Chic raincoats to keep you dry and stylish, from £50
It doesn't have to cost a fortune though – there are excellent finds on the high street at Muji, H&M and M&S (in the prettiest pale pink and the chain's own water-repellent Stormwear coating).
Just beware garments that are style over substance, and lacking the critical element-fighting features. This kind of information can be found in product descriptions online, and garment tags in store.
If it's not declared, it's probably not going to provide much protection.
It should also have the kind of details that make it a pleasure to wear: 'Aside from the obvious functional points – taped or welded seams and a coated material to ensure waterproofing – small details take a raincoat from OK to your favourite essential,' says Johanne Dindler, head of design at hit Danish outerwear brand Rains. 'Think smartly placed ventilation to keep it breathable all year round, an adjustable drawstring hood, snap closures on the sleeves to seal out moisture, and a timeless and minimalist design that you actually want to wear.'
The Rains Lohja bomber (above left) has a fleece lining for added warmth, or choose something roomy enough to layer a down gilet or jacket underneath, making it winter friendly too. After all, showers don't just happen in April.
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Times
21 minutes ago
- Times
10 of the best Airbnbs in Rome
When it comes to operatic splendour, few places can compete with storied, sensual Rome. With its piazzas and priceless ruins casually crumbling on street corners, the Centro Storico (historic centre) stretches for nearly nine miles between the 3rd-century Aurelian Walls and the Janiculum Walls. It's essentially a triangle with Piazza del Popolo in the north, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain to the east, and the Pantheon and Piazza Navona to the west. Featuring about 25,000 archaeological and historic sites, the Centro Storico is the place to stay if you're a first-time visitor. Of course, most other tourists also have the same idea, and the areas around Piazza del Popolo, Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Navona can be heaving — but it is magical to step out of your front door into the heart of the action. Although still in the Centro Storico, more residential areas such as Monti, Trastevere and Prati are within about 30 minutes' walk from the major sites, but have a far more Roman feel. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Pigneto is about three miles away — and is arguably the cooler and better-value option for return travellers. The city's hotel scene has matured magnificently since F Scott Fitzgerald's flea-ridden stay at the Grand in the 1920s, as described in his essay collection The Crack-Up. However, given that it attracts more than 30 million tourists every year, the chance to feel like you live in Rome — no matter how briefly — is intoxicating. Aside from being more affordable than hotels in the Centro Storico, private rentals also offer the opportunity to have a privileged glimpse of life as a local. Whether you seek a bibliophile's bolt hole or a penthouse for aperitivo soirées, here's where to call home in the Eternal City. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue ££ | SLEEPS 4 | Best for bibliophiles If you dream of moving to Rome to write a novel, this is the apartment in which to do it. In a low-slung, ochre-painted building on a quiet street in Trastevere, it is brimming with character and books. Aside from a large wooden wardrobe, the master bedroom is elegantly pared back — but the study, which contains a sofa bed, is covered with leather-bound volumes from floor to wonky wooden ceiling. All of the rooms have air conditioning, but this spot is best suited to the shoulder or winter season when you can eat tortellini in meat broth and then curl up on the sofa and set to work on your masterpiece — or read one that's already there. • Read our full guide to Rome £ | SLEEPS 2 | Best for value for location In the former stable blocks of Palazzo Lancellotti, this studio is owned by the Lancellotti family, who also own the quiet piazza itself — and its ancient olive tree, which the apartment overlooks. Although small, its vaulted ceilings, mezzanine bed and intricately patterned floor — made with antique marble from imperial Rome — create a sense of refinement that's rare at this price point. Ponte is in the heart of the Centro Storico, mere minutes from the likes of Piazza Navona, the Vatican and the Pantheon, yet it retains an upscale local feel. You might see high-heeled women shopping for designer handbags (and making light work of those cobbles), and convivial groups lunching outside smart trattorias. • Discover our full guide to Italy £ | SLEEPS 2 | Best for aesthetes As this list demonstrates, it's not difficult to find aesthetically pleasing apartments in Rome. But if you crave exquisite architectural details, look no further than this one-bedroom haven, which has high ceilings with coffers, gilt chandeliers and hand-painted frescoes. This patrician building hails from the 16th century, and has an internal courtyard where vines trail from stone balustrade staircases: it's easy to picture horse-drawn chariots rattling through the arched gateway. All of the major sights of Rome's historic centre are walkable, while Campo dei Fiori's many restaurants are just across the square. ££ | SLEEPS 5 | Best for location A few steps from the Roman Forum and Colosseum, this bright apartment is ideal for first-time visitors. It's in a fully refurbished building and features a bath, laundry facilities and a spacious open-plan living area. Although much of the furniture is mid-century, a few well-chosen antiques and a balcony with table and chairs nod to Rome's ever-present past. There are two double bedrooms including one with a mezzanine floor mattress, so it's a good option for families too. The parks of Villa Celimontana and Colle Oppio provide respite from the busy avenues, while Monti's characterful backstreets beckon just outside your front door. £££ | SLEEPS 12 | Best for intergenerational groups A penthouse with an enormous roof terrace overlooking St Peter's Basilica, this address carries a hefty price tag — and the style, space and privacy to match. With five bedrooms spread over two floors and four bathrooms, it's possible to put all of the children on one level while the adults enjoy the calm upstairs, or to divide it into family groups. The owners have a penchant for jewellery-box colours and contemporary art, which creates a modish, joyful atmosphere, and there's also a gym, laptop-friendly desks and a long table for group meals. Known for its upscale restaurants and wide avenues (many created during Mussolini's reign in order to accommodate military processions), Prati is where Rome's successful older crowd live and dine. £ | SLEEPS 3 | Best for sophisticated couples In an 18th-century mansion with views of the Villa Borghese Gardens, this split-level loft has been furnished in a classical, cosmopolitan style. Polished floorboards, antiques and a working fireplace create a refined air, complemented by a small terrace in the eaves. It's on the edge of Piazza del Popolo, a grand square known for its twin baroque churches. The Spanish Steps lead up to the Hassler Bar, the spot for excellent dry martinis, while the Borghese Gardens contain neoclassical temples and fountains, as well as the illustrious Galleria Borghese. £ | SLEEPS 2 | Best for solo travellers With its sunny balcony and quirky pieces such as a record-shaped coffee table, this studio feels like the home of a trendy thirtysomething. 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Times
27 minutes ago
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Should workers who don't come into the office have their pay cut?
The UK was named the working-from-home capital of Europe last week, with university graduates revealed to work 1.8 days a week from home on average. We're nearly world-beaters too, with only employees in Canada found in the office less, averaging 1.9 days at home. Worldwide, the average is 1.3 days, according to the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, a poll of 16,000 full-time university-educated workers across 40 countries. However, the winds could be changing, with companies such as HSBC threatening to cut pay packages if workers don't come into the office more. But are they right to do this? Oliver Chapman, the chief executive of OCI, a supply chain company As a company, we pride ourselves on transparency, performance and long-term value. That's why I believe it's time we address the widening gap between in-office and remote work and change the pay structures that have failed to adapt. I'm not here to say remote work doesn't have its place. It does. During the pandemic, it kept businesses alive and people safe. But we are no longer in crisis mode. What we face now is a choice between what's convenient and what drives collaboration, innovation and growth. When employees choose to work remotely full-time, often from locations with a significantly lower cost of living, they are making a lifestyle decision. That decision has real economic implications. Yet in many cases, their salaries remain tied to cities they've left behind, often London, where pay reflects not just talent but living expenses, access and availability. If you're living in Cornwall instead of Canary Wharf, but drawing the same salary, we have to ask: is that fair to the company or to colleagues showing up in person every day? In-office work brings tangible benefits. It facilitates mentorship, spontaneous problem-solving and stronger team dynamics. It builds culture. These aren't just perks — they drive productivity. The people commuting daily, navigating the rising costs of transport, lunch and childcare, are investing in the business in ways remote workers simply are not. Compensation must reflect contribution — real, measurable, and holistic. If a role no longer requires city-based presence, great, we're flexible. But flexibility works both ways. Geographic-based pay is not about punishment. It's about equity. If you choose not to be where the work most needs you, that should be factored into how you're compensated. Some will call this regressive. I call it responsible. Businesses need to adapt to a post-pandemic reality, yes, that's true, but that means balancing flexibility with fairness, and performance with presence. Remote work isn't going away, nor should it. But it should evolve. And part of that evolution includes acknowledging that when you change where and how you work, it might also change what you're paid. That's not exploitation. That's economics. • Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts Gemma Dale, a former HR director and senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University No, workers who don't return to the office shouldn't have their pay cut. Firstly, there are the legal issues. Any unilateral pay cut to a contractual salary is likely to result in a wave of claims from workers for unlawful deductions from wages, or breach of potential legal issues aside, it is still a very bad idea. Organisations need productive, engaged, healthy employees. Remote and hybrid work can help to deliver this. We learnt during the pandemic that a great deal of work can be successfully undertaken remotely. Employees want to retain that flexibility — and who can blame them? Remote work is good for wellbeing, work-life balance and inclusion, helps people manage caring and domestic responsibilities, provides them with time for family, friends and exercise, and saves money. In contrast, commuting can be expensive, stressful and, if you add in public transport, unreliable. When you get there, many offices aren't conducive to deep work, and, spoiler alert, watercooler conversations don't magically spark innovation. There is a growing body of evidence, which the debate too often ignores, that shows that workers are just as productive working at home than they are in the office. In fact, it has been found that people work harder and longer from home. • Bosses shouldn't discipline staff for working from home, judge rules Forcing people back to the office unnecessarily, even without a pay cut, runs the risks of talent attrition, disengagement and difficulties attracting the best people. Cutting workers' pay if they don't fulfil an attendance requirement, especially if they are performing well, is the very opposite of trust and motivation. It's also poor people management. Good managers focus on outputs and outcomes, not performative presence. People are paid a salary to undertake a role; what should matter most is how they do it and what they contribute. Cutting pay for employees working remotely conflates presence with performance. It's about lack of trust. Underneath lies an assumption that if people work from home they might skive or spend all day watching Homes Under the Hammer. There is no need to penalise people for wanting to work in a way that is practical, suits their family and supports their wellbeing. Flexible work is now an employee expectation, not a nice to have. The office still has a place, but when we empower people to choose how they work, everyone wins.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Julie Etchingham ends Garrick Club application after drawn-out process
Julie Etchingham has withdrawn her candidacy to join the Garrick Club, uncomfortable with the protracted process of being vetted by the London club's membership of 1,500 men. The broadcast journalist said she would not comment on her decision, but she is understood to have been uneasy at the level of hostility displayed by men opposed to the admission of women during a candidacy lunch at the club, when members have the opportunity to question prospective members. One member said he understood that with 'hardly any women being elected, it is very uncomfortable to walk into a room full of men scrutinising (and ogling) you'. Only three women have been admitted in the year since members decided to drop the club's men-only rule last May, 193 years after the club was founded. The comedian Matt Lucas was one of six men elected last month alongside one woman, Celia Imrie, who joins fellow actors Judi Dench and Siân Phillips, named as members last year. Several women from the first batch of female nominees for membership have expressed frustration at the club's 'half-hearted' steps towards admitting women. After decades of internal wrangling over the issue, 60% of members voted last May to confirm that women could be admitted to the club. But none of the seven women nominated as prospective candidates last year, all of whom occupy senior roles in journalism, law or academia, have yet been voted in as members. One woman whose candidacy is being considered by the club described the vote to admit women as a cynical public relations gambit, designed to allow the club to continue functioning quietly as essentially a men-only club. She said she found the vetting process absurd. 'We're all being made to feel we need to beg to join; most of us don't give a toss whether we join or not and think they should be making every effort to persuade us,' she said, asking not to be named to avoid alienating her sponsors at the club. She said it was clear that men who opposed women's membership were continuing to fight against the swift admission of women. 'It's frankly ridiculous and embarrassing. What are they scared of?' The actor Juliet Stevenson said she had heard nothing further from the club since she received a phone call from a member early in 2024 asking her if she would like to be nominated. She was uncertain about whether her candidacy had been dropped. 'I was asked if my name could be cited as a potential candidate and I agreed, but since then I've heard nothing more,' she said. 'I haven't set foot in the place. It wouldn't surprise me if they've decided they don't want a troublemaker like me in there.' One recent visitor to the club said the vote to admit women had had no impact on the atmosphere there, with just two women in a dining room full of approximately 50 men. A cohort of men who remain opposed to the rule change have set up a WhatsApp group named Status Quo where they continue to protest against the admission of women. The classicist Mary Beard, the former home secretary Amber Rudd, the Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman and the Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika were among the first nominees to join the club, along with Stevenson, Margaret Casely-Hayford, who was chair of Shakespeare's Globe and was chancellor of Coventry University until last year, and Elizabeth Gloster, a former appeal court judge. None of them have yet been approved for membership. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Another female prospective candidate said she understood that there was a 'dead man's shoes' element to the process of becoming a member (new members can only be appointed when old members die) but she hoped that the club would soon vote in some female lawyers, to balance the high concentration of senior barristers, judges and solicitors at the club. The club has consistently said it would not fast-track female members, stressing that women may have to wait three or four years for approval. 'It would be a helpful change if they brought in some female members of the legal profession; it would demonstrate the keenness of members to modernise themselves,' she said. A string of high-profile names resigned from the Garrick last year after the Guardian published a long list of senior figures from the civil service, politics, the arts and the judiciary who were members of a club that had repeatedly blocked the admission of women since the 1960s. Listed alongside the king were the then deputy prime minister, dozens of members of the House of Lords and 10 MPs, as well as heads of influential thinktanks, law firms and private equity companies, academics, senior journalists, the head of the Royal Opera House and the head of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The head of the MI6, Richard Moore, and the then head of the civil service resigned from the club after deciding that membership was incompatible with their organisations' commitment to improving diversity. Several judges also left the club. The Garrick club did not respond to a request for comment.
