It’s been so long, many of us will have totally forgotten how to pack a bag, and dusting off the tattered old moth-eaten number won’t cut it for your first foray back into the land of the living. Remember, people are going to see you.
Whether you’re driving to see some old friends in the country, booked in for a highly sought-after hotel break or escaping to a rental house, the Long Weekend will be what we cling to over the next few months. Let’s do it properly, which might well mean a chic new luggage arrangement — and our list of the finest holdalls and best weekend bags is a fine place to start.
Now, where’s the butler?
Anderson holdall
£450, Aspinal of London — www.aspinaloflondon.com
The Weekender from Stubble & Co
These British-designed bags first came to the market thanks to a successful campaign on the entrepreneurial platform Kickstarter, and it's not hard to see how they earned the backing. This is a classic weekender bag with modern touches that really help elevate it: it's made from waterproof canvas and grained leather, includes a special padded section for your laptop, has a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap, plus a reinforced base with 6 studded ‘feet’ for protection.
Sten travel bag
£395, Chapman Bags — www.chapmanmade.uk
Monza leather weekender bag
£1,035.67, The Outlierman — www.theoutlierman.com
Chequered Flag GTO Motorsport holdall
£795, Jordan Bespoke — www.jordanbespoke.com
Pursuits Cotswold weekend bag
£585, Ettinger — www.ettinger.co.uk
Taupe medium Sea bag
£1,700, Connolly — www.connollyengland.com
Safari carry-on
£1,455, Globe Trotter — www.globe-trotter.com
Canvas and vintage calfskin country weekender in Panama
£2,590, Brunello Cucinelli — www.brunellocucinelli.com/en
Weekender in olive
£675, Bennett Winch — www.bennettwinch.com
The Sportsman 48 Overnight
£1,950, Tanner Krolle — www.tannerkrolle.com
Heritage weekender
£600, Bentley — shop.bentleymotors.com
Nine novels which will transport you around the world — and inspire your post-lockdown travel plans
Rosie Paterson rounds up the books to read now, and the places they're set in to travel to later.
Best bucket list destinations for life after lockdown, as picked by our Travel Editor
Travel has been on hold for most of 2020, but as the world begins to look to the future it's
Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Jason Goodwin: 'I found myself shaking my fist at an aeroplane, as outraged by the interruption as any uncontacted tribesman in the rainforest'
Jason Goodwin's efforts to transcribe his father's colourful life story are suffering all sorts of unusual interruptions.
-
Dawn Chorus: The perfect job for incurable romantics, Britain's rudest roads, woodland workshops and spring in CornwallLiving on a near-deserted island, and getting paid for the privilege? No wonder tens of thousands of people were keen.
-
Polestar 4: Function, form and a sprinkle of stardustPolestar's latest offering builds off a steady and reliable platform and finally adds the missing ingredient — a little bit of flair.
-
Seven perfect Christmas gifts for people who just love beautiful, functional thingsWilliam Morris famously said to have nothing in your house that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. These things do their best to hit both targets.
-
Christmas gift ideas for menFrom fathers to brothers to lovers, we run through some smart ideas for Christmas presents for the men in your life.
-
Perfect Father’s Day gifts for dads who deserve itThere are many ways to show your dad that you love and appreciate him. There's breakfast in bed, an offer to mow the lawn, a big hug and the offer of the last biscuit. Or you could just buy him something that he definitely doesn't need, but we're pretty sure he'll want.
-
The Utterly Inessential Wimbledon Shopping ListWe've rounded up all the utterly inessential products — posh tennis gear, in other words — that you absolutely do not need to enjoy Wimbledon, but would probably fancy having anyway.
-
The Utterly Inessential Mother's Day list: 16 gifts guaranteed to either surprise or delightIs your mum the sort who's happiest with what she knows — or one who loves a surprise?
-
The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: Supercharged home Wi-Fi, smart headphones and a mobile phone literally anyone can useOur Utterly Inessential Shopping List returns with some technology that is far cleverer than we are.
-
Best smart speakers for non-techie people: What to expect, what you'll love and what doesn't workSmart speakers are no longer the preserve of tech geeks and millennials — these handy speakers are, and (as we'll discover) particularly handy for those living in the countryside. We've looked at some of the main contenders to see which one comes out on top: Google Nest Audio, Amazon Echo Studio, the Apple HomePod Mini, and the Audio Pro G10.
-
Easter gifts of real quality, from a diamond bunny to a Fabergé eggHetty Lintell and Toby Keel pick out some, all the while desperately trying to avoid using the word 'eggsquisite'.
