Golf, events and bags of nostalgia at Newport’s Celtic Manor August 26, 2026 There’s something very nostalgic about Celtic Manor. Located a few minutes down the M4 from Newport town centre, it manages to feel entirely remote, an imposing stone building nestled within some 2,000 acres of grounds. Opened in 1982 by Welsh tech tycoon Sir Terry Matthews, once the richest man in the country, Celtic Manor brings [...]
Why The Outer Hebrides is Scotland’s ultimate wellness escape August 26, 2026 Exquisite silence and beautiful beaches in The Outer Hebrides, Scotland’s wildest part I’m floating above luminous purple coral and brilliant white starfish. The water below me is so clear that I can see individual grains of sand and the scales on the fish. One giveaway that I’m not somewhere exotic? I’m wearing a wetsuit and [...]
The Highland tourist tax: Is Scotland pricing out whisky tourists? August 25, 2026 The latest available data from the Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor in Scotland (STEAM) shows that between 2012 and 2024, visitor numbers to the Highlands increased 82 per cent to 9.4m. Spending increased by a similar amount, to £2.1bn. A large share of that is directly linked to the Scotch whisky sector. You’d think, therefore, [...]
Burnham accused of ‘piecemeal’ business rates reform August 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has been accused of taking a “piecemeal” approach to business rates instead of committing to Labour’s manifesto pledge to replace the tax system. The government has launched a review into how business rates bills are calculated for pubs and hotels, but industry bodies have urged the Prime Minister to commit to wholesale reform [...]
I was first aboard Explora Journey’s new cruise ship. Does it beat the competition? August 21, 2026 A first-look at the newest luxury hotel-at-sea cruise ship concept by Explora Journeys You join me on a horizontal skyscraper in the Mediterranean. This is the newest cruise ship in the world. The paint has barely dried. Not a scuff or blemish can be found anywhere along her 268 metres and 14 storeys. She is [...]
Cut student loan repayments to get youths out of chicken shops August 19, 2026 Crippling student loan repayments have stolen billions from the economy sending struggling graduates to cheap food options and public transport, a consultancy firm has argued. Analysts at Baringa found that cutting the student loan repayment rate from nine per cent to five per cent would free up to £6bn in consumer spending each year for [...]
Jobless Banquet: Youth unemployment surge ‘sends Neets to KFC’ August 18, 2026 A surge in youth unemployment has fuelled the rise of chicken shops across British high streets as young people not in work, education or training – known as Neets – have flocked to fast food, a consultancy has argued. Analysts at Baringa, a consultancy with more than 2,000 employees, have drawn a link between the [...]
London’s Square Mile needs its own major sports venue to keep up with rivals August 18, 2026 As sport ramps up after a summer break, Simon Hunt argues that the Square Mile needs its own major sports venue – for the sake of the City of London’s future. Picture the scene: it’s just hit 5:30pm on a sunny Thursday evening in the office. You and your colleagues look around for something to [...]
From China with Love: Xpeng’s Luxury Ambition August 17, 2026 China is changing the car industry at extraordinary speed. For affluent professionals used to proven premium brands, the next chapter of that transformation is becoming ever more challenging to turn a blind eye to, writes our motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay. I had seen more Chinese cars than you can shake a stick at before, but [...]
New Premier League rules could see £11bn invested into new stadiums August 17, 2026 Alan Sendorek explains why we are seeing a third revolution of football stadium development on these shores. The third football stadium revolution in England is underway. At least two-thirds of Premier League clubs, and a substantial number lower down the pyramid, have either recently completed a major stadium upgrade or have one planned. Everton and [...]