Jaffna in the North of Sri Lanka, El Nido Pangalusian Island in the Philippines and the ancient Mayan city of Yaxchilan in Mexico have been named among the 20 best-kept travel secrets in the world. From tiny towns to palm-flecked beaches, the top 20 list of the world’s best-kept hidden gems has revealed some lesser known beauty spots. But few people know of them. Just one per cent of the UK has heard of Indonesia’s Gili Meno Island, selected by Kuoni...

Before we all start scrambling to the supermarkets to panic buy ingredients for pancake day (28th February), it’s worth noting that with so much focus on healthy living at present, it’s now easy to make healthier pancakes without compromising on flavour. Arla B.O.B, for instance, is the only skimmed milk on the market which tastes just like semi-skimmed milk, enriched with naturally occurring milk protein. Using mashed banana, eggs, wholemeal flour and fat-free Arla B.O.B milk – this week’s recipe makes...

Hundreds of one-day-old chicks have been dumped in field in Cambridgeshire, according to the RSPCA. The animal welfare charity was called on Friday (17 February) by members of the public who spotted around 1,000 little chicks running around Crowland, near Peterborough. An investigation has been launched following the call-out. RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs said: “I have never seen anything like it, it was just a sea of yellow. And the noise was unbelievable. “The chicks are only about a day...

This is the moment a plane full of passengers cheered as two rowdy women were escorted off an easyJet flight by police – for shouting “Allahu Akbar”. Thomas Hayward, 25, captured the moment officers boarded the flight at London Stansted after it arrived from Prague. Essex Police confirmed they were called to reports of disruptive behaviour and escorted the pair off the plane at 9.15pm on Valentine’s Day. Thomas, a teacher from Twickenham, south west London, was returning from a...

State measures like banning and overpricing cigarettes has reduced the number of people smoking. But why are some people still picking up the old cancer sticks? Regulations such the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act are one of the many things a state does to protect its people – both the young and adults. However, amidst enforced federal laws and despite knowing the bad consequences of smoking on their health, there are still people who choose to smoke. Here’s why:...

With the first travel-industry tycoon now living in The White House, things are set to change with Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. While tourism has not been spoken about specifically, there is a lot of speculation regarding a number of different aspects. With the possibility of reversing recent peace with Cuba, Muslims being barred and the wall between America and Mexico, there is plenty of interesting things to consider. Trump is also looking to rebuild...

In 2015 it seemed shocking that over the past six years the number of households forced to install key meters owing to debt for their gas and electric supply had exceeded 500,000. The utility regulator OFGEM, under pressure from the public, launched an investigation into the reasons for this and, as such, dissenting voices went quiet.  However, the outrage of 2015 has been replaced with an acceptance that fuel poverty is part of the so called “Third Sector” and that...

Have I read A Clockwork Orange? Have I fuck. I haven’t even seen the film. Which naturally makes me a perfect fit to review Action To The Word’s all-male stage version, which opened at the Park Theatre on February 16th to many a gasp, giggle and gurn from the audience. I have tried to read Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange. I tried a bunch of times in the early noughties, fuelled predominantly by a desire to impress boys. Note: not...

A new addition to West Hampstead’s drinking scene, Bobby Fitzpatrick’s eponymous bar is a firm nod to the ‘70s – one of the most culturally vivacious decades of 20th Century history. With a strong focus on pizza and cocktails, the themed bar is unapologetically retro and has a strong focus on rum. Inspired by ‘Bobby’s Rum Diaries’ of his travels in the Caribbean, the cocktail menu draws from chapters of the owner’s personal history. The ‘Alison Mahoney’, for instance, is...