The offline good news roundup

Phone-free dining lands in Mayfair. New London restaurant Punk Royale is literally taking diners’ phones at the door to keep the whole meal gloriously present. It’s a little on the spendy side (£220 pp!!) but we love the concept.

Board-game cafés keep blooming. ‘The Dice Box’ opened in King’s Lynn and celebrated a packed first weekend, proof that cardboard & conversation still wins.

…and another café just launched in Newbury. A mother–son duo opened a new board-game spot in the town centre, drawing families for face-to-face fun. Cute.

Libraries pulling crowds. Stockport’s new “Stockroom” hit 250,000 visitors — a quarter-million people choosing books, workshops and community over feeds. Yay!

New bookshops = community hubs. Dymocks returned to Townsville with a fresh store focused on events - and book clubs are the new DM’s.

Film photography festival season. Fujifilm’s Fujikina London is running across two September weekends with talks, photo-walks and hands-on sessions.

Phone-free nightlife is having a moment. Manchester’s Amber’s nightclub covers cameras on entry—and clubbers say the vibe is better without screens.

Repair cafés go big. At Fixfest London, CAG Somerset spotlighted how local repair cafés don’t just mend toasters—they build skills, resilience, and community.

Fountain pens on the rise. New market data forecasts steady growth for fountain pens through 2033—sustainability & craftsmanship are pulling people back to handwriting.

Vinyl still spins up. 2025 projections point to another year of growth for LPs after 18 straight years - it seems tactile listening isn’t going anywhere and we’re here for it.

Typewriter feel-good. Tom Hanks just fulfilled a promise to gift a signed typewriter to a Portland shop—proof the type-in revival has heart.

Pen pals & postcards got a boost. World Letter Writing Day (Sept 1) sparked plenty of ink and envelopes across social feeds - a tiny ritual with a big mood lift.

Pop along to our next event if you'd like to experience a couple of blissful hours offline in good company 🫶🏽

See you in the Real World,

Laura & Nicola x