# Paperweight Magazine
> Paperweight is a British magazine covering worldwide affairs, society, culture, and design.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### Writers
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/writers/
Last updated: 2026-01-05T14:48:10.000Z
_No content available._
### Sections
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/sections/
Last updated: 2026-01-05T14:51:38.000Z
_No content available._
### Featured
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/featured/
Last updated: 2025-12-18T18:52:11.000Z
_No content available._
### Latest
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/latest/
Last updated: 2025-12-18T18:56:28.000Z
_No content available._
### Tags
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/tags/
Last updated: 2026-01-05T14:56:32.000Z
_No content available._
### House style guide
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/house-style-guide/
Last updated: 2026-06-29T17:22:04.000Z
If you're a contributor, have a read of Paperweight's house style guide before pitching to us. We welcome all ideas for articles via email at pitch@paperweightmag.com or by writing to us at 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE.

As a new magazine, this guide is far from exhaustive, and we make additions iteratively. It was last updated on 29th June 2026.

**AI (artificial intelligence)**  
Can be expressed as an abbreviation from first use.

We don't publish anything that contains AI-generated content, and we don't use AI-generated images†. Paperweight magazine is written for, and by, people who want content produced by real human beings. It's a sanctuary from the ensh\*ttification of social media, the internet, and the wider deteriorating information environment. That said, we don't like the idea of dismissing any new technology out of hand, and the potential for artificial intelligence for research and betterment of humanity should not be ignored. For example, if AI helps you process data that leads to an interesting story that you want to write, we would still like to hear about it.

†We can't guarantee that AI-generated content won't be submitted to our editorial team, but we think we're pretty good at spotting it. Our faith in Paperweight's writers and contributors is paramount, so we feel confident that we can keep this promise, but if you think we've been caught out we sincerely ask that you tell us: editor@paperweightmag.com

**british spelling**  
Paperweight is published in London so all words in English should use British spelling, except where it's necessary to repeat a quote or document verbatim. 

**cyclist, motorist**  
Distinguishing between bicycle users and car users has generated an unnecessary culture war, contrary to Paperweight's belief that most people don't have the luxury to choose which mode of transport for the task at hand. And even if they can choose, they have the right to decide what's best for their life. It is inaccurate to use the same demonym to describe someone who commutes to work by car - because there's no public transport option - as someone who is a motor car enthusiast. And it's unwise to presume that a 'cyclist' never drives a car, or a 'motorist' never cycles. Bicycles, cars, vans, and lorries are tools for different jobs - not personalities or political positions. Also see 'road users'.

**Oxford comma**  
In lists, use of the Oxford comma, or series comma, is preferred, but should not be used at the cost of clarity.

**road users**  
The expression 'road users' should be avoided or used sparingly. Paperweight seeks to overcome unnecessary and unhelpful distinctions between people manufactured by parts of the media. Someone who doesn't own a car still buys goods from shops that receive deliveries from vans and lorries. Someone who cycles is unlikely to never be seen in a taxi. We are all road users.

**taxpayer**  
We don't use the word 'taxpayer' unless it's in a direct quote. Anyone buying a coffee pays VAT, and 99% of households in Great Britain pay council tax. We think that 'taxpayer' is an unnecessary term largely intended to generate 'othering' of certain groups of society in an attempt to justify an author's preferred cuts to public spending.
### For Contributors
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/for-contributors/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T10:58:14.000Z
*If you're a contributor, have a read of* [*Paperweight's house style guide*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/house-style-guide/) *before pitching to us. We welcome all ideas for articles via email at pitch\[at\]paperweightmag.com or by writing to us at 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE.*

Thank you for thinking of Paperweight, we’re really keen to hear your pitch. Although currently available as a digital edition only, our ambition is to produce four to six print editions each year. This informs our current online publishing drumbeat; we’re looking for articles that will have a long shelf life. Writing about the very latest developments is welcome, but imagine that the reader happens upon your piece up to two months after the event. Will it still be interesting, or will it have been long forgotten? That said, always check with our editorial team. There may be an angle on the same subject that fits a future edition and has a little more longevity.

Get to know the sections of the magazine so that you have an idea of which section your idea might be published under. Our guiding ethos is *“The curiosity to dream that greater things - and a greater world - are possible.”* although we won’t turn our nose up at the odd bit of salacious gossip.

We’re interested in shorts, standard features, and long reads. So the length could be anything from 600 words to over 3,000.

We would describe ourselves as ‘nerdy-but-epicurean’. If you’re deeply interested in something and can write well about it, we want to hear all about it.

We pay for pictures and articles upon acceptance. Although as a new magazine, funded by our founder and editor-in-chief, we recognise that our rates are likely to be lower than some other publications.

Send your ideas to pitch\[at\]paperweightmag.com - we’ll get back to you within a week.
### Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-01-05T14:41:27.000Z
**Registered name:** The Paperweight Magazine Co Ltd

We are the controller of your personal data. For more information on controllers and their responsibilities please see the ICO's guidance on [data protection principles, definitions, and key terms](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/getting-started-with-gdpr/data-protection-principles-definitions-and-key-terms/?ref=paperweightmag.com).

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.

· Contact details

· What information we collect, use, and why

· Lawful bases and data protection rights

· Where we get personal information from

· How long we keep information

· Who we share information with

· How to complain

### Contact details

Post

The Paperweight Magazine Co Ltd, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, , LONDON, , EC2A 4NE, GB

Email

legal@paperweightmag.com

### What information we collect, use, and why

We collect or use the following information to **provide services and goods, including delivery**:

· Names and contact details

· Addresses

· Purchase or account history

· Account information

· Website user information (including user journeys and cookie tracking)

We collect or use the following information for **the operation of customer accounts and guarantees**:

· Names and contact details

· Addresses

· Payment details (including card or bank information for transfers and direct debits)

· Purchase history

· Account information, including registration details

· Marketing preferences

We collect or use the following information for **service updates or marketing purposes**:

· Names and contact details

· Addresses

· Marketing preferences

· Website and app user journey information

We collect or use the following information to **comply with legal requirements**:

· Name

· Contact information

We collect or use the following personal information for **dealing with queries, complaints or claims**:

· Names and contact details

· Address

· Customer or client accounts and records

· Correspondence

### Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible [lawful bases](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/getting-started-with-gdpr/data-protection-principles-definitions-and-key-terms/?ref=paperweightmag.com#lawfulbasis) in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

· **Your right of access** \- You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. [Read more about the right of access](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#roa).

· **Your right to rectification** \- You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. [Read more about the right to rectification](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rtr).

· **Your right to erasure** \- You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. [Read more about the right to erasure](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rte).

· **Your right to restriction of processing** \- You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. [Read more about the right to restriction of processing](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rtrop).

· **Your right to object to processing** \- You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. [Read more about the right to object to processing](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rto).

· **Your right to data portability** \- You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. [Read more about the right to data portability](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rtdp).

· **Your right to withdraw consent** – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. [Read more about the right to withdraw consent](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/privacy-notices-and-cookies/create-your-own-privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/?ref=paperweightmag.com#rtwc).

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

### Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to **provide services and goods** are:

· Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for **the operation of customer accounts and guarantees** are:

· Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for **service updates or marketing purposes** are:

· Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for **legal requirements** are:

· Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

· Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for **dealing with queries, complaints or claims** are:

· Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

### Where we get personal information from

· Directly from you

### How long we keep information

We keep your data for as long as you are a subscriber. If you unsubscribe we will retain your information for six years unless you ask us to delete it. Payment transaction data is retained for six years, in line with financial accounting requirements in England.

For more information on how long we store your personal information or the criteria we use to determine this please contact us using the details provided above.

### Who we share information with

Data processors

**Ghost**

This data processor does the following activities for us: hosts and operates our website.

**Stripe**

This data processor does the following activities for us: processing payments.

**Google Analytics**

This data processor does the following activities for us: measuring traffic to our website and ensure a good user experience.

### How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address: 

Information Commissioner’s Office  
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane  
Wilmslow  
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: [https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint](https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/?ref=paperweightmag.com)

*Last updated on 5th January 2026.*
### Contact us
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/contact-us/
Last updated: 2026-06-26T09:44:54.000Z
We're happy to consider pitches from journalists and experts, or commercial propositions.

**If you have a general enquiry**  
info@paperweightmag.com

**Letters to the editor, for publication**  
letters@paperweightmag.com

**Pitch your idea to us**  
pitch@paperweightmag.com  
Please read our [guide for contributors](https://www.paperweightmag.com/for-contributors/).

**Subscriptions and billing**  
subscriptions@paperweightmag.com

You can also write to us by post:  
3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE
### FAQs
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/faqs/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T11:58:43.000Z
1. **What is Paperweight magazine?**  
Paperweight is a new magazine for people who think that the way things are isn't how they have to be.
2. **Do you accept pitches of ideas for articles or features?**  
Yes, but please take the time to look at previously published articles and our house style guide before submitting something. You can send ideas to pitch@paperweightmag.com
3. **Can I advertise in Paperweight magazine?**  
There are limited opportunities for advertising and sponsored content, reserved only for commercial partners that we think have a good fit with our purpose. But it's worth getting in touch to see what's possible by emailing commercial@paperweightmag.com
4. **How do I subscribe?**  
We're always keen to grow our readership; it's what funds our work, so we've made it easy to subscribe on all paid-for articles and there's a [Subscribe](https://www.paperweightmag.com/#/portal/signup) button at the top of the digital edition.
5. **How do I cancel my subscription?**  
We're sorry to see you go, but you can sign in to your account using the link in the main menu to cancel. Please check our Terms and Conditions for our cancellation policy. You can always get in touch with a real human by emailing subscriptions@paperweightmag.com
6. **My question isn't answered here, how can I contact you?**  
See the full list of department contact email addresses on our [Contact us](https://www.paperweightmag.com/contact-us/) page.
### Events
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/events/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T14:01:48.000Z
_No content available._
### Welcome to our free tier
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/welcome-to-our-free-tier/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T12:44:14.000Z
Thanks so much for subscribing to our free membership tier. It's great to have you here.

You'll now receive the [Sunday Paperweight](https://www.paperweightmag.com/tag/sunday-paperweight/) weekly briefing and the occasional story straight to your inbox, or you can simply log in to read a selection of reviews and recipes available for free.

If you want access to the full digital edition you can [subscribe as a paid member](https://www.paperweightmag.com/#/portal/signup/690324700bc594000830d7d7/monthly) for £4 per month. There's a [30 day free trial](https://www.paperweightmag.com/#/portal/signup/690324700bc594000830d7d7/monthly), so that you can give us a try.

As a new magazine, we're keen to hear what you think, what you would like to see more of, and perhaps most importantly, what you like less.

I hope you enjoy reading Paperweight as much as we love writing it.

Yours,   
  
Cal 

**Cal Roscow** 
**Editor-in-chief, Paperweight Magazine**

[Read the latest stories](https://paperweight.ghost.io/?ref=paperweightmag.com)
### Welcome to Paperweight
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/welcome-to-paperweight/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T13:43:38.000Z
Thanks so much for subscribing. It's great to have you here.

As a paid member, you now have full access to everything: the complete archive and any members-only content going forward. 

As a new magazine, we're keen to hear what you think, what you would like to see more of, and perhaps most importantly, what you like less.

I hope you enjoy reading Paperweight as much as we love writing it.

Yours,   
  
Cal 

**Cal Roscow** 
**Editor-in-chief, Paperweight Magazine**

[Read the latest stories](https://paperweight.ghost.io/?ref=paperweightmag.com)
### Welcome and thank you!
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/welcome-and-thank-you/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T13:43:02.000Z
Thanks so much for subscribing. It's great to have you here.

I'm particularly grateful for your extra contribution. Your support will help take Paperweight from a digital journal to a print magazine.

As a paid member, you now have full access to everything: the complete archive and any members-only content going forward. 

As a new magazine, we're keen to hear what you think, what you would like to see more of, and perhaps most importantly, what you like less.

I hope you enjoy reading Paperweight as much as we love writing it.

Yours,   
  
Cal 

**Cal Roscow** 
**Editor-in-chief, Paperweight Magazine**

[Read the latest stories](https://paperweight.ghost.io/?ref=paperweightmag.com)
### Choose a membership:
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T16:34:21.000Z
### Buying a membership for someone else? 

Send a [gift subscription](https://www.paperweightmag.com/#/portal/gift) to someone who might enjoy Paperweight.
### Sign in
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/signin/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T16:57:24.000Z
_No content available._
### Sign up
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/signup/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T16:58:08.000Z
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### Sovrn Verification
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/sovrn-verification/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T14:01:16.000Z
[https://sovrn.co/i9kdsjd](https://sovrn.co/i9kdsjd?ref=paperweightmag.com)
### Topics
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/topics/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T11:47:42.000Z
_No content available._
### Playlists
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T13:14:44.000Z
_No content available._
## Posts
### Review: Those People
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-those-people/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T06:48:08.000Z
Who are Lara Ciulli and Riana White, the duo behind *Those People*? Are they long-term best friends? Old lovers? Housemates? Soulmates destined to be together? Or are they simply taking us along for a tremendous, high-speed sketch ride? Whatever the truth, this debut about queer female friendship piques our interest, keeps us guessing and inspires more than enough speculation long after they take their bow.

There’s real talent here, too. Ciulli and White are immensely watchable, with faces as expressive as Play-Doh and killer moves at every turn. For much of the show, the two slide over each other to create visions of their co-dependency. In flashes, we see their past relationships and breakups: one of Ciulli’s exes shows her a porn video while they’re in bed; White’s ex refuses to return her favourite Calvin Klein boxer pants, despite many requests. They morph into the bodies of men, all grunts and wide stances. Then they step out of the show to bicker with each other. The dazzling Ciulli launches herself into a naked, expressive dance. “You’re being selfish,” Riana replies.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### № 10 | Be more Dolly Parton
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/10-be-more-dolly-parton/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T09:50:44.000Z
In tribute to Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at the age of eighty, this week's *Greater Things* asks us to become disciples of someone who truly embodied our ambitions to live life greater.

We've chosen some of her advice for life in her own words:

> “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

> "I often say I'm comfortable in my own skin, no matter how far I've stretched it as the years go by. But I think there's a lot to be said about being comfortable with who you are, 'cause I don't know how to be anybody else. I don't want to be anybody else."

> “After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to sell them out of the trunk of my car. I’ve done that in my past, and I’d do it again.”

> “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”

> “I’m not offended by all of the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”

> “I have to not harden my heart, because I want to stay open to feel things. So when I hurt, I hurt all over. And when I cry, I cry real hard. And when I’m mad, I’m mad all over. I’m just a person; I like to experience whatever the feeling is and whatever I’m going through.”

> “If people want to pass judgment, they’re already sinning. I try to love everybody.”

> “I have a huge gay following, and I’m proud of them. Sometimes some of them look more like me than I do."

And on being asked about North Carolina's anti-trans 'bathroom bill':

> “I think everybody should be treated with respect. I hope that everybody gets a chance to be who and what they are.”

Dolly proved that it's possible to become world famous for your talent, be proud of your body - and what can really only be described as 'cracking knockers', live life comfortably and joyfully without hoarding too much wealth, fight injustice and inequality directly by funding campaigns, libraries and medical research, all while owning and running a theme park.

Quite a lot for us all to live up to.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 27th August 2026: Tollcross, Edinburgh
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/27th-august-2026-tollcross-edinburgh/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T09:50:38.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3FCGNE5-2.jpg)

Credit: Sally Anderson/Alamy Live News

The Clown Show European Premiere at Edinburgh International Festival: Geoff Sobelle and his troupe of clowns inside their 'beautiful big top', set down in the wreckage of America.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Rhinestones and fishnets
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/rhinestones-and-fishnets/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T09:50:06.000Z
This week's Sunday Paperweight is written with a slightly heavier heart, following the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, who both died on Tuesday at the age of 80\. Curry's first job out of uni was in the original production of the musical Hair in 1968, and only five years later was catapulted to fame by his fearless performance as lingerie-clad Dr Frank-N-Furter in the Rocky Horror Show. Fittingly, yet unintentionally, this week's edition features fishnets, wigs, face paint, and generally dressing up throughout. Losing Dolly Parton in the same week feels especially cruel, and this week's *Greater Things* is dedicated to her.

If you're one of the hundreds of new subscribers who joined this week, especially those who listened to our editor, Cal, talk about our ambitions for Paperweight on [the Quiet Riot podcast](https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UN3GyRpT2HcbrojTOxeDj?ref=paperweightmag.com), we'd like to offer you a special welcome. We're so delighted to have you, and thank you for supporting our journey to a print publication.

Here's what's coming up this week:  
  
**Darkroom:** Geoff Sobelle’s contemporary portrait of America as a falling-apart circus  
**Out of Town:** Take a trip to St Leonards-on-Sea with Luke Croydon  
**At Home:** A Paperweight playlist for a rainy Sunday  
**En Route:** 20,000 Avios on offer from British Airways Holidays  
**On the Town:** Charity Shop Sue, who? Cal Roscow reviews Selina Mosinski's Fringe show

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3FCGNE5.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/e3c0046d-426f-4ed9-a5a0-2ce97f5b20ed/?member%5Fstatus=free)

The Clown Show European Premiere at Edinburgh International Festival: Geoff Sobelle and his troupe of clowns inside their 'beautiful big top', set down in the wreckage of America. Credit: Sally Anderson/Alamy Live News

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

In tribute to Dolly Parton, this week's *Greater Things* asks us to become disciples of someone who truly embodied our ambitions to live life greater:

[№ 10 | Be more Dolly PartonIn tribute to Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at the age of eighty, this week’s Greater Things asks us to become disciples of someone who truly embodied our ambitions to live life greater. We’ve chosen some of her advice for life in her own words: “Don’t![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-729c2aa4-5884-4024-8b8f-e3ab1a7790cc.png)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/2MYYCFE-b9e7bfc8-ca2e-4193-9dab-32e7305dcd7c.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f3522e1f-2838-4356-bf1d-aec9a03ef765/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### Out of Town

The latest from Paperweight's Out of Town bureau:

Take a trip to St Leonards-on-Sea, the town that loves to dress up, with Luke Croydon's guide to the ultimate weekend break:

[I left London for St Leonards-on-SeaLondon escapee Luke Croydon on why St Leonards-on-Sea really is the place to be![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-816141ff-70d6-40f1-aeb1-52521e20d7bf.png)Paperweight MagazineLuke Croydon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/2X66CPK-1-3ef26f0c-4f15-4485-b2b2-bd30f5c4e716.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/i-left-london-for-st-leonards-on-sea/)

### At Home

The latest from Paperweight's At Home bureau:

Wet weather blankets the whole of the British and Irish Isles, marking the start of Autumn on Tuesday. This is a playlist for watching the drizzle on the window pane while you get ready to host a Sunday lunch or settle in to read a good book:

[PAPERWEIGHT · Rainy SundayA playlist for watching the drizzle on the window pane, featuring The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, and Radiohead alongside Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-a7ac72ba-7ff0-4667-95ee-1c73f120b990.png)Paperweight MagazinePaperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Rainy-Sunday-e4128d99-e760-43fa-b6b3-fe6a1dd838f7.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-rainy-sunday/)

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

Planning a holiday? You might take a quick look at British Airways Holidays before you book. A 20,000 Avios bonus is on offer, but you will need to use [this special link](https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/offers/bonus-avios?ref=paperweightmag.com) to register first, and book before the end of the Bank Holiday Weekend. As ever, check all the [small print](https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/offers/bonus-avios?ref=paperweightmag.com#:~:text=Offer%20Terms%20and%20Conditions) to make sure it's right for you before booking.

### On the Town

What's happening in town this week:

You might have heard of Charity Shop Sue, but have you heard of the woman under the wig, Selina Mosinski? Cal Roscow reviews a raucous show that has an important underlying message about class and gender:

[Review: Selina Mosinski: Puss in Boots – A Working Class Fairy Tale★★★★☆ | Mosinski’s bawdy one-hander is the vehicle for a punchy autobiographical story worth telling![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-83669c05-0589-4b78-aff3-c0d767adf418.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Selina-Mosinski-Large-2e29c19d-7d47-4e43-b41b-0b03e020ac7b.jpeg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-selina-mosinski-puss-in-boots-a-working-class-fairy-tale/)

Here's the rest of the listings for the week:

### London

**Arcus at The Imperial** Bloomsbury's first rooftop bar, Arcus, has opened on the tenth floor with a season-led menu and skyline views. [Reservations recommended.](https://arcusrooftop.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **61-66 Russell Square, London WC1B 5BB.** *Opened 14th August 2026.*

**Saltwater** The Milk Beach restaurant group has launched a handroll bar, inspired by Sydney's takeaway sushi culture, with rolls from just £3.40\. [Walk-ins accepted.](https://www.saltwatersushi.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **3-4 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR.** *Opened 13th August 2026.*

**Whippies** A soft-serve ice cream spin-off from Soho's Big Kid has opened in Seven Dials, with a menu offering knickerbocker glories, hot fudge sundaes and a bespoke 99 flake. [Full details via Instagram.](https://www.instagram.com/%5Fwhippies?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Top Floor, Seven Dials Market, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LX.** *Opened 8th August 2026.*

**Hampton Court Food Festival** Henry VIII's former home hosts pop-up bars, street food, fête games, face painting, music and a host of other family-friendly activities in its grand palace setting. [Palace admission from £29.](https://www.hrpfestivals.com/hampton-court-palace?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, East Molesey, KT8 9AU.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026.*

**RVT Sports Day** LGBTQ+ Londoners descend on Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for a riotous fundraiser for LGBT HERO. Games include an egg-and-spoon race, sack race, drag race relay, the "50m mince" and rhythmic gymnastics. [Free admission, donations welcome.](https://www.vauxhalltavern.com/events/event/rvt-sports-day-in-partnership-with-hero/?oid=6610&ref=paperweightmag.com) **Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (behind the Royal Vauxhall Tavern), 372 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5HY.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026, 1pm to 5pm.*

**Handel's Salon: Handel's Ladies, Letters, Lyrics** Mezzo-soprano Diana Moore and harpsichordist Julian Perkins explore his circle of female patrons through arias and cantatas, interwoven with the letters of his friends Mary Delany and Lady Egmont. [Tickets from £25.](https://handelhendrix.org/events/an-evening-with-diana-moore-and-julian-perkins?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Handel Hendrix House, 25 Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HB.** *Tuesday 1st September 2026, 6.30pm.*

**So Last Century Vintage Market at the Mansion** More than 50 vintage traders take over Beckenham Place Mansion with mid-century furniture, ceramics, records and antique maps, plus street food, resident artists' open studios and a sewing school. [Free admission.](https://www.solastcenturyfair.co.uk/next-events/beckenham-place-park-2026-august?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Beckenham Place Mansion, Beckenham Hill Rd, Beckenham, London BR3 1SY.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026, 10am to 5pm.*

**Skyclimber + Live Q&A** Watch the documentary following 24-year-old free solo climber Adam Lockwood's ropeless attempt on the Eiffel Tower, threaded through his story of neurodivergence and homelessness, followed by a Q&A with Lockwood, director Nick Hardie and producer Helen Conlan. [Tickets from £12.50.](https://dochouse.org/event/skyclimber/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bertha DocHouse, Curzon Bloomsbury, The Brunswick, London WC1N 1AW.** *Wednesday 2nd September 2026, 6.20pm.*

**Brassworks 2026** Woolwich Works' free, day-long festival of horns marks its fifth anniversary: marching bands, Balkan beats, jazz, funk and Afrobeat across an outdoor courtyard, plus free workshops including tuba lessons. [Free admission.](https://www.woolwich.works/brassworks?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, London SE18 6HD.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 10.30am to 9pm.*

**Silent Disco in the Temperate House** Dance among rare plants at Kew's Victorian Temperate House, switching between two headphone channels for sets from DJ Goldierocks and DJ Sugai. Over-18s only, garden entry not included. [Tickets from £27.50 for Kew members, otherwise from £35.20.](https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/silent-disco?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE (entry via Temperate House Gate).** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 7pm to 10.30pm.*

**System of a Drag** Queer cabaret night with London drag artists reimagining System of a Down's Toxicity for the album's 25th anniversary. [Tickets from £12.](https://events.signaturebrew.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Signature Brew Haggerston, Railway Arch 340, Acton Mews, Haggerston, London E8 4EA.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 6pm to 11pm.*

**LOUD WOMEN Fest London 2026** The UK's biggest celebration of feminist DIY music turns 11: nineteen punk, indie, riot-grrrl and dark-folk acts from seven countries across two stages. [Tickets from £6.](https://loudwomen.org/2026/05/05/loud-women-fest-london-2026-first-lineup-announcement-tickets-on-sale-now/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, from 12pm.*

**FOLD presents Bassiani (Extended)** Tbilisi's legendary techno institution, Bassiani, takes over FOLD's two rooms for a 15-hour extended session, with a strict 21+ and physical ID policy. [Tickets from £16.](https://www.fold.london/tickets/fold-presents-bassiani-extended?ref=paperweightmag.com) **FOLD London, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, London E16 4SA.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 11.59pm until Sunday 6th September, 3pm.*

### Last chance to see:

**Now You See Me Live** [Book direct.](https://londoncoliseum.org/events/now-you-see-me-live/?ref=paperweightmag.com) London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*  
**The Gruffalo** [Book direct.](https://thelyrictheatre.co.uk/tickets/the-gruffalo-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*  
**Hot Mess: A New Musical** [Book direct.](https://theotherpalace.co.uk/hot-mess/?ref=paperweightmag.com) The Other Palace, 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*  
**Anansi the Spider** [Book direct.](https://openairtheatre.com/production/anansi?ref=paperweightmag.com) Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NU. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*  
**Call Me Elizabeth: An Audience with Elizabeth Taylor** [Book direct.](https://www.theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk/projects/callmeelizabeth?ref=paperweightmag.com) The Playground Theatre, Latimer Road, London W10 6RQ. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026, 6pm.*  
**Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs** [Book direct.](https://lightroom.uk/whats-on/prehistoric-planet/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Lightroom, Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4DY. *Until Tuesday 1st September 2026.*  
**Jeeves Takes Charge** [Book direct.](https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/jeeves-takes-charge?ref=paperweightmag.com) Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NL. *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

### Manchester

**Manchester Open 2026** It's the last week to take in the free biennial open exhibition of around 420 works by artists from all ten Greater Manchester boroughs, selected from over 1,500 entries. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/manchesteropen2026-rslt?ref=paperweightmag.com) **HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**Ai Weiwei: Button Up!** Also in its final week, Ai Weiwei's major exhibition exploring two centuries of Chinese-British history through monumental sculpture, including a 47-metre inflatable refugee boat. [Tickets from £21.50.](https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/ai-weiwei-button-up/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**MAZE** The US soul group behind Before I Let Go and Joy and Pain play Manchester for the first time in over 30 years, with support from Acantha Lang. [Tickets from £35.](https://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/whats-on/maze-050926/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 7pm.*

### Glasgow

**Gathered Together 2026: Tightrope** Scotland's leading inclusive dance company, Indepen-dance, and Amici Dance Theatre Company (England) open this inclusive-dance festival with a circus-themed piece about an ageing troupe staging one last show, part of Indepen-dance's 30th anniversary. [Tickets from £22.](https://www.tramway.org/event/f5924cae-950b-445e-88a8-b497011074ab/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE.** *Wednesday 2nd September 2026, 7pm to 8.45pm.*

**One Hundred Voices** An interactive, audio-guided installation built from 100 testimonies of Scotland's Care Experienced community, staged by National Theatre of Scotland after a run at this year's Fringe, in 10-minute slots every 10 minutes. [Pay what you can.](https://citz.co.uk/whats-on/one-hundred-voices/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Citizens Theatre, Studio Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, Glasgow G5 9DS.** *Wednesday 2nd until Saturday 12th September 2026.*

**Outside Eyes** The Tron's bi-annual new-writing scratch night, with Bijli Productions, showcases four short works-in-progress by global majority artists exploring grief, family and identity. [Tickets from £7.50.](https://www.tron.co.uk/shows/outside-eyes-7/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HB.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Harold Offeh: The Mothership Collective 2:0** A new exhibition turns sci-fi, Afrofuturism and George Clinton/Sun-Ra mythology into a hands-on playscape for all ages. [Free admission.](https://www.tramway.org/event/e7379ad9-448c-4ad4-933b-b44800ce7df8/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE.** *Opens Saturday 5th September 2026 until 7th February 2027.*

**Through The Roof: Dennis Quin & Ranger Trucco** House and techno night at Glasgow's best-known basement club, welcoming back two returning residents. [Tickets from £20.](https://subclub.co.uk/events/through-the-roof-dennis-quin-ranger-trucco/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sub Club, 22 Jamaica Street, Glasgow G1 4QD.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026.*

**Co-Accused with Paranoid London live & Lee Cee** Influential UK acid-house duo Paranoid London play live, joined by local selector Lee Cee making her Sub Club debut. [Tickets from £17.](https://subclub.co.uk/events/co-accused-with-paranoid-london-live-lee-cee/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sub Club, 22 Jamaica Street, Glasgow G1 4QD.** *Friday 4th September 2026.*

**KSK w/ Mylan Westers + SMR b2b Embers** This local electronic lineup promises, in the venue's own words, "an extremely hard close" from Claire Noir. [Tickets from £8.](https://room-2.co.uk/events/ksk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Room 2, 69 Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow G2 1QY.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 10pm to 3am.*

### Edinburgh

[Review: Selina Mosinski: Puss in Boots – A Working Class Fairy Tale★★★★☆ | Mosinski’s bawdy one-hander is the vehicle for a punchy autobiographical story worth telling![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-77b631c7-e40f-46d3-aac8-08d71125d509.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Selina-Mosinski-Large-5328de84-cfb9-4ebe-bf9f-eb20f79261c4.jpeg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-selina-mosinski-puss-in-boots-a-working-class-fairy-tale/)

**Adam Stafford / Meursault / M. John Henry** An intimate triple bill of Scottish DIY-underground songwriters. [Tickets from £14 to £17.](https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/adam-stafford-meursault-m-john-henry?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 8pm, doors 7.30pm.*

**Sindhu Vee: Swanky** An hour of new stand-up from the Live at the Apollo and Sex Education star, on her first UK tour in five years. [Tickets from £32.](https://lyceum.org.uk/events/sindhu-vee-swanky?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Royal Lyceum Theatre, 30b Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AX.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Pitt Flicks: Spider-Man Brand New Day** A family-friendly warehouse cinema night packs the Pitt with bean bags, sofas and food and drink served to your seat. [Pay what you can.](https://thepitt.co.uk/event/pitt-flicks-spider-man-brand-new-day-12a-saturday-5-september-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Pitt, 20 West Shore Road, Edinburgh EH5 1QD.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 7pm.*

**Edinburgh Psych Fest 2026** One-day psych and indie festival across multiple Edinburgh venues including Sneaky Pete's, headlined by Stereolab, Ty Segall and Shame, with Billy Nomates and Gwenno among dozens more. [Tickets from £69.](https://www.sneakypetes.co.uk/2026/09/06/edinburgh-psych-fest-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Multiple venues including Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**Overground (Autumn Re-Opening Night Rave)** The Bongo Club reopens after its annual seven-week Fringe hiatus with a rave marking the Cowgate institution's return, expected to sell out. [Tickets from £9.50.](https://www.thebongoclub.co.uk/events-main/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JX.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 11pm to 3am.*

### Belfast

**The Green Room Exhibitions: Skull** The live audio-visual art night returns with DJs and a resident illustrator improvising paintings from crowd prompts. To celebrate ten years, this session will launch the first print collection. [Free admission.](https://blackboxbelfast.com/event/the-green-room-exhibitions-skull/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026, 6pm to 9pm.*

**Crystal Queer Film Club: I Saw the TV Glow** Screening of Jane Schoenbrun's film for Trans Pride. [Free entry, booking required.](https://blackboxbelfast.com/event/crystal-queer-film-club-i-saw-the-tv-glow-showing/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA.** *Friday 4th September 2026, doors 7pm.*

**WHISK(E)Y WARS** Joyce Greenaway's solo show, that garnered five-star Edinburgh Fringe reviews, of a family saga set in a fictional County Down distillery. [Tickets from £15.](https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/whiskey-wars/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Lyric Theatre, 55 Ridgeway Street, Belfast BT9 5FB.** *Tuesday 1st until Thursday 3rd September 2026, 7pm.*

**Fuego Fatale: Women of Horror** Annual pole, burlesque and drag cabaret night. [Tickets from £25.](https://blackboxbelfast.com/event/fuego-fatale-women-of-horror-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026, doors 7pm.*

**Belfast Music Walking Tour** Guided tour covering the city's music history from hip hop to classical, jazz and punk - opera to folk, country and electro pop - and more. [Tickets from £22.](https://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/events/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Meets at Ulster Hall, tour run by Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast BT1 2LG.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 1pm to 3.30pm.*

### Birmingham

**Digbeth First Friday** The monthly trail of gallery openings, studio shows and pop-ups across Digbeth's independent art spaces, including openings at Stryx, Zellig, Centrala, Eastside Projects and Alfred Works, plus the Repair Café launch with a DJ set. [Free admission.](https://digbethfirstfriday.com/listings/september-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Multiple venues across Digbeth, anchored by Eastside Projects, 86 Heath Mill Lane, Birmingham B9 4AR.** *Friday 4th September 2026.*

**Birmingham Weekender: Mirror Bull City closing takeover** The free open-air city-centre disco closes its three-day run with a DJ set from Huey Morgan spanning jazz, funk, soul and disco. [Free admission.](https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/mirror-bull-city-mostly-jazz-funk-soul-takeover-with-huey-morgan-dj-set/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Rotunda Square, Bullring, Birmingham B5 4BU.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026, from 12pm.*

**Angela de la Cruz: Upright / Break the Mould** Two exhibitions in their final week: de la Cruz's sculptural paintings and a hands-on ceramics show where artists including Halima Cassell and Roo Dhissou work in the gallery. [Free admission.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/exhibition/angela-de-la-cruz-upright?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**RETIRED YOUTH: The Show** Free drop-in preview of a new artist-led community TV pilot made by Ikon's Youth Programme with artist Alice Theobald, interviews, video segments and spoken word on the show's set. [Free admission, drop in.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/event/retired-youth-the-show?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Saturday 5th until Sunday 6th September 2026, 11am to 5pm daily.*

**The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time** Regional premiere opening night of the new touring production of Simon Stephens' adaptation, starring Joe McFadden and Charlie Brooks. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Opens Saturday 5th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

### Brighton

**MindOut for Laughs** An LGBTQ+ mental-health charity comedy fundraiser hosted by Ophelia Payne, featuring RuPaul's Drag Race UK alumnus. [Tickets from £18.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/mindout-for-laughs/?eid=20517&ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Jimmy + Design Fault + Sonne** Free gig, three local and touring bands. [Free entry.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/jimmy/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Green Door Store, Units 2-4 Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 7pm.*

**Brighton Psych Fest 2026** This promises to be a celebration of all things psychedelic. As part of the fest, Stereolab, the avant-pop band renowned for their fusion of 1960s lounge music, krautrock, and experimental pop, will come to Brighton Dome alongside many other artists. [Tickets from £50.](https://brightondome.org/whats-on/L1Y-brighton-psych-fest-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, New Road, Brighton BN1 1UG and various other venues.** *Friday 4th September 2026.*

### Bristol

**Nancy Lupo: Several Chickens Later / Tohé Commaret: Mijitas** Last chance to catch both shows before they close: Lupo's sculptural work and Commaret's Mijitas exhibition enter their final week. [Free admission.](https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/nancy-lupo/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**Date My Mate: LGBTQ+ Edition** A friend takes the stage to pitch you as a date, PowerPoint-style, a queer, playful cabaret-format one-off in Bristol Old Vic's Georgian function room. [Tickets from £5.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/date-my-mate-lgbtq?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Coopers' Hall, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Tuesday 1st September 2026, 6.30pm to 10.30pm.*

**Macbeth (Young SixSix)** The youth-company's staging of Shakespeare's tragedy in the Weston Studio. [Tickets from £12.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/macbeth-young-sixsix?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Thursday 3rd until Saturday 5th September 2026.*

**Rhys James: Chop Logic** Stand-up from the BAFTA-nominated comedian for one night only. [Tickets from £24.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/rhys-james-chop-logic?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Saturday 5th September 2026.*

**Kickin Valentina, Past Self & JACK.MOS at The Louisiana** Three small-venue gigs stack up across the week at Bristol's riverside dive bar: Kickin Valentina, Past Self and JACK.MOS. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.thelouisiana.net/events?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Louisiana, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 6UA.** *Wednesday 2nd until Friday 4th September 2026.*

### Cardiff

**Helios** It's the chance to see Luke Jerram's seven-metre illuminated sculpture of the sun, built from real NASA solar imagery. [Free admission, booking recommended.](https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12934/Helios/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP.** *Closes Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Bed By 10pm** 80s, 90s and 00s throwback day-into-evening rave for ravers over 30 comes to Cardiff. [Tickets from £23.](https://www.tramshedcardiff.com/events/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tramshed, Clare Road, Cardiff CF11 6QP.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 4pm.*

### Liverpool

**John Akomfrah: Listening All Night To The Rain** A last opportunity to see the multi-channel video installations by Sir John Akomfrah RA, originally commissioned for the British Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, exploring memory, migration, racial injustice and climate. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/walker-art-gallery/exhibition/john-akomfrah-listening-all-night-rain?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Walker Art Gallery, William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EL.** *Until Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Gender Stories** New exhibition tracing the spectrum of gender through fine and decorative art, personal stories and objects, in its final day. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/walker-art-gallery/exhibition/gender-stories?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Walker Art Gallery, William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EL.** *Until Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Roaming Britain: Gypsy and Traveller Homes** In its final week, an exploration of how Gypsy and Traveller communities shape their homes, told through stories, art and poetry. [Free admission.](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool--riba-north/roaming-britain-gypsy-and-traveller-homes?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP.** *Until Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Jalsaghar Closing Event with Jennifer Lee Tsai** Pop-up poetry readings by Bluecoat's Artist in Residence, chosen with artist Debjani Banerjee, marking the close of her exhibition Jalsaghar. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/jalsaghar-closing-event?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026, 6pm to 7pm.*

**CEREMONY: A Tribute to Joy Division & New Order** Tribute act Shadowplay recreate both Manchester groups live, timed to their joint 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. [Tickets from £16.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/Camp-And-Furnace/Joy-Division-and-New-Order-Performed-Live-By-Shadowplay/42473061/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland St, Liverpool L1 0BY.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 7pm to 11pm.*

**WE WEAR BLACK: THE EMO CLUB NIGHT** Resident DJs spin emo, pop-punk and metalcore from Paramore, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy to Pierce The Veil. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.arts-club-liverpool.com/event/we-wear-black-the-emo-club-night/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arts Club, 90 Seel St, Liverpool L1 4BH.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 11pm to 3am.*

**The STATE '88: Original House Music** Original DJs from The State Ballroom's 1986 to 89 acid house scene play a timelined set of old-skool and disco house. [Tickets from £16.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/District-/The-State-88-Original-House-Music/42126980/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **District, 61 Jordan St, Liverpool, L1 0BW.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 10pm to 2am.*

### Newcastle

**The Guilty Feminist** Deborah Frances-White brings the podcast to the stage with her new Road to Gilead Project, blending comedy with activism. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/guilty-feminist?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DQ.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz: Close to Home** Documentary photographs by the late Tish Murtha (Elswick Kids, Youth Unemployment) shown together for the first time in the North East, paired with a new commission by Newcastle artist Kuba Ryniewicz. [Free admission.](https://baltic.art/whats-on/XqK-tish-murtha-kuba-ryniewiczclose-to-home/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA.** *Until 4th April 2027.*

**Chitra Ganesh: Journey to the Great Below** First major UK solo institutional exhibition of New York artist Chitra Ganesh, including a new animation work. [Free admission.](https://baltic.art/whats-on/Xqb-chitra-ganeshjourney-to-the-great-below/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA.** *Until 17th January 2027.*

**Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 and Exploring Identity** The National Portrait Gallery's touring portraiture prize exhibition, featuring 46 works, closing at the end of this week. [Tickets from £11.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/laing/whats-on/herbert-smith-freehills-kramer-portrait-award-2025-and-exploring-identity?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG.** *Until Saturday 5th September 2026.*

**Arrested Development** Grammy-winning hip-hop trailblazers behind Tennessee and People Everyday play a rare intimate club show. [Tickets from £32.50.](https://thecluny.com/listing/arrested-development/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2PQ.** *Thursday 3rd September 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**White Denim** Austin, Texas garage-rock and jazz trio playing an intimate Bank Holiday Monday show at one of the city's smallest venues. [Tickets from £28.50.](https://thecluny.com/listing/white-denim/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2PQ.** *Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**BLITZ in the Yard** Free 10-hour techno, hardgroove and trance takeover of WHQ's yard, moving from an outdoor day party into the club as the evening draws in. [Free entry, booking required.](https://www.welovewhq.com/whats-on/blitz-in-the-yard-free-party-day-night?ref=paperweightmag.com) **World Headquarters, Curtis Mayfield House, Carliol Square, East Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6UF.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 6pm to 4am.*

### Nottingham

**rarescale: And the music is for the birds** Free improvised chamber-music performances by low-flutes ensemble rarescale, responding live to the Chico da Silva and Augustas Serapinas exhibitions, three short sittings in the gallery itself. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/whats-on/rarescale-and-the-music-is-for-the-birds-sep/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB.** *Sunday 6th September 2026, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.*

**Augustas Serapinas: Physical Culture / Chico da Silva: And the soul is for the birds** Two free exhibitions in their closing weeks: a gallery of classical-sculpture replicas staged like a life-drawing class, and vivid fantastical paintings. [Free admission.](https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/whats-on/augustas-serapinas-physical-culture/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB.** *Until Sunday 13th September 2026.*

**Till the Stars Come Down** Regional premiere of Beth Steel's Olivier-nominated wedding-day family drama, coming to Nottingham for the first time. [Tickets from £12.50.](https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/till-the-stars-come-down/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF.** *Opens Saturday 5th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**We The People: America's Fight for Freedom and Beyond** Free exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, drawn from the University of Nottingham's manuscript collections. [Free admission.](https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibition/we-the-people/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Lakeside Arts, Weston Gallery, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD.** *Until Sunday 13th September 2026.*

### Sheffield

**When The Sky Gets Bright** New exhibition by artist collective Babeworld with the Society of Explorers and Creative Producers. [Free admission.](https://www.sitegallery.org/exhibition/when-the-sky-gets-bright/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Site Gallery, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Sounds of Now: Feldman and Harrison** GBSR Duo perform rare Morton Feldman works plus a world premiere by Bryn Harrison, commissioned by Music in the Round. [Tickets from £17.](https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/sounds-of-now-feldman-harrison?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sheffield Playhouse, 55 Norfolk St, Sheffield S1 1DA.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 8pm.*

**The Ruskin Collection: Storm-Cloud, The Look of the Sky** Exhibition on John Ruskin's pioneering 1884 lecture linking industrial pollution and changing weather. [Free admission, suggested donation £5.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/storm-cloud-the-look-of-the-sky/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP.** *Until 29th November 2026.*

**Gathering Landscapes: 150 Years of Collecting at Weston Park Museum** Over 400 objects exploring people's connections to land, curated by Heavy Water Collective. [Free admission, please donate £5.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/gathering-landscapes-150-years-of-collecting-at-weston-park-museum/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP.** *Until 1st November 2026.*

**Crazy Diamond: A Tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd** An eight-piece band perform Wish You Were Here in full plus classics including The Great Gig in the Sky. [Tickets from £27.](https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/crazy-diamond-a-tribute-to-the-music-of-pink-floyd?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Montgomery Theatre, 27 Surrey St, Sheffield S1 2LG.** *Saturday 5th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Kitchen Radio Fundraiser** Free party for Sheffield's volunteer-run DIY radio station, residents playing all flavours through the night. [Free entry, donations welcome.](https://gutlevel.co.uk/whatson/kitchen-radio-fundraiser-w-doobskins-jord-guest-muccarelli-steel-frequencies-robyn-jade-n5at8?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Gut Level, 32-34 Chapel Walk, Sheffield S1 2PD.** *Friday 4th September 2026, 9pm until Saturday 5th September, 2am.*

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### PAPERWEIGHT · Rainy Sunday
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-rainy-sunday/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T15:07:28.000Z
_No content available._
### I left London for St Leonards-on-Sea
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/i-left-london-for-st-leonards-on-sea/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T09:25:48.000Z
It’s now been three years since I decided to call St Leonards on Sea home. This small town perched on the East Sussex coast tempted me away from London and, after only a few visits, I made the leap and became a fully-fledged ‘DFL’er (that’s ‘down from London’) - or, as the locals teasingly dub us, ‘FILTH’; failed in London, trying Hastings.

In truth, we are three places in one; in the West, the fashionable Victorian seaside retreat of St Leonards on Sea, in the East the medieval Hastings ‘Old Town’, and sandwiched in the middle, Hastings ‘New Town’. 

St Leonards was built as a model town in the 19th Century (Queen Victoria even visited on at least one occasion). After it went through significant decline in the latter part of the 20th Century, like many British seaside settlements, it has been reborn as a cultural hub, filled with bars, microbreweries, restaurants and galleries. It’s like London Fields with a beach, with a community packed full of artists, musicians, sommeliers and every other kind of creatives. I tell everyone that they should come for at least a whole weekend break - there’s just so much to experience.

### The ultimate weekend itinerary for getting to know St Leonards

Starting off with wine bars, my two favourites - in the whole world - are here: Collected Fictions, which specialises in natural wines, and - just a stone’s throw away - Graze on Grand, which always has an excellent selection of local English fizz.

_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Review: Selina Mosinski: Puss in Boots – A Working Class Fairy Tale
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-selina-mosinski-puss-in-boots-a-working-class-fairy-tale/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T11:42:28.000Z
I'm sat in the King Dome at the Plesance, as agog as my fellow audience members, while Selina Mosinski writhes around in a body suit that has added fake genitalia with replete faux body hair. The nearly-full house is expressing a mixture of shock, awe, and delight. Well, almost everyone. It feels as if two theatregoers thought that they might be coming to see a production of the original Puss in Boots story. I am wondering what they make of it all.

This doesn't sound like the environment for a deep, considered reckoning for the most troubling aspects of the 2000s ladette culture, and yet - for me at least - it is. Many readers might not have heard of Selina Mosinski yet. But they are much more likely to have come into contact with the character that she birthed almost a decade ago. For those not in the know, Sue Tuke is the fictional manager of Sec\*hand Chances, a charity shop in Bulwell, Nottingham. Although filmed in 2014, and briefly part of a Sky Arts Christmas Comedy Short that came out in 2017, it was a further three years before the eighteen-episode 'Charity Shop Sue' web series was released on YouTube. But anyone wondering which actress played this wonderfully vile, although complicated, villainess would struggle to find an answer. Searches on Google wondering who she was peaked in November 2021, after the series - and to a greater extent the character itself - had burst into the hun culture canon. 'Sue' has opened Pride events, appeared on television, and done paid promotions for Jet2, Specsavers, New Look, and even Cadbury's. But Mosinski herself was nowhere to be found. At the time, I put this down to a commitment to 'the bit'. It wasn't until 2023 that 'Selina Mosinski' was credited with an appearance in *Starstruck* and then the BBC hit comedy *Alma's Not Normal*. Her appearance as Auntie Evie in the latter felt like the turning point for Mosinski as a performer. Had the curtain finally been pulled back?

_This post is for subscribers only._
### № 9 | Teach yourself one quick and easy bread recipe
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/9-teach-yourself-one-quick-and-easy-bread-recipe/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T10:42:40.000Z
People are far too easily impressed by freshly baked-at-home bread. And it's all sourdough's fault. Endless talk of 'keeping your starter alive' has put most people off giving it a go, leaving a select few to bask in the unearned glory of something that can be so simple. Don't let the smug bastards win; learn one quick bread recipe that will free you from additive-addled supermarket bread.

That's not to do down the craft - there's a place for fantastically complicated, delicious breadmaking. But your morning toast can be just as satisfying with a humble home-cooked loaf, and you can save spending at artisanal bakeries for special occasions.

If you don't know where to begin, try Keir James-Tough's [classic white loaf recipe](https://www.paperweightmag.com/forget-sourdough-starters-a-recipe-for-a-classic-white-loaf/) that won't disrupt even the busiest of work-from-home days or weekend mornings. 

Now we must be honest; although you don't need any special equipment, a stand mixer turns a half-hour job into that of a few minutes. We've compiled [a list of the best](https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-best-kitchen-stand-mixers-from-frugal-to-fantastic/), one of which retails for just £69.

[The best kitchen stand mixers from frugal to fantasticKeir James-Tough rates five of the best stand mixers for every budget![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-d1094617-31e2-42b5-9030-60ebf85eef9c.png)Paperweight MagazineKeir James-Tough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/linus-belanger-HsqdtgpKZe0-unsplash-64149e7b-fa65-4d51-b133-2a495a04a0f8.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-best-kitchen-stand-mixers-from-frugal-to-fantastic/)

Low-carb dieting has done bread a disservice. Humans have eaten bread for over 14,000 years, and its importance goes far beyond nutrition. So much so that the word 'companion' is Latin for someone you break bread with. Most of the 'clean eating' ire is directed at the types you find in the shops. Your own bread can be made with just five or six ingredients: flour, yeast, fat, water, salt (and often a negligible amount of sugar). Give it a try, and you won't look back.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 16th August 2026: Charing Cross, London
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/16th-august-2026-charing-cross-london/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T10:42:33.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F9R729-1.jpg)

Credit: Xiu Bao/Alamy Live News

At the risk of inviting remarks about watching paint dry, this week's *Darkroom* features the freshly repainted and refurbished Hungerford Bridge. Why? Well, the endeavour saw the railway closed for just 22 days, which was exactly how long the works were expected to last. We think it's worth celebrating an infrastructure project that was completed on time and within budget. Get this team onto Hammersmith Bridge and HS2 immediately.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### How to make the most of the last days of summer
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/how-to-make-the-most-of-the-last-days-of-summer/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T11:21:31.000Z
Can you believe that it's nearly Autumn already? This is the last week of 'official' summer, and also the last week for several brilliant theatre shows, not just those at the Fringe. September also signals the end of silly season, and we're looking forward to bringing you an expanded UK Affairs section from next week. In the meantime, here are some ideas for how to spend the rest of it. Here's what's coming up:  
  
**Darkroom:** A project that was delivered on time and under budget!  
**At Home:** A bread recipe to improve your daily life that doesn't take as much effort as sourdough  
**En Route:** Europe regains proper business class seats that won't break the bank and Virgin Trains' Channel Tunnel plans are approved  
**On the Town:** Theatre critic Anya Ryan reviews two sell-out shows, and Cal Roscow visits an Edinburgh tapas institution

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

At the risk of inviting remarks about watching paint dry, this week's *Darkroom* features the freshly repainted and refurbished Hungerford Bridge. 'Why?' we hear you ask! Well, the endeavour saw the railway closed for just 22 days, which was exactly how long the works were expected to last. We think it's worth celebrating an infrastructure project that was completed on time and within budget. Get this team onto Hammersmith Bridge and HS2 immediately.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F9R729-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/5cd0eaef-4f66-4540-8259-053b045ce4dd/?member%5Fstatus=free)

New paintwork is visible on Hungerford Bridge's lattice girders, the railway bridge leading into Charing Cross station, part of the structural repair work completed during the station's 22-day closure. Credit: Xiu Bao/Alamy Live News

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

With autumn drawing closer, this is the perfect opportunity to free yourself from additive-addled supermarket bread by learning a recipe for a home-made loaf. This week's *Greater Things* espouses the joys of simpler recipes (no sourdough starter in sight!):

[№ 9 | Teach yourself one quick and easy bread recipePeople are far too easily impressed by freshly baked-at-home bread. And it’s all sourdough’s fault. Endless talk of ‘keeping your starter alive’ has put most people off giving it a go, leaving a select few to bask in the unearned glory of something that can be![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-b94b8f1b-4465-45d1-9c1a-6ba9a1443e5b.png)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/emma-miller-iAwKWtoPh6g-unsplash-26553ff2-e878-448a-8d66-fa9eab1049f4.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/43ddf0d8-46e3-48a3-ad2b-e5ddbd77eecd/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### At Home

The latest from Paperweight's At Home bureau:

And if you're thinking about trying out some of Keir James-Tough's quick and easy bread recipes, you might want to consider investing in a kitchen stand mixer. Here are five solid options for all budgets:

[The best kitchen stand mixers from frugal to fantasticKeir James-Tough rates five of the best stand mixers for every budget![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-47a4726c-fa1e-417d-b8c2-ec2b354ada20.png)Paperweight MagazineKeir James-Tough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/linus-belanger-HsqdtgpKZe0-unsplash-a64b3c7a-aea8-41d9-82cf-54b26283a50d.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-best-kitchen-stand-mixers-from-frugal-to-fantastic/)

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

Ever since British Airways scrapped its former-British Midland fleet, Europe's business class offering has consisted of an expensive ticket price for an economy seat. Apart from a few occasions where long-haul aircraft fly on short-haul routes, travellers find themselves disappointed to learn that the higher fare just nets you a middle-seat space. Eurowings is set to change that with [the launch of their "Premium BIZ" seat](https://www.eurowings.com/en/information/on-board/premium-biz-seat.html?ref=paperweightmag.com); a proper business class product akin to what the Americans get for their domestic flights. There's a small catch; the launch is predominantly in order for them to offer a more comfortable seat for Dubai-bound flights. While we won't be taking them up on that destination, these same aircraft will be flying routes across Europe, including to and from London from just £120.

The Office of Rail and Road has finally [approved Virgin Trains' plans to run up to 20 daily return services](https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/green-light-virgin-trains-international-services?ref=paperweightmag.com) between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. This agreement runs from 1st October 2020 to 31st December 2040\. Anyone who has tried to book a Eurostar ticket for a specific time or date, and found themselves forking out for hundreds - if not thousands - of pounds, will be pleased to know that the monopoly might be soon coming to an end. There are still several hurdles to overcome, including Virgin seeking permission to run routes not offered by Eurostar, but we already know that 12 high-speed Alstom trains are on order (the same manufacturer that built the Pendolinos for the Group in the 2000s). Like every announcement about the Channel Tunnel, we'll believe it when we see it, but here's hoping that better UK-Continental Europe train travel is on the way!

### On the Town

What's happening in town this week:

We're delighted to announce that theatre critic Anya Ryan has joined Paperweight as a contributor this month, reviewing two shows that are well worth your time:

[Review: Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick★★★★★ | With flashes of The League of Gentlemen, this sad, bitter man is on course to be one of the comedy greats![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-8c4d481d-d74a-408c-8910-f4438803f67a.png)Paperweight MagazineAnya Ryan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Sam-Eley-Basil-Crumbwick-6397a232-1d33-4f25-a6b8-e06f32603da3.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-sam-eley-is-basil-crumbwick/)

[Review: Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge★★★★☆ | Elf Lyons brings the audience into her psyche through this powerfully personal, yet wonderfully weird, high-concept show![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-bb878a94-99c0-4c13-8f6b-b8a287b01366.png)Paperweight MagazineAnya Ryan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Elf-Lyons-Sharing-Image-cad43d2a-ce6c-479c-a673-c9974c502d1c.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-elf-lyons-is-the-woman-on-the-edge/)

And if you're heading to either of those, take a short walk to Bruntsfield to try out an establishment that's doing tapas that even those who don't usually like the idea of 'small plates' are sure to enjoy. We'd highly recommend trying the 2025 Granbazán albariño:

[Restaurant review: Piggs★★★★☆ | Cal Roscow takes a trip to Bruntsfield to try the tapas at an institution for the insatiable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-54334de7-dcae-4a27-9f16-d7322629ef5f.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Piggs-Bruntsfield--June-2024--1-1-495d17ea-d7e0-46b3-a816-0c036de4c14d.webp)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/restaurant-review-piggs/)

### London

**East of the Aldgate Pump** Whitechapel Gallery turns 125 and marks it by handing its building over to the flagship strand of Backyard Biennial: East, a self-declared antidote to "stuffy, over-curated art biennials", spanning painting, textiles and installation from twelve East End artists including Denzil Forrester and Rene Matić, spread across three galleries. [Free entry.](https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/backyard-biennial-east/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**The Ropery** Also part of the Backyard Biennial, a participatory installation with designer Sanne Visser drawing on East London's long-forgotten rope-making trade: drop in to twist, braid and knot alongside a growing communal piece, with a commissioned film alongside. [Free entry.](https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/backyard-biennial-east/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**In The Neighbourhood** The free, midweek fringe of All Points East, in Victoria Park: DJ Yoda's 90s Mixtape Live, Trojan Sound System, DJ Kizzi, stage takeovers from Cafe 1001 and Rich Mix, community performances from Grand Union Orchestra, family theatre and fitness classes. [Free admission.](https://www.allpointseastfestival.com/in-the-neighbourhood/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3 5TB.** *Monday 24th until Thursday 27th August 2026.*

**British Wildlife Photography Awards** This year's grand prize goes to a toad photographed at pond-floor level, while a boxing pair of hares and a napping cygnet round out a free show tucked into the Studio gallery. [Free admission.](https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/british-wildlife-photography-awards/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ.** *Until 21st February 2027.*

**Outdoor Cinema: Beautiful Thing** Hettie Macdonald's Thamesmead-set teen romance turns 30 this year, and the Barbican marks it by turning its brutalist Sculpture Court into a stand-in for the film's own housing-estate backdrop. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/outdoor-cinema-beautiful-thing?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS.** *Friday 28th August 2026, 8.30pm.*

**Making Two Temple Place: The Hands That Made the Victorian World** The research team unpicks how artisans, soldiers and prisoners shaped nineteenth-century material culture, how manual skill fed social mobility, and whether reclaiming handwork might do us any good in an era of technological acceleration. [Tickets from £8.](https://twotempleplace.org/events/making-two-temple-place-the-hands-that-made-the-victorian-world/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Two Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD.** *Thursday 27th August 2026, 7pm.*

**NIGO: From Japan with Love** The Design Museum hands its galleries to the Bathing Ape founder and current KENZO artistic director for the first museum retrospective of his career anywhere outside Japan, complete with a recreation of his teenage Harajuku bedroom and a life-size glass tea house. [Tickets from £15.29.](https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/nigo-from-japan-with-love?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG.** *Until 4th October 2026.*

**Tracey Emin: A Second Life** Last chance to see the 40-year survey of Emin's confessional practice, from painting and neon to the never-bettered shock of My Bed, before it closes. [Tickets from £22.](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tracey-emin?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG.** *Until 31st August 2026.*

**Channel One Sound System: Carnival Warm Up** One of the world's most revered sound systems gets the neighbourhood tuned up ahead of Carnival proper. [Tickets from £18.54.](https://villageunderground.co.uk/events/channel-one-sound-system-carnival-warm-up-28th-aug-village-underground-london-tickets-ry872y/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3PQ.** *Friday 28th August 2026, 11pm until 4am.*

**South London Soul Train: All-Dayer** The first ever all-dayer for a night that has been running for well over a decade, out in the Fox and Firkin's garden: DJ Cash Money and MC The Chill One join host Jazzheadchronic, with Mati Baz and George Aresti slinging deep funk vinyl from mid-afternoon. [Tickets from £8.](https://foxfirkin.com/event/south-london-soul-train-w-dj-cash-money/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Fox and Firkin, 316 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6JZ.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 2pm until 9pm.*

### Last chance to see:

**The Car Man** [Tickets from £15.](https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/matthew-bournes-new-adventures-the-car-man/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN. *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*  
**A Midsummer Night's Dream** [Standing tickets from £5, seated tickets from £28.](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/a-midsummer-nights-dream/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT. *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*  
**A World Elsewhere** [Tickets from £18.](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/a-world-elsewhere/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT. *Until Sunday 30th August 2026.*  
**Wanton** [Tickets from £20.](https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/wanton/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD. *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*  
**The Talking Drum: Voices from the Andover Estate** [Tickets from £25.](https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/the-talking-drum-voices-from-the-andover-estate/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP. *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*  
**The Magic Flute** [Tickets from £15.](https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/the-magic-flute/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL. *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*

### Manchester

**Rocket Wednesdays** A 30-foot Skybolt 2 rocket lands in the Science and Industry Museum's Upper Yard for the summer, with live science demos and a Martian trail round the galleries for kids under twelve. [Free admission, museum tickets required.](https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/summer-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4FP.** *Wednesday 26th August 2026.*

**Thursday Night Live** With the Comedy Store's building troubles taking Manchester's biggest room out of action, the Frog and Bucket's weekly new-material night offers a home for stand-up. [Tickets from £10.](https://frogandbucket.com/shows/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Frog and Bucket Comedy Club, 102 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LJ.** *Thursday 27th August 2026, doors 6.45pm.*

**Current Joys** Nick Rattigan's lo-fi indie-pop project plays New Century's basement room to close out the bank holiday weekend. [Tickets from £24.](https://newcenturymcr.com/new-century-hall/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **New Century Hall, 41 Corporation Street, Manchester M4 3AA.** *Sunday 30th August 2026.*

**RUNWAY x nympha: alt pride** The city's queer club night RUNWAY teams up with nympha for an alt-pride takeover of Soup: a free-entry bar set upstairs, rolling into a full club send of techno and Latin bass, raising funds for Trans Mutual Aid Manchester. [Tickets from £6–£16.](https://ra.co/events/2438565?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Soup, 31-33 Spear Street, Manchester M1 1DF.** *Friday 28th August 2026, 8pm until 4am.*

### Glasgow

**You'll Be Alright / Ye'll Be Awright Pal** CommonSpace hosts a show built entirely by young Glaswegians from the GoMA Yotuh Group. [Free admission.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/gallery-of-modern-art-goma/current-exhibitions-and-displays?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Susan Calman: Work in Progress** The comedian and broadcaster road-tests new stand-up in the room she cut her teeth in, before it gets polished for a proper tour. [Tickets from £13.](https://www.thestand.co.uk/whats-on/glasgow?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Stand Comedy Club, 420 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G4 9HZ.** *Sunday 30th August 2026, doors 7pm, show 8pm.*

**1984** The Citizens' main stage reopens for the season with Orwell's dystopia, a suitably heavyweight statement a year on from the theatre's own reopening. [Tickets from £19.50.](https://citz.co.uk/whats-on/1984-play/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, Glasgow G5 9DS.** *Opens Saturday 29th August, until 26th September 2026.*

**The Barras Market** Scotland's oldest market turns 105 this year: antiques, bargains, a food hall with proper vegan options, and stallholders who have been at it for generations. [Free admission.](https://market.barrowland.co.uk/blogs/the-barras/visit-us?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Barras Market, Gallowgate, Glasgow G1 5AS.** *Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August 2026, 10am until 4pm.*

**Sean Choon and The Prawn Monsoon** King Tut's eight-week Summer Nights showcase of emerging Scottish acts closes out with a band name that alone earns them the slot. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.kingtuts.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, 272a St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RL.** *Saturday 29th August 2026.*

### Edinburgh

[Review: Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick★★★★★ | With flashes of The League of Gentlemen, this sad, bitter man is on course to be one of the comedy greats![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-2db263d3-cefe-465a-9d1d-09493a0bd345.png)Paperweight MagazineAnya Ryan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Sam-Eley-Basil-Crumbwick-5a2d6888-c777-4d07-9a7c-60bd43fdcd5c.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-sam-eley-is-basil-crumbwick/)

[Review: Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge★★★★☆ | Elf Lyons brings the audience into her psyche through this powerfully personal, yet wonderfully weird, high-concept show![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-a83f550f-1e4c-4235-bf96-b296d5975fde.png)Paperweight MagazineAnya Ryan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Elf-Lyons-Sharing-Image-b4cd0681-8b53-406a-b935-164660fc16cc.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-elf-lyons-is-the-woman-on-the-edge/)

**Phil Green: The Boy Who Nearly Grew Up** Free Fringe in the vaults under the Cowgate, running to the very last day of the window. [Free entry, donation collected at the end.](https://freefringe.org.uk/venues/banshee-labyrinth-cinema-room/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Banshee Labyrinth, 29-35 Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LG.** *Daily until Sunday 30th August 2026, 1.30pm until 2.15pm.*

**Edith Alibec: The Void** Further down the same rabbit warren: a "post-human" clown, playful and quietly devastating by turns, interrogating the audience about what fills the void she has discovered she does not have. [Free entry, donation collected at the end.](https://freefringe.org.uk/venues/banshee-labyrinth-cinema-room/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Banshee Labyrinth, 29-35 Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LG.** *Nightly until Sunday 30th August 2026, 8.55pm until 9.55pm.*

**These Folk** An improvised folk musical, also Free Fringe: Justin Brett and Susan Harrison build a brand-new song-filled folk tale from audience suggestions with a live band, uncovering the mythic hidden in the mundane. [Free entry, donation collected at the end.](https://freefringe.org.uk/venues/banshee-labyrinth-cinema-room/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Banshee Labyrinth, 29-35 Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LG.** *Wednesday 26th August 2026, 12.20pm until 1.10pm.*

**Black Coral** One of Summerhall's free Fringe visual-arts shows: Rudy Kanhye works across sculpture, screen printing, painting and poetry to explore "coolitude", indentured labour and the diaspora of the Indian Ocean. [Free admission.](https://www.summerhallarts.co.uk/event/black-coral/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Summerhall (Sciennes Galleries), 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL.** *Until 13th September 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 11am until 5pm.*

**Stockbridge Market** Forty-odd independent traders by the Water of Leith: fresh bread, smoked salmon, Japanese street food, macaroons, soap, ceramics. [Free admission.](https://www.stockbridgemarket.com/stockbridge.html?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Stockbridge Market, Saunders Street, Edinburgh EH3 6TQ.** *Sunday 30th August 2026, 10am until 4pm.*

**Heyday: Masha Mar & Prosumer** Queer house night with Berlin-honed Panorama Bar alumnus Prosumer, now an Edinburgh resident, alongside LA-via-Serbia selector Masha Mar. [Tickets from £9.](https://www.sneakypetes.co.uk/2026/08/28/heydaymasha-mar-prosumer/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Friday 28th August 2026, 11pm until 3am.*

**Soul Jam: All Night Passion** Edinburgh's longest-running regular disco party gets its first 5am festival finish since 2019, with Aberdeen institution All Night Passion along for the ride. [Tickets from £6.](https://www.sneakypetes.co.uk/2026/08/29/soul-jamall-night-passion/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 11pm until 5am.*

### Belfast

**The Ignorant Art School: Outside the Circle x Belfast** A touring group show built around radical, non-hierarchical art education, in its final week at Golden Thread before it moves on. [Free entry.](https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/event/the-ignorant-art-school-outside-the-circle/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Golden Thread Gallery, 23-29 Queen Street, Belfast BT1 6EA.** *Until 29th August 2026.*

**Not So Fast Fashion** A talk with textile artist Alison Gault, tied to the museum's fashion exhibition, on slow craft, mending and the quiet ecological cost of a wardrobe refresh. [Tickets £5, booking required.](https://www.ulstermuseum.org/whats-on/not-so-fast-fashion?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ulster Museum, Stranmillis Road, Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 2pm until 3pm.*

**Susan Hughes: A Feeling in the Blood** New work from the Belfast-based artist fills the MAC's galleries for the rest of the summer. [Free admission, booking essential (suggested donation £5).](https://themaclive.com/exhibition/susan-hughes-a-feeling-in-the-blood?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The MAC, 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ.** *Until 18th October 2026.*

**Ashes to Fashion** Gowns, everyday clothes and one particularly well-travelled opera cloak, drawn from fifty years of the museum's fashion collecting. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.ulstermuseum.org/temporary-exhibition/ashes-fashion?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ulster Museum, Stranmillis Road, Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB.** *Until 13th September 2026.*

**St George's Market** Belfast's Victorian market hall, named the UK's best large indoor market in 2023, does its full Saturday spread of continental cheese, tapas, crafts and live music under the roof opposite the Waterfront. [Free admission.](https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket?ref=paperweightmag.com) **St George's Market, 12-20 East Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 3NQ.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 9am until 3pm.*

### Birmingham

**The Lost Scriptures: Birmingham v Manchester** Throughout the 1980s, MAC hosted pivotal moments in early UK hip hop, including the seminal Birmingham versus Manchester battles in its Outdoor Arena. This free drop-in day, part of Break Mission CIC's oral-history project, reunites crews from both cities in that same arena for battles, music and performances. [Free admission.](https://macbirmingham.co.uk/events/the-lost-scriptures-birmingham-v-manchester?ref=paperweightmag.com) **mac (Midlands Arts Centre), Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, throughout the day.*

**BYMT Sea Change** A world-premiere musical from British Youth Music Theatre, written by Birmingham writers Will Jackson and Elinor Peregrin: modern coastal Britain collides with the myth of the Selkies, told through 36 young performers, folk melodies and sea shanties. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/bymt-sea-change/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Hippodrome (Patrick Studio), Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB.** *Friday 28th until Sunday 30th August 2026.*

**Birmingham Weekender 2026** The city centre goes disco for the bank holiday: hundreds of mirror balls, open-air DJ takeovers from Huey Morgan and others, dance from Birmingham Royal Ballet and Talawa, all free and spread across the Bullring, Victoria Square and New Street Station. [Free admission.](https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/birmingham-weekender-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bullring, Birmingham B5 4BU (and other city centre sites).** *From Saturday 29th August 2026 (continues to Monday 31st).*

**Triple Threat: Preet Singh, Muhsin Yesilada & Richard Blackwood** Three very different comics share one stage for a single mixed bill, the MTV-to-Celebrity-Big-Brother veteran Blackwood among them. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.glee.co.uk/birmingham/whatson/triple-threat-birmingham?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD.** *Sunday 30th August 2026, 6pm.*

### Brighton

**Flights: Laurence Tidy** Pencil drawings fill Phoenix's street-facing Window Gallery for its final few days. [Free admission.](https://phoenixartspace.org/Events/flights-laurence-tidy/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Phoenix Art Space, 10-14 Waterloo Place, Brighton BN2 9NB.** *Until 30th August 2026 (Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm until 5pm).*

**Together For Colombia: Music, Art & Community** A one-off benefit night of music and art in support of earthquake relief. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/together-for-colombia-music-art-community-in-support-of-earthquake-relief/?eid=20792&ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Thursday 27th August 2026, 7.30pm (doors 7pm).*

**Komedia Comedy Club** The venue's long-running weekend stand-up bill: a rotating line-up and still one of the ways to spend a Brighton Friday or Saturday. [Tickets from £16](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/komedia-comedy-club/?eid=18914&ref=paperweightmag.com)[.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/komedia-comedy-club/?eid=18914&ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Friday 28th and Saturday 29th August 2026, 8pm (doors 7pm).*

### Bristol

**Free Solo Jazz Dance Class** Bonny Chung leads a free two-hour solo jazz session in the handsome surrounds of Coopers' Hall. [Free admission, no booking required.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/free-solo-jazz-dance-class?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Wednesday 26th August 2026, 7pm until 9pm.*

**Sofar Sounds: Secret Gig** Bristol Old Vic quietly slips a Sofar Sounds night into its foyer, the line-up a mystery until the acts step up. [Free, no booking required.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/sofar-sounds-foyer-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Thursday 27th August 2026, 8pm until 10pm.*

**Old City Sounds** Bristol's free bank holiday music festival returns for a fourth year across King Street, Welsh Back and St Nicholas Market, running from the nearly-60-year-old Old Duke Jazz Festival to a silent disco on the Glassboat. [Free admission.](https://www.bristolbid.co.uk/projects/old-city-sounds-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **St Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol BS1 1JQ.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 12pm until late.*

**The 45s** Bristol's own "fuzzy-scuzzy-Motown-rock" trio take over the Old Vic's foyer bar for a free, no-frills night of wall-to-wall bangers. [Free, no booking required.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/the-45s-aug-26?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Friday 28th August 2026, 9pm until 11pm.*

**Old City Sounds: After Dark** The daytime festival tips into a proper night out once the sun goes down, with drum and bass collectives taking over the Crown and DJs running the Mother's Ruin's Rathouse until the early hours. [Free admission.](https://www.bristolbid.co.uk/projects/old-city-sounds-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Crown, 16 Wine Street, Bristol BS1 2PH.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, late until 4am.*

### Cardiff

**Museum Lates: Helios** The last of the summer's after-hours openings for Luke Jerram's touring installation of the sun, seven metres of internally lit nylon suspended in the rotunda. [Free admission.](https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12970/Museum-Lates-Helios/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 6pm until 10pm.*

**Dan Johnson: A Summer of Deep Listening** Chapter's former artist-in-residence leads playful sound and listening workshops inspired by the composer Pauline Oliveros. Open to all ages and abilities. [Tickets £6 to £12.](https://www.chapter.cymru/whats-on/a-summer-of-deep-listening?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Chapter, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 2pm.*

**Riverside Market** Cardiff's original farmers' market, running since 1998, sets up on the embankment with Welsh cheese, sourdough, Brazilian pastries, Sichuan dumplings and a Valencian orange juice stall usually worth the queue. [Free admission.](http://www.riversidemarket.org.uk/riversidemarket?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Fitzhamon Embankment, Cardiff CF11 6AN.** *Sunday 30th August 2026, 10am until 2pm.*

**Teen Mortgage + Cowboy Hunters** The same noisy touring double bill that hits Sheffield on Tuesday lands in Clwb's upstairs room at the weekend. [Tickets from £20.](https://clwb.net/whats-on/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Clwb Ifor Bach, 11 Womanby Street, Cardiff CF10 1BR.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 7pm.*

### Liverpool

**Simply Vibrant Makers Market** A bank holiday weekend of independent stalls fills the Bluecoat's courtyard. [Free admission.](https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/sv-market?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.** *Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August 2026, 11am until 4pm.*

**Gender Stories** A Suffragette teapot, a drag queen's wardrobe, Grayson Perry and David Hockney all in one room: this survey of gender and self-expression closes out its run at the Walker. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker-art-gallery?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL.** *Until 31st August 2026.*

**Take Me Home County Road** Adam McCoy's homegrown country-and-western comedy, about a County Road girl chasing a Nashville dream, plays out its closing week at the Royal Court. [Tickets from £18.](https://liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/main%5Fstage/take-me-home-county-road/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Royal Court, 1 Roe Street, Liverpool L1 1HL.** *Until Saturday 29th August 2026.*

**Madness & Specials: A 2 Tone Tribute Night** Gladness and Stereotype recreate two ska greats back to back in the Baltic Triangle's biggest shed, for anyone who wants their bank holiday to start with a skank. [Tickets via Skiddle.](https://campandfurnace.com/whats-on-in-august/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BY.** *Friday 28th August 2026, doors from 7pm.*

**All Day Funk, Soul and Motown** Five hours of daytime soul and Motown for anyone who would rather be home before midnight. [Tickets via Skiddle.](https://campandfurnace.com/day-parties/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BY.** *Saturday 29th August 2026, 3pm until 8pm.*

### Newcastle

**Celebrating WanBel** A quietly extraordinary display of Papua New Guinean carving, shields and ceremonial objects tucked into the Great North Museum's world cultures wing. [Free admission.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum/whats-on/wanbel?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT.** *Until 20th September 2026.*

**Alphabetti Writing Group** A relaxed, drop-in peer writing session in Newcastle's small-but-punchy theatre. [Free, admission.](https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/alphabettiwritinggroup?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Alphabetti Theatre, St James Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4HP.** *Thursday 27th August 2026, 5.30pm.*

**Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 and Exploring Identity** Five centuries of portraiture paired with this year's shortlist for one of the UK's biggest portrait prizes in the Laing's upper galleries. [Free admission.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/laing/whats-on/herbert-smith-freehills-kramer-portrait-award-2025-and-exploring-identity?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG.** *Until 5th September 2026.*

**Wild 2 Life Show** Some of the Great North Museum's usual glass-case residents are swapped for the real, moving thing, as handlers bring live creatures onto a stage inside the museum. [Tickets from £12.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum/whats-on/wild-2-life?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT.** *Tuesday 25th until Friday 28th August 2026.*

**Northern and Modern Soul All Dayer** A full afternoon and evening of Northern and modern soul on Gateshead Quays, timed for the long bank holiday. [Tickets from £21.](https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/northern-soul-all-dayer/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Glasshouse, St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR.** *Sunday 30th August 2026, 1pm.*

### Nottingham

**Concrete Heritage, Rolling Archive** Skate Nottingham's month-long festival tracing skateboarding, art and culture in Hyson Green, split between free coaching sessions at Maples Street skatepark and workshops at the gallery itself. [Free admission, booking required.](https://nae.org.uk/event/concrete-heritage-rolling-archive/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6BE.** *Until 31st August 2026.*

**NAE Open 2026** The sixth edition of the gallery's open-submission show: painting to textiles to sculpture, all made by Nottinghamshire-based and Global Ethnic Majority artists. [Free admission.](https://nae.org.uk/event/nae-open-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6BE.** *Until 12th September 2026.*

**Classic Thriller Season: The Mantrap** The Theatre Royal's summer strand of vintage stage thrillers continues, old-fashioned suspense played entirely straight. [Tickets from £19.50.](https://www.trch.co.uk/whats-on/classic-thriller-season-the-man-trap-7wt8?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Theatre Royal, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND.** *Tuesday 25th until Saturday 29th August 2026.*

### Sheffield

**When The Sky Gets Bright** Disabled and neurodivergent artist collective Babeworld on being chronically online and chronically ill, in film and installation, including an interactive landline-phone piece built with the gallery's young collective. [Free admission.](https://www.sitegallery.org/exhibition/when-the-sky-gets-bright/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Site Gallery, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Teen Mortgage plus Cowboy Hunters** Washington DC noise-punk duo Teen Mortgage, one half of them originally from Liverpool, bring their Iggy Pop-approved racket to Yellow Arch on a Tuesday, with local outfit Cowboy Hunters in support. [Tickets from £22.](https://leadmill.co.uk/event/teen-mortgage-plus-cowboy-hunters/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Yellow Arch Studios, 30-36 Burton Road, Sheffield S3 8BX.** *Tuesday 25th August 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**King Lear** Ian McDiarmid, still best known to some as Star Wars' Palpatine, returns to the Crucible to play Shakespeare's king in a new production opening this week. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/king-lear?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Crucible Theatre, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA.** *Opens Saturday 29th August 2026.*

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

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### Forget sourdough starters: A recipe for a classic white loaf
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/forget-sourdough-starters-a-recipe-for-a-classic-white-loaf/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T09:57:06.000Z
This classic loaf recipe is straightforward and uncomplicated, and results in a light, squidgy bread, perfect for your morning toast.

You'll need a 900g loaf tin to make a loaf, or a large oven tray if making a boule. Ideally they should be non-stick, but if you don't have these to hand, just use parchment or baking paper.

## **Classic White Loaf**

Makes **1 loaf or 1 boule**   
Prep **15 minutes**   
Proving **2 hours**  
Cook **30 mins**  
Cooling **2** **hours**  
Suitable for **vegans and vegetarians**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/IMG_8583-1.jpeg)

Credit: Keir James-Tough

**500g** strong white flour (plus a bit extra for dusting)  
**7g** fast-action yeast  
**1 tsp** sugar  
**3 tbsp** rapeseed or vegetable oil  
**300ml water** (I use 100ml boiling water and 200ml tap water in a jug)  
**2 tsp** salt

*If using a stand mixer*, fit the dough hook attachment to your stand mixer. Add the flour to the bowl. Add the yeast to one side of the flour. Put the sugar on top of the yeast. Add the water and oil. Mix on a low speed for 1 minute.

*If kneading by hand*, use your hands in the bowl to mix the flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and water into a rough dough, then dust your kitchen surface with a little flour, tip out the dough, and knead for 1 minute.

Don't add the salt until the dough is mixed, as it can cause the yeast to stop working.

Now that the dough is mixed, sprinkle over the salt and mix on a low speed, or knead by hand on your kitchen surface, for a further 9 minutes.

Cover the dough in your bowl with a clean tea towel or cling film. Put in the warmest place in the room and leave to prove for 1 hour.

Scatter a little flour over your kitchen work surface, tip the dough out and knead by hand for a couple of minutes. You can't use a stand mixer for this stage.

Sprinkle a bit of flour in your 900g loaf tin and knead the dough into a fat cigar-shape and place into the loaf tin. (If you don't have a loaf tin, this recipe works just as well for making a boule; just sprinkle some flour onto a nonstick oven tray, form the dough into a ball and place in the centre of your tray). If using a loaf tin or tray that isn't non-stick, line it with parchment or baking paper before sprinkling with flour and adding the dough.

Put your tin or tray back into the same warm place and leave to prove for a further hour.

Towards the end of this second hour, preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan).

Make three diagonal incisions along the top of the dough with a sharp knife and sprinkle the top with a little extra flour.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Using oven gloves, tip the bread upside down into one hand and tap the bottom with your other hand: it should sound hollow - if not, put it back in the oven in your tin, or on your tray, for a further five minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.

**Make-ahead note:** lasts 2-3 days when kept in a bread bag, bread bin, or wrapped in parchment or baking paper.
### Restaurant review: Piggs
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/restaurant-review-piggs/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T08:54:56.000Z
The luxury of having friends in Edinburgh to stay with during the Fringe can't be overstated. With the cost of accommodation now creeping closer to a grand a night, the least you can do is take your hosts out to lunch in one of the Scottish capital's innumerable dining spots. So, finding ourselves in Bruntsfield, we popped in to Piggs in search of a table for three.

Escaping a very rainy Bruntsfield Place, we stashed our brollies in the dripping stand in a relatively presumptuous fashion, manifesting that - despite having no reservation - they would squeeze us in. It works; there's a table free now, although we'd have to be out in an hour and fifteen minutes. For lunch, this was perfect, although it felt that ordinarily we wouldn't have been so lucky, so I'd highly recommend being more organised and phoning ahead. Despite the narrowness of the space, Piggs comfortably seats ten tables, enveloping a rather decently-joinered bar. The three of us squeeze into a window booth. I suspect that too long spent enjoying the Piggs menu might make it much harder to squeeze back out, but despite being someone prone to complaining about restaurant seating, this is a cushy corner to while away an hour or two.

Our waiter arrives to place an itinerant specials blackboard on the table, and talk through everything on it. We're sold on the Presa Ibérica and a 2025 albariño, and order everything else from the main tapas menu. I should, at this point, declare a disinterest; I don't really like tapas. In fact, I'm not really very keen on any menu divided into 'small plates' and 'large plates'. I come to restaurants to relax; I don't want to take turns in leaving the last morsel on the plate for another, simply out of politeness. Starter, main, dessert, on dishes for me and me alone, please. But our host has chosen the place, and unless I'd like to spend half the average annual salary on staying in Edinburgh, I decide not to share this fact with my husband-to-be or his best friend from uni who's letting us live with her all week.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/Huevos-Rotos.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/Piggs-Pollo.jpg)

Credit: Cal Roscow

Having ordered with empty stomachs, we opt for Torres crisps and pan con tomate for speed. Crisps arrive almost immediately, while the waiter, mid-uncorking, talks us through the wine we've chosen. It's pretty difficult to go too wrong with an albariño, but the 2025 Granbazán is strikingly suited to Spanish food. Better still, our waiter has actually tried it himself, been taught everything about it, and was able to suggest dishes on the menu to pair with it. There's a passion for the place here that is so often lacking from even the smallest independent restaurants. Things are off to an excellent start.

The huevos rotos con chorizo soaks up the albariño nicely; a nest of fries forms the bed for a duo of chunky sausages and fried egg. The garlic chicken, served with a whole sprig of rosemary, comes in a jus that you'll want to keep for the chips. The Ibérico pork and steak jerez that follow come seared and perfectly rare in the centre. It wouldn't be tapas without a few croquetas, and Piggs elevate the dish by offering a selection of sauces (we chose all three). All this forms a more-than-hearty lunch, but leaves us wanting to come back again for dinner, having only tried a fraction of the plates on the menu.

---

*To begin*  
Patatas Torres Jamón  
Pan Con Tomate

*The main event*  
Presa Ibérica  
Steak Jerez  
Croquetas Jamón  
Pollo al Ajillo  
Huevos Rotos con Chorizo  

*On the side*  
Piggs Sauce  
Salsa Brava  
Alioli

*From the wine list*  
2025 Granbazán Etiqueta Verde Albariño

*Food: £70.60* 
*Drinks: £47.75* 
*Service: £11.83* 
*Total for three: £130.18*

---

If you feel that this might be too much meat for one sitting, rest assured there's plenty for vegetarians here too. And although we're too full to consume a third course this early in the day, there's a respectable dessert menu on offer too. On asking for the bill, I sit looking, enviously, at a neighbouring table's churros.

Piggs has achieved something remarkable (and it isn't just winning over this tapas sceptic). The staff are passionate, the interior is modern-yet-cosy, and they've managed to achieve a long menu where each dish feels considered and essential. It's no wonder that this is their second Edinburgh branch. Should the Campos family seek to bring this burgeoning institution to other cities, it would be a welcome game-raising move against the rest of the small plates movement.

★★★★☆ 4/5  
  
**Piggs, Bruntsfield**  
171 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4DG [piggswinebar.co.uk](https://www.piggswinebar.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
*Follow* [*@piggswinebar*](https://www.instagram.com/piggswinebar?ref=paperweightmag.com) *on Instagram.*
### Review: Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-elf-lyons-is-the-woman-on-the-edge/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T08:12:30.000Z
There’s a lot to unpack in Elf Lyons’ new show. She arrives barefoot, tiptoed and frantic, in an extravagant cocktail dress that keeps falling from her shoulders, as if she were a femme fatale in an old Hollywood film. Her voice is American and raspy. She answers phone calls from “her husband” by picking up bananas and smokes like a chimney. Even for a clown who has become a firm Fringe favourite, this is quite the transformation.

And then, Lyons cracks herself open and lays everything bare – in the most high-concept way you can possibly imagine. At its simplest, *The Woman on the Edge* tells the story of the breakdown of her relationship, all the grief that came after it, and how she has begun to love herself once more. But it is also about other men, in all their dismissive, heart-shattering forms. She sings an aria made up of real things they’ve said to her. And then lip-syncs to voice notes of concern from family members, too. We are on a mission into her psyche.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### The best kitchen stand mixers from frugal to fantastic
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-best-kitchen-stand-mixers-from-frugal-to-fantastic/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T19:20:53.000Z
There comes a point in one's life when the small appliances department at John Lewis suddenly, overnight, becomes a little more interesting. It's usually just after the age at which you start becoming furious about litter, and just before you decide to check how much (how little) is in your pension fund.

It might not seem like it today, but one day in the future you're going to get a stand mixer and wonder how you survived without one. This is the one kitchen gadget that won't end up overlooked, which is why you'll never find a stand mixer in a charity shop, only ever juicers and spiralisers.

Baking bread becomes significantly more appealing when you can just chuck all the ingredients in a bowl and set the stand mixer to work.

Here's five of the market-leading stand mixes from frugal to fantastic:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/VonShef-1.jpg) 

#### Frugal: VonShef Stand Mixer

This is the perfect stand mixer for beginners and one of the best at the lower end of the market. It comes with a 4.5l bowl, three attachments: a balloon whisk, a beater, and a dough hook, and offers 8 speed settings. It even comes with a splashguard cover (which on more expensive models usually requires a separate purchase). Like many of the more affordable models, this does lack a bit of weight, so ensure you've got a kitchen surface that its rubber feet will stick to.

Value for money: ★★★★★  
Build quality: ★★★☆☆  
Range of included accessories: ★★★★☆  
Range of accessories to purchase: ☆☆☆☆☆  
****Overall:** ★★★★☆

****RRP £69.99**

[Available directly from VonHaus](https://www.vonhaus.com/vh%5Fen/1000w-black-stand-mixer?ref=paperweightmag.com) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/250394KPR01-005_5K45SSEPL_Additional_sRGB.jpeg) 

#### Fantastic: KitchenAid Mixer Tilt-Head 4.3l Classic

KitchenAid - the leading manufacturer - offers a dizzying array of stand mixers, and the 4.3l 'Classic' version is their entry-level model. Three attachments are included - a balloon whisk, a beater, and a dough hook, but everything else needs to be purchased separately. That said, KitchenAid offers the broadest range of attachments (even running to a pasta press), which makes this stand mixer suitable for a huge range of cooking purposes. More experienced bakers will miss the extra power and greater speed settings offered on the higher 'Artisan' model.

**Available in Onyx Black, Matte Black, Matte White, White, and Porcelaine White.*

Value for money: ★★★☆☆  
Build quality: ★★★☆☆  
Range of included accessories: ★★★★☆  
Range of accessories to purchase: ★★★★★  
****Overall:** ★★★★☆

****RRP £449**  
Although often available at a significant discount from KitchenAid or other retailers. However, during sale periods, the 'Artisan', which is the next model up, can be cheaper than this classic version.

[Available directly from KitchenAid](https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/mixers/medium/859711729750/mixer-tilt-head-4-3l-classic-5k45ss-porcelain-white?ref=paperweightmag.com) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/HNXWZT_Kitchenaid_Mixer_5KSM125BER_Empire_Red_Profile.jpeg) 

#### Fantastic: KitchenAid Mixer Tilt-Head 4.7l Artisan

Although KitchenAid offers a higher 'Artisan Plus' model, the 'Artisan' is more than capable for all at-home baking tasks. With ten speed settings, this is the ultimate stand mixer for the non-professional cook. The build quality and motor power are exceptional, and KitchenAid guarantees that these products will be repairable for fifteen years. In reality, it's likely to last much longer, making it better value for money than more affordable brands that don't come with the same promise.

**Available in Empire Red, Onyx Black, Contour Silver, Mineral Water, Fresh Linen, Milkshake, Almond Cream, Matte Black, Pistachio, and Porcelain White.*

Value for money: ★★★★★  
Build quality: ★★★★★  
Range of included accessories: ★★★★★  
Range of accessories to purchase: ★★★★★  
****Overall:** ★★★★★

****RRP £459 with three accessories.**  
****RRP £549 with six accessories.**  
Look out for sale periods; the 'Artisan' is the most commonly discounted model, occasionally offered at prices as low as £360.

[Available directly from KitchenAid](https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/mixers/medium/859701315010/mixer-tilt-head-4-7l-artisan-5ksm125-empire-red?ref=paperweightmag.com) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/Cookworks-Stand-Mixer-1.webp) 

#### Frugal: Cookworks Food Mixer with Stand

Another entry-level model, the Cookworks Food Mixer with Stand comes with ten speed settings offering more granularity than others at this price point, but doesn't offer planetary motor movement (the attachements move from a fixed point in the centre), which reduces the effectiveness of a dough hook. These shortcomings are balanced with a very generous 5l bowl and five included accessories. 

Value for money: ★★★☆☆  
Build quality: ★★★☆☆  
Range of included accessories: ★★★★☆  
Range of accessories to purchase: ☆☆☆☆☆  
****Overall:** ★★★★☆

****RRP £95**

[Available from Argos](https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3631782?ref=paperweightmag.com) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/KMix.jpeg) 

#### Fantastic: Kenwood kMix

Kenwood and KitchenAid are in constant competition for the crown of best stand mixer, and the kMix range is their signature model. The array of accessories is exceptionally broad, meaning that there's an attachment for almost any cooking that you might want to do. The kMix range numbering system can be confusing. KM751 is a range of shorter stand mixers, if under-cupboard space is a problem. The KM754 offers a glass bowl instead of stainless steel. But KM760 is the top model for bread bakers, offering a taller profile and weightier base, to tackle the most challenging of bakes.

**The KM751 is available in Black, White, and Cream. The KM760 is available in Green, Apricot Pink, Black Chrome, Chrome, Blue, and Rose Gold.*

Value for money: ★★★★★  
Build quality: ★★★★★  
Range of included accessories: ★★★★★  
Range of accessories to purchase: ★★★★★  
****Overall:** ★★★★★

****RRP £299 for the KM754**  
****RRP £359 for the KM751**  
****RRP £479 for the KM760**  
During sale periods these models can be heavily discounted, so look out for prices for the KM760 as low as £259.99 from Kenwood or other retailers.

[Available directly from Kenwood](https://www.kenwoodworld.com/en-gb/c/kenwood-stand-mixers-and-kitchen-machines/kenwood-kmix-stand-mixers?ref=paperweightmag.com) 

There's real money to be saved by choosing the entry-level models, but if you're looking for something that will last a lifetime, the more expensive options may work out cheaper in the long run. 

Whichever you choose, I wish you well in your new life as a stand mixer owner. Your future self is already hugely grateful.

*For inspiration on what to make first, read Keir James-Tough's* [*recipes*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/tag/recipes/) *in* [*At Home*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/tag/at-home/)*.*
### Review: Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-sam-eley-is-basil-crumbwick/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T08:48:31.000Z
Now here’s a proper Fringe hit. Where else would you find someone wearing the massive papier-mâché head of a mid-60-year-old spurting his Reform-loving thoughts? This is Basil Crumbwick, aka Sam Eley, and mark my words, this won’t be the last time you hear his name - and not just because he’s said something oh so terribly offensive. 

Eley’s character, Basil, is lonely, angry, and confused by the ever-changing world. So, what is he to do? Retreat into a fantasy of a life inside the Playboy Mansion, of course. Here, he is comfortable. Here, he is respected as the “genius” that we are lucky to be in the presence of tonight. 

Basil is made of views that are ripe for ridicule - opinions that are reactionary, nonsensical and absurd. Hardly the most original ground for comedy. Still, Eley has masterfully drawn out every ounce of humour from this section of society. Basil spends the hour complaining. And goodness does he have a lot to say. His neighbour Beverley - who seems justifiably concerned about his late-night screaming and refusal to put on the heating - is a “rat”. He hates having his prostate checked. And why does the bin man seem totally resistant to his attempts at friendship?

_This post is for subscribers only._
### № 8 | Buy a ticket to shows and local venues that aren’t at the Fringe
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/8-buy-a-ticket-to-shows-and-local-venues-that-arent-at-the-fringe/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T10:02:30.000Z
There's nothing quite like the Edinburgh Fringe, but with the ever-rising cost of putting on a show, not everyone can afford to go. This week's *Greater Things* is all about supporting everyone who isn't at the Festival, while rewarding yourself by seeing something unexpected from emerging talent.

Although it's true that there's much less on everywhere else in August, theatre schedules are still packed with stuff to see. And stand-up venues in London and other cities will host comedians that are breaking into the industry. It could also be awful, but that's what seeing unexpected shows should be all about. As the weather cools down, venues are enticing everyone back inside with offers. (The Comedy Store in London is offering £5 pints, house wines & house spirits, from 6:30pm to 7pm every evening except Saturdays).

It might just be the moment that you see someone's first show, before they make it big.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 12th August 2026: Solar Eclipse Special
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/12th-august-2026-solar-eclipse-special/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T10:02:22.000Z
Usually *Darkroom* brings you the photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight's picture editors. The fragmented nature of our media makes shared cultural moments rarer and rarer, so this week, to celebrate the solar eclipse - and everyone coming together to see it - we've selected twelve of the best:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8P4AN.jpg)

The partial solar eclipse stage, seen from Stone in Staffordshire as crowds gathered on the Common to see the rare celestial phenomenon. Credit Ian Knight/Alamy Live News

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8KERR.jpg)

Waiting for the solar eclipse from Blackpool Beach, Lancashire. Credit: Kevin Walsh

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8JXGR.jpg)

People gather in central London to watch the solar eclipse, using eclipse glasses and cameras, during the rare astronomical event. Credit: Martijn Heemstra

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8HG3W.jpg)

People watching the solar eclipse at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London, the first total solar eclipse visible over mainland Europe since 1999\. Credit Yui Mok/PA Images

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8H9MB.jpg)

The grooms at a wedding watch the solar eclipse at Alpheton in Suffolk. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Images

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8JC0X.jpg)

A person uses a telescope and white card to watch the solar eclipse on Southend Observation Tower in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. Credit: Lucy North/PA Images

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8GPE1.jpg)

A large group of revellers pack the summit of Glastonbury Tor in Somerset as they gather next to St Michael’s Tower. Credit: Graham Hunt

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8JFJ5.jpg)

People watching the solar eclipse at Westward Ho! Beach, North Devon. Credit: Mr Riley

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8J33R.jpg)

The partial solar eclipse from Crosby beach with Anthony Gormley’s **Iron Men* in the foreground. Credit: Dilantha Dissanayake/Alamy Live News

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8RJP5.jpg)

People enjoy the solar eclipse on Primrose Hill on another hot day, in a year of many so far, in sunny weather as the latest heatwave builds up in London. It is the most complete solar eclipse since 1999 with a totality of around 90%. Credit: Guy Bell/Alamy Live News

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8MA7A.jpg)

A group of friends enjoying the solar eclipse in their glasses. Hundreds of people gathered on the King's Steps to enjoy the partial solar eclipse in Margate, Kent. Credit: Krisztian Elek/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8K1CF.jpg)

Crowds gathered in Oxford's South Park to view the solar eclipse, using special glasses, cooking colanders, and pinhole cameras made of cardboard boxes. Serious viewers took telescopes fitted with special solar filters. Credit: Rod Harbinson/ZUMA Press Wire.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### A trip to Margate, the best of the Solar Eclipse, and the Fringe enters its third week
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/a-trip-to-margate-the-best-of-the-solar-eclipse-and-the-fringe-enters-its-third-week/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T10:02:12.000Z
Can you believe that it's the third week of August already? And with that, the third week of the Edinburgh Fringe. This week we bring you seven more shows that are worth your time. But if you're not heading to the Scottish capital, there's still plenty to do. Scroll down to see the newly expanded listings for cities across all four nations. 

Here's what's coming up this week:  
  
**Darkroom:** Our Solar Eclipse Special features twelve shots that capture the moment  
**Out of Town:** Menissa Saleem takes us on a trip to Margate  
**En Route:** A new way to book free BA flights, and earn 1,000 Avios on Hilton hotel bookings  
**On the Town:** Seven unexpected delights of the Edinburgh Fringe, and all the usual listings across the UK

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

This week we bring you not just one, but twelve, [breathtaking images of crowds across Great Britain](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f554130b-3aab-4148-a918-7df065dd4193/?member%5Fstatus=free) coming together to view the solar eclipse:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8J33R-3.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f554130b-3aab-4148-a918-7df065dd4193/?member%5Fstatus=free)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8P4AN-1.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f554130b-3aab-4148-a918-7df065dd4193/?member%5Fstatus=free)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F8HG3W-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f554130b-3aab-4148-a918-7df065dd4193/?member%5Fstatus=free)

See all twelve photographs in the [*Darkroom* Solar Eclipse special](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f554130b-3aab-4148-a918-7df065dd4193/?member%5Fstatus=free).

### Out of Town

The latest from Paperweight's Out of Town bureau:

In 1974, a BBC crew went to Margate and ended up writing one of the finest intros ever committed to film. "Just as some Victorian industrialists would keep a chorus girl for an occasional frolic, so some of the industrial cities have always favoured their own seaside towns - London's favourite bit on the side is Margate".

Menissa Saleem retraces their steps, taking us from beach to gallery to Dreamland via the many wonderful bars and restaurants Margate has to offer:

[Margate: 12 things to do in a day at London’s ‘bit on the side’Menissa Saleem takes us from beach to gallery to Dreamland via the many wonderful bookshops, bars and restaurants that Margate has to offer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-d42f7e58-d19a-4ffa-a47c-65dd6f006d64.png)Paperweight MagazineMenissa Saleem![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/2T7AEBH-1-e2da1e5a-489b-4509-aafe-555aecad8230.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/margate-12-things-to-do-in-a-day-at-londons-bit-on-the-side/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

Not everyone's at the Edinburgh Fringe, and this is the perfect moment to discover emerging talent by heading out to see a show in your local theatre or comedy venue:

[№ 8 | Buy a ticket to shows and local venues that aren’t at the FringeThere’s nothing quite like the Edinburgh Fringe, but with the ever-rising cost of putting on a show, not everyone can afford to go. This week’s Greater Things is all about supporting everyone who isn’t at the Festival, while rewarding yourself by seeing something unexpected from emerging![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-93109171-5198-40ad-b008-cb6538546fc9.png)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/paul-rigel-B63pOk4IUFY-unsplash-af25ab0e-1630-4a68-aa5f-8cc8920814fd.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/edfd0a98-8c5f-4937-bce8-68ad5e4916d2/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

If you've ever been frustrated by how difficult it is to book reward flights on British Airways, Aer Lingus or Iberia, you might have turned to third-party sites like SeatSpy. Thankfully, the airlines have acknowledged the problem and launched [a proper reward flight finder of their own](https://www.avios.com/en-GB/spend-avios/search-reward-flights?ref=paperweightmag.com). In other Avios news, Pizza Express is now offering [£10 vouchers in exchange for 1,000 points](https://www.pizzaexpress.com/partnerships/avios?ref=paperweightmag.com). Although we're still not sure that this is the best use of them. You'll get far better value redeeming them on flights and holidays. You've also got [two weeks left to earn 1,000 Avios](https://www.hiltonhonors.com/en%5FGB/qatarairwaysq12026/landing/?ref=paperweightmag.com) when booking a stay at Hilton hotels. You will need a [Qatar Privilege Club](https://www.qatarairways.com/en/Privilege-Club/signup.html?ref=paperweightmag.com) account, which takes a few minutes to set up, but points can be transferred over to other Avios-earning airline accounts, such as the British Airways Club.

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

On Friday evening, just as everyone was relaxing with a drink (or putting the kids to bed before relaxing with a drink), the UK Government sent out an emergency alert to warn about the risks of wildfires starting from flames, barbecues or even small sparks. That message clearly didn't reach North London, as Wembley Stadium erupted into a huge firework display only a few hours later...

### On the Town

What's happening in town this week:

If you *are* lucky enough to be at the Fringe, here are seven unexpected delights that the Paperweight team went to this week:

[Edinburgh Fringe 2026 surprise delights for impulse bookersSeven Edinburgh Fringe shows that surprised and delighted![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-1a73c13c-c89c-4053-81b1-c1171e37e833.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Edinburgh-Fringe-Wk2-12ae8961-dc6b-4d37-8300-4a8200d498a1.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-surprise-delights-for-impulse-bookers/)

### London

**Pophams, London Fields** After a four-month landlord dispute, founder Ollie Gold's original bakery is back in its own building, having leaned on neighbours and a temporary railway-arch kitchen to keep the wider business running in the meantime. [Walk-ins only.](https://pophamsbakery.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **197 Richmond Road, London E8 3NJ.** *Reopened Monday 10th August 2026.*

**Cinema in the Square** The UK's only LGBT+ cinema takes over Bermondsey Square for the rest of August, showing daytime films suitable for all ages: Scooby Doo 2, Mary Poppins and Mulan. Evening showings include Hedwig and the Angry Inch (celebrating its 25th anniversary), The Birdcage, and a Madonna special screening of the Confessions Tour and her new album, Confessions II. The cocktail bar will be serving The Arzner's usual artisan fare. [Tickets from £10.](https://thearzner.com/TheArzner.dll/WhatsOn?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Arzner, 10 Bermondsey Square, London, SE1 3UN.** *Until 31st August 2026.*

**The Cathedral of Sewage: Crossness Pumping Station** The Victorian Society has bagged a steaming day at Bazalgette's wonderfully ornate cast-iron pumping station in Thamesmead, with an illustrated talk on the Great Stink, a guided tour of the engines, a ride on the narrow-gauge railway and an extraordinary collection of historic toilets. A vintage Routemaster ferries you in from Abbey Wood station, which is arguably worth the ticket alone. [Tickets from £38.](https://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/event/visit-the-cathedral-of-sewage-crossness-pumping-station-3/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Crossness Pumping Station, The Old Works, Thames Water STW, Bazalgette Way, London SE2 9AQ (meet at the Beam Engine House).** *Sunday 23rd August 2026, 2.30pm until 4.30pm.*

**Museum Late at The Old Operating Theatre** Europe's oldest surviving operating theatre is hosting its first ever museum late. Explore the Herb Garret at your own pace, grab drinks from the bar, and go to a curator's talk delivered from inside the theatre itself. [Tickets from £17.](https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/summer-evening-museum-late/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, St Thomas' Church, 9a St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY.** *Thursday 20th August 2026, 5.45pm until 8pm.*

**Marionettes: An Exhibition Celebrating String Puppets** Little Angel Theatre turns 65 and marks it by bringing six decades of British marionettes into its Cross Street puppet workshop, from founders John and Lyndie Wright to Stephen Mottram and Sarah Vigars. Marionette-making is on the Heritage Crafts Red List and fewer than five people in Britain make a living at it, so this is well worth supporting. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.littleangeltheatre.com/whats-on/marionettes-an-exhibition-celebrating-string-puppets/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Little Angel Workshop, 41 Cross Street, London N1 2BB.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026 until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**Bar Trash: Silent Horror Double Feature** Cabaret artist and trained knife-thrower, Maxim Melton, improvises a live score to The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, followed by foley artist Ruth Sullivan (28 Days Later, The World Is Not Enough) making the sounds to accompany Buster Keaton's The Haunted House. Genesis's queer cult-cinema strand throws in themed drinks and prize giveaways. Over-18s. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/event/109801?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, London E1 4UJ.** *Wednesday 19th August 2026, 8pm.*

**Summer Open Garden Evening at The Charterhouse** The hidden courtyard gardens of the 14th-century Carthusian priory turned almshouse, open for one of only three evenings this summer, with the Sol Grimshaw Band playing, a spritz bar, and a sourdough pizza van. Last entry is 7pm, so the golden-hour crowd should get moving. [Tickets from £15.](https://thecharterhouse.org/visit-us/whats-on/summer-open-garden-evenings-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Charterhouse, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6AN.** *Thursday 20th August 2026, 5.30pm until 8.30pm (last entry 7pm).*

**Milking Mother Earth: Fragments of an Investigation** Kaisa Saarinen has written the debut pamphlet from Gauze Bonnet Press at King's Cross's venerable radical bookshop. The evening promises an interdisciplinary romp through rubber, taking in Vietnamese smallholder plantations, colonial latex extraction, Bangkok fetish bars and Victorian moral panic about what people were doing with the stuff. Readings from Bart Seng Wen Long, Cat Feliciano and Gabrielle Sicam too. [Free entry, reservation required.](https://housmans.com/event/book-launch-milking-mother-earth-fragments-of-an-investigation-by-kaisa-saarinen/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm until 9pm.*

**Together We Felt The Bass, The Dance Floor is Black** The club-night finale to Queer Frequencies, the third weekend of East Bank's Music is Black Festival; artist Zinzi Minott curates an evening of sets from DJ GIN threaded with poetry from Remi Graves and a Roxxxan MC appearance. [Free admission.](https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/themusicisblackfestival/queer-frequencies?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sadler's Wells East, 101 Carpenters Road, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2AR.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm until midnight.*

**MARIWÔ x Dalston Superstore** Brazilian Black queer collective MARIWÔ bring their touring party to the Superstore basement with eight DJs, and two go-go dancers. Expect baile funk, Afro-house, amapiano and Brazilian electronic. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38442/mariw-x-dalston-superstore?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2PB.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 10pm until 4am. Last entry 11pm.*

**Ghost of Garage Rooftop Party** The third edition of the garage-under-the-sun series on Brixton's big rooftop, with Plastician playing a UKG set, El-B back to back with J Da Flex, plus Mike Millrain, Lady Passion, Larishka and Rich Reason, hosted by Chunky. [Tickets from £6, or free before 7pm.](https://www.freightbrixton.com/freight-events/ghost-of-garage-w-mark-hill-submatic-danny-rankin-tessa-and-rich-reason-e2c6g?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Freight Brixton, 33 Brixton Station Road, London SW9 8PB.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 5pm until 11.45pm.*

### Last chance to see:

**The Importance of Being Oscar** [Tickets from £15.](https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/the-importance-of-being-oscar/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP. *Until Saturday 22nd August 2026.*  
**The Jonathan Larson Project** [Tickets from £35.](https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-jonathan-larson-project/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD. *Until Saturday 22nd August 2026.*  
**The Enormous Crocodile** [Tickets from £15.](https://lyric.co.uk/shows/the-enormous-crocodile/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Lyric Hammersmith, King Street, Lyric Square, London W6 0QL. *Until Saturday 22nd August 2026.*  
**Heathers the Musical** [Tickets from £55.](https://www.artsatmarblearch.com/events/heathers-the-musical?ref=paperweightmag.com) The Arts at Marble Arch, Marble Arch, London W1H 7DX. *Until Saturday 22nd August 2026.*  
**Before We Forget** [Tickets from £10.](https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/before-we-forget/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8LJ. *Until Saturday 22nd August 2026.*  
**The Wind in the Willows** [Tickets from £18.](https://www.theatreonkew.org/shows/the-wind-in-the-willows?ref=paperweightmag.com) Theatre on Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE. *Until Sunday 23rd August 2026.*

### Manchester

**Let Wildflowers Bloom / Que Esclatin Les Flors** A multilingual poem strung across HOME's Arches Windows, co-written by Manchester City Poet Nóra Blascsók and Barcelona's Esteve Plantada. [Free admission.](https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/let-wildflowers-bloom-que-esclatin-les-flors-ntxy?ref=paperweightmag.com) **HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN.** *Until Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Common Ground** Manchester Met graduates Abbie Fowler, Freya Boothroyd and Joab Harrison turn wild clay foraged in the Peak District into an immersive, sensory response to its landscape. [Free admission.](https://www.craftanddesign.com/exhibitions-events/common-ground/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Manchester Craft and Design Centre, 17 Oak Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JD.** *Until Friday 28th August 2026.*

**Butcher Brown** Richmond, Virginia's jazz-funk crew, bring their loose, groove-heavy live show to the Northern Quarter's oldest music room. [Tickets from £16.](https://bandonthewall.org/events/butcher-brown-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JZ.** *Wednesday 19th August 2026, doors from 7.30pm.*

**Marie Davidson (LIVE)** The Montreal producer known for deadpan, machine-driven electro, plays the Salford warehouse. [Tickets from £20.](https://ra.co/events/2488587?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The White Hotel, Dickinson Street, Salford M3 7LW.** *Thursday 20th August 2026.*

### Glasgow

**The Dirty Work** Jo Bannon's new solo show folds stage magic, a white rabbit, and a puff of smoke into a performance drawn from her own experience of visual impairment. [Tickets from £13.](https://www.tramway.org/event/39dfa949-dfdc-4b66-8d47-b45c009aea8d/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE.** *Thursday 20th to Friday 21st August 2026, 8pm until 9.15pm.*

**Liquid Land** Jasmine Togo-Brisby unpicks the sugar trade and Pacific labour history through sculpture. [Free admission.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/gallery-of-modern-art-goma/current-exhibitions-and-displays?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Zu** The Italian trio bring avant-garde noise, jazz, punk and sound art to the venue better known for indie gigs on Monday night. [Tickets from £18.](https://www.nicensleazy.com/event/gig-zu-07242026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nice N Sleazy, 421 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3LG.** *Monday 17th August 2026, 7.30pm.*

**10 Years of Shredd** Psychedelic garage rock band, Shredd, celebrate ten years since their first gig. [Tickets from £10.](https://www.thehugandpint.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Hug and Pint, 171 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9AN.** *Friday 21st August 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Subculture** Domenic Cappello's Saturday residency has been running since 1994 and is still, by most accounts, the best reason to be in the Subbie on any given weekend. [Tickets from £10.](https://ra.co/events/2489733?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sub Club, 22 Jamaica Street, Glasgow G1 4QD.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 11pm until 3am.*

### Edinburgh

[Edinburgh Fringe 2026 surprise delights for impulse bookersSeven Edinburgh Fringe shows that surprised and delighted![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-1de08173-1ccb-43b6-8b3c-54d62e6a548c.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Edinburgh-Fringe-Wk2-3c57bead-abcb-4894-8968-b9f9c13fa55f.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-surprise-delights-for-impulse-bookers/)

**Katie Paterson: Afterlife** A free solo show featuring 200 amulets in the old City Dome on Calton Hill. Paterson's work leans into the cosmic and geological - a tonic to the Fringe noise downhill. [Free admission.](https://www.collective-edinburgh.art/event/katie-paterson-afterlife/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Collective, City Observatory, 38 Calton Hill, Edinburgh EH7 5AA.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Rising Stars of Voice with Louise Alder** An 11am recital of Brahms's Neue Liebeslieder from emerging singers mentored by soprano Louise Alder. [Tickets from £15.](https://www.eif.co.uk/events/rising-stars-of-voice-with-louise-alder?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.** *Tuesday 18th August 2026, 11am.*

**Gwen John: Strange Beauties** The first major Scottish exhibition devoted to the painter, including a rarely seen portrait, in the quieter Modern Two building down the hill from the crowds at Modern One. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/gwen-john-strange-beauties?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two, 73 Belford Road, Edinburgh EH4 3DS.** *Until 4th January 2027.*

**Athens of the North Disco Club (Festival Special)** A six-hour, genre-agnostic set from two label owners and curators, Euan Fryer and Lel Palfrey, in one of the smallest, best-sounding rooms in the city. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.sneakypetes.co.uk/2026/08/22/athens-of-the-north-disco-clubfestival-special/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026.*

**The Cure Aftershow** DJs who have run this night in New York, Paris, London and Glasgow bring an all-nighter of Cure deep cuts, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and Cocteau Twins to Edinburgh, timed for the morning after the band's Royal Highland Showground date. [Tickets from £8.50.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Edinburgh/La-Belle-Angele/The-Cure-Aftershow-Edinburgh/41445968/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **La Belle Angele, 11 Hastie's Close, Edinburgh EH1 1HJ.** *Sunday 23rd August 2026, 11pm until 4am.*

If you missed last week's edition, here are Cal Roscow's top comedy picks:

[Edinburgh Fringe 2026 top comedy picksCal Roscow picks seven comedy shows to see at this year’s Fringe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-e80cb5a8-6db7-4fa0-857a-092d6e7402de.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Edinburgh-Fringe-2-dfb80717-b887-4b7a-8571-4649de78290c.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-top-comedy-picks/)

### Belfast

**Museum Late: Ceol and Craic** An adults-only evening opening with trad musicians scattered through the galleries, badge-making, willow-weaving of St Brigid's crosses, a DJ set and a "Cave Rave" corner, built around the books of Ciaran Carson and Cathal O'Byrne. [Tickets from £10.](https://www.ulstermuseum.org/whats-on/museum-late-ceol-craic?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AB.** *Thursday 20th August 2026, 6pm until 10pm.*

**Troubled Waters: The Rise of Aquatic Invaders** A free natural-sciences display in the Belfast Room on how invasive fish, plants and molluscs are reshaping Ireland's waterways. [Free admission.](https://www.ulstermuseum.org/temporary-exhibition/aquatic-invasive-species?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AB.** *Opens Tuesday 18th August 2026.*

**A House of Play: 75 Years of the Lyric Theatre** A free exhibition tracing the Lyric from Mary O'Malley's front room to its current building, with works by Jack B. Yeats and Basil Blackshaw among others, running quietly alongside the main stage programme. [Free admission.](https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/exhibition-a-house-of-play-75-years-of-the-lyric-theatre?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Lyric Theatre, 55 Ridgeway Street, Belfast BT9 5FB.** *Until 8th November 2026.*

**F\*ckup Nights Belfast Vol. 4** Entrepreneurs and creatives get on stage to talk publicly about their failures rather than their wins at the Cathedral Quarter arts space. [Tickets from £15.](https://www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA.** *Friday 21st August 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Grand Family Festival** A week of family programming at the Grand Opera House, including a Play in a Day workshop on the Saturday, before the venue's autumn main-stage season takes over. [Tickets from £8.50.](https://www.goh.co.uk/grand-family-festival?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Grand Opera House, 2-4 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7HR.** *Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd August 2026.*

### Birmingham

**Diasporic Exchanges: India-Birmingham** A cross-cultural gathering exploring the links between Indian and Birmingham diasporic communities, staged inside Ikon's galleries. [Free admission.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/event/diasporic-exchanges-india?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Thursday 20th August 2026, 12pm until 3pm.*

**A Walk in the Park** A short performance piece staged within Ikon's galleries, part of the gallery's ongoing live programme. [Free admission.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/event/a-walk-in-the-park?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Friday 21st August 2026, 2pm until 3pm.*

**Curious Minds: Exploring Art and Science with Ruth Millington** A book launch of Millington's new children's read on where art meets science, with a hands-on creative activity and a signing. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/event/curious-minds-exploring-art-and-science-with-ruth-millington?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Wednesday 19th August 2026, 11am until 12.30pm.*

**NYMT 2026: Every Day** National Youth Music Theatre brings a new pop-scored musical, adapted from David Levithan's body-swapping teen love story, to the Patrick Studio, with a Saturday matinee post-show Q&A. [Tickets from £17.](https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/nymt-every-day/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB.** *Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd August 2026.*

**Birmingham Techno with Laura Fox, N9ine, Luke Benjamin and iacomus\_b.** Komunal's Digbeth outpost hosts a free techno takeover with a livestream to [komrad.net](http://komrad.net/?ref=paperweightmag.com) and 25% off the bar during happy hour. [Free admission.](https://ra.co/events/2471482?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komunal, 11 Shaw's Passage, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5JG.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm until 3am.*

### Brighton

**John Finnemore: Among Other** The Cabin Pressure and Double Acts writer performs his solo sketch and spoken-word material at Komedia's studio space. [Tickets from £23.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/john-finnemore-among-other/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Monday 17th August 2026, 8pm, doors 7pm.*

**Story Magic** A magic show for children from 9 months to 5 years old, with two sessions to catch mid-morning. [Tickets from £7.50.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/story-magic/?eid=20370&ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Friday 21st August 2026, 10am and 11am.*

**Fleetwood Bac** A tribute set to Fleetwood Mac's classic-era catalogue on Concorde 2's seafront stage. [Tickets from £21.](https://www.concorde2.co.uk/event/fleetwood-bac?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1EN.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm.*

**Dykes On Decks Boat Party** A big gay sunset boat party off Brighton Marina, with an afterparty at The Oculist for anyone who wants to keep going until the small hours. [Tickets from £31.](https://ra.co/events/2507421?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ross Boat Trips, Pontoon 5, Brighton Marina, Brighton BN2 5UP.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, last boarding 4.30pm, sets sail at 5pm until 8pm. Afterparty until 3am.*

**Patterns Terrace Party: The Journey Men** A daytime seafront terrace session of house and disco with local support DJs, finished in time for dinner. [Tickets from £11.50.](https://ra.co/events/2510331?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Patterns, 10 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TL.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 2pm until 8pm.*

### Bristol

**Rhapsody Wine Bar, Bristol** The family behind Denmark Street's long-running Hat Bistro has opened a Greek wine bar next door, tucked behind the Hippodrome, majoring in award-winning Greek wines and meze for the pre- and post-theatre crowd. [Reservations recommended; 10% off with a same-day theatre ticket.](https://www.rhapsodybristol.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **6 Denmark Street, Bristol BS1 5DQ.** *Opened 13th August 2026.*

**Jonathan Baldock: Held** A monumental wild bear sculpture, ceremonial costumes and a full sensory landscape of ceramics, textiles and scent fill Arnolfini's first-floor galleries. The Guardian's five-star review called it "weird, threatening, and utterly compelling." [Free admission, donations welcome.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/jonathan-baldock-held/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Polly Braden: Against the Tide** Documentary portraits and testimony from young people in coastal towns from Weston-super-Mare to Blackpool, made with The Guardian's Seascape series. [Free admission, donations welcome.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/polly-braden-against-the-tide/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Vierz Collective: Drenched** A free foyer gig series showcasing fresh local artists, this instalment built around a "Drenched" album release. [Free admission.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/vierz-collective-drenched?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Tuesday 18th August 2026, from 6.30pm.*

**Thomas Lobban** A pay-what-you-can headline set at Bristol's scrappiest independent gig room. [Tickets from £5, pay what you can.](https://www.thelouisiana.net/events/2026/08/thomas-lobban?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Louisiana, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 6UA.** *Friday 21st August 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma** Jane Schoenbrun's much-anticipated horror, starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, opens at Watershed after a preview-night takeover party. [Tickets from £9.50.](https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/14228/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Watershed, 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX.** *Opens Friday 21st August 2026.*

**Peter Van Hoesen and Ayesha: RTN x System Revival** RTN teams up with System Revival for a late-night meeting of two heavyweight techno and electro selectors. This is a phones-strictly-off dancefloor. [Tickets from £9.](https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/strange-brew/sat-22-aug-peter-van-hoesen-ayesha-rtn-x-system-revival-156631?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Strange Brew, 10-12 Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3DB.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 10.30pm until 4am.*

### Cardiff

**Dream Inheritances: Sophie Mak-Schram and Alice Rekab** A new exhibition on mixed-race identity, cultural belonging and shared histories across Wales and Ireland. [Free admission.](https://www.chapter.cymru/whats-on/sophie-mak-schram-and-alice-rekab-dream-inheritances?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Chapter, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE.** *Opens Thursday 20th August 2026, runs until 27th September 2026.*

**Behind the Scenes: Roman Pottery** A curator-led look at the museum's Roman ceramics collection. [Tickets £8.](https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12963/Behind-the-Scenes-Roman-Pottery/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP.** *Tuesday 18th August 2026, 2pm.*

**Noson Lawen: Folk in the Bar** An open, informal Welsh folk session, all comers welcome whether singing, playing or just listening. [Free admission.](https://www.chapter.cymru/whats-on/folk-at-chapter-2025?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Chapter, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE.** *Tuesday 18th August 2026.*

**Museum Sleepover: Under Helios** An overnight stay for families beneath Luke Jerram's illuminated sun installation, torches and all. You will need to bring your sleeping bag. [Tickets from £70 per person.](https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12922/Museum-Sleepover-Under-Helios/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP.** *Saturday 22nd to Sunday 23rd August 2026, from 5.30pm.*

### Liverpool

**Liverpool Book Market** Secondhand and antiquarian booksellers, including 'still Out-of-Print' and the Bolshie Bargain Bookstall, take over the Bluecoat's Garden Room. [Free admission.](https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/liverpool-book-market?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.** *Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August 2026, 11am until 5pm.*

**Slavery Remembrance Day: Walk of Remembrance** The extended route for the 25th year of Liverpool's remembrance walk now takes in Williamson Square, Clayton Square, the Bluecoat and Liverpool One, with Africa Oyé performances en route and a libation ceremony at Canning Quayside. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/slavery-remembrance-day?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Starts Williamson Square, Liverpool L1 1RB.** *Sunday 23rd August 2026, 12 noon until 2.30pm.*

**Vivienne Westwood: Designer in Focus** Craft and Design Gallery hosts rare Westwood-McLaren pieces, including a Keith Haring-decorated Koo tunic. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/walker-art-gallery/exhibition/vivienne-westwood-designer-focus?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL.** *Until October 2026.*

**John Akomfrah: Listening All Night To The Rain** The multi-channel video installation that Akomfrah made for the British Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale gets a rare regional showing. [Free admission.](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/walker-art-gallery/exhibition/john-akomfrah-listening-all-night-rain?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL.** *Until Monday 31st August 2026.*

**RNB Day Party** A Baltic Triangle daytime session of R&B classics and slow jams in contrast to the usual late-night techno grind. [Tickets from £14.](https://ra.co/clubs/88389?ref=paperweightmag.com) **District, 61 Jordan Street, Liverpool L1 0BW.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026.*

**Led Zeppelin and The Doors performed by The Classic Double Band** Tribute night held in the cavernous industrial halls of the Baltic Triangle's original warehouse venue. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/Camp-And-Furnace/Led-Zeppelin-and-The-Doors-performed-by-The-Classic-Double-Band/42419660/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BY.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026.*

### Newcastle

**Milly Thompson: My Body Temperature is Feeling Good** A solo exhibition of new work in Baltic's free galleries. [Free admission.](https://baltic.art/whats-on/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA.** *Until 30th August 2026.*

**Martha Spencer Trio** Old-time and Appalachian country from Whitetop Mountain, Virginia, in the Cluny's smaller room. [Tickets from £15.](https://thecluny.com/listing/martha-spencer-trio/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Cluny 2, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2PQ.** *Wednesday 19th August 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**Trainspotting: 30th Anniversary** Danny Boyle's 1996 film returns to UK screens in a new 4K restoration. [Tickets from £14.](https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/event/trainspotting/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6QG.** *From Friday 21st August 2026.*

**Slo Motion** An intimate dance under the railway arches in Gateshead, with Sami J and the Slo Motion residents weaving through downtempo, leftfield chug and acid until close. [Tickets from £7.](https://ra.co/events/2413654?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Hidden Heights Creative Studio, Arch 4 Hymers Court, Brandling Street, Gateshead NE8 2BA.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm until midnight.*

**Paint and Sip Vol 9** Vinyl and art lovers unite for the ninth edition of this paint and sip session hosted by Anna Victoriart. Guest DJs will bring a creative atmosphere and Acropolise are set to serve their famous Greek street food. Paints, easels, markers, vinyl and pencils all provided. [Tickets from £20](https://www.fatsoma.com/e/ph5upegx/paint-and-sip-vol-9?utm%5Fsource=social%5Fshare&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=social%5Fshare). **Ouseburn Garden, Unit 12, 1 Stepney Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2PZ.** *Sunday 23rd August 2026, 2pm until 5pm.*

### Nottingham

**Physical Culture** A thrilling exhibition from Augustas Serapinas, recreating a gym where the weights are jesmonite replicas of famous statues, including Michelangelo's David. The opportunity to operate the weight machines, loaded with antiquities, is not to be missed. [Free admission.](https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/whats-on/augustas-serapinas-physical-culture/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB.** *Until Sunday 13th September 2026.*

**rarescale: And the music is for the birds** A live music response to the Chico da Silva exhibition, threaded through Nottingham Contemporary's Studio 1 across three short sittings. [Free admission.](https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/whats-on/rarescale-and-the-music-is-for-the-birds-aug/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB.** *Sunday 23rd August 2026, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.*

**Maples Street Mondays** Weekly creative workshops at the city skatepark, feeding into a New Art Exchange exhibition, part of the Art Your Way programme. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.skatenottingham.co.uk/concrete-heritage-rolling-archive?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Maples Street Skatepark, 45 Maples St, Nottingham NG7 6AD.** *Monday 17th August 2026 (and every Monday in August).*

**A Love Letter To... Donna Summer** A disco night dedicated to the Queen of Disco's back catalogue, from the euphoric anthems to the deep cuts. [Tickets from free to £5.](https://ra.co/events/2487495?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Movers, 15 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH.** *Saturday 22nd August 2026, 7pm until midnight.*

### Sheffield

**Lunchtime Talk: Cultural Interactions in Ancient Egyptian Burials** Manchester Museum's Curator of Egypt and Sudan, Dr Campbell Price, drops into Weston Park on his lunch hour to explain that ancient Egypt was never quite the sealed-off culture the textbooks suggest, tracing burial goods back to Nubia, Libya, the Levant and the Aegean. [Free admission, £5 donation suggested.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/lunchtime-talk-cultural-interactions-in-ancient-egyptian-burials/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP.** *Tuesday 18th August 2026, 1pm until 1.45pm.*

**Weston Park Museum at 150** Exhibition marking a century and a half since Sheffield's first public museum opened, built around the very first object ever accessioned into the collection: a platypus specimen numbered A1\. [Free admission, £5 donation suggested.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/weston-park-museum-at-150/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP.** *Until 30th August 2026.*

**The Bobeam Tree** An interactive discovery world built for under-fives, in its final full week. [Free admission, £5 donation suggested.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/the-bobeam-tree/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP.** *Until 30th August 2026.*

**S&M x Beat Bunker x Nowt Daft present DJ Paypal** Chicago footwork royalty and Teklife affiliate DJ Paypal, of Hyperdub and Planet Mu pedigree, headlines a stacked footwork and electronica line-up running into the small hours. [Tickets from £5.](https://ra.co/events/2449953?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sidney & Matilda, Rivelin Works, 46B Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RH.** *Friday 21st August 2026, 11pm until 4am.*

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Margate: 12 things to do in a day at London’s ‘bit on the side’
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/margate-12-things-to-do-in-a-day-at-londons-bit-on-the-side/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T15:19:50.000Z
In 1974, a BBC crew went to Margate and ended up writing one of the [finest intros](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBEwzvr7PGw&ref=paperweightmag.com) ever committed to film. *"Just as some Victorian industrialists would keep a chorus girl for an occasional frolic, so some of the industrial cities have always favoured their own seaside towns - London's favourite bit on the side is Margate"*.

This is the promise of Margate: it offers everything you love about London, but with a sandy beach. By the 1980s, overseas package holidays had started to draw Londoners further afield, but a decade of regeneration has restored Margate’s crown as the place for city-dwellers to escape to. Here’s what to do on a sunny Saturday:

First of all, make sure it's summer. Many towns in Britain shut up early in winter, but Margate seems to take this to extremes. Even in August, loads of places close early; this is not a town that’s going to serve you pasta at 9pm.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/The-Margate-Bookshop-Shopfront.webp)

Credit: The Margate Bookshop

**ONE | Start your day in The Margate Bookshop.** It’s cute and surrounded by other independent shops and cafes. Buy a book and a coffee, an antique and a handbag.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### Edinburgh Fringe 2026 surprise delights for impulse bookers
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-surprise-delights-for-impulse-bookers/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T08:00:31.000Z
The first mistake of Fringe planning is to fill your days with shows that you planned to see months in advance. These seven shows are the ones that we popped into unexpectedly and left feeling thankful that we did:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/Demi.jpg) 

#### Demi Adejuyigbe Sells Out

Writer and producer, Demi Adejuyigbe, returns following his Best Newcomer nomination in 2024 with an hour of silliness through songs, stories, sketches and jokes. It may be August, but this show features a Christmassy opening number.  
  
**Every day, from 5th to 30th August, except 17th.*  
📍****(23) Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome**

[Buy Tickets](https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/demi-adejuyigbe-sells-out?ref=paperweightmag.com)

_This post is for subscribers only._
### Fringe Festival favourites and the best months to visit Mykonos
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/su/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T09:41:52.000Z
With the listings section growing week-on-week, we've reformatted Sunday Paperweight to make it a little easier to read. You'll find the weekly briefing features first, with everything happening in *On the Town* a bit further down. This gives us a bit more space to cover more parties, and more exhibitions, in more places.

This week the Fringe is officially in full swing, cities across the UK are bursting with crowds for gigs and festivals, and on Wednesday we will be treated to a solar eclipse. Between 6pm and 8:15pm BST up to 95% of the sun will slowly disappear behind the moon. This is one to catch because the next total eclipse won't take place until 23 September 2090\. If you're watching, please make sure that you're wearing some appropriate eclipse glasses. [Robert Dyas](https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/bresser-eclipse-glasses?ref=paperweightmag.com) are selling them nationwide, although you'll also find them in local photographic retailers, and online directly from [Bresser](https://www.bresseruk.com/p/bresser-solar-eclipse-glasses-5-pieces-design-b-16469?ref=paperweightmag.com).

Here's what's coming up this week:  
  
**Darkroom:** A dramatic sunrise over Darwen  
**Out of Town:** Why the best time to visit Mykonos is off-season  
**At Home:** A new Paperweight playlist for late-night parties  
**On the Town:** Seven of the best comedy shows at the Fringe

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F5JB77-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/f0a20b16-cf05-403c-8c21-3a724a07474e/?member%5Fstatus=free)

A dramatic red sky over Jubilee Tower in Lancashire at sunrise on Sunday morning. Credit: Shafiq Khan

### Out of Town

The latest from Paperweight's Out of Town bureau:

Mykonos has a reputation for being expensive, but it needn't be that way. Off-season can be the best time to visit the island. Our editor shares the best places to go in May and September for a more authentic Cycladian experience:

[A guide to Mykonos in May and September, for the more discerning travellerThe best of the island is to be found in the places that influencers dare not tread.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-08d90968-48a8-465a-88eb-0ec860c5a047.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/getty-images-YH7ws8Sgdb4-unsplash-a5f193f5-195e-451a-a0aa-5208bca6ef26.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/a-guide-to-mykonos-in-may-and-september-for-the-more-discerning-traveller/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

This week's *Greater Things* is all about taking back your attention span with a weekend newspaper:

[№ 7 | Pick up a real newspaper at the weekendIt might seem strange for us to recommend that you buy a completely different publication, but this week’s Greater Things is all about switching off from your devices at the weekend. There’s a reason that we’ve had over 400 years of newsprint; it’s the best way![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-1d7b4352-9eb1-4b39-989b-49dbc2492027.png)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/ramses-cervantes-h3FOpi6BM0M-unsplash-ff36efc3-c7db-493d-83e6-de4615de94ad.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/becc3eac-145b-4649-acbc-c78b7cf40c3a/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### At Home

The latest from Paperweight's home & lifestyle bureau:

The evenings are beginning to draw in sooner, so make the most of them with Paperweight's playlist for later on in the night:

[PAPERWEIGHT · NightA curated playlist for after-dark drinks parties that go on until the small hours of the night, featuring soulful and filtered house, grooves, disco edits, and glossy vocal cuts.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-0faf047c-6326-4520-b264-b0fd152612af.png)Paperweight MagazinePaperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Spotify-Night-34538790-2c9a-4718-919f-8d9f9be67d80.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-night/)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

The family of Meredith Kercher expressed their distaste at the decision to allow Amanda Knox to perform an Edinburgh Fringe show talking about her experience of the overturned conviction. Tony Lankester, the Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, told LBC: "I've seen the petition, and I've been in contact with the organisers and had a dialogue with them. Our position is this: as a parent, I think what happened to Meredith is unbelievably sad, and it's tragic; the pain that they must live with every day is extraordinary.   
  
"That said, the position of The Fringe is that this is an open access platform and just because something is in poor taste… and I'm not saying that this is… but just because someone deems something to be in poor taste, or lacking in judgement, or crass, or whatever the case may be, that's not a reason to cancel something."

While it might be easy to understand their upset, the result of their petition's publicity has had a somewhat unintended effect: All ten dates are now completely sold out.

### On the Town

What's happening in town this week:

If you're heading to the Fringe, these are the comedy shows you need to see:

[Edinburgh Fringe 2026 top comedy picksCal Roscow picks six comedy shows to see at this year’s Fringe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-83a0ccaa-338d-4abd-94d4-ce6b76081087.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Edinburgh-Fringe-2-2e050564-727a-43be-afc6-5397487115f3.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-top-comedy-picks/)

Next week we'll bring you the unexpected delights from the festival.

Here's the rest of the listings from across the United Kingdom this week:

### London

**Cremer** New all-day Hoxton cafe from the Space Talk team, designed as "a home you could spend all day in"; croissants at breakfast, home-style plates at lunch, garden aperitifs backing onto the Museum of the Home, plus cult in-house rice ice-cream. [Walk-ins welcome.](https://www.instagram.com/cremerlondon/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **1 Geffrye Street, London E2 8JH.** *Opened in June 2026.*

**Rosina** Trinity's Adam Byatt goes neighbourhood-Italian on Wandsworth Common: cavatelli cacio e pepe (an £8 steal), offal-forward plates and multiple Negronis, named after his chef daughter Rosie. [Walk-ins welcome.](https://rosinarestaurant.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **35 Bellevue Road, London SW17 7EF.** *Opened 1st July.*

**Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now** A major reframing of Japanese photography told through 27 women working from the postwar years to today, spanning intimate domestic scenes to bold conceptual work. [Free admission on Friday after 5pm; otherwise ticketed.](https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/japanese-women-photographers-1950s-now?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**Anansi the Spider** The Unicorn's sold-out retelling of the West African and Caribbean trickster tales moves outdoors to the Open Air Theatre's picnic lawn: bring a blanket and a curious heart. [Tickets from £15.](https://openairtheatre.com/production/anansi?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NU.** *Opens Saturday 15th August 2026\. Until 6th September.*

**The Gossip** The Dyke/FLINTA rave returns to Dalston Superstore's basement, eight DJs deep (Hedda, Frankie Elyse, Mars Montana and more) for a sweaty, unpretentious late one. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37826/the-gossip?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2PB.** *Saturday 15th August 2026, 10pm until 4am.*

**Soulstice Day-to-Night 2026** Hackney Wick's Colour Factory hands its rooms and garden to Soulstice for a twelve-hour marathon of UK garage, house and bass, Conducta leading a bill that runs to Danielle b2b Jossy Mitsu, Ghoulish and Lu.Re. [Tickets from £22.](https://ra.co/events/2411898?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Colour Factory, 8a Queen's Yard, White Post Lane, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN.** *Saturday 15th August 2026, 4pm until 4am.*

### Last chance to see:

**The Guilty** [Tickets from £15 (£20 for under-35s).](https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/events/the-guilty/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9LX. *Until Saturday 15th August 2026.*  
**Hit Machine** [Tickets from £29.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/46982-hit-machine?ref=paperweightmag.com) Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE. *Until Saturday 15th August 2026.*  
**This Road** [Tickets via Kiln Theatre.](https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/this-road/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Kiln Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR. *Until Saturday 15th August 2026.*  
**Dog Man: The Musical** [Tickets from £34.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/46117-dog-man-the-musical?ref=paperweightmag.com) Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. *Until Sunday 16th August 2026.*  
**Here Comes J. Edgar! A Comedy Musical** [Tickets from £25.50.](https://officiallondontheatre.com/show/here-comes-j-edgar-111466065/?ref=paperweightmag.com) King's Head Theatre, 116P Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1QP. *Until Sunday 16th August 2026.*

### Manchester

**Disc Unknown** Manchester-based Joe O'Rourke restages his London solo show in the Castlefield project space: DVD-case paintings blown up against billboards, found text and stray objects (yes, a dead bee) prodding at how meaning gets built in a picture. [Free admission.](https://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/disc-unknown/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt Street, Manchester M15 4GB.** *Until 30th August 2026.*

**Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige** The Whitworth's first show dedicated to Japanese prints in over a century, tracing the evolution of ukiyo-e woodblock through two of its masters. [Free admission.](https://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/beneaththegreatwave/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Whitworth, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER.** *Until 15th November 2026.*

**Michaela Yearwood-Dan: The Practice of Liberation** A major commission from one of British painting's rising names; folding canvas, ceramics and sound into a single immersive room built around self-transformation and, of course, liberation. [Free admission.](https://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/michaelayearwood-dan/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Whitworth, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER.** *Until 18th October 2026.*

### Glasgow

**Kaleider: Requiem** A monumental, wordless outdoor spectacle in which performers build a giant kinetic structure in front of a gathering crowd, staged as a contemporary requiem for life on the planet and folded into the Govanhill International Festival and Carnival. [Free admission.](https://www.tramway.org/event/f923de4e-4503-470b-82d2-b47400e1d772/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Queen's Park, 520 Langside Road, Glasgow G42 9QL.** *Sunday 16th August 2026, 3.30pm to 4.45pm.*

**Rae-Yen Song: TUA MAK** Closing this week: the artist floods Tramway's cavernous gallery into a sub-aquatic world drawn from the Song family's own ancestral logic, part spectacle, part memorial, part refuge, built from new sculpture, textiles, sound and moving image. [Free admission.](https://www.tramway.org/event/4b61713b-6027-4d58-b91d-b33a00f5cbc2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE.** *Until 16th August 2026.*

**King Tut's Summer Nights 2026** The venue's eight-week grassroots showcase of thirty-odd shows of upcoming artists. [Individual tickets and an all-access Golden Ticket via kingtuts.co.uk.](https://www.kingtuts.co.uk/summer-nights-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, 272A St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RL.** U*ntil 29th August 2026.*

### Edinburgh

[Edinburgh Fringe 2026 top comedy picksCal Roscow picks six comedy shows to see at this year’s Fringe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-4c5344e7-838a-43ed-81c7-3fff31aea6f0.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Edinburgh-Fringe-2-d0d51bbb-9f6a-4c3a-88aa-f7132d4cd016.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-top-comedy-picks/)

**The Lady Prince Consort, The Queen's Hall** A beloved Huangmei Opera classic rarely staged in Europe: a wealthy woman disguises herself as a man, sits the Imperial Examination, wins first place and finds herself betrothed to the Emperor's daughter. Lyrical music, vibrant costumes, sung in Chinese with English surtitles. [Tickets from £10.80.](https://www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/lady-prince-consort-tickets-edinburgh?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.** *Wednesday 12th August 2026, 7.30pm.*

**The Pitt, Granton** A free-to-enter waterfront street food market out on the Granton prom, well away from the Old Town crush. [Free admission.](https://thepitt.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Pitt, 20 West Shore Road, Edinburgh EH5 1QD.** *Open Thursday to Sunday.*

### Belfast

**The Ignorant Art School: Outside the Circle x Belfast** Golden Thread's summer show borrows Jacques Rancière by way of the collective imagination, filling both galleries with work made outside the usual art-world circles. [Free admission.](https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/event/the-ignorant-art-school-outside-the-circle/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Golden Thread Gallery, 23-29 Queen Street, Belfast BT1 6EA.** *Until 29th August 2026.*

### Birmingham

**The Sanctum: Modern Metal Festival** A three-day underground metal all-dayer crammed into Digbeth's tiny Dead Wax pub-venue. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.deadwaxdigbeth.pub/events/the-sanctum-modern-metal-festival?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dead Wax Digbeth, 28 Adderley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4ED.** *Friday 14th to Sunday 16th August 2026.*

**A Night with Meow Meow & Ramin Karimloo** For one night only, the Sweeney Todd leads reunite for a cabaret-and-showtunes evening (Phantom, Les Mis, plus Meow Meow's own stage-diving repertoire) with a live orchestra, raising money for the Rep's roof. [Tickets from £46.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/a-night-with-meow-meow-ramin-karimloo/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Sunday 16th August 2026, 6pm.*

### Brighton

**Into the Blue** A summer-long dip into the deep blue of sea and sky, drawn from the museum's fine art collection, a calm counterpoint to the football gallery upstairs. [Free with museum admission.](https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/into-the-blue/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE.** *Until 20th September 2026.*

**Brighton & Hove Albion: Stand or Fall** A brand-new permanent gallery telling the Albion's 125-year story through objects, sound and the fans who saved the club in the 1990s, from pitch invasions to a top-20 chart hit. [Free with museum admission.](https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/brighton-hove-albion-stand-or-fall/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE.** *Opens Saturday 15th August 2026.*

**Experimental Life Drawing with Jane Fordham** Not your standard life drawing session: Fordham choreographs the whole gallery, moving props and chasing the changing light, with peer support and refreshments. [Tickets from £48 for both dates, pre-book by email.](https://fabrica.org.uk/events/experimental-life-drawing-aug-26?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Fabrica, 40 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG.** *Tuesday 11th August 2026 and Tuesday 25th August 2026.*

**Not Richard & Her Majesty** A free midweek bill at the railway-arch stalwart. [Free admission.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/not-richard-her-majesty/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Green Door Store, Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Thursday 13th August 2026, 7pm.*

### Bristol

**Queer Folk Horror Club** A new non-profit community cinema night in the basement of a worker-owned vegan co-op, pairing a secret folk-horror screening with an unhurried natter about hauntology, land memory and queer outsiderdom. [Pay what you can.](https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/cafe-kino/tue-11-aug-queer-folk-horror-club-pilot-screening-159111?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Basement at Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3RU.** *Pilot screening on Tuesday 11th August 2026, doors 6.30pm, screening 7pm.*

**SENTIENTS: An Immersive VR and Video Game Exhibition** Four artist-made video games and a haptic-vest VR piece that hand you the eyes of a mosquito, an owl or a wolf. Shaped by a group of young Bristol curators. [Pay what you can from £5, booking recommended.](https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/14147/sentients?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Undershed, Watershed, 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX.** *Until 13th September 2026.*

**Besides the Sea** Newly opened: Six young Bristol and Weston artists on place, identity and working-class coastal life, developed alongside Polly Braden's Guardian Seascape project. [Free admission.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/besides-the-sea/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Until 25th October 2026.*

**Tohé Commaret: Mijitas / Nancy Lupo: Several Chickens Later** A twin-bill of new commissions in Spike Island's cavernous warehouse galleries, running through the venue's 50th year. [Free admission.](https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**The Orchard Closing Party** The much-loved Whitehall community cafe throws itself a proper send-off: live music all evening, £4 pints and one last glass raised. [Free admission.](https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/the-orchard-coffee-co/sat-15-aug-the-orchard-closing-party-159109?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Orchard, 20 Clouds Hill Road, Bristol BS5 7LA.** *Saturday 15th August 2026, 7pm to 1am.*

### Cardiff

**Acquisition Ongoing: Carbon Age Souvenirs, Lu Williams at Chapter** A speculative-fiction gift shop of the future, where prints and objects are reframed as cultural artefacts salvaged from our fossil-fuelled present. [Free admission.](https://www.chapter.cymru/whats-on/lu-williams-acquisition-ongoing-carbon-age-souvenirs?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Chapter, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE.** *Until 29th August 2026 (Tuesday to Sunday, 12 to 5pm).*

**Museum Lates: Solar Eclipse at National Museum Cardiff** Stay after hours to see Luke Jerram's seven-metre illuminated sun, Helios, lit up, with the café bar pouring drinks, then step out to Alexandra Gardens for the partial solar eclipse (maximum around 7.13pm). [Free admission, booking required.](https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12971/Museum-Lates-Solar-Eclipse/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP.** *Wednesday 12th August 2026, from 6pm.*

### Liverpool

**Murderball (STASHED)** FACT's monthly cult-rediscovery night, curated by a collective of Young Film Programmers, resurrects the Oscar-nominated 2005 wheelchair-rugby documentary for one screening, with a post-film Q&A. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.fact.co.uk/film/stashed-murderball?ref=paperweightmag.com) **FACT (The Box), 88 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 4DQ.** *Wednesday 12th August 2026, 7pm.*

**Debjani Banerjee: Jalsaghar** A solo exhibition threading the artist's Bengali heritage through a 1980s upbringing in England, newly opened in the Bluecoat's galleries. [Free admission.](https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/db-jalsaghar?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

### Newcastle

**Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 & Exploring Identity** The National Portrait Gallery's 43rd painting competition (with winner Moira Cameron's self-portrait among them) lands at the Laing, paired with Exploring Identity, a companion show pulling Francis Bacon, Norman Cornish and others from the North East collections. [Tickets from £11.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/laing/whats-on/herbert-smith-freehills-kramer-portrait-award-2025-and-exploring-identity?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG.** *Until Saturday 5th September 2026.*

**Chris Killip: The Last Ships** A quietly devastating photography display charting the collapse of North East shipbuilding in the 1970s, shown in the Laing's free collection. [Free admission.](https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/laing/whats-on/chris-killip-the-last-ships?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG.** *Ongoing permanent display.*

### Nottingham

NAE Open 2026 at New Art Exchange New Art Exchange hands its walls to more than 40 artists for the sixth edition of its open; a competitive showcase for Nottinghamshire-based and Global Ethnic Majority artists spanning painting, print, video, textiles and sculpture. Faiza Butt and Nottingham's Dan Jamieson are among the names. [Free admission.](https://nae.org.uk/event/nae-open-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6BE.** *Until 12th September 2026.*

### Sheffield

**When The Sky Gets Bright** The disabled and neurodivergent collective, Babeworld, take over Sheffield's contemporary art space with a film about being chronically online and chronically ill, plus 18 Agonies, an interactive installation where you pick up a landline to hear awkward questions cribbed from 1990s agony-aunt columns. [Free admission.](https://www.sitegallery.org/exhibition/when-the-sky-gets-bright/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Site Gallery, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS.** *Until 27th September 2026.*

**The Football Art Prize** The touring prize returns to the city that likes to call itself the cultural home of the modern game, gathering artists' takes on the passion, drama and tribalism of football. [Free admission, donations welcome.](https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/the-football-art-prize-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP.** *Until 13th September 2026.*

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### № 7 | Pick up a real newspaper at the weekend
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/7-pick-up-a-real-newspaper-at-the-weekend/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T09:32:59.000Z
It might seem strange for us to recommend that you buy a completely different publication, but this week's *Greater Things* is all about switching off from your devices at the weekend. There's a reason that we've had over 400 years of newsprint; it's the best way to display news and information. While the internet has changed nearly everything, the ergonomics of holding a magazine or newspaper in front of you remain unaltered; Homo sapiens' corneas haven't changed since the first stone tablet was chiselled, and our limbs are of the same proportions. An hour with a print publication will leave you feeling better informed, on a broader range of subjects, than three hours of Instagram.

This isn't to say that Britain's newspapers are a journalistic paragon of virtue. But at least paper can't serve you a selection of algorithmic articles designed to exact as much anger, fury, or frustration, in order to monetise your eyeballs as possible. You know where you stand with print, even in the darkest depths of the Telegraph comment pages.

There are few finer joys than beginning the weekend in bed, separating out the sections of the newspaper, and reading everything that Meta never knew you'd be interested in.

We'd also recommend heading to your nearest shop to buy one. You might be surprised how few still sell real newspapers. But, if we want to preserve this civilised weekend tradition, we need shops to keep selling them.

Here's what's on the Sunday Paperweight team's weekend reading list:  
  
**Saturday & Sunday**  
FT Weekend (our favourite)  
  
**Saturday**  
The Guardian (Saturday Edition)  
The i Weekend  
The Times (Saturday Edition)  
  
**Sunday**  
The Sunday Times  
The Observer

And now a word of warning. You might baulk at the price if you haven't bought one for a while. Weekend newspapers with the most sections now retail at more than £5\. In 2026, with so much free content on the internet, that might feel a bit steep. But remember that in the moments that you spend in bed doomscrolling, Meta is making much more than a fiver. You can pay that £5 in cash to the newsagent, or pay with your attention span. All this aside, an FT Weekend will give you and your household nearly a full week's reading, so it's not as costly as it first appears. One weekend avoiding news from social media, and we guarantee you'll agree that it's well worth it. 

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 2nd August 2026: Darwen, Lancashire
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/2nd-august-2026-darwen-lancashire/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T09:30:26.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/3F5JB77-1.jpg)

Credit: Shafiq Khan

A dramatic red sky over Jubilee Tower in Lancashire at sunrise on Sunday morning.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### A guide to Mykonos in May and September, for the more discerning traveller
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/a-guide-to-mykonos-in-may-and-september-for-the-more-discerning-traveller/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T07:10:35.000Z
It feels odd to say that the Cycladian island of Mykonos has been transformed beyond recognition. After all, its limewashed dwellings haven't changed much in over a hundred years. But it's fair to conclude that the island's character is vastly different from what it was even a decade ago.

Private jets now account for nearly 15% of flights to and from Manto Mavrogenous airport annually, and hotel stays can reach £10,000 per night. Its reputation as an expensive place to spend your summer holiday is certainly not unwarranted, and the explosion of high-end hospitality brands taking up residence across the island has ushered in a new clientele. Restaurant groups like Richard Caring's Caprice Holdings are undeniably making a success of these new openings; Nōema is fully booked most of the summer season. Although if the Google Reviews are anything to go by, that success is measured in cash, not content customers. For me, and I suspect many Paperweight readers, I don't really see the attraction in visiting restaurants that have the same sign above the door that you'll find in London, Paris or parts of the UAE. When I first visited Mykonos in 2013, there was no Nammos, Soho Roc House had yet to be built, and Scorpios was a rugged peninsula. But if you want to try out places that provided the reason to build these newcomers in the first place, this is a guide to the old, distinctive Mykonos that offers the best of the Mediterranean, for surprisingly little.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/getty-images-xLuDstkYxbQ-unsplash-1.jpg)

The sun sets over the old port of Chora (Mykonos Town). Credit: Getty Images.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### Edinburgh Fringe 2026 top comedy picks
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/edinburgh-fringe-2026-top-comedy-picks/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T09:39:29.000Z
Heading up to the Fringe can now be more expensive than a trip on the Orient Express, but if you've managed to bag somewhere to stay this August, here's a selection of the comedy shows to see:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/Ahir-Shah.png) 

#### Ahir Shah: Golden

The last time Ahir Shah came to the Fringe in 2023, he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show and got offered a Netflix special, which means expectations are now set exceptionally high. Shah's new show, **Golden,* discusses "love, money, family, responsibility, fear, forever and frogs". Ahir Shah has a gift for weaving deeply sad, serious, or moving moments into his stand-up, before dropping the audience back into a state of hysterical laughter. Somehow this is all handled beautifully and sensitively. It's certain that there won't be a dry eye in the house.  
  
**Every evening, from 6th to 30th August.*  
📍****(33) Pleasance Courtyard**

[Buy Tickets](https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/ahir-shah-golden?ref=paperweightmag.com)

_This post is for subscribers only._
### № 6 | Invest in some proper stationery
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/6-invest-in-some-proper-stationery/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T09:56:10.000Z
Correspondence between humans forms a large part of the world's archives and museum displays. And yet, fewer and fewer notecards and letters have been exchanged over the last twenty years. In 2005, Royal Mail was handling 20 billion letters every year. Today, it's just 6.6 billion, with an estimated 80% of it being bills and business letters.

Which begs the question, what will people visiting exhibitions look at in the future? It's always polite to send a thank you Whatsapp after a good dinner, birthday party, or life event. But, frankly, this isn't going to offer very much for future generations to look back on.

And, although quick and efficient, it's all very impersonal and cold. 

But the tide is turning. The brand leading the way on stationery, Papier, reported that sales have doubled in three years. And as everyone longs for less time on the internet, there's nothing nicer than receiving a card or note in the post.

Last year I inherited a box of letters from family members to their close acquaintances. In it was one letter that I cherish the most, written from Paris to say that the Eiffel Tower "will never be a thing of great beauty", consoled by the fact that it was set to be dismantled. 

If you want to survive history, it's time to invest in some stationery and write notecards to everyone that you care about. It needn't cost very much money. Although the quality of Papier's products is very high, so are the prices. A simple A5 design with your name(s) at the top, with your address at the very bottom, can cost as little as £36 for 75 notecards. We tried Printed.com and were extremely impressed; they even include envelopes, although they aren't as fancy as Papier's. Almost anyone can knock together something simple and elegant in Canva.

But beyond all this, your friends will be so touched to receive something in the post. Been to a friend's opening show? Send them a card to say how much you enjoyed it. Had a good lunch out? Say thank you properly by post. And at least, while everyone else is still texting, the chances of ending up in a museum in a hundred years' time will shoot up significantly. 

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### On peas and joy
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/on-peas-and-joy/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T09:56:22.000Z
This weekend I will step up to the biggest day in my sporting career: to defend my title as the women’s World Pea Throwing Champion, at the annual contest in Lewes.

The challenge, as the name suggests, is to throw a single pea (garden-size, frozen), as far as possible. Last year I competed for the first time and rocketed to victory with 19.3 metres. As you can tell, I’m quite proud of this entirely pointless achievement.

The win is my first ever sporting success. A 38-year-old prodigy, I have not historically been sporty, interested in becoming sporty, or interested in sports. But the pea championships got a firm grip on me after attending as a spectator and volunteer pea-spotter the year before. Outside of the fact it’s an August afternoon spent outside a charming local pub, the day is full of small but important magic. From the town crier turned pea announcer, the person handing out the peas who makes sure to adjust the cup to make sure you get a less defrosted option, to the sacred bond formed by the people lining the throwing area to spot the peas as they land and the surprising swiftness that the crowd can clear the road in when a lost car makes its way through.

I am waxing lyrical about this event because it encapsulates one of my driving life philosophies: That everything is better if you take it sincerely.

I do not believe in enjoying things ironically. Separating ourselves from joys large and small in order to maintain any level of cool or avoid looking silly seems like a complete waste of precious time. And it’s a small thing, to win at throwing a pea. It’s not something that many people find impressive. But this week, I will attend my only pre-match practice in the park with focus. I will take my turn with seriousness hoping I win again. I will invite everyone I know to support me like it’s my wedding. I will feel genuinely nervous about getting my hopping technique right under pressure, and if I win again I will be overjoyed and smug and a little drunk and this year I will know how to spray prosecco without having to be shown by the kind person standing in second place. All without facing any real stakes at all.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/08/IMG-20250810-WA0011-1.jpg)

Credit: Louisa Wells

What a great pleasure of life, to be able to pour yourself wholeheartedly into a fleeting, small thing, with everything to gain and only one small world title to lose. How human to see the day in front of you as the only thing that has ever mattered. To build our lives out of many days of taking joy seriously.

It is important, especially now I think, to be able to take moments like this seriously. The state of the world is overwhelming. We’re burnt out on how much there is to care about, to fear, how much horror to absorb and who to listen to in order to fix it. Everything we are told to lend our sincerity to is hard and long. To our careers, to keeping our families and friends safe and loved, to fighting for fairer politics and a kinder world. The pull for all of our focus and sincerity is towards big important things, decisions that have long-term consequences and require analysis and forward thinking. Even hobbies are seen so often as things you must dedicate yourself to and become good at. 

God, how good it is to turn some of that care and energy into one week of focus on the aerodynamics of peas. We can’t afford to bury our heads and avoid the big questions, but we can make sure that the world we’re building towards also takes joy seriously.
### 30th July 2026: Paddington, London
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/30th-july-2026-paddington-london/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T09:55:53.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F4YM63.jpg)

Credit: Waldemar Sikora/Alamy Live News

The annual charity event raises funds for COSMIC, supporting children in intensive care and their families, while attracting spectators to the colourful race.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### A three-course Michelin menu for £35, and all the openings this week
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/a-three-course-michelin-menu-for-35-and-all-the-openings-this-week/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T09:55:35.000Z
August has arrived, and we're tantalisingly close to the opening of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Before that gets underway, this week's Sunday Paperweight contains the usual selection of things going on in the next seven days. This week also marks the launch of Paperweight's collection of curated Spotify playlists, beginning with the perfect background when you're [hosting a dinner party](https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-dinner-party/). Here's what's coming up:  
  
**Darkroom:** Paddington's duck flotilla   
**UK Affairs:** What we can learn from a pea-throwing contest in Lewes  
**On the Town:** A Michelin star menu for just £35, four London restaurant openings, and the usual selection of what's coming up across the UK  
**En Route:** How to earn Avios easily from your evening out

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F4YM63-2.jpg)

Thousands of yellow rubber ducks race along the canal during The Rubber Duck Race at Merchant Square, Paddington. Credit: Waldemar Sikora/Alamy Live News

### UK Affairs

The latest from Paperweight's UK Affairs bureau:

Louisa Wells writes of the bliss to be gained from sincere participation in life's smaller things:

[On peas and joyLouisa Wells writes of the bliss to be gained from sincere participation in life’s smaller things.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-a840ddb5-be80-44f4-86c1-201ebe4efdbd.svg)Paperweight MagazineLouisa Wells![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/anastasiia-kamil-4eErlNqTkaw-unsplash-24536a6f-c8eb-43a1-bfce-eff9621f3dc8.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/on-peas-and-joy/)

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

Cal Roscow reviews the London restaurant, with the longest-held Michelin star, that's offering a three-course meal for just £35: 

[Restaurant review: Pied à Terre★★★★★ | Charlotte Street is becoming known for its transient restaurant population. There’s a reason that Pied à Terre has outlasted them all.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-804e7cf5-6fa9-4fee-bc57-5f69e8e2f1d0.svg)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Pied-a-Terre-Anniversary-1-2d4714f4-0362-4fae-b445-6adaa2b72a81.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/restaurant-review-pied-a-terre/)

### London

**The Waterhouse Project** Gabriel Waterhouse and Patricia Wakaimba take their itinerant supper club project to a permanent home, this time with its own kitchen garden and a wine bar coming soon. [Reservations accepted soon.](https://www.instagram.com/restaurant.waterhouse?ref=paperweightmag.com) **7A Ezra Street, London E2 7RH.** *Re*o*pens 6th August 2026.* 

**Marrone** Another venue 'doing one thing well' is opening in Soho; café devoted almost entirely to tiramisu, in three guises (original, pistachio, chocolate), boozy or not. [Opening soon.](https://www.studiomarrone.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **15 Sherwood Street, London W1B 5AP.** *Opens 8th August 2026.*

**Wagyu Yakiniku USHIO** The first UK outpost of a Fukuoka original, cooking every cut of wagyu omakase-style around a counter. [Reservation recommended.](https://www.ushio-london.com/contents?ref=paperweightmag.com) **12 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2LU.** *Opened 28th July 2026.*

**Ebi Wines** A new wine bar and shop from Raku Oda, the ex-Fat Duck sommelier, has just opened in Clerkenwell. [Reservations recommended.](https://www.ebiwines.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **5a Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4SP.** *Opened 15th July 2026.*

**Trent Park House of Secrets** London's newest museum inside a 1920s Enfield mansion that spent the war as a gilded cage; high-ranking German officers were kept in relative comfort while MI19 listeners in the basement recorded their every unguarded word. [Tickets from £14.](https://trentparkhouse.org.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Trent Park House of Secrets, Daffodil Crescent, Enfield, London EN4 0PS.** *Opened 21st July 2026*

**Upside Down London: a camera obscura at Alexandra Palace** Pinhole London has turned a dark room on Ally Pally's Terrace into a giant camera obscura, projecting the live panorama (Shard, BT Tower, passers-by in the park) onto the wall in real time. It is only here for nine days, so this is your last weekend to catch it. [Free admission, suggested donation £3, walk-ins welcome.](https://www.pinholelondon.org/projects/upside-down-london?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY.** *Until Sunday 9th August 2026.*

**Routes, Ruins and Reconnaissance** A free show on Gertrude Bell FRGS: archaeologist, traveller and eventual British intelligence asset, told through newly digitised images from the Society's own negatives and treasures of her UNESCO-listed archive. [Free admission, booking recommended.](https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/routes-ruins-reconnaissance-exhibition?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.** *Opens Monday 3rd August 2026, until Monday 24th August 2026, weekdays only, 10am until 5pm.*

**The Power of Honey: Food, Finance and the Golden Age of Fraud** Bompas & Parr bring a living beehive into the Bank of England Museum, using the colony's habits of vigilance and cooperation to unpick food fraud and financial trust. There's after-hours 'Honey at Dusk' late on Friday 7th. [Free admission. Museum Late reservation required.](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/whats-on/2026/temporary-exhibition-by-bompass-and-parr?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH.** *Until 28th August 2026.*

**Bonsai Treehouses** The Museum of Architecture has erected 29 architect-designed miniature treehouses in a real, living collection of bonsai trees at Oxford Square, which is not usually open to the public. [Tickets from £13.50.](https://tickets.museumofarchitecture.org/events/museumofarchitecturelondon/2230370?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Oxford Square, London W2.** *Until Monday 31st August 2026.*

**Thamesmead Festival** The festival returns to the banks of Southmere Lake with four stages of R&B, soul and rap (headlined by Natalie Williams & the Soul Family Band), plus craft workshops, a market, and even a dog show. It's also a good excuse for brutalist architecture admirers to visit this corner of South East London. [Free admission.](https://www.thamesmeadnow.org.uk/whats-on/arts-culture/thamesmead-festival-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Southmere Park, Binsey Walk, London SE2 9TU.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, from 12pm.*

**Melodies International w/ Mad Professor** Dub royalty comes to Hackney Wick as Ariwa founder Mad Professor plays live alongside vocalist Aisha, hosted by the ever-reliable Melodies International crew at Colour Factory. [Tickets from £7.47.](https://dice.fm/event/6d8l22-melodies-international-w-mad-professor-8th-aug-colour-factory-london-tickets?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Colour Factory, Queen's Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN.** *Saturday 8th August 2026.*

**Adriatique presents X: Afterparty** The Swiss melodic-techno duo take Fabric through to breakfast for their X afterparty, with more names to be announced. [Tickets via Resident Advisor.](https://ra.co/events/2479397?ref=paperweightmag.com) **fabric, 77a Charterhouse Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 6HJ.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, 11pm until 7am, 18+.*

### Manchester

**Reflections: Sangat and the Self** Pairing new and recent work by Jasmir Creed and Roo Dhissou with pieces from the permanent collection to explore individuality, kinship and healing through community and spiritual practice. [Free admission.](https://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/reflections-sangat-and-the-self/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER.** *Opens Saturday 1st August 2026.*

**Gotta Match 'Em All** Museum nerdery for the school holidays: using real taxidermy specimens, discover which video-game creatures were pinched from which real animals, then take an activity away to test around the galleries. Suitable for ages 7+. [Free admission, reservation required.](https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/event/collectionbitesfamilies1?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.** *Wednesday 5th August 2026, 1.15pm.* 

**Steve Gunn** The former Kurt Vile Violator and cult New York guitarist takes the intimate YES for an evening of winding, hypnotic folk-psych, touring his reflective new album. [Tickets from £18.65.](https://www.universe.com/events/steve-gunn-tickets-XSPT6B?ref=paperweightmag.com) **YES (Basement), 38 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, 7pm.*

### Glasgow

**Govanhill International Festival & Carnival** The southside's community-run fortnight hits its tenth year on the theme of Solidarity, with more than 70 mostly-free events (puppet-making, readings, walking tours, film, parties) scattered across Govanhill venues. [Programme and booking via Govanhill Baths.](https://govanhillbaths.com/what-we-do/gifc/gifc-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Various venues across Govanhill, Glasgow Southside.** *1st until 16th August 2026.*

**Summer Nights at the Bandstand: Elephant Sessions** The Highland electronic-folk crew bring their bass-and-drum-heavy trad-fusion to the open-air amphitheatre, with neotrad support from Gnoss. [Tickets from £43.50.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/summer-nights-at-the-bandstand-elephant-sessions?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow G3 7TA.** *Tuesday 4th August 2026, from 6.30pm.*

### Edinburgh

*The Edinburgh Fringe opens on 7th August 2026\. Look out for Paperweight's guide to the best of the festival in next week's Sunday Paperweight.*

**Jasmine Togo-Brisby: Liquid Land** The South Sea Islander artist's debut European solo show exploring histories of enslavement and domestic labour, responding to GoMA's own slave trade-built architecture, centred on a full-scale recreation of her ancestral home in Australia housing a crow-feathered oceanic installation. [Free admission.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/jasmine-togo-brisby-liquid-land?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Hot Mess: Queer Dance Party at Sneaky Pete's** Scotland's longest-running queer clubbing institution, with resident Simonotron running from orchestral disco to high-NRG house all night. [Tickets via ra.co.](https://www.sneakypetes.co.uk/2026/08/07/hot-messqueer-dance-party-19/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Friday 7th August 2026, 11pm.*

**Gwen John: Strange Beauties** The first major retrospective in over forty years of the Welsh painter, with rarely seen drawings and watercolours across two floors, to mark her 150th birthday. [Tickets from £14.](https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/gwen-john-strange-beauties?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two, 73 & 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh EH4 3DR.** *Opened 1st August 2026.*

### Belfast

**The Ignorant Art School: Outside the Circle x Belfast** A touring show given a Belfast edit, spread across both galleries with archives, manifestos, drawings, paintings, performance and video charging through the punk, queer and feminist tradition of "acting up." [Free admission.](https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/event/the-ignorant-art-school-outside-the-circle/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Golden Thread Gallery, 23-29 Queen Street, Belfast BT1 6EA.** *Until 29th August 2026.*

**Susan Hughes: A Feeling in the Blood** The MAC hands its galle

### Birmingham

**Michael Pinsky: The Final Bid** An interactive kinetic sculpture where you bid online on donated second-hand chairs, each one rising toward the ceiling as its price climbs, offers a wry meditation on waste and reuse. [Free admission, donations welcome.](https://macbirmingham.co.uk/exhibitions/michael-pinsky-the-final-bid?ref=paperweightmag.com) **mac (Midlands Arts Centre), First Floor Gallery, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH.** *Until Sunday 4th October 2026.*

**Ikon Gallery: Break the Mould / Angela de la Cruz: Upright** Two shows running side by side at the canalside Ikon, the ceramics-focused Break the Mould alongside Spanish-British artist Angela de la Cruz's crumpled, broken-canvas paintings that treat the picture as a body under strain. [Free admission.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/whats-on/exhibitions?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street** The Rep's bloodthirsty new staging of Sondheim's masterpiece, with Ramin Karimloo as the razor-wielding barber and cabaret force Meow Meow as Mrs Lovett. [Tickets from £26.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Until Saturday 15th August 2026.*

### Brighton

**The Snail and the Mannequin, Emma Collins** Fabrica's street-facing "In Between Gallery" in the window of a former Regency church, which makes this the easiest art in town to miss and the easiest to catch; a single staged photograph from Collins's series of domestic scenes, where soil, roots and shells creep into ordinary family rooms, and everything sits very slightly wrong. [Free admission.](https://fabrica.org.uk/exhibitions/in-between-the-snail-and-the-mannequin?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Fabrica, 40 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG.** *Until 30th September 2026.*

**It Is Still 1985** Now in its 18th year, this weekly Saturday institution is a footloose romp through Patrick Bateman's Walkman and every John Hughes soundtrack going, Wham! and Madonna colliding with The Cure and Kate Bush. [Tickets from £5.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/it-is-still-1985-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Green Door Store, Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, 11pm until 4am.*

**Moody Disco: Tee Dee** A late-night disco and house session down on Madeira Drive, filling Concorde 2's floor after the live bands have cleared out. [Tickets via Skiddle.](https://www.concorde2.co.uk/event/moody-disco-tee-dee?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1EN.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, 11pm.*

### Bristol

**Bristol International Balloon Fiesta** Europe's largest balloon meet drifts back to Ashton Court for its 48th year, with ascents at roughly 6am and 6pm. The burner-lit Nightglows on Friday and Saturday evenings are not to be missed. [Free admission but check the programme details.](https://www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ashton Court Estate, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9JN.** *Friday 7th to Sunday 9th August 2026.*

**Dance Out at the RWA** David Remfry and James Russell's celebration of dance from 1980s Black British nightlife (Denzil Forrester's rarely seen Blue Tent) to a haptic Beat Blocks dancefloor mixed by DJ d4rling, and films from Tracey Emin and Gillian Wearing. This will be its closing weekend, so consider it your last call. [Admission from free to £11.](https://www.rwa.org.uk/products/dance-out?ref=paperweightmag.com) **RWA, Queen's Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX.** *Until Sunday 9th August 2026.*

**Nancy Lupo & Tohé Commaret at Spike Island** Two free summer commissions in the old tea-packing warehouse: Lupo's oddball "Several Chickens Later" and Commaret's "Mijitas,". [Free admission.](https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX.** *Until Sunday 6th September 2026.*

**50 Years of Aardman: Late Opening at M Shed** Although the Wallace & Gromit half-century show ("Cracking Exhibition, Gromit!") is set to attract families of all ages, you might want to head for late opening to see these rarely exhibited models. [Tickets from £10.](https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/m-shed/aardman-late-opening/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RN.** Thursday *6th August (and then every week until 27th August 2026).*

**Rudy's Pizza Napoletana** The Manchester-born Neapolitan chain takes over a long-empty former bank on Baldwin Street for its first Bristol pizzeria. [Walk-ins welcome friendly.](https://www.rudyspizza.co.uk/location/bristol/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **36 Baldwin Street, Bristol BS1 1NR.** *Opened 28th July 2026.*

### Leeds

**Rejuvenation Summer All Dayer Rave 2026** Twelve hours of proper 90s warehouse raving across three arenas (old skool courtyard, trance and hard house hall, plus an Italian lounge) at the city's worst-kept underground secret. [Tickets from £27.50.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Leeds/Beaver-Works/Rejuvenation-Summer-All-Dayer-Rave-2026/42259821/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Beaver Works, 36 Whitehouse Street, Leeds LS10 1AD.** *Saturday 8th August 2026, 2pm–2am.*

**Dishoom Leeds** The Bombay-café favourite finally comes to Yorkshire, in a Grade II-listed building, with bacon naans, all-day breakfasts and Leeds-specific specials. [Soft launch with 50% off food from 3rd August; grand opening 14th August.](https://www.dishoom.com/leeds/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **68–78 Vicar Lane, Leeds LS1 7JH.** *Opens 3rd August 2026.*

### Liverpool

**Rachel Maclean: They've Got Your Eyes** Your last full week to catch the Scottish artist's gleefully sinister exhibition, a candy-coloured hall of mirrors about AI, authorship and who really pulls the strings on creativity. [Free admission.](https://www.fact.co.uk/event/rachel-maclean?ref=paperweightmag.com) **FACT, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 4DQ.** *Until 16th August 2026.*

**Roaming Britain: Gypsy and Traveller Homes** While the Albert Dock building is mid-redevelopment, Tate is running a compact, well-chosen programme out of RIBA North, and this free display on how Gypsy and Traveller communities shape their homes (told through art, poetry and objects) is the pick of it. [Free admission.](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool--riba-north/roaming-britain-gypsy-and-traveller-homes?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Is This a Garden? / The Perfect Flower** Open Eye's twin photography shows for LOOK Photo Biennial 2026 dig into our fussy, colonial, faintly absurd relationship with gardens and cultivated flowers, including Yan Wang Preston's long project tracing the hydrangea's journey into British borders. [Free admission.](https://openeye.org.uk/whatson?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP.** *Until 31st August 2026.*

### Last chance to see:

**Dark of the Moon** [Tickets from £26.](https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/dark-of-the-moon?ref=paperweightmag.com) Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NL. *Final performance Saturday 8th August 2026.*  
**Arthur** [Tickets from £10.](https://polkatheatre.com/event/arthur/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB. *Final performances Sunday 9th August 2026.*  
**Un ballo in maschera** [Tickets from £35.](https://operahollandpark.com/productions/un-ballo-in-maschera-2/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Opera Holland Park, Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU. *Final performance Friday 7th August 2026.*  
**Die Fledermaus** [Tickets from £35.](https://operahollandpark.com/productions/die-fledermaus-3/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Opera Holland Park, Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU. *Final performance Saturday 8th August 2026.*

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

A return to more analogue communication between friends is the theme for this week's *Greater Things:*

[№ 6 | Invest in some proper stationeryCorrespondence between humans forms a large part of the world’s archives and museum displays. And yet, fewer and fewer notecards and letters have been exchanged over the last twenty years. In 2005, Royal Mail was handling 20 billion letters every year. Today, it’s just 6.6 billion, with![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-21d3168e-a5e4-4308-8a14-cf276fc8b725.svg)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/frank-flores-nXzkPQddyFE-unsplash-1-d235fe82-fe29-4b8c-9814-612bac7bdf54.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/268eae09-d3d1-4a9d-ad65-5966da2b9108/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### At Home

The latest from Paperweight's home & lifestyle bureau:

There's nothing worse than the pressure of choosing the music when you have guests over for dinner. So we've curated the best of nu-disco, soul, funk, and gentle house beats for the perfect background playlist:

[PAPERWEIGHT · Dinner PartyA playlist to create an energetic-yet-relaxed atmosphere when you’re hosting guests, featuring nu-disco, soul, funk, and gentle house beats.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-01494664-15d7-438f-bdbd-e578884bbe3e.svg)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Spotify-Dinner-Party-4fbb818d-d26f-4a61-92eb-d0563b3c5731.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-dinner-party/)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

It feels as if there are rumours of new international train routes from St Pancras International almost every other month. Very few seem to materialise. But we can confirm that a new direct Eurostar service from London to Antwerp will "definitely" launch on 14th December 2026\. Unfortunately, things aren't set to be quite so smooth in the other direction. The return journey will apparently require considerable faffing, owing to customs and border checks. British exceptionalism, Brexit, and a long-held aversion to Schengen continue to plague travel plans. 

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

With cash prices for flights heading to the stratosphere, it's becoming far more cost-effective to pay with points. We've compiled a list of the restaurants that earn you Avios:

[How to earn Avios just by going out to dinnerWe know that En Route readers are avid travellers, and with no end to the Strait of Hormuz crisis in sight, the most economical way to buy flights leaving from UK airports is with Avios. So we’ve compiled a list of all the restaurants that earn you points simply![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-6938daf6-4e12-41d1-ae1d-8cb349e60a0d.svg)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/david-syphers-t3zKhcm8uLw-unsplash-059e81bc-71d2-473e-8da8-02b9441f4b97.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/d8a8e324-c05a-411b-9348-096b8a49e9a3/)

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### How to earn Avios just by going out to dinner
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/how-to-earn-avios-just-by-going-out-to-dinner/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T14:41:32.000Z
We know that *En Route* readers are avid travellers, and with no end to the Strait of Hormuz crisis in sight, the most economical way to buy flights leaving from UK airports is with Avios. So we've compiled a list of all the restaurants that earn you points simply for dining and paying with your usual credit or debit card.

**Be sure to complete these steps first:**  
1) Firstly, you'll need to make sure that you have a [British Airways Club](https://www.britishairways.com/nx/b/account/en/gbr/account/registration/?ref=paperweightmag.com) number. If you're unsure, just try to sign up using an email address that you've used for British Airways flights in the past.

2) You will need to [link your credit and debit cards](https://www.avios.com/en-GB/collect-avios/shopping/collect-on-card/?ref=paperweightmag.com) at Avios.com and then **wait at least 24 hours** for it to be registered. You only need to do this once.

3) Head out to any of the restaurants below and pay the bill using whichever card you've linked.

[Read the full guide on the Avios site.](https://www.avios.com/en-GB/collect-avios/shopping/how-it-works-in-store/?ref=paperweightmag.com)

Not all of the restaurants listed below would be at the top of our list for evenings out, but the OXO Tower, Bar Douro, The Cinnamon Club, and Paladar in London are certainly some of the highlights worth your time.

## All the restaurants that earn you Avios:

**UK-wide**  
Bloom Juice Co. · Comptoir Libanais · Gaucho · Gordon Ramsay - Bread Street Kitchen & Bar · Grind Stores · Harvey Nichols · Jerk Junction · Karak Chaii · PAUL · PizzaExpress · PizzaLuxe · Plan Burrito · Shawa Lebanese Grill

**London**  
Abu Zaad · Agrodolce · Aki London · Alfi · Arbour Bar & Foodhall · Ayllu · Bar Arriba · Bar Douro · Berber & Q · Boisdale · Cacciari's Asia · Carmel · The Chesterfield Mayfair · The Cinnamon Club · Cinnamon Kitchen · Colonel Saab · CORD by Le Cordon Bleu · CORD Cafe · Dovetale · The Egerton House Hotel · Erev · Est India · Gilgamesh · Gordon Ramsay - Heddon Street Kitchen · Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill · Gordon Ramsay Plane Food (Heathrow T5) · Grind Stores · Hoppers · Inamo · The Laundry Brixton · Les 110 de Taillevent · Lillie's Wine Bar & Restaurant · Louie · Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay (also Manchester) · Maresco · Market Halls Canary Wharf · Market Halls Victoria · The Milestone Hotel · Miznon · MOI · Montague on the Gardens · Oorja · Oscar Bar & Restaurant · OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie · Paladar · Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay · Pizza East · Players Social · Pyro · Refuel Bar & Restaurant · Restaurant 1890 By Gordon Ramsay · Restaurant Gordon Ramsay · The River Restaurant By Gordon Ramsay · Rococo Chocolates Stores · The Rubens at the Palace · Savoy Grill By Gordon Ramsay · Shawarma Bar · Smith's Bar & Grill · Story Cellar · TING · Town House at The Kensington · Urban Leisure · Vatavaran · Wolves of Tokyo · Yalla Yalla

**Bath** Brasserie Beau at the Hotel Indigo Bath · The Elder at the Hotel Indigo Bath  
**Birmingham** The Goat King  
**Chester** The Forge at Hotel Indigo Chester  
**Coventry** COGS at Hotel Indigo Coventry  
**Dornoch** The Golden Gorse - Dornoch Hotel  
**Marlborough & Hungerford** The Funghi Club  
**Newcastle (Northern Ireland)** J.J. Farrall's Slieve Donard  
**North Berwick** The Lawn - Marine Hotel North Berwick  
**Portrush** Red Sail Room - Portrush Adelphi Hotel  
**Stratford-upon-Avon** The Woodsman at Hotel Indigo Stratford Upon Avon  
**Troon** The Rabbit - Troon Marine Hotel and Spa  
**Winchester** Kitchen 21 at the Voco Winchester Hotel & Spa

*Last updated 1st August 2026.*
### Restaurant review: Pied à Terre
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/restaurant-review-pied-a-terre/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T12:34:41.000Z
It might surprise you to learn that the modern concept of a restaurant - that is to mean a place where you're served food at a table, after you've ordered from a menu - didn't really exist until 1782\. And while it might not feel particularly astonishing to discover that this nascence occurred in Paris, this Londoner found it slightly gratifying to discover that the world's first restaurant, opened at the very heart of France, was in fact called *La Grande Taverne de Londres*. Much has been made in the last few years of British food making a comeback in the Republic, after this apparently nearly 250-year hiatus. And French champagne houses have even been buying up English vineyards. But all is not well in the other direction. Post-Brexit, Gaulish restaurants here in Britain are struggling to attract French staff prepared to navigate the complexities of the UK's new visa rules, and that's only if they can meet the income thresholds on a waiter's salary. All this offers a fitting moment to visit the cradle of modern British cuisine inspired by traditional French cooking.

---

What's the catch? That was my first thought on receiving an email that London's longest-held Michelin star restaurant is offering lunch or dinner for £35\. It then occurred to me that the last time I visited *Pied à Terre* was February 2020, those halcyon evenings out before the pandemic was about to turn London's restaurant trade upside down. It certainly seemed as if this was an offer one shouldn't really pass up.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### PAPERWEIGHT · Night
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-night/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T12:00:35.000Z
_No content available._
### PAPERWEIGHT · Dinner Party
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/playlists/paperweight-dinner-party/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T12:00:59.000Z
_No content available._
### № 5 | Skip the airport pyjamas, leave the tracksuit at home: always dress well for travel
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/5-skip-the-airport-pyjamas-leave-the-tracksuit-at-home-always-dress-well-for-travel/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T09:38:26.000Z
As a magazine dedicated to the pursuit of living your life exactly as you want it, we must stress that this isn't about being uncomfortable. After all, a two-piece suit isn't going to work for a long-haul flight. But there's a reason that some airlines give you pyjamas to change into; it's based on the assumption that you arrived wearing something more appropriate.

We can all agree that travelling isn't as pleasant as it used to be, unless you're travelling in the very upper cabins of the best airlines. If you're flying to Italy with Easyjet, the experience comprises queues, a zig-zag through duty-free, and sustenance from a chain that's doubled its prices for the captive audience. And on board, you can look forward to eating everything out of some single-use plastic. But, just because private equity ownership has let travel standards slip doesn't mean you should respond by lowering yours.

In 2012, researchers Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky discovered that people paid more attention and took greater care over tasks when they wore scientists' white lab coats. By wearing a tracksuit or pyjamas for the journey to the airport, you've already lost the battle (with yourself) to make travelling a more refined experience.

This is a distinctly British and American phenomenon. If anyone argues that this is perfectly acceptable, just ask them if they can imagine anyone French or Japanese wearing pyjamas to the airport.

We would argue that a tracksuit is not much better. And ever since Covid, there's been an explosion of smart-looking trousers that happen to have an elasticated waist. Pair those with a good t-shirt, and you won't feel any less comfortable, but you might get a better reception at the airport lounge. Greater travel begins with ourselves.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 25th July 2026: Westminster, London
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/25th-july-2026-westminster-london/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T09:38:12.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F3RX68.jpg)

Credit: Guy Bell/Alamy Live News

London Trans Pride is an annual demonstration in support of trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex lives. Established in 2019 as a response to violence and hatred against the community, pinkwashing and sanitisation of Pride, and a mounting tide of cultural paranoia and political scaremongering. Now in its 7th year, it continues to be a trans-led, community-first effort in the continuing fight for liberation.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Bandstands, Bara Brith, and ...a gig in an Abbey: Your guide to the week ahead.
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/sunday-paperw/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T09:47:55.000Z
It's now 155 years since rainfall records began at Kew Gardens. With almost no rain forecast for next week, July 2026 is set to be the first month without a single drop of rain - ever - recorded, since 1871\. This is, of course, probably terrible news. Not just for the planet and our climate, but for farmers, and anyone who has the misfortune to live in England - where water companies failed to capitalise on the wettest winter on record, earlier this year. Legislators are now off for the summer recess, so there's little else to do other than to take your mind off it all by enjoying what the last few days of the month bring. With absolutely nothing rained off so far, the UK's cities are basking in the sunshine and teeming with people enjoying themselves. Here are a few ideas for how to join in:  
  
**Darkroom:** Pride as a protest in London  
**On the Town:** Exhibitions opening this week, summer festivals, and a last chance to see some of this year's theatre productions  
**UK Affairs:** Victor Chamberlain re-examines Manchesterism, and asks if it's what we should want for Britain  
**En Route:** A last chance to cycle on Sundays for free, and earn 10,000 avios

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F3RX68-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/25th-july-2026-westminster-london/)

A protester makes a powerful point holding up a "Look closer: It's just people" frame placard at London Trans Pride. Credit: Guy Bell/Alamy Live News

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

Political campaigner and podcaster, Naomi Smith, offers up her take on why so many vegan restaurants are closing across the capital:

[Where have all the London vegan restaurants gone?London has lost Manna, Wulf & Lamb and Farmacy in quick succession. Naomi Smith asks whether we mourned the right ones, and where the plant-based diner should be eating now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-1ddb0ab9-1114-412f-a5b8-749a90b1beb0.svg)PaperweightNaomi Smith![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/dave-reed-e9HS-NBJhU8-unsplash-1-75793de2-4882-43a1-8047-af51c9d3c619.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/where-have-all-the-london-vegan-restaurants-gone/)

**Bara** The Peckham cafe-bakery that champions Welsh ingredients (Caerphilly cheesesteaks, bara brith), launches a monthly evening service of à la carte sharing plates: Welsh cockles, Welsh lamb, chippy-style rissoles and a Welsh-spirits Bara Martini. [Reservations and walk-ins accepted](https://www.baracafe.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com). **Bara, 44–46 Choumert Rd, London SE15 4SE.** *Dinners from 31st July 2026, on the last Friday of each month.*

**Stubby's** Childhood friends, Oli Man and Greg Weaver (who opened Bermondsey's These Days in 2024) bring Aussie café culture to Parsons Green with an all-day deli and wine bar built around inventive sandwiches like koji chicken with chilli crisp. [Walk-ins accepted.](https://www.instagram.com/stubbyslondon/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Stubby's, 28 Parsons Green Lane, London SW6 4HS.** *Opened 17th July 2026.*

**Childhood in War** The first UK exhibition on how conflict reshapes young lives, from a WWII evacuee train carriage to testimony from present-day Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sudan. [Free admission.](https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/childhood-in-war?ref=paperweightmag.com) **IWM London, Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ.** *Opens Friday 31st July 2026, until 28th February 2027.*

**Freud Museum at 40** The Hampstead house where Sigmund and Anna Freud saw out their exile, marks four decades as a museum, with a behind-the-scenes tour of its 2,000 antiquities, a conversation with Lord David Freud and a drinks reception in the garden. [Booking recommended.](https://www.freud.org.uk/event/the-freud-museum-london-at-40-memory-family-and-legacy/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Freud Museum, 20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX.** *Tuesday 28th July 2026, 1pm until 3pm.*

**Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam** The first major Dadd retrospective in over 50 years features over a hundred fairy scenes in fine oils and watercolours by the Victorian painter who, after experiencing delusions resulting in him killing his own father, worked from Bethlem and Broadmoor. Intricate, luminous and deeply unsettling. [Tickets from £15, under-16s free.](https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/richard-dadd?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD.** *Opened Saturday 25th July 2026, until 25th October 2026.*

**Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography.** Dulwich's summer show gathers thirty-four photographers documenting New York, LA, Chicago and San Francisco from 1907 to 2012 [Tickets from £16.](https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/portrait-of-a-city-a-century-of-american-photography/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Rd, London SE21 7AD.** *Opens Tuesday 28th July 2026, until 4th October 2026.*

**The Authoritarian Playbook:** The *Quiet Riot* podcast, *Byline Times*, and *The Lincoln Project* host a live recording asking "What Britain Can Learn From America" in order to deal with the growing threat of the radical right. Hardeep Matharu and Peter Jukes from *Byline*, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou from *Quiet Riot*, are joined by Americans Rick Wilson and Maya May from *The Lincoln Project*. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/show/the-authoritarian-playbook/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX.** *Thursday 30th July 2026.*

**Foster The People presents 'FTP'** Relive the 2010s as the 'Pumped Up Kicks' duo swap the sound stage for the decks, taking over Village Underground's railway arch for a one-off DJ set. [Tickets from £30.65.](https://villageunderground.co.uk/events/foster-the-people-presents-ftp-dj-set-31st-jul-village-underground-london-tickets-92ko7n/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2A 3PQ.** *Friday 31st July 2026, 10pm.*

**Café Mambo Ibiza London Rooftop Party** The Ibiza sunset-bar institution decamps to The Broadcaster's White City rooftop for a daytime session of Balearic house. [Tickets from £15.](https://ra.co/events/2449106?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Broadcaster, 89 Wood Lane, White City, London W12 7FX.** *Saturday 1st August 2026, from 1pm.*

**80s Open Air Day Party** Freight Island's courtyard and marquee go full throwback with a daytime run of synth-pop and singalong anthems under the Mayfield arches, promising a celebration of Madonna, Wham!, Prince, Kylie, and Rick Astley. [Tickets £7](https://www.escapetofreightisland.com/entertainment/2026-08-01/80's-day-party?ref=paperweightmag.com). **Escape to Freight Island, Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ.** *Saturday 1st August 2026, from 3pm.*

**Summer Nights at the Bandstand: The Flaming Lips** The eleventh edition of the Kelvingrove series opens with Wayne Coyne and co making their bandstand debut, with confetti cannons and giant balloons under the West End trees. Suzanne Vega, Mika, and OMD fill out the rest of the week. [Tickets from £63.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/summer-nights-at-the-bandstand-the-flaming-lips?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Kelvin Way, Glasgow G3 7TA.** *Monday 27th July 2026 (with the series continuing until 15th August 2026).*

**Merchant City Festival** Glasgow's flagship free street festival returns as a Commonwealth Games centrepiece, filling the Merchant City with circus, dance, pavement performance and a family programme. [Mostly free admission.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/merchant-city-festival?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Merchant City, around Candleriggs and Albion St, Glasgow G1 1NQ.** *Friday 31st July to Sunday 2nd August 2026.*

**Sub Club Southside Weekender** The infamous Sub Club institution decamps to the Queen's Park Arena bandstand for a two-dayer: Saturday brings Chaos In The CBD, Bradley Zero, Eclair Fifi and Domenic Cappello; Sunday hands over to Kerri Chandler, Floorplan, Cinthie and DJ Harri. [Tickets from £45.](https://ra.co/events/2387677?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Queen's Park Arena, Queen's Park, Glasgow G42 8QR.** *Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd August 2026, 3pm–10.30pm.*

**The Songs of Joni Mitchell** Jesca Hoop and Lail Arad lead intimate reworkings of Joni's catalogue, joined by Jackie Kay and Naima Bock, following two sold-out tours. [Tickets from £32.](https://www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/songs-joni-mitchell-tickets-edinburgh?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Queen's Hall, 85–89 Clerk St, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.** *Thursday 30th July 2026, doors at 7pm.*

**Sofar Sounds Stage Takeover** The organisers who popularised the secret-gig format in the 00s commandeer Bristol Old Vic's historic stage for three nights of live music; the line-up is kept under wraps until you are in your seat. [Tickets from £12.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/sofar-sounds-stage-takeover?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King St, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Thursday 30th July to Saturday 1st August 2026.*

**Don Quixote (is a very big book)** A one-man puppetry epic from Opposable Thumb Theatre and Norway's Nordland Visual Theatre, where Dik Downey's midlife crisis collides with Cervantes' deluded knight and a decrepit horse called Rocinante. [Tickets from £18.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/don-quixote-is-a-very-big-book/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Friday 31st July to Saturday 1st August 2026.*

**'Everything Must Go' by Joe Lycett** The comedian's first major solo show, a tongue-in-cheek mixed-media wake for things no longer with us (dead celebrities, discontinued chocolate bars, demolished buildings) drawn from the city's own collection, opens this week. [Free admission.](https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/exhibitions/every-thing-must-go?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH.** *Opens Wednesday 29th July 2026.*

**Live at Kirkstall Abbey: The Maccabees** The reunited indie favourites play their only Northern show of the year in the grounds of a 12th-century Cistercian ruin, with Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets and Fiona-Lee in support. [Tickets from £64.](https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/the-maccabees/kirkstall-abbey/3542593?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Kirkstall Abbey, Abbey Rd, Leeds LS5 3EH.** *Friday 31st July 2026, from 4pm.*

**Last chance to see:** 
**War Horse** [Tickets from £92.](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/war-horse/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. *Until Thursday 30th July 2026.*  
**The Misanthrope** [Tickets from £72.](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/the-misanthrope/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. *Until Saturday 1st August 2026.*  
**1536** [On-the-day returns only.](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/1536/ambassadors-theatre/?%5Fga=2.166305977.660727667.1784990454-174219649.1784990454&ref=paperweightmag.com) Ambassadors Theatre, West St, London WC2H 9ND. *Until Saturday 1st August 2026.*  
**Tender** [Tickets from £15.](https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/tender-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8LJ. *Until Saturday 1st August 2026.*  
**Alice in Wonderland** [Tickets from £20.](https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/ll-alice-in-wonderland/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9BN. *Until Sunday 2nd August 2026.*

### UK Affairs

The latest from Paperweight's UK Affairs bureau:

After a pretty successful first week for Andy Burnham, Paperweight's correspondent for the built environment, Victor Chamberlain, poses an important question over what 'Manchesterism' really means:

[Manchesterism is the model that Andy Burnham wants Britain to copy, but should we?Victor Chamberlain poses the questions that must be asked of the incoming Prime Minister’s new model for Britain.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-81f6ed93-03b9-4fe3-95df-1012982ff1aa.svg)PaperweightVictor Chamberlain![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/mylo-kaye-NXtGjC7osPs-unsplash-4a05c9da-5df8-45de-8eba-d6734b278ea7.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/manchesterism-is-the-model-that-andy-burnham-wants-britain-to-copy-but-should-we/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

[№ 5 | Skip the airport pyjamas, leave the tracksuit at home: always dress well for travelAs a magazine dedicated to the pursuit of living your life exactly as you want it, we must stress that this isn’t about being uncomfortable. After all, a two-piece suit isn’t going to work for a long-haul flight. But there’s a reason that some airlines![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-4e660881-11c3-4a1f-bbcd-5c8aba335d5b.svg)PaperweightSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/fellipe-ditadi-1DP53ivQYPM-unsplash-1-beee9452-20d7-4eb2-843d-16795199c259.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/cd099104-6879-4191-be8d-86dfb5aec20c/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### At Home

The latest from Paperweight's home & lifestyle bureau:

[For those impromptu summer moments: A recipe for a prosciutto & orange ceviche-style saladKeir James-Tough conjures up a summer party salad in minutes, for when there are unanticipated dinner guests![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-364d7d03-314f-4f13-9e93-208e3a6e74b0.svg)PaperweightKeir James-Tough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Prosciutto---Orange-Ceviche-Style-Salad-7c053582-fd38-4f47-8909-ae616b4b7adc.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/for-those-impromptu-summer-moments-a-recipe-for-a-prosciutto-orange-ceviche-style-salad/)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

Access to The Other House members' club in South Kensington has been swiftly, but temporarily, suspended following an acquisition by Aendre, a European hospitality brand founded by Eric Jafari and Chris Strong. Those who have been watching the construction work at the second site in Covent Garden may be wondering what's going to happen now. We can reveal that both venues are set to (re)open, but under a new brand. However, none of the interiors are to be kept, which means you can get your hands on a variety of furnishings via [a live auction taking place from 28th to 30th July](https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/pro-auction/catalogue-id-pr10480?ref=paperweightmag.com). And if you fancy taking a look at what's on offer beforehand, South Kensington will be open for public viewing today, tomorrow, and Tuesday. Although not to everyone's taste, the opening prices are considerably lower than The Other House will have paid. As Dolly Parton famously said, "it costs a lot of money to look this cheap".

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

**Last Chance to Earn 10,000 Avios** J.P. Morgan is offering new customers a bonus offer of 10,000 Avios when investing £500\. You'll need to use [this promotional page](https://www.personalinvesting.jpmorgan.com/boosted-avios?utm-source=paperweight-magazine&ref=paperweightmag.com), invest £500 in a single transaction by 31st July 2026 and keep it invested until 1st February 2027\. Some readers have noted that if you have previously opened a Nutmeg account you won't be eligible. *This does not constitute financial advice. You should check all terms and conditions on the provider's website before making a decision. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. You should always seek independent financial advice.*

**\*\*STILL ON**\*\* **Free Sunday Santander Cycles** Transport for London is offering the chance to use the cycle hire scheme for free every Sunday in July. It's a little bit complicated to redeem; you'll need a promo code specific to each Sunday, and you can only book it on the day. But it's still worth it for unlimited 60-minute rides if you're planning a day of cycling. These are the codes you'll need:

- 26 July - CYCLEJULY26

Check the [full details](https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/discounts?ref=paperweightmag.com) on the Transport for London website.

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### For those impromptu summer moments: A recipe for a prosciutto & orange ceviche-style salad
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/for-those-impromptu-summer-moments-a-recipe-for-a-prosciutto-orange-ceviche-style-salad/
Last updated: 2026-07-25T16:32:34.000Z
If you're lucky enough to have a garden, roof, or balcony, there's nothing nicer than having friends over in the evening to enjoy it with. But when a bibulous afternoon in the park turns into accidentally inviting everyone home for dinner, you'll need something that takes minutes, not hours, to impress.

In truth, this is neither a ceviche nor really a recipe (please don't write in, I've admitted it). It was borne out of being in a bind, needing to put out some plates for six rather than four, which is why it uses ingredients that you might just already have in. Despite comprising only four ingredients, it's a delicious combination that will look wonderful on the garden table alongside other accompaniments. Fresh bread, a glass of Crémant, and a hot summer's day is all this recipe needs to make it seem like you really made an effort. And after all, who wants to be cooking in this heat? 

The natural sweetness of the orange complements the saltiness of the prosciutto, and counteracts the acidity of the lime. Use the freshest oranges you can source, and always use freshly squeezed lime juice - the bottled kind just won’t work here. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/Prosciutto---Orange-Ceviche-Style-Salad--1-.png)

Credit: Keir James-Tough

## **Prosciutto & Orange Ceviche-Style Salad** 

Prep **10 minutes**  
Marinate **30 minutes**  
Serves **2-4 as a side**  
Suitable for those who are **gluten-intolerant.**

**4 slices of prosciutto**, each torn into three or four pieces  
**2 medium oranges** 
**1 lime** 
**2 spring onions**, sliced into little rounds  
**Grind of black pepper**

Using a very sharp knife, carefully peel both of the oranges. Then, gently slice out each segment of the orange (being careful not to leave any pith/husk attached to the slice). Then place each segment onto your serving plate. 

Over a bowl, squeeze out the juice from the remains of the orange husks. Then, in the same bowl, juice your lime. Once juiced, add in the sliced spring onions and the pieces of prosciutto. Stir so that everything in the bowl is coated with the citrus juice. Place the bowl and the plate of oranges in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill and marinate. 

Then, using a fork, lift the prosciutto and spring onions out of the bowl and arrange on the plate with the oranges, and serve immediately.

Add a grind of black pepper or other seasoning to your taste.

**Make-ahead note:** the orange slices and prosciutto & spring onion mix can be made up to 24 hours ahead, provided they are kept (separately) in the fridge before assembly.
### Where have all the London vegan restaurants gone?
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/where-have-all-the-london-vegan-restaurants-gone/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T17:06:39.000Z
I found out that Manna had gone in the saddest way possible: standing outside it. The oldest vegan restaurant in Europe, feeding Primrose Hill since 1966, and there I was on Erskine Road squinting at a notice in the window about the forfeiture of a lease. Sixty years of nut roasts, vegan sausage and mash, and organic wine, ended by a landlord’s paperwork. It felt like arriving at a friend’s house to find a sold board bending in the breeze. 

Manna was not alone. Wulf & Lamb, whose Chelsea dining room had convinced me that a seitan burger could be an occasion rather than an apology, has vanished so completely that a search for it online turns up little more than the words Permanently Closed and a chorus of confused pilates queens. Farmacy in Notting Hill, all earth bowls and candlelight, followed in January last year. If you kept a scrapbook of London’s plant-based scene circa 2019, it now reads like a war memorial. The one I most mourn is Cafe Van Gogh, a social enterprise nestled beside a church in Brixton that served amazing food and employed staff with learning disabilities to help them gain skills in hospitality.

The autopsy, in every case, returns the same verdict. Rents that climb faster than any small restaurant’s takings possibly could. Business rates that treat a 40-cover neighbourhood dining room the same as a flagship for a private-equity-backed chain. Energy bills that turned profitable kitchens into loss-makers overnight. [Unity Diner](https://www.unitydiner.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) said as much in its farewell post, noting that restaurant insolvencies were at their highest level in over a decade (though it has subsequently re-opened). None of this is unique to vegan restaurants. It’s just that vegan restaurants tend to be small, independent and newish, which in this economy is rather like being the slowest wildebeest.

But I want to be honest here, because sentimentality is a poor substitute for criticism, and the vegan scene has been drowning in the former for years. Some of these places deserved to close.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### Manchesterism is the model that Andy Burnham wants Britain to copy, but should we?
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/manchesterism-is-the-model-that-andy-burnham-wants-britain-to-copy-but-should-we/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T09:00:27.000Z
When I was born in Manchester, thirty-seven years ago, fewer people lived in its city centre than today live in ‘England’s prettiest village’, Castle Combe. In 2026, almost 70,000 now call it home. The central district has grown from a Wiltshire village to a population that would fill the entire metropolitan area of Rugby. Every time I head home and step off the Avanti at Piccadilly, I'm struck by how another piece of the skyline has changed. Another crane has appeared. Another glass tower has joined the horizon. 

The Manchester I grew up with has been transformed almost beyond recognition. 

Twenty-five years ago, Ancoats - where I was involved in a magazine for North West teenagers in a recently refurbished mill - was shorthand for urban decline: derelict factories, abandoned warehouses and the physical scars of deindustrialisation. Today, you're more likely to queue for a £4 cortado, debate the merits of one artisan bakery over another, or spend an evening hopping between wine bars and restaurants serving whichever small plates are in vogue this month. What was once an industrial wasteland has become one of Britain's most fashionable neighbourhoods.

It is by almost any measure one of Europe's great urban regeneration stories. 

Manchester is also becoming Britain's most influential political export, despite a decade of dystopian post-Brexit Britain. 

As Andy Burnham's national profile continues to grow, so too does interest in what has become known as the Manchester model or ‘Manchesterism’. The promise is seductive: ambitious local leadership, pragmatic politics, partnership with business, and a city that stopped waiting for Whitehall to save it, instead getting on with rebuilding itself. So seductive that I spent a summer researching the ins and outs of Manchesterism for my Regional and Urban Planning Studies dissertation at LSE.

So, if Burnham's brand of politics is set to shape the next generation of national government, it is worth asking a simple question: **What exactly are we proposing to emulate nationwide?**

_This post is for subscribers only._
### 15th July 2026: Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/15th-july-2026-skomer-island-pembrokeshire/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T09:58:15.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F23XRJ-1.jpg)

Credit: Phil Jones/Alamy Live News

The landscape around the cliff edge is covered with corn chamomile and bracken, among which lie the burrows. As the puffins come in to land, the black-backed gulls are waiting to try and steal the catch, so the puffins dart quickly into their nest sites. 

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### № 4 | Make more effort to go out on a Monday evening
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/4-make-more-effort-to-go-out-on-a-monday-evening/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T09:57:07.000Z
Monday is miserable, but not because of work. Because our towns and cities are lifeless on the first evening of the week. The pandemic changed our socialising habits, and then everything got more expensive.

But the places we like going to on the weekend are struggling the very day after. So much so that some restaurants and pubs have decided not to open at all, even in Central London. Not long ago, you couldn't tell most days of the week apart. In fact, in 2016, the Evening Standard reported that Mondays had become London's busiest night of the week.

If you're in your 30s, you've only got about two to three thousand Mondays left. Whether you think that's a little or a lot, why waste them?

At the start of the 20th century, Monday was most commonly 'wash day' in working-class households, while wealthier Londoners spent the evening on the town. This isn't about having a drink; avoid alcohol completely if you want to. But living in the age of the washing machine, you owe it to your ancestors not to squander your freedoms.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Let the summer break truly begin
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/let-the-summer-break-truly-begin/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T09:56:49.000Z
With opera and ballet season soon coming to a close, it really is the start of the true summer holiday season. This will be the last mention of football for a long while, but it should be noted that England's battle for third place saw them score six(!) goals against France, beating a still-impressive four. Both Scotland and England fared better than they have in past World Cups, although you won't hear that in most of the hand-wringing football commentary. Starmer is set to resign officially as Prime Minister on Monday and has pledged to make a lunch reservation for midday every Wednesday for the foreseeable, decisively placing the weekly PMQs punch-up in the rear-view mirror. Perhaps he might like to try some of the recently-opened restaurants in this week's Sunday Paperweight. Sunny, but not-too-hot, weather covers the whole of Great Britain this coming week, so wherever you are, here's how to enjoy it:  
  
**Darkroom:** Sand eels and puffins on Skomer Island  
**On the Town:** Offset the end of the opera and ballet season with openings and exhibitions  
**World Affairs:** Cal Roscow laments the last of longwave, and what it means for news media worldwide  
**UK Affairs:** Pablo O'Hana makes a forthright point about those returning from Dubai  
**En Route:** Check in at Mondrian's newest hotel for 50% less

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F23XRJ.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/164ba380-364b-41d0-80f0-7fdd183ef127/?member%5Fstatus=free)

A hot summer's day on Skomer Island, where the adult puffins are bringing sand eels back to their burrows, where the young pufflings are. The landscape around the cliff edge is covered with corn chamomile and bracken, among which lie the burrows. As the puffins come in to land, the black-backed gulls are waiting to try and steal the catch, so the puffins dart quickly into their nest sites. (Credit: Phil Jones/Alamy Live News)

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

**Johnny Boy's** Opened earlier this month, Julian Denis (of Hackney's Facing Heaven) swaps Sichuan influences for the So Cal cuisine of his childhood; an all-day Stoke Newington diner led by a breakfast burrito, with crab tostadas, a pastrami dip and French toast. [Reservations recommended.](https://www.eatatjohnnyboys.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Johnny Boy's, 3 Northwold Rd, London N16 7HL.** *Opened 3rd July 2026.*

**Hon's BBQ** Man Hon Luk takes his Austin-honed, East-Asian-inflected smoke to the former Silo space, plating short rib with Sichuan peppercorn sauce, Taiwanese pork belly and Iberico ribs in Texas rub, plus a late-night menu for the late crowd. [Reservations recommended.](https://www.hot-dinners.com/2026052715089/Gastroblog/Latest-news/uncle-hons-bbq-opening-hackney-wick-london?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Hon's BBQ, The White Building, Unit 7 Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN.** *Opened 17th July 2026.*

**Vesper** Jackson Boxer (Dove, Brunswick House) takes over the old Taqueria site on Exmouth Market for a light-flooded, daily-changing "tribute to London"; charcoal grill, fresh pasta, and just 10 off-menu gorgonzola burgers a day on a first-come basis. [Reservations taken, large section kept for walk-ins.](https://vesper.restaurant/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Vesper, 8–10 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QA.** *Opened June 2026.*

**Village Underground Rooftop** Shoreditch's famous stack of former Tube carriages has opened to the public as an open-air bar for the first time: draught pours, Bad Boy Pizza Society and a skyline view, freshly launched for the venue's 20th birthday. [Reservations taken, walk-ins welcomed.](https://villageunderground.co.uk/rooftop/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2A 3PQ.** *Open Weds–Sun across the week.*

**Trent Park House of Secrets** North London gets a brand-new museum this week; the Enfield mansion where WWII "Secret Listeners" bugged captured German generals. Opening to the public this week, its 1930s state rooms, above the eavesdropping basement, have been fully restored. [Tickets from £14.](https://trentparkhouse.org.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Trent Park House of Secrets, Daffodil Crescent, Enfield, London EN4 0NS.** *Opens Tuesday 21st July 2026 (Tue–Sun, 10am–5pm).*

**Jasleen Kaur – Superstructure** The Turner Prize winner's gift to her home city: a trail of eight weathervane-like sculptures dotted along the Clyde, turning a riverside walk into a treasure hunt. [Free outdoors exhibition.](https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/jasleen-kaur-superstructure-clydeside-sculpture-trail?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Along the River Clyde, Glasgow.** *Until 10th August 2026.*

**Trans Pride at Dalston Superstore** The official after-party for the London Trans Pride march: a trans-led, DJ-stacked fundraiser (NYC's Archangel among them) splitting proceeds between *Not a Phase* and *Positive East* charities at the East London queer HQ. [Tickets £10.](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37549/trans-pride-at-dalston-superstore?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB.** *Saturday 25th July 2026.*

**The Authoritarian Playbook:** The week after next, the *Quiet Riot* podcast, *Byline Times*, and *The Lincoln Project* host a live recording asking "What Britain Can Learn From America" in order to deal with the growing threat of the radical right. Hardeep Matharu and Peter Jukes from *Byline*, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou from *Quiet Riot*, are joined by Americans Rick Wilson and Maya May from *The Lincoln Project*. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/show/the-authoritarian-playbook/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX.** *Thursday 30th July 2026.*

**The World Is Full of Married Men** Sweden's Malmö Stadsteater stages the London premiere of its adaptation of Jackie Collins' debut novel, told with dolls and dollhouses to create an adult puppet show, in the Yard's brand-new, twice-as-big auditorium. [Tickets from £15\. Under 27s from £5 on the day.](https://www.theyardtheatre.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Yard Theatre, Unit 2a Queen's Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN.** *Tuesday 21st July until 1st August 2026.*

**Break the Mould** An exhibition of ceramicists bending clay well past the polite dinner-service, with resident artists (Jack Ky Tan's in-gallery ceramics studio runs from 24th July) throwing pots in front of you and Mark Essen reimagining a medieval Deritend jug as Digbeth street art. [Free entry, no booking necessary.](https://www.ikon-gallery.org/exhibition/break-the-mould?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Summerhall's Fringe Festival exhibitions open** Summerhall throws open four free shows to launch its Fringe season, all landing the same day: Jennifer Binnie's *Spirits of the Forest*, Sally Price's *Twig Pools*, Ryo Yamada's *In Vitro / Zero Metre Above Sea Level* and Rudy Kanhye's *Black Coral*, the reliably off-kilter corner of the city's art scene getting going early. [Theatre tickets from £23, exhibitions are free admission.](https://www.summerhallarts.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL.** *Opens Saturday 25th July 2026, until 13th September 2026.*

**Trading Station: How Hot Drinks Shape Our Lives** Manchester Art Gallery traces tea, coffee and cocoa back through slavery, colonisation and today's ethics, with a late opening on Wed 29th to 9pm. "Hot drinks, once expensive luxuries for the few, have enriched our lives, promoted the exchange of ideas and influenced the design of our homes." [Free admission.](https://manchesterartgallery.org/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley St, Manchester M2 3JL.** *Until 31st December 2026.*

**Steel Scenes** Southbank marks seventy-five years of the steel pan in Britain with a weekend takeover across the Riverside Terrace, Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens: youth ensembles, UK steel bands and new commissions, almost all of it free; a ticketed orchestral commission anchors the Saturday. [Mostly free admission, Steel Pan Reimagined tickets from £14.](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/steel-scenes/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX.** *Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July 2026.*

**Arp: The Plasters** Newly-acquired plaster sculptures by Dada founder Jean (Hans), a gift from the Stiftung Arp, e.V. to Leeds Museums and Galleries and The Hepworth Wakefield. The exhibition will present Arp’s plaster sculptures alongside works by his contemporaries, including Alexander Calder, Barbara Hepworth and Paule Vézelay. [Free admission. ](https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/arp-the-plasters-4rr3?ref=paperweightmag.com)**Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA.** *Until 4th October 2026.*

**Spike Print Fair** Spike Island turns 50 and throws open its doors for a new three-day print fair: original prints, zines and artist editions sold straight from the makers, plus drop-in linocut, screenprint and even Lego-printing workshops. [Free admission.](https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/events/spike-print-fair/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Rd, Bristol BS1 6UX.** *Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th July 2026, 10am–5pm.*

**Ice Weekend at the London Canal Museum** Descend into a Victorian 42-foot ice well, watch ice-cream demos and hear tales of the Georgian ice trade at the canal museum's annual weekend, with boat trips on the surrounding canals thrown in. [Tickets from £8.](https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/ice-weekend.htm?ref=paperweightmag.com) **London Canal Museum, 12–13 New Wharf Rd, London N1 9RT.** *Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th July 2026.*

**Last chance to see:** 
**La Fille du Régiment** Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD**.** *Until Friday 24th July 2026\.* [Tickets from £41.](https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/la-fille-du-regiment-laurent-pelly-dates?page=1&ref=paperweightmag.com) (We recommend the amphitheatre for the best sound-for-money.)  
**Archduke.** Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS. [Tickets from £25.](https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/archduke/?ref=paperweightmag.com#content-dates-times)*Until Saturday 25th July 2026.*  
**State Ballet of Georgia: Swan Lake** London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES. [Tickets from £35.](https://londoncoliseum.org/events/swan-lake/?ref=paperweightmag.com#calendar) *Until Saturday 25th July 2026.*  

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

**50% off reservations at Mondrian Cancún** For stays between 19th August and 19th December 2026, members of Dis-Loyalty can try out *Mondrian*'s new Mexican arrival at a half-price discount. The membership additionally provides discounts and benefits across hotel brands *The Hoxton*, *Mama Shelter*, and *25 Hours*. [Membership starts at £12](https://dis-loyalty.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com).

**\*\*STILL ON**\*\* **Free Sunday Santander Cycles** Transport for London is offering the chance to use the cycle hire scheme for free every Sunday in July. It's a little bit complicated to redeem; you'll need a promo code specific to each Sunday, and you can only book it on the day. But it's still worth it for unlimited 60-minute rides if you're planning a day of cycling. These are the codes you'll need:

- 19 July - CYCLEJULY19
- 26 July - CYCLEJULY26

Check the [full details](https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/discounts?ref=paperweightmag.com) on the Transport for London website.

### World Affairs

The latest from Paperweight's World Affairs bureau:

[The long wave goodbye to Britain’s broadcasting prowessCal Roscow laments the longwave switch-off, and asks what we’re left with![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-a31a5476-08bd-439c-a9b7-6804f1766a09.svg)PaperweightCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/arif-ahmed-JME6g8_bLBE-unsplash-056ef9a3-d5c1-438b-abee-a3655a1e9e47.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-long-wave-goodbye-to-britains-broadcasting-prowess/)

### UK Affairs

The latest from Paperweight's UK Affairs bureau:

[The growing epidemic of Dubai-er’s remorsePablo O’Hana asks if the recent repatriates should be a little more patriotic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-9f03e63f-6175-4bbd-932a-a1b67f99ba51.svg)PaperweightPablo O’Hana![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/3DXREEH-1-1-fee945f7-609b-4892-827c-d5472aa4b397.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-growing-epidemic-of-dubai-ers-remorse/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

Eradicate the Sunday foreboding by making plans for Monday night. Today's *Greater Things* is all about bringing joy back to the beginning of the week:

[№ 4 | Make more effort to go out on a Monday eveningIn the words of Kylie Minogue, ‘your disco/pub/bistro/bakery/chip shop/life drawing class needs you’.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-a93f5dd2-9e3a-4bc7-aef0-4a4f1b547a04.svg)PaperweightSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/alexander-london-foILcBhQ-GM-unsplash-6a2efc95-2ec3-4cbb-924a-50088f140cc6.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/2b75e869-2da3-40de-849b-7da1589f65ac/?member%5Fstatus=free)

And if you're thinking of where you might go, but want to spend under £30 per person, you might want to read Cal Roscow's write-up of a surprise visit to Flat Iron:

[It turns out that I’m the only person who hasn’t been to a Flat IronCasual dining has taken a kicking in the last few years. Are there still any chains that don’t leave you feeling flat?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-f819d1b7-6b17-4102-a4b4-d4c920cf5ad2.svg)PaperweightCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/AF_Flat-Iron_Waterloo-10_1-1-f3c40bd2-615f-4457-bc83-c8efd8e68468.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/it-turns-out-that-im-the-only-person-who-hasnt-been-to-a-flat-iron/)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

The first rule of London City Airport club is that you do not talk about London City Airport. But as Sunday Paperweight readers are almost certainly already members, we think it's alright to tell you about a recent catering problem that's plaguing British Airways flights from the city's greatest airport. If you find yourself on a flight without breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we're told that the going rate in terms of apologies is around 5,000 Avios... (you didn't hear it from us!) But it's probably best to be prepared and grab a table at Hithes beforehand, or pack something of your own to eat.

In other news, The Groucho Club seeks redemption following the news that a Conservative MP, accused of sexual assault at the (in)famous haunt, has been acquitted. An email to members at the start of the trial sought to remind all that the institution was not part of proceedings itself. Those previously avoiding the club might now get back to spending summer evenings ~~screeching~~ singing by the piano.

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### The long wave goodbye to Britain's broadcasting prowess
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-long-wave-goodbye-to-britains-broadcasting-prowess/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T16:33:10.000Z
When was the last time you listened to any radio station on longwave? Right, no, I can't remember either. So why are some of us so sad to see the end of the 100-year-old broadcasting service? 

Some readers, I fully acknowledge, will have no idea what I'm talking about. If that's you, well, you probably have heard of FM radio. It's what most people have grown up listening to, before DAB took off. If you've ever wondered what that AM button did on your first car, well, that's the setting you need to receive longwave or medium wave radio. It's what you still need to receive BBC Radio 5 Live if you're in an older car.

The difference between the two is that longwave can reach much further distances, particularly at night. It's said that the BBC's longwave service could occasionally be picked up as far away as North America, and even very rarely New Zealand, under the right conditions.

[Jon Bentley shared a video](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaAbLsgip1Y/?img%5Findex=1&ref=paperweightmag.com), on 25th June 2026 just before the switch-off, holding a LW radio to demonstrate a phenomenon where the speed at which sound travels means that the closeness of the BBC microphone allows you to hear Big Ben's bongs on Radio 4 sooner than if you're standing in Parliament Square. We've included the clip below:

_This post is for subscribers only._
### The growing epidemic of Dubai-er’s remorse
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-growing-epidemic-of-dubai-ers-remorse/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T17:04:47.000Z
Forget football, moaning about Britain is our real national sport. From the weather to the potholes, and the politicians to the licence fee, we love a good grumble. 

But there’s a difference between that and actually walking out the door. Lately, the smug goodbyes have followed the same script: Sell the business, board the flight, pose by an infinity pool with a caption about ‘lifestyle’ and ‘opportunity’, often topless with edited sunsets. Nearly 6,000 high-growth British business owners, ‘aspirational’ Brits and countless… ‘influencers’... (shudder) have upped and left the country since 2024, most of them headed for Dubai. The reason is not lifestyle. It’s tax.

The non-dom regime is gone, capital gains rules are stricter, and inheritance tax harsher. Dubai offered zero income tax and a golden visa. Simple economics. Then the missiles started falling, and suddenly the simple economics seemed less simple. You’ll remember the videos. Shrapnel landing on balconies, drone debris in car parks, the same people who spent years mocking ‘broken Britain’ from a rooftop bar suddenly filming the sky with shaky hands.

One person I followed on Instagram (past tense intended) talked of how scary it was to be awoken in the night to find his 67-storey hotel shaking. And just like that, paying tax in a boring, stable country stops feeling like such a raw deal. It turns out that independent courts that answer to nobody’s whim, a police force that isn’t preparing for war, and a health service that doesn’t shut when the airspace does, are worth something after all.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### It turns out that I'm the only person who hasn't been to a Flat Iron
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/it-turns-out-that-im-the-only-person-who-hasnt-been-to-a-flat-iron/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T09:00:20.000Z
Steak restaurants have never appealed to me, and I'm rarely enthused by chains. So how have I ended up writing about the steak restaurant chain founded by Charlie Carroll back in 2012?

At the end of a day with an itinerary that solely comprised things I'd really rather not have been doing, we found ourselves at the pub. A few lagers in, we were hungry. Save money and go home? Or head somewhere else for food?

It dawned on me that the closest restaurant to both pub and home was a branch of Flat Iron. In a decision-making process that resembled pulling off the motorway into a Welcome Break, just to escape a terrible traffic jam, we decided to throw all caution to the wind and opt for the nearest opportunity to rescue the day from another crap moment. Sometimes you just need to sit at a table, with a plate of food, and you're not too bothered what might be on it.

I've been making a conscious effort to try all the restaurants within a small radius of where we live. And I'd already realised a few weeks before that I'd never actually been into any of the many Flat Irons that are now scattered across London - let alone the one by our house - despite being founded by the bloke who created the most-hyped restaurant opening in decades; The Devonshire. This felt like the moment to try it.

This was a Sunday night in 2026\. Once upon a time, and not even very long ago, you'd never have been able to tell which day it was from how busy a London restaurant was. But these days, Sundays can be brutally dead. Not so here.

Following an extremely friendly welcome at the door, we passed by packed tables, around a corner into another full section of diners, and to a table for two in a window clad with potentially-pretentious-although-not-unwelcome bistro curtains. Tap water, and an enamel cup of beef-dripping and thyme popcorn placed on a placemat-cum-menu. Ignoring my instinct to groan at the mid-2010s choice of metal crockery and meat-cleaver cutlery, this was good. I was hungry, and I could eat right now.

This is very much a 'do one thing well' menu. And within a minute, a keen-yet-professional waiter appeared to ask if we wanted a drink. Yes, we did. Two margaritas at £9 each verges on half-price these days. Drinks arrived quickly, and our server was back. He asked if we had any questions about the menu. We did. Surprised, he posed the key question, "Have you been to Flat Iron before?" No, we hadn't. His eyebrows could scarcely hide his surprise. More recent enquiries to my own friends have given me the realisation that this was like answering, in the mid 2000s, that you hadn't been to Nando's before.

Nonetheless, he explained everything perfectly. More crucially, he had actually eaten all of the dishes before. Recently, in a significantly more expensive restaurant, I'd asked for a wine recommendation only to be told "I don't know, I've never tried them". Perhaps London is setting a low bar these days, but this was refreshing. Especially in a restaurant that's only charging about £15 for a main course. I thought it best to opt for the 'Flat Iron Steak'; my dining partner chose the Green Chilli Cheeseburger. For sides, we picked the crispy bone marrow mash, chips, and all the sauces on the menu.

Now, I'd normally blanch at the absence of a plate, but at least this is a steak restaurant. I suspend my propensity to scoff at the fact that the mains arrive on boards. Because frankly, there was nothing to scoff at. The meat was cooked perfectly (I'd asked for rare), the balance of gouda and chilli sat perfectly on top of the beef burger, the bone marrow was honestly the nicest mash I'd ever eaten, and the chips were exactly what you'd want.

---

*To Drink*  
Tony's Margaritas

*To begin*  
Beef-dripping & Thyme-salt Popcorn

*The main event*  
Flat Iron Steak  
Green Chilli Cheeseburger

*Pudding*  
Tahitian Vanilla & Butter Ice Cream

*Food: £43.20* 
*Drinks: £18* 
*Service:£7.63* 
*Total for two: £68.83*

---

Could it be - in this format of restaurant I don't really like, with a number of outlets that usually puts me off - that I was actually enjoying myself?

Everything about this experience had seriously surpassed expectations. Particularly, the staff's knowledge of cuts of meat and the ingredients in the dishes. Highly satisfied, we asked for the bill. Including service, this meal for two, with drinks, cost just £68\. This is staggeringly good value-for-money. And, I suspect, cheaper than Nando's. Except, on account of being a Flat Iron luddite, I hadn't factored in the final surprise. 

Once again (apparently embarrassing myself for having let this cultural staple pass me by), I had to ask why we were being presented with two Monopoly-piece-style meat cleavers. "These are for the ice cream! It's Tahitian vanilla and butter ice cream. You get it on the way out". I can scarcely believe I'm about to say this, but it's some of the nicest ice cream I've ever eaten. Now look, of course, this is an excellent strategy for turning around as many tables as possible. But, this is an execution of conveyor-belt-restauranting that somehow doesn't feel like you're being rushed out the door.

Casual dining has an important place in society. I passionately believe that everyone, on every income, has the right to enjoy quality time with friends and family, and affordable restaurants in every part of the country are the key to ensuring that privilege is afforded to as many as possible. But concepts like the thankfully-defunct Jamie's Italian let the side down, and so instilled in me an aversion to any restaurant brand that I spy too frequently. Private Equity largely spoiled and sanitised small family restaurants like Côte, which once upon a time only had three branches, all in Central London. But it serves me right for turning my nose up at Flat Iron. I would have eaten here sooner, and I'd eat here again.

It's worth noting that a lot of our fellow diners were in their early 20s, a generation that has been robbed of affordable nights out. Thank goodness there's still somewhere to go on a student budget, where the food is good, and the servers are well-trained. However, only a year ago, a controlling stake (sorry) was taken by McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan. Let's hope they aren't about to ruin it.

★★★★☆ 4/5

**Flat Iron Waterloo**  
41-45 The Cut, London SE1 8LF [flatironsteak.co.uk](https://www.flatironsteak.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com)
### 9th July 2026: Westhampnett, West Sussex
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/9th-july-2026-westhampnett-west-sussex/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T09:49:29.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F0P5G6.jpg)

Classic cars take to the hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place in the parkland surrounding Goodwood House in West Sussex. (Credit: Matt Alexander/PA Media Assignments)

This year's theme, 'The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels', showcases some of the most iconic head-to-head battles in motorsport history. The event runs until 12th July 2026.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### № 3 | Turn off autoplay and stop skipping the credits
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/3-turn-off-autoplay-and-stop-skipping-the-credits/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T09:49:20.000Z
Sometimes there's nothing better than binge-watching a series. But, if we're committing hours and hours of our lives to streaming something, do we really need to worry about a few seconds? From Netflix to BBC iPlayer, all the apps now offer the chance to skip the titles, skip the credits, and automatically play the next episode. But at what cost?

Let's take the credits first. These are the talented people whose jobs have yet to be replaced by AI, whose hard work made the programme you're enjoying. This is the record of their contribution. It's now far too easy to skip this important demonstration of just how many real, human beings it takes to make good films and television. 

Secondly, is it healthy for our attention spans that streaming apps presume we cannot be unstimulated for more than a few seconds? Only this week, the European Union has forced Meta to remove endless scrolling from its social media platforms because of its addictiveness. It's the same for streaming.

Lastly, you're missing out on the title sequence. Admittedly not always, but often, great care and attention has been taken to produce a work of art that sets the scene for a series. Many now don't even show the title sequence in the first episode, opting for a cold open. So if you're already hitting skip when the second episode plays, you might never even see it.

If you want to give it a go, you can switch off skipping and autoplay in [BBC iPlayer](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/questions/features/autoplay?ref=paperweightmag.com), [Netflix](https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121518?ref=paperweightmag.com), [Now TV](https://www.nowtv.com/gb/help/article/manage-profiles-on-now?ref=paperweightmag.com), and [Amazon Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/settings/playback/ref=atv%5Fset%5Fplayback?ref=paperweightmag.com). On Disney+, you'll find the autoplay settings hidden in "Edit Profiles", where they are user-specific. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be possible in ITV X, so you'll have to use the old-fashioned method of hitting the back button.

When Gandhi spoke to say that "There is more to life than increasing its speed" he probably would not contemplate that so many people in the future would seek to shave seconds off something that they are enjoying. 2026 is the year for being more considered in the way we consume media, especially over the internet. Your future attention span will thank you.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### The openings you need to know about this week
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/the-openings-you-need-to-know-about-this-week/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T09:49:04.000Z
This week's Sunday Paperweight is arriving just after a narrow victory for the England men's football team against Norway, sending the squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup. It also means that for today, the Nordic low-cost airline Norwegian [has switched its branding to that of British Airways](https://www.instagram.com/p/Daq%5FNHUsodS/?ref=paperweightmag.com) as part of a friendly bet wagered earlier this week. In non-sporting news, the week ahead is filled with newly opening restaurants to try, exhibitions and long-awaited musicals. Virtually nowhere is left untouched by an unbroken spell of high-twenties temperatures for the next few days, so wherever you are, we have a way to make the most of it. Here's what's coming up:  
  
**Darkroom:** Goodwood Festival of Speed  
**On the Town:** Chocolatines, modernist architecture, and outdoor festivals   
**Out of Town:** Postcards from Slovenia  
**En Route:** Get Eurostar Premium tickets for 50% off and free Santander Cycles rides every Sunday in July

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3F0P5G6-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/97746e38-c908-4489-bbb3-d7d06789057b/?member%5Fstatus=free)

Classic cars take to the hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place in the parkland surrounding Goodwood House in West Sussex. (Credit: Matt Alexander/PA Media Assignments)

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

**Modernist architects at the BBC** BDP and The Modernist are hosting an evening with architectural historian Elizabeth Darling, as part of their summer talks series, on the first public commission of modernist architecture in Britain, the BBC's Broadcasting House. Built in 1932, the work of Val Myer and F.J.Watson Hart, with 19 interiors from leaders of Britain’s modernist movement: Serge Chermayeff, Wells Coates and Raymond McGrath. [Tickets from £12.](https://the-modernist.org/collections/the-moderist-x-bdp-talks-series/products/the-modernist-x-bdp-london-present-the-bdp-talk-series-1-4-bob-pang-hong-kong-brutalism-24-6-26-copy-1?ref=paperweightmag.com) **BDP London, 16 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4LJ.** Thursday 23rd July 2026.

**Miokuru** Opening this week, a new sushi bar that's using British seafood; you'll find Cornish crab, chalkstream trout, and even beef tartare on the menu. [Reservations recommended.](https://miokuru.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Miokuru, 6–8 Warwick St, London W1B 5LU.** *Opening 13th July 2026.*

**Brasserie Olivia** Anyone who has enjoyed Brasserie Bellanger while waiting for a train from Gare Du Nord will be delighted to hear the Parisian restaurant group opened a London outpost last week. Sadly, the small restaurant bills haven't been imported; Brasserie Olivia's prices are a little more London, but still look set to offer extremely good value. [Reservations recommended.](https://lanouvellegarde.com/en/brasserie-olivia/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Brasserie Olivia, 1 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EE.** *Opened 9th July 2026.*

**Kismet** Dom Hamdy (of Crispin and Bistro Freddie fame) and chef Keiran Mustafa (ex-Bibi, Harwood Arms) bring the Istanbul/Northern-Cypriot concept of a meyhane to Borough Market this week. [Reservations recommended.](https://kismet.london/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Upstairs at The Globe Tavern, 8 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL.** *Opens 16th July 2026.*

**Toad Bakery** Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello's much-loved Camberwell bakery has just opened the doors at its second site on Deptford High Street, with exceptional woodwork interiors by carpenter Nick Tudor. Curiously, this establishment opts for 'chocolatine' over 'pain au chocolat', allowing South Londoners to join in on the traditional French battle. [Take away, with a small amount of seating for walk-ins](https://www.toadbakery.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com). **Toad Bakery, St Paul's House, Deptford High St, London SE8 4BX.** *Opened 8th July 2026.*

**We Go Way Back** The UK's first ancient-DNA exhibition opens on Thursday, with an immersive walk through human evolution, migration and disease from the Crick's Ancient Genomics Lab. [Free admission.](https://www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London NW1 1AT.** *Opens Thursday 16th July 2026\.* 

**Backyard Biennial: East** Whitechapel Gallery's free 125th-anniversary summer festival gathers 40 artists and partners across three galleries. "Titled *East* and featuring exhibitions, installations, screenings, performances, workshops, residencies, walks, open studios and special events, this first iteration of Backyard Biennial will celebrate the unique historic, cultural and creative identity of the East End, and pay tribute to its many diverse communities and industries." [Free admission.](https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/backyard-biennial-east/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Whitechapel Gallery, 77–82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX.** *Opens Wed 15 July.*

**Soho Village Fete & Waiters' Race** The controversial Soho Society hosts the 51st edition of Soho's cult one-day fete featuring snail racing, Human Fruit Machine, tug of war, and the famous Waiters' Race (the starting pistol is fired 3:15pm outside the French House). If none of that interests you, perhaps still go along to remind the Society's members that they live in one of London's oldest nightlift districts, or ask which licensing application they're objecting to this month. [Free admission.](https://www.thesohosociety.org.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **St Anne's Church garden, 55 Dean St, London W1D 6AF.** Sunday 19th July 2026, from midday.

**GRUB On The Docks** GRUB MCR takes over MediaCity's waterfront for an open-air summer street-food residency accompanied by DJs and live music. [Free admission.](https://www.instagram.com/%5Fonthedocks/?hl=en&ref=paperweightmag.com) **MediaCity, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 2EQ.** *All summer.*

**Night Service: Day Edition** "Night Service turns its attention to the daylight hours for a session in the FOLD Steam Room. Panorama Bar resident Ryan Elliott leads with a four-hour set, joined by a debut from Ty Naug and house selections from 2 Boots (Night Service’s Paige C.B and Sh3l)." [Tickets from £23.90](https://ra.co/events/2406415?ref=paperweightmag.com). **FOLD, Gillian House, Stephenson St, London E16 4SA.** *Saturday 18th July 2026, from 2pm until 10pm.*

**Stewart Lee in Scotland** The coming week brings shows in Glasgow at the King's Theatre *(Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th July)*, Edinburgh Playhouse *(Wednesday 15th July)*, Perth *(Thursday 16th July)*, and ending the week in Inverness *(Friday 17th July)*. This is a new show, *Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf*, and will continue touring in England from September. [Tickets from £33.](https://www.stewartlee.co.uk/live-dates/?ref=paperweightmag.com#July%202026)

**STREETrave Summer All-Dayer** The legendary STREETrave summer all dayer returns with Soul II Soul topping the bill in a new outdoor venue with 3,000 capacity. [Tickets from £40.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Glasgow/SWG3/STREETrave-Summer-All-Dayer-2026/41965356/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Galvanizers Yard, SWG3, 100 Eastvale Pl, Glasgow G3 8QG.** *Saturday 18th July 2026.*

**Earth Matters** Exhibition of thirty artists' work coinciding with the 300-year anniversary of James Hutton's birth, the Edinburgh-born geologist, farmer and thinker who revolutionised our understanding of Earth’s creation and the ground beneath us. [Free admission.](https://www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/earth-matters/65719/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Arboretum Pl, Edinburgh EH3 5NZ.** *Until 1st November 2026.*

**Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival** If you're in Edinburgh ahead of the Fringe, head to Grassmarket for a free afternoon of New Orleans street bands across multiple stages. [Free admission.](https://www.ejbf.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HS.** *Until Saturday 18 July, afternoon.*

**Rep Rising Festival 2026** Festival of theatre from emerging *Young Rep* and *Rep Pathways* new talent. Also featured will be the first performances from actors in the brand-new intensive training programme *Rep Studio 8*. [Tickets from £11.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/rep-rising-festival-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, Centenary Square, Broad St, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Until Saturday 18th July 2026.*

**Phantasmagoria: Folkloric Sculpture for the Digital Age** "This major group exhibition brings together a new generation of artists exploring how digital technologies are reshaping what sculpture can be, and how it can be used to tell stories about our past, present, and future." The show fuses folklore and legend with AI, 3D printing, gaming and video. [Free admission.](https://henry-moore.org/whats-on/phantasmagoria-folkloric-sculpture-for-the-digital-age/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Henry Moore Institute, 74 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AH. *Until 30th August 2026.*

**Trainspotting The Musical** The much-anticipated musical of Irvine Welsh's classic 30-year-old film, opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket this coming week, with music and lyrics by both Welsh and Stephen McGuiness. This is set to be a fresh take on the story, updated for the present day. The cast is led by Robbie Scott as Renton, making his West End debut. [Tickets from £15.](https://ticketing.trh.co.uk/event/65982?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk St, London, United Kingdom, SW1Y 4HT.** *Opens Wednesday 15th July 2026.*

**Last chance to see:** 
**The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind** Soho Place Theatre, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross Road, London, W1D 3BG. *Until 18th July 2026\.* [Tickets from £45.](https://ticketing.sohoplace.org/shop/tickets/series/SPTBW01M?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
**Grindr The Opera** Union Theatre, 229 Union Street, London, SE1 0LR. *Until 19th July 2026*. [Tickets from £39.](https://uniontheatre.biz/show/grindr-the-opera/?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
**Grayson the Musical** Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe St, London E17 4QH. *Until 19th July 2026.* [Tickets from £25.](https://sohotheatre.com/events/grayson-the-musical/?ref=paperweightmag.com)

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

**Half-Price Eurostar Plus or Premier Tickets** You'll have to act quickly, as this offer ends at 10:59pm BST on Monday 13th July 2026, but Eurostar are offering 50% off Plus and Premier bookings when two people are travelling together. The offer doesn't apply to Standard bookings, but we think that Plus is well worth the extra legroom, and Premier gets you access to Eurostar lounges. (Although if you have The Platinum American Express, you may already have access to these). The offer applies to all journeys taking place between 28th July and 23rd September 2026, when two people travel together, starting or ending at London St Pancras International. We recommend that you [read the full terms and conditions](https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/deals/eurostar-sale?ref=paperweightmag.com) on the Eurostar website. However, Paperweight readers who have [linked their Uber account to an Avios-collecting airline account](https://www.uber.com/gb/en/u/avios/?ref=paperweightmag.com), such as the British Airways Club, can also earn Avios from the transaction. And if you're a member of Uber One, you'll [get 10% of the transaction value back in Uber credits](https://www.uber.com/gb/en/ride/travel/trains/?ref=paperweightmag.com).

**Free Sunday Santander Cycles** Transport for London is offering the chance to use the cycle hire scheme for free every Sunday in July. It's a little bit complicated to redeem; you'll need a promo code specific to each Sunday, and you can only book it on the day. But it's still worth it for unlimited 60-minute rides if you're planning a day of cycling. These are the codes you'll need:

- 12 July - CYCLEJULY12
- 19 July - CYCLEJULY19
- 26 July - CYCLEJULY26

Check the [full details](https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/discounts?ref=paperweightmag.com) on the Transport for London website.

### Out of Town

The latest from Paperweight's Out of Town bureau:

[Postcards from Bled, SloveniaNaomi Smith’s itinerary for a long weekend swimming in Slovenia’s lakes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-01e3f98d-14a5-444d-8b34-c8ed461456f7.svg)PaperweightNaomi Smith![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/PHOTO-2026-07-04-18-03-36-copy-3-1-7171b5a1-45f1-46f2-a070-8fba7847e12b.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/postcards-from-bled-slovenia/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

[№ 3 | Turn off autoplay and stop skipping the credits“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” This week’s Greater Things is about being more considered with your media consumption time![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-c761ae4c-25f8-4094-a274-78ec85f3b502.svg)PaperweightSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/nabil-saleh-a5RK_uk5Ej0-unsplash-1-0e1483b1-25aa-4f39-9dcf-ea62ea2a5b46.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/54b55fc1-1840-4a03-b160-2d497a2d9adf/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

Those who found themselves near the River Thames on Wednesday evening were left wondering whether a drone show filling the London night sky with the words "FOREIGN TONGUES" was the latest stunt from right-wing political parties. In the end, it turned out to be a display for those attending the Rolling Stones' album launch at the new Nick Jones-owned St. Clement hotel, just around the corner from his former Soho House group's 180\. It probably looked better from the balcony. The hotel is set to open to the public later this year.

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Postcards from Bled, Slovenia
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/postcards-from-bled-slovenia/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T11:49:08.000Z
When a group of middle-aged friends who met two decades previously are deciding on the location of their annual long weekend away, the requirements are...complicated.

We met as young, carefree, childfree, penniless twenty-somethings. Holidays were determined by the nightlife on offer, the average price of cocktails in the area, and how deep a tan could be achieved in a week.

Fast forward twenty years, and it's a minefield. First, we don't all still live on campus. Dispersed across London, Lancashire and Yorkshire means finding somewhere everyone can reach easily from their nearest airport, with return flights four days later because childcare, pets and annual leave restrictions make a full week away impossible. Second, each of us has either chosen dietary requirements based on ethics or had them forced on us by adult diagnoses of myriad illnesses. And finally, various stages of peri-menopause mean some of us just feel too old to share a room, lest the now premium commodity of sleep gets interrupted.

_This post is for subscribers only._
### Reviews: The Misanthrope & Glengarry Glen Ross
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/reviews-the-misanthrope-glengarry-glen-ross/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T07:52:14.000Z
If I had known that this 2026 rewrite of Crimp's 1996 and 2009 adaptations would centre around a social media misinformation scandal, I might have groaned. Not because the information crisis isn't the most pressing matter of the current moment, but for how much TV, film, and theatre, now spends preaching on this very point. This is where this iteration of *The Misanthrope* stands out, by climbing down from the pulpit. Alceste is now Alice (Oh), a successful woman author from America. Her confidant, John (Chahidi), in place of Philinte, is now a playwright who, by his own admission, writes "so-so" plays for mainstream audiences.

Too much talk of this production has made comparisons to Crimp's highly-regarded adaptation of *Cyrano de Bergerac*. This is not a stripped-back modern retelling; Robert Jones's set is a series of sumptuous true-to-today living rooms, that also draw a line directly from the 17th-century opulence Molière might have had a hand in making for Louis XIV, working for his father. Comparisons to *Cyrano* are as frustrating and unhelpful as those that dogged Suzie Miller last year between *Inter Alia* and *Prima Facie*; once you exclude that both protagonists are women working in law it's noticeably reductive to try to tie them together.

The 2026 production of *The Misanthrope* should be viewed with fresh eyes and out of the context of the writer's past (re)writing. Although it was director Indhu Rubasingham's suggestion to rewrite Alceste as a woman, Crimp admits, in the accompanying book, that his perspective on whether Molière was placing himself into the play was already evolving since his 2009 script. This adaptation runs deeper than it might be given credit for. It could be argued that Oh's character is now much closer to the genuine outsider that Molière - on account of his position serving high society - could never claim to be, and therefore Alceste never was.

_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### 3rd July 2026: Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/3rd-july-2026-whitley-bay-tyne-wear/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T09:57:13.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3EYCNWX-1.jpg)

Noctilucent clouds over St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay, on the North East coast of England. (Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Images)

Noctilucent clouds are the highest clouds in the Earth's atmosphere, forming in the mesosphere about 50 miles above the surface. They only appear in the UK during the summer months, when the mesosphere becomes cold enough to allow ice to form on suspended dust particles floating in the atmosphere, and the sun only just sets below the horizon at night time.

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### № 2 | Seek out some Edwardian Champagne coupes
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/2-seek-out-some-edwardian-champagne-coupes/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T09:56:40.000Z
We finally can all agree that the Champagne flute is dead. But what to replace them with? Sommeliers might argue that tulip-shaped is best for aroma and preserving the mousse, but the plain designs on offer from most manufacturers take out all the fun.

Bring back the crystal coupe. Yes, the bubbles dissipate a little faster - but you'll just have to have two glasses. 

You might have a Victorian or Edwardian set that you inherited, which is lurking in a cupboard, not being used for fear of looking old-fashioned. Or worse, they're an incomplete set. This is one area where AI might actually improve your life. Uploading a photo to the Google app will almost certainly bring you to an eBay listing of a few that match.

Our word of advice is not to head out for a brand new pair. Most on the market aren't made of crystal, plain in design, and breakable.

Your nearest antique shop, eBay, or other online marketplaces are full of Thomas Webb, Stevens & Williams, Val Saint Lambert, or Edinburgh & Leith sets, often for under £60\. And if you want to push the boat out, look for Baccarat.

And if you can't run to Champagne every time (and who can?), we'd recommend something French; a saumur or cremant. But whatever you choose, prepare for slightly more to end up all over the dining table and the floor. But then, this is all part of the fun of dinner parties.

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### A letter from the editor, and your usual guide to what's on this week
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/a-letter-from-the-editor-and-your-usual-guide-to-whats-on-this-week/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T09:55:08.000Z
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

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/3EYCNWX-2.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/e711d993-a747-45ea-b515-845c0a222376/?member%5Fstatus=free)

Noctilucent clouds over St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay, on the North East coast of England. (Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Images)

### Letter from the Editor

Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Cal Roscow, smashes the Champagne against the bow in this first letter from the editor:

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...

[Continue reading the Letter from the Editor...](https://www.paperweightmag.com/letter-from-the-editor-the-curiosity-to-dream-that-greater-things-are-possible/)

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

**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.](https://appalachia.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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](https://www.instagram.com/bar.blondie?ref=paperweightmag.com). **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.](https://www.instagram.com/lennoxedinburgh/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/whats-on?ref=paperweightmag.com#activity-whats-on-70-lates-735-museum-late) **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.](https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/event/fun-home/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://www.tramway.org/event/1bfe529e-3df4-4cd3-8cce-b47c008c6021/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://playpiepint.com/whats-on/event/big-bad-riding-hood/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://trellicktower.com/54?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/strange-brew/thu-9-jul-transform-156298?ref=paperweightmag.com#e156298) **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.](https://leedsheritagetheatres.com/whats-on/on-sound-of-music-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://thearzner.com/TheArzner.dll/WhatsOn?f=217753&ref=paperweightmag.com) **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.](https://forzawine.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX.**

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-ee34cae2-c0fe-469b-94a8-724ce25c04ac.svg)PaperweightCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6255-1-070932ca-fdcd-4196-a72e-8a2d8a26621c.jpeg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-hotel-el-xalet/)

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

[№ 2 | Seek out some Edwardian Champagne coupesDitch the flutes for something more refined for under £60![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-1836f925-fe23-43df-9524-01b47e817417.svg)PaperweightSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/Champagne-Coupes-12c0371c-6736-4b4a-9e2d-2e0db1ea2a1c.png)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/2f570586-1370-475d-85a6-17ef3fc226e0/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

**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](https://www.wimbledon.com/en%5FGB/american%5Fexpress%5Fterms%5Fand%5Fconditions?ref=paperweightmag.com). 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](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/wimbledon-2026/id319284643?ref=paperweightmag.com), 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](https://www.wimbledon.com/en%5FGB/barclays?ref=paperweightmag.com).

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### Review: Hotel El Xalet
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-hotel-el-xalet/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T09:06:49.000Z
The Costa Daurada is having its moment. Perhaps that's not *quite* right, seeing as this is the coastline that includes the city of Barcelona, which is currently staging a revolt against over-tourism. And Soho House has had an outpost since 2019\. But, the number of people choosing to move to Sitges has risen again this year. So I checked into one of the small number of hotels that has been there since the 19th century.

If you like art nouveau architecture (Ed: don't you mean 'Catalan modernisme'?), Sitges is your sort of place. But if you're looking for an Art Nouveau hotel to stay in, you have to look a little bit harder, or spend a bit more. Most of the latest five-star additions to this coastline, while offering luxury, could be - architecturally - anywhere in the world. *Hotel El Xalet*, neatly situated between the beach and the train station, is the perfect place to cosplay as a 19th-century Barcelonian visiting their holiday home in Sitges, or one of the many artists who took up residency at the turn of the century.

> [ View this post on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYsU6CjutpD/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading)
> 
> [A post shared by 𝓗𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓵 𝓮𝓵 𝓧𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓽 ✩ ✩ (@hotelelxaletsitges)](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYsU6CjutpD/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading)

Now it's perhaps best that I warn you that this is officially a two-star hotel. If you carefully filter your hotel searches like me, you might miss it. From what I can gather, this rests on the absence of room service. But the loss of that star is more than compensated for by the on-site restaurant, *El Xalet*, with a reputation for food so good that locals, and those staying nearby, can be heard phoning up for reservations. There are certainly far higher-end hotels in Sitges and the surrounding Costa del Garraf, but they lack the charm of *El Xalet*.

The rooms are spacious, very nearly bordering on sparse, but with an eclectic-but-tasteful selection of antique furniture appropriate for the period of the building. The pool is positioned well for sunbathing in the day, sitting next to the outdoor restaurant illuminated with festoons and candles for the evening. Both sit under an almost arboretum of tree cover that manages to let the sunshine in and keep the Garrafian heat out.

But the real reason I fell in love with this hotel is the building itself. Originally built as a private residence by the architect Gaietà Buïgas i Monravà, Villa Avelina as it was known then, draws heavily on neo-Gothic and French Gothic styles. Although Sitges is home to many such buildings, the majority are still private homes. *Hotel El Xalet* is an opportunity to sleep surrounded by painted ceilings, stained glass, and mosaic floors, for under £130 per night.

In the restaurant, the *Tuna Tataki* is not to be missed. I'm often suspicious of a fusion menu, but Sitges has become renowned for its Japanese restaurants, partly driven by an abundance of premium fish. This coastline offers particularly good Atlantic bluefin tuna. *El Xalet*'s menu retains a catalonian feel, with some welcome Asian flavour profiles.

Sitges is changing rapidly, and more chain-run establishments are opening each year. If you'd rather a taste of the superb seafood that this section of the Mediterranean has to offer, keeping away from the excessively modern décor of other establishments, the quiet majesty of 'old Sitges' can be found in *El Xalet*.

*We stayed in a double room with a balcony, overlooking Carrer de l'Illa de Cuba, for* €*148.50 per night, for three nights.*

★★★★☆ 4/5

**Hotel El Xalet**  
Carrer de l'Illa de Cuba, 35, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain [elxalet.com](https://thearzner.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
*Follow* [*@hotelelxaletsitges*](https://www.instagram.com/hotelelxaletsitges/?ref=paperweightmag.com) *on Instagram.*
### From across the Levantine Sea: A recipe for fattoush salad with Cypriot notes
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/from-across-the-levantine-sea-a-recipe-for-fattoush-salad-with-cypriot-notes/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T16:41:29.000Z
It's seventy years since fattoush entered the *Oxford English Dictionary*, but this underappreciated salad still deserves greater prominence in our table repertoires, especially when paired with ingredients from across the waves. Deriving from the Arabic 'fatt', meaning to crush, the addition of the Turkic suffix -ūsh, exemplifies the way this recipe has constantly evolved. Halloumi adds bass notes to this ancient recipe that varies across the Levantine region. 

The quantities below are very much a guide and can be altered to suit your taste, although I would recommend using one pitta per person if, like me, you intend to serve this as a Summer's day main course. Soaking the halloumi in hot water ensures it stays squidgy after cooking (and any saltiness lost in the soaking is made up for by the sharp dressing). A quick pickling of the onion and radish not only transforms them into a sublimely deep shade of pink, but also mellows the bite of raw onion whilst adding tang. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/07/Halloumi-Fattoush-Salad-close-up-1.png)

Credit: Keir James-Tough

## **Halloumi fattoush salad**

Prep **45 mins** (at a leisurely pace)  
Cook **15 mins**   
Serves **4** as a main or **6-8** as a side.   
Suitable for **vegetarians.** 

For the salad:  
**225g block halloumi** 
**1 medium red onion** 
**100g radishes** 
**200ml red wine vinegar** 
**125g cherry tomatoes** 
**400g romaine lettuce** 
**4 spring onions** 
**1 cucumber** 
**15g fresh mint** 
**15g fresh flat leaf parsley** 
**4 pitta breads** 
**1 tbsp olive oil** (or another oil of your choosing)

For the dressing:  
**2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil** 
**2 tbsp fresh lemon juice** 
**1 tbsp pomegranate molasses** (balsamic glaze or honey also work well)  
**1 heaped tsp sumac** 
**½ tsp garlic puree or 1 minced garlic clove.** 
**1 tsp sea salt flakes (or ½ tsp fine flowing salt)** 
**Good grinding of black pepper**

Slice the halloumi into thin strips, place in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for approximately 10 minutes. 

Slice the red onion into two halves, and then slice each into thin half moons, and slice the radishes (discarding the roots) into thin discs. Place into a large shallow bowl, taking care to separate both the onion and radishes from their adjacent slices. Pour over the red wine vinegar and stir to ensure everything is coated or submerged. Leave to one side. 

Tear each pitta, along the edges, into two thin halves. Then tear each half into bite-sized pieces and coat in 1 tbsp oil. Toast in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes, or roughly six minutes in an air fryer (flipping halfway through). Then set aside to cool. 

Chop the lettuce, finely slice the spring onions and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Place into a large bowl (or anything large enough for tossing all the ingredients).

Slice the cucumber, lengthways, into two and, using a teaspoon, scoop out the watery seeds to discard them. Finely slice the cucumber on the diagonal and add to the salad. 

Place a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and, using tongs, remove the halloumi from the water and place into the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes until golden and flip to repeat on the other side. Place the halloumi on a plate to cool. 

Place the dressing ingredients into a bowl and stir until it is emulsified. 

Finely chop the mint and parsley. Add roughly three-quarters of it to the salad. 

Drain the onions and radishes through a sieve and add roughly three-quarters to the salad, saving the rest for garnishing later. 

Add the halloumi, pitta and dressing to the lettuce and mix well (either with your hands or a spatula). 

Tip the salad either onto a large sharing platter or four individual serving plates. Top with the remaining onions & radishes, and finally the remaining mint & parsley.

**Make-ahead note:** To make up to 24 hours ahead:

Prep the lettuce, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mint & parsley, and halloumi (still allowing it to cool) and place together in a sealed container in the fridge. Make the onion and radish pickle and store in a sealed container in the fridge (to then drain through the sieve when assembling). 

Make the dressing and store in a jar or sealed container in the fridge (do not add to the salad until assembling to prevent everything from going soggy). 

Toast the pitta shards and, one cooled, store in a ziplock bag or sealed container in a cupboard.
### Letter from the editor: The curiosity to dream that greater things are possible.
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/letter-from-the-editor-the-curiosity-to-dream-that-greater-things-are-possible/
Last updated: 2026-07-03T14:52:22.000Z
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.

If I’m not being clear, let me give you an example. In Tokyo, there are over five hundred different melodies, all carefully composed, for the various train stations that form the network of subways, commuter trains, and Shinkansens that connect the Japanese capital. Why? Simply to make the environment more pleasant, or “a bit nicer”. If Transport for London embarked upon a project to do the same for tube stations, the reaction would be painfully predictable; criticism from the full gamut of British politics, from both the left and the right, crying about “taxpayers’ money” and “waste”. Yet, this is a nation that is collectively crying out for better times, while constantly expressing that nothing seems to be quite as good as it once was. Any attempt to talk about happiness, especially by politicians, is met with derision. Commissioning an artwork to decorate an NHS hospital? Prepare for an onslaught of questions on why the money isn’t being spent on frontline care. The hammer price for the most expensive artwork ever sold, Da Vinci’s *Salvator Mundi*, wouldn’t even cover a day’s worth of the health service. The savings from not purchasing a few watercolours from a local artist wouldn’t pay for a few seconds.

I’m not so naive that I don’t understand how we got here. Of course, spending money on ‘niceties’ while millions subsist on food banks leaves a bad taste in the mouth. And if gargantuan spending does get signed off, it results in a high-speed train line that has - absolutely literally - cost more than getting to the moon, or useless PPE equipment that rivals the price of designer clothing.

What a nightmare! Of course, a magazine won’t fix this. But it might bring together people who want to change things for the better, and take a stand against the peculiarly British doom loop that seems to make any improvement feel impossible.

In the end, I’ve plumped for the pursuit of making things “greater” as the central purpose of Paperweight, in the hope that it attracts less ire than “nice” might.

And I mean it in the broadest sense. Greatness is the antidote to the sense of depression and helplessness that grips the nation. Paperweight does not need to choose a narrow set of topics; too much about our lives, livelihoods and the country we’re living in needs rescuing from the grip of unhappiness.

When I decided to start a magazine, the reader in mind was those who grew up in the warm sunlight of prosperity that defined the close of the 20th century, and for whom life hasn’t been as endlessly improving as promised. A generation that pre-dates the internet, yet understands it inside out, seeking out a slightly more analogue way of reading about worldwide affairs, travel, society, culture, and design, in the face of an onslaught of AI slop and a degraded news environment. Perhaps it is arrogant, considering I include myself in this cohort, but I firmly believe that these are the people who will lead the world through the most overwhelming challenges of the 21st century.

Caught in the consequences of the sharp rise in the cost of renting or buying a house, this is a generation determined to continue enjoying the finer things in life, live well, live long, and get the most out of their own city and those around the world. They are as likely to be found in a club or late-night bar as they are in a heritage transport museum or historic site. They might cycle to work, but also own a car. They are most likely to be active in their local community, while being a citizen of the world. They are curious about how society is working, but unsatisfied with the failing structures that they have inherited.

My hope is for Paperweight to be an aperture to ideas for all those who know they need not choose.

### **Paperweight’s mission:**

> *The curiosity to dream that greater things - and a greater world - are possible.*

So Paperweight won’t choose between long reads on innovative social policies and restaurant reviews. Set lunch for a Michelin Guide restaurant that costs less than £30? It's in ***On the Town*** alongside ticket offers to exhibitions and theatre shows. Features on the state of the UK’s railway system and what to do about it? It’s in ***En Route***, but alongside electric car reviews, and the appreciation of cycling and long walks. And if you want to hear a special report from Vienna on social housing, but might also quite like to know the best hotel in the city to stay in for under £200, you’ll find it in ***Out of Town***. This is a magazine for the grossly underserved ‘nerdy-but-epicurean’ category of readership.

So if this sounds at all intriguing, I hope you’ll [subscribe](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/) to find out what Paperweight has to offer. And if you’re not ready to commit just yet, do [sign up for the free Sunday Paperweight email briefing](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/), delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.

Onward to greater (and nicer!) things.
### Lidos, islands, rooftops, and summer fairs.
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/lidos-islands-rooftops-and-summer-fairs/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T14:32:24.000Z
The mercury has hit 36° in the South of England this week, so we hope you are staying cool, wherever you are, although that should be somewhat easier in the West of Scotland, where temperatures are set to drop down to 14°C. Whatever the weather, there's something to do in this week's Sunday Paperweight. Here's what's coming up:

**Darkroom:** The tropical colours of the English Riviera meet tropical temperatures to match.  
**On the Town:** Everything to make the most of the outdoors as the weather cools next week.  
**En Route:** A 10,000 Avios offer and a chance to kickstart your investment portfolio

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/06/3EW3YF7.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/25th-june-2026-lyme-regis-dorset/)

25th June 2026 | Lyme Regis, Dorset | Beachgoers sunbathe in scorching hot sunshine on the beach at the picturesque seaside resort of Lyme Regis. (Credit: Celia McMahon/Alamy Live News)

### On the Town

What's happening this week:

**On the roof of The Conduit Club** Following several attempts to make a success of the rooftop restaurant space, Chef Will Devlin takes the reins. [*Birchwood at The Conduit*](https://birchwood-family.com/covent-garden?ref=paperweightmag.com) opened last week, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus comprising seasonal and sustainable produce from Devlin's own *Acre* farm. [Bookings](https://birchwood-family.com/covent-garden?ref=paperweightmag.com) are also taken for drinks, and you don't even need to be a Conduit member. **Birchwood at The Conduit, 6 Langley St, London, WC2H 9JA.**

**The Art of Mini Golf** This might just be the only time that golf is happily mentioned in this magazine. Battersea Arts Centre, in conjunction with RISING Melbourne, hosts an all-women art exhibition that you can play: nine mini-golf holes designed as artworks by international artists Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, Saeborg, among many others. "Only the most audacious artists are here because mini golf itself was born of rebellion. The game was originally invented by 19th-century Scottish women who were banned from ‘real’ courses but refused to sit on the sidelines." Tickets range [from £15 to 25.](https://bac.org.uk/whats-on/the-art-of-mini-golf/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN.** *Until 26th July 2026.*

**Café OTO Summer Fair** Daytime celebration of independent print and sound culture at Dalston's experimental music hub: expect stalls, limited-edition vinyls, t-shirts, prints, in addition to the usual food and drink offering. [Free entry.](https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/cafe-oto-summer-fair-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com)   **18-22 Ashwin St, London E8 3DL.** *Saturday 4th July 2026, 11am-6pm.*

**The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration** has just opened at the converted 18th-century waterworks on Myddleton Passage and hosts opening show *Queer as Comics*. Highlights include drawings from Tove Jansson’s 1954 *Moomin* cartoon strip for the London Evening News and works by influential creators such as Kate Charlesworth, Rupert Kinnard and David Shenton. [Tickets from £15](https://qbcentre.org.uk/exhibitions/queer-as-comics?ref=paperweightmag.com). **1 Myddelton Passage, London, EC1R 1AG.** *Weds to Sun, 10am-5pm.*

**Manchester Open 2026** The North's younger sibling to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, showing over 420 works by everyone from established professionals to first-timers, spanning ceramics, print, painting, photography, sculpture, moving image and textiles. The returning People's Prize lets visitors vote for a favourite. [Free entry, booking required](https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/manchesteropen2026-rslt?ref=paperweightmag.com). **HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, First Street, Manchester M15 4FN.** *Until 6th September 2026*.

**Twelfth Night - Bard in the Botanics** "Shakespeare’s beautiful comedy of love amidst mistaken identity is presented on our outdoor stage, in a joyful new production guaranteed to warm the hardest of hearts." Directed by Jennifer Dick and placing Viola (Rebecca Robin) at the centre of the comedy of mistaken identity. [Tickets from £19.](https://www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/productions/2026/twelfth-night-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Glasgow Botanic Gardens outdoor stage, 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0UE.** *Until 11th July 2026.*

**Rare chance to visit Eel Pie Island** as part of Open Studios. The resident artists throw open the doors to their studios on the private island in the middle of the Thames. "Browse, enjoy, purchase or commission unique works of art." [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eel-pie-island-artists-summer-open-studios-1st-2-weekends-of-july-26-tickets-1990378998163?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, London TW1 3DY.** *Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th July 2026.*

**Ai Weiwei: Button Up!** Major new exhibition from the internationally renowned artist and activist, filling the Warehouse with works on 200 years of British-Chinese empire and trade. "The monumental installation features porcelain, cotton, glass, bronze and even buttons and toy bricks. Each material contains a story of human invention and consumption. Together, they paint a picture of globalisation." [£15 early bird tickets available until 30th June.](https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/ai-weiwei-button-up/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ** *Until 6th September 2026.*

**Elizabeth Blackadder: A Life in Colour** The retrospective marking five years since her death, pairs paintings and drawings with tapestries and rugs, taking place at the Dovecote weaving studio, in partnership with the Royal Scottish Academy. [Tickets from £13.](https://dovecotstudios.com/exhibitions/elizabeth-blackadder-a-life-in-colour?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT.**

### En Route

The latest from Paperweight's En Route bureau:

**Earn 10,000 Avios** J.P. Morgan is offering new customers a bonus offer of 10,000 Avios when investing £500\. You'll need to use [this promotional page](https://www.personalinvesting.jpmorgan.com/boosted-avios?utm-source=paperweight-magazine&ref=paperweightmag.com), invest £500 in a single transaction by 31st July 2026 and keep it invested until 1st February 2027\. Some readers have noted that if you have previously opened a Nutmeg account you won't be eligible. *This does not constitute financial advice. You should check all terms and conditions on the provider's website before making a decision. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. You should always seek independent financial advice.*

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

[№ 1 | Get to know your local lidoThis week’s Greater Things is less a suggestion, more a necessity![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-3e062c73-dd69-408d-b444-75a836d5b4f5.svg)PaperweightSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/ben-elliott-J8y8CzQFZRs-unsplash-21ac7d87-7f24-4fed-8944-aae76d4787ef.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/77046a6d-0386-4bb2-b616-1eed69f0a61c/)

### On the Grapevine

Gossip that we've been told this week:

**Sweat from Heaven** Ever wanted to work out at Heaven nightclub? No, us neither. But continuing a long line of incomprehensible decisions (McDonald's burgers, anyone?) comes news that proprietor [Jeremy Joseph has applied to Westminster City Council for a licence to use the dancefloor as a gym](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ71pTXIwdI/?hl=en&ref=paperweightmag.com) and fitness centre during the day. If it didn't smell bad enough before...

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

*Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week* [*when you subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### 25th June 2026: Lyme Regis, Dorset
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/25th-june-2026-lyme-regis-dorset/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T14:32:08.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/06/3EW3YF7-4.jpg)

Beachgoers sunbathe in scorching hot sunshine on the beach at the picturesque seaside resort of Lyme Regis. (Credit: Celia McMahon/Alamy Live News)

*Get Paperweight's weekly photography feature, Darkroom, delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### № 1 | Get to know your local lido
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/1-get-to-know-your-local-lido/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T14:34:06.000Z
Swimming outdoors is the best kind of swimming, and thankfully, the UK still has plenty of towns sensible enough to maintain some of the most impressive lidos.

*All the Lidos* have [compiled a list of over 162 across Great Britain](https://allthelidos.co.uk/all-the-outdoor-swimming-pools-and-lidos-in-the-uk-the-complete-and-updated-list/?utm%5Fsource=paperweight-magazine), and although it doesn't seem to have been updated since April 2025, we checked that most are still open for business. Always enquire ahead, as some swimming spots require you to book a slot.

If, like us, you're a fan of early 20th-century architecture, the Jubilee Pool in Penzance - the UK's largest saltwater pool, Saltdean Lido, and Oasis in Covent Garden, offer the chance to relive the golden age of outdoor swimming.

Most admission prices are less than £15, with some as low as £4.50, offering significantly better value for money than Shoreditch House membership...

*Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you* [*subscribe for free*](https://www.paperweightmag.com/membership/)*.*
### British angst has become the currency of big brand advertising
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/british-angst-has-become-the-currency-of-big-brand/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T10:11:34.000Z
I'm struggling to think of a time when so much unease was woven into the words of our national story. Whether it's an advert for cryptocurrency or the UK's flag carrier, the comments on a TikTok, or a political leader's speech - regardless of which end of the ideological spectrum they occupy. The feeling that things 'aren't quite how they're meant to be' is everywhere. Sure, the five years following the 2008 financial crash weren't exactly peachy; TV was dominated by adverts for payday loans, Channel 4's idents talked of the country having "gone to the ruddy dogs", and the BBC had resorted to serving up at least three helpings of Morecambe and Wise in an attempt to comfort a nation looking in the rear-view mirror instead of forward. (This 'don't worry, everything's fine' strategy was repeated in the midst of the Covid outbreak, where Christmas 2020 saw six...)

But this is different. The despair rings louder, and the long tail of decades-old poor national decisions is thwacking more people than ever before. Even the rich in Britain are starting to feel quite poor. Although those on the bottom rung of the payroll ladder might justifiably baulk at that suggestion.

Nothing captured this mood better than an advert from a hitherto relatively unknown cryptocurrency firm, Coinbase.

Credit: Coinbase/YouTube

_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Bravas with bite: a recipe for Patatas Bravas Crujientes
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/patatas-bravas-crujientes-recipe/
Last updated: 2026-06-10T18:22:08.000Z
It is said that a true Patatas Bravas recipe, originating from the bars of 1950s Madrid, shouldn't contain any tomatoes, taking its rich red colour solely from smoked paprika. For those who like a little more bite, this clever evolution of the recipe drops a touch of baking soda into the water to add a little more 'crujido', and onions instead of cornflour to give the sauce a bit more body. This is a guest-friendly recipe, making use of fine rapeseed oil oven-roasting so you don't have to watch over a stove. Pair with a Galician albariño, for an effortless but impressive side, starter or party dish.

## **Patatas Bravas Crujientes**

Prep **15 min**  
Cook **50 to 60 min**  
Serves **4-6** (as a side dish or party plate)  
Suitable for **vegans** and those who are **gluten-intolerant.**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/06/Patatas-Bravas-Crujientes--1-.png)

For the patatas:  
**1kg potato (any large white potato will do)**, peeled and cut into approximately 2cm/1 inch  
**1 tbsp fine flowing salt/table salt** 
**1.5 tbsp bicarbonate of soda** 
**3 tsp fresh or dried thyme and/or rosemary,** finely chopped  
**1 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes** 
**Enough rapeseed oil to cover a large baking sheet in a thin layer.**

For the bravas sauce:  
**1 red onion & 1 brown onion**,finely chopped  
**2.5 tbsp rapeseed oil** (or olive oil if you wish)  
**3-4 large cloves of garlic,** minced   
**2 tsp smoked paprika** 
**½ tsp dried chilli flakes** (or to taste)  
**1 tsp dried oregano** 
**1 tsp freshly ground black pepper** 
**½ tsp Maldon sea salt flakes** (or to taste)  
**1 tbsp tomato puree** 
**4 green olives,** very finely chopped (almost puréed)  
**350 ml vegetable stock**

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). In a medium-sized pan, on high heat, add 1.5 tbsp rapeseed oil and the chopped onions. Once sizzling, add 3 tbsp cold water. Once it comes to a bubble, turn down to medium, put the lid on, and leave for 15 minutes.

Boil a large pot of water, and then add the fine salt & bicarbonate of soda (it will fizz up), and add your potatoes. Place the lid on to fully cover it. Return to the boil, add the lid, but only to partly cover the pan, in order to prevent the baking powder foam from spilling over, and then boil for seven minutes. **Tip:* Don't add the potato to cold water and bring to the boil, as you might with larger roast potato-sized chunks, or you'll end up with mashed potato.*

Whilst the potatoes are boiling, place your baking tray with oil into the oven to preheat.

Once the potatoes have had seven minutes on the boil, lift one cube of potato out with a spatula, and drag a fork across its surface; it should fluff up. If not, boil for one further minute. Place a colander in the sink, drain the potatoes, and leave them there for a moment.

Once the onions have had their 15 minutes, take off the lid. Using a spatula, spread the onions to the edges of the pan, creating a well in the centre. To this well, pour in the second tbsp of rapeseed oil, and then add the garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, dried oregano, and black pepper. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until you are hit with the scent of these spices. Then add the sea salt flakes, olives, tomato puree, and vegetable stock. Leave this to simmer on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Carefully take the tray of hot oil out of the oven and put on a heatproof surface. Tumble over the parboiled potatoes (they should sizzle). With a spatula, gently push and flip the potatoes so they get an even covering of oil. Coat with 1/2 tsp of sea salt flakes and 1 tsp of your fresh or dried thyme and/or rosemary. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven, flip the potatoes with a spatula, and cover with another 1 tsp of your thyme/rosemary. Place back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend your Bravas sauce either with a stick blender or place into a standalone/bullet blender and blend (providing the latter is safe to blend hot liquid). If needed, add a couple of tablespoons of water (if the sauce has become more of a paste). Strain the sauce through a sieve into a bowl. This gives it a lovely, silky texture.

After the final 20 minutes, take the potatoes out the oven. They should be golden and crispy all over. If you have a temperamental oven, they may require an extra 5 minutes.

Place the potatoes on a plate, and drizzle with *some* of the Bravas. Dollop the remaining Bravas on the side of the plate, or in a small, separate bowl. The idea here is that you do not want to drown every surface of potato in Bravas; you want parts of the potato to remain crispy. Sprinkle over 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves/chopped rosemary, and a grinding of black pepper.

**Make-ahead note:** the Bravas sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance, kept in the fridge, and reheated in a pan when needed, leaving you to make the Patatas just ahead of serving.
### Are you sitting uncomfortably? The demise of the train journey
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/are-you-sitting-uncomfortably-the-slow-death-of-the-comfortable-train-journey/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T14:50:16.000Z
Are you sitting uncomfortably? If you're reading this on a train anywhere in Great Britain, you probably don't need to tell me the answer.

A lot of good stories involve a train. You would be hard pressed to find an Agatha Christie character that doesn't succumb to murder - or solve one - on one. When Virgin Trains released, what might be one of the greatest railway adverts of the 21st century, embedding Hollywood greats from *Some Like It Hot*, *North by Northwest*, and *The Lady Vanishes*, into their new carriages, ticket sales [increased by 32%](https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/case-studies/virgin-trains-the-return-of-the-train?ref=paperweightmag.com). The Orient Express this was not, but the introduction of the *Pendolino* in 2003 might mark the last time that a train was built for Britain where the enjoyment of the journey for the passenger was a consideration.

**The Return of the Train* Virgin Trains (2005) Credit: The Hall of Advertising/YouTube

The *Pendolino* was no panacea; anyone who has found themselves locked in one of the loos - or experienced the humiliation of the door sliding slowly open, presenting a carriage load of people with the spectacle of a person sat on one - may feel differently. But, *Virgin Trains'* inclusion of the lines *"Comfy?", "Yes, thanks."* matched the real experience; warm lighting, comfy seat, and design features that served no utility other than to make the interior feel inviting. If any of the current train operators of the UK's 'modern' fleet of *Intercity Express Trains*, introduced in 2017, were to ask anyone travelling if they are "comfy?", they wouldn't want to hear the answer.

_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Restaurant review: Arlington
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/restaurant-review-arlington/
Last updated: 2026-06-02T17:16:29.000Z
London is dying, we're told. London is over. And if even if you do decide to venture into the 'past it' city you'll get your phone nicked the moment you step outside. Apparently. 

With so much political capital being built on the back of doing down our 2000-year-old city, we should ask exactly when was London better, 'cooler', or perhaps safer? 

The doom mongers will almost certainly say the 90s, or at least one of the decades either side of it. So it might be reassuring to find that a restaurant popularised by paparazzi shots of Princess Diana is still doing a roaring trade on a Sunday lunchtime. I say "still", but in truth Arlington is 'Le Caprice' reborn. Same venue, same owner, same high standards.

We sat down to try the weekend set lunch menu as part of our series on [dining out for under £30](https://lunch.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com). 

'Round the back of the Ritz' doesn't conjure up much confidence in a good outing. But that's exactly where Arlington is. Arlington Street is a pretty unassuming, high-end, dead-end, and you won't have been to the end of it unless you've been to the restaurant - or know about a secret passage for those heading from Green Park to Pall Mall. But the moment that the lambent glow of the blue neon sign welcomes you to the end of the cul-de-sac, anyone who was alive in the mid-90s will start to get a sense of deja vu. 

> [ View this post on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGyad8QsU9j/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading)
> 
> [A post shared by Arlington (@arlingtonrestaurant)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGyad8QsU9j/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading)

Stepping through a revolving door that has spun more of the world's glitterati than Mark Borkowski, you realise how small and intimate the restaurant really is. Reception, cloakroom, bar - all in black and chrome art deco to match the towering 1930s apartment building in which it has built its reputation of equal stature. If it weren't for the melange of monochrome, the black-and-white photographs of past customers might look like an Italian restaurant in Soho - but somehow here it works.

The restaurant is busy, and our table won't be ready for a few minutes, so our coats are taken, and we're promptly asked if we'd like a drink while we wait. Yes, we do. Not that I need any excuse, day or night, to order a Bloody Mary, but as it's Sunday it feels appropriate. The wait gives us a chance to take in the atmosphere. The crush by the bar adds to the impression that this is 'somewhere'. All the good design and décor in the world can't replace that feeling. Drinks arrive, and we're shown to a round table, seats facing outward for a front-row experience of *Arlington* on a busy December service.

---

*At the bar*  
Bloody Mary

*To begin*  
Wimbledon Smokehouse Smoked Salmon

*The main event*  
Grilled Cumberland Sausage

*Pudding*  
Clementine Tart

*From the wine list*  
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve

*Food: £49.50\** 
*Drinks: £109* 
*Service:£23.77* 
*Total for two: £182.27*

\*Our reviewer chose the Weekend Set Menu offering three courses for £24.75 per person.

---

The main menu has something for everyone. It's relatively simple fare made special. The *Bang Bang Chicken*, which is both inexplicably and inextricably linked to *Le Caprice,* remains modestly priced. But we're here for the set menu, which offers a choice of two dishes for each course. I choose the smoked salmon to start. My fellow diner can't be persuaded to opt for the soup, but we both agree it's remarkably delicious for such a simple dish, especially at this price point. It tastes how smoked salmon should, but often doesn't. In the pursuit of transparency, I can't avoid telling you that any prospect of this being a cheap lunch has been ruined by the temptation afforded by a reasonably-priced bottle of *Billecart Salmon* champagne. But, if this was Dry January, we wouldn't have breached our £30pp limit. And the extensive wine list has something for all budgets.

The cumberland sausage is similarly exactly how you'd want it; generous in number, matched with a delicately presented, yet somehow hearty, piping of mash. It needs to be said that the service has, from the moment we arrived, been flawless, warm, and without any hint of hurrying you out the door for the next guests. Although most new London restaurants have finally ditched the loathsome 'no reservations' policies, they've often been replaced with a booking process that keeps reminding you how keen they are to take money from punters who will be sitting in your place in an hour and a half. Not so at *Arlington*.

Clementine Tart rounds off a fully-formed set of dishes. My dining partner reveals that he wasn't looking forward to a tart, but was wholly won round. I was, and it exceeded my expectations. But the food isn't really the point here. Yes, it's delicious, but it's designed not to get in the way of the real reason you're here: to enjoy the atmosphere with people you really want to spend all afternoon with.

It might sound like I'm repeating myself by saying that everything about the experience is 'exactly as it should be'. In the middle of turbulent geopolitics, living in a City that is too often portrayed as 'not how it once was', it's a great comfort to know that *Le Caprice*'s successor, run by the original team, is fully booked, serving excellent food, precisely how you would hope or expect it to be. If you yearn for the London that pundits tell you is lost, just book in to *Arlington* for the weekend lunch.

*We chose the Weekend Set Menu offering three courses for £24.75 per person.*

★★★★★ 5/5

**Arlington Restaurant**  
20 Arlington St, London SW1A 1RJ [arlington.london](https://www.arlington.london/?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
*Follow* [*@arlingtonrestaurant*](https://www.instagram.com/arlingtonrestaurant/?ref=paperweightmag.com) *on Instagram.*
### Review: The Arzner Bar & Cinema
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-the-arzner-bar-cinema/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T14:49:16.000Z
Let me begin by asking you a question. Who do you think invented the boom microphone? That's right, the fluffy mics that are held above news correspondents, actors, and Louis Theroux. You probably don't think about who invented the boom microphone very often. Or ever. It's quite a boring thought. But perhaps you should. 

In 1929, in order to allow Clara Bow to move freely around the set of *The Wild Party*, a standard microphone was affixed to a fishing rod giving birth to one of the most unassuming, yet transformative technologies in audio production for filmmaking. What if I told you it was all the invention of the only woman film director in Hollywood in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, a that she was a lesbian who dressed in men's clothing? More than all that she made some of the biggest films of the century and worked with Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford, and Katharine Hepburn. Less boring than you anticipated, I hope. Her name? Dorothy Arzner. So when Simon Burke and Piers Greenlees set about opening the UK's first LGBTQ+ cinema, it's hard to imagine a more fitting name.

*The Arzner* opened in February 2025 to much fanfare. With that fanfare came a predictable level of commentary on Facebook (other hellholes are available) about the need for an LGBTQ+ cinema, and what the point of it all was. Coupled with the declining ticket sales in the mainstream filmhouses, one could be forgiven for worrying how it might go. Burke and Greenlees have proved the naysayers wrong, and created something special. The afternoon crowd tend to be those working-from-bar, and why wouldn't you? The furniture alone is enough to make you want to stay. In the evenings you might struggle to find a table, and in sunny weather it's standing room only on the terrace. Most years go by without an LGBTQ+ blockbuster, but Harry Lighton's *Pillion* \- starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling - looks set to take the crown for most-talked-about of the 2020s. It was released in November 2025, but it's still selling out at *The Arzner* four months later. Almost unheard of in the average local cinema.

But it's not just new releases that *The Arzner* is showing - although their commitment to showing the best of what's out now should be commended. New life is being breathed into films that were simply ahead of their time. *The Arzner* is giving films, that despite being worthy of a cinema screening, never got one. For some, it's their first projection onto the silver screen. Although it did receive a limited screening on its release in 2001, I got the chance to watch *Hedwig and the Angry Inch* on a screen significantly larger than the television in the flat I rented in Clerkenwell in the late noughties. Seeing it X times larger for the first time, and in cinema surround sound, made me realise just how important this LGBTQ+ picturehouse is going to be. No matter how much TVs at home have improved, they will never replace the atmosphere of watching something at the size it was intended to be shown, alongside a room of other people laughing or crying along. LGBTQ+ filmmakers who could never have dreamt of their work being shown properly will have that wrong righted.

Even if you're not in search of screening, the bar is a triumph in its own right. Burke and Greenlees have built a bar team that can do cocktails properly (and if you ask them about any of the films that are showing, they'll talk knowledgeably about them). The menu changes seasonally, and all cocktails are named after Hollywood greats. *The Garbo* is my personal favourite - made with gin, lemon, basil, and olive oil. But I've also had a classic dirty vodka martini that rivals the rest of Bermondsey Street.

Not that the venue could be any more popular, this is an institution worthy of your support and the name Arzner. In return for your patronage, you're given a comfortable seat, excellently-made drinks, and a warm atmosphere. An evening drink with friends here is one that is well spent. And even better, you'll watch something you've probably never seen before. Go before too many find out about it.

---

*To begin*  
Dirty Vodka Martini

*The main event*  
The Garbo

*On the side*  
Jude's Salted Caramel plant-based ice cream

*On the screen*  
Hedwig and the Angry Inch

*Food: £7* 
*Drinks: £28\** 
*Service: £3.13* 
*Cinema tickets: £20†* 
*Total for two: £58.13*

\*We made use of 2-4-1 cocktails between 4pm and 6pm on weekdays.

†Tickets are just £10 each with a membership

---

★★★★★ 5/5

**The Arzner Bar & Cinema**  
10 Bermondsey Sq, London SE1 3UN [thearzner.com](https://thearzner.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com)  
*Follow* [*@arznerbar*](https://www.instagram.com/arznerbar/?ref=paperweightmag.com) *and* [*@arnznercinema*](https://www.instagram.com/arznercinema/?ref=paperweightmag.com) *on Instagram.*
### Let us not remember them: the curious cachet of foregoing a funeral
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/let-us-not-remember-them-the-curious-cachet-of-foregoing-a-funeral/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T14:49:39.000Z
Recently I discovered that none of my colleagues are that worried about dying. Yes, some are a bit concerned, but reassure themselves that there's no point thinking too hard about it, after all there's nothing one can do to stop it. Others aren't bothered at all. I was quite shocked. I think about it quite a lot, which seemingly puts me in quite a shallow pool of people wasting what little time they have before the dreaded event worrying about it. Not that I've been organised to write any of this down, but I have thought about the type of funeral I'd like. I want to be buried, not cremated. Despite oscillating between agnostic and atheist, I think I'd rather it took place in a church, or at least somewhere that looked like one. And I don't want one of those occasions where people can wear bright colours or whatever they want. I want everyone well turned out, dressed in black, preferably looking a sad. These might be quite tall demands, and perhaps I should spend more of my existence on earth ensuring that people will sufficiently miss me, before thinking about any of this. But I do know that I want a funeral.

This differs considerably from my own father, who wants absolutely no fuss and requests that he is simply 'chucked in a box' and be done with it. I do understand that. Funerals are expensive, and after all, who wants to plan a party that they won't even be conscious at? But when the moment eventually comes, I can't see any of us wanting anything less than the full chance to remember him properly at a funeral.

But if you've found yourself exposed to daytime television, you would conclude that I'm extremely out of touch. Switch on the TV and every fifteen minutes you're presented with at least one advert offering the chance to dispense with funerals altogether with a 'direct cremation'. I have no hard numerical evidence to hand, but it seems that this genre of advertising is particularly prolific on *GB News*.

_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### What's the answer to Britain's soft power crisis?
URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/whats-the-answer-to-britains-soft-power-crisis/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T14:49:55.000Z
There is a reason the world looked to Britain when Russia invaded Ukraine. Not because we had the largest army or the deepest pockets, but because we were expected to know right from wrong – and we did. 

When Europe paused, and Washington dithered – before repeatedly enabling Putin – Britain made the call, and we have not wavered.

That instinct, the willingness to lead on principle when others are still checking the temperature, is not a happy accident. It is the product of centuries of investing in the idea that Britain stands for something beyond its own interests. It is at the very centre of our country's soul.

_This post is for paying subscribers only._