UK city culture, events & lifestyle
George Thompson 
Anyone who has ever wandered through a well-kept garden knows the feeling of calm that comes with it. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has been making that feeling accessible for over two centuries, and today its network of five main gardens and 220 Partner Gardens offers something for every kind of plant lover. This guide … Read more
Few voices capture the ache of love and loss quite like Édith Piaf’s. The woman who sang “Non, je ne regrette rien” with such defiance carried a life packed with more tragedy than any song could hold — born into poverty on the streets of Paris in 1915, she climbed to international fame while battling … Read more
Anyone who’s ever tuned into a British food programme has likely encountered Rick Stein — the white-haired chef who opened The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow in 1975 and turned a tiny Cornish port into a culinary destination. But his rise to fame was shadowed by personal upheavals: a broken first marriage, a reported struggle with … Read more
There’s a peculiar mix of public affection and curiosity that follows Richard Ayoade — the deadpan comic genius behind Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd who also happens to be a Cambridge-educated director, writer, and occasional BAFTA host — and beyond the screen, people are equally fascinated by his personal life: his marriage to actress … Read more
Dom Joly’s life story contains a twist most comedians can’t claim: he spent a year at boarding school with Osama bin Laden. From that unlikely starting point, Joly built a career as the hidden-camera prankster behind Trigger Happy TV, then reinvented himself as a travel writer and radio host. Full Name: Dominic John Romulus Joly … Read more
Simon Amstell has spent two decades making people uncomfortable on purpose. Now he’s turning that tension into something else entirely — a confession that vulnerability sells better than cruelty. Born: 29 November 1979 · Occupation: Comedian, writer, director · Known for: Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Popworld, Skins, Benjamin · Current Tour: I Love It Here … Read more
Zoe Colletti has built a career spanning Broadway, film, and streaming, yet much of her personal life remains unconfirmed. Born November 27, 2001, according to IMDb (film database), she started acting as a child and has since built a career that spans Broadway, film, and streaming. Here’s a fact-checked look at what we know—and what … Read more
For five seasons, Ella Bruccoleri brought warmth and quiet determination to Sister Frances, the gentle novice on Call the Midwife, and when she left the show in 2022, fans wanted to know where she had gone — and what came next. Here’s a grounded look at the British actress behind the veil, from her Yorkshire … Read more
Most people recognize David Attenborough’s voice before his face. For seven decades, that calm, familiar tone has guided viewers through jungles, oceans, and ice caps. Full name: Sir David Frederick Attenborough · Born: 8 May 1926 · Age (2025): 99 years · Famous for: Natural history documentaries, Life series · Net worth (estimated): £35 million … Read more
Few actors have turned a supporting role into a cultural phenomenon quite like Chelsea Peretti. As Gina Linetti on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, she delivered deadpan one-liners that fans still quote years later, but behind the character lies a real-life comedian, writer, and mother whose career spans stand-up, screenwriting, and voice acting. Born: February 20, 1978 · … Read more