South Western Railway reduces some off-peak services in August
Surrey stations affected are Shepperton, Guildford, Woking, Weybridge, Chertsey, Chessington South, Cobham and Stoke D'Abernon.In Berkshire Reading and Windsor and Eton Riverside will see reduced services, as will Alton in Hampshire.Suburban London stations affected are Hampton Court and Richmond.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Henley-Twyford branch line closes for five days for track work
A railway branch line is closing for five days for work to repair and replace sections of Rail said the line between Twyford in Berkshire and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire would be shut until first thing on Saturday the branch line was closed in 2023 for work between Wargrave and buses, which do not follow the train route and have a different timetable, will run between Twyford and Shiplake via Henley. Network Rail said 100m of track, sleepers and ballast would be replaced while surveys and other maintenance would also be carried director Jason Pankhurst said: "Our engineers will be working around the clock to complete this important work which will keep trains running smoothly for passengers for years to come."Great Western Railway said it would accept season tickets on the branch line between Marlow and said valid rail tickets could also be used on the number 850 Carousel bus service between Henley and Twyford via Wargrave. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Fantastic low and no-alcohol fizz
In April I took my 16-year-old stepdaughter south to see the cherry trees bloom. Not so far south — just to Mei Ume, the Japanese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in London. Handcrafted paper cherry blossoms sprouted from the light fixtures in the elegant, high-ceilinged room, with its Chinese and Japanese art on the walls to match the blend of those two countries' cuisines on the menu. For Cherry Blossom Season, the head chef Peter Ho had concocted a series of delicious small plates, matched to cocktails based on Saicho Sparkling Tea. Mine contained Saicho Hojicha (a green tea made smoky by roasting over charcoal), as well as Hennessy XO and Grand Marnier. Nora, being slightly younger, had a mocktail with Saicho Jasmine, green apple puree and vanilla. Mine was good but hers, with the bite of that apple and the perfumed NoLo fizz, was better — and I don't even much like vanilla. • This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue This was a revelation. I already knew I liked the Saicho drinks (£17.99, — adding bubbles to the delicate aromas and structured tannins of good tea is a brilliant idea. A recent dinner with the teens involved us all sharing a magnum of Fortnum & Mason's Sparkling Tea (£45, Its lemon-peel and thyme flavours were a great complement to one-pot Basque chicken and, especially, an orange, fennel and radish salad. And pouring a magnum for four is a lot more fun than sharing a bottle between two while the young people dissolve their teeth in sugar-loaded soda pop. I am not giving up alcohol any time soon. But there is, as Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger points out, a pleasure balance. She is the co-creator of French Bloom, one of the best non-alcoholic sparkling wines on the market. She has made canny use of fine chardonnay grapes from Limoux in the Languedoc and of the Champagne expertise available via her husband, Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, who heads Champagne Frerejean Frères. There is even, now, a vintage French Bloom, La Cuvée 2022 (£95, Frerejean-Taittinger has made it her mission to create a sparkling no-alcohol drink from grape juice that is as pleasurable as a champagne. She doesn't think they are quite there yet. 'We hope, in five to seven years, to be able to share a bottle with as much complexity as a wine,' she said at Women in the World of Wine, a conference on the future of wine (alcoholic and otherwise), held last autumn at the sumptuous Royal Champagne & Spa hotel. I'm sure she will get there. But my assumption has always been that for real complexity, alcohol helps. That Saicho experience made me think again. I experimented with a mocktail of my own: a version of one of my favourite cocktails, the kir royale, champagne and crème de cassis. A slug of Jukes 6 — The Dark Red (£43 for 9x30ml bottles, a savoury black-fruit cordial that is part of the Jukes Cordialities range, topped up with French Bloom's Le Rosé. It was lovely, softly floral with just a touch of blackberry acidity. After all, the only necessary beverage is water. Everything else is a luxury, intended to elicit the same sensations of delight as gazing at the ephemeral loveliness of cherry blossom. Pleasure is meant to be temporary. It's the memory that lasts — or at least, it does when the drink is alcohol-free.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
How to get two theme park visits for the price of one this summer
The cost of summer holiday activities can quickly add up, which is why we're always on the hunt for cost-effective ways to have fun. Case in point: if you're looking for a cheap family day out this summer, we've found a deal that will save on theme park visits. Until Sunday 17 August, when you book a ticket for Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland Windsor or Thorpe Park, you'll get a ticket for a second visit for free. This doesn't mean visiting the same theme park twice, as it can be used at any of the four parks. In order to qualify, you'll need to pre-book a 'twice the fun' ticket to get your hands on the freebie. You'll then receive a confirmation email with a barcode, which you can use to make your second booking, so keep this handy. The second ticket is valid until Tuesday, 30 September, so there is plenty of time to squeeze in a second visit. It is rare for a free ticket offer to come along, particularly during peak season. Advanced tickets to the theme parks typically start from around £34, so if you're visiting as a family, that's a chunky saving for your second visit. You can book your visit using the links below, or keep reading if you want more inspiration on which of the theme parks to visit this summer. Alton Towers If you've got little thrill-seekers to entertain this summer, Alton Towers is worth a visit. There are nine roller coasters to enjoy, including the Toxicator, which is new for 2025, while younger kids can head to the rides and attractions in CBeebies Land. Alton Towers is located outside of Stoke-on-Trent, so if you're based in the north of England, this is likely to be your nearest major theme park. Chessington World of Adventures There are plenty of adventures for kids of all ages to enjoy at Chessington, with rides inspired by the fantasy board game Jumanji, the tales of the Gruffalo and more. Your ticket also includes a visit to the park's zoo and aquarium, with the chance to see penguins, giraffes, monkeys and zebras. The park is based just outside of London, and there are regular train services running from the capital to Chessington South, which is around a 10-minute walk away. Legoland Windsor There are more than 50 rides and attractions to enjoy at Legoland Windsor. Kids can cool off on a hot day in the splash safari water play park, hop aboard the Lego submarine as part of the deep-sea adventure, get behind the wheel at the Lego driving school and lots more. The theme park is two miles outside of Windsor town centre, with shuttle services available from nearby train stations. Thorpe Park If you or your youngsters can't get enough of roller coasters, a visit to Thorpe Park is a must. The theme park is home to Hyperia, the UK's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, plus five other rides for those that want an adrenaline-filled day out. There are also plenty of rides and play areas for little ones, so the whole family can enjoy the day. The theme park is located in Chertsey, which is about 30 minutes outside of London, with shuttle buses running to the park from nearby train stations.
