Until the 1980s, Old Masters – paintings typically completed before 1850 – “ruled the art world”, said The Economist. But collectors began to see the “centuries-spanning” category as “too old-timey”, instead turning to more modern and Impressionist art in the following decades.

Now, experts are not only witnessing unforeseen rises in sales, but also dramatic changes in the attitudes of collectors and artists alike.

‘Untrammelled by tradition’

Old Masters have had “new life breathed into them”, said The Economist. In 2025, global sales of the paintings reached “$1.2 billion [£895 million], 30% higher than a year earlier”. And it’s younger buyers who are “showing more enthusiasm”.

This year at Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest auction houses, “around 16% of bidders in Old Masters sales” were “under the age of 40, nearly triple the share from five years ago”.

Several changes have occurred in the last 50 years. For instance, the contemporary art market has shown “signs of volatility”, causing collectors to turn to Old Masters which are more “stable and significantly less expensive”. There is also an element of “scarcity” that makes them more attractive, as higher numbers of the older paintings enter museum collections with each passing year.

However portraits and figurative art are “in vogue” because they are, ultimately, “Instagrammable”. People are drawn to what appears to be a “simpler life (if you ignore the revolutions, plagues and awful dentistry of past eras)”. And they are so used to seeing pictures of people online that observers are “primed to connect to painted ones”.

There’s also “new money in Old Masters,” said Margaret Carrigan on Artnet. There was a longstanding belief that “newly minted millionaires and billionaires could be lured” to the art market via modern, “tech-flavoured” offerings, such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but the “pop of the NFT bubble” has seemed to disprove that.

Yet sales suggest they are “still in the game”. During London’s Classics Week, Sotheby’s and Christie’s brought in £76.7 million, a “respectable 9.4% rise on the same auctions last year”. Buyers are now more likely to collect “cross-category”, and there is a “hunger” for works that “feel contemporary, regardless of age”.

“Amid rapid, destabilising technological change, visualising the creation of a new world and meditating on our inescapable mortality seem pretty apropos.”

Works by “household-name” artists such as Canaletto, Michelangelo and Rembrandt, have always been popular, said Emma Crichton-Miller in the Financial Times. What’s more surprising is the “surge in value for images by lesser-known artists”. A new generation of collectors, “untrammelled by tradition” have a new set of criteria: there is a “striking” pattern that desirable paintings are portraits, that can be “admired with little contextual knowledge beyond our shared human nature”. Once seen as the “backwater for scholarly private collectors” this new trend has “encouraged works not seen for decades out into the marketplace”. When auctions come around, “expect surprises”.

‘Embraced’ by artists

In the past, lesser-known artists would imitate bigger names – in effect “art historical name-dropping” to improve the “gravity and market confidence” of their works, said J. Cabelle Ahn on Artnet. Cynics would call evoking Old Masters styles as a form of “reference-baiting”. But one of the main reasons for this “trans-historical escalation” is “technological unease”. Not only do artists fear being eclipsed by AI, but there is a movement to explore “foundational concepts like meaning and originality in the endless sea of information”.

Not only is figurative painting “back in a big way” for collectors, but it is being “embraced” by large numbers of emerging artists “keen to demonstrate their skills”, said Chloe Stead in the Financial Times. This could be guided by materials, and neglected older techniques appearing “new”. Oil paint became popular in the Netherlands in the 12th century, even now, for artists seeking to create realistic images, there is “no better alternative”.

There may be “some merit” to the idea that current “geopolitical and financial instability” has “spooked” collectors to return to what they know, and that artists are capitalising on this movement. But it is worth remembering that “Renaissance art was intended to be accessible and easily readable”. Perhaps this reversion of style by young artists is not influenced by a “retrograde nostalgia”, but by a “desire to connect to audiences outside the confines of the art world”.

In the late 19th century, the Croatian island of Lošinj was a favourite health retreat of Austro-Hungarian royalty. They built “palatial” villas on its shores, and planted half a million pine trees. The island has changed remarkably little since then, said Anna Selby in The Telegraph, making it a wonderfully “serene” (and surprisingly “uncrowded”) place to escape from worldly worries.

Twenty miles long (but very narrow), Lošinj is in the northern end of the Adriatic, and has “pretty” old towns, hills rising to 588 metres, pristine pebbled beaches and “dense, aromatic” vegetation that scents the evening air. There are lovely trails for hiking and cycling, and it is also well worth visiting the museum of the Croatian Apoxyomenos, a very fine ancient Greek bronze which was found in 1996 on the seabed to the island’s south. Among the best hotels are the Bellevue (which has a Michelin-starred restaurant) and the Alhambra, both on the handsome Cikat Bay.

Italy’s valley of apples

In a country known for its vineyards, the Val di Non is a “delicious aberration”, said Chris Allnutt in the Financial Times – a valley in the shadow of the Brenta Dolomites that produces roughly 20% of Italy’s apples and much of its cider.

The fruit was introduced here in the late 19th century, when the region’s mulberry trees were blighted by disease. Today, the orchards stretch to 7,000 hectares, climbing in terraces above the Lago di Santa Giustina, and there’s strudel on every menu. The apples are sold by Melinda, a consortium of independent growers that offers tours of its premises, where you can buy everything from vinegars to crumbles. Visits to the cider producers Appleblood and Melchiori are also fun. There are a range of varieties to try, including some that have had berries added to make them darker, in a bid to win over wine-loving sceptics.

A luxury train of your own

Unveiled at Euston in May, the Chairman’s Train is the first train in the UK available (in its entirety) for private hire, said Chris Moss in The Telegraph. Decked out in “classic” 1950s British Rail “blood and custard” livery, it has all-new luxury interiors by designer Sara Oliver, and it can accommodate 16 people in its sleeper suites. It has two bars (both with pianos) and a drawing-room car (with a “cabinet of curiosities”). The price includes an in-house chef and a detachable “bubble car” called Flora, for exploring “locations unreachable by standard services”.

Full train charters cost from £45,000 for the first day, and subsequent days from £25,000; there are also curated trips such as the five-day Western Highland experience.

The southwesternmost of Japan’s four main islands, Kyushu receives relatively few foreign visitors, but it is rich in history and lush natural beauty. It was through here that early travellers from China and Korea usually arrived in Japan, bringing Confucian thought, Buddhism, writing, tea and, later, Zen teachings.

Still later, Portuguese and Dutch merchants arrived (in 1543 and 1600, respectively), staying on in the ports of Hirado and Nagasaki – which during the closed Edo period were Japan’s only gateways to the outside world. Their influence can be seen in the region’s food, architecture, and more, says Christopher P. Hill on DestinAsian – which adds an extra layer of interest to a tour of this western corner of the island, such as Walk Japan’s 10-day group walking trip.

One of the more easygoing of Walk Japan’s options, our tour only involved about five kilometres of walking per day, with other travel by coach, train and ferry. We stayed in a mix of hotels and traditional inns, or ryokans, often in towns centred around onsens (natural hot springs). My favourite was Yoyokaku, an “elegant” family-owned ryokan in the town of Karatsu, with a garden of “meticulously pruned” pines.

The food on the trip was “outstanding”, from meals in simple izakayas (taverns) to multi-course kaiseki dinners with “seasonal dishes almost too pretty to eat”. We saw the “luminous”, Korean-influenced pottery produced in the “picturesque” towns of Okawachiyama and Arita, and visited the Takatori Residence in Karatsu, a fin-de-siècle industrialist’s house with a “sublime” Noh theatre and Western conveniences including electric lights and a grand piano.

Nagasaki was “fascinating”, but I particularly loved the smaller port of Hirado. Its attractions include the Matsura Historical Museum (which preserves 17th-century tea traditions), and the breathtaking views afforded of the “island-studded” Genkai Sea from the Kawachi Pass.

The trip costs from £3,140pp, excluding international flights, walkjapan.com

To me, chakalaka is the ultimate South African classic, says Nokx Majozi. It’s one of those dishes that reminds me of summer braais and big family get-togethers. The mix of peppers, onions, tomatoes and spices is just so vibrant and full of flavour, it enhances any meal you add it to. Whether I’m pairing it with grilled meats, spooning it over eggs or avocado toast, or just enjoying it on its own, it’s always a crowd-pleaser. I like mine with a bit of heat, but you can easily make it milder.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1⁄2 spring cabbage (hispi), finely sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 4 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 5 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 8cm ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 x 400g tin of baked beans
• sea salt and black pepper
• chopped parsley, to serve (optional)

Method

• Start by preparing the cabbage, peppers, carrots and tomatoes and set to one side.
• Put the oil in a large saucepan and set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly until soft and translucent.
• Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften, then add the curry powder and cook for a further minute until it smells fragrant.
• Add the cabbage, peppers, carrots and tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure nothing sticks.
• Add the baked beans, including their juice, cover with the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve it on toast, on baked potatoes or with chicken or fish. Scatter over some parsley if you’d like a hit of green, but it isn’t strictly necessary.
• You can keep any leftover chakalaka in the fridge for five days.

Taken from “The South African Cookbook” by Nokx Majozi

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At 7.20pm last Friday, after months of increasingly feverish speculation, the jumbo screens outside Madison Square Garden flashed the news: “JUST&T MARRIED”, and the nearby Empire State Building erupted in “something blue” sparkles, said Evan Moffitt in The Observer. Taylor Swift, Miss Americana, had tied the knot with her football-star boyfriend Travis Kelce at a ceremony described as the US’ royal wedding.

In advance of the event, several blocks around Penn Station had been blocked off to cars and pedestrians. The 1,000 guests – who included Tom Hanks, Gigi Hadid, Hugh Grant, Graham Norton, Lena Dunham and Steven Spielberg – rolled up in blacked-out SUVs. Most alighted in specially erected tent tunnels and, to the disappointment of the crowds of Swifties waiting in the 40°C heat, there were no sightings of the happy couple.

Private affair

It’s quite a feat to host a major event in a 22,000-capacity arena in the middle of New York City, on the 4th of July weekend, and keep it entirely private, said Megan Agnew in The Times. Swift’s publicists released a few details: the ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler; bride and groom wore white Dior.

Beyond that, fans had only leaks and speculation to go on: the Garden had been transformed into “an enchanted garden”, with fake wisteria and white roses and acres of peach fabric; the vibe was “Alice in Wonderland meets The Wizard of Oz”; Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks performed. The cost was estimated at $20 million.

Social media backlash

With an eye on the optics, Swift let it be known that they’d given $26 million to charities – but that didn’t stop the backlash, said Ryan Zickgraf on UnHerd. On social media, even some fans railed against the gaudy excesses of the event, while rumours that leftover cake had been distributed outside it led to Marie Antoinette jibes.

New York used to welcome billionaires, but rising prices and spiralling rents have fuelled intense resentment about the rich who just get richer. Swift is especially vulnerable to this, because she became a billionaire while presenting herself as “your awkward friend, writing in her diary”. That “parasocial magic becomes harder to sustain once the relatable girl with a guitar is visibly living like a Medici”.

What happened

The Bayeux Tapestry, a wool-on-linen depiction of the Norman conquest of Anglo-Saxon England in 1066, arrived in London this morning after a secret journey from France. It’s the first time the Medieval artwork has returned to Britain since its creation nearly 1,000 years ago.

The high-security, “dead of night” delivery to the British Museum was “like a heist movie in reverse,” The Associated Press said.

Who said what

The Bayeux Tapestry is an “epic depiction” of the defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, the BBC said. It was the last successful conquest of England and it “changed everything, reshaping the country entirely.” When French President Emmanuel Macron “offered us the tapestry, I think he understood that it would have far more impact in the U.K.,” Peter Ricketts, the retired British diplomat who helped secure the loan, told the AP. Everybody in Britain “knows 1066.” The 230-foot tapestry’s 58 scenes brim with “vivid and sometimes gory detail,” the AP said, including “mutilated bodies and the unlucky Harold, felled by an arrow through his eye.”

What next?

Before going on public display in September, the AP said, the tapestry “will spend several days acclimatizing before it is carefully unpacked and unfolded” for the exhibition, which the British Museum “expects to be one of the most popular in its history.”

Florence is often called a living art gallery, but it’s also a living city, with culture and dining and drama far beyond the ancient. This Time Tomorrow – an exquisite collection of apartments at the northern edge of the Piazza della Libertà – exists for you to experience all this; to make visiting Florence more than just a box-ticking trail round the Renaissance classics. It succeeds.

Why stay here?

The design standard of the apartments is sublime. The classic “luxury converted palazzo” elements are all present: soaring ceilings, often frescoed; tapestries on walls and gorgeous wooden floors; restored original mosaics and embellishments wherever possible. But there’s also a contemporary edge, thanks in part to the owners’ large art collection generously displayed throughout, and to the thoughtful deployment of technology in the kitchens, living spaces and bedrooms.

Larger apartments have their own outside space and there is a communal roof terrace with exceptional views south to the city centre and north across the hills. Sunset cocktails here at least once is a must.

The tasteful, marble-clad bathrooms are stocked with luxurious Erbario Toscano olive-oil products, testament to the local-sourcing ethos of the property, and by far the best I’ve encountered at any hotel or apartment before. Such touches elevate a stay here, making it a more personal experience than any traditional hotel could ever offer. The on-site concierge team (contactable via WhatsApp after hours) ensures service isn’t sacrificed despite staying in an apartment.

Eating and drinking

A welcome hamper of essentials – artisanal pasta, charcuterie and staples like olive oil and balsamic vinegar – stocks the kitchen with, of course, tea and coffee. There is no restaurant in the building, but vouchers are provided for an inclusive breakfast at one of two local cafés. Pasticceria Blasio is across the street and frequented by affluent, well-dressed ladies; Caffè Libertà is round the corner and has a younger, more student-y vibe. Both are excellent, with incredible pistachio croissants.

People rarely go on holiday to cook for themselves, but with the kitchen and roof terrace here, the idea of making dinner one evening becomes appealing. Artisanal delis and a good-sized supermarket are five minutes on foot, and you'll find local wine recommendations in the fridge or bar cabinet (at your own expense).

For recommendations, the knowledgeable in-house This Time Tomorrow team is on hand with a network of places tourists would rarely discover. But in the same street is the family-run Ristorante Alfredo serving the kind of hearty rustic cooking only a nonna can provide. A few steps away is SantaBarbara Desco e Cucine, a hip, young joint serving a tasting menu of delicious sharing plates – try the sausage and octopus. But beware, it is so popular with locals you’ll need the team’s help to get you in.

Things to do

Go out and get a little lost. If this is your first time in Florence then you’ll be happy to hear the Duomo, the David, and all the other monuments you might want to visit are within walking distance, or there’s a tram stop outside the door. If you’re a seasoned visitor, Via San Gallo is just across the square with vintage shops and restaurants you may have missed previously.

Or embrace the local neighbourhood, turning left to venture deeper into Le Cure instead of right to the town centre. Trust in the advice of your personalised itinerary – created for you by the team before you arrive, based on your responses to a pretty comprehensive questionnaire – and discover the real soul of this extraordinary city.

The verdict

The Florence hospitality market is one of the most saturated in the world, so it’s difficult for new properties to stand out. Using its considered blend of design, empathetic service, and immense knowledge of the city, This Time Tomorrow has managed to do so with aplomb. It’s a quirky, characterful, and superbly lavish alternative to a hotel, and one that will enhance your visit to the city no end.

Nick was a guest at This Time Tomorrow; thistimetomorrow.io

Penelope Keith, who has died aged 86, became one of the most famous faces in Britain in the 1970s, owing to her roles in two of the most beloved TV comedies of their era.

In “The Good Life”, she was Margo Leadbetter, the haughty, bossy social climber who lives next door to Tom and Barbara Good (Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal).Elegantly dressed and immaculately coiffed, Margo is horrified when the Goods decide to become self-sufficient and turn their suburban garden into a smallholding. “This sort of thing simply does not go on in Surbiton,” she says, at the sight of their new pigsty. Yet Margo and her more easygoing husband Jerry (Paul Eddington) remain on good terms with their often hapless neighbours.

TV stardom

Margo had been conceived as a supporting role, but her brilliantly delivered putdowns – “Don’t bleed in the sink Jerry, I’ve just cleaned it” – became one of the show’s great highlights, said Gareth Roberts in The Daily Telegraph; and it was Keith’s genius to make Margot a fully rounded personality – a crashing snob, brittle and without humour, but also pragmatic, kindly and sometimes vulnerable.

In “The Good Life”, she was one member of an impressive ensemble cast (of which Kendal is now the only survivor); from 1979, she had the lead role in “To the Manor Born”, as the aristocratic Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, who – following the death of her husband – is forced to sell her ancestral seat, and move into its gatehouse. She initially despises the estate’s new owner, self-made supermarket tycoon Richard DeVere (Peter Bowles), but gradually warms to him. In the series finale in 1981, the pair get married. It was an even bigger hit than “The Good Life”, attracting up to 24 million viewers.

In 1977, Keith sent up her onscreen persona when she appeared, attempting to descend a grand staircase clad in a turban and a long gown, on Morecambe and Wise’s Christmas special. In later life, she was a regular guest on tribute shows to the comedians.

Stage-trained perfectionist

People tended to assume that Keith was herself from a smart background, which she found gratifying. As she put it, she always hoped that audiences would “believe that it’s me up there”. In fact, she grew up in fairly straitened circumstances. Her father, an Army major, walked out soon after her birth in 1940; her mother found work at a hotel in Clacton-on- Sea, running children’s events.

Penny, as she was known, was sent to a convent boarding school aged six. She had always known she wanted to act, and at 16 she enrolled at the Webber Douglas drama school. After a period in rep, she spent three years at the RSC in the early 1960s. In a production of “Julius Caesar”, she was on stage in a background role when Mark Antony asks his countrymen to lend him their ears. Peter Hall was not amused when Keith’s voice was heard crying out: “’Ere you are then, ’ave an ear! ’Ave one of mine!”

In 1974, she starred (with Kendal) in the West End premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s “The Norman Conquests” as the uptight Sarah. It was this that led to her being cast in “The Good Life”, which ran for four series from 1975. From the 1990s, Keith focused mainly on stage work, with roles in everything from “The Importance of Being Earnest” to Rattigan’s “The Deep Blue Sea”. A perfectionist at work, she did not suffer fools, but she loved the theatre, and was notably supportive of young actors.

In 2014, she was made a dame for her services to the arts and her charity work. At home, she said she was happiest in her garden, tending to her runner beans. She married Rodney Timson, a police officer, in 1978. He survives her, with the two sons they adopted a decade later.

Ceredigion: Rhydlewis, Llandysul

A delightful rustic house within easy reach of the sandy beaches of Cardigan Bay. Set in mature gardens of approx. 1.5 acres, the property boasts a lake and a beautifully restored lakeside cabin as well as two Dutch barns. 3 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, recep, garden, parking. £585,000; Savills.

Powys: Penybont Hall, Llandrindod Wells

This grand Grade II manor house dates back to 1755 and is set in more than 21 acres. 8 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, 3 receps, 2-bed annexe, garden, outbuilding, parking. £950,000; Strutt & Parker.

Powys: Plas Trefaldwyn, Montgomery

Fine Georgian house set in approx. 3.6 acres of mature gardens. 8 beds, 6 baths, kitchen, 5 receps, coach house, garden, parking. £850,000; Tulloch & Carter.

Flintshire: Coed Y Cra Ucha Farm, Northop

A delightful Grade II* farmhouse with far-reaching views of the surrounding countryside. 3 suites, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 self-contained flats (with a total of 3 beds), recep, study, garden, outbuildings, parking. £975,000; Strutt & Parker.

Pembrokeshire: The Old Farmhouse, Priskilly, Haverfordwest

A charming end-of-terrace 18th-century cottage full of period details. It is located about 5 miles from the West Pembrokeshire coast and the beautiful sandy beach of Newgale. 2 beds, family bath, kitchen/dining room, recep, garden, parking. £325,000; West Wales Properties.

Carmarthenshire: Ardwyn, Hebron

Traditional farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Preseli Mountains. 3 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, 2 receps, 2 holiday cottages (with a total of 3 beds), 3 receps, garden, barn, parking. £795,000; Country Living.

Pembrokeshire: Long Park, Manorbier

Superb Arts and Crafts house with views to a 12th-century castle and the Celtic Sea. Set in approx. 1.3 acres, with a footpath to the beach. 4 suites, kitchen, 3 receps, garden, parking. OIEO £1.6m; Country Living.

Martial arts remains one of the few subgenres without much presence in the sprawling prestige TV universe. But as streamers have diversified and internationalized their offerings, there are now more options than there were, including these eight standout shows. For our list we have excluded animated offerings, foreign language series that aren’t available in the U.S. and shows like the network dramedy “Martial Law” that currently have no streaming home.

‘Kung Fu’ (1972-1975)

Some of the casting decisions, like having David Carradine play a Chinese character that Bruce Lee auditioned for, would not fly today. But the series remains an important cultural marker for the explosion of interest in martial arts in the U.S.

Carradine plays Kwai Chang Caine, a half-American Shaolin monk who flees to the United States in the early 1870s, seeking to find his half-brother, Danny Caine (Tim McIntire). It remains an “unforgettable pop culture phenomenon that blended solid action, engrossing storytelling and the philosophical musings” of Caine’s slain mentor, Master Po (Keye Luke), said Flickering Myth. (Prime Video)

‘Into the Badlands’ (2015-2019)

“Into the Badlands” is set in a violent and bleak post-apocalyptic United States ruled by warlords, whose power is backstopped by hand-to-hand combat warriors called clippers. Daniel Wu (“Geostorm”) is Sunny, a clipper who serves as the right-hand man of Baron Quinn (Marton Csokas).

While fending off attacks from a rival warlord, The Widow (Emily Beecham), Sunny meets M.K. (Aramis Knight), a mysterious boy who may hold the key to a more prosperous future beyond the confines of the badlands. A show that “sort of looks like 1886 but also sort of looks like the future,” it features the “absolute best fighting you’ve seen on TV.” Every fight is a “dramatic tableau set in a picturesque location,” said Brian Moylan at The Guardian. (AMC+)

‘Wu Assassins’ (2019)

Indonesian superstar Iko Uwais (“The Raid”) plays Kai Jin, a San Francisco chef based in Chinatown who learns that he is the last in a long line of mystical warriors who must use powers called wu xing to fight the Wu Warlords and prevent them from taking over the city. Kai’s father figure, Uncle Six (Byron Mann), is one of the warlords bent on domination, setting up a Star Wars-esque clash between father and son. A “true treat for any action fan,” the series “grabs you with its flesh-and-blood energy and ambition, offering a spectacle that has become all too rare in action stories these days,” said Nick Allen at Roger Ebert. (Netflix)

‘Warrior’ (2019-2023)

In a script based on Bruce Lee’s original (and reportedly stolen) vision, Andrew Koji (“Gangs of London”) is Ah Sahm, a renowned martial artist who arrives in 1870s San Francisco and is immediately plunged into the so-called Tong Wars, mostly street violence between rival gangs in different American Chinatowns. He becomes an enforcer for the Hop Wei tong, a crime family managing smoldering tensions with other clans.

Dylan Leary (Dean S. Jagger) is an Irish labor leader negotiating rising tensions between the two immigrant communities, and Christian McKay is San Francisco’s mayor, Samuel Blake. Both a propulsive action thriller and a fascinating piece of historical fiction, “Warrior” offers three full seasons of fighting and intrigue. It’s both “gratifying as a platform for representation” of Chinese Americans and “delivers all the adrenaline-pumping martial arts smackdowns one would expect,” said Hanh Nguyen at IndieWire. (HBO Max)

‘My Name’ (2021)

Ji-woo (Han So-hee) joins the police as a mole for a drug cartel to get revenge for her father’s murder in this Korean drama that remains little known in the U.S. To do so she must work with her father’s associate, Mu-jin (Park Hee-soon), to train and infiltrate law enforcement and find those responsible for her father’s killing.

Stylish and fast-moving, it’s a bit like the police thriller “Infernal Affairs” meets the revenge saga “Oldboy.” ‘My Name’ is an “enthralling and enjoyable revenge thriller” that uses “long, drawn-out sequences and impressive choreography” to build a compelling and slick drama, said Greg Wheeler at The Review Geek. (Netflix)

‘House of Ninjas’ (2024)

After losing their son, Gaku (Kengo Kora), in battle, the Tawara family blends back into modern Japanese life and abandons their nights-and-weekends ninja mayhem. Soichi (Yosuke Eguchi), and Yoko (Tae Kimura) are the family leaders who call their children Haru (Kento Kaku) and Nagi (Aju Makita) back into action years later while trying to keep their 8-year-old, Riku (Tenta Banka), in the dark about the family’s true identity. An “unalloyed delight,” the series offers a “marvelous mix of stealthy ninja action, family drama and gentle comedy,” said Peter Martin at Screen Anarchy. (Netflix)

‘Last Samurai Standing’ (2025)

Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada) is a down-on-his-luck samurai who receives a mysterious invitation to a tournament in Kyoto with a grand prize of 100,000 Yen, which was quite a lot of money in 1878. Hoping to save his ailing wife and son, Shujiro travels to the Tenryu-ji temple, where the tournament is overseen by Enju (Kazunari Ninomiya).

The catch is that to win, he will have to kill all of the other 291 players, a premise similar to the smash Korean hit “Squid Game.” The show is “fascinating and impressive a production,” its “character-driven” storyline “moves fairly fast, and the production is visually stunning,” said Karina Adelgaard at Heaven of Horror. (Netflix)

‘Song of the Samurai’ (2026)

“The Last Samurai” and FX’s smash hit “Shogun” aren’t the only current dramas to use the backdrop of late imperial Japan. Set in 1859 Japan, Hijikata (Yuki Yamada) is a fighter who encounters a group of men from the Shieikan dojo training facility.

There, he joins Kondo Isami (Nobuyuki Suzuki) and Okita Soji (Kanata Hosoda) to form the famed Shinsengumi samurai, which protects the embattled shogunate of Japan against pressure from the U.S. and other Western powers seeking to open the country to international trade and development. It’s a “sweeping epic that examines a fascinating part of Japanese history and takes the time to delve into the psyches of its characters,” said Sarah Osman at The Arts Fuse. (HBO Max)

“I had two goals while pottering among the 1,851 works in the 258th Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition,” said Christopher Howse in The Telegraph. First, to find “a nice little piece to buy”; second, “to identify the most annoying exhibit”. There were, alas, many more contenders for the latter than the former.

The RA’s summer show has been running every year since 1769, making it the world’s oldest open-submission exhibition. Every year, it mixes the work of famous artists with efforts by members of the public; and every piece displayed, this year as always, is for sale.

Its 2026 iteration has been “coordinated” by the conceptual artist Ryan Gander, whose chosen theme for it is “Interconnectedness”. I didn’t detect a hint of that here: it is, rather, a “whirl of objects” – an incoherent and unsatisfying display. “If you really dislike someone, then you might consider giving them ‘Speaking Clock’ by Peter Liversidge, which is just a Tannoy announcing the time each minute. It would be an expensive hate crime, though, at £7,500.”

This year’s exhibition is “less awful than usual”, said Eddy Frankel in The Guardian. Yes, of course it features “some of the worst art you’ve ever seen”. Nadirs include “a vast, half-arsed nude” by Tracey Emin; and Antony Gormley’s “giant” sculpture of his own likeness, that you’re encouraged to enter via “his backside”.

Yet Gander brings “a little bit of strangeness” to the event, which is very welcome. He gives ample space for oddball displays: “a video of a bloke doing Bowie karaoke”; a sculpture of a disembodied corpse sitting on a chair; a pair of silver boots “dumped on a plinth”.

As for buying opportunities, if I had the cash, I’d be interested in the comedian Harry Hill’s two paintings of cars on fire, which are “bleak and silly”, but strikingly so. The best things are by artists you’ve probably never heard of. Glen Pudvine’s image of hands unfolding a piece of paper, for instance, is “stunningly executed”. Harriet Porter, meanwhile, is a regular at the Summer Exhibition – and she’s always “the best thing in it”. Her painting of a “small, silver pot” is “hazy, minimal, serene”.

The summer show means “a great deal” to the non-professional artists who submit their best work, said Laura Freeman in The Times. There’s the standard deluge of cat pictures (though, curiously, there are fewer dogs than usual), but there are also some really good submissions: Sharmini Wirasekara, for instance, is exhibiting a “beaded beetle” that strikes me as “an iridescent miracle”.

Yet there are many disappointments: a Grayson Perry tapestry railing at the rise of AI doesn’t make sense in this context; and, in the RA courtyard, Ugo Rondinone’s LED rainbow sculpture spelling out the words “The Song is You” is the “tritest” work to occupy the space in years. Overall, this is “a flat and charmless year”.

Royal Academy, London W1. Until 23 August

“Nobody asked for a prequel to ‘Legally Blonde’,” said Anita Singh in The Telegraph, but here it is, because “ker-ching! – there is money to be made from rinsing the original”.

The result is “Elle” (Amazon Prime Video), “a cute but pointless series” in which we meet Elle Woods as a 16-year-old high schooler in 1990s Beverly Hills. She’s living her best life, until her parents announce that they have to move to rainy Seattle. So Elle is transplanted to the “epicentre of grunge”, where her “Barbie-pink outfits and perky demeanour are greeted with horror” by her hoodie-wearing peers. It is “a re-run of the film” – but “not half as funny”.

Lacks ‘fizzy dialogue’

Stretched over eight episodes, it sorely lacks the sharpness of the 2001 movie, said Adam White in The Independent, as well as its stacked supporting cast (Jennifer Coolidge, Selma Blair etc.), “fizzy dialogue” and comic set pieces.

The TV show also has a large plot hole: presumably, in the second season, Elle (Lexi Minetree) will undergo a “sociopolitical lobotomy” to explain why, in the film, she rocks up to Harvard so shocked by the way she’s greeted despite her experience in Seattle.

‘Slick nostalgia fix’

The series is an odd concept, said Carol Midgley in The Times: a spin-off of a film adored by a generation that is now well into middle age, but seemingly aimed at teenagers.

Still, it’s really not bad. Minetree looks like the film’s star, Reese Witherspoon, and captures some of what made her so brilliant in the part; and it has some good lines. It’s probably not a show for “a fogey like me”, but this “slick nostalgia fix” is good fun.

“Empires fall. Glaciers melt and oceans rise. Monarchs and prime ministers are crowned and toppled,” said John Nugent on Empire. “But the Minions cannot be halted, will never cease, will outlive us all.” And so they are back, in the seventh instalment of the “Despicable Me/Minions” franchise.

As ever, these small yellow gibberish-spouting creatures are searching desperately for a “villainous master to serve, which sees them encounter everyone from the tyrants of revolutionary France to a fearsome cyclops”.

Eventually, the “ageless goofballs” land in silent-era Hollywood, where they try to make their own monster movie. The tone is “as juvenile as ever” – in a film that is “goofy and giggly and resolutely wedded to stupidity” – but happily for “cine-literate parents”, there are some “absurdist treats”, including “the first ‘Citizen Kane’-based fart joke in cinema history”.

The film is “a hoot”, said Ed Potton in The Times, with “world-class slapstick” and a plethora of enjoyable movie references, not just to “Citizen Kane”, but to everything from Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton to “Jaws”. And it boasts a “tremendous” voice cast: Jesse Eisenberg features as a deluded robot, Trey Parker as a small monster, Allison Janney as a museum curator, and George Lucas (as himself) and Jeff Bridges as a pair of Warner brothers-like studio bosses.

It has been billed as returning director Pierre Coffin’s “love letter” to old Hollywood, said Rafaela Bassili in The Guardian, but the pleasures of this set-up prove short-lived. Later acts are “cluttered with extraneous characters and absurd situations”, and you feel you are just watching more of the same Minions fare.

Couple-swapping dramas had their heyday during the sexual revolution, said David Sexton in The New Statesman. And even the most famous of them, such as 1969’s “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”, look like “curiosities from another era” now. “Yet somehow, sexual perplexities remain in 2026.” “The Invite” started life as a play, by the Catalan writer/director Cesc Gay, which has since been turned into a film everywhere from Italy to South Korea. Now we have an American version, from director Olivia Wilde, and it is “not to be missed”.

Seth Rogen is “better than ever” as Joe, a failed musician unhappily married to frustrated housewife Angela (Wilde). One day he comes home to find that she has invited their hot upstairs neighbours – Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz) – to dinner. Joe is furious. He doesn’t want their company, he wants them to stop having noisy sex, which is keeping him awake at night.

The dinner is a disaster: Angela has failed to check Piña’s dietary needs (“no gluten, no dairy, no meat, no sugar”) and Joe didn’t get any wine in. As the evening descends into “mayhem”, Hawk and Piña reveal that they are into sex parties, and have come to see if their hosts are open to one. Brilliantly executed, “The Invite” is “the funniest film so far this year”.

“If there is more pleasure to be had than watching great actors behaving badly, I would genuinely wish to know about it,” said Deborah Ross in The Spectator. Cruz is wonderful, as sexy and charismatic as you could hope; Norton is “insufferably smug”; and Rogen proves he can do “emotional depth” when he tries.

The film is “hilarious”, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail, but it is also profound, “offering a genuinely insightful peek into the human, and marital, condition”.

The best newly published holiday reads.

All In by Claire Powell

Very few authors write about “contemporary Englishness as astutely, mercilessly and affectionately as Claire Powell”, said The Guardian. In “All In”, she “puts her perfectly observed characters in the pressure cooker” of an all-inclusive family holiday, creating a “kind of meta-beach read”. Best known for “At the Table” (2022), Powell has a knack for creating “characters you feel you really know”, said The Times. “Funny and moving”, this is a “brilliant summer read”.

Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli

From “drug addiction to choosing unsuitable lovers, Liza Minnelli inherited plenty” from her mother Judy Garland, said The Telegraph. It has made for a fascinating life, which she documents in an “intimate, chatty style” in this “rip-roaring memoir”. The most vivid sections focus on Garland, whose mood swings Minelli had to manage as a teenager, said The Sunday Times. But Minnelli’s love life also “makes for anecdotes galore”.

Transcription by Ben Lerner

On his way to interview his literary hero, the narrator of “Transcription” drops his iPhone in the sink. He has no means to record the conversation, but presses ahead with the interview anyway. From this simple premise unfolds an “intelligent, absorbing” study that “plays with the boundary between the truth and fiction”, said the Financial Times. A deserving winner of the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, this “compact and endlessly surprising” novel “exerts a powerful grip”, said The Times.

Land by Maggie O’Farrell

The “Hamnet” author’s latest is set in Ireland just after the Great Famine, and begins with the story of a cartographer and his son surveying a windswept peninsula, said The Independent. “Moving and magnificent”, it is O’Farrell’s “most ambitious book to date”. Incorporating elements of folklore and the supernatural, this is a “gripping” work about a land and its people, said London’s The Standard. “You’ll struggle to look up” from it while on holiday.

Jan Morris: A Life by Sara Wheeler

“From reporting on the first ascent of Everest in 1953 to transitioning in the 1970s”, Jan Morris led a “unique and astonishing” life, said the Financial Times. And it is superbly captured by Sara Wheeler in this “engrossing authorised biography”. For all that she was trail-blazing, Morris was “not a lovely person”, said The Times: “she was sharp-elbowed, slapdash, imperious and narcissistic”. It’s to Wheeler’s credit that she acknowledges such traits in her “sympathetic but candid biography”.

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

When Zac Brettler, a middle-class 19-year-old, fell to his death from a Thames-side apartment in 2019, police initially treated his death as suicide, said The Telegraph. But this “extraordinary” work of investigative journalism presents a darker, more complex take. At once a portrait of a family’s grief and of “a city at a particular point in its history”, said the Financial Times, “London Falling” is “a masterpiece” from the award-winning author of “Empire of Pain”.

Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley

There can’t be many romantic novels that feature “Boris Johnson’s ICU stay”, said The Guardian. But in this “treasure” of a book, Jessica Stanley braids the personal and political as she chronicles the relationship between copywriter Coralie and journalist Adam. Full of “on-the-nose” references, this is a “stellar summer read”, said The Times.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This epistolary novel about a 73-year-old retired lawyer who lives alone in Maryland was a “startling word-of-mouth success”, said The Times. “When you read it you’ll understand why.” Sybil, the protagonist, is someone “you want to spent hours with”, said The Independent. The winner of this year’s Women’s Prize For Fiction, this book is the “best kind of summer read”.

Fair Play by Louise Hegarty

When a group of friends holds a murder mystery party and one is found dead, we seem set for a conventional “whodunnit”, said The New York Times. But this “terrific debut” works on several levels: part “knowing homage to classic detective fiction”, it’s also a “sensitive examination” of grief. It’s the “most original crime novel you’ll read all year”, said The Guardian.

The Dordogne is a region renowned worldwide for everything from gastronomy and gorgeous castles to grottos and grand cru vintages. Quite understandably at this time of deep uncertainty and major conflict in the Middle East, British travellers are opting to visit Europe rather than venturing farther afield. And, just an hour’s flight time from London, there are few more lovely places to visit than the southwest of France.

What to see

Among the many natural wonders of the Dordogne, a true highlight is the Padirac Caves. The largest underground natural heritage site in Europe, it is the most famous cave in France, welcoming 500,000 visitors a year.

The limestone cave system dates back to the Jurassic period 170 million years ago, when dinosaurs walked the earth. It was discovered in 1889 by the intrepid French explorer, Edouard-Alfred Martel. He descended 60 metres on a rickety rope ladder into a chasm known as the Devil's Pit.

More than 100 metres deep and 20 kilometres long, Padirac is a breathtaking place to visit. You travel part of the way in a boat which has the feel of Charon’s ferry to the underworld. You are steered through an astonishing limestone canyon, crossing turquoise water where only tiny snails and blind shrimp are capable of living. The caves are adorned with 60-metre-long stalactites which descend from the roof like mesmerising aliens.

The high point of Padirac – literally and figuratively – is La Salle du Grand Dôme. An astonishing piece of natural theatre, it is a 93-metre-high cave large enough to fit the entire Notre Dame Cathedral. It's a temple to the power of nature.

Around a two-hour drive from here lies the beautiful medieval city of Limoges that’s famed for its leather. You can spend a very enjoyable morning at the recently opened La Cité du Cuir (City of Leather) museum. It is housed in the city’s former tannery in nearby St Junien beside the River Vienne.

As well as a comprehensive display about the process of making leather, featuring many vintage implements, the museum offers a demonstration by an expert cutter of the immense skill required to craft a fashionable pair of leather gloves.

The museum also has a fascinating exhibit about the social history of leather. This includes the iconic moment when the American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a defiant Black Power salute during the US National Anthem at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The relevant aspect of their protest? Their hands were clad in black leather gloves.

Like Padirac, this charming, atmospheric cheese shop, La Maison du Fromage, in the medieval centre of Limoges, is a sublime subterranean experience. You descend three storeys to the building’s ancient cellars, where you can try a selection of the region’s marvellous cheeses and wines by candlelight. The 250-plus cheeses are kept fresh in the constant 11C temperature.

Where to stay

A fairytale castle dating from the 14th century, the Château de la Treyne hotel near Lacave appears to be teetering in an impossibly precarious spot atop a rugged cliff on the banks of the Dordogne.

The interior, which has 18 very different bedrooms, is equally impressive. It is easy to see why Henri IV felt at home when he stayed here. I spend the night in a grandiose red-hued room called Gothique, which has a suitably regal double bed.

The dishes on offer in the château’s Michelin-starred restaurant are equally sumptuous. Please do not leave without sampling the divine dessert of Caribbean coffee-chocolate delice with a hint of tonka beans and cacao nibs. Truly, food fit for a king.

With 14 rooms, three suites and a villa, La Chapelle Saint Martin, is set in 40 acres of parkland near Limoges.

In the splendid Michelin-starred restaurant, you can sample such delicacies as the signature Limousin rack of veal with meat ragout and truffle sauce. In a clever nod to the regional speciality of porcelain, it’s all served on plates by local makers Bernardaud, decorated by the artist Marco Brambilla.

Another stand-out hotel serving Michelin-starred food is Le Vieux Logis, in Trémolat in deepest Dordogne. It occupies a lovely former medieval priory and features an immaculately kept formal garden. In the restaurant, in a capacious room that used to be a tobacco-drying chamber, you can delight in dishes from a menu of seasonal specialities.

The verdict

The Dordogne is a breathtaking region. If you're looking to avoid long-haul flights in these turbulent times, this is the ideal short-haul destination.

The famous French film director Claude Chabrol, who spent six weeks in Trémolat shooting the psychological thriller “The Butcher” in 1970, signed the visitors’ book at Le Vieux Logis, writing: “To leave paradise and return home is the height of sadness. Pity me!"

I know exactly how he feels.

James Rampton was a guest of Château de la Treyne; La Chapelle Saint Martin and Le Vieux Logis.

“A weekend spent at a water park might be the perfect family trip,” said Sophie Dickinson in The Telegraph. And “mercifully”, given the heat, the UK boasts plenty of options. Spoilt for choice with most parks having both indoor and outdoor facilities, they are equally attractive in a “heatwave-filled summer” or on a “gloomy Sunday afternoon”.

Here are some of our favourite spots, including toddler-friendly options and thrilling attractions for older children to explore, not to mention those that are secretly a lot of fun for adults too.

Alton Towers Waterpark, Staffordshire

Alton Towers is known as one of the most “iconic (and arguably best)” theme parks in the country, said Adam England on Time Out. But its water park is “unmissable” too. Its famous attractions, the “Master Blaster coaster, Rush ’N’ Rampage waterslides, and the interactive Wacky Waterworks” draw visitors from across the UK.

Lagoona Bay, Bubbly Wubbly Pool and Volcano Springs are all more suitable for younger children, and adults who are wanting to take a break, “until it’s time to resume the fun”. Entry to the water park is not included with a standard ticket, but “if you enjoy hurtling down flumes it’s well worth the additional cost”.

altontowers.com

Alpamare, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

“The ever-popular Alpamare combines rides with relaxation”, said Dickinson in The Telegraph. Its four major slides – “twisting Snow Storm, frightening Black Run, double-tube Olympic Run and thrilling Cresta Run” – will keep the whole family “entertained for hours”. Every 30 minutes, the wave pool kicks into gear to add a bit more excitement into the mix. But don’t worry if it all “gets too much”. There’s an infinity pool overlooking the bay that’s a “breathtaking place to swim” away from the chaos.

alpamare.co.uk

Coral Reef Waterworld, Bracknell, Berkshire

Londoners have been trying their best to “stay as cool as a cucumber” in the heat, said Katie Forge on Secret London, but the majority end up “resembling something slightly more similar to a tomato”. Coral Reef Waterworld is within “splashing distance” of the capital, and is “squeal-inducingly thrilling”.

It boasts a “whopping” five slides, which vary in speed and scariness, so it’s guaranteed that something will “float your boat”. To top it all, there is a “humungous” pirate ship in the middle of the pool, and there’s even an erupting volcano, because “why not?”. There’s also an adults-only spa: the “perfect antidote” to the water-filled frenzy of the water park.

everyoneactive.com

Let’s Go Hydro, Belfast, Co Down

This is undoubtedly one of Northern Ireland’s “best” gigantic inflatable playgrounds, said The i Paper. If indoor slides and wavepools aren’t your thing, and you’re looking for something more active and adventurous, this is well worth a visit. Hosted on the Knockbracken Reservoir in Carryduff, the outdoor features “seven-foot-high slides, climbing walls and floating trampolines” among other obstacles.

Fans of “Total Wipeout” are in for a treat, and for teams or larger groups there is a “floating rugby and football pitch” and a “beach arena for volleyball”, not to mention a “Puddle Park” for the smallest visitors. With an on-site spa, and self-catering barbecue pod options letting you “cook up a storm”, you will leave more revitalised than when you arrived.

letsgohydro.com

Sunset strolls by the sea, snorkelling and picnics on the beach: it’s hard to beat an island holiday. Europe is dotted with picture-perfect isles that lie waiting to be explored. From a tiny island nestled within a Tuscan archipelago, to a quiet Greek haven at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, these are our favourites.

One of Tuscany’s most tranquil islands

The Tuscan island of Giglio hit the news in 2012 when a cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, ran aground here and capsized, with the loss of 32 lives. Today, it is hard to imagine that such a tragedy should have struck this beautiful, “laid-back” place, says Elizabeth Heath in Travel + Leisure. An hour by ferry from Porto Santo Stefano, on the Monte Argentario peninsula, the island has a “completely away-from-it-all feel”. The main town, Giglio Porto, is “colourful” and charming, and there are some good, if occasionally steep, hiking trails (Giglio is five miles long), with views to the larger island of Elba, 30 miles to the north. Hire a boat to reach hidden coves – perfect spots to “swim, snorkel or picnic” – and be sure to look up the island’s summer theatre season and its festivals of opera, film and wine. The stylish La Guardia hotel has rooms from £280 a night.

A beloved, less-visited Greek island

I grew up in Greece and have visited many of its islands – but “none has captured my heart quite like Kythira”, says Alexis Conran in The Times. Sitting alone, off the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula, it is quite big, and offers plenty to see and do; but with no international airport nearby, it never feels too busy. On a recent trip, I stayed in a “beautiful” villa run by Kythera Houses, near the central village of Potamos, which has a great farmers’ market on Sundays. There’s an attractive beach, Kaladi, not far away, but my favourite of the island’s beaches is Limnionas. The drive to it, passing the massive caves of the Agia Sofia, is “dramatic”, but the beach sits in a protected cove, and has lovely “clear”, calm waters. Eat if you can at Platanos, a “lovely” traditional taverna in the nearby village of Mylopotamos.

An arty stay in the heart of Sardinia

In the Costa Smeralda, Sardinia has one of the Med’s most glamorous tourist destinations, but the island’s interior is a world apart from its glitz, says Emma J. Page in House & Garden – “deeply agricultural” and steeped in tradition. Set next to the “rugged” Supramonte mountains, Su Gologone makes a great base. This family-run hotel has a huge collection of folk art, and offers a diverse range of art classes and outdoor activities. Ancient choral songs are sometimes performed during the communal feasts served in its terraced gardens, and there are wonderful artisans’ studios to visit in nearby villages. Also unmissable are the street murals in Orgosolo. Dating back to the 1970s, they address social and political themes, and lend this former bandit town an “edgy air”.

The Blytonesque charm of St Martin’s

Of the five inhabited Scilly Isles, none is more enchanting than St Martin’s, says Paul Miles in The Telegraph. Situated in the north of the archipelago, it is a “Famous Five” sort of place that has barely changed since the 1950s. Home to just 140 people, it lacks the “upmarket” shops and holiday lets of Tresco (more popular with “well-heeled” tourists). But it has seductive beaches of “almost-white” sand, lovely walking paths, and with the island’s mild climate, it “feels like a garden”, peppered with exotic species such as “tall” echiums and blue-and-white agapanthus. It’s worth hiring a kayak to visit the uninhabited islands nearby, and dropping in at the community observatory, with its two telescopes: on clear nights, the skies here are “tar-black” and full of stars.

A lonely cottage on a Cornish island

Fifteen minutes by boat from Cornwall’s southeast coast, Looe Island is a great place to connect with “the wilder world”, says Carol Donaldson in The Guardian. Managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the 22-acre island welcomes day-trippers, but also has two places to stay – a bell tent sleeping two, and a “cosy” one-bedroom cottage that was home, long ago, to a “pipe-smoking, fist-fighting” smuggler called Black Joan and her brother, Finn. There’s also a tiny museum and a house where the island’s wardens live. I rented the cottage for three nights, and spent my time reading and wandering the island’s woods and meadows. I also swam in a “little-visited” cove, and watched local seals frolic on the rocky shore.

If you are after a good cry, these films will have you reaching for the tissues. From stories of survival and life-changing decisions to heartbreak and hope, here are some of the best tragic tales brought to the big screen.

Titanic (1997)

Director James Cameron became “king of the world” in the 1990s with this “wildly over-the-top weepie romance” between Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) on the so-called unsinkable ship, said Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian.

Our heroine is “not suited for life in the gilded cage”, said The Hollywood Reporter, and finds herself saved by Jack, “whose joy for life and eagerness for living it to the fullest soon revitalise the young Rose”. Their love is not only tested by class boundaries, but with the “horrible outcome” of the voyage.

If the story was “made of showbiz and hype”, said Roger Ebert, “well – so was the Titanic”. The 194-minute, $200 million (£151 million) epic was “flawlessly crafted, intelligently constructed, strongly acted and spellbinding”.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Frank Capra’s Christmas classic is repeatedly voted Britain’s favourite festive film for a reason. It is an “uplifting story of family, love and hope”, said the BBC. It’s “also the story of one man’s struggle with life’s knockbacks”. George Bailey, played by James Stewart, is brought back from the brink of suicide with the help of an angel, Clarence, played by Henry Travers.

George is shown how “worthwhile his life has been and what treasures, largely intangible, he does possess”, said Bert Briller in Variety, when the film first came out in 1946. This recounting of his life is “just about flawless in its tender and natural treatment”.

Atonement (2007)

Another romance set during a tragic historical period, “Atonement”, reflects on how a single error “destroys all possibility of happiness in three lives”, said Roger Ebert. Based on Ian McEwan’s book of the same name, the film begins with a “breathless celebration of pure heedless joy”, as heiress Cecilia (Keira Knightley) falls in love with the housekeeper’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy), on an English country estate.

But the actions of Cecilia’s younger sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan) and then the couple’s separation during the Second World War force us to “think deeply about what betrayal and atonement might really entail”.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

In this “truish story set in 1980s San Francisco”, Will Smith’s Chris Gardner is a “newly single dad juggling bankruptcy, childcare, and high hopes of an internship” at a stockbrokers for no pay, said Tim Robey in The Telegraph. Smith is “sublime and moving” in this “tailor-made, sweetly serio-comic, Julia-Roberts-in-‘Erin-Brockovich’ Oscar vehicle”.

Chris and his son Christopher Jr. (played by Smith’s own son Jaden) navigate poverty, eviction and homelessness, but the hope portrayed in the movie is enough to “turn even the strongest of viewers into a puddle of tears”, said Harper’s Bazaar.

Graveyard of the Fireflies (1988)

Isao Takahata’s animation about two orphaned siblings in Japan during the Second World War is “one of the greatest films to have ever been made about children in wartime”, said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph. Made at Studio Ghibli, it has a “quiet but devastating power that breaks every heart it finds”.

The film creates “magical moments of natural beauty and childish delight” that only make the tragedy of Seita and his little sister Setsuko “even more harrowing”, said Steve Rose in The Guardian. It’s a “war story as wrenching as any live-action movie”.

Never Let Me Go (2005)

On the surface, the three main characters – played by Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley – are embroiled in a love triangle, but “this romantic drama tells an entirely more complicated story than you might expect”, said Entertainment Weekly. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s “devastating dystopian novel”, the film “dives into heavy themes of mortality and ethics with striking clarity”.

The characters are “expertly acted” and played “with such conviction” that “we get caught up in their doomed romance”, said The Hollywood Reporter.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

The first mainstream film to approach the subject of Rwanda’s genocide, “Hotel Rwanda” focused on the story of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle), who sheltered more than 1,200 people.

Turning such a “brutal and heart-wrenching subject” into “entertainment” has its risks, said the BBC at the time. But director Terry George’s decision to choose the “One Man Who Made A Difference” angle, as seen in “Schindler’s List”, gave “filmmakers the freedom to inject suspense, humour and romance – all the stuff that an audience actually wants to see – into otherwise sombre material”. Cheadle offers a “thrilling portrait of ordinary heroism, a performance that’s matched only by the magnificent Sophie Okonedo as his wife Tatiana”.

Sophie’s Choice (1982)

Meryl Streep delivers a performance “of such measured intensity” that encapsulates the “tragic, voluptuous” heroine of William Styron’s novel “Sophie’s Choice”, that “the results are by turns exhilarating and heartbreaking”, said Janet Maslin in The New York Times when the film first came out.

Sophie, a Polish immigrant, is forced to make an unconscionable decision which will have life-changing and haunting consequences. It’s not a flawless film, but it is a “unified and deeply affecting one” that “casts a powerful, uninterrupted spell”, thanks largely to Streep’s “bravura performance”.

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

A “dreadfully sad musical”, said Vogue, “Dancer in the Dark" is “painfully bleak, but very beautiful”. Björk stars as Selma, an immigrant mother losing her vision while trying to provide for her son.

Director Lars von Trier “pushes the limits of modern film-making”, said the BBC, combining the “extreme styles” of “hand-held documentary melodrama” and an “all-singing, all-dancing Hollywood musical shot in vibrant Technicolor-style”. There are “many moving and heartfelt scenes, if you can cope with the burst of a song or two”.

The Notebook (2004)

A romance that “transcends obstacles, space, and time”, said Marie Claire, “The Notebook” follows the romance between Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) from “youthful intoxication to old age”, said Vogue.

Switching from scenes showcasing the “urgency of young romance” to the tragedy of an older Allie “disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s”, it’s a “sentimental fantasy”, said Roger Ebert.

The story builds a relationship that will make you “root for the pair to beat the odds against them”, said Stephen Holden in The New York Times.

“What can there possibly be left in the Sedaris backstory that the writer hasn’t already mined?” asked Emma Brockes in The Guardian. The American humourist has written nine volumes of essays over his decades-long career, which leaves you wondering whether he’s “suffering from a problem that comes to all writers in the end” – a “dearth of usable material”.

But his latest collection reveals that he hasn’t run out of ideas yet. While reading Sedaris is a “glitchier experience” than it once was, his “tone still charms, even as it advances to a state of crankiness that makes him look like a gay Larry David”.

In the 28 pieces that make up “The Land and its People”, Sedaris sticks to his tried-and-tested formula of harvesting from “everyday experiences with his husband, Hugh, his siblings and his friends”. The book is peppered with “laugh-out-loud moments”, like his experience of a No Kings protest against Trump in which he finds himself “baffled by his fellow protesters’ lack of focus”. But there are also sections that “an editor could have put a red line through”, where he veers into an “occasionally too rote adoption of the grumpy-old-man trope”.

Inevitably some of the essays “have more going for them, and more in them, than others”, said Roddy Doyle in The New York Times. Is it as funny as his earlier books? “We’re very lucky to have both.” Sedaris has grown older and the “world seems weirder”. That’s why I love reading his work: “for him, being alive has always been strange and atrocious, contradictory, unfair and hilarious”. Now approaching 70, he “examines ageing with the same vigour, curiosity and grim glee” that brought his other books to life.

It is when he reflects on the “minutiae of everyday life” that his writing “really shines”, said Buzz Magazine. Whether he’s “documenting a humdrum car journey” or “arguing in bad French with an AI assistant on Duolingo”, Sedaris remains a “masterful storyteller” who is “always outrageous and highly entertaining company”.

Sometimes “ill-tempered and frequently hilarious”, he brings readers with him on a “touchingly honest journey through life’s peaks and troughs”, and continues to “mine gold from both the mundane and absurd”.

“For centuries, the Cerne Abbas Giant has been hard to miss,” said the BBC. The 55-foot chalk outline of a “naked, club-wielding man” cut into a hillside in the Dorset countryside is “one of the UK’s most instantly recognisable historic landmarks”.

Following recent fundraising efforts, the National Trust purchased the land surrounding the figure to help preserve it for future generations. Its origins are unknown but scientific analysis of sediments published in 2021 revealed the giant was probably first cut in the late Saxon period, between 700 and 1100 AD. Every eight to 10 years, volunteers visit the hillside to restore the figure by packing fresh white chalk into his outline.

Britain is “seared” with chalk figures like this one, said Dr Matthew Green in The Telegraph. From “fantastical beasts” to “beguiling symbols”, the “unsettling and beautiful” shapes are “cut into the bedrock of chalky hills”. In the “absence of detailed written evidence”, their roots remain a mystery.

Among the most “striking” is the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire. Best seen from the car park above Dragon Hill, it’s “more of a spectral echo of a horse than a horse”: the chalky outline doesn’t have hooves, its mouth looks like a beak, and it has a “ghastly, ghostly eye”.

Archaeology has dated the horse’s creation to 3,000 years ago in “the late Bronze Age” which is an “extraordinary survival”, said Jon Woolcott in The Guardian. “Generation after generation” have cared for it, “somehow keeping it bound to its wind-blown hill”.

Just over the border in Wiltshire, the rolling green hills are peppered with eight other chalk horses. Following the Ridgeway trail, you can walk to the Alton Barnes White Horse which is carved into Milk Hill, and another gleaming white horse cut into Cherhill Down near Oldbury Castle.

Drive for around two-and-a-half hours into East Sussex and on a “steep scarp of the South Downs” you’ll find the Long Man of Wilmington trekking over the hill, a “stave clasped in each hand”. Possibly Anglo-Saxon in origin, the “mysterious” carving has “fascinated” artists and writers for hundreds of years. Like the 40 or so other chalk figures that mark the British landscape, “their appearance enlivens walks and invites conjecture” to this day.

As the scorching weather returns, the best way to cool down is with an ice cream by the sea. The UK’s coastal towns are peppered with parlours serving everything from rich, creamy gelato, to refreshing sorbets and conefuls of quirky flavours. Here are some of our favourite spots.

Joe’s Ice Cream, Mumbles, Swansea

This century-old family run parlour in Mumbles is a “local cult”, said Felicity Cloake in The Times. It also has branches in Cardiff and Llanelli. There are rules: “always order the vanilla” which is “churned fresh every day” and has a “distinctly savoury edge”. You’ll also find huge sundaes here, and a knickerbocker glory that present owner Adrian Hughes thinks is “far too big for one person. Believe me, it’s not.”

joes-icecream.com

Jannetta’s Gelateria, St Andrews, Fife

“If you’ve ever visited St Andrews in winter, you’ll appreciate just how good Jannetta’s gelato must be to have stuck it out in South Street for the past 118 years,” said Cloake in The Times. When it comes to choice you’ll be hard pressed to find better: the parlour serves 54 different flavours that make use of locally sourced ingredients like Fife tayberries and Dundee marmalade. Expect long queues when it’s hot but the samples on offer while you wait “sweeten the deal”.

jannettas.co.uk

Hive, Aberaeron, Wales

Master ice cream makers Kevin and Mateuz make their “legendary” honey ice cream at Hive, said Portia Jones on Wales Online. The “distinctive, creamy” confection is “hands down my favourite ice cream” in the country. “One scoop, and you’ll see why it has a cult following.” Located right by the picturesque harbour in Aberaeron (with branches in Cardigan and Saundersfoot), it’s a great place for a sunny afternoon stroll.

thehiveaberaeron.com

Rossi’s Ices, Weymouth, Dorset

“Forget your standard vanilla”, said Judy Cogan in The i Paper. At Rossi’s, the Figliolini family “let the natural taste of the cooked milk shine”. They’ve been scooping here since 1937 and certainly know a thing or two about how to make and serve ice cream properly. Expect everything from banana splits and chocolate sundaes to affogato and ice cream sodas.

rossisweymouth.com

Moomaid of Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall

Milk is supplied by the cows at the on-site family farm to the parlour at this charming spot in St Ives, said Cogan in The i Paper. In keeping with its Cornish location, every scoop of ice cream is “topped with a dollop of clotted cream”. Flavours are creative but not “heinously quirky”: things like orange and mascarpone or almond and cherry ripple. “Watch out for circling seagulls”.

moomaidofzennor.com

The Toyota Rav4 was the world’s bestselling car last year, said Car Magazine. This sixth-generation version of the family SUV is available only as a plug-in hybrid in the UK, with “more range, tech and attitude”.

The 2.5-litre PHEV gets up to 305bhp in all-wheel drive form and can do 0-62mph in 5.8secs, while the new 272bhp front-wheel drive version takes 7.5secs. Electric range is “top-of-the-class” at 85 and 83 miles respectively.

With nearly twice the range of the previous Rav4 PHEV, the new model is good value and remains relatively refined, said Top Gear Magazine. It’s not that exciting to drive, but the soft set-up makes for a comfortable ride.

There’s a fair amount of body roll through corners, but it “never feels ungainly”. Pitch and dive is “well controlled”, the steering is light and pretty direct and there’s “decent feel” to the brake pedal.

Inside, the Rav4 is “more rugged” than plush, but the hard plastics “feel durable rather than cheap”, said What Car? reviewers.

There’s a clear 12.3-inch driver’s display, but opt for Excel trim or above and you get a head-up display with speed projected onto the windscreen, plus a “punchy” JBL speaker system. The 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen is “a big improvement”, and there’s plenty of space and storage options.

Set in the ice-capped peaks of the Annapurna range, the upper Manang Valley is one of Nepal’s most “extraordinary” places – and last year it acquired its first-ever “upscale” hotel, said Christopher P. Hill in DestinAsian. Perched on a lonely, “gravelly bluff”, Mountain Lodges of Nepal’s new property is a “thrilling” sight – stone built, as “stout as a medieval stronghold” – and it commands “postcard- shaming” views, too. The 14 rooms are comfortable, with wooden floors and full-height windows; the food is “unfussy yet satisfying”; and guests can choose from “numerous” guided excursions. Among these is a “demanding” climb to the remote glacial lake of Kicho Tal, and a visit to the 15th-century Sangag Samling Monastery, a rich repository of thangka paintings and sacred texts, set into a cliff high above the ancient farming terraces of Bhraka village.

Double rooms cost from £150 b&b (mountainlodgesofnepal.com).

A food-focused cycling trip in Italy

Widely regarded as Italy’s gastronomic heartland, Emilia-Romagna is a great place for an “eating odyssey”. If that sounds a bit heavy, consider doing it by bicycle, said Sean O’Neill in The Times – as I did this spring with a group of friends on a seven-night, self-guided tour with Saddle Skedaddle. From Cremona, we cycled 180 miles south to Bologna, via Parma, Modena and other lovely towns, travelling mostly along quiet country lanes, with hotels and luggage transfers arranged for us, and daily restaurant and bar tips sent via WhatsApp. I chose an e-bike, which made the going delightfully easy. There was plenty of time to “stop and stare” each day – at castles and palaces, and distant mountain views – and we enjoyed “sumptuous” feasts and lots of good wine.

The trip costs from £1,575pp, excluding bike hire (skedaddle.com).

Lovely Penzance with fresh polish

It doesn’t have the splendid beaches of St Ives, but Penzance is my favourite seaside town, said William Cook in The Telegraph – and after “decades in the doldrums”, it has “become chic”. Artists’ studios, “trendy” cafes and “quirky” independent shops have multiplied, but Penzance still doesn’t feel overcrowded, and nor has it lost its “grungy, vaguely hippy vibe”. If you go, eat at Orto (try the “rich” venison ragù) and, even better, Argoe, a seafood place in nearby Newlyn; and consider staying at the “elegant yet understated” Chapel House hotel. Don’t miss the “fabulous” coffee at The Hoxton Special (a “funky” surf shack on Marazion Beach). And make time for some of the best local sights, including the Jubilee Pool (a huge art deco lido from 1935), and the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, created by a local GP.

It’s 10 years since Colombia’s main insurgency ended, and the UK Foreign Office now deems many parts of the country safe for travel. These include some of the world’s most “breathtakingly beautiful” wilderness areas, said Kate Maxwell in the Financial Times, which were long protected from development by the conflict itself.

With two children aged nine and 11 – both lovers of outdoor adventures and animals – I wanted to arrange a two-week tour that took in some of the best, while also giving us time to see a city or two. And I had one other requirement besides: to see a wild capybara – the world’s largest rodent, which is currently “an unlikely tween icon”. Following a bicycle tour of central Bogotá, we flew to Yopal, to explore Los Llanos (“The Plains”), known as “the Serengeti of South America”. Our lodge, the Savanna Orinoquia, had seven thatched bungalows, each with a pool.

On walks, motorised canoe trips and a horse ride, we saw caimans, howler monkeys and many “magnificent” birds. A pair of capybaras appeared on our first morning, “crashing through the undergrowth”. Most dazzling, however, was a flight in a microlight trike, which afforded views of caimans “fanning from waterholes like iron filings” and capybaras grazing in herds, like cows in an English field. Next, we toured the city of Medellín, and went on a “white-knuckle” mountain bike ride in coffee-growing country. Yet more “magical” was our trip to Chocó, an area on the Pacific Coast that is inaccessible by road.

In Chocó, we stayed at Morromico, an eco-lodge with only three guest rooms and a cabana set beside a private beach among the jungled hills of the Utría National Natural Park. I had never been anywhere so “isolated and untouched”. We surfed, snorkelled, saw capuchin monkeys in the mangroves, ate a “hearty” fish stew in a remote Afro-Colombian village, and sailed close to dolphins and an eight-metre-long whale shark.

Original Travel (originaltravel.co.uk) has a 13-night trip from £4,490pp, excluding international flights.

Naples is in what is still a poor part of Italy, and meat doesn’t play a huge role in its traditional cookery, said Tom Parker Bowles. But this slow-cooked ragù, which I’ve adapted from Arthur Schwartz’s “Naples at Table”, is a masterpiece – the pride of every Sunday lunch. And it will taste even better after reading “Naples ’44”, Norman Lewis’ magnificent memoir about the time he spent in this most magical and seductive of cities, as a young intelligence officer.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 250g rindless pork belly, cut into large chunks
• 250g stewing veal
• 250g beef shin, cut into chunks
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 bottle (37.5cl) of punchy red wine
• 3 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• big pinch of sea salt
• big pinch of dried chilli flakes
• handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• cooked fusilli or spaghetti, to serve

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown all the meat, in separate batches, until well browned – around 5 minutes for each batch. Start with the pork belly as it will release some fat, but add more oil if the meat starts to stick.
• After removing the final batch of meat, tip the onions into the pan and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft, stirring and scraping up the crisped bits of meat stuck on the bottom of the pan.
• Return all the meat to the pan, add the wine and reduce over a high heat.
• Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli and simmer very gently for 3-4 hours. Stir every 15 minutes or so, skimming off any excess fat. You may need to add a little water, 100ml at a time, if the sauce begins to stick in the last couple of hours.
• The Neapolitans would remove the meat and serve the sauce with pasta to start, then serve the meat separately for a next course. But I like it all together. Scatter on the parsley and serve with a pile of cooked fusilli, spaghetti or pasta of your choice.
• Tip: when making a ragù the Neapolitan way, “you must stay with it, guide it, caress it for hours, so that the aromas of its various components can be released and mingle with each other,” writes Jeanne Caròla Francesconi in “La Cucina Napoletana”.

Taken from “Let’s Eat Meat: Recipes for prime cuts, cheap bits and glorious scraps” by Tom Parker Bowles.

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Whether you are after memoirs or analysis, here are the most compelling business books to pick up this summer.

1873 by Liaquat Ahamed

A “lively and compelling” account of how America’s Gilded Age economy broke the world, says The New York Times. Action sweeps from America’s railroad barons to Vienna’s stock market crash. Ahamed tackles “one of the great forgotten financial crises”, combining the nuances of high finance with some excellent vignettes, says Robin Wigglesworth in the Financial Times. The cast of characters, says The Wall Street Journal, ranges from the Rothschild clan to a “still-obscure” Karl Marx.

Super Nintendo by Keza MacDonald

How did a 19th-century Japanese playing-card manufacturer become one of the most influential companies in the entertainment world, asks Stephen Bush in the FT. This “engaging” history of the home of Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, by The Guardian’s video games editor, is a delight whether you’re a gamer or not.

Suing the Kremlin by Martin Sixsmith

“If you want to see Vladimir Putin’s soul, study the fate of Yukos,” says The Economist. An early indicator of his “authoritarian turn” was the “seizure and dismemberment” of the Russian oil giant and imprisonment of its boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Here, Sixsmith, a former BBC Moscow correspondent, charts how shareholders fought back. “Their unlikely champion was a cheery, phlegmatic London-based tax lawyer, Tim Osborne.”

Streetwise: Getting to and Through Goldman Sachs by Lloyd Blankfein

This memoir, from the “ultimate Goldman insider”, doesn’t quite break the bank’s “blood oath” of silence, says Literary Review. But it’s interesting on Blankfein’s ascent from working-class New York, and includes a “vivid retelling of the desperate days of September 2008”. Blankfein emerges as a “straight-arrow guy”.

Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent by Kim Bowes

This history examines the everyday finances, food and working practices of ordinary Romans in “thrilling detail”, said the FT. Don’t be put off by the 35 bar charts, said the Times Literary Supplement. This is “that rarest of birds”: an “utterly gripping piece of economic history”.

Bonfire of the Murdochs by Gabriel Sherman

“A brief, deft account” of one of the most consequential family feuds of recent corporate history, says the FT – and the costs of elevating just one child to run the empire.

Money Beyond Borders: Global Currencies from Croesus to Crypto by Barry Eichengreen

In this “timely book”, Eichengreen – an expert on the international monetary system – puts today’s concerns about the global role of the dollar into historical context, says the FT. Technological change is important, but it all depends on “trust”.

It’s an overused term, but Frida Kahlo “has become an icon”, said Laura Freeman in The Times. Her likeness is now inescapable and her story, too, is familiar: born in Mexico City in 1907, she took up painting as a teenager, while recovering from a traffic accident that would lead to her losing a leg below the knee.

She had a short but difficult life, compounded by health problems and her tumultuous marriage to the philandering muralist Diego Rivera. She died in relative obscurity in 1954, aged 47; but her works have since become “objects of mass worship and private devotion”.

“The brand, the brow, are unmistakable”; even before this exhibition opened, Tate had sold 35,000 advance tickets – the greatest number in its history. The show brings together around 30 of Kahlo’s own works alongside 150 by her contemporaries and admirers, in an attempt to track her arc from neglected painter to global phenomenon. I’m “no Frida fangirl”, and as an exhibition this is in some respects unsatisfying, but I left “reeling” from the “dizzying singularity of her vision”.

“There are few faces as familiar,” said Chloe Ashby in The Independent. Yet as the show demonstrates, she “had multiple selves: avant-garde artist; political activist; devoted wife; bisexual; disabled person; intellectual”. Her father was German, her mother “mestiza” (part Indigenous). In art and life, she “projected her shifting identity”. Among the “big hitters” here is a self-portrait painted in 1940, shortly after her divorce. It sees her “surrounded by greenery”, a “black cat and spider monkey peeking over her shoulders, a thorn necklace pricking her skin”.

There are some nice surprises, too: “The Chick” (1945) is an “exquisite” vision of “a fluffy, white fledgling”. Unfortunately, Kahlo’s own work represents only the first half of the show. Her “icon” status has made it hard to borrow her works, said Jonathan Jones in The Guardian. “Kahlo’s collectors, it seems, don’t care about supporting museums or sharing their treasures – I’m talking to you, Madonna.” The curators compensate for this “thin haul” by adding works by her contemporaries, and by artists who have been inspired by her one way or another.

Kahlo “was a sort of creative patron saint” to many artists, said Alastair Sooke in The Telegraph. Yet when we see homages here, we rarely see the original image that inspired them. This shifts the focus “from Kahlo to her imitators”; and much of their work is “boring and second-rate”. There’s a room concentrating on “Fridamania”, featuring everything from editions of a “canonical” 1980s biography, to a Frida Barbie doll – a tribute controversially manufactured “with lightened skin”. This could have been a “fascinating” exploration of the artist’s latter-day cult, but there’s too much padding here. The show feels like a “festive get-together at which the guest of honour is only intermittently present”.

Tate Modern, London SE1. Until 3 January 2027

Taylor Swift’s rumoured wedding celebrations kicked off last night at a star-studded New York event with a guest list of around 100 people, ahead of a much larger celebration today which could involve up to 1,000 guests.

Swift marrying NFL star Travis Kelce is “shaping up to be the biggest in showbiz history”, said The Sun, with “secret ‘military’ plans” to make sure it all runs smoothly.

‘Military-grade organisation’

Guests will be “ushered into the venue through an underground car park so they can get in and out without being seen”.

Madison Square Garden has “discreet entrances, a windowless roof and well-practised security arrangements”, so the public and paparazzi, “including drones”, can be “kept at bay”, said The Times.

Keeping their “nuptials almost completely secret” is a “feat” that will have required “military-grade organisation” and probably a “fair amount of legal paperwork”.

But some believe Madison Square Garden could be a red herring to distract attention from the wedding’s real venue. An MSG wedding is seen by some as “too tacky” for the “singer who writes about lakes, countryside, and enchanting fairytales”, said the New York Post. “You cannot convince me” that Taylor Swift isn’t getting married in a chateau in the French countryside, or “maybe even on the coast in Rhode Island”, a fan said on TikTok. But not MSG. “How stupid do you guys think we are.”

Dogs and drones

The logistics of planning a wedding for a celebrity “sound a lot like warfare”, said The Wall Street Journal. Former Navy Seals are “stationed at the door”, German shepherd dogs are “sniffing the perimeter”, radio frequency jammers will be “scrambling the Wi-Fi signal” and drones that “shoot down spying drones” are “locked and loaded”.

“Keeping things under wraps can involve multiple security teams, inner and outer circles of trust” and possibly “fake names and fake venues”. Sometimes guests “won’t know their final destination until they arrive”. They park their car and get put in a shuttle bus to the true location.

Hospitality staff “coming to a secret celebrity wedding site usually have to surrender their mobile and travel in a blacked-out vehicle”, said The Times. Guards are often “very attractive ex-military men in beautiful suits”, said Larry Walshe, a celebrity event designer. For anyone who goes “against the wishes” of the hosts and breaks an NDA, the punishment is that they are “de-friended”.

There’s not just the media and fans to consider. The city the wedding is planned for “might be plunged into a tailspin of resentment” by the prospect of being “invaded” by A-list celebrities and an “entourage” of designers, caterers, security staff and guests, said The Telegraph. Protest posters appeared in Palermo on the eve of Dua Lipa’s wedding to Callum Turner and in Venice last year during the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

And “rogue family members” can be “just as distressing” as fans, paparazzi and locals, said the WSJ. Michelle Rago, a luxury events specialist who has planned weddings for the likes of Brooklyn Beckham, said at one event a serious concern was preventing an ex-wife from crashing the party.

Wiltshire: Coneybury House, West Amesbury

A delightful art deco country house set where several spectacular designated National Landscapes converge. 4 beds, 3 baths, kitchen, 4 receps, 2-bed cottage, outbuildings, garden, garage. £1.75 million; Rural View.

Kent: The Old Cottage, Ulcombe

Handsome period house in a lovely setting between the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes. 4 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, 2 receps, garden, swimming pool, workshop, parking. £900,000; Strutt & Parker.

Shropshire: Penkridge Hall, Leebotwood

This Elizabethan Grade II* house nestles in approx. 2 acres in the Shropshire Hills. 4 beds, 3 baths, kitchen/breakfast room, 4 receps, garden, workshop, garage. £800,000; Knight Frank.

East Sussex: Braylsham Castle, Broad Oak

Fairy-tale castle built 25 years ago using reclaimed materials for an authentic period feel. 8 beds, 6 baths, kitchen, 2 receps, gardens of over 10 acres, parking. £2.25 million; Knight Frank.

North Yorkshire: Banks Farm, Thruscross

A traditional stone farmhouse ripe for renovation, in a superb rural setting within the Nidderdale National Landscape. 4 beds, family bath, kitchen, 2 receps, garden, a group of modern farm buildings and some traditional buildings with development potential subject to permissions, amenity grassland, parking. £595,000; Savills.

Hampshire: Winterbourne Cottage, Stoke

A charming Grade II thatched cottage in the heart of the Bourne Valley within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. 4 beds, family bath, kitchen, 4 receps, 2-bed self-contained cottage, garden, summerhouse, workshop, garage. £1 million; Knight Frank.

Anglesey: White Horses, Trearddur Bay

A striking modern house in a breathtaking setting on a dramatic southfacing headland boasting panoramic sea views. 5 beds, 4 baths, kitchen/dining room, recep, deck with hot tub and sauna, garage/boat house, crow’s nest snug, gardens of approx. 2.17 acres leading down to a private cove. £2.75 million; Jackson-Stops.

From a very modern romantic entanglement to an epic tale of power and class in Pakistan, here are some of the most exciting debut novels of the year so far.

Prestige Drama by Séamas O’Reilly

In his 2021 memoir, “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?”, Derry-born journalist Séamas O’Reilly applied “gallows humour” to the death of his mother, said Michael Delgado in Literary Review. In his “slim but impressive” first novel, he adopts a similar approach, finding comedy in “the Troubles and the shadow they continue to cast”. The action – set in present-day Derry – centres on the disappearance of “glamorous American actress” Monica Logue, who came to the city to film a 1980s-set crime series, said Miriam Balanescu in The Spectator. Featuring a “cacophony of voices” (each chapter is narrated by a different townsperson), this is a “thoughtful novel” from a “startlingly perceptive writer”. O’Reilly doesn’t fully pursue the “missing-actor thread”, said Joanna Quinn in The Guardian. Some may wish he had given it “more prominence”. But his main goal is to create a “patchwork portrait of the city”. Full of “gloriously vivid” writing, and insights about how Northern Ireland’s past misfortunes are recreated and commodified in the present day, “Prestige Drama” is a “brilliant” debut.

I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder

Jem Calder – who grew up in Essex before moving to London 10 years ago – is a writer much concerned with the “specific indignities of living in the capital”, said Laura Hackett in The Times. Both his 2022 story collection, “Reward System”, and now this debut novel are full of observations about “extortionate rent, overpriced coffees and fickle trends”. Chuck, 35, is a copywriter who has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend. At a party, he meets 23-year-old barista Joey, and they begin a “halting relationship” – one driven by their shared ambition to be writers. “Calder is brilliant at parsing the nuanced power dynamics of this situationship”; he’s a writer of “genuine talent”. “Frustrated romantic entanglements” are hardly rare in novels, but “I Want You to Be Happy” also presents a “hyper-specific chronicle of the current moment”, said Natalie Perman in Literary Review. “A significant plotline involves the opening of a branch of Gail’s”; characters spend “a lot of time” on WhatsApp. Impressively, Calder makes us care about what happens; and his “humour lands”.

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Woody Brown is a 28-year-old with a severe form of autism, which means he’s unable to speak or type, said Xan Brooks in The Guardian. And yet, he has produced a “triumphant first novel”, about a “non-speaking” person like himself and his experiences at Upward Bound, a “dismal adult daycare centre” in Los Angeles. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel is essentially a “series of vivid character sketches”, although it builds to a climax when a “client” of Upward Bound escapes. Both a “garrulous, charming story of a young man who can’t speak, and an inclusive, friendly guide to the overlooked and the isolated”, it is “moving and ringing with life”. It is controversial, though, said Laura Hackett in The Times. Brown communicates using a system known as “rapid prompting”, which involves him pointing at a letter board. Some say helpers can influence the process – others even suggest that his mother wrote the book. Yet even if you ignore its background, the novel “stands proudly on its own”. It offers a “fascinating insight” into the mind of a non-speaking autistic person, and is “genuinely entertaining”.

Discipline by Larissa Pham

This “spare” debut tells of a “lapsed art student”, Christine, who’s touring America to promote her own first novel, said Alexandra Jacobs in The New York Times. That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter. On her travels she shares her story with a variety of interesting characters. But all roads lead to a confrontation with the professor on an island off Maine, at which point the book “acquires Stephen King vibes”. Will Christine, like her protagonist, resort to murder? “Thickly pigmented” with suspense, Discipline shows that Larissa Pham “is a writer to keep a close eye on”. Pham’s “spiky” novel provides rich insights into the art world, said Ceci Browning in The Sunday Times. It’s “splattered with colourful descriptions of artists’ materials and references to specific paintings that will have you gleefully googling them”. On the surface, it’s about the aftermath of an illicit affair: but, as with a painting, “far more can be revealed with a longer, more thorough look”.

This is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin

Writers who leave a long gap between books run the risk of being forgotten, said John Self in The Times. But I think Daniyal Mueenuddin “will get away with it”. The Pakistani-American author published his first book – the short-story collection “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders” – in 2009. It was widely acclaimed, and he was hailed as “Pakistan’s answer to Chekhov”. Now, 17 years later, comes his first novel, a “sweeping parable of power and fortune” set in Pakistan in the decades following Partition. Filled with “lovingly created characters”, it more than “lives up to expectations” – and is sure to be “all over the prize lists later this year”. Divided into four self-contained sections, the novel immerses us in a semi-feudal world where “property and influence are everything”, said Lucy Popescu in The Observer. We meet those at the top, and those at the bottom – and observe their fraught, often complex interactions. The prose is “exquisite, lush” and “evocative”. It really is an “exceptional novel”, said Stevie Davies in Literary Review. “From the opening pages, I knew I held a masterpiece in my hands.”

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer

Clo, the protagonist of this “diverting” debut, is a lowly assistant at a New York fashion magazine, said Siobhan Murphy in The Times. She starts out as a “classic outsider”, who’s often mocked by her snobbish colleagues. But while she poses as a “self-deprecating storyteller”, she’s actually ruthlessly ambitious – and has an “ample amoral streak”. Caroline Palmer, a former Vogue staffer, “brings impeccable insider knowledge to her takedown of the absurdities and indignities” of the glossy magazine world. The novel is too long – and sometimes loses “propulsion” – but it’s “often punchily funny”. Any novel set at a Vogue-like magazine will inevitably draw comparisons with “The Devil Wears Prada”, said Alex Beggs in The New York Times. Yet “Workhorse” feels closer to a more “sinister story, with a paranoid and untrustworthy antihero”: “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. Palmer is a witty writer, and her observations are “razor-sharp”, said Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett in The Guardian. Still, it’s quite an ask to spend 560 pages in the head of such a “seething, grasping” central character.

This, My Second Life by Patrick Charnley

In 2021, a “near-fatal cardiac arrest” left Patrick Charnley with a brain injury, said Tilda Coleman in The Telegraph. The former lawyer draws on this experience in his “impressive” debut – about a 20-year-old who has just suffered a similar injury. Needing to lead a simple life, Jago has returned to the Cornish village where he grew up, to help his uncle on his farm. It’s not a novel in which a great deal happens (though there is “some plot”, involving a local drug dealer). Charnley’s aim, rather, is to convey the “limitations of life after such an event” – and this he does “expertly”. Like his mother, the late poet and novelist Helen Dunmore, he has a “mellow, pared-back style”. Although this novel is inspired by Charnley’s experiences (as he acknowledges in a brief preface), to see it mainly “through the lens of personal trauma would be to do it a grave injustice”, said Christobel Kent in The Guardian. It succeeds as a work of art: written in “spare and beautiful” prose, it’s as “finely wrought as poetry, luminous with Jago’s sheer delight in the world”. This is a work of “piercing intensity”.

The French playwright Florian Zeller is best known for 2012’s “The Father”, the elliptical dementia drama that – in its film adaptation – won Anthony Hopkins his second Oscar, said Clive Davis in The Times.

But he has written more than a dozen plays in all, one of which, “The Forest”, had its world premiere in London in 2022. That play was a misfire – a “pretentious study of bourgeois adultery”.

“The Truth” covers similar territory but is a very different beast. A comedy that “breezes along”, it is like an “old-fashioned English sex farce” with a Gallic twist – and Lindsay Posner’s production is well worth seeing.

“The Truth” takes the physical comedy of French farce, and adds a “metaphysical dimension about whether accuracy and veracity are possible or even sensible”, said Mark Lawson in The Guardian. “Across seven scenes, each featuring two characters, alibis overlap and contradict. Lies may be a tactic to expose truth and vice versa until the plot twists into a double helix of deceit.”

Zeller nods to his debt to Pinter’s “Betrayal”, the “guvnor of adultery dramas”, and as in that play, the two men here “are more faithful to their friendship” than to their wives. “The Truth” is one of seven Zellers translated into English by Christopher Hampton (of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” fame), and it is “made seat-shakingly funny by four fabulously fibbing performers”.

The play opens with a classic farce set-up, said Caroline McGinn on Time Out: a bed from which the rumpled head of Stephen Mangan’s Michel “emerges, looking roguishly pleased” with himself, next to the less satisfied head of Alice, who we discover is the wife of Paul, his best friend. What follows is 90 minutes of tightly plotted light entertainment, and Mangan fans will not be disappointed: he is terrific as the charmer who thinks he is managing to deceive everyone around him.

The other actors – Janie Dee, Sarah Hadland and Ardal O’Hanlon – also expertly navigate the “gathering reliance on contrivance”, and some tricky tonal shifts, said Matt Wolf on London Theatre. This is not a profound piece, but it is fun, in a staging that has been “polished to a glistening sheen”.

Apollo Theatre, London W1. Until 12 September

Across five “pacy” episodes, “The American Experiment” (Netflix) “draws you into the grand story of how a British backwater became the most powerful nation in the annals of humanity”, said Ed Power in The Irish Times.

The series, directed by Brian Knappenberger and produced by Tom Hanks, offers a bird’s-eye view of America since the 16th century, and features more than 60 talking heads (including Mike Pence, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore), who weigh in on the US’ origins and its “enduring fabulosity”. Yet the series is not entirely “self-congratulatory”; as it gets into the weeds of US politics, it makes it clear that all is not entirely well at the centre of Pax Americana.

The series makes use of an “awful lot” of voices, said Carol Midgley in The Times, but they are “woven tapestry-like to present a compelling, clear narrative that is detail-dense and immersive”. Dramatised re-enactments provide welcome breaks from the expert commentary, and the battle scenes are brilliant. It is a “punchy, spiky but cerebral few hours” that convey that the experiment is evolving – and fragile.

The commentary on American ideals is compelling, said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian, but there is an awful lot to take in. You might start to feel numbed and exhausted by the detail. The series lacks the flair of Ken Burns’ recent series “The American Revolution” (on the BBC), and it is all so carefully balanced that, at times, it starts to feel like “the televisual equivalent of consuming a kale smoothie on a wellness retreat”.

Jodie Foster has appeared in several French films, said David Sexton in The New Statesman – she speaks the language fluently, having attended the Lycée in Los Angeles as a child and lived in France for nine months, shortly after her breakthrough role in “Taxi Driver”. But this is her first lead role in French, and “it is her casting that makes this movie, a teasing melee of genres, work – more or less”.

Foster plays Lilian Steiner, a bad-tempered Jewish-American psychoanalyst, living in an elegant apartment in Paris, but now separated from her French husband Gaby (the “ever enchanting” Daniel Auteuil).

Things are not going well for her. One of her former patients has seemingly died by suicide using drugs that Lilian had prescribed her illicitly. She is being blamed, but Lilian suspects foul play by the patient’s partner and daughter, and recruits her ex to help her with some “dodgy sleuthing”. The set-up is good, and for the first few minutes it is “hugely enjoyable and promising”, and you wonder where it’s heading: “a satire on therapy? A family romance? A murder mystery?” Alas, the film tries to embrace them all, while never quite fulfilling any.

There are points when the story “probes potentially rich psychological territory”, touching as it does on Lilian’s suppressed childhood memories and her Jewish identity, said Philip Concannon in Sight and Sound. But ultimately, this “convoluted mystery, cluttered with red herrings and signifiers, doesn’t grip”.

Still, it is worth watching for Foster’s performance alone, said Deborah Ross in The Spectator. “She is Lilian through and through – and there isn’t a single scene where she doesn’t make an interesting choice or something doesn’t flicker over that face that keeps you hooked.”

The life of Juan Carlos I, Spain’s 88-year-old former king, has been one of “richly deserved triumph followed by richly deserved disgrace”, said Jim Lawley in The Spectator. And it’s a life that is superbly charted by Paul Preston in this “magisterial” biography.

Born in Rome in 1938, Juan Carlos was the son of Don Juan de Borbon, the exiled heir to the Spanish throne. Aged 10, he was sent back to Spain by his father, to be indoctrinated in the “political tenets” of Spain’s fascist leader, General Franco – who’d intimated that this could pave the way for a “restoration of an authoritarian monarchy”. Taking a close interest in the prince’s education, Franco would regularly lecture his charge “on the mistakes made by previous Spanish monarchs”.

It was a “very lonely” childhood, but Juan Carlos emerged as Franco’s chosen successor, and was proclaimed king after Franco’s death in 1975. Contrary to the dictator’s wishes, he then set about initiating democratic reform. In 1981, his “supreme test came” when he faced down a military coup. “Grateful Spaniards poured out onto the streets”, to hail the king who’d saved their democracy.

If the first half of this book “tells the tale of a lonely boy who turns into a noble king”, then the second “tells of his transformation from noble king into corrupt sleazebag”, said Craig Brown in The Sunday Times.

Having always been “something of a playboy”, Juan Carlos married Princess Sofia of Greece in 1962. But that didn’t staunch his appetite for what Preston calls “industrial-scale adulteries”. Although estimates vary, according to the highest figure mentioned he has slept with 4,786 different women – a voraciousness matched by his talent for procuring mammoth “gifts” from Middle Eastern rulers ($10 million from the Shah of Iran; $100 million from the Saudis), and a taste for “bear hunts and elephant hunts”. In 2014, “beset by political scandal and ill health”, he was “obliged to abdicate in favour of his son, Felipe”. Since 2023, he has lived in Abu Dhabi.

“Preston’s narrative is perhaps needlessly haunted by the question ‘Why?’,” said Jeremy Treglown in Literary Review. Seeking psychological reasons for Juan Carlos’ self-indulgence, he writes of the “strain of having to please two antagonistic masters” – his father and General Franco – and describes a horrifying accident in his late teens, when he fatally shot his “intellectually more able” younger brother while playing a game with an ornamental pistol. Yet the references to his “damaged psyche” don’t seem altogether convincing. “You don’t need to have read ‘Don Quixote’ or ‘King Lear’ to know that some men just go nuts.”

Sheffield’s musical adaptation of the 1963 Cliff Richard hit film “radiates enough rays of feel-good energy to leave you with a tan”, said Matt Barton on The Stage.

The story follows a group of friends who take a road trip across Europe in a double-decker bus. The gang travel through France, Switzerland and Italy towards their final destination of Greece, picking up a pop group and a mysterious American singer along the way.

But beyond the “globetrotting destinations”, it’s about the journey, which “provides a vehicle for Richard’s easy-going hits”. They beam with “warm familiarity”. The audience is kept in a “gentle sway, while pops of colour burst out of the sepia set and the boys step out of their boiler suits to strut around in stripy shirts”.

Amanda Stoodley’s costumes are “fabulously colourful, heightening the feel-good fun factor”, said Jacob Bush on The Reviews Hub. “The 1960s aesthetic is perfectly captured while somehow still feeling fresh.” Though the structure of the bus is “mainly left to the imagination”, it is “impressive to see a full-size Mini and scooter on stage”.

Directors Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti ensure the show is “packed with hits” and delivers an “irresistibly feel-good evening" in Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, said Mark Brown in The Telegraph. Versions of the show were staged in 2018 and 2019, but Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan’s adaptation adds a “twist” by moving the opening scenes of the “charming” journey from London to Sheffield.

The cast is undoubtedly “talented”, but George Jones as the “fine-voiced, charismatic Don is a standout”. In fact, “he gives an even more likeable and magnetic performance than Sir Cliff himself”. The score is “crowd-pleasing” and boasts many of Richard’s well-known songs, including “Bachelor Boy”, “The Young Ones”, “On the Beach” and, of course, the title number.

It is an “immensely good-humoured and infectious show”, said Ron Simpson on WhatsOnStage. Opposite Jones, Fanta Barrie has a “standout turn” morphing from “glamorous singer to urchin boy to Don’s ever-graceful bride”. There was, however, one problem that the Crucible “could do nothing about”: singing the title number with the lyrics “We’re going where the sun shines brightly” to an audience “gasping in the current heatwave!”

The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 18 July, then Blackpool Grand Theatre

Prediction markets have already made their mark on Americans, but right now they are especially persistent about attracting a particular audience: women. Social media campaigns are popping up online, urging women to place their bets on sites like Kalshi and Polymarket. Instead of sports, though, women are wagering on their knowledge of pop culture.

Gambling is in its #girlboss era

Up until recently, prediction markets have had a “dude problem,” said The Atlantic. Despite hosting all kinds of wagers, including celebrity gossip like Taylor Swift’s possible bridesmaids, the user base has skewed mostly male. They have largely become “yet another place for men to bet on football and March Madness.” Now, Polymarket and Kalshi are trying to lure more women to their sites using “social media campaigns that parrot the language of female empowerment and girlish memes.”

Some posts are company advertisements, while others are paid influencer partnerships. These are “either undisclosed partnerships” or made by “women who are just super excited to post a suspicious amount of links to Polymarket,” the Atlantic added. When the markets attempt to entice women, they “especially tend to lean into the idea that all of this is investing, not gambling.” Kalshi, in particular, has been “ramping up its efforts with women.” The fact that one of the company’s co-founders, Luana Lopes Lara, has become the youngest self-made female billionaire only adds to the #girlboss appeal.

A campaign that seems to be gaining particular steam appeals to the fanbase of the popular dating reality show “Love Island USA.” The massive fandom, which includes a large proportion of women, is “already doing the forecasting work of analysts,” so the “pipeline from group chat guesswork to prediction markets” is “evidently short,” said Time. Kalshi is capitalizing on the cultural phenomenon by “showing up where the fandom already lives,” sponsoring influencer posts that are “turning episode recaps into market analysis.”

In the first two weeks of the latest season of “Love Island USA,” the show’s markets “amassed more than $20 million in trading volume on Kalshi,” said Time. For context, the latest Oscars race for Best Picture “drew $25 million in trading volume.” The show is testing whether “social-media dominance” can translate into “record trading volume for a television show” and whether the show’s “female-skewing audience can reshape who trades on prediction markets.”

The value of women traders

Prediction markets “operate on a simple premise”: Prices get “smarter when a more diverse public participates,” and a “crowd dominated by one kind of trader can only be so wise,” said Time. The “significance in the marketplace” of “Love Island USA” may have “little to do with forecasting the winner of a reality dating show,” and everything to do with “bringing prediction markets closer to the wisdom of crowds they promise to harness.”

Simply put, women are “50% of the population,” Elisabeth Diana, Kalshi’s head of communications, said to The Atlantic, noting that 26% of Kalshi account holders are female — up from 13% just 10 months ago. The more women there are betting, the “closer these sites get to their stated goal of forecasting the future,” said the outlet. If they want to be able to predict the “Fed’s next interest rate, the winner of The Bachelor or whether or not it will rain tomorrow in Poughkeepsie,” a market “made up only of male sports fans won’t cut it.” If women start “using them en masse,” prediction markets will “burrow into American life even more deeply.”

Regardless, the threat of gambling addiction looms over the growing popularity of prediction markets. There is “going to be an absolute epidemic,” Kitty Martz, the executive director of Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery, said to The Independent. It is worrying that companies are targeting Gen Z and young millennials because they are at a stage of life when they are “trying to have some equity in getting into the workforce, [buying] homes and paying off tuition.” Women have these “very specific concerns,” and the prediction markets’ strategy seems to be to “convert that concern into contracts.” There need to be “actual, robust warnings” that the “more you do it, the more you’re going to lose.”

“It would take a lifetime to explore all of Scotland’s kelp-fringed islands,” said Mike MacEacheran in The Times. Stretching all the way from the “west-coast Hebridean chains” to the “northerly Orkney and Shetland archipelagos”, there are around 800 of these “mystical destinations” – although just under 100 are inhabited.

Whether you’re looking for a place to immerse yourself in nature or the setting for your next foodie break, these are some of Scotland’s best islands.

Jura, Inner Hebrides

Deer outnumber residents by almost 30 to one on this “sardine-shaped” island, said MacEacheran in The Times. On the western side, three mountains – the Paps of Jura – “rise up from stretches of blanket bog interspersed by lochans (small lochs)”. There are plenty of hiking trails to explore; be sure to walk to the north side of the island where you’ll find the “lonely” whitewashed house where George Orwell wrote “1984”.

Islay, Inner Hebrides

Just a short ferry ride from Jura lies Islay. Known for its distinctive, peaty whiskies, the island is home to a “whopping” 14 distilleries, said Robin McKelvie in The Telegraph. With its “floor-to-ceiling windows sweeping out to water”, Ardnahoe is the “stuff of ‘Grand Designs’”: stop by for a delicious lunch with whisky pairings. Book a room at the Port Charlotte Hotel which “feels like living in a postcard”.

Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

If you’re looking for “blissful isolation” and stunning scenery, make a pilgrimage to the Isle of Harris, said Ted Thornhill in The Independent. Luskentyre is one of the best beaches in the world: an “outrageous sweep of golden sand” that’s “almost totally deserted”. While the west coast is filled with beautiful sandy stretches that wouldn’t look out of place in the Maldives, the east coast is a “lunar-like landscape pockmarked with tiny lochs”.

Orkney mainland

Located on the Mainland, the largest island, Heart of Neolithic Orkney is a network of 5,000-year-old monuments that “blows Stonehenge out of the prehistoric water”, said McKelvie in The Telegraph. It’s worth travelling to Orkney to visit this Unesco World Heritage Site alone. But there are more “showstopping” landmarks to explore, such as Maeshowe where you can take a guided tour “down the long dark tunnel into the ancient burial cairn illuminated with Viking graffiti”.

Unst, Shetland

Britain’s most northerly inhabited island is a wonderful spot for birdwatchers. It’s home to the Hermaness Circular: a dramatic clifftop nature reserve where you can spot “puffins, guillemots and dive-bombing skuas”, said Kerry Walker in National Geographic. The “drama peaks at the island’s northern tip”, where you’re met with sweeping views of “rocky islets like Muckle Flugga – home to a 19th-century lighthouse built by the father of ‘Treasure Island’ author Robert Louis Stevenson”.

The heatwave that’s broken records across the continent could change how we travel this summer as we face a new normal of sizzling temperatures.

The impact of extreme temperatures on “tourism-reliant” countries could be “huge,” Alejandro Saez Reale, a specialist in heatwaves and their impact at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, told National Geographic.

The parts of the Mediterranean that have recently experienced prolonged heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 40C, may become less attractive. Areas that are increasingly affected by wildfires, drought or water shortages could also be hit.

Temperate spots

Travellers might increasingly seek more comfortable temperatures rather than the hottest destinations. They might also place greater value on where weather is more steady and therefore less likely to disrupt their holiday.

This could lead to a rise in the “coolcation” – a term that “neatly summarises” the “emerging trend” for European tourists “seeking out more temperate spots”. A study by the European Travel Commission in 2025 found 81% of Europeans were adjusting their travel habits due to the changing climate, with 15% actively seeking out cooler climates and 14% avoiding destinations prone to extreme heat.

Sustainable holidays, which boast features such as eco-certified accommodation, lower-carbon transport, and activities that support conservation, are also expected to rise in popularity. Forests, lakes, and cooler mountain environments could become more sought after.

Low-lying tropical islands threatened by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, and ski resorts at lower elevations, where shorter and less reliable snow seasons reduce winter tourism, could face a decline in bookings. Resorts are investing “heavily” in artificial snowmaking but the cost is “being passed on to skiers themselves”, said The Independent.

There is also a growing interest in “last-chance tourism”, or visiting places that are changing rapidly due to climate change, such as glaciers or coral reefs, said National Geographic. Ironically, this trend can increase the pressure on the very fragile environments that visitors are so enamoured by.

Finland, Norway, Poland and Iceland are recording double-digit growth in inbound visitors but this doesn’t mean the patterns have shifted entirely: last year, France and Spain were still the most visited countries in the world, with 102 million and 96.8 million visitors respectively, according to UN Tourism. So the “growth rate may have slowed”, but the number of visitors to these warmer countries “is not dropping”.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said feedback from its members suggests that, “on the whole, people are continuing to travel much as they always have, enjoying Mediterranean destinations during the summer months”, so the “increased interest in slightly cooler destinations remains the exception rather than the norm”.

Ballooning costs

Flying is “one of the hardest activities to clean up” because “technological solutions and efforts to keep disasters from spiralling” mean the cost of a flight is “likely to balloon” if it includes a charge for “making planes greener or sucking carbon pollution back out of the atmosphere”, said Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent.

Journeys could become trickier during the hottest months because heatwaves, storms, flooding and wildfires are expected to cause more delays and cancellations for flights, trains, ferries and even road travel. This means that travellers may increasingly avoid the peak summer months in very hot regions, and choose to visit during spring or autumn instead, spreading tourism more evenly throughout the year.

However, this might not mean they escape the issue because heatwaves are “spreading across the calendar”, said National Geographic. In May 2022, Spain endured a heatwave of “extraordinary intensity”, the following year in France, “severe heat” extended into September, and this year, much of the southwestern US was “hit by a March heatwave” with temperatures as high as 43C.

“Is this the summer of the can? I’d say so,” said Jane MacQuitty in The Times. Gone are the “dull, tinny, beery and oxidised notes” common in the canned wines of years gone by. Now, thanks to advances in technology, quality is “on the up” with more choice than ever before and “roaring” sales. Easier to transport and with better “sustainability” credentials than hefty glass bottles, these red, pink and white wine tins are ideal for “a picnic, the beach or a festival”.

Vinca Organic Red Wine

“Fuller-bodied, more robust” reds with higher alcohol content “take best to the canning process,” said MacQuitty. This Sicilian offering is made of “summery nero d’avola and frappato grape”. It is bold in flavour and boasts “red berry pizzazz”. And of course, it’s organic and vegan.

£3, ocado.com

Most Wanted Pinot Grigio

This can lives up to its name if you are looking for a “vaguely floral and fruity” wine, said Tina Gellie in Decanter. The palate remains true to the Pinot Grigio tradition; and it tastes a little “like pears in soda water with a dash of peach syrup”. There is also a tinge of “green apple acidity” for balance. Light-bodied and highly drinkable, this is a vegan wine that will satisfy a Prosecco lover’s needs.

£2.55, tesco.com

Mirabeau Prêt-à-Porter Rosé

If you’re in the market for a “pale and pink” wine, this one is for you, said Rosamund Hall in The Independent. Coming from renowned Provençal producer Maison Mirabeau, this organic wine is “delicate” in taste and has “aromas of ripe raspberries”, alongside notes of rose petals and “a lick of cream”. One for the next grocery run.

£4, waitrose.com

When in Rome Pecorino

Italian wines are summertime’s best bet and a refreshing can of Pecorino is an “uncomplicated, fun” way to drink your grapes, said Hall. It is “packed full of soft nectarines, ripe pears and a lemon sherbet twist”.

£3.50, ocado.com

A spectacular canal-boat trip

With its “breathtaking” aqueducts and glorious setting, the Llangollen Canal is “one of our most stunning waterways”, said Clive Davis in The Times – and so easy to navigate that it makes for a wonderfully relaxing boating holiday.

The canal runs for about 40 miles from Llangollen in Denbighshire, via Shropshire, to Hurleston Junction in Cheshire; but for a three-night trip, I chose just the western section, 11 miles of which are now a Unesco World Heritage Site. The 57ft-long boat, hired from Drifters, in Trevor, was “simple but cosy”, and the rhythm was so slow I felt I had travelled back in time. That said, going through the cold and clammy Chirk Tunnel (460 yards long) was quite an “adventure”, and crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 130ft above the “tumbling” waters of the River Dee, was thrilling.

Cycling across Sweden’s lake district

There is a quiet “otherworldliness to Sweden in the late summer”, said Mike MacEacheran in The Guardian – the perfect time to cycle the Lelångenleden, a new 112-mile trail in the west of the country.

Winding from the Bohuslän coast (north of Gothenburg), through Dalsland (Sweden’s lake district) and into the “vast” forests of Värmland, it offers a fine introduction to some of the country’s most idyllic areas. A friend and I did it in three days, with gravel bikes and bikepacking equipment hired from The Dalsland Experience.

We stayed in hotels and at Ragnerud Lake campsite, which has a great restaurant. The cycling was largely flat and easy, often on “traffic-free” gravel roads; there were some “charming” lakeside towns along the way; and the wild swimming – often with saunas on hand – was blissful.

Between cultures in East Asia

Some of the local customs in Japan or South Korea can feel somewhat “impenetrable” to outsiders, making one fearful of causing offence – but on the night ferries between the two countries, there is a feeling that anything goes, said Gemma Knight-Gilani in The Telegraph.

I recently took a ferry from Busan to Fukuoka, and felt as though I was in a “surreal” limbo between cultures. With no shared rules, everyone was giving and forgiving. An elderly Japanese woman helped a young French backpacker to use a vending machine, a Chinese woman’s misguided attempt to swim in the bathhouse drew no judgemental glances – and in the dining room, the “frontier town” feeling reached “fever pitch”. American toddlers played tag, a Japanese girl helped me with the communal microwaves, and a Korean woman gave me some homemade chilli paste.

At eleven-and-a-half hours, the journey was far longer than a flight – but cheaper, too, and much more fun.

With its wild mountain landscapes, Sardinia is a world apart from mainland Italy – and its busy capital, Cagliari, is no exception, said Dana Facaros in The Sunday Times.

When I first visited in the 1980s, the city was in a poor state, but it has “blossomed” since and now feels “vibrant” and “friendly” – ideal for a short break. Rising steeply to a crowning citadel at the head of a vast bay (the Golfo degli Angeli), it struck D.H. Lawrence, visiting in 1921, as “jewel-like”, “strange and rather wonderful”. One of Italy’s longest beaches, the “gorgeous” Poetto, stretches out immediately to the east, its white sands bordering wetlands where flamingos gather.

And in the city proper, there’s much to explore, including “buzzing” piazzas and good museums. The defensive walls around the city’s highest hilltop enclose a whole neighbourhood of winding streets and crumbling palazzi. This is Castello, where restaurants such as the legendary Pani e Casu serve traditional Sardinian dishes including porceddu (suckling pig slow-cooked with dandelion), and fregula (tiny toasted pasta balls) with clams.

The district is also home to the National Archaeological Museum, which includes finds from the island’s nuraghe, stone towers dating back as far as 1800BC that are the world’s tallest megalithic constructions bar the pyramids. Among them are the Giants of Mont’e Prama – mysterious sculptures of warriors – and wonderful little “cartoon-character bronzes” including archers, bakers, “deer-headed boats and a guy selling doughnuts”.

The city has one of Europe’s biggest covered markets and some lovely shops, including Antica Cappelleria Martello (a hat shop founded in 1888) and Su Trobasciu, a traditional weavers’ cooperative.

And there are some great places to visit nearby, including more lovely beaches (all with gin-clear waters) and two great archaeological sites. Barumini is a “mighty” complex of nuraghe, while Nora is a Phoenician city in a beautiful coastal setting, founded in the 8th century BC and later occupied by Carthaginians and Romans.

In south Lebanon, this was always a weekend favourite, says Jad Youssef. Served from a big tray in the middle of the table, it was the kind of dish that brought the neighbours in, uninvited but welcome. You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks if you prefer – but whichever cut you choose, remember that bone-in chicken will always have better flavour. For even more garlicky punch, leave some of the garlic cloves whole in the traybake and mash the roasted garlic into the potatoes before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.4kg-1.6kg), cut into 6-8 pieces, skin on
• 16 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 250ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 150ml olive oil
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp baharat (Lebanese seven-spice seasoning)
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 800g Maris Piper or chipping potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm-1.5cm rounds
• 1 large bunch fresh coriander (about 80g), washed, picked and finely chopped

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7.
• In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with half the grated garlic, half the lemon juice, half the olive oil, and all the spices, salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 30 mins (or up to 2 hours in the fridge).
• Rinse the sliced potatoes under cold water to remove excess starch and pat dry. Layer them in a large baking tray and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil with the chopped coriander and 200ml water to make a fragrant dressing. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top of the potatoes, skin-side up. Pour the dressing all over the traybake, making sure that the potatoes are well coated.
• Use your hands to rub everything in gently. Wash hands thoroughly.
• Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 45 mins. Uncover, baste the chicken in all the juices, then roast for another 25-30 mins, until golden and slightly crisp on top.
• Serve hot in the tray alongside Lebanese rice with vermicelli or a simple salad, and lemon wedges.

Taken from “Lebnani: a journey through family, food and the flavours of Lebanon” by Jad Youssef

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“Grand Theft Auto” fans have reacted with “shock and relief” after the announcement that “GTA 6” pre-orders are now open, “all but confirming that the game won’t get delayed once more”, said IGN.

Thirteen years after the release of “Grand Theft Auto 5”, the sequel is finally set to launch on 19 November 2026. It is expected to be one of the biggest releases in entertainment history and is projected to generate $7.6 billion (£5.67 billion) in revenue in its first two months alone.

But the journey has been far from smooth. Fans have now “waited two console generations for a new ‘GTA’”, while developer Rockstar “continually pushed back its next blockbuster’s launch – again, and again”.

Quest for perfection

“GTA 6” was announced in February 2022 and originally scheduled to hit shelves in late 2025, but this was pushed back first to May 2026, then to the current release date, 19 November.

The most recent delay, according to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of game publishers Take-Two Interactive, was due to “limited circumstances where more time was required to polish a title and make sure that it was spectacular”.

For avid fans of the franchise, the reaction to the delay was one of “resignation, frustration, déjà vu”, said the BBC at the time. Rockstar is a “notoriously perfectionist” developer: “Red Dead Redemption 2”, its most recent major release, “is still widely considered a benchmark for open-world video games due to its depth and obsessive attention to detail”.

Alongside broader industry-wide shifts that have made game development “more expensive, more complex”, Rockstar also has to contend with its own hype, with each success “raising ever-higher expectations” for future games.

Speaking in May at the TD Cowen 54th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Zelnick stressed that “Grand Theft Auto” titles have never pushed for yearly releases. “What has driven the gap is the amount of time it takes to do something that is as good as it can possibly be for that intellectual property.”

Union-busting

The long wait and repeated delays may also be connected to with Rockstar’s decision to fire more than 30 staff who were trying to unionise, sparking a legal action against the developer.

The employees, the majority of whom were based at the gaming giant’s Edinburgh HQ, were dismissed in October 2025 for what the company called “gross misconduct”, claiming staff had discussed confidential information, including specific game features from upcoming titles, in a public forum.

The sacked workers dispute this, saying they were part of a secure union-focused Discord channel that existed to allow members to discuss unionising the company and improving working conditions. They also claim they were subject to blacklisting, a “practice in which information about workers engaged in union activity is compiled to facilitate discrimination”, said The Register.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain called it “the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry”. The case was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions in December, and Keir Starmer said ministers would investigate the allegations, describing the situation as “deeply concerning”.

This month, Rockstar lost a legal battle “which means fired unionised workers can continue to bring blacklisting claims against the influential games studio”, said Novara Media. The final employment tribunal trial is set to conclude in mid-October, just a month before “GTA 6” is released.

The RS5 is Audi Sport’s first plug-in hybrid, and the most complex car in its RS division, said Top Gear Magazine. “This is not your average Audi.”

It pairs a 2.9-litre, 503bhp twin-turbo V6 with a 174bhp electric motor, powered by a 25.9kWh battery. Despite weighing a “daft” 2,370kg in Avant form, it feels relatively light thanks to clever suspension and ground-breaking rear axle technology, and it can do 0-62mph in just 3.6secs.

“Exceptionally”, “unhingedly agile” for such a big car, the RS5 is “a hoot” to drive, said Autocar. It’s fast and also “supple” and “refined”, with a “very smooth response”. The steering is “always precise” and the car shows “great body control and resistance to pitch”. It has a 50-mile electric range, and should return about 70mpg officially, but the smaller 48-litre fuel tank means stops to refill.

The RS5 comes as a saloon or an estate, and there’s plenty of space up front, with two figure-hugging sports seats and lots of storage, said What Car?. The driver gets an 11.9-inch digital display, plus there’s a 10.9-inch passenger’s touchscreen and a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, with crisp, clear graphics.

However, most functions are buried in menus and there are very few physical buttons. Higher-spec trims quickly drive up the cost.

“A summer’s night, attentive groundlings, gales of laughter: when the Globe is in its element, there’s no more magical spot,” said Dominic Cavendish in The Telegraph. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” kicked off the summer season in April, in an enjoyable (if frenetic) staging which will play in rep until late August.

Now it’s joined by a “Much Ado” that is “one of the most charming accounts” of the play in years.

It’s a giddy, light-filled production of Shakespeare’s “romcom”, said Matt Wolf on London Theatre. Director Chelsea Walker brings “wit, incisiveness and vigour to a play shot through with those very qualities”, plus “a generous dollop of heart”.

“Much Ado” is “rightly celebrated as a showcase for one of theatre’s most-cherished sparring partnerships”, said Donald Hutera in The Times. Here the “skirmish of wit” between the “tart-tongued proto-feminist” Beatrice, played with “mischievous vivacity” by Pippa Nixon, and Ken Nwosu’s “equally marriage-wary” Benedick is a pleasure to behold. “This pair of frenemies function like opposing magnets whose push-me-pull-you attraction, outrageously exploited and manipulated by those around them, grounds the play in rollicking and sarcastic humour.”

Yet lurking beneath the frivolous “discourse on the vagaries of love” in “Much Ado” “are darker forms of pretence and deceit”. I’d say that the production has the balance between them “just about” right.

I felt that the evening could have leaned more deeply into the play’s problematic elements, said Arifa Akbar in The Guardian. For instance, the scene in which Beatrice’s young cousin Hero (Assa Kanouté) is humiliated at her own wedding to Claudio contains a powerful moment – but it “does not fully swivel”, as it should, “into stark, potentially tragic territory”.

Still, in its charms the production delights. Elegant and effervescent, it has a “universally adept” cast, and “simply gorgeous” costumes, dance and music (courtesy of a live band). It is “insuppressibly crowd-pleasing, eminently worth seeing”, and surely destined to be a “summer blockbuster”.

Globe Theatre, London SE1. Until 24 October

Dorset: Plush Manor, Plush

An elegant Georgian manor house that was once the home of the celebrated pianist Alfred Brendel, and which hosted the acclaimed Plush Music Festival for 22 years. 9 beds, 5 baths, kitchen/breakfast room, 5 receps, self-contained 1-bed flat, indoor swimming pool, garden, parking. £2.95 million; Savills.

Suffolk: Reading Room Cottage, Stowlangtoft

A charming Grade II brick-and-flint cottage where King Edward VII is rumoured to have dallied with Lillie Langtry. 3 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, 2 receps, garden, garage. £735,000; Bedfords.

Scottish Borders: Aikwood Tower, Selkirk

Historic 16th-century property immortalised by Sir Walter Scott, whose ancestors owned the tower, in his poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel”. 5 beds, 5 baths, kitchen/dining room, 3 receps, garden, parking. £1.25 million; Inigo.

Isle of Wight: Winterbourne House, Bonchurch

A handsome Victorian villa, close to the beach, in which Charles Dickens wrote part of “David Copperfield”. 6 beds, 7 baths, kitchen, 8 receps, garden, parking. £1.6 million; Spence Willard.

Essex: Otten Hall, Belchamp Otten

An important Grade II country house in an idyllic setting. The estate traces its history back to the Saxon era and during the reign of Henry II it came into the possession of the Otto family, from whom the village derives its suffix. 5 beds, 3 baths, kitchen, 4 receps, garden, outbuildings, garage. £1.5 million; David Burr.

Suffolk: Smokey House, Sudbourne

A striking example of gothic revival by the architect Frederick Barnes, commissioned by Sir Richard Wallace, who donated his father’s extraordinary collection of art and artefacts to the Wallace Collection in London. 5 beds, 4 baths, kitchen, 2 receps, 1-bed self- contained annexe, garden, parking. £1.45 million; Knight Frank.

Glasgow: Great Western Terrace, Hyndland

Spectacular A-listed townhouse by the eminent Scottish architect Alexander “Greek” Thomson. This beautifully conserved architectural jewel once belonged to the tobacco merchant James W. MacGregor. 6 beds, 4 baths, kitchen, 3 receps, garden, garage. OIEO £995,000; Rettie.

Northumberland: Bellister Castle, Haltwhistle

A magnificent Grade I castle once owned by Robert de Ros, one of the 25 barons appointed to enforce Magna Carta. 8 beds, 3 baths, kitchen, 3 receps, 2-bed lodge, garden, parking. £2 million; Knight Frank.

“If you dipped in and out of the documentary ‘Jon Snow: A Last Big Story’” (Channel 4), you might be confused as to what it was all about, said Benji Wilson in The Telegraph.

At one level, the film, in which Snow reveals his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, is a “touching tribute to a now diminished national figure”. But it also includes a “bravura piece of reportage”: while visiting Zambia with his wife, the neuroscientist Dr Precious Lunga, Snow hears about the collapse of a dam at a copper mine – a disaster that has gone largely unreported – and starts to investigate. The documentary weaves these two strands together to create a whole that is “deeply affecting”.

It’s a delight to see this veteran reporter back in his element, said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian, as he and his team break the story of the worst environmental disaster in Africa for 30 years.

We also see Snow in the grip of what is “an unforgiving, relentlessly worsening condition”: he repeats himself, has to be reminded why the camera crew is there, and doesn’t know what day it is. But “his compassion and his outraged sense of justice remains undimmed”: “if this is Snow’s swan song, it is as fine a one as he could wish”.

The film is deeply moving, and makes important points about Alzheimer’s, said Susie Goldsbrough in The Times; but I wish it had focused more on how the couple are coping with their everyday lives, and skipped Snow’s report, which was painful to watch, and ended up making the actual disaster look “queasily like a sideshow”.

“‘Toy Story 5’ – do we need it?” asked Deborah Ross in The Spectator. It’s been 31 years since the first film came out, and “one worries for the narrative integrity of characters when an IP is thrashed to death like this”.

The latest instalment, however, does at least bring the franchise up to date by addressing one of the “pressing dilemmas of modern childhood”: screen time, and whether it will be the end of toys (“Extinction... Not again!” cries Rex, the dinosaur).

‘Delicious touches’

Our favourite toys still belong to Bonnie, but while Bonnie loves them still, all the other eight-year-olds now play in the digital world. To help her make friends, her parents grudgingly buy her a frog-themed tablet called Lilypad. It does not, however, go to plan: Bonnie not only gets hooked on Lilypad (Greta Lee), she ends up being cyberbullied via it. So the toys contact Woody (Tom Hanks), who left Bonnie’s room at the end of ‘Toy Story 4’, to ask for his help.

The film contains some “delicious” touches – Woody now has a bald spot and a paunch – and it is “superb” to look at – but it does all “feel a little generic”.

‘Loses its nerve’

The plot is “amazingly timely”, said Nicholas Barber on BBC Culture, and may be a bit “triggering” for some parents: this is the only Pixar cartoon that dwells on a child being “crushingly lonely”. But compared with the “peerless” first three films, it is short on good jokes, and heavy on subplots: one of them, about 50 Buzz Lightyear toys making their way across the country, could have been scrapped altogether.

The film also “loses its nerve with its own big idea”, said Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian: the “creepy” tablet turns out to be capable of “self-sacrificial heroism”. “Really? At least Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, the villain from ‘TS3’, had the courage of his evil convictions.”

“It’s well known that pregnancy and childbirth affect women’s brains and hormones,” said Camilla Cavendish in the Financial Times: so profound is the impact of “baby brain” that “a computer can tell a mother from a non-mother just by looking at a scan”.

How parenthood affects men is less well understood; but in her new book, Darby Saxbe, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, “fills an important gap in our understanding”.

Saxbe herself carried out one of the world’s only studies into how men’s brains are altered by having a child, and it revealed that men undergo many of the same changes as women, “though not quite as dramatically”.

In men, the “volume of grey matter shrinks”, enabling a “temporary tuning-up of the parts of the cortex that connect us to others’ emotions”. New fathers also suffer a drop in testosterone, which facilitates bonding with their infant, as well as making a “dad bod” likely.

Combining academic data with “stories about the men in her own life”, Saxbe’s book is a “refreshing” call to “bust the stereotypes of fathers as clueless or uncaring”.

Kierkegaard described becoming a father as a transition from the “aesthetic stage, which is mainly about yourself, to the ethical stage, which is mainly about other people”, said Thomas W. Hodgkinson in Literary Review. “Dad Brain” engagingly explores how such a “massive life change” manifests itself physically. The fact that it is about such an under-investigated area is both its “USP” and a weakness: Saxbe’s account of the “science of fatherhood” inevitably ends up feeling frustratingly patchy. New fathers lose 1% of their brain matter. Is that a lot to lose or a little? I’m still not clear. Still, “anyone due to become a dad” could do a lot worse than this accessible, “nicely done primer”.

Buy “Dad Brain” for £19.99 from The Week Bookshop