You will be able to spot beautiful snowdrops growing in the garden
Sometimes living in a city can be quite stressful and it is nice to escape to the countryside to get some fresh air when you can. If you are a fan of flowers and want to catch a glimpse of the popular snowdrop plant before they disappear in the spring, you might want to visit a private garden open day.
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The National Garden Scheme allows visitors into the private gardens of homes across the UK. Many of these gardens have long history and beautiful displays of flowers.
For just two days in February, Clover Cottage will be open to the public to see the snowdrops growing there. Found in the tiny village of West Wickham, Clover Cottage could be a good place to escape to for a day.
The adorable thatched cottage has a garden that is packed with flower cherry trees and borders of snowdrops, aconites, Iris reticulata, hellebores, and miniature narcissus. The garden might be small but will offer visitors new ideas on how to use the space in their own gardens.
You can also see the sunken garden, “charming” patio area, and raised beds of fruit and vegetables. The summerhouse offers views of the surrounding Cambridgeshire countryside to take in.
On your way back from visiting the garden, you might want to stop off in the nearby village of Balsham for something to eat. If you fancy stopping off in a pub, you might want to try the Balsham Inn, which has an extensive food menu including roasts on Sundays, a big pub garden, and cosy sheds to sit in.
If you would rather enjoy a hot coffee, you could pop into the Old Butchers Coffee Shop. The quaint café could be a good spot to stop for a light bite to eat and a homemade cake.
Clover Cottage will be open on Sunday, February 15, and Sunday, February 22. The garden will open from 2pm until 4pm on both days.
You can order a ticket, which costs £4 for adults, to visit the garden on the National Garden Scheme’s website. The garden is a 29 minute drive away from Cambridge via the A1307.
Melania, the documentary about the US first lady, might have generated a media firestorm, but it has failed to dent the UK box office in its first weekend of release, opening at just No 29.
Brett Ratner’s film amassed £32,974 from 155 cinemas in total, a screen average of £212.80. While the takings are a far cry from the reported $75m (£54.6m) paid by Amazon to distribute and promote the film, it’s not the disaster that was projected.
Ahead of its premiere, UK ticket sales were described as “soft”, according to Tim Richards, the chief executive of Vue, and on the day of release, many screenings across the UK were sparsely attended, with the film even playing to empty rooms in several locations over the weekend. However, some screening rooms, namely in Vue Islington, were booked up and filled with journalists.
Reporters rushed to see the film on Friday (30 January) after Amazon decided not to preview it ahead of time. The Independent attended a near-empty screening at Vue Westfield in Stratford where four other audience members were present, two of whom were reporters.
Inspired by the 2022 horror game created by David Szymanski, Iron Lung was made for $3m (£2.1m) and has made $21m (£15.3m) to date – seven times its budget. In the UK, the film reached No 4 at the box office, with takings of £948,731, beating the week’s big release, Jason Statham action film Shelter (£946,903).
Melania Trump attending premiere of her documentary (Getty Images)
Since its release, reviews have been largely negative, with the film sitting at a measly 10 per cent on the platform. However, viewers on the site have given the documentary a 99 percent score, in an apparent demonstration of support for Trump.
In a one-star review for The Independent, Nick Hilton wrote: “Perhaps Melania is merely a piece of post-modern post-entertainment. After all, it is transparently not a documentary.”
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Hilton continues: “Melania spends most scenes playing a staged version of herself, and shots of the first lady are composed with all the deliberateness Ratner brought to his work on X-Men: The Last Stand. This is somewhere between reality TV and pure fiction.”
Councillors in Stokesley have this week renewed their call for a banking hub in the town, warning that residents and businesses are being left behind as bank branch closures continue across the region.
Liberal Democrat councillors Bryn Griffiths and Chris Johnson spoke out after Santander announced its Northallerton branch would close on May 6.
The Santander branch in Northallerton will close on May 6. Photo: LDRS.
The closure is one of 44 announced by the company.
With Santander’s branch in Stokesley closing last year, its customers will be directed to Darlington or Stockton in future.
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The councillors say the situation regarding bank closures has worsened sharply since a banking hub proposal for Stokesley was previously explored and rejected in March 2025.
At this point, the town still had an operating Santander branch and a 24-hour cash machine on the High Street.
Both have since gone.
Cllr Griffiths said: “The closure in Northallerton is shocking news — yet another nail in the coffin for high streets in market towns.
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“Yet again, both the public and businesses are being let down by the banks. Banks should not be allowed to close without having a banking hub already in place, to deal with non-cash and face-to-face transactions.”
Banking Hubs are shared facilities funded by major high street banks and delivered through Cash Access UK.
They allow customers of multiple banks to access essential services, including cash withdrawals and deposits and in-person support.
Cllr Johnson raised the need for a banking hub at North Yorkshire Council in December, securing the support of councillors at the Richmond area committee.
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He has also visited the Richmond Banking Hub, speaking directly to staff and customers to see how the model works in practice.
He said: “My visit to the Richmond Banking Hub confirmed exactly what we already know — this is the solution Stokesley needs.
Market towns must retain essential services like banking if they are to remain viable.
“We need this Banking Hub and we need it fast. We are working with Stokesley Town Council to drive this forward.”
Picture quality is what Philips is aiming for, and this is one of the best-looking OLED TVs that you can buy. It has an advantage over Samsung, Sony and LG in that it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats for great HDR results, regardless of the source. Philips has put extra effort into making scenes come to life with bright highlights and vibrant colours.
There’s support for Filmmaker Mode, which is comfortably watchable on this TV. This can be too dark on some models and I’ve needed the “Movie” Motion Style to remove judder, but the Philips OLED+950 presents this content as the director intended.
The picture processing can push things to be brighter, sharper and, in some cases, ultra-real, through the HDR Crystal Clear mode, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. Crystal Clear offers a cooler picture with brighter highlights and more contrast. I watched Guardians of the Galaxy in this mode and the action jumped off the screen.
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Watching sci-fi series The Expanse, highlights were distractingly bright, with details like a white shirt losing all texture. In short, choose the picture mode with care and be prepared to switch, and take advantage of the settings to control how you want the picture to look.
There’s loads of contrast with great handling of dark scenes. It’s great for daytime viewing, with an effective anti-reflective finish to the screen, just not quite as good as Samsung’s glare-killing matte finish on its top TVs.
Both HDR and SDR (like broadcast TV) look excellent, with skilled upscaling of lower quality content.
Standard tickets closer to the stage have appeared on resale sites like StubHub and Viagogo for up to £850 each for the SSE Arena event at the end of February
Tickets for the sellout BetMGM Premier League Darts event at the SSE Arena in Belfast later this month are being sold for up to £850 each on resale platforms online.
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World champion Luke Littler will aim to take the Premier League title from Luke Humphries this year, with the Belfast leg of the tournament to be held on February 26th.
Tickets for the event sold out during the pre-sale period three months ago, and fans wishing to either purchase or re-sell tickets can do so via official Ticketmaster resale.
Standard tickets were originally sold for between £50-£83 for the event but were snapped up fast. At the time of publication, no tickets for the Belfast event are available on the official Ticketmaster resale platform. The only tickets left officially are hospitality tickets which start at £299. That includes pre-show hospitality, dining, and meet and greet with players at Titanic Belfast.
However, regular tickets are now available on resale platforms like StubHub and Viagogo for eye-watering prices.
Stageside tickets can be bought on StubHub for £847, that is at a table in row four. There are also tickets available in the same site elsewhere in the arena for £489 each.
The prices on Viagogo are slightly cheaper but still up to 10 times over their face value. Viagogo have ‘front row’ tickets priced at £647, with only a handful remaining. Tickets dotted all around the arena on their site are priced anywhere from £174 to £313 each.
Late last year, the UK government began implementing legislation to make it illegal to resell tickets for live events for more than their original face value, including capping service fees on resale platforms. According to GOV.UK, tickets can only be sold for their original cost plus unavoidable fees.
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The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) don’t make any comment around specific tickets but they do have a policy of cancelling tickets that can be identified if they are being resold above face value. Those are then placed back on general sale.
That happened extensively around the World Championship and recent World Masters. However, the process of identifying tickets is difficult and not helped by the resale platforms.
“The PDC only sells tickets directly through its official outlets and warns against purchasing from other sources, however official they claim to be,” say the PDC. “Tickets are sold subject to terms and conditions, which include agreement by buyers that tickets will not be re-sold whether at face value or otherwise.
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“The PDC shall be entitled to cancel any tickets that have been re-sold or offered for re-sale. The PDC therefore cautions purchasers of re-sold tickets that they may be denied entry into events.
“The PDC shall be entitled to blacklist any ticket holders found to have re-sold tickets or to have offered tickets for re-sale. The relevant individual’s details may be circulated to all PDC official ticket offices. In appropriate circumstances, details may be passed to the Police.
“We welcome reports of tickets that are being offered for sale through third-parties so that we can ensure that tickets are sold through the correct channels and that tickets on re-sale are removed from sale immediately.”
The PDC added: “Receipts from tickets which are re-sold by the PDC through official channels will be donated to charities and good causes through the Matchroom Sport Foundation.”
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As well as the official Ticketmaster resale platform, PDC ticketing partner SeeTickets also has a genuine fan-to-fan resale option where tickets can only be sold within face value and are linked to an original booking.
Lloyds Bank has shared money saving tips and finance tools that could help people build their savings faster
Lloyds Bank provides straightforward financial tools and a range of tips that could transform people’s approach to cutting bills and to saving. The banking giant even suggests that one particular strategy is the ‘fastest way’ to accumulate savings, potentially delivering greater peace of mind through a more substantial nest egg.
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In a blog, Lloyds Bank explains: “There might be many reasons why you may want to save money quickly. You might want the security of a larger savings pot or have a significant purchase on the horizon.
“The fastest way to save money is to resist those purchases of non-essential items. There are some things that simply can’t be avoided, meaning it can be harder than ever to put money into savings. That said, there’s still a few things you can do to cut down on your monthly outgoings.”
Within its advice on ‘helpful money savings tips and tools’, the bank emphasises that establishing a savings strategy is an essential initial step towards understanding your spending habits. Reviewing bank statements and identifying common patterns is a helpful approach, covering everything from large expenses like mortgages to smaller costs like morning coffee.
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Using one of Lloyds Bank’s Savings Calculators may then help you identify where you could save and how much you will need to reach your financial goals. For instance, one of its tools lets users calculate a realistic savings timeline, while another helps you determine what may work for an emergency fund, according to the Mirror.
The bank goes on to explain that implementing minor yet significant lifestyle adjustments could further boost these savings. Importantly, this might involve planning meals ahead, verifying your benefit entitlements, or ditching subscriptions you no longer need.
It highlights two things in particular you may be able to cut back on. “Cancelling subscriptions you no longer use or could do without can be a quick way to save money,” the bank’s advice continues. “Maybe you haven’t logged into a streaming service in months? Or still receive a monthly delivery of lunchtime snacks you no longer want?
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“The subscription management tool in our mobile banking app gives you more control over these types of payment.” To learn more about Lloyds Bank’s saving tips, visit its website by clicking here.
Could I be eligible for benefits?
The UK Government’s website explains that several free, anonymous benefits calculators are available, enabling people to check what they may be entitled to. This could give you an estimate of:
The benefits you could get
How much your benefit payments could be
How your benefits will be affected if you start work or increase your hours
How your benefits will be affected if your circumstances change – for example, if you have a child or move in with your partner
The Government recommends that people make use of the following calculators:
The Scottish Labour leader accused Flynn of a “disgusting attack” and said his actions stood in contrast with the Nationalists when it came to dealing with former MP Patrick Grady.
Anas Sarwar has launched a blistering attack on Stephen Flynn after the SNP leader at Westminster questioned why a Labour MSP has not lost the party whip over her friendship with a serial paedophile.
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Pam Duncan-Glancy lost her shadow cabinet role in December and will stand down from Holyrood next month after the Record revealed she had continued her friendship with ex-councillor Sean Morton after his conviction for possessing indecent images of children.
Flynn today demanded action from Sarwar after criticism of the Prime Minister for not acting sooner on the scandal of Lord Mandelson’s ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The SNP MP said: “Pam Duncan-Glancy should not be a member of the Labour Party, nor a member of the Scottish Parliament. Just like Keir Starmer, Anas Sarwar has shown a chronic lack of judgement, and leadership.”
Sarwar accused Flynn of a “disgusting attack” and said his actions stood in contrast with the Nationalists over the behaviour of former SNP MP Patrick Grady.
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The Scottish Labour leader was pressed on the issue during a press conference in Pollok today where he repeated his calls for a social media ban for kids under the age of 16.
Asked by the Record if his message on kids’ safety was credible, given Duncan-Glancy remained a Labour MSP, Sarwar said: “Let’s take the actions I’ve taken, with the actions of other parties who try and throw mud.
“The bottom line here is – Pam Duncan-Glancy should not have maintained that relationship. She did not give me answers I felt were good enough, that’s why she’s no longer a member of the shadow cabinet, and why she’s no longer a candidate. She will remain an MSP for a matter of weeks.”
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Asked if the only reason he was not removing Duncan-Glancy from the party was because Parliament will rise next month, Sarwar continued: “I think the robust approach is very clear. It’s very clear to Pam Duncan-Glancy. I think it’s very clear to our existing MSPs. I think it’s very to our candidates.
“I will not tolerate friendships with paedophiles. I do not want anyone to be associated with anyone like that. The contrast I am making is the approach I take, with the approach the SNP takes. They have one rule, and one standard for everybody else, but try and throw muck at other political parties.
“Pam Duncan-Glancy did not give me answers I was satisfied with. She did not break any laws, I think it is important to stress that. But she did not give me the answers I was satisfied with, and she clearly had made a huge error of judgement.
“That’s why she’s no longer a member of the shadow cabinet, that is why she is not candidate, and she will be an MSP for a matter of six or seven weeks.
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“Contrast that with the actions – and I will direct this at Stephen Flynn, but also other members of the SNP. He wants to shamefully use the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, who abused women and clearly abused positions of power, to try and make comparisons with the situation with Pam Duncan-Glancy. It’s frankly disgusting and beneath him.
“Let’s contrast my actions with Stephen Flynn’s actions. Pam Duncan-Glancy is no longer a member of the shadow cabinet. They stood by and defended someone who was found guilty by (House of Commons) Standards for sexual offences – Patrick Grady.
“If he wants to question my actions and my judgement, I think he needs to seriously question his own actions and judgement.”
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The SNP restored the whip to Glasgow MP Grady in 2022 following his suspension for making a sexual advance to a teenage member of staff.
Grady was given a two-day ban from the Commons in June after a panel ruled he had engaged in “unwanted physical touching”.
At the time, he told MPs he was “profoundly sorry” for his behaviour at a social event in 2016.
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Man Utd have trained at Carrington ahead of the Premier League clash with Tottenham at Old Trafford this weekend.
JJ Gabriel was involved in first-team training at Manchester United for the second successive day with Michael Carrick including five academy graduates in his session. The 15-year-old was included in Tuesday’s session with some senior players having a recovery day after the win against Fulham, but he kept his spot on Wednesday when Carrick stepped up preparations for the Premier League fixture against Tottenham on Saturday.
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Gabriel is ineligible to play in Premier League games, but he is highly rated at United and has scored 11 goals in 16 games for the academy this season. His inclusion in first-team training on a more regular basis is evidence of the talent that United believe he possesses.
The forward was one of five youngsters to be included in the training session, along with midfield trio Jack Moorhouse and Jack and Tyler Fletcher. Moorhouse, 20, was recalled to the club from a loan spell at Leyton Orient late on deadline day.
There was also a place in training for 17-year-old full-back Yuel Helafu. The right-back has made 11 appearances for the Under-18s this season and also featured on four occasions for the Under-21s in Premier League 2, as well as starting two of the EFL Trophy games.
There was no sign of Matthijs de Ligt or Mason Mount at training, with both missing the weekend win against Fulham. De Ligt has now been absent for more than two months with a back injury, while Mount sustained a minor injury in training last week.
There were no other noticeable first-team absentees aside from Patrick Dorgu, who is set to miss a couple of months with a hamstring injury.
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The UK is set for more wet weather later in the week as fresh weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office.
On Thursday, a yellow weather warning will come in to force for London & South East England, South West England, Wales, and West Midlands from 5am, and will remain in place until midnight.
Heavy rain arriving overnight on Wednesday is expected to cause surface water flooding in some areas and disrupt travel. The weather agency forecasts 10 to 20mm of rain is likely to fall widely by the end of Thursday, with a few spots seeing more than 30mm.
In Central, Tayside & Fife and Grampian, a warning is in place until midday on Thursday, with spells of heavy rain and melting snow due to bring disruption.
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Several weather warnings are in force on Wednesday (The Met Office)
A warning for northern and eastern Scotland is in force until 3pm on Wednesday, as periods of sleet and snow and strong winds could lead to blizzard conditions.
The Met Office has warned of dangerous driving conditions, and said some roads and railways likely to be affected.
Accumulations of 1 to 3cm of snow are expected on ground above 100 metres, with up to 5cm in some areas. At low levels, precipitation will be a mix of snow, sleet, and rain, which could lead to small snow accumulations in some areas.
It comes in the aftermath of Storm Chandra, which saw record-breaking rainfall in several areas across the UK.
Met Office science manager Dr Amy Doherty said: “January has been exceptionally wet because we’ve seen a very persistent Atlantic weather pattern. A strong jet stream has repeatedly steered low-pressure systems towards the UK, bringing frequent spells of rain and wind.
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“With little opportunity for drier conditions in between, the ground has become saturated, so even moderate rainfall has had a greater impact. This succession of Atlantic systems is the main reason rainfall totals this month are well above average for many areas.”
As On shoes so often do, the Cloudsurfer Next catches the eye with a smart design. The feel, however, is less forgiving. The frame is notably rigid, so slipping them on does not have the comforting softness offered by some brands. They feel secure and well structured, but the ride is flatter and less responsive than I have come to expect from On. The promised “cloud-like” sensation isn’t there.
There were positives. The curved sole, known as a rocker, helps roll the foot forward and gives a strong push-off from the toes. On winter mornings, I also appreciated the rubber grip pads on the outsole, which provided reliable traction on wet pavements and even on frosted patches. For steady, cold-weather training, they make a safe option.
But there may be a case for sticking with On’s Cloudeclipse shoes from last year. The Cloudeclipse featured a “Speedboard”, a stiff plate inside the shoe that improved acceleration and made transitions between walking, jogging and sprinting seamless.
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In testing, that model excelled on hills, driving the runner upwards and cushioning well on the descent. The Cloudsurfer Next, by contrast, laboured on climbs, so much so that those sections felt exhausting, only to send me flying downhill at a pace that verged on uncontrollable.
One strength in the Cloudsurfer’s favour is sizing accuracy. Unlike the Cloudeclipse, which ran small, the Cloudsurfer Next fits true to size.
Currently hitting headlines for being the sovereign state to which Greenland belongs, it’s also the birthplace of Lego and Hans Christian Andersen. Play is in this country’s DNA, making it ideal for a family getaway
Children here don’t reach for devices – they reach for bricks. At Lego House in Billund, Denmark, my three-year-old kneels in front of a tumbling rainbow waterfall of blocks, fully absorbed in the creation of a Duplo mansion. Nearby, my six-year-old works on a Lego electric vehicle charging station, calm and content, focusing intently.
Lego House – a stone’s throw from the bustling Legoland theme park resort – is a sprawling temple to play. Part museum, part playground, it’s filled with 25m bricks and hands-on building zones that are designed for kids and adults alike. You can create and test Lego vehicles on ramps and tracks, make Lego flowers and ‘plant’ them into a shared creation garden. You can even order your lunch via mini Lego models that get scanned at your table; the meals arrive down a spiralling turquoise conveyor belt, presented by Robert and Roberta the robots. The building’s striking stacked-block structure and crisp white walls are designed to make the world-famous bricks stand out to maximum eye-popping effect.
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In this room at least, there are no screens, no notifications, just the delicate rattle of pieces, and quiet concentration. In a world where our indoor environments are dominated by devices, it strikes me as unusual, even radical. And, as Denmark announces plans to restrict children’s access to social media, the country’s experiments with unplugged play – from Lego bricks to fairy tales – feel more urgent, and complex, than ever.
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Since the company was founded in 1932, just metres away from where Lego House sits today, Lego has rooted its ethos in the concept of det gode leg – ‘good play’ – the idea that children learn best when they’re free to follow their curiosity, test ideas and make mistakes. The name Lego is itself clipped from the Danish leg godt, ‘play well’.
As we drive through the Jutland peninsula and on to the island of Funen, I’m reminded that this is a country where play is considered a tool for resilience. Imagination is almost a national virtue. Forest kindergartens, where Danish children spend their days climbing trees and building shelters, sit alongside degree-trained pædagoger, who specialise in nurturing curiosity rather than drilling phonics.
There are play-focused after-school clubs, maker-space libraries that offer everything from prototyping labs to woodworking and welding workshops, and a workplace culture that appears, at least, to put hygge and imagination on a par with productivity.
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Lego House in Billund, Denmark, is part museum and part interactive playground. Image: Lego House
Even the national curriculum leans into this ethos, legally embedding play and experimentation as the foundation of early learning. It all adds up to a quiet assertion that imagination is something worth protecting.
Prof Helle Marie Skovbjerg, an expert on play and childhood at Design School Kolding, is among those exploring this national obsession. Genuine play, Skovbjerg says, must be allowed to unfold freely on its own terms, rather than as a tool for learning or even, shudder, preparing kids for a future jobs market. Play, she insists, is a “state of being” – a mood that opens us up to others and to new meaning.
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So what can we learn from the ‘homeland of play’? Is this just quaint nostalgia packaged up to the tune, in Lego’s case, of profits of £1.6bn in 2024? Or could it be a deliberate counter-model to screen-saturated childhoods elsewhere?
Lego has rooted its ethos in the concept of det gode leg – ‘good play’ – the idea that children learn best when they’re free to follow their curiosity, test ideas and make mistakes
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Someone who didn’t have to compete with the pull of screens in his time was Hans Christian Andersen, author of classic fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea and The Snow Queen. Andersen was born into poverty in the city of Odense, but while he lacked in material terms, his imagination ran in wild and inexhaustible supply. A poor boy overcoming trials and tribulations to become world-famous, his biography is like a fairy tale in itself.
As well as his experimental, boundary-pushing writing style – childlike wonder meets surreal dread, surface-sweet, often sharp underneath – Andersen also drew and made papercuts and picture books. His weird and wonderful world is conjured up beautifully at Hans Christian Andersen’s House, a museum designed by Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Associates, which opened in Odense in 2021. Here, you can summon the swans from The Ugly Duckling with a wave of your arms, use a special mirror to ‘try on’ ornate kimonos and enter the garden of giants, where even the tallest guest can feel as tiny as Thumbelina.
This is a country where play is considered a tool for resilience. Imagination is almost a national virtue
His life and work are woven together in a magically trippy way. As Henrik Lübker from the museum puts it: “H.C. Andersen’s House does not talk about H.C. Andersen – it speaks as H.C. Andersen.”
But for families, the standout feature of this most un-museum-like museum is Ville Vau in the basement. The name of this make-believe land, taken from one of Andersen’s children’s song books, has no literal meaning, but to borrow a famous Danish slogan, it’s probably the best make-believe centre in the world.
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There are multiple zones, including a little town with shop fronts, a palace and a horse-drawn carriage. Huge tactile fabric pebbles sit alongside brimming baskets of pretend food and racks and racks of gleaming dress-up outfits, headwear and jewellery. It’s less ‘Look but don’t touch’ and more ‘Look and touch everything and dive with total imaginative abandon into your own stories and games until your parents literally drag you out at closing time’.
The space is dimly lit, which makes it feel mysterious and a little bit thrilling, everything is unapologetically child-height and best of all, created to top-tier theatrical production-level quality. You won’t find any shoddy polyester Disney princess costumes here, more like embroidered linen polka dot tunics in multiple size options and painstakingly crocheted Danish pastries in the make-believe bakery. My children are in heaven.
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“It often feels to me as if every fence, every little flower says, ‘take a look at me, and my story will unfold within you,’” wrote Andersen. Aside from being amid mud, stones and sticks in nature, this is one of the spaces I’ve been in with my children where that sense of creative stimulation and flow has felt most alive. As if the stories themselves are pressing to be discovered.
We travel on to the city of Vejle, where the graceful curls of the Bølgen apartment complex rise like liquid waves against the fjord. The kids haven’t watched (or asked for) any TV all week and their dad and I have been reaching for our phones less too. I’m thinking about how hollow the ready-made narratives offered by screens can feel. On the opposite end of the scale, I’m reminded about how my partner manages to summon up some fantastical, obscure characters from the depths of his tired brain at bedtime, rewarded by the rich closeness of a shared story.
Waves etched in concrete – the Bølgen complex in Vejle rises over the fjord. Image: Morten Elsborg
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I’m grateful for Denmark’s reminders to take time to create alongside, or with, our children.
Neuroscientist Ruth Feldman published research in 2012 about how coordinated play between parent and a child releases oxytocin simultaneously in both. Her work showed that music, art and other tactile activities trigger this faster than verbal affirmation – helping to explain why creative sessions can shift a child’s mood quicker than lectures or advice. Their nervous system literally feels a sense of safety through creation. On the other hand, what does it say to their neural networks if we’re constantly clutching our phones? That danger could strike at any moment, we ‘might’ need to be ready.
You may well be sceptical about Denmark’s utopian promises. After all, the country has recently made headlines over immigration debates, housing shortages and tax controversies to mention a few, but some people here seem to understand the slow, quiet work that’s needed to create stories.
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It’s making me think that imagination isn’t a luxury but a skill nurtured slowly, in playful moments: tinkering with bricks, in a fleeting fairytale corner of a museum. Perhaps we don’t need a Danish blueprint to reclaim it – just permission to let curiosity lead, to follow ideas wherever they tumble, and to remember that the most magical inventions often start with nothing more than a child kneeling on the floor, lost in play.
Unplugged inspiration: three more Danish detours to fire up your imagination
1) Forest Tower (Skovtårnet), near Copenhagen
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A slow-rising spiral through the treetops of the Gisselfeld Castle’s forest, the Forest Tower turns a simple walk into a theatrical ascent. As visitors circle higher, the canopy thins and the structure’s form becomes more apparent, the architecture interacting with its surroundings. This is Danish creative problem-solving in practice: using design to frame nature in new ways and encourage visitors to notice familiar environments differently.
Image: Mads Tolstrup
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2) Restaurant Remouladen, Vejle
Restaurant Remouladen serves Danish open sandwiches (smørrebrød) and simple mains built around traditional local ingredients. Recent dishes include yuzu-marinated herring on malt rye with daikon and grilled spidskål (pointed cabbage) with poached egg, cashew hummus and mixed greens. The kitchen captures how Danish cooking can evolve without losing its roots.
Image: Remouladen
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3) Økolariet, Vejle
In Vejle, Økolariet is a hands-on sustainability centre where visitors can experiment and explore environmental issues in playful, unexpected ways. Generate energy with mini wind turbines, test water quality with simple kits, or watch food waste turn into compost. Økolariet makes climate action tangible and immediate, showing that learning can come from doing, not lecturing.
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Image: Økolariet
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Main image: Lego House
Travel to and from Denmark, accommodation, attraction entry fees and meals were partly covered by VisitDenmark
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