The live-music leg of the BBC Proms kicked off with a composition ‘exploring themes of identity’ by a renowned Black British composer. The world premiere of Hannah Kendall’s five-minute Tuxedo: Vasco ‘de’ Gama opened the programme on BBC Two tonight at the Royal Albert Hall. Kendall sat in the audience as her spine-tingling Basquiat-inspired composition … Read more
All cities have their good points — whether it’s the markets, cafe culture or music scene. Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city, has all that plus something more cerebral: it has good thoughts, too. Tartu is known as the City of Good Thoughts and is the Estonian equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge. It’s the country’s centre … Read more
Continental drift, I seem to recall from geography lessons at school, is the theory of how land masses shift position over aeons. But the term could also be used to describe the ritual Gadarene rush to over-crowded, over-developed hot spots around the world every summer. At least, that’s what used to happen and I dare … Read more
Sandy beaches, ice creams, fish and chips, amusement arcades, or rolling hills with footpaths and baking countryside… these are the traditional ingredients for a UK summer break. But think again. 2020 could be the perfect year to visit some of Britain’s great cities, with high streets quieter than ever and hotels offering tempting deals. It’s … Read more
Looking for Goldilocks? Moment terrified mother discovers three bear cubs exploring her kitchen and eating out of the trash can Stunning video shows one bear scrambling around the sink and two at the door Family of bears came into the family home in Anchorage through an open door Nail-biting clip shows them slide the door … Read more
Kanye West has reportedly decided to call it quits on his run in the 2020 Presidential election, less than two weeks after he first marked his entrance into the race. According to the Intelligencer, West hired campaign staff who were looking into getting his name listed as a third-party candidate in Florida and several other states, … Read more
Book me in: Exploring the Yorkshire locations in The Secret Garden, a classic that brings the magnificent moors to life Yorkshire’s moors are arguably at their most memorable in The Secret Garden A film version of the book starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters is out next month The 300-acre Duncombe Park is used as the … Read more
I touch down in Bhutan, the remote country Lonely Planet says is the best place to visit in 2020 and which touts on being the ‘happiest place on earth’, and I admit I’m feeling rather jolly. At this point, it’s solely for the reason that I’ve survived landing at the country’s international airport, which is … Read more
Let’s tackle the science first. To a geographer, a wold is a hill that’s on a base of limestone or chalk. To the rest of us, though, wolds are the epitome of the English countryside – understated and beautifully rural, dotted with small villages and market towns surrounded by rich farmland and reed-fringed streams. The … Read more
Every day, those in search of Iceland’s most perfect Instagram shot will get up at dawn, just so that they can score a photo of a deserted, pristine Blue Lagoon. To one side of the lagoon, though, is The Retreat, which takes Iceland’s most seminal experience – bathing in its milky blue geothermal waters – and … Read more