Dear Reader,

Whatever I've learned, it's that you can't control the big stuff. The Trump tariffs, the Russian-Ukraine war, the atrocities meted out on Iranian citizens. You can, though, feed your soul by noticing the small stuff, which in turn helps build resilience when you are getting your head around the big stuff. What do I mean? I mean things like the fact my local train station has just put out a load of plant pots by the ticket office. That there's a piano for anyone to play in West Hampstead station. That my dog Rafferty is so overly friendly to people on the tube that he'll sit on their feet while strangers rub his ears and scratch his belly (granted not everyone loves this). These small acts are so human and so simple and can quite often completely change my mood if I'm feeling morose. So, whether you're staying in or going out this week, look around, I bet you see something that surprises you for the better. And if you don't, what simple thing could you do to bring a smile to your face in these uncertain times?

Lucy Cleland
Editorial Director

Staying In

Spruce up your bathroom

If you’ve set your sights on a bathroom renovation this year, you might want to take note of the latest interior design trend: soft minimalism. A gentler take on the clinical tones and sparse decorating associated with classical minimalism, this look is all about blending essential spaces with comfort. ‘It offers a gentler, more organic evolution of minimalism,’ says Hannah Lichtenstein, Brand Marketing Executive at ABI Interiors. ‘Moving away from the stark whites and cool greys that previously dominated, this approach favours warm, earthy tones and softened shapes that feel inherently calming.’ It’s not just colours, either; Hannah tells us shapes and silhouettes also feed into the trend. ‘Rounded vanities, curved basins and arched tapware introduce a sense of flow, while nature-inspired palettes and tactile finishes such as brushed brass and bronze add depth and warmth. The result is a spa-like space designed to soothe both the eye and senses.’ Find out more in our trend report here.

Celebrate Burns Night at home

Burns Night, the annual celebration of Scotland’s most famous poet, falls on a Sunday this year (25 January). So while the capital offers a panoply of tempting suppers, it might be best to bring the haggis home – if only to allow time to work off the whisky. But just remember there is a proper order of things. According to Scot and Glenapp Castle executive chef Peter Howarth, a lively night should begin with cock-a-leekie soup (a traditional chicken and leek broth), before running into haggis with neeps and tatties (mashed swede and potatoes) followed by a generous cut of Scottish roast beef. Finish with cranachan: a blend of whisky-soaked oats, cream, raspberries and honey. You’ll want to start proceedings with the Selkirk Grace, an expression of gratitude, and reserve the ceremonial reading of Burns’ Address To A Haggis for the haggis’s arrival; the line ‘An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht’ is your cue to carve. Be sure to toast it all with a distinguished single malt.

Listen to Jamie Oliver’s new podcast

Looking for a new listen for your morning commute? Jamie Oliver has launched his first ever podcast, which is all about living a happier, healthier life. Aiming to cut through the noise of overwhelming wellness advice, the six-part Audible series sees the chef chatting to a series of experts on a range of health topics – from uncovering the mysteries of the gut with Dr Emily Leeming to exploring why bacon sandwiches are so irresistible with geneticist Professor Giles Yeo. Plus: how can we protect our memory? And what’s the impact of chewing soft food in comparison to crunchy? ‘We don’t have to get it right all the time but making good food choices, getting more sleep, knowing more about our gut, trying some hacks, all of this has the potential to really transform our lives and happiness,’ says Oliver. Listen now on Audible.

Going Out

Dine at a celebrity hotspot

We know, we know, the quality of the food should be the primary reason for choosing a restaurant. But it’s only natural to be curious about who one might be sitting next to – particularly in a city like London, where some of the world’s most famous stars live. So what are the A-list hotspots for 2026? US-inspired Italian The Dover is proving popular with American actors looking for a taste of home, such as Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker (our Jan/Feb cover star). There’s also Notting Hill’s Dorian, a favourite of the Beckhams, and Soho bistro Rita’s, where Harry Styles was recently spotted on a date with Zoe Kravitz. But if you really want to spot a famous face your best bet is probably lunch at London’s most talked-about gastropub, The Devonshire, which has hosted everyone from Margot Robbie to Bono to Ed Sheeran to Nigella Lawson. Set an alarm for Thursday at 10.30am, when table bookings drop for the next three weeks.

Watch The History of Sound

If you enjoyed Paul Mescal’s rendition of the Bard in Hamnet recently, now we have another chance to catch the Irish star on the big screen. In cinemas now is The History of Sound, a queer historic love story following two students at the New England Conservatory during WWI, whose fleeting first meeting has a seismic impact on the rest of their lives. It is directed by Oliver Hermanus, who has most recently worked on the Oscar-nominated Living (2022) and episodes of Sky’s Mary & George. Also starring Wake Up Dead Man’s Josh O’Connor, the film has been in the works since 2021, when both leads were still riding high on their TV success: Mescal in Normal People and O’Connor in The Crown. Both now bonafide movie stars, they remained quietly committed to Hermanus’ project – and in fact have since brought some heft to the previously difficult-to-finance indie flick. As Hermanus told Vanity Fair in May, ‘We probably wouldn’t have been able to make this film when we wanted to, in 2022, because they weren’t the Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor that we now know today.’

Book a Traitors-inspired getaway

The Traitors may be ending for another year (don’t miss tonight’s final at 8.30pm), but a new overnight experience at Swinton Park Hotel is giving fans a chance to step into the players’ shoes. Saboteurs at Swinton invites guests to take part in a full day of bespoke tasks and trials inspired by the BBC series – expect plenty of mind games, challenges and secrets – before heading back to the hotel for drinks and a three-course dinner. Everything is set within the hotel’s 18th-century castle and sweeping estate grounds, with professional hosts, props and planning included to make it feel like you’re staying in the iconic Scottish castle from the show. It’s time to dust off that cloak… From £675 per person, swintonestate.com

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Three of the Best…

Winter Skincare Products

La Mer’s Crème de la Mer Moisturising Cream

‘I use the light cream in the summer months but in the winter this cult classic ultra-rich hydrator saves my dry skin that’s been ravaged by too much central heating and not drinking enough water. I keep it on my bedside table and before bed I warm it between my fingers and apply it all over my face, rubbing the last remnants into my hands; my favourite ritual.’ £305 for 60ml, cremedelamer.co.uk

Rebecca Cox, Digital Director

Anua’s Peach 70% Niacin Serum Mask

‘When I went to Japan last year, one of my main goals was to find some excellent skincare – which is how I stumbled across Anua. This Korean label is a hit all over Asia, and is starting to build a big fanbase in Europe too. Specialising in all the usual K-beauty boons – skin barrier health, hydration and brightening – Anua is renowned for its top tier serums and creams, but its face masks are on another level. Designed to give dry skin a boost, the brand’s peachy sheet masks offer a heady blend of niacinamide, vitamin B12 and hyaluronic acid. I try to apply one mask a week, working them into my evening skincare routine. You only need to leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes, then peel away and tap any lingering product in for gloriously dewy skin.’ £2.64 per mask, koreanskincare.co.uk

Charlie Colville, Digital Style Editor

Skin Cycles’ Hydrating Bio-Cellulose Mask

‘Skin Cycles’ Hydrating Bio-cellulose Masks are my new winter skincare must-haves. When my skin is feeling parched or sensitised due to central heating, travelling or dehydration, I pop one of these masks on (I keep them in my fridge), and in 20 minutes my skin is soothed, nourished and de-puffed. I recommend them to my clients too.’ £20 per mask, skincycles.com

Nathalie Eleni, Beauty Director & Celebrity Make Up Artist

Staying in Forever…

Property Of The Week

In 18th century Italy Luigi Vanvitelli was the most celebrated architect of his generation. And now one of his creations is up for grabs. Currently functioning as a hotel, the €15m Palazzo Doria D’Angri in the heart of Naples boasts 15 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms, a lift and 21,500 sqft cellar – plus 43 Murano chandeliers, 110 original artworks, more than 500 prints, 32 mirrors, 12 columns, 29 statues, six tapestries and too many frescoes to count.

On the market for €15m. italy-sothebysrealty.com

Competition Time

Win a one-night stay at Corinthia London

Win a romantic two-night getaway to Pine Cliffs, a Luxury Collection Resort in Portugal

Win a £700 Sofas & Stuff voucher plus Skye McAlpine’s new book

Psssst…

Tired of the over-commercialised affair Valentine’s Day has morphed into? We have a hack: enjoy a less crowded romantic evening and celebrate St Dwynden’s Day (25 January) instead, billed as the Welsh Valentine’s. Click here for the story behind it.

The Full Story

An A-Z Of Britishness

From Anne (Princess) to zounds!, Hugo Rifkind trots us through an eye-raising alphabet of what it is to be British

A is for Anne

As in the Princess Royal, unequivocally the best royal. This even though – or perhaps because – she has a reputation for being really quite rude and everybody is pretty scared of her. She also spent the 1960s looking like she was friends with Austin Powers and the last Coronation looking like she was about to wage war on a distant galaxy, on behalf of another distant galaxy. Hurrah.

B is for British Bulldogs

They are the ubiquitous British dog, yet hardly anyone owns one. Being fairly sickly and disastrous, they’re also fundamentally bad at being dogs in the first place and have basically been usurped by the French bulldog, even though it looks like a proper dog which has been hit repeatedly with a shovel. Despite this, we cherish them. An extremely British situation.

C is for Carpet In The Bathroom

Less common than it once was, mainly because it’s a disgusting idea. Most other nations have always been baffled at the concept, such as the Germans, because they are health freaks, and the French, because their own toilets are usually just holes in the floor. Yet to be truly British is to yearn for the sensation of stepping directly from the bath onto a plush underfoot shag.

D is for Dickens

As in, Charles. Not necessarily the best British author, but certainly the most ‘British-British’ author. He sees class, he sees country and town, and he bloody loves a gentleman of a certain age in a natty waistcoat. Most of all, he nails down British sentiment, like few others before or since. ‘The kindness of people,’ he wrote in Martin Chuzzlewit, ‘is enough to break one’s heart.’

E is for Embarrassment

The quintessential British emotion. We are embarrassed when we succeed and embarrassed when we fail. Consider, for example, the British Empire, when we conquered half the globe through a combination of vicious brutality and raw cunning, and yet while still usually wearing ties, even in the jungle, because we were too embarrassed to take them off. See also: Sorry.

F is for France

Best understood as ‘the main place that Britain isn’t’.

G is for Girls Wearing Almost Nothing

Outside of London, no nation does this better. The moment you start thinking we have a domesticated nation is also the moment you should take a trip on a Friday night to Newcastle, Liverpool or Glasgow and watch a 17-year-old girl in a boob tube and hotpants and nothing else, defeating frostbite in the queue for a nightclub by means of pre-drinks, vaping and sheer force of will.

H is for Henry VIII

Technically English rather than British, although also ginger so the Scots probably won’t complain. Basically invented divorce and Anglicanism, shagged and ate himself to death, and still found time to write Greensleeves. The template Brit.

I is for I Couldn’t Care Less

Our kids already say ‘can I get a ride?’ and ‘fire truck’. Nonetheless, we will remain culturally distinct for as long as we know that the Americanism of saying ‘I could care less’ is wrong and stupid. Care a lot, and you could care less. Care a little, and you could still care less. As David Mitchell once put it, ‘the only thing it rules out is that you don’t care at all, which is exactly what you are trying to convey.’ Bloody annoying.

J is for Julius Caesar

He came, he saw, he conquered, and thus British recorded history began. Never forget, though, that he also went home again, probably because it was raining and he was bald.

K is for Kettles

Only Britain does these properly. To cross the Channel is to enter a miserable world of kitchens dominated by coffee machines. Cross the Atlantic, and things get even worse. They sometimes think they have kettles, sure, but what they actually have are programmable water-boiling devices premised on the peculiar delusion that different drinks require water to boil in different ways. This is enraging madness. As for toasters…

Find the rest of the alphabet here