Visiting Bath should be a chance to fulfil fantasies of being Jane Austen or, perhaps, even a Roman Centurion. It isn’t. Coach-loads of tourists recall the nightmare of school trips. If you want to see the essence of the city and escape the souvenir shops and touts, run hard from the tourist hotspots...

A bored-looking man’s footsteps take him from the dryers to the washers and to the dryers again, pacing back and forth before me. I twiddle the toes at the end of my legs, which are stretched out before me as I sit on this bench in the back corner of a launderette in Brighton.

Beneath the washed-out...

If you are yearning for all things festive then take a look at our guide to some of the best European Christmas markets. Europe has a wide range of Christmas markets so whether you are hankering after the ultimate Christmas tree topper or have just developed a strong liking for mulled wine and Christmas...