrified of late (Picture: Getty Images) And while some can't stop talking about Charli's stunning Vivienne Westwood mini dress and the wild afterparty she and her new hubby had that evening, there's one other thing that's captured people's attention: the venue. The pair married at Hackney Town Hall, a grade II-listed art deco building, before heading to a restaurant nearby and finishing the night at Ellie's bar in Haggerston. Many were quick to brand a Hackney wedding as 'iconic', 'so rock and roll' and 'a vibe', but there were some who were left confused by the choice. Americans, in particular, have been scratching their heads, with some taking to the comments of TikTok to ask Londoners to 'explain Hackney' to them, and it's fair to say the responses were… interesting. Charli XCX and George Daniel tied the knot at Hackney Town Hall (Picture: Getty Images) There were some attempts to compare Hackney to parts of New York, with @nickem141 writing: 'It's like a (slightly) more chic Brooklyn.' While @safsrevenge replied: 'Idk America but maybe like The Bronx, formerly ghetto but gentrified now but still mainly ghetto.' Others also pointed out Hackney's past, with a user known as @user23874012934 saying: 'I think it's just that you'd think millionaires would get married somewhere that's not Hackney. Not that deep.' Another suggested Charli might have chosen the area specifically because it matched the 'image she tried to sell with Brat', and @catkosetenko agreed, claiming that it was a 'diverse hipster area where young people go partying a lot.' Areas like London Fields have become popular and 'trendy' (Picture: Getty Images) But those who had lived in Hackney their whole lives thought the idea of a celebrity wedding taking place there was 'mad'. @ shared: 'Hackney Town Hall… what the heck. 'As someone who's lived here my whole life, yeah that's mad. Hilarious how upmarket people find it now. 'It's crazy the effect gentrification has. The only people that think this is cool [are] people who don't come from Hackney.' And @simmaaaaay1 felt similarly, posting: 'I seriously laugh. Gentrification has really done its big one.' Regardless, it's worth pointing out that Charli is thought to have an apartment in Hackney, so the venue might just have been chosen because she lives nearby and loves the area. The couple are also said to be having a planned 'second' wedding in Sicily later this year, which is expected to be much more of a lavish event than this one. An insider told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: 'There will be no expense spared. It's costing tens of thousands of pounds, and visually it will be mesmerising. 'Charli and George said they wanted a massive party, and there are no restrictions on when the bar has to close, so it can go on all night.' The source added: 'It's going to be pretty star-studded too, with plenty of their celeb mates making the journey over to Sicily to watch them say 'I do.' Charli and George are so excited to become man and wife.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ Arrow MORE: Partner of Amazon driver, 23, killed in train crash says 'he was so loved' Arrow MORE: Sea Containers London review – Metro checks in to a swanky hotel suite Arrow MORE: The tragic life of Saudi 'Sleeping Prince' who never woke up from 20-year coma
Time Out
5 days ago
- Time Out
Five iconic London buildings you'll be able to access for free in Open House 2025
If you're the kind of nosy neighbour who's always peering out from behind your front curtains whenever there's even a whiff of some drama happening outside, you'll love Open House. The annual festival takes place every September, and offers curious Londoners a rare chance to pull back the curtain and go through the keyholes of some of the capital's most renowned – and often most secretive – buildings, completely free of charge. From historic royal dwellings to magnificent specimens of modern architecture, churches and bridges to art studios and municipal buildings, a whole load of interesting real estate across nearly every London borough is open for snooping during the festival, which returns from 13-25 September. Having partnered with Airbnb, Open House is promising its biggest and boldest festival yet in 2025, with over 800 events on the programme, announced earlier this week. So to help you decide which spots are most worth snooping around ahead of bookings going live on Wednesday 20 August., we've rounded up some of the most iconic London buildings taking part this year. The 5 best buildings to visit during Open House 2025 Lincoln's Inn The oldest of London's four Inns of Court – its records date all the way back to 1422 – Lincoln's Inn has been home to London's elite legal minds for more than 600 years. The 11-acre site encompasses an array of facilities used by its members, including the Grade I-listed Old Hall and Grade II-listed Great Hall, a chapel, one of the UK's most important law libraries and a variety of lecture theatres and meeting rooms. Usually closed to the public, Open House is a very rare chance for a peek inside these historic corridors of power at it's open day, when you can also check out an exhibition and a programme of history talks and panel discussions too. Lincoln's Inn, WC2A 3TL. Sat 13 September. Free. City Hall Opened in 2012 as an exhibition centre and think tank called The Crystal, London's new City Hall in the Royal Docks has been the home of London Assembly and the offices of the Mayor of London since 2022. And while the building does offer limited public access year round, Open House is a chance to have a proper snoop around, and to learn more about City Hall's impressive sustainability credentials, – which earned it the first ever BREEM Outstanding certification, on one of the drop-in tours, as well as checking out the magnificent views over the historic local area from its events space, London's Living Room. Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE. Sat 13-Sun 14 September. Free. HMS Wellington A sleek, 81-metre military ship stationed on the north bank of the Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo, HMS Wellington saved hundreds of lives during the six-year Battle of the Atlantic during World War II, steaming close to a quarter of a million miles and escorting 103 Atlantic Convoys. The ship has rarely been open to visitors before this summer, but following a major restoration project it will now be open to fee-paying members of the public every weekend. And to celebrate, HMS Wellington will be free to visit during Open House, offering hundreds of visitors the chance to learn more about the heroic deeds that occurred during the ship's career. Temple Stairs, WC2R 2PN. Sun 14 September. Free. London Film School Mike Leigh, Ann Hui, Michael Mann and Carla Simón are just a few of the renowned directors to have learned their craft at the London Film School in Holborn. Step into their shoes at one of the renowned institution's Open House filmmaking workshops, where you'll get to work with green screen and a camera operating team, then do a tour of the site's cinema and workshop spaces, housed in a former banana warehouse. 24 Shelton Street, WC2H 9UB. Sun 14 September. Free. Senate House A towering Art Deco landmark in the heart of Bloomsbury, Senate House was once the tallest secular building in the city. Supposedly the inspiration for the 'Ministry of Truth' in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, it survived the Blitz in part because Hitler supposedly took a shine to it and had plants to make it the Nazi Party's headquarters should the Third Reich have successfully invaded Britain. These days it's best known as the site of the University of London's main library, which is usually reserved for the eyes of bookish students and academics, but members of the public can get lost among its marble-lined corridors and maze of bookshelves on an in-person or virtual tour during Open House. Malet Street, WC1E 7HU. Sat 20-Sun 21 September. Free.
