[ Six miles south of Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay – known affectionately as “Baytown” – is an appealing fishing village in North Yorkshire. It has centuries-old pubs, a colourful smuggling history, and opportunities to explore the treasures of the fossil-rich Dinosaur Coast. The village is divided into Upper Bay and the car-free Lower Bay. It … Read more
[ Picture a four-hour train ride in spacious first-class seats, with hot drinks and a brownie brought to your seat as the countryside whizzes by. Coming in at just €34 (£29), you’re not paying UK rail prices – this is a new, four-and-a-quarter-hour-long service linking the Baltic capitals of Vilnius and Riga. The LTG Link … Read more
[ January is the time to look forward and think big. And there is inspiration, and enjoyment, to be found in these transformed towns and cities. Each has been thoroughly spruced up following an era of decline, while every place we suggest offers dazzling reasons to visit for an off-beat weekend break. Riverside regeneration Glasgow … Read more
[ “If you haven’t been to the Old Bazaar, you haven’t been to Skopje at all,” says my guide, Zoran Stavrevski, as he leads me towards a jumble of low-rise buildings. I shield my eyes against the sun and notice faint whisps of smoke rising from the chimneys scattered across the terracotta rooftops. Behind me … Read more
[ Half of the major banks and building societies in the country have dropped their rates by as much as 1 percentage point this week, with more expected soon. HSBC, Lloyds, TSB, Halifax and Natwest have all reduced their costs in recent days in a “frenzied” series of rate cuts. All members of the “Big … Read more
[ HSBC has become the second major mortgage lender to slash rates this year in a further boost for households. The bank has announced a slew of cuts to its products that will come into effect from tomorrow (Thursday 4 January). It is launching a five-year fixed mortgage at 3.94 per cent, for those with … Read more
[ Labour’s bold plans to create a new generation of new towns will focus heavily on expanding existing ones and settlements, i understands. Sir Keir Starmer has placed housing at the heart of his party’s policy agenda, declaring himself to be a “Yimby” (yes, in my backyard) as he vowed to “bulldoze” through local planning … Read more
[ Rail launches, air traffic control issues and the start of new border rules are among the things to consider when booking a holiday in Europe in 2024 (Photo: Westend61/Gemma Ferrando/Getty) It was a brilliant year for holidays. Whether you joined the thousands reunited with family in Australia, India and Ireland or just lazily read … Read more
[ Homeowners with large amounts of equity in their houses are seeing the biggest benefit from falling mortgage rates – with the deals available to them being slashed more quickly than those available to cash-strapped first-time buyers with small deposits, data shared with i show. Average mortgage rates have tumbled over the past four months, … Read more
