Staying In

Order A Seasonal DIY Meal Kit

If you’re already feeling overwhelmed by all the cooking that looms ahead over Christmas, why not give yourself a night off by ordering a seasonal feast box – a way to enjoy chef-created meals from the comfort of your own home. Invite some friends round for a roast dinner from Mayfair’s Farm Shop, complete with a free range turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing, gravy, the whole shebang (all you need to do is pop it all in the oven). Or treat your other half to a Michelin-starred date night at home with Simon Rogan’s six-course festive menu, which features dishes like English grain ragout with winter truffle, juniper smoked trout and Christmas pudding, using produce sourced from the chef’s Lake District farm. Waitrose has also collaborated with big-name chefs on a series of menus this December: there’s an Italian supper from Angela Hartnett, a seafood feast from Rick Stein, or French classics from Michel Roux.

Going Out

See The Garden and The Gaze Exhibition

Alternatively, give yourself a bit of respite from all the festive madness. Swerve the shops on Oxford Street and venture down a few streets – it’s here that you’ll find contemporary gallery Albion Jeune, as well as its newly opened show The Garden and The Gaze. Presenting a dialogue between the works of artist Feiyi Wen and Xiaochi Dong, the exhibition showcases the intersections of nature, perception and cultural heritage through a shared love of traditional Chinese practices. Wen, who hails from Beijing, translates East Asian landscape tradition into soft, almost painterly photographic installations, while Dong, from Shanghai, draws on classic Chinese techniques and ecological practices in his creation of layered paintings. Showcasing how traditional themes can be called upon and updated for modern audiences, the two create a space where visitors are invited to meditate on impermanence, transformation and coexistence. (An essential dose of calm, before heading back out into the busy streets of London.) 3 December 2025 – 31 January 2026, albionjeune.com

Property Of The Day

Built in 1902, Chelsea Powerhouse was once the largest power station ever constructed. Known as the ‘cathedral of innovation’ it powered the London Underground and kept the city connected. Now reimagined as a series of apartments, this five-bedroom duplex has been transformed by interior designer Angel O-Donnell in a masterclass of ‘sensescaping’ – with the materials that once drove the Industrial Revolution reborn as an elegant home. 

On the market for £4.8m. Find out more at powerhousechelsea.com

Little Luxury

Supermodels, who rely on high-performance skincare that keeps their skin smooth, bright and refined under HD cameras and unforgiving lighting, automatically reach for products like the Retinol Night Repair.

The Dr Sebagh team tell us that the 0.3 percent (the highest recommended percentage) retinol in the serum is powerful enough to deliver results, but gentle enough not to cause visible peeling – a crucial factor for models who cannot afford downtime. Supermodels on their roster will place private, VIP-only requests for exclusive oversized bottles of Retinol Night Repair to be produced by Dr Sebagh’s laboratory in France. Why? They use it not just on their faces, but all over their bodies to keep their skin smooth, firm and youthfully luminous from head to toe. (And it’s not just the ladies who love it; David Gandy has also publicly shared his love of Dr Sebagh’s Retinol Night Repair on more than one occasion.) £72, drsebagh.com

Competition Time

Would you like a chance to experience the nation’s favourite BBC Two book club like never before? We’re giving one winner two tickets to Between the Covers Live! plus an overnight stay at the luxurious Pennyhill Park, where the magic happens. Enter here

Psssst…

Helena Bonham Carter is rumoured to be starring in the fourth season of Mike White’s wildly popular show The White Lotus, which will be set in France this time round.

Whatever You Do, Don’t

Desperately trying to avoid the superflu before Christmas? Don’t mega-dose vitamin C, GP Dr Dan Baumgardt told The Times. ‘A better option for fighting off winter ailments is vitamin D, which carries much more evidence.’