Otford Palace near Sevenoaks in Kent, once owned by Henry VIII, is being transformed into a hub for historic study and the arts. Its ongoing restoration has drawn visitors back, partly through open air theatre shows in the nearby heritage orchard.
Glasgow-based designers Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, of the Timorous Beasties studio, have spent decades creating bold wallpaper and textile designs that find beauty in darker themes. Their work has reached places such as the UK Supreme Court, Johnnie Walker labels and album covers for Kate Bush. A new book, Toile Tales, pairs their drawings with fables written by Steven Richardson.
A retired carpenter from east Leeds has built a full-sized Dalek from reclaimed pine to be sold at auction. The proceeds will support Yorkshire Cancer Research, and the auction is due to take place next February.
Dik Barton, the first British diver to visit the Titanic wreck, is featuring in a new Liverpool exhibition with stories from his dives and items from the ship. The display at the former White Star Line headquarters runs until 22 December ahead of a permanent exhibition opening in January.
