Gillingham lido open for summer after £250k refurb
Councillor Nina Gurung, the council's portfolio holder for heritage, culture and leisure, previously said: "We are proud to have invested in this exciting project to improve the already great offering and add a brand new fun feature for our children and families to enjoy both this summer and for years to come."The Strand opened in 1896 and the refurbishment was funded by money given to Medway Council by housing developers, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.The refurbishment was done using £248,283 of section 106 money, which is made up of contributions from housing developers to Medway Council.The leisure complex is now open each weekend until the end of summer and every day during the school summer holidays.
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Jersey Tidal Trail aims to lure visitors to island
A trail inspired by the South West Coast Path in England and Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way has been launched in Jersey Tidal Trail aimed "to showcase the island's stunning coastline, rich heritage and unique tidal landscape", said Visit trail, encircles the island and spans more than 48 miles (77km), includes "magnificent castles, secret bunkers and ancient headlands", the organisation hoped the trail encouraged repeat visits to the island and boosted spending at shops, hotels and attractions along the route. Visit Jersey said the trail was broken up into sections with four difficulty ratings - easy, moderate, challenging and expert - and there was no official start or end recommended walking in a clockwise direction to follow wayfinding guides more route is available on hiking apps Komoot and Strava.
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
17 of the best rooftop bars in London
Whether on a sunny day or under a velvety night sky, the Big Smoke is a thing of beauty, and there are few better places to appreciate the seemingly endless sprawl than at one of its brilliant rooftop bars. Be it impromptu after-work team drinks or a big get-together that has been lighting up the group chat for months, you'll find a roof in the capital to suit, from sky-high odes to maximalist design in buzzy Soho to eclectic DJ sets and Med-inspired small plates high above the neon billboards in Shoreditch. Set the sat-nav for the City if you're looking for the kind of glass-walled glamour that invites slowly sipping something icy while watching the light bounce off skyscrapers. A little south, in Peckham, you'll find effortlessly cool design and menus without the kind of pretentiousness that sometimes accompanies them in other postcodes. Sundowners come with a garnish of prime people-watching, while King's Cross looks a lot more appealing from a bird's-eye perspective than from among the crowds thronging to trains. Wherever you choose, it's always a good idea to book ahead because the most coveted hang-outs fill up fast, and with good reason. Get ready to charge your glasses — these are the best rooftop bars in London — some of them housed in great hotels so you can really make the most of it. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue The trendy, tree-themed Treehouse hotel has the BBC building as a neighbour and Oxford Street round the corner. It's a funky base, particularly the low-lit, 16th-floor rooftop terrace, which is decked out in wood, comfy armchairs and hanging lanterns, with panoramic views over the London skyline. There are DJ sets on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and dogs are welcome every Sunday afternoon. The drinks list is biblical in length (must-tries include the citrussy melon sour) and there's an all-day menu with mezze and charcuterie boards, as well as pork belly bao buns and burgers. The Amano hotel puts you within easy reach of the best theatres in London, but you'll want to make time for a sundowner at its trendy rooftop bar before the curtain call. The seventh-floor terrace has top-notch views over the city — you can spot the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral and the Shard from your table — and the sunsets here are particularly pretty. There's live jazz every Thursday evening from September, and the unusual cocktails pack a punch (try the ginger spice, made with rum, ginger liqueur and liquorice bitters). The food is tapas style (ox cheek croquetas, tuna tostadas, pan con tomate), but if you're looking for a proper meal you'll want to head downstairs to Penelope's, the hotel's lively Spanish and Middle Eastern-style restaurant — the massive portions of baklava cheesecake are the highlight here. This elegant Japanese bar-restaurant has a retractable roof and a wraparound terrace with sprawling views over Belgravia, making it a popular (yet surprisingly peaceful) spot during the summer months and beyond. You won't find yourself perched on an uncomfortable stool here; instead it's all comfy cream sofas and sleek, plump-cushioned chairs. Cocktails are Japanese in style — many drinks are saké-based, including a properly refreshing sakura spritz made using apricot liqueur — and food is a real highlight, with sushi served alongside robata grill dishes such as spicy lamb chops with chilli sauce. Its name being a nod to the 19th-century flute maker once based on the same street, the Broadwick Soho hotel's rooftop bar has something of the Pied Piper about it, with its sumptuous, Martin Brudnizki-designed interiors and leafy alfresco terrace having attracted a devoted following. Featuring shimmering metallics and animal-print upholstery in botanical brights, the look is one described by Brudnizki as 'cocooned comfort with maximalist glamour'. Order a Peeping Tom — a blend of 12-year-old Santiago de Cuba rum, acai berry, oloroso sherry, black tea and bitters — and graze on refined comfort classics such as buttermilk fried chicken, all while enjoying views of Soho's fabled skyline. You can see as far as Hampstead Heath from the rooftop bar at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, one of glitziest London hotel openings of last year. ABar is just as swish as the rest of the hotel, packed with dramatic burgundy and gold tones, plush leather armchairs and a typically starry Mayfair crowd. The panoramic skyline views from the outdoor terrace area are the crowning glory, but the cocktails — themed by season, with a tangy tomato and olive number among the summer bunch — are excellent too. Live music performances (think cool London DJs and saxophonists) take place on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Note, though, that there's a £50pp minimum spend on food and drinks. This rooftop bar on the 15th floor of art'otel London Battersea Power Station is the place to be during the summer months, with DJ sets, flavour-packed Portuguese small plates (octopus with black aioli, pulled jackfruit, chicken piri skewers) and a cocktail list that includes cooling margarita slushies. Tables have 360-degree views over the Thames, Battersea Power Station and the hotel's 12.5m infinity pool; note, though, that the pool is only available to hotel guests. Read our full review of art'otel London Battersea Power Station Open since summer 2024, Kaso feels like the kind of place you'd congratulate yourself for having discovered on a getaway in Athens, say, or Izmir, perhaps. Happily, though, you'll only have to travel as far as the verdant seventh-floor terrace of the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel to enjoy similar sun-soaked Mediterranean and Aegean vibes, with a little added East End edge. Come for the cocktails — signature pour Kasonist is a heady muddle of Grey Goose vodka, Greek wine and watermelon — and stay for the DJs and flavour-packed small plates by the Istanbul-born chef Ilknur Celik. On Fridays and Saturdays the party goes on till 1am. • Best hotels in London with pools• Best UK hotels with outdoor pools The clock tower, solemn statues and faded white dome of St Paul's Cathedral feel within touching distance of this garden-themed rooftop bar. Located on the seventh floor of Leonardo Royal Hotel, Sabine opened in 2021, and thanks to its relative newness it remains less crowded than neighbouring drinking spots. If there are no vacant tables on the outdoor terrace, the floor-to-ceiling windows and retractable roof of the interior ensure that the cathedral is always within sight, while the foliage-draped circular bar offers a front-row vantage point for watching bartenders mix up theatrical smoking cocktails and frozen twists on negronis. The Standard hotel group's first foray outside the United States brought them to London to take over the brutalist former Camden Town Hall Annex. In keeping with the fun, 1970s theme of the bedrooms, the Astroturf rooftop — open seasonally — has baby-pink banquettes and close-up views of the red-brick spires and gothic revival façade of St Pancras station. Cocktails on tap include Spicy Tommy's margaritas, with slushy Aperol spritzes for warm days. Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, the celebrated chef of Decimo, located on the tenth floor, has a hand in the menu of the bright red food truck that serves Mexican-inspired bites here. Skip through Selfridges' fragrance section to a dedicated lift that zooms you to a slice of Sicily as glamorous as the designer labels on the shop floors below. The rooftop restaurant and bar is so pretty that it's easy to forgive the lack of views; ceiling beams strung with faux lemons and white blossoms, shuttered windows and a retractable roof for sunny days create an Italian oasis. Aperol spritzes and bellini Venezianas grace the drinks list, while an extensive food menu covers favourites from lobster ravioli to grilled artichokes with mint sauce. We couldn't not mention this East London staple and its blooming brilliant rooftop garden. Tables are surrounded by crab apple, hazel and birch trees, so the view beyond them comes with added surprise factor — glance past the leaves and you'll spot the Gherkin and other gleaming skyscrapers. Cocktail garnishes are picked from the garden itself — botanic-inspired specials include a tangy 'sweet cicely sour' — and much of the food comes from the Culpeper Family Farm in Deptford. It's all delicious, so tables get booked up far in advance: eat up the views alongside lamb ribs and chops cooked on the grill, mackerel pâté on toast, and a smashing Rooftop Mess meringue dessert that uses wild strawberries from the garden. At the top of a bubblegum-pink staircase in a multistorey car park, Frank's Café has become a summer stalwart in south London. First opened in 2009 by the not-for-profit organisation Bold Tendencies as a sculpture exhibition space and café, the rooftop spot has returned each year to showcase different artists. That aside, come for the brunches and negronis with a backdrop of the Shard and City skyscrapers. What the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf lack in neighbourhood charm, they make up for in unforgettable views. Based in the Novotel hotel, Bokan has taken over floors 37 to 39 and has some of the most impressive vistas in the city. On the 37th floor, the stylish industrial restaurant has been awarded two AA rosettes for its European take on dishes such as Herefordshire beef and rabbit tagine. On clear days, time your visit to the 39th-floor roof terrace and gin bar to coincide with the sunset — thanks to the west-facing position you will catch the last rays of the day over the Thames, South Bank and towering buildings of the City. • Best free things to do in London• Best things to do in London This former car park has been repurposed as an adults' playground, with almost every inch of its open-air space full of distractions. Watch classic films from a giant deckchair at the outdoor cinema or flex your competitive muscles with the baseball batting cages, archery targets, crazy golf or lawn bowls. Big groups are well catered for with brightly coloured benches and food trucks that serve burgers, fried chicken, Turkish pide and kebabs. Drinks such as Sunset Fizz — a muddle of passion fruit, vodka and prosecco — promise a sugar rush. Thanks to its location on the ninth floor of Hyatt Place London City East, at the edge of the City, PocketSquare offers some of the best views of the Square Mile skyline. The outdoor space wraps around the central bar, which is under cover should it rain. There are only a handful of seats, so get there early to enjoy cold beers and cocktails inspired by its east London location. And if you need some late-night nibbles, the curry houses of Brick Lane are just a short stroll away. Housed in the grade I listed shell of a former church, the stained glass windows of Mercato Mayfair make it the most visually arresting food hall you'll find anywhere. But without air conditioning, it gets pretty stuffy in the summer. So instead, grab your craft beer, gin cocktail or chilled glass of rosé and head for the roof, where you can survey the fine architecture around you from the courtyard-style terrace. Need more chill? There's also an ice-cream counter with deliciously creamy gelato. Located on the seventh-floor rooftop of the citizenM Tower of London hotel, cloudM overlooks the historic landmark from its open-air terrace. There's no outdoor furniture here, opening up the space for more people to take in the views. If it's chilly or you simply want to kick back, there's also indoor space where you can lounge on comfy couches or upholstered armchairs. The food menu is mostly nibbles, but when it comes to drinks the extensive gin-based cocktail list is ideal for summer days. Additional reporting by Qin Xie and Faith Strickland • Best boutique hotels in London• London heatwave: 14 places to keep cool Have we missed any? Share your recommendations in the comments
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE We live in the Margate you DON'T see.. Residents in 'dive' one road back from Britain's most gentrified postcode say trendy day trippers are destroying their town
It's a beautiful summers day in Margate and a young couple are celebrating happy news by quaffing champagne and oysters on the seafront. Three streets back, a homeless man sits slumped in the street beneath a boarded up Poundland. This, locals say, is their home town in a nutshell and they've had enough. Thanks to its beautiful location, nestled right on the horn of Thanet in sunny Kent, the town has always been a popular spot for day trippers seeking sun, sand and serenity. It is is no different to other seaside towns in that it experienced its hay day way back when King George VI was still on the throne and doctor's genuinely believed a spot of sea air could cure things like cancer and emphysema. Morrisey, once whined about his life being like 'the coastal town they forgot to close down, the seaside town they forgot to bomb.' And whilst nobody would argue with the controversial singer's own reflection of his career, he does touch on a sad but common assessment of UK seaside spots following the boom times. That they are sad, depressing places. Steeped in generations of irreversible decline and all but abandoned by the government who secretly hope climate change will drag them into the sea. Why then, does Margate remains something of an enigma in the public imagination? It has always had a sexier reputation than say Southend, after being immortalised in the Only Fools and Horses Jolly Boys Outing the hit Chas and Dave song 'Margate.' But hardly any young people genuinely like Chas and Dave or Only Fools and Horses - so why are they coming? And coming in droves. Sections of the old town are now basically East London according to the mouths of locals through gritted teeth, who say they have been forced to watch as hordes of yuppies flock about with soy lattes and pedigree dogs. And that's just the day trippers! In the last ten years, property prices in the town have surged due to a DfL (down from London) boom which has seen thousands of families move down to the Kent coast. Now residents living one road back from Britain's most gentrified postcode say trendy day trippers are ruining their town. Locals find it 'astonishing' that an area of the town has been named the place that has gentrified the most in England over the last decade. The area is Cliftonville West and is based on a combination of household disposable income data, higher education attainment, house prices and a deprivation score. It also takes into everything from poor health and disability rates to crime and access to services. After enjoying decades as one of Britain's favourite seaside destinations, Margate went into a period of decline. But in recent years - especially post Covid - it has become a fashionable magnet for Londoners, even nicknamed 'Shoreditch-on-Sea'. Nearly 6,000 people from London relocated to Thanet in the three years following the pandemic. The great boom of DFLs has given Margate a new identity, but locals fear it is merely a 'disguise' for what is really going on. Pauline Kirkwood, 72, who has lived in Margate for 50 years, said locals had been 'abandoned'. The retired shop worker said: 'There's a lot of noise about everyone coming down from London and it all being a great thing. They bang on about the new cafe's, art galleries and how it's trendy. 'But it's just driven up the house prices of the homes around here, making it much harder for locals to buy. People who have lived here all their lives can't afford to buy. So they rent or have to rely on the council, even though they work. It's really sad. 'Surely they should be the priority? There are also deep routed issues here. It's rough. You can make it look as nice as you want but I feel more unsafe now than in the last 50 years of living here. 'So what's being done about that? If you go one street away from the coast, there's drug dealing and drug taking everywhere. 'People are hammered quite often and causing big problems. This is in the day. 'It's scary.' Pauline said many people who have moved only stay at weekends, creating more problems. She added: 'It can be dead in the week and absolutely rammed at weekends. There's always been a big need for tourism and that's really important. 'But it doesn't feel like a holiday destination anymore and doesn't have that seaside feel.' Reacting to the gentified news, Pauline, who lives in Cliftonville, said: 'That's astonishing. Tell that to locals and people who have lived here for years. They won't have seen the improvement they are on about.' Another local, who refused to give his name, questioned the title, saying: 'You're figures are wrong there mate. Have you seen it? It is a complete dive and always has been!' Kate Stuart, 85, who originally moved herself to Margate from London 14 years ago, thinks the influx of people has had a negative impact. She said: 'I didn't move because I wanted to be trendy. I moved because I had nowhere else to go really. It was all I could afford. 'They are now coming here because they like it and they want to change it. 'I think it's gone too far. The people who have moved don't have a lot of consideration for those who have been here years. 'I have a lot of friends with children and grandchildren here, but they would not be able to afford to live here now and get a house.' Kate also said there had been a lack of respect shown towards the town. She added: 'The newer residents quite often play loud music and cause problems on the beach. They blast it out of their phone speakers. It's really annoying. 'That never used to happen. There's just a lack of consideration for others now.' The phenomenon plaquing Margate is not an uncommon one. In 2021, an LSE study found that Margate is particularly rife for something known as 'poverty-based polarisation' - in which everyone is either mega rich or mega poor with no in-between. And the data backs this up. Since 2000, the average house price in the town has soared from £73,644 to £317,451 - a rise of £243,807. Jerry Wright, 72, said he believes Margate has become a 'victim of its own success'. The retired scaffolder said: 'In a way it's great what's happened. But the gap between locals and the newer residents is getting bigger and bigger and that is not good. 'Margate is losing its identity. I have lived here 30 years and it does not feel the same. Yes, it's very gentrified. There's some lovely places. 'But there's poverty. There's clearly an issue with substance abuse among some people which you see in public. What's being done about that?' Adil Darik, 60, moved in 2020 from London, and said he 'loves life' in Margate. The DJ said: 'I just got fed up of London and wanted a change. I moved when it was safe to do so after the first wave of Covid. 'I got a seafront place at a bargain price of £100,000. I spent £60,000 on it and it'll now be worth considerably more. 'I had lived in Primrose Hill in north London but wanted to go by the sea. I think it's brilliant that more people have followed. It's given it a new lease of life. 'Loads of tourists come and spend money and there's loads of new businesses.
