Latest news with #BigSmoke
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Madonna sends fans wild by teasing her new music as she shares snaps from the studio while recording in London
Madonna has sent fans into a frenzy as she teased her upcoming new music in new social media snaps. The Queen of Pop, 66, confirmed earlier this year that her upcoming album will be a sequel to her hit 2005 album Confessions On A Dance Floor. And she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of her time recording in the studio in London, alongside producer Stuart Price. Sharing an array of snaps, Madonna was seen in the recording studio, putting on a busty display in a lace cami top while hard at work recording her new tracks. Madonna could also be seen wearing a t-shirt which said 'Mother' as she strolled around the Big Smoke. Fans flocked to the comment section of the post, with one declaring 'pop is getting re-birthed' thanks to the music sensation's comeback. They commented: 'Mother is working and werking! If the music is as good as the pics we should all be very excited,'; 'MOTHER CANT WAIT OMGGGGGG POP GETTING REBIRTHED,'; 'So it IS happening. Good grief there is a God!'; 'No matter how long it takes to be released, the important thing is to know that Madonna always delivers the best songs, the best albums!'; 'New music is coming… bless us mother,'; 'Cannot wait to hear Part Deux!'; 'This album cannot arrive fast enough,'; 'Forbidden Love. You in London is why incredible music is coming Queen,'; 'WE CAN'T WAIT MOTHER ❤️❤️❤️,'; 'This has got me soooo HYPEDDD!'; 'Making magic! Can't wait to hear it, so excited!!! ❤️.' Sharing photos from the studio in February, Madonna was seen sitting behind a drum kit, in others she sings into a microphone and in still others she vamps for the camera in the way only Madonna can. 'My Valentine's Day gift to all my fans is to let you know I'm putting my heart and soul into my new music and I can't wait to share it with you!' she wrote. 'Confessions Part 2. Just nobody tell Usher!,' she concluded the post that included photos from a studio session set to her song Future Lovers. Included in the photo montage is a photo of producer Stuart Price, whom she's been in the studio with since December. 'Working on new music with Stuart Price. these past few months has been medicine for my SOUL. 'Songwriting and making music is the one area where I don't need to ask anyone for their permission,' she posted at the time. 'I'm so excited to share it with you. Who wants to hear new music in 2025,' her caption continued. The Queen of Pop and Price worked on Madonna's 2005 album together, which included her hits Hung Up and Get Together. Price also acted as the musical director for her Celebration tour in 2023-24. Fans flocked to the comment section of the post, with one declaring 'pop is getting re-birthed' thanks to the music sensation's comeback The Queen of Pop and Price worked on Madonna's 2005 album together, which included her hits Hung Up and Get Together The new album will be her first since 2019's Madame X. No release date, or even estimate of when the new music would drop was revealed by the seven time Grammy winner. Madonna is currently dating 28-year-old Akeem Morris. Akeem, a former college soccer player, first met Madonna in August 2022, though their romance was not confirmed until nearly two years later. Madonna made their relationship public on Instagram this past July when she posted photos of them cuddling up to one another on social media. They reportedly went their separate ways in October 2024, but are said to have reconciled just weeks after they broke up.
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK's most vape-addicted counties named in worrying new figures
Alarming new data from experts have revealed the top 10 vape-addicted counties across the UK, with the Big Smoke ironically ranking seventh and a surprising English 'winner' The UK is in a strawberry-scented cloud chokehold, with one county being dubbed Britain's vape capital. Despite the government recently clamping down on vaping by banning single-use devices - many Brits are still hooked on their Lost Mary and Elf bars. Companies have adapted to the ban quickly, selling similar-priced devices with a single-use pod that can be taken out and replaced. While this is substantially better than exclusively flogging disposable vapes, it has sparked concern that these reusable devices will still be viewed as throwaway products - despite containing precious metals. After many Brits chose to stockpile on single-use vapes before the ban, it is predicted that millions of vapes will still be thrown away or littered every single week. But, which counties are the worst culprits when it comes to sucking on these insatiably popular devices? Well, a new report by Vape Ease UK has mapped out the country's nicotine addiction after analysing data on the number of vape shops in each area, as well as the percentage of adult vapers, and how often locals are Googling the word 'vape'. Lancashire, located in North West England, was named and shamed as Britain's vape capital, with a whopping 40 vape shops per 100,000 people in the region of Accrington. Vape Ease UK states the adult vaping rate in the region is around eight to nine per cent, while the search interest for 'vape' is 'massive'. "From Blackburn to Burnley, vaping is part of daily life — and Accrington leads the UK in per-person vape shop access," the experts said in a statement sent to the Mirror. Following a close second is Greater Manchester - with 33 vape shops per 100,000 residents in Bolton and 26 shops per 100,000 residents in Stockport. "Seven out of the UK's top 15 vaping hotspots are in Greater Manchester," the pros added. "Vape shops are everywhere, and locals are constantly Googling e-liquids and devices. It's a true vape stronghold." UK's most vape-addicted counties - the full list Lancashire Greater Manchester North East (Durham and Teeside) West Yorkshire West Midlands Northern Ireland Greater London South Wales Devon Nottinghamshire While vaping was long touted as a better alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes, research has started to shed light on just how bad vapes are for the body. As previously reported, these fruit-flavoured devices can still increase the risk of a slew of diseases including dementia, heart disease and organ failure. The biggest risk with vaping seems to be its ubiquitous nature. As Dr Boidin points out: "Smokers tend to go outside and smoke, and once a cigarette is finished they have to light up another to keep going. "But with vapes, you just keep going and it's much harder to know how many puffs you've had. It's much easier to vape continuously because you can do it in places where smoking might be less acceptable."
Time Out
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Triumph of Art at Trafalgar Square: Artist Jeremy Deller is Hosting a Massive Free Street Party in Central London
Pigeons, protests and plinths – that's what Trafalgar Square is usually known for. But it's also a heck of a party destination, having held plenty of sports screenings and day festivals (like the recent edition of West End Live). The square's party rep is being revived later this month, this time in the name of art. Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize winner and all-round art world icon, is throwing a massive, one-day street party in Trafalgar Square. Taking place on Saturday July 26, it's called The Triumph of Art, and it's shaping up to be a joyful, chaotic blowout of banners, brass bands, inflatables, puppets and public performance. No tickets. No barriers. Just turn up. The event marks the end of the National Gallery's 200th birthday celebrations and is the culmination of two years of projects across the UK. Deller has very much been part of those anniversary celebrations, being part of collaborations in Derry, Dundee, Plymouth and Llandudno. Each of those places staged its own art event earlier this year, and now it all comes together for one big finale in central London. The party will start with a procession up Whitehall at 11am which will wind its way into Trafalgar Square, where things will keep going until 4pm. Expect music, performances, workshops, banners, costumes and, crucially, a giant puppet called Quingo Starlequinn. This towering creation was built by learning disability arts collective Do Your Own Thing, and there'll be DJs performing from inside it throughout the day. Deller has called the event 'a big fête/bacchanal-type thing' and says it's about rethinking who makes art, what it looks like, and where it belongs. This isn't a stuffy gallery show. It's a noisy, funny, generous invitation to be part of something together. Whether you come for the spectacle, the music, or just to say you saw a DJ puppet in Trafalgar Square, The Triumph of Art is a chance to loosen up and do something properly unexpected at a London landmark. You can find more details about what to expect here. Did you hear? London is the best city in Europe for students. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
CNBC
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
With an exodus of millionaires, businesses and workers, has London lost its spark?
London, the jewel in the crown of the U.K.'s economy and national culture, has taken a bit of a battering lately, with big business looking to expand elsewhere, workers looking for more affordable places to live and a flock of millionaires fleeing the city. A new tax regime targeting the "non-dom" status of the London-based super rich prompted an estimated 10,000 millionaires to flee the city in 2024 in search of safer havens for their cash. For the have-nots, high living costs — and a post-pandemic reevaluation of what makes for quality of life — have prompted many people of working age to leave the city, data shows, as it becomes prohibitively expensive to stay. London's pride as a business hub has also been dented in recent years as homegrown firms have looked elsewhere to base themselves or expand, increasingly looking to IPO abroad or moving their primary listing away from the U.K. So, is it all doom and gloom for the Big Smoke? Not necessarily. While the streets might not be paved with gold, London still has an irresistible pull for millions of people looking for work, study and play, with an estimated 20 million tourists visiting the city in 2023. CNBC asked several U.K.-based analysts for their thoughts on whether the city is on downward trajectory, or just experiencing some bumps in the road. Here's what they had to say. London's crown has been slipping "for years" when it comes to its business appeal and affordability for ordinary folk, Bill Blain, market strategist, former investment banker and author of the "Blain's Morning porridge" newsletter, told CNBC. He said doing business in the capital is "just not nice anymore," and the atmosphere in the affluent City of London and Canary Wharf, the capital's financial districts, is even worse. "There is not the buzz that we used to have in the City, in Canary Wharf," Blain said, lamenting "how quickly London is becoming relevant." "You name me a single significant U.K. investment bank? You name me a single significant U.K. private capital market firm? They're all big American firms," Blain said. "When it comes to the banks, you've got the Europeans, the French and the Germans, who are there just by the skin of their teeth. But there's nothing left for the U.K. You go into the City today and take a look around, and it's dire. There's lots of people there, but they're all insurance clerks, or whatever. They're not the investment bankers of a previous generation. My generation were the last who got it good," he said. Blain blamed over-regulation for the City's demise, believing that "the number of people who are involved in compliance and regulation and form filling vastly outnumbers the number who are on the front line of finance." Blain said he believes it lost its global reputation for having a relatively stable political establishment, with six prime ministers in the last 10 years, and that it was also tarnished in the wake of the tumultuous departure from the European Union five years ago. After a landslide election win last year, the current Labour government, and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, find themselves under heightened pressure to stick to self-imposed rules on debt and borrowing, while trying to increase public spending and to promote much-needed growth. "In the past, you could look at the U.K. and say, yes, it's no longer the biggest economy in the world, but it's generally stable in [terms of] competence, so you invest in it. But these things are now beginning to be questioned, and that's the big risk for the U.K.," Blain said. Barret Kupelian, chief U.K. economist at PwC was keen to point out it's not all gloom and doom for the capital in the long term. "If I focus on the fundamentals that make London, London the first thing is the rule of law, and then you've got all the intangibles like history, culture, diversity, talent, innovation, regulation, time zone, probity, infrastructure, etc. These things haven't changed in a massive manner in the past few years," Kupelian told CNBC Wednesday. "We see London actually having a quiet, stable, soft infrastructure, and businesses are still here, large businesses that are in London, because of the quality of regulation," he said. Kupelian defended London's status as a hub for financial services but said it's also adapting and evolving. "One of the things that's happening quite in the background is that our goods exports are stagnating, partly because of the trading environment we're in right now, tariffs and what have you ... but services exports are growing quite strongly and a lot of it is being driven by business services," he said. "We always thought FS [financial services] was the crown jewel in London, and it is, but actually, in terms of growth rates, if you take a look at the export side of the ledger, a lot of it is being driven by business services," he noted. PwC, in conjunction with pollster Demos, produces an annual "Good Growth for Cities Index" which measures the economic well-being of British cities and looks beyond economic output, considering factors like jobs, income, health, skills and work-life balance. It found in 2024 that while London was expected to see strong economic growth in 2025, it compared much less favorably with other British cities in terms of livability factors. That includes the lack of affordable housing and creaking transport infrastructure — as anyone on a hot, dirty and cramped Central Line tube on their morning commute to work will attest. "This is the story relative to the rest of the country, but then what about relative to the rest of the world?" Kupelian remarked, noting that "there's always been intense competition between the large metropolises of the world," such as New York, Paris, Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo. "I think London is feeling that competition on a much more intense level now," Kupelian said, with the city needing to look at its counterparts, and itself, with a more critical eye to see what it could do better. Prescribing "targeted interventions" rather than a "complete reinvention," he said London is well placed to keep attracting a talented, skilled workforce, businesses and growth. "Businesses are still here, large businesses that are in London, because of the quality of regulation. I think that that's one of the main appeals of London. [Policymakers should] re-emphasize those points and just keep at it. I don't think there's one thing that would flick the switch leading to fortune and success, but I think there's these smaller things that probably need tweaking rather than complete reinvention — that London can do."
Times
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 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
