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We have THREE pairs of headphones to give away Audiophiles, listen up! We've got THREE pairs of Edifier WH500 Bluetooth headphones to give away to Inner Circle members. The Edifier WH500 guarantees you a wonderful audio journey with the small yet powerful 30mm composite dynamic driver (PU+PEEK). It accurately presents pure and clear audio for all kinds of music through well-tuned transitions from clear treble, and full mid-range to strong bass. From Punk Rock to Electronic Music and Classical - every genre is catered for. With built-in microphones and advanced audio signal processing, the headphones can accurately differentiate environmental noise from the human voice and pick up sound precisely even in noisy environments. Experience a clear hands-free call in a wide range of environments. No distortions to interrupt your business calls or your best music tracks. The multifunctional button on the headphones is designed to help you to switch quickly between Music Mode and Game Mode with just one press. The Music Mode enhances every music listening session, while the Game Mode is complete with an ultra-low latency of 80ms. This allows you to experience smoother, faster, and more immersive gameplay. A fully charged battery will give you 40 hours of nonstop playback time, while a 10-minute fast charge will provide you with an additional 6 hours of playback time. Listen to your favourite playlists all day long without worrying about charge levels. Designed to keep up to speed with the modern individual, changing from one music genre to another, the WH500 are compatible with the Edifier Connect APP – giving smart phone users the option to customise their EQ pre-sets (Classic or Dynamic) to suit your listening preferences. You can also personalize your audio experience with the adjustable EQ feature. Manage your music time using the shutdown timer feature in the Edifier Connect App. You can set it to 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 3 hours. Easily conserve energy while you listen to your favorite bedtime podcast without waking up to switch it off. The Edifier safe volume control is now available in the Edifier Connect APP. After enabling Safe Volume, the maximum volume limitation is up to 85dB. Therefore, you can enjoy your music without worrying about hearing damage. Main Features: · Personalize EQ and select various music modes via Edifier Connect APP. · 2hrs fully charged for 40hrs music playtime. · Fast charging: 6hrs playback in just 10mins. · 30mm dynamic driver · Double protection for safe hearing: Volume less than 85dB and a cut off timer · Foldable and lightweight design. Ideal for daily use and travel. The important stuff: For your chance to win a pair of Edifier WH500 headphones, simply click the button below, enter 'Edifier' into the competition window and answer the following question: How many hours of continuous playback will a fully charged pair of Edifier WH500 headphones give you? Competition is open to UK entrants only. Three prize winners will each receive one (1) pair of Edifier WH500 headphones. There is no cash alternative for this prize. Competition closes on June 31, 2024, after which winners will be notified within one week. Prizes will be sent direct from Edifier, and as such Time Well Spent magazine cannot be held liable for missing or damaged products. TO ENTER NOW, CLICK BELOW

We Experience the Ultimate Sleepover, Counting SHARKS instead of Sheep If somebody asks if you want to sleep with the fishes, it’s usually wise to run away very quickly. But we excitedly plump our pillows, because this involves counting actual SHARKS instead of sheep in the ultimate sleepover at the UK’s biggest aquarium. We head to The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth for this nocturnal adventure, which is handily next to the Harbour multi-storey, where you can park overnight for a reasonable price. We gather at the entrance overlooking the beautiful Barbican harbour with our fellow sleepover guests, giddily clutching sleeping bags and pillows. Our group has traveled from all over the UK for this experience, which takes place on select dates throughout the year. The jolly staff welcome us into the Eddystone Reef exhibit - tonight's bedroom - which we will be sharing with a stunning array of local sharks, rays and other ocean animals, viewed through the largest single viewing panel in the UK. Following an introduction from the team, we’re given time to explore the aquarium after hours, and grab some refreshments from the Waves Cafe. From 7.30 until 9pm, the staff entertain big and little guests with a breathless succession of unforgettable activities around the aquarium, featuring deliciously revolting and surprising facts to teach them about marine life and the importance of ocean conservation. Highlights include the kaleidoscopic Biozone area, which is home to colourful fish from warmer waters. Here, my son delights in learning less savoury facts not covered in Finding Nemo - like clownfish covering themselves in snot for protection. Eyes widen when staff reveal that there must always be a mother clownfish in a family, and if she dies - like Nemo’s dearly departed ma - the father’s genitals shrivel for him to become a woman. Staff quickly regret opening the floor to questions, at this point. The dazzling, 650,000 litre Great Barrier Reef exhibit is a neon riot of otherworldly colour. We marvel at creatures like the bizarre Humphead Wrasse fish - which look like all of the Rolling Stones combined - Honeytail Whiptail Rays and Spotted Sweetlip fish, while learning that coral reefs are animals not plants and half a billion people rely on them for food. My son’s favourite part is The Great British Gross Off, where the giggling, gleeful children play judges while staff compete with increasingly revolting facts, to crown the most disgusting sea creature. Lobsters are a worthy contender, for weeing from their eyes onto each other’s faces. The Sea Cucumber bags second place, for allowing other sea creatures to live in its bum and for squirting sticky tubes from its rear end. But the winner is the Starfish, which shares its mouth with its bottom and tastes everything it walks over. You are welcome. Then it's time for the Sleepy Shark Show at the Atlantic Ocean exhibit, the deepest tank in the UK, which holds a whopping 2.5 million litres of water. Starting in the Moon Pool tunnel and ending in the Demi Tunnel, we meet a beautiful Green Turtle, Sandbar sharks, Nurse Sharks, enormous Sand Tiger Sharks and Zebra Sharks as well as Eagle Rays, Stingrays and an array of magnificent creatures who call the Atlantic Ocean home. At 9.30pm we settle into our sleeping bags in the dazzling Eddystone Reef exhibit, where we are served delicious, Yarde Hill Ice Cream for a bedtime movie. We’re advised to pack comfy clothes instead of PJs - in case we need to get out at night - and all staff are DBS checked. Many of the children are soundly asleep when the projector screen peels upwards, to reveal sharks and rays for the rest of us to count, instead of sheep, with the tranquil white noise of flowing water in the background. The aquarium’s researchers discovered that sharks can be soporific - watching them swim reduces people’s stress levels and induces sleep. I can testify to this. At 7am, we wake to the surreal morning sight of a shark and eel, staring back at us. After packing our bedding, we head to the Great Barrier Reef exhibit to thank our aquatic hosts for letting us share their underwater world for the night. Friday, the enormous sea turtle greets us and poses for selfies with the children, photobombed by the occasional shark. We enjoy a Full English Breakfast - plus multiple bowls of Coco Pops for my son - in the Aquarium’s Waves Cafe, which enjoys uninterrupted panoramic views across the Barbican harbour. We exit via the gift shop, where sales from the sustainable shark toys and eco friendly mugs help fund the Ocean Conservation Trust charity, one of the leading marine conservation institutions in Europe. We leave with a cuddly tiger shark, to help our new, fishy friends, of course - one night with sharks, and my son’s Sir David Attenborough. National Marine Aquarium, Rope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth PL4 0LF. Sleeping with Sharks is designed for 5-12 year olds and takes place on select dates thoughout the year. £50 per child. £45 per adult. Event takes place from 6.30pm until 9am the following morning. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

We Get High inside the Seaside Resort’s Iconic ’Space Doughnut' My three-year-old names it the “cloud lift,” my daughter “the space doughnut” - whatever you call it, the futuristic Brighton i360 is very, very high in person. I realise this on the day I arrive at the seaside resort to take on the Walk 360 - a casual, open air stroll, 450 ft high on the roof of its giant, glass viewing pod. Although you are strapped into a harness to a safety rail, the top of the landmark I am booked to walk around has now melted into grey clouds, which are currently unleashing apocalyptic rain. So I have a mixture of disappointment and huge relief when the Brighton i360 team contacts me to say that my sky walk will have to be postponed. Instead, we return the following day for the Sky Bar i360 experience, a 25 minute journey skywards inside the observation tower, including a drink from the South Coast’s highest bar. The weather gets its act together and cloudless, blue skies pleasingly bounce off the bottom of the speared, UFO’s base as we arrive. Crowds gather for arty shots of their reflections in the mirrored bottom, as it descends. While we wait, we grab drinks and snacks in the beautiful terrace of the i360 Bar and Cafe. It feels like a festival VIP area, full of colourful bean bags, deckchairs, giant lawn games and a Nytimber bar, serving Sussex goodies like Nytimber sparkling wine, Brighton Gin and Harvey’s beer. We’re surprised by the size of the pod, when we enter - it is made by the same engineers behind the London Eye, but the capsule is ten times bigger, holding up to 200 people. In the middle, sits the Nytimber bar, where the cheerful staff pour our bubbly, while sharing interesting facts about the pod - it’s the world’s first "vertical cable car" and made the Guinness World Records as “world’s most slender tower.” There is also comfy seating in the middle, for those who might prefer to be further away from the 360 degree views, 138m above the city. But we are not those people. The ascent is so gentle, it takes a while for us to realise we are moving. Before we know it, the cars and buildings look like a toy town and our excited children barrel around the pod, gawping at the sights beneath us. The sea sparkles on one side and Brighton’s hotels, painted rooves, restaurants, shops, pubs and houses spread out beneath us on the left. On a clear day like ours, we can see wind farms, The UNESCO Biosphere, South Downs and beautiful coastline from Seven Sisters cliffs to the Isle of Wight. I am one of the few to stop gazing down, and look up at the top of the pod - on a glorious day like this, I can’t think of anywhere more exciting to hoover up the buzzing carpet of Brighton, than strapped to the top of this pod, with the wind in your chops. So I vow to chase the high, on my next visit Brightonwards. Brighton i360, Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN. Skybar 360 experience - Adults £28.80 pp. Children (4-15) £12.25 pp. Under 4s £3.50. Tickets include drinks to a value of £13.50 per adult and any soft drink per child. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

… and how an emphasis on culture and the arts revived a seaside town BRITAIN’S seaside towns have faced a crisis over the past century. As tumbling air fares opened up sun-kissed destinations across Europe and the world, the appeal of the humble British seaside holiday dwindled. Some, like Brighton, Blackpool and Newquay, lent on their nightlife to become party towns ideal for stag and hen parties or weekends away with friends. Over time, their culinary offerings caught up, ensuring year-round trade, helped by attractions such as the Blackpool Illuminations, or Brighton’s i360. Others, like Sidmouth, Lyme Regis and Whitby relied on history, postcard-worthy quaintness and the notion of ‘Quintessential Britishness’ to attract tourists. But what of the thousands of other towns dotted around our kingdom’s coastline? Well, they’d all do well to visit Folkestone, and in particular, the town’s remarkable Harbour Arm, which has led the area’s rejuvenation with a focus on culture, the arts and a celebration of local, independent businesses. The Harbour Arm loosely starts at the beautiful, glass-fronted RockSalt restaurant, which serves locally-caught fish, oysters and free range meat dishes across various rooms, roof terraces and balconies delicately cantilevered over the water. Protruding from the terrace of Rock Salt is the first section of the Harbour Arm’s walkway - a repurposed railway track that once ferried soldiers towards ferries departing for the Western Front and refugees arriving to the relative safety of Britain. Folkestone’s Harbour Arm station was the point at which soldiers returning from the Dunkerque evacuation knew that they had escaped the horrors across the channel, and over 41,000 passengers boarded 64 trains here over a nine-day period in May-June 1940. When cross-channel ferries from the harbour were withdrawn in 2000, the history - and much of the infrastructure - were left to erode, until the Folkestone Harbour Seafront Development Co stepped in with an ambitious plan to rebuild and celebrate the area. The central walkway is a perfect example of the way in which the area’s past has been enveloped into its present. Where it would have been easier to demolish or pave over the deteriorating remains of the harbour, its new owners instead worked to incorporate them into the new attraction. The old train tracks - mostly still visible along the walkway - have been planted with columns of beautiful wildflowers that teem with bees and insects in the sunshine. The old buildings have been restored, too. An old signal building is now an Italian bakery and behind it, the old, curving platform has become a seating area - overlooking more gorgeous displays of wildflowers - and toilets have been sensitively built behind the old, seemingly unchanged walls. One side of the platform opens out to The Marketplace, a bustling village of converted shipping containers (itself a nice nod to the harbour’s past), each of which are home to a local, independent trader. Everything from imported Japanese furniture to custom-printed t-shirts and vintage clothing can be found here, sold from containers painted in a riot of pop-art colours and adorned with bold typography and artwork. It neighbours The Goods Yard, where a collection of picnic tables are surrounded by street food stalls dishing out Greek gyros, pulled pork, pizzas, burgers, bao buns and Poke Bowls. It’s all served up in front of a huge, outdoor screen that flashes out The French Open when we visit, but also promises free movie nights and The Euros. Further up the Harbour Arm, we find more tastefully repurposed artefacts. Three disused cargo wagons have been transformed into SheSells Seashells, a restaurant serving local Moules, Lobster and Steaks; the lighthouse has become a luxury champagne bar and the far end of the station is now The Tasting Rooms, home to French/English cuisine, huge platters, an Oyster Bar and regular live music, where guests can eat on the platform overlooking the sea and Sunny Sands - Folkestone’s large, sandy beach. There are well-known artists on show, too. Hidden beneath the Arm, Antony Gormley's Another Time XVII sculpture looks out across the sea, and there are two cartoon bungalows by Richard Woods on show - one overlooking the car-park and one floating in the harbour itself. These are part of a six-bungalow installation around the town, a response by the artist to the influx of second home owners in Folkestone - a nod both to the incredible success of the Harbour Arm and the social implications it can bring about. The Harbour Arm sits between two beaches and back across across the ‘tracks’, it spills out across the pebbles of Folkestone Beach, where a new area was launched in 2021. More, pastel-coloured sea containers house a luxury seafood restaurant from the owners of RockSalt; beach-bar The Pilot; Brewing Brothers taproom and a sprawling, open-air crazy golf course with beautiful views across the sea and the various, £2 million apartments that are now springing up along the beach in celebration of the town’s newfound attractiveness to young, wealthy home seekers. The beauty of the Harbour Arm is that it’s an entirely local, independent affair. As property developers and town planners throughout the country look to national chains to shoulder ever-rising rents, Folkestone Harbour Seafront Development Co boldly - and brilliantly - turned in the opposite direction. No doubt a vast, glass-fronted McDonald’s would’ve multiplied Gobsmak’d Burgers’ rent ten-fold for a spot on the Arm, and a marquee Primark overlooking the sea would’ve made headlines in a way that Dickie Smiles Tattoo Parlour for Clothes never could, but that would be at the expense of the community The Harbour Arm regeneration has built - and the incredible effect it’s had on the town’s national reputation. As we stroll through the marketplace with Ice Cream Bubble Waffles and an Aperol Spritz in hand as music gently bounces across the sea breeze, it’s easy to see why Folkestone was named the “best place to live in South East England” by the Sunday Times in 2024. If you’d suggested back in 2009 that this weather-beaten old town could win such an accolade, you’d have been laughed back to Folkestone Central station, but now other seaside towns will be looking to the Kent coast for inspiration on how local culture and arts can restore a community. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

Award-winning comic Adrienne Truscott and Acclaimed Irish Theatre Company, Bring Savage Comedy to The Southbank Centre After an award-winning international tour, Irish theatre company Brokentalkers and insanely talented feminist comic, Adrienne Truscott bring Masterclass - their savage piece about gender and privilege - to London this May. Masterclass won The Fringe First Award in 2022 for its fiercely funny examination of power and patriarchy. The show parodies the ‘great male artist’ with Truscott in drag, appearing as a laughably macho Hemingway-esque playwright giving a masterclass in condescension, to the interviewer, played by Feidlim Cannon. Expect an array of flamboyant wigs, costumes, absurdist theatre and stylised choreography in the London premiere of the hit show, from 9-12 May. Image credits: Ste Murray Masterclass, Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. 9 -12 May. Tickets from £20 pp Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

FROM ELITE JAPANESE FOOD TO GUINNESS AND CONTINENTAL PASTA - MIKE SHAW GIVES US THE LOWDOWN ON MANCHESTER Mike Shaw is the current Chef Patron at MUSU, the luxury Japanese restaurant based in Manchester's high-end Deansgate area, and he's here to give us an Insider Guide to his fine city. Mike started his career under the tutelage of the legendary Raymond Blanc at the two-star Oxfordshire institution Le Manoir, has a career roadmap across Michelin Star kitchens in the UK and beyond, and has worked with many of the world's most famous names including Ramsey, Neat, Pierre-White and Robuchon. As well as his stint at Le Manoir, he has also held senior positions at the one star Hambleton Hall and Gordon's Aubergine among many others on his journey. Adding to his exceptional career, Mike now leads the team at MUSU, which includes lead Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar, a student of sushi master Yugo Kato, to create dishes of unparalleled quality for the restaurant's legions of fans across the country. Before taking the role at MUSU, Mike spent over 6 months travelling Japan to gain an in-depth understanding of the culture and flavour behind Japanese cuisine, with his latest creation The Land Of The Rising Sun, being a true journey through the tastes of the country. With courses including carefully selected sets of Nigiri Sea Bream, O-Toro and Chu-Toro, Tempura Lobster and Teppan Scallop, rounded out with a Duck Yakitori, Umeboshi and Red Shiso and finished with a White Chocolate and Almond crumble with Soya Milk Crisp, the menu is truly a taste sensation.The restaurant rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, after a fire forced it to close for a year in 2005. In a now legendary hospitality story, Moore kept the entire team on, sending them to gain experience elsewhere, while he had it rebuilt, redecorated and resurrected. It went on to be voted Restaurant Magazine's Best Restaurant in the World in 2007, and continues to hoover up accolades, from four AA Rosettes to the UK's No1 Vegan Tasting Experience. MUSU, 64 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BN _________________________ COFFEE Michael's Coffee House For my morning coffee, it has to be the excellent Michael's Coffee House. Housed in the Royal Exchange Arcade, it’s friendly and welcoming and has a killer double Macchiato that is perfect for those early starts. Michael's Coffee House, Unit 20, Royal Exchange Arcade, M2 7EA BREAKFAST Ezra & Gil A Manchester institution, Ezra & Gil have a few locations across the city but my personal favourite is on Hilton Street. It has a great vibe and is always busy, which is unsurprising when you consider they have such great food. For anyone visiting, Ezra’s Omelette is my personal pick. Ezra & Gil, 20 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1FR LUNCH Dishoom This is a really tough call, but I love popping into Dishoom for some Vegetable Samosas, Spicy Lamb Chops and a Chicken Tikka Roll. You can always guarantee that you’ll be getting a good quality lunch, and you should always wash it down with the house Chai as a treat. Dishoom, 32 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BT DINNER Mana The flagship restaurant of the city, it's just quality from when you arrive to when you leave and is well worth its stellar reputation. Simon deserves a great amount of credit for the consistency shown over the years, and it has a truly fantastic sommelier in Nikolai. MANA, 42 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF DRINKS Mulligans of Deansgate For me, Mulligans of Deansgate is a must, especially if you like a Guinness or two. It’s always bursting with atmosphere and live music, which really energises you after a long day. I’d personally follow it up with a couple of cocktails at Schofields Bar, which was recently named the best cocktail bar in the country - and if you try it, it’s easy to see why. Mulligans of Deansgate, 12 Southgate, Manchester M3 2RB INSIDER TIP The Spärrows The Spärrows. Hidden away in Manchester’s Green Quarter, it’s a great small business that serves fantastic food. The Goulash Tyrolese is something special, making it a great location to visit, especially if you are off to the AO Arena for a gig. The Spärrows, 16 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M4 4HF Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

Universal has bought 476 acres of land and is planning a 5-6 year build A trip to Universal Studios might be getting a lot cheaper in the coming decade, if the studio giant's plans to bring the attraction to the UK come to fruition. The theme park giants have spent several months carrying out "feasibility and due dilligence work," including speaking to local stakeholders and communities surrounding a 476 acre plot of land near Bedford, which has been owned by Universal since December. In theory, that means Universal Studios UK could now be a big step closer to reality, as long as Bedford doesn't get a case of the NIMBYs and complain about the noise and traffic a potential park could cause. The location, between Wootton and Wixams is roughy six miles south of Bedford and 16 miles east of Milton Keynes, both of which have excellent transport links to London, as well as being within easy reach of Luton Airport. With Universal's other parks located in Hollywood, Beijing, Singapore and Osaka, Japan, the move would placfe Bedford in some glittering company. And what's more, the team behind the project say: "Each theme park is unique and allows guests to be fully immersed in different experiences. If we were to proceed with this potential project, we would like to continue exploring with local stakeholders, including the Council, how we could reflect and celebrate this area’s vibrant history in our plans." A quick Google of Bedford tells us it's famous for being a powerhouse of England's lace industry and was the filming location for 70s sitcom, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Perhaps more excitingly, it's the birthplace of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards. We're first in line for the ski jump rollercoaster... Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

Is this the UK’s Sweetest Cafe? ARTBOX Cafe’s Hello Kitty & Friends restaurant is catnip for the Insta generation and purr-fect, sugary heaven for children. The Brighton destination manages to be (almost) as sweet as the desserts. Its fluffy shrine to plushies in the downstairs boutique is filled with kids and Kawaii-fans, wearing glittery petticoats and furry, rabbit-eared cloaks. Every crevice of the cafe upstairs is themed around Japan's iconic, mouthless cat - including a giant, heavily-papped sculpture at the entrance. Its catnip is so potent that queues snake outside before it opens, and diners are limited to 60 minute sittings to eat various forms of the Sanrio feline, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Adults in our group eat Kitty White’s sticky rice face surrounded by curry and heart-shaped carrots. There is also a surprisingly tasty avocado toast in the shape of Keroppi the frog - naturally, surrounded by cheese fish in a pond plant salad. Meanwhile, our children live their best lives, getting off their chops on sugar with elaborate, cartoonish desserts which are every child’s dream - if parent’s can handle the sugar-high aftermath. They come in the shape of Cinnamoroll’s puppy face on top of two bouncy pancakes, filled with ice cream, and served with sparkly, blue candy floss on top of cotton candy cream with assorted meringue drops, gummies and raspberries. Gasps are drawn by the size of My Melody’s Flowerberry Waffle - a teetering tower of pink strawberry waffles covered in Biscotti. Reader, that is not all, as my delighted son discovers as his spoon dives into ice cream disguised as the woodland rabbit, and a seemingly never-ending succession of sugar flowers, lollipops, macarons, edible rose petals and heart-shaped strawberries. He delights in the edible sugar flowers and then valliantly munches through most of the bunny ears, before we realise they are made from actual cardboard. No opportunity for theming (and sugar) is overlooked, including the drinks - elaborate bubble teas and mocktails, served with giant straws decorated with Kitty’s trademark bow, with rims lined in brightly coloured (you guessed it) sugar. ARTBOX Cafe’s Hello Kitty & Friends,  5-6 East St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1HP. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

Join us beneath the waves as we meet Gulliver on our travels NESTLED just a few yards from one of the UK’s most famous beaches, it’ll always take something special to drag tourists into a dark, subterranean warren full of ocean-life. Thankfully, SEA LIFE Brighton really does offer an extraordinary experience. Read on for our extensive review of SEA LIFE Brighton While it might not enjoy the iconic status of its surrounding attractions, the water world is actually one of Brighton’s oldest tourist spots, outdating the world-famous pier it sits beside, by 27 years. Built in 1872 - and therefore the world’s oldest aquarium - the Sea Life Centre sprung up in a time when Brighton was a burgeoning destination for Londoners wishing to sample the healing powers of the fresh sea air. It opened its doors a whole seven years before the Volk’s Electric Railway began ferrying visitors along the seafront; 38 years before the opening of the Duke of York’s Picturehouse (the UK’s oldest operating cinema); and five years before Preston Park Velodrome (the oldest working velodrome in the world) welcomed its first cyclists. It’s a Trigger’s Broom of a venue, having morphed through various changes since it was conceived by architect Eugenius Birch - the man responsible for the city’s ill-fated West Pier. It was bombed during the first world war and ran into financial difficulties, before being taken over and extensively remodelled by the Brighton Corporation. During WW2, the fish made room for the RAF and in the 50s and 60s The Florida Rooms jazz club welcomed bands including The Who into the aquarium, helping to write the city into folklore as the concept of Quadrophenia no doubt began to take hold. SEA LIFE bought the aquarium in 1991 and immediately set about bringing it into the modern age. They responded to the growing public concern about captive dolphins, by rehabilitating the pod of mammals and releasing them into the wild, before embarking on a multi-million pound remodelling of the whole venue. It now proudly boasts over 5,000 sea creatures and more than 100 different species across its various experiences. Much of that work included restoring Birch’s Victorian Arcade, which is a breathtaking welcome as we stroll into a long room capped with beautiful, gothic arches that dive down into ornate, stone columns. It feels more like a grand church than a tourist attraction, with each arched cove containing vast, backlit tanks full of sea life plucked from the English Channel outside. It’s a gentle introduction to life under the waves, featuring rays that breach the water (much to the delight/terror of our children) and a series of big, grey fish that struggle to capture the attention quite as much as what’s to follow. It’s a same to rush past the beautifully ornate arches, doused in colourful foliage and perfectly uplit in tones of fuscia and yellow, but our children dart towards the starfish pond, where they are allowed to gently stroke the crustaceans while being wowed with stories of how they boast an eye at the end of every arm and can regrow their missing limbs. We follow our excited offspring as they dart into the Rainforest Adventure, where they duck through a tunnel and poke their heads into a bubble just feet away from Eugene, the aquarium’s resident Iguana. He’s quickly usurped by the sight of Piranhas (poor Eugene, children are so fickle these days…), whose sharp teeth and carnivorous diets are the perfect formula for grabbing the attention of young minds. It’s not just water life here - alongside the Iguana, there are Leaf Cutter Ants and a gaggle of terrapins relaxing on the rocks, which can also be viewed through a bubble, allowing our kids to get up-close and personal with the nippy little flappers. But for all that’s gone before, there’s really nothing that will stick in the memory quite like the Day to Night experience, which explores life around the clock on a coral reef. Auditorium-style seating curves around the water - possibly a throwback to when this room was used as a dolphinarium three decades ago - but downstairs is where the real magic happens. Underwater windows offer an incredible view as a frenzy of Blacktip Reef Sharks skulk through the vast, 750,000-litre aquarium. It’s an incredible feeling to be within touching distance of the huge predators as schools of brightly coloured tropical fish dart out of their way. Elsewhere, Nurse Sharks creep along the sand and huge Stingrays splay themselves over the glass windows, desperately battling for their share of the love from onlookers. But it’s remarkable that, in a tank full of sharks and stingrays, neither are the centre of attention. That accolade goes to Lulu and Gulliver, a pair of Green Sea Turtles who manage to take our breath away every time they circle back around the tank. Their every move is accompanied by gasps from the crowds. Their sheer size alone is incredible - they must be around 6ft in length and Weighing in at over 28 stone, 82-year-old Lulu is the true star of the show. She’s enormous, utterly beautiful and completely mesmerising. She shares the tank with Gulliver, a slightly smaller turtle who follows her around like a lovesick stalker as it’s currently mating season. Not that Lulu seems to mind, as she glides gracefully from the brightly lit, ‘day’ side of the tank to the murky, white-light illuminated ‘night’ side, where fish creep through the darkness and lurk around the neon coral. For those not captivated by the turtles, an interactive light display allows guests to tread along a ‘beach’ to see the effects of bioluminescent plankton as it lights up their footsteps behind them. There’s also a Virtual Reality experience, offering the chance to join a dive with Tiger Sharks, swim with Humpback Whales,  journey into the deep sea of the Bahamas or join an educational, animated adventure through the ocean. But no virtual adventures for us: We head straight for the real life excitement of the Underwater Tunnel, which allows us to walk straight through the shark infested waters and gawp at the giant turtles and Stingrays as they float above our heads. Families float above on the Glass Bottomed Boat (£30 additional fee per group of up to 6), which looks fantastic, but for our money, the best viewing is to be had down here beneath the surface. We hang around for just long enough to witness the shark feeding from our subaqua vantage point, before tearing ourselves away to complete our aquarium journey. Secrets of the Reef invites us into the world of Dory, Nemo and friends in an explosion of colour, while Conservation Cove teaches about the widespread destruction of marine environments and the conservation work of the SEA LIFE Trust. We’re treated to a beautiful display of Jellyfish, which allows the children to change the lighting colours, turning the gelatinous beasts into a psychedelic, living lava lamp. From here, we’re straight back into the Gothic splendour of the Victorian Arcade, where we’re seen out by an exhibition of water beasts who’ve been rescued by the SEA LIFE centre having outgrown their owners’ tanks. As we make our way back into the sunlight upstairs, the children are already scouting the beach for Green Sea Turtles, desperately hoping to find a Gulliver of their own, to take home. We have to settle for a few discarded sea shells instead, but SEA LIFE Brighton has created two, budding marine biologists - just as this venue has done for over 150 years. Tickets from £19 adults + toddler (aged 5 and under) BOOK NOW SEA LIFE Brighton, Marine Parade, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1TB Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

The Man Behind London's Longest Standing Michelin Star Restaurant Shares His Definitive Guide to Fitzrovia's Best Restaurants, Bars and Cafes Irish restaurateur, entrepreneur and TV personality, David Moore is the founder of London’s longest standing Michelin star restaurant, Pied à Terre. He opened the legendary, French fine dining institution on Charlotte Street in 1991, bagging its first Michelin just 13 months after opening, and following it up with a second, five years later. The restaurant rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, after a fire forced it to close for a year in 2005. In a now legendary hospitality story, Moore kept the entire team on, sending them to gain experience elsewhere, while he had it rebuilt, redecorated and resurrected. It went on to be voted Restaurant Magazine's Best Restaurant in the World in 2007, and continues to hoover up accolades, from four AA Rosettes to the UK's No1 Vegan Tasting Experience. When he’s not working front of house at the restaurant in his trademark, jazzy shirts, David can be found on telly boxes in shows like BBC MasterChef: The Professionals, or The Restaurant, where he appeared alongside his former mentor, Raymond Blanc. And there is nobody better placed to bring us the ultimate guide to Fitzrovia’s top places to eat and drink, from morning to night, for this definitive guide to the distinguished, Bloomsbury neighbourhood. Pied à Terre, 34 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NH _________________________ COFFEE The Espresso Room Officially the smallest coffee shop in London, you can find it in the heart of Bloomsbury, behind Great Ormond Street Hospital. They serve single estate coffee, ground to order. One of my favourites in an Ice Vietnamese Coffee. I know I shouldn’t like this, but I can’t help myself. There are the creamy, sweet notes from the condensed milk and the fruity notes from the espresso; if you have ever been to Vietnam it will take you back in a sip. The Espresso Room, 31-35 Great Ormond St, London WC1N 3HZ BREAKFAST Andrews Cafe London used to be packed with characterful “greasy spoon’ joints. The capital's rents have now priced them out of the market, so they are very much a dying breed. Andrews offers a host of Set All Day Breakfasts, starting at £7.50. It is a no-nonsense offering, with waitress service and pay at the counter when you finish. I like double bacon and double poached egg with grilled tomatoes, a mug of tea and buttery toast for £8 - no cooking, no washing-up. What's not to love? They do a spanking poached egg, always runny. There is a full menu running alongside the All Day Breakfast and a Daily Special; I once tried the Mixed Grill - not for the faint hearted. Andrews Cafe, 59 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8TL LUNCH Bouchon Racine If there is one restaurant that I never tire of, it is Henry Harris’s, Bouchon Racine. Henry Harris - boy can he cook. It is just simple food, simple recipes, great produce, but all delivered by a Chef maestro at the top of his game. The room is light and airy, sitting above the Three Compasses pub. The front of house team are super knowledgeable, friendly and engaging. Bouchon Racine, Upstairs, 66 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BP DINNER Otto's French Restaurant Otto’s, a restaurant that I can see from my bedroom window - not sure you need to know that, except to say that I am uber local to it. Otto’s is not into foams or froths; it doesn’t look to make a silk purse out of a pig's ear. But it will have a delicious Pig's Head, classic Steak Tartare, served table side, and probably every other classic dish you can think of. Be mindful that some dishes need preordering and prepaying for; such as the Poulet de Bresse £190 - it is totally awesome... Otto's French Restaurant, 182 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8EW DRINKS WC Wine & Charcuterie Bloomsbury Housed in a basement Victorian public toilet facility at the top of Lambs Conduit Street on Guildford Place, this fun venue with clever repurposing on the toilet site, reuses the floor plan to create many small, cosy corners as well as a larger outside deck. It does what it says on the tin really well... WC Bloomsbury, Former Public Convenience, Guilford Pl, London WC1N 1EA INSIDER TIP Duck Dim Sum The best Chinese in London - but don’t tell anyone! Ask a critic, any of them, where the best dim sum is and they will sing the chorus of Kings Cross Road, Duck Dim Sum. It's a family affair, with a first come first served, queuing policy, even the great and good have to stand in line. You are encouraged to examine the menu while in the queue and pressed for an order almost as soon as you sit. The food arrives fast and furious. It's all freshly home-made down to the very last dumpling. Typically dwell time is about 45 minutes so you can calculate how long the wait is, as they have 15 seats inside and 12 seats outside. No wine of note on the list - ask about Corkage. Duck Dim Sum, 124 King's Cross Rd, London WC1X 9DS Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

Feeding time at Sir Phillip Sassoon’s Opulent, Former Stables Feeding time for my family of hungry animals takes place at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve’s beautifully restored Garden Room. We’re staying at the Kent destination’s luxury Treehouse Hotel - read our review here - and have dragged ourselves away from its views of savannah-like scenery and rhinos to jump in our golf buggy for dinner. Originally the stable yard of Sir Philip Sassoon's country estate, The Garden Room sits beside Port Lympne's grand, Grade II listed mansion, which was built for Sassoon and has welcomed everybody from Winston Churchill to Charlie Chaplin. The Cape Dutch style mansion and its Garden Room sit within 15 acres of immaculate, landscaped gardens, complete with hippo water features. True to its name, The Garden Room's black or exposed brick walls are festooned with leafy foliage and Art Nouveau mirrors, while its glass roof is studded with oversized chandeliers. It’s opulent, but cosy and welcoming and our children happily plonk themselves among the perfectly chopped, tapestry cushions. All of the food is sustainably sourced from local, artisanal suppliers, with produce picked from the Port Lympne gardens. It is high quality, beautifully plated dining. We start with the sticky sesame pork belly in a wonderfully sweet and spicy, chilli caramel sauce, while the children sweep up red pepper hummus and baba ghanoush onto steaming hunks of fresh, rosemary focaccia. Next, comes my stand-out dish - a perfect sea bream fillet (with skin like pork crackling and tender, flaky flesh) perched atop celeriac puree and cavolo nero and served with buttery, brown crab mashed potato, which I could happily eat by the bucket, with a spade. My partner has the venison cottage pie with green beans and shallots - the juicy, rich meat bubbles around the golden potato crown, which the fork satisfyingly cracks through, into its buttery potato centre. The children devour mac ’n’ cheese - gooey, creamy and moreish - and light and crispy chicken nuggets with chips, before their chocolate brownie desserts with cookies ice cream, from which they grudgingly allow us a small (delicious) spoonful. We close with a smooth, creamy and sweet chocolate and cherry martini, and return to our treehouse home for the night, excited about breakfast here the following morning. And we are not disappointed. My partner and I have the Full English Breakfast - everything here is fresh and swiftly cooked to order. The high quality, smoked back rashers are perfectly crisped - not the soggy, grey slices often served at hotel breakfasts - with two excellent, locally sourced sausages, a giant, field mushroom, roasted tomato, perfectly orange and runny free range eggs, with beans in a separate dish, as is the law of breakfast The children are served fat, golden croissants with strawberry jam, and their plates heave with fresh fruit, Greek yoghurt, berry compote and buttery granola. It’s perfection and fuels us for the day, feeding far more exciting animals - more on that, here. Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, Aldington Rd, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LR Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

The Capital's Unmissable Art Shows this May 2024 May brings us some powerful and provocative photography exhibitions, from a big Princess Diana retrospective, to Sir Elton John and David Furnish's V&A summer blockbuster and a moving show about the journeys of displaced Ukrainian refugees. There are also some wonderfully playful and immersive experiences, including a new celebration of art and sound, cartoonish hospitals, otherworldly, robotic trifles, LEGO art, trips to the moon with Tom Hanks and a journey through Japanese art and design. So point your eyes at our top 16 London exhibitions this May and then take them there. __________________________ Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition The nation’s fascination with Princess Diana isn’t going away any time soon. And a new exhibition promises to give a behind-the-scenes journey through her life, via art installations and 75 life-sized photographs by her official photographers. They include the famous image of her sitting alone outside the Taj Mahal and the 'revenge dress' she wore the night King Charles admitted adultery. Her story is told through the lenses of Anwar Hussein and his two sons, Samir and Zak, her longest standing photographers, who share what they heard and witnessed during these iconic moments, in the accompanying audio guide. Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition. Dockside Vaults, Ivory House, London E1W 1AT. 25 May - 2 September. Tickets: £17/adult, £15/child. Fragile Beauty Sir Elton John and David Furnish are sharing their extraordinary private collection of more than 300 rare prints from over 140 photographers, for V&A’s new, summer blockbuster. The show features photographers including Cindy Sherman, Ai Weiwei and Robert Mapplethorpe and includes portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Miles Davis. It spans from the Fifties to the present day, covering the civil rights movement and AIDS activism to 9/11 and has eight themes, from the male body to fashion and celebrity. The show will be the gallery’s largest temporary exhibition of photography to date. Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection in partnership with Gucci. Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL.  from 18 May to 5 January 2025. Tickets £20 pp. The Vinyl Factory: REVERB The Vinyl Factory explores the intersection of art and sound with a major new multimedia exhibition at 180 Studios. Bringing together more than 100 artists and musicians working across visual arts, music, film and live performance, the show features 18 installations, including audio visual pieces and sonic experiences. There will also be a chill out space to listen to vinyl, plus live performances, talks and UK premieres of many ambitious new artworks. The Vinyl Factory, 180 Studios, 180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA. 23 May - 28 September. Like a Melody: Myths, Memories, and Fantasy The art world’s rising star, Charlotte Mei has transformed Now Gallery into an fairytale world, presided over by a giant, furry cat with silver wings. The artist and illustrator draws on her lifelong obsession with fantasy, mythology and anime for the mixed media show, which features ‘artefacts’ like chainmail underwear, otherworldly cuddly cats, action figures and her trademark pastel, dream landscapes. She explains: "I wanted to create a fantasy world because I want to live in one. I want to find an enchanted sword and lie in a meadow of sparkling flowers surrounded by magical creatures.” Mei’s celebration of the magic of fantasy is part of the gallery’s tenth anniversary programme, championing emerging talent in the arts. Now Gallery, Soames Walk, London SE10 0SQ. FREE. Showing until 2 June Jason and the Adventure of 254 Artist Jason Wilsher-Mills presents his major (and FREE) solo exhibition, which transforms the gallery into a cartoonish hospital ward, full of surreal humour and kaleidoscopic colour, exploring his experience of becoming disabled as a child. The joyful show is perfect for all ages - you are invited to touch everything. Highlights include a giant installation of a figure in a hospital bed, Seb Coe with a TV for a head, huge calliper boots and penny arcade inspired dioramas. Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE. FREE. 21 March - 12 January 2025 Rong Bao is Me Deliciously surreal artist, Rong Bao transforms everyday objects into playful, otherworldly and interactive artworks to laugh at the absurdity of life. Wonderfully bizarre sculptures resemble giant, robotic trifles or dancing, rainbow coloured burgers in feather headdresses and demand a smile. Other highlights include a Fragile box, perpetually being dropped from a conveyor belt. Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY FREE. Until 12 May. Polly Braden: Leaving Ukraine Polly Braden has used her camera to document the lives of women, children and babies scattered across Europe since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. And this deeply moving exhibition uses photography and film to share their extraordinary journeys, from job interviews, first days at school, trips to buy wedding dresses and poignant family reunions. Following four central stories, we see teenagers grow into young adults and babies into toddlers. Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square, London. £12.75. 21 and under go free. 15 March - 1 September Angelica Kauffman Angelica Kauffman paved the way for generations of women artists after her and was one of the most celebrated artists of the 18th century. She painted some of the most influential figures of her day – queens, countesses, actors and socialites – and reinvented the genre of history painting by focusing largely on female protagonists from classical history and mythology. This exhibition traces her trajectory from child prodigy, her rise to fame in London to becoming one of Europe's most sought-after painters and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Until 30 June.Tickets £17 pp Japan: Myths to Manga at Young V&A Take a trip through Japan and explore how landscape and folklore have influenced Japanese art, technology and design, featuring a seal shaped robotic comforter, Hello Kitty paraphrenalia, draw your own Manga characters and learn nifty facts about Sylvanian Families toys being born out of hundreds-of-years old netsuke animal sculptures. Young V&A Museum, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA. General Museum access, free. Yoko Ono: Music for the Mind Spanning more than seven decades and featuring over 200 artworks, this is the UK’s largest exhibition celebrating Ono’s groundbreaking, multidisciplinary career, from the mid-1950s to now – including her years in London where she met her future husband and longtime collaborator John Lennon. It includes her Instruction Pieces, which you can interact with - shaking hands with a stranger through a hole; making a peace wish and tying it to a tree; drawing on a boat installation; completing tasks inside a black bag and playing chess with all-white pieces as well as her most famous pieces, like the banned Bottoms film and Cut Piece, where people were invited to cut off her clothing. Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Until 1 September. £20 per adult. Free for under 12s. Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art Textiles are literally part of the fabric of our lives and each thread reveals stories about gender, labour, value, ecology, ancestral knowledge, and histories of oppression, extraction and trade. This exhibition shines a light on this rarely explored subject, featuring 50 international artists from the 1960s to today who have explored the transformative and subversive potential of textiles. It features more than 100 artworks, from intimate hand-crafted pieces to large-scale sculptural installations. Highlights include handstitched tapestries used to carry the memories of the deceased it touched; giant, deity-like macrame sculptures; a spatial installation exploring textiles’ use as an ancient form of communication and embroidered blankets, reflecting on an artist’s HIV diagnosis. Barbican Centre, Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS. Until 26 May Immersive Lego Exhibition Aptly opening on Brick Lane, The Art of Brick brings its Lego masterpieces to London, following tours of more than 100 cities in 24 countries. The exhibition features artist Nathan Sawaya's Lego recreations of some of the world’s most famous artworks, from Michelangelo’s David to Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Among the wonders, visitors will also find a 6-metre-long reproduction of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton Kids (and big kids) can also make their own masterpieces at the play and build area. The Boiler House, 152 Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU. Until 9 June The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks Lightroom leapt inside David Hockney’s brain for his juggernaut retrospective and now turns its immersive technology to space, with added Tom Hanks. The Apollo 13 star narrates the audio-visual experience, which offers a unique new perspective on humankind’s past and future voyages to the moon. Telling the stories of the Apollo missions in intimate detail, The Moonwalkers also provides an insight into the impending return of crewed surface missions by going behind-the-scenes of the Artemis programme, including interviews between Hanks and Artemis astronauts. If your own trip to the moon is looking unlikely, the immersive gallery promises the next best thing, with its tech-wizardry taking visitors on a voyage to our closest celestial neighbour. Lightroom, 12, Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4DY. Until13 October 2024. Tickets from £25 Direct from Graceland: Elvis Elvis is in the building - not Graceland, but Arches London Bridge. This retrospective of the King of Rock is bulging with 400 artefacts from his Memphis home, charting his humble beginnings and meteoric rise to fame. It includes his prized Ferrari Dino, gold-plated telephone, jazzy, Vegas era jumpsuits, Aviators and iconic gold lamé suit. Super-fans can even opt for the White Glove Experience, to hold the gold microphone used in his 1969 Vegas shows, and his Gold International Belt. It’s easier than a trip to Memphis and has been such a hit, they’ve extended it until 14 April. Arches London Bridge, 8 Bermondsey St, London SE1 2ER. Until 1 September 2024 Tickets from £19.90 pp Wildlife Photographer of the Year The 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year tells the story of a planet under pressure. The show harnesses the power of photography to help the Natural History Museum advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature, via donations to the exhibition. It features astonishing photographs selected from more than 50,000 entries, including a golden, tri-spine horseshoe crab (pictured above) snow leopards hunting in China and seals in Greece. Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. Until 30 June The World’s Biggest Disney Exhibition It all began with a mouse and now, nearly 101 years later, a major exhibition returns in London, inviting fans to experience the iconic characters, stories and experiences that touched the lives of audiences around the world. Disney100: The Exhibition features 10 themed galleries bulging with more than 250 iconic props, costumes and treasures including the actual carousel horse that Dick Van Dyke rode in Mary Poppins, the glass slipper from Cinderella (2015), the Iron Man helmet from Avengers: Infinity War, original artwork from One Hundred and One Dalmatians and the red dress from the 2021 Cruella film. The 20,000 sq ft beast of a show has 14 interactive installations and themed galleries allowing you to dive into classics like Snow White and Encanto as well as the new additions to the Disney family, like Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel movies. Disney100: The Exhibition. ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL. Tickets on sale now, starting from £16.50 off-peak for children. Frameless Immersive art experiences are beckoning us to leap into paintings all over the world, but Frameless is art immersion on steroids. Situated in Marble Arch, it is the largest, permanent multi-sensory experience in the UK. Boasting four, themed galleries - Beyond Reality, Colour In Motion, The World Around Us and The Art Of Abstraction - with some of the world’s greatest works of art exploding across the walls, floors and ceilings of a 30,000 sq ft space. You can step inside more than 43 masterpieces by 28 artists, including Kandinsky, Monet, Van Gogh, Klimt, Munch, Monet, Rembrandt, Dali and Cezanne with musical scores accompanying each brushstroke. Frameless, Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD, UK Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?