Dear Reader,

If you read yesterday's Staying In / Going Out, you'll know that today is 'Do Nothing Day'. Do you think you could actually achieve that? Could you push back against performative wellness (relaxation in the form of ice baths, saunas, meditation apps); stop scrolling even if you've got your legs up on the sofa and are squirrelled under a duvet; or surround yourself with silence that is meant to calm your system rather than give you shivers of anxiety? It's an interesting question. Have we lost the art of doing nothing, which is not about being lazy but about lingering and being transported by our minds rather than by the to-do list, by savouring space and time rather than filling it. If that sounds scary, then you're definitely not doing it enough. Be brave. Do nothing. You never know what might happen.

Lucy Cleland
Editorial Director

Staying In

Read Julian Barnes’ Departure(s)

Looking for your next read? Our book reviewer Belinda Bamber has a recommendation for you. ‘Top of my reading pile this month is Julian Barnes' novel Departure(s), which comes out on 22 January, three days after his 80th birthday, and has been announced as his final book. Barnes has long been reflecting on ageing, memory and mortality – his eleventh novel, The Sense of an Ending, won the 2011 Booker prize – and Departure(s) is his semi-autobiographical farewell. Slightly episodic, it focuses not only on the trials of illness but also on the love story of a couple who have rediscovered each other in later life (which happily gives The Sense of a Beginning). And it features an elderly Jack Russell called Jimmy, who seems likely to become everyone's favourite character.’ Find more must-reads here. (Vintage, £18.99)

Try Cellcosmet’s New Wonder Duo

If this weekend calls for a relaxing night in, indulge in some self-care. With winter weather drying out skin and making those lingering (and infuriating) dark spots even more prominent, it’s time to pull out the ‘big guns’ of skincare. Swiss cellular cosmetics innovator Cellcosmet has developed two breakthrough skin brighteners – the Ultra Brightening Elasto-Collagen-XT serum and Brightener-XT cellular cream – to target the root causes of pigmentation and deliver immediate brightness and more even-toned skin. ‘I had high hopes for this powerhouse pair in tackling my stubborn brown,’ said C&TH’s Juliet Herd. ‘I polished off two boxes of the serum, and I was delighted to see an improvement in my skin. Two penny-size spots that have plagued my cheeks for years have noticeably faded and my complexion is more uniformly even and brighter – a bonus at this particularly dreary time of year!’ You can read her full report here. Ultra Brightening Elasto-Collagen-XT is £310, and the Brightener-XT is £295, harrods.com

Watch After the Flood Season 2

Waterside Detective Joan Marshall is back on our screens on Sunday night – and she has a new case to untangle. ‘She is still reeling from the revelations of season 1,’ lead star Sophie Rundle told us before Christmas. ‘Who is a goodie? Who is a baddie? Who has been lying, and who hasn’t?’ That first instalment saw a dead body surface in the aftermath of a huge flood, which drew Joan into a ‘murky pool of corruption’, as Rundle puts it. On Sunday, expect to see another body surface, this time on the local moorland. ‘Again, all is not quite as it seems,’ Rundle teases, ‘so Joan gets a chance to put her detective prowess to the test, and it leads her further into the underbelly of this small community.’ And in series 2 Joan has a new partner: DS Sam Bradley, played by Jill Halfpenny, who Rundle describes as ‘brilliant’. ‘There’s nothing apologetic about season 2,’ she summarises. ‘It's coming in with just as much gunfire as season one.’ Sunday, 9pm, ITV1 & ITVX. Read the full interview here.

Going Out

Plan Your Dream Villa Holiday

Plotting your big trip of 2026? If privacy and flexibility are high on your agenda, you can’t beat a Mediterranean villa holiday. Villas offer a whole host of perks: think more space and freedom than hotels, no set meal times so no alarms to make sure you don’t miss breakfast, no rushing to secure a sun lounger first thing, or worrying about your kids annoying other guests (or having to put your headphones in to block out other peoples). Just enjoy the trip at your own pace.

The name to know here is The Thinking Traveller, a hand-picked collection of incredible properties dotted across Sicily, Puglia, Tuscany, Greece and Corsica – named the world’s best villa rental company ten times. It specialises in offbeat locations (one of the biggest travel trends for 2026), with an array of unique, beautifully designed villas boasting top-tier facilities, some fully serviced. But that’s not all: The Thinking Traveller’s team of specialists can help arrange bucket list experiences with their unrivalled local knowledge, from wine tasting tours in Puglia to boat charters and helicopter rides over Mount Etna. Back in the villa, enjoy dinners cooked by private chefs, live music, cookery lessons, massages and yoga classes – or simply relax, sit back and soak up your magical surroundings. Find out more and book at thethinkingtraveller.com

Explore The Decorative Fair

Spend an afternoon browsing one-of-a-kind antiques, design and art at The Decorative Fair, which returns to Battersea Park this January for its winter edition. Founded in 1985, it’s where the great and good of the decorating world come to source for projects: Kit Kemp, Olga Polizzi, Sir Paul Smith and Martyn Lawrence Bullard (who has jazzed up a string of celebrity homes) are all regulars. But anyone with a passion for unusual interiors will find much to explore here. Pick up one-off pieces of furniture, ceramics, mirrors and colourful works of art dating from the 1700s to the 1970s, and get inspiration for how to display your new purchases in your home through the exhibitors’ room sets. It’s not just homeware either: an array of vintage watches, jewellery and rare handbags are also up for grabs. 20-25 January, from £10pp, book here.

Catch A Virginia Woolf-Inspired Ballet

The works of Virginia Woolf – and the writer herself – have inspired a huge number of adaptations over the years. It’s hard for many of these to truly capture the way the author wrote; Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness narrative has rarely translated convincingly to other forms. Yet that’s what Woolf Works does so well. An experimental ballet inspired by Woolf’s oeuvre, it was choreographed by the Royal Ballet’s Sir Wayne McGregor and set to an original score by postminimalist German-British composer Max Richter. Drawing from Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves, McGregor creates a fragmented, dreamlike triptych of dance. First premiered in 2015, the ballet’s revival will be led by principals including Sarah Lamb, Natalia Osipova, Lauren Cuthbertson and Marianela Nuñez. 17 January-13 February 2026, book here

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Three of the Best…

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Feral

‘The intention behind Italian brand Feral was to create non-alcoholic wines just as complex as their alcoholic counterparts. There are five bottles to choose from, each made from wild ingredients such as beets and birch sap, which are fermented and infused with woods, spices and roots. Our favourite is No. 1, a fresh ‘white wine’ with hop and szechuan pepper – perfect for pairing with veggies and white meat and adding a bit of a kick with none of the units'.’ feral-drinks.com

Evie Calver, Junior Sub Editor and Production Assistant

Botivo

‘Botivo adds a fresh twist to your 6pm aperitif, or as they like to describe it, 'the yellow hour': the part of the day when you clock off and set the stage for something new. Flavours are tangy, bitter, distinctly citrusy and all round totally yummy. My favourite way to drink it is with a dash of elderflower liqueur – a super fresh cocktail that has me looking forward to the spring months. Better still, Botivo is also a B Corp, and the ingredients are hand blended in small batches in Hertfordshire. We love this here at C&TH.’ botivodrinks.com

Cosima Woodard, Account Manager

Chance Clean Cider

‘As someone who went to university in the West Country, I have a fondness and fussiness for cider. I like it not overly sweet, made with good apples, and finished with a certain level of acidity. Chance ‘Clean’ cider ticks all of these boxes nicely, while also being Dry January compliant, sitting at a low 0.5% ABV. It’s surprisingly rare to find a good non-alcoholic cider – most end up tasting like apple juice – so Chance, the UK’s first dedicated brand, is a welcome newcomer.’ chancecider.com

Tessa Dunthorne, Food & Drinks Editor

Staying in Forever…

Property Of The Week

Our top pick from The Thinking Traveller’s collection is Villa Lorans in Puglia, a thoughtfully restored, historic home set amid 10 acres of private gardens and olive groves. With its saltwater pool, al fresco dining area and dreamy yoga studio, it’s a picture of tranquility – plus the characterful town of Ostuni and the Adriatic coast are just a short drive away. Boasting six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, multiple terraces and ornately designed yet snug living areas, it’s perfect for big families or groups of friends looking for a memorable stay this summer (particularly those with an eye for design). thethinkingtraveller.com

Competition Time

Win a four-day writing masterclass in Italy

Win a £3m Buckinghamshire dream home with Raffle House

Win a relaxing getaway to The Slaughters Manor House in the Cotswolds

Psssst…

The White Lotus is returning for season four… but there’s no Four Seasons this time round. This is the first time the show is moving away from the hotel group, with the primary location for the next series revealed as Airelles Château de la Messardière, a pastel pink castle located on a hilltop in the French Riviera.

The Full Story

Will A Sober Members’ Club Take Off?

Ellie Smith meets the founders of the UK’s first alcohol-free hotel, Long Lane

Alcohol has long been an intrinsic part of Britain’s members’ clubs. Back in the 17th century, gentlemen’s clubs were places wealthy men would meet to drink and socialise – and as clubs evolved to become more inclusive over the years, their party spirit only grew. The 90s were arguably the hedonistic heyday for London’s club scene, with arrivals like Soho House and the Groucho Club heralding a new era of less stuffy, buzzier spaces for creative types to let loose without worrying they’d be spotted.

But more recently, we’ve seen another shift as members’ clubs increasingly prioritise wellness – and this summer, the UK will welcome its first-ever sober members’ club and hotel, Long Lane.

Taking over a country house in the South Downs National Park in Sussex, Long Lane is the brainchild of childhood friends Loui Blake and Harrison Hide, who teamed up with hospitality consultant Jamie Caring, Soho House’s former Chief Marketing Officer to create a new kind of club where meaningful connection is prioritised over luxury. ‘Most members’ clubs are closely tied to status and money,’ says Blake. ‘And I think we’ve become a bit bored of that as a game, right? So people are looking for more meaning and more feeling. Fuelled by the amount of time we’re all spending on screens and the rapid emergence of AI, we’re craving more human and more real experiences.’ 

Long Lane’s USP is its strict alcohol ban, but without the promise of cocktail-fuelled gossip and liquid lunches, how can a club entice members?

The Facilities

Guests can expect:

• Bedrooms built upon biohacking principles, decked out with air filtration systems, organic materials, wellness tech menus, collagen shots, IV drips and red light panels

• Cabin rooms dotted around the grounds

• A restaurant serving unprocessed, nutritious food

• An alcohol-free bar overseen by Camilla Fayed’s Farmacy, serving adaptogenic drinks and toxin-free coffee

• A spa offering contrast therapy, saunas, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and cryotherapy

• A spa garden with its own natural pool, a meditation meadow and treatment pods

• Padel courts and walking trails

Membership

On top of all this, members will get extra perks, with a focus on personalisation. Membership can begin with biometric testing and DNA methylation analysis, which will then dictate wellness plans, vitamin programmes and individualised food menus. There will be different tier options, with options for Londoners who want to visit a few times a year, as well as locals keen to use it as their everyday health club – plus an elite Longevity offering for hardcore health types, giving access to Long Lane’s entire wellness ecosystem.

The dream guests? David Beckham, Tom Holland (who is famously teetotal) and David Gandy… but the duo stress it’s less about celebrity names and more about people with shared values.

What Blake and Hide really hope to garner is a sense of community – which they’re already well on their way to creating, with a 34k-strong following on the club’s Instagram plus hundreds of thousands more on their own social media profiles. With longevity being one of the biggest health topics of the moment and a spate of celebs launching alcohol-free brands, this opening has clearly captured the zeitgeist. Members’ clubs are booming, and with Long Lane’s membership rates starting from £100 a month, it’s more affordable than many of its competitors. Could this be the social space of the future?

Read the full story here.