The Standard

If you’re still nursing the post-New Year blues or hope to cut down your drinking a bit for ‘22, London’s first alcohol-free off-licence has opened as a pop-up in the West End.The shop is run by former Islington Liberal Democrat councillor Laura Willoughby, who founded her Club Soda startup to help people with “mindful drinking”, spurred by an energy boost after giving up alcohol herself a decade ago.Now, the month-long pop-up on Great Portland Street is stacked with low and no-alcohol drinks, from beer to vodka and even pre-mixed negronis.It comes as the British Beer & Pub Association said Britons were set to drink nearly 8 million pints of low-and no-alcohol beer this month amid Dry January resolutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Bowie has posthumously earned his estate what’s reported to be about £185 million ($250 million), and the Starman joins the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tina Turner among artists selling the rights to their back catalogues for hundreds of millions.But why, how does it work, and is there anything in all this for younger artists? The Evening Standard’s City Editor, Oscar Williams-Grut, dissects Bowie’s mega-deal and discusses how in the 90s, the singer sold his own royalty-backed ‘Bowie Bonds’.Fans of Brixton’s famous son can also enjoy a month-long celebration of his legacy at the BFI Southbank, with a new show called The Starman and the Silver Screen, showcasing his roles in film and television. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Commuter rail routes groaned back into the service today, but suffered cancellations and Covid-linked train staff shortages. Prepare yourself for hefty fare increases in 2022...but could Crossrail, AKA the Elizabeth Line, finally open?The Standard’s City Hall Editor Ross Lydall examines the year’s public transport issues ahead. Mainline fare increases of 3.8 per cent are incoming, while Tube passengers can expect a 4.8% hike. Commuters are also set to face future travel chaos after the RMT union voted for a six-month strike from January 7. The RMT action will see members walk-out from the Victoria and Central lines at 8.30pm on Friday until 8am on Saturday, and from 8.30pm on Saturday until 8am on Sunday. Transport chiefs say they are “disappointed” at the planned strikes, warning it will “cause unnecessary disruption”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve covered the covid-19 pandemic in the UK a lot this year, but we’ve also looked at how the virus is affecting other countries. In this edition of the Leader, first published on July 30th, we met with a Malawi musician, Maggie Mkandawire, who became a hero in her home country for her efforts to tackle the bug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our look back at the year, this special episode of the Leader commemorating the death of Prince Philip was published on April 9th. It features the Evening Standard’s Royal Editor Robert Jobson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re looking back at some of our favourite interviews of 2021. Just over one year since lockdown began, the Leader sat down with o2 business boss Jo Bertram to hear how companies were coping. This interview is from March.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our series of looking back at some of our favourite episodes, here’s the Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa talking to Professor Green about mental health, food banks and ‘tone deaf’ influencers in Dubai. Stephen Manderson, aka Professor Green, is a big advocate for opening up the conversation around mental health, having presented documentaries on everything from suicide to child poverty. Speaking from his London home, the rapper spoke about working from home and juggling two new businesses Aguulp, a supplement company, and Giz n Greens, a pizza business that he set up with his close friend and chef Gizzi Erskine during the pandemic.It’s from February 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the Christmas break, we’re looking back at some of the big events of 2021. The year started with the inauguration of President Joe Biden - an event that arguably became better known more for the break-out performance of poet Amanda Gorman. On the 21st of January we spoke to Barack Obama’s former speechwriter Cody Keenan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As another year largely dominated by the pandemic draws to a close, we take a look back at some of the highlights of the year from the world of art and culture.The Evening Standard’s Arts Editor Nancy Durrant takes us back through some of the things that have helped us through the past twelve months, and proved to us that not even a pandemic can stop our arts and culture flourishing.Nancy reviews some of the best films, TV shows and theatre performances, while previewing some of the things we can look forward to in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some positive signs that the rise in cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant is slowing in London.For the sixth day in a row, cases have been between 20,491, and 26,608, with the lowest of those numbers recorded on Tuesday.But the number of coronavirus patients in the city’s hospitals has jumped by 830, or 77 per cent, since the start of the month to over 1,900.The Evening Standard’s Political Editor Nicholas Cecil discusses what a potential slowing of cases could mean for London, and how current measures are stacking up against the virus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.