A letter from the editor, and your usual guide to what's on this week

While any Americans might continue to cast off their Independence Day hangovers this morning, the rest of us in Europe are getting ready to start the week with one. We don't tend to cover much football here at Sunday Paperweight, but it's worth noting the news that the England-Mexico match will still be taking place at 1am BST, despite rumours it may have been brought forward to avoid an incoming storm. Whether you're watching from home, watching in the pubs (now allowed to open until 5am on Monday), or hoping to pass the whole thing by in bed asleep, we've got something for you. Here's what's coming up:

Letter from the editor: Cal Roscow sketches out his ambitions for Paperweight Magazine in this inaugural letter
Darkroom: A breathtaking view of St Mary's lighthouse sits in front of marvels from the mesosphere
On the Town: Usher in the new month with even newer places to eat
Out of Town: Rest your head surrounded by Catalan Modernisme for under €50 per night

Dear friends,

It feels like everything’s gone wrong, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s worse than that; it feels like everything’s going wrong. All the time, endlessly. I spent so much of my life excited for the future, and now it’s hard to look ahead with that same eager anticipation. The internet - once the beacon of hope that humanity might achieve greater things -  seems to have turned against us; trillionaires are, bafflingly, trying to make everything worse; the rent, or the mortgage, keeps going up; every newspaper economist is modelling exactly when your job will be replaced by AI, and the cost of a pint is catching up with too many people’s hourly wage.

So, what to do? I’m 36, which means, statistically, the answer is to start a podcast. And while I can’t rule that, or the accompanying early-to-mid-life crisis, out completely, I’ve decided to start a magazine instead.

This will be a magazine for everyone who refuses to accept that life can’t be, well, a bit…nicer. It’s drummed into us from an early age by well-meaning English teachers that we shouldn’t use the word ‘nice’. And historians will rightly point out that its meaning has evolved from the Latin ‘nescius’ to mean ignorant or unaware. But, despite the English language’s vast million-word vocabulary, we seem to lack one to express wanting anything to be good, pleasant or joyful, just for the very reason that goodness, pleasantness, and joy are virtues in and of themselves. It is perhaps no wonder that the concept is missing from our national conversation...

Appalachia Fans of Shoreditch's former Counter 71 (which closed due to Shabana Mahmood's new reign of tyranny visa rules impacting Japanese chef Ryo Iwayama) should try the just-relaunched Appalachia, led by Alistair Borer (formerly of Smoking Goat), which is now serving a fire-led, Thai-influenced menu. Reservations recommended. 71 Nile St, London N1 7RD.

Bar Blondie Milk Beach's original Lonsdale Road location is reborn as a restaurant offering a French and Italian menu and a 160-bin-strong wine list "underpinned by careful farming practices, expression of terroir and a respect for the land". (The excellent Milk Beach Soho and its comfortable terrace remain unchanged). Set to open 14th July 2026. 19-21 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD.

Lennox The erasure of Six By Nico continues this month as the Edinburgh Queensferry Street branch joins Glasgow's Byres Road in morphing into Lennox. Nico Simeone's original Finniestone opening in 2017 raised the standard of the ailing casual dining sector, but could it be that the proliferation of Six By Nicos in every city was starting to feel a little... Bill's? The group's Scottish branches have always felt a little more looked after than the rest, so we're eager to see what Lennox offers. Opening 7th July 2026. 40 Queensferry St, Edinburgh EH2 4RA.

Golden Hour at the Golden Hinde The Tudor galleon is putting out the plank all night for a Museum Late themed around survival at sea. "From storms and navigation to food, water, illness and isolation, Survival at Sea will examine what it truly took to endure life at sea in the Tudor world." Crucially, the bar will be open all evening. Free admission. The Golden Hinde, St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE Thursday 9th July, from 6pm.

Fun Home The UK production of the Tony-winning musical, based on Alison Bechdel's "witty yet melancholic" memoir about growing up in Pennsylvania with a closeted father, before her own sexual awakening as a lesbian, opened on Friday for the Royal Exchange's 50th-anniversary season. The cast is led by Jodie McNee & Nigel Harman. Tickets from £12. Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann's Square, Manchester M2 7DH. Until 1st August 2026.

Govanhill Baths, Ours! Free exhibition of protest banners, historic artefacts and community voices telling the story of the campaign that saved the Govanhill Baths. "Opened in 1917 as a public bath and wash-house, the Baths were part of the everyday infrastructure of the neighbourhood for generations, where people washed, swam, worked, met, learned, gathered and built quiet forms of connection across difference." Free admission. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE. Until 30th September 2026.

Big Bad Riding Hood Òran Mór's Play, Pie & a Pint serves up an adult summer panto by Gary McNair, starring George Drennan as 'Gran'. Tickets from £25 including a beer, wine or soft drink, and of course, a pie. Òran Mór, Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8QX. Until Friday 17th July 2026.

Brutally Brilliant If you like films, art, and brutalist architecture, the week-long Trellick54 festival takes place at the base of one of London's finest examples of the architectural genre. Bugsy Malone, Holes, the original Toy Story, Quadrophenia and many more will be screened, and art workshops on life drawing and calligraphy are scheduled throughout. Free admission. Trellick Tower, 5 Golborne Road, London W10 5PA. Monday 6th July to Saturday 11th July 2026.

Trans/Form Boundary-defying drag-meets-theatre from queer performance-art collective House of Boussé. "Part visceral reclamation narrative against hateful media rhetoric, part self-proclaimed “trannified version of The Magic School Bus”, Trans/Form is an embodied journey into the beauty and power of trans+ experiences." Standard tickets from £15. Strange Brew, 10-12 Fairfax St, Bristol BS1 3DB. Thursday 9th July 2026, 7:30pm.

T' Sound of Music Opera North's staging of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, complete with a 40-piece orchestra, is set to open this week. With universal 4-star reviews, this looks. Given that the last West End run of The Sound of Music ended in 2009, this is one for Rodgers & Hammerstein fans' diaries. Tickets from £25.75. Leeds Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU. Until 1st August 2026.

Beyond the Fire: The Life of Japan’s First Pride Parade Pioneer The UK's only LGBT+ cinema shows Hiroaki Matsuoka’s documentary on Teishiro Minami, founder of Japan’s first commercial gay magazine, queer helpline and the nation’s first Pride parade in 1994. "Minami and friends reflect on the complicated relationships and inter-community clashes that paved the way for today’s movement." Tickets from £12, or £6 for members. 10 Bermondsey Square, London, SE1 3UN. Until Thursday 9th July 2026.

Forza Fiver The National Theatre's nicest roof terrace, Forza Wine, is offering a glass of dry white vermouth for just £5 over the summer. And if you're not on the Southbank, the Soho and Peckham outposts are serving up the same. We'd recommend pairing it with the Cauliflower Fritti. Reservations not always necessary. National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX.

Paperweight checks into the finest example of Catalan Modernisme that you can rest your head at, for under €50 per night:

Review: Hotel El Xalet

★★★★☆ | 19th-century charm sets this affordable Sitges hotel apart from the rest on the Costa Daurada

PaperweightCal Roscow

№ 2 | Seek out some Edwardian Champagne coupes

Ditch the flutes for something more refined for under £60

PaperweightSunday Paperweight

Wimbledon Woes Perhaps it's the heat, but we hear that Amex cardholders have been getting frustrated at the information given to them by staff at the venue. Currently, you can get a £20 credit when you spend £140 at Wimbledon. Although those selling tickets have been heard telling people that the entry price doesn't count towards the offer, we can confirm that it does. If you're desperate to get into the Amex Lounge, or - if you really must - bag yourself one of the branded radios, we've heard that you can download the Wimbledon app, add your Amex details, and get a QR code to prove your eligibility, which should avoid any awkward moments at the front of the queue. Hyacinth Bucket will be delighted. And if you have a Barclaycard, you can get free strawberries and cream.

London

Manchester

Glasgow

Cardiff

Brighton

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