London Underground

25 trends at London fashion week

2009-09-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

1 Colours that almost clash now look more stylish and well-put-together than colours that "go". See: emerald with salmon at Nicole Farhi, and chartreuse with lilac at Betty Jackson.

2 The Angular Hourglass is the new silhouette. Sharp shoulders, small waist and the new diamond-shaped skirt.

3 Rolling the hems of your trousers up just-so is essential to show off your new shoes, but is not as easy as it looks.

4 The Mulberry Bayswater handbag is a new classic. Next season, you can go girly with the pale pink bow-trimmed version or channel Alexa Chung tomboy chic with the satchel-strapped one.

5 When you see the new Luella collection, you are going to want to wear sky blue and lemon yellow. Really.

6 Apparently, we are going to be wearing ankle boots all next summer.

7 Croque monsieurs are fashion's new favourite snack.

8 The most expensive item in the average British person's wardrobe cost £293, according to new research by insurer Hiscox.

9 Shagpile carpet is set to make a comeback, if the swooning over Jaeger's thick cream catwalk is anything to go by.

10 Big shoulders are here to stay.

11 Double denim could be set for a shock comeback. Will Sienna Miller be wearing this outfit from her Twenty8Twelve collection next summer?

12 Cleavage is totally over. Even Kelly Brook wore a high-necked, smock-style dress to Philip Green's party.

13 Grace Kelly will be the style reference to drop next summer.

14 Very posh cardigans are the new evening coats. Next season we want Pringle's luxe, louche cable knit or Christopher Kane's slashed navy cardi. Until then we're wearing our Kate Moss Topshop silver sequined number to death.

15 The first sightings of the Powder and Flash power-mesh-backed sexy silk frocks by Preen on the party circuit will be next season's Galaxy moment, mark our words. Order one now, while you still can.

16 Betty Jackson rocks. Her pink-and-coffee floral dress is top of our summer shopping list.

17 Simon Cowell is the celebrity's celebrity. The starry crowd at Sir Philip Green's dinner at The Ivy on Sunday – Kate, Naomi, Lily Donaldson, Kelly Brook and co – went decidedly giddy in the presence of the Mayor of Saturday Nights.

18 It is no longer fashionable to be late. When the Peter Pilotto show still hadn't started after 25 minutes of waiting, Anna Wintour took off her sunglasses, made eye- contact with the PR and tapped her watch. The show started within seconds.

19 Erdem Moralioglu, alumni of the DVF studio now designing his own label in London, could be Britain's Jason Wu – the go-to designer for First Ladies and shadow first ladies. Sarah Brown wore an Erdem abstract-floral frock for her Downing Street bash; four days later Sam Cameron turned up in the front row at the Erdem show.

20 Sequins are now perfectly acceptable daywear. Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, wore sequined cardigans for two days of shows.

21 The dress to wear this autumn, before next season's trends hit the shops, is this one by Christopher Kane, £1,485 from net-a-porter.com. Tout le monde is wearing it at the shows this week.
22 Somerset House is a beautiful venue, but cobblestones and spike heeled sandals is a dangerous combination.

23 "Research shows that investing in the fashion business pays dividends for London at a ratio of 30:1." We don't know where Boris Johnson got this statistic, but we like it.

24 Next summer, polka dots will be the new Breton stripe. Itsy-bitsy on bikinis at Caroline Charles, blown up to giant scale at Luella.

25 It is time to put your GHD straighteners away and master the arts of backcombing and crimping. Finger-in-the-plug-socket hair is the way to go next season.

Travel advice: card-users beware

2009-09-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

Airlines and travel companies are charging customers increasingly high fees for debit and credit card transactions. Here are some of the worst offenders.

It isn't just the extras we're increasingly asked to pay to check in luggage that inflates the cost of travelling. The method of payment can bump it up too. Last month, Eurostar introduced a fee of £3 per booking for payment by credit card over the phone or online. The company defends the move, saying: "We aren't making a profit [on the fee], this is just a proportion of the charge made to Eurostar by credit card companies – we're finding that these costs are spiralling out of control."

Not that others aren't applying similar charges: booking through a call centre (rather than through a website) and using a credit or debit card invariably means you'll be charged more. However, these costs do vary from company to company, as the following examples demonstrate.

Brittany Ferries (www.brittanyferries.com) No fee for call centre bookings or debit cards; credit card fee £5 per booking.

British Airways (www.ba.com) Call centre fee £5; credit card fee £4.50; no fee for debit cards. Charges are per passenger, per booking.

Bmibaby (calls cost 65p per minute; www.bmibaby.com) Call centre fee £7.50; credit card fee £3.75; debit card fee £2.75. Charges are per person, per one-way fare. No fee for payments with a Visa Electron card.

easyJet(www.easyjet.com) Call centre fee £15; credit card fee £2.95 per cent of the total transaction with a minimum charge of £4; debit card fee £2.95. No fee for payments made using a Visa Electron card.

Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) No fee for call centre bookings or debit cards; credit card fee £3 per booking.

Flybe (www.flybe.com) Call centre fee £12; credit card fee £3.50; debit card fee £1.50 (minimum £2 per booking). Charges are per person, per one-way flight. No fee for payments with a Visa Electron card.

P & O Ferries (www.poferries.com) Call centre fee £5; credit card fee £2; no fee for debit cards. Charges are per booking.

Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) Call centre fee £5; credit card fee £5; debit card fee £5. Charges are per passenger, per one-way fare.

St Pancras International, London

2009-08-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

Shiny, renovated St Pancras is one of London’s must-see sights, whether you’re hopping on a Eurostar to the continent or just treating yourself to a glass of fizz at the champagne bar stretching beside the platforms.

It is celebrated for its Victorian architecture.

The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London, between the British Library, King's Cross station and the Regent's Canal. It was opened in 1868 by the Midland Railway as the southern terminus. At the time of opening, the arched Barlow train shed was the largest single-span roof in the world.

From 1840, Midland trains to and from London ran from Euston using the London and North Western line via a junction at Rugby. Congestion and delays south of Rugby quickly became commonplace as services expanded. Construction of the station foundations did not start until July 1866.

The first train, an express for Manchester, ran non-stop from Kentish Town to Leicester - the longest non-stop run in the world at 97 miles (156 km). By the 1960s, St Pancras station came to be seen as redundant, and several attempts were made to close the station.

The station has since been rebuilt. On 4 September 2007, the first test train ran from Paris Gare du Nord to St Pancras. The full Eurostar timetable came into operation on 9 December 2007. The basic service provides 17 pairs of trains to and from Paris Gare du Nord every day. Additional weekend leisure-oriented trains also run to the French Alps during the skiing season.

Fictional uses

Platform 2 is used for the arrival of a Royal train in the film King Ralph.
The station is used as the location for the Berlin Railway Station scene in the 1992 movie Shining Through.
It is used as the seat of government for the King in Richard III.
Mr. Bean attempts to leave this station without a ticket in Hair By Mr. Bean Of London.
The music video for the Spice Girls song Wannabe was filmed inside the former Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras.
Part of the film 102 Dalmatians was shot in St Pancras.
St Pancras station can be recognized in the exterior shots of King's Cross station in the Harry Potter film series.
The interior corridor and stairwell shots of Arkham Asylum in the film Batman Begins were shot in the disused Midland Grand Hotel.
The gargoyles from the station roof come to life and play an important part in Charlie Fletcher's children's book Stoneheart.

Susan Boyle checks into London clinic suffering from 'emotional exhaustion'

2009-06-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

The frumpy pop sensation Susan Boyle was checked into a London clinic Sunday suffering from "emotional exhaustion," British papers reported.

Boyle, 48, the Scottish church employee who became an international YouTube phenomenon, ranted "I hate this show" after her disappointing loss in a television talent show Saturday.

Paramedics and police were called to help the "spaced-out" star through a hotel lobby early Sunday, according to the Sun newspaper.

Newspapers said she was taken to the private Priory Clinic in London, but management would not confirm or deny that the star was being treated there.

A "Britain's Got Talent" spokeswoman said last night Boyle was "exhausted and emotionally drained" from Saturday's show. The newspapers reported that Boyle ran down a corridor shouting, "I hate this show," after her defeat and said she threw a cup of water on a floor manager who tried to calm her down.

Ticket machines on Tube upgraded with 17 languages

2009-06-01T01:28:00.000-07:00

Ticket machines on the London Underground (LU) have been upgraded to operate in 17 different languages.

Some of the touch-screen machines were already available in six languages - English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

From today, all machines in every station will also have Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Polish, Punjabi, Tamil, and Turkish.

More than 300 languages are spoken in total in London.

Kulveer Ranger, Transport Director to the Mayor of London, said: "Boosting the number of languages on our ticket machines is just another step in making life easier for those who live in, or travel through, the capital.

It would give many people added confidence, help maintain London as a city that supports its cultural diversity and would also improve tourists' visits to the city."

Public Holidays 2009

2009-04-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

Public Holiday Date

New Year's Day: January 1, 2009
Good Friday: April 10, 2009
Easter Monday: April 13, 2009
May Day Holiday: May 4, 2009
Memorial Day/Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, May 25, 2009
Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, August 31, 2009
Christmas Day: December 25, 2009
Boxing Day: December 28, 2009
New Year’s Day: January 1, 2010

Swine Flu Dilemma - To Travel or Not to Travel?

2009-04-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Fearing that their vacations could comprise of surf, sand and swine flu, potential travelers are turning to health organizations for guidance on whether to pack their bags or stay home. Contradictory advice from various sectors doesn't seem to make it any easier to decide whether to fly or not to fly.

The European Union's health commissioner Androulla Vassiliou told reporters in Luxembourg that she was "not worried at this stage" about a pandemic sweeping across Europe, but she urged travelers to avoid Mexico and the United States anyway. That prompted a swift rebuke from Richard Besser, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, who rejected her advisory as "quite premature."

On the other side, the CDC website "recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico." The World Health Organization, is calling on nations to keep their borders open and to avoid restricting international travel, and emphasizes that a pandemic is not inevitable. Despite the plea, Argentina and Cuba have suspended all flights from Mexico, and tour operators and airlines across the globe — including some based in Canada, Germany and the U.K. — have canceled flights and holiday packages to sunshine destinations like Cancún and Cozumel.

Geoffrey Lipman, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, says "We know from the past that restrictions don't actually serve to hold back the spread of this kind of virus. It's already out there around the world in different places."

What are they wearing on the London streets

2008-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

2008-11-11T04:34:00.000-08:00

Museum of the odd, the unusual, the unbelievable located in London. Situated in the heart of the West End at 1 Piccadilly Circus, the attraction will feature over 500 authentic, original and unbelievable exhibits, from a four-metre long model of Tower Bridge made out of matchsticks and an upside-down tea party to the world's tallest man and a Mini Cooper encrusted with 1,000,000 Swarovski crystals. Ripley's Believe It or Not! presents a unique mixture of entertainment, education and fun for the entire family -appealing to anyone with a basic sense of curiosity.

The Crystal Car covered in 1 million Swarovski lead crystals, in the shape of 10 separate images of American Icons, including the Statue of Liberty, the Hollywood Hills sign, Mt Rushmore. It was made by Ken and Annie Burkitt of Ontario, Canada.

Where Truth is Stranger than Fiction!
Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week, 365 days of the year10.00 - 00.00pm (last entry 22.30)
Prices Adult: £17.95
Senior/Student: £15.95
Child 4 - 15: £13.95
Under 4: Free

Address:The London Pavilion
1 Piccadilly Circus
LondonW1J 0DA
Nearest Tube Station: Piccadilly CircusUse Exit 4 to Coventry Street

LONDON FOR FREE

2008-10-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

You shouldn't need to break the bank to live it up in London.

Travel Children under the age of 11 can travel on the Tube, trams and buses for free during off-peak times, so if tempers get frayed, you can always take them on a magical mystery tour.
Appliance of Science The Science Museum is a seven-floor extravaganza of hands-on activities, featuring exhibits such as Stephenson's Rocket and the Apollo 10 command module.
The common touch Wimbledon, Clapham, Primrose Hill, Hyde Park... all over the city there are vast green spaces perfect for kicking a ball about or having a picnic.
Changing of the Guard Arrive at Buckingham Palace before 11.30am for this show of pomp and ceremony, but check the palace website (www.royal.gov.uk) first in case of changes.
Celeb-spotting If you're lucky enough to be visiting on the night of a film première, get yourself off to Leicester Square and try to spot a star on the red carpet. See the City of Westminster website (www.westminster.gov.uk) to find out when the big names are next in town.
Flight of fancy The RAF Museum has more than 100 aircraft, as well as aviation and wartime memorabilia on display, along with a Battle of Britain sound-and-light show and a Red Arrows flight simulator.
Rock on At the O2 Arena in Greenwich, you can sing along to your favourite song and be superimposed into the video. The clip is then sent to you for free.
Get wet The fountains at Somerset House with their 55 jets, are great fun for children to cool down after a day's activities. Entry to the 18th-century house is also free to under-18s.

London Street Fashion

2008-10-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

What they are wearing on the streets of London.

100 Musical Events in 5 Days in King's Cross

2008-09-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

Dates: 1 October 2008 to 5 October 2008
Times: 01 - 05 Oct 2008 8:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Venue: Kings Place

Kings Place opens its doors with 5 days of music for all, beginning with 100 metronomes resonating throughout the Atrium at 9am on 1 October.

Kings Place is a new culture and arts centre in London. The venue will host an exciting new programme of music, painting and sculpture from around the world.

From the avid concert-goer to musical novice, there will be something for everyone as performers take to the stage from 9.30am to midnight for 5 days running.
String ensembles, jazz combos, singers and musicians will fill the halls of Kings Place with music and creativity. After the launch, the cultural events will continue with an exciting programme of concerts already planned.

Highlights of the Kings Place opening festival include:

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

London Chamber Music Society

The Classical Opera Company

Jazz from the F-IRE Collective

Kings Place houses the first new public concert hall to be built in central London since the completion of the Barbican Concert Hall in 1982. It's part of the large regeneration project currently happening in King's Cross.

The space also includes a new 60-seat atrium café Green & Fortune, and the Rotunda Bar which overlooks the waterfront.

The X-Files: London location

2008-09-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

The ‘Somerset’ home of the Well-Manicured Man (John Neville) in the X-Files movie is not in England at all, but in California, at 380 South San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena, the Tudor-style mansion seen in Topper, Dead Again and Rush Hour.

When Mulder is summoned to attend the meeting of elders, that really is London. The entrance is Queen Alexandra’s House, Kensington Gore, SW7, alongside the Albert Hall in Kensington. The interior, however, is once more back in Pasadena. It’s is the Athenaeum, the dining club of the California Institute of Technology, at 551 South Hill Avenue (a frequently used location, seen in Beverly Hills Cop and True Romance among others).

Elton John's 'J' brooch for sale in London

2008-09-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

A sapphire-and-diamond brooch worn by singer Elton John in one of his music videos will go under the gavel this week. The art deco piece is shaped like a "J" and was worn by John in the 1988 music video "I Don't Wanna Go on With You Like That."

It is expected to fetch $22,000 when it goes up for sale at Bonhams auction house in London on Thursday. The 1930s-era brooch has brilliant-cut and baguette-cut diamonds and oval-cut and circular-cut sapphires.

Ten Things to See at the London Design Festival 2008

2008-09-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

Kicking off today, the London Design Festival 2008 is a two-week extravaganza with a bewildering array of shows, exhibitions, seminars and general hobnobbing, big names, young talent, highly commercial offerings, as well as work which is so conceptual we’re not really sure if it’s even design.
Here are 10 things to keep a watch in the two weeks ahead.

100% East will be held at the Old Truman Brewery. 21-24 September.
Designers Block showcases young design talent at The Nicholls and Clarke Buildings. 21-24 September.
[re] Design showcases young design talent at The Nicholls and Clarke Buildings. 21-24 September.
New Designers Selection exhibits this year’s top design graduates. Studio 95, Brick Lane. 21-24 September.
[re] Design highlights design friendly to the society and the environment. The Boiler House, Old Truman Brewery 20-26 September.
Design UK shows 40 new and established designers. 4th floor at Liberty 20-30 September.
Design Mart nurtures new talent at the Design Museum 20-30 September.
B&B Italia introduces new furniture by Antonio Citterio, Naoto Fukasawa, Patricia Urquiola, Monica Armani, Paola Piva and products by Moooi at their Brompton Quarter store. 15-30 September.
Old Truman Brewery on 20 September.
Tom Dixon installs polystyrene chairs in Trafalgar Square 20-24 September. You can claim a chair starting at 3pm on 21 September.
Canadian artist Jason Young shows his curling stone-based work at The Air Gallery, 16, 17 and 23 September.

English Channel Tunnel Reopens

2008-09-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

Limited passenger and freight train service through the undersea tunnel linking Britain and the Continent resumed Saturday after a roaring blaze left thousands of travelers stranded and delayed on both sides.

The closure threatens to disrupt services for several weeks and raises new questions about how such incidents could occur after previous fires in the tunnel, which is relied upon by truckers as well as tens of thousands of tourists and business people shuttling between London, Paris and Brussels each day.

Six people were taken to a hospital in Calais suffering from smoke inhalation. There were no reports of more serious injuries, but a truck driver talking to French media suggested that he and others had narrowly escaped.

The tunnel beneath the Channel consists of two tubes that ordinarily carry passenger trains and freight in opposite directions, and a third tube used for maintenance and evacuations. The fire broke out on a freight shuttle train traveling in the tube heading toward France. Eurostar said Saturday that it had begun running a limited service in the tube that was not affected by the fire.

Eurostar canceled all its trains in both directions Friday. Gareth Headon, a spokesman for Eurostar, said those customers could either seek refunds or reschedule their trips for other dates. On Saturday, Eurostar said there would be further alterations to the limited timetable, without being more specific.

Airports in talks to lift security ban on liquids

2008-09-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

The UK government is in discussions with security companies and Britain's airports to lift the ban on liquids being carried in hand luggage as early as next year.

Technology already deployed at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 can automatically detect the presence of liquids in carry-on bags. Now, government scientists are running tests to see if the scanners can be adapted to pick out those that are harmful.

"The technology is there, which will allow these scanners not only to test for liquids but also to determine if those liquids are dangerous or not," said a security industry source. "At the moment, that technology is being tested by the security services and when they are happy that it works, the ban will be lifted."

The aviation industry is keen to see a change in the restrictions, brought in after intelligence experts believed they had foiled a plot to blow up airliners with liquid bombs in August 2006.

Airlines have complained that the rules make the UK's hubs less attractive to passengers. Analysts put the total cost of the liquid bomb plot to the industry at as much as £200m. The hand luggage restrictions dictate that bottles containing more than 100ml of liquid cannot be carried and only one bag is allowed.

BAA, which operates the UK's main airports Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, had to recruit 3,000 extra security staff to cope with the restrictions. It puts the total cost of the measures in the "tens of millions". When you go to airports at the moment, you can see the confusion, with many people still bringing too many liquids.

Four UK airports including Heathrow have bought scanners that will detect dangerous liquids and more are on order. It is believed the Government will not lift the restrictions until all major airports have the new technology.

But The Department of Transport said it took its lead from advice given by the joint intelligence analysis centre. It added that the recent bomb plot court case had proven that potential terrorists were already capable of creating bombs from domestic items.

History of Harrods

2008-09-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Since Harrods first opened its doors, the store has always prided itself on a reputation for excellence, that nothing is too much trouble for their customers, and finding the finest-quality merchandise.

Harrods was established in 1834 in London’s East End, when founder Charles Henry Harrod set up a wholesale grocery in Stepney, with a special interest in tea. In 1849, to escape the filth of the inner city and to capitalise on trade to the Great Exhibition of 1851 in nearby Hyde Park, Harrod took over a small shop in the district of Knightsbridge, on the site of the current store.

Beginning in a single room employing two assistants and a messenger boy, Harrod’s son Charles Digby Harrod built the business into a thriving retail operation selling medicines, perfumes, stationery, fruit, and vegetables. Harrods rapidly expanded, acquired the adjoining buildings, and employed one hundred people by 1880.

Tstore’s booming fortunes were reversed in early December 1883, when it burnt to the ground. Charles Harrod fulfilled all of his commitments to his customers to make Christmas deliveries that year — and made a record profit in the process.

A new building was raised on the same site, and soon Harrods extended credit for the first time to its best customers, among them Oscar Wilde, legendary actresses Lilly Langtry and Ellen Terry, Noël Coward, Sigmund Freud, A. A. Milne, and many members of the British royal family.

In 1898, Harrods installed the world's first moving staircase (escalator); nervous customers were offered brandy at the top to revive them after their 'ordeal'.

London's famous black cabs made in China

2008-09-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

London Taxis are as British as bowler hats and Big Ben. But the latest models coming off this new assembly line are unlikely to ever touch an English road.

At a sprawling factor in the lush green suburbs of Shanghai, young Chinese workers are busily gearing up for full-scale production of one of Britain's most iconic vehicles. It is part of an odd alliance that aims to give the distinctive black cab a greater presence outside its namesake city.

London Taxi International which will continue to build nine out of 10 cabs used in Britain at a factory in Coventry, England, could not grow production at its small-scale, high-cost plant. So it turned to a partner and to China, as a way to drive overseas expansion.

"You do need to make progress within the automotive industry." said Paul Stowe, who is overseeing the JV between Britain's Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC, and GeelyGroupHoldings.

Travelling on London transport to be more expensive

2008-09-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

The cost of travelling on London transport for adults will rise by more than inflation next year as a fares freeze imposed by Ken Livingstone is scrapped. Several transport schemes announced by the former mayor will also be dropped, but Johnson has pledged that the £16bn Crossrail project and a £30bn upgrade of the underground network will go ahead.

According to Johnson's officials, postponing the planned 2008 fare rise cost £60m, while a cut in some types of bus fare cost £24m. To plug that gap, adult fares will have to rise at least 1% above inflation, equivalent to an increase of 6%. That would mean a single peak-time tube fare in central London would rise from £6.30 to about £6.70, while an adult bus fare would rise from 90p to 95p. Discounted fares for elderly and disabled people will remain.

Some fares will be cut to encourage people to travel off peak.

Kingfisher launches daily flight between London and Bangalore

2008-09-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

Kingfisher launch their first international airline service between London and Bangalore. In a typically flamboyant gesture on the eve of the London route's launch, made during a flying visit to attend a conference by the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC), Vijay Mallya presented the 300 guests at a black-tie dinner with free tickets on the new route.

Mallya responded to queries about the project's viability, claiming that Bangalore's growing links to Britain would mean that the route would become profitable, despite the crisis afflicting the aviation sector.
"With respect, that is a view of those who are based in England and Europe, who are listening and watching the problems of airlines over here," he said.
"The truth is that there is a huge amount of potential in flying between Bangalore and London. The links between the two cities are greater than ever, but the only operator (between the cities) is BA — nobody else flies that route. Our first flight is almost 80 per cent full with revenue-paying guests, and so is the flight going back on the same day. And this has been achieved in just about nine days of selling."

Mallya is expected to launch a second Heathrow service, from Bombay, next month. There are also plans for Kingfisher to fly between Bangalore and San Francisco.

Mallya's new route has won the backing of the UKIBC, a government-sponsored body setting up trade and links between India and the UK.

Westminster Cathedral

2008-08-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Westminster Cathedral, not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, is one of the great sights of London - in my book, anyway.
The Abbey is where Kings, Queens, poets and the Establishment are buried; it’s a medieval building in the Gothic style, and an Anglican church. The Cathedral, on the other hand, is a Victorian building in neo-Byzantine style, and it’s a Roman Catholic church.

The foundation stone was laid in 1895. It is mainly in brick in the white-and-red decorative fabric of the great west front. It’s a magnificent building, even though on a busy day it sometimes reminds me of a large railway station. It’s huge, for a start - 342 feet longm, 148 feet wide, with three great domes and using over 10 million bricks.
The other thing that rather puzzles me is why this cathedral looks so much like an Ottoman mosque. I know the Turks were much influenced by Hagia Sophia, so perhaps there’s a mutual influence there - but the west front, with its little domed turrets cascading down from the great dome, really does look incredibly like one of the great mosques of Istanbul - Sultanahmet perhaps, or Suleymaniye. And the tower looks almost as much like a minaret as it does a Byzantine tower.

The interior is splendidly decorated with marble and mosaic. The marble used in the decoration comes from Greece, from Languedoc (the red), from Verona (the yellow), and from Carrara in Italy (the capitals at the top of each column). The altar, on the other hand, is made out of Cornish granite - and apparently weighs ten tons.

Don’t miss the Stations of the Cross. They were carved by the great Eric Gill - a master stonemason and engraver. His work is clearly twentieth-century and yet it has something of the intensity and concentration of the best medieval art about it. (His impassive, finely carved figures weren’t understood at the time when they were unveiled in 1915-16 - they were widely derided as flat and undevotional; it’s only later that Gill’s real artistic value was understood.)

Entrance to the cathedral is free, but there’s a charge to ascend the campanile - a marvellous red-and-white striped needle - for a marvellous view of London. And there is a lift - in case you were worried about your ability to manage all those steps.

The cathedral choir is also renowned, particularly for its performance of Spanish Renaissance music. The wonderful acoustic doesn’t hurt either. Go to choral vespers and it’s rumoured you won’t even have to sit through a sermon - just smells and bells and the most marvellous music.

Nearest Tube: Victoria Street, SW1(Victoria tube station)
Timings: cathedral 7 am to 7pm, tower viewing gallery 930-1230 and 1-5pm. Cathedral closes 530 pm on public holidays.
Fee: cathedral free, admission charge for tower

London Travel Disrupted By Strike

2008-08-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

Commuters travelling across London by bus face heavy disruptions today as 2,500 drivers and other workers strike over pay.

The 24-hour walkout, which began at 3am, is predicted to bring travel chaos to the capital. It involves 2,500 staff at First Capital East Buses and First Centrewest Buses. Their union - Unite - says the action will be followed by a 48-hour stoppage on Friday September 12.

It has warned other bus workers in London are also considering strike action. Friday's proposed walkout comes after staff rejected a four per cent pay rise.

Strike to hit London Airports

2008-08-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

London's Gatwick and Stansted airports are to be hit by strike action later this month as baggage handlers, check-in workers and security scanners walk out in disputes over pay.

Employees of Grupo Ferrovial SA's Swissport International AG unit will stage two 24-hour stoppages at both airports on Aug. 25 and 29, the Unite and GMB trade unions say. Security-scanner operators at Stansted will also strike Aug. 25 over a separate pay claim, the GMB said.

Gatwick is Britain's second-busiest airport, attracting nearly 35 million passengers a year, and Stansted is fourth busiest, with almost 24 million.

The action against Swissport will affect at least 12 of the 79 airlines at Gatwick, together with Ryanair Holdings Plc and EasyJet Plc at Stansted, the unions said, while the scanner dispute will limit Stansted passengers to hand baggage only, according to the GMB.

Source: The Calgary Herald

Countdown to 2012 Begins With Questions

2008-08-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

The moment the mayor of London appeared during the closing ceremony on Sunday night it put questions into everyone's minds. Boris Johnson shuffled onstage, his middle button undone, a hand in his pocket. He waved, pointed, pumped his fist and grinned: a naughty schoolboy out with the grown-ups.

How well London will carry that flag is a question its representatives have found themselves asked repeatedly over the last two weeks.

What can they do to follow this no-expenses-spared Olympics, with its spectacular arenas, clockwork organization and attention to detail? The first problem for London is simply one of cash. Estimates for the cost of the Beijing Games, apart from the Beijing organizing committee’s operating budget, start at $40 billion. And that does not account for the difference in labor costs, which are considerably lower in China than they will be in London.

One of the defining elements in Beijing has been the legions of young volunteers. Paul Deighton, the chief executive of the London Olympic committee, said he could not hope to duplicate their numbers. “One of the great strengths of China is the ability to mobilize so many resources and people,” he said. “We will give the individuals bigger roles and more independence. That is a model that works best for the British.”

While the show put on by the hosts Sunday night was not an epic narrative like the opening ceremony, it was still spectacular, huge and, except for the athletes’ entry, meticulously choreographed. Then the British appeared, with a dance skit including a London bus and members of three dance companies. Clearly, they were playing far from home, with limited resources. Even so, it looked chaotic and under-rehearsed.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com

Tube passengers trapped in lift

2008-08-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Passengers were trapped in a lift in a London Underground station for one-and-half-hours due to a faulty lock, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

The 23 passengers were stuck in the lift in Elephant and Castle station on Friday night and London Fire Brigade were called to open the lift, TfL said.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said an ongoing strike that day had led to a delay in the rescue.

TfL said the strike had had "no bearing" on the incident.

The incident happened at 2145 BST on Friday, and TfL said it called the fire brigade after staff at the station were unable to open the doors.

Obviously worrying RMT general secretary Bob Crow accused managers of "cavalier attitude".
He said: "Under normal circumstances, if it took more than 20 minutes to get people out managers would be demanding to know why it had taken so long and if it took more than an hour, they would be looking for someone to discipline."

A spokesman for TfL said: "The incident was caused by faulty doors.

"Its obviously worrying for passengers when they are trapped in the lift but the strike had no bearing on the incident. "London Underground is satisfied that staff at the station worked in accordance with procedure."

Station staff who are members of the RMT were on strike to protest against the sacking of a member. The TfL spokesman said the staff member was dismissed for allegedly assaulting a customer, adding that the "well reviewed" decision was upheld after appeals.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

London Weather

2008-08-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

London is a year-round tourist centre, with few of its attractions closing or significantly reducing their opening hours in winter. Your best chance of good weather is, of course, at the height of summer in July and August, but there's certainly no guarantee of sun even in those months - plus it's when you can expect the biggest crowds and highest prices.

Many who live in London would swear that global warming has added a twist to the city's unpredictable climatic conditions. While locals used to complain about the frequent, but still somehow always unforeseen, arrival of rain, now they find themselves faced with sudden outbreaks of sunshine and dry heat instead.
Recent summers have seen record temperatures, approaching 40°C and autumns have been positively toasty. As the tube turns into the Black Hole of Calcutta and traffic fumes become choking, London is particularly ill-equipped to cope with such heat.
However, meteorologists point out that recent statistics don't yet represent anything terribly out of the ordinary for such a naturally variable climate. The average maximum temperature for July, the hottest month, is still only about 23°C. In spring and autumn temperatures drop to between 13°C and 17°C. In winter, the average daily maximum is 8°C, the overnight minimum 2°C.

Despite the appearance of snow in the past few years, it still rarely freezes in London. What weather forecasters do predict in the long-term, as a result of climate change in London, is drier summers, wetter and stormier winters and more flash floods.

Access to Heathrow Airport

2008-08-18T01:08:00.000-07:00

Public transport

Heathrow Express: a non-stop service directly to London's Paddington station; trains leave every 15 minutes for the 15-minute journey, either from Terminal 5 or Heathrow Central (Terminals 1, 2, 3). Passengers transferring between these two stations on the Heathrow Express may use the service free of charge.

Heathrow Connect: a service to Paddington calling at up to five National Rail stations en route - trains leave every 30 minutes for the 25-minute journey. Heathrow Connect services use Heathrow Central station (Terminals 1, 2, 3) and terminate at Terminal 4 - passengers transferring between these two stations at Heathrow may use the service free of charge.

London Underground Piccadilly line: four tube stations serve the airport - Terminals 1, 2, 3; Terminal 4; Terminal 5 and Hatton Cross. The standard journey time from the Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 tube station to Central London is 40-50 minutes.

Long-distance coach services operated by National Express to various parts of the UK, including Victoria Coach Station in London.

A door-to-door London hotel shuttle bus service is operated by Dot2Dot from each terminal, and HotelHoppa buses connect each terminal with hotels in the Heathrow area.

There are two RailAir coach services connecting nearby railway stations with the airport using dedicated non-stop coaches. These run to:Reading railway station, connecting with railway services to the West Country, South Wales, Midlands and south coast of England Woking railway station, for places in Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire
Heathrow Airport has one of the United Kingdom's biggest bus stations, with many local bus services (Transport for London) to nearby London suburbs.

Car
Heathrow is accessible via the nearby M4 motorway and A4 road (Terminals 1–3), the M25 motorway (Terminals 4 and 5), and the A30 road (Terminal 4). There are drop off and pick up areas at all terminals and short and long stay multi-storey car parks. Additionally, there are car parks (not run by BAA) just outside the airport, these are connected to the terminals by shuttle buses. Heathrow airport is also served by taxi services.

Four parallel tunnels under one of the runways connect the M4 motorway and the A4 road to Terminals 1–3. The two larger tunnels are each two lanes wide and are used for motorised traffic. The two smaller tunnels were originally reserved for pedestrians and bicycles; to increase traffic capacity the cycle lanes have been modified to each take a single lane of cars, although bicycles still have priority over cars. Pedestrian access to the smaller tunnels has been discontinued, with the free bus services being the alternative.

Bicycle
There are (mainly off-road) bicycle routes almost to the terminals. Free bicycle parking places are available in car parks 1 and 1A, though use of the left-luggage services may be more secure. Free specialist maps showing cycle routes are published by Transport for London - 'London Cycling Guide 6' covers Terminals 1, 2 & 3 while 'London Cycling Guide 9' covers Terminal 4.

One coach on each Heathrow Connect train has an area reserved for wheelchairs and bicycles (wheelchairs have priority). Heathrow Express trains have space for three bicycles. There are rush-hour restrictions: unfolded bicycles are not allowed on trains due to arrive at Paddington between 07:45 and 09:45, or departing between 16:30 and 18:30, Monday to Friday.

If luggage and conditions permit, it is much cheaper (about one third the price) to travel by train between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington and then cycle the remaining two miles (3 km).

Heathrow Airport

2008-08-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Heathrow is located 15 miles (24 km) west of central London, England, near the southern end of the London Borough of Hillingdon and in the county of Middlesex.

Heathrow is one of six airports serving the London area, along with Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Southend and City although only Heathrow and City airports are located within Greater London. Heathrow Airport is used by over 90 airlines which fly to 170 destinations worldwide. The airport is the primary hub of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Terminal 1 : Opened in 1968 and then formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1969. In 2005, a substantial redesign and redevelopment of Terminal 1 was completed, which saw the opening of the new Eastern Extension, doubling the departure lounge in size and creating additional seating and retail space. Terminal 1 handles most of Heathrow's domestic and Irish routes along with some long haul routes and European routes.

Terminal 2 : It is Heathrow's oldest terminal and was opened as the Europa Building in 1955. Terminal 2, as well as the adjacent Queens Building, will close in 2008 after the opening of Terminal 5, to allow for the construction of the new Heathrow East terminal. According to BAA, Terminal 2 will be demolished in 2009. Terminal 2 handles mainly European routes.

Terminal 3 : Opened as The Oceanic Terminal on 13 November 1961 to handle flight departures for long-haul routes. At this time the airport had a direct helicopter service to Central London from the gardens on the roof of the terminal building. The Oceanic Terminal was renamed as Terminal 3 in 1968 and was expanded in 1970 with the addition of an arrivals building. Other facilities were also added, including the UK's first moving walkways. In 2006, the new £105 million Pier 6 was completed in order to accommodate the Airbus A380 superjumbo; Singapore Airlines now operate regular flights from Terminal 3 using the Airbus A380.

Terminal 4: was constructed to the south of the southern runway next to the existing cargo terminal, away from the three older terminals, and was connected with Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by the already-existing Heathrow Cargo Tunnel. Terminal 4 was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales in April 1986, and became the home for then newly-privatised British Airways.
Work is now underway on a complete refurbishment and modernisation of Terminal 4's forecourt to improve passengers' experiences, reduce traffic congestion and improve security.

Terminal 5 : Built at a cost of £4.3 billion, the new terminal is located on the western side of the airport on the site of the former Perry Oaks sewage works, between the northern and southern runways. The four storeys of the main terminal building (Concourse A) are covered by a single-span undulating steel frame roof, stretching 90 metres (295 ft) from east to west. In addition to the main terminal building, there are also two satellite buildings linked to the main terminal by an underground people mover transit system. The first satellite (Concourse B) includes dedicated aircraft stands for the Airbus A380; Concourse C is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2010. In total, Terminal 5 has 60 aircraft stands and capacity for 30 million passengers annually; this will enable Heathrow to handle up to 90 million passengers a year, up from its previous figure of 68 million (compared with a design capacity of 45 million). There are more than 100 shops and restaurants.

A more distant long-stay car park for business passengers will be linked to the terminal by a personal rapid transit system, which will open in 2009. New branches of both the Heathrow Express and the Underground's Piccadilly Line serve a new shared Heathrow Terminal 5 station, which also has space for a third pair of tracks for future additional rail services. BAA are currently consulting on the route of a new rail link, called Heathrow Airtrack, to Staines High Street and through direct services to Reading, Guildford and London Waterloo. The terminal is also connected to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by the Heathrow Airside Road Tunnel.

Amazing Facts about Thames

2008-08-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

For centuries, London's waterways have been fascinating places of historic, social and environmental significance. Here are some amazing facts we bet you didn't know...
Wildlife

Seen swans on the river? It is believed that Richard the Lionheart first introduced the swans to the Thames from Cyprus in the 12th century.
The Thames is home to important wildlife habitats, supporting 119 different species of fish and with 146 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Drinking Water

Thames water is, believe it or not, drinkable. If you scooped a glass out of the river and left the silt to settle overnight, the water would be clean enough to drink! We don't recommend you try it though.
A drop of rain falling into the Thames at its source in the Cotswolds will have been drunk by 8 people before it reaches the sea.

Geography

The river Thames begins life as a trickle in a Gloucestershire meadow and flows for over 217km (135 miles) though the Cotswolds, Oxford, Henley and Windsor before it reaches London.

There are 37 major crossings over the Thames, including 33 bridges and 4 tunnels (not including Tube tunnels).

The Thames Path follows the river for 296km (184 miles) from its source, making it the longest riverside walk in Europe.

Half a million years ago before the North Sea existed, the Thames flowed from Wales to Clacton and onward to become a tributary of the Rhine!

London has an extensive canal network that includes the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal, totalling 129km (80 miles).

The river Thames is the longest river in England.

There is a 8m (26ft) change in the water level of the river Thames. The highest and lowest tidal changes occur in spring.

Bonus Facts

There are currently four World Heritage Sites in the city of London: the

Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Kew Gardens - all along the river.

The Romans knew the Thames as Tamesis. The name may have originally come from the Latin for "wide water" or the Sanskrit word meaning "dark water".

The river used to be incredibly dirty because it was where all waste from London ended up. In 1858 the stench became so bad it was known as "The Great Stink"!

It takes 61 seconds to open Tower Bridge, which opens about 1,000 times a year.

Quirky London facts

2008-08-14T01:26:00.000-07:00

Best views in London is from the top of the Monument – it’s 202 feet high because it is 202 feet from the site of the baker’s house in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. There are 311 stairs to climb but you do get a certificate to say you’ve done it!

The bright lights of Piccadilly Circus are famous through-out the world. So is the Statue of Eros. Look closely and you’ll see that Eros isn’t really a statue but a fountain on which a small figure rests, commemorating the philanthropic Earl of Shaftesbury. Some say that the figure is really a pun on Shaftesbury’s name as the bow doesn’t have an arrow in it and is pointing downwards as if the arrow (or shaft) has already been shot and is “buried” in the ground. Nearby Trafalgar Square, famous for Nelson's column is also where London distances are measured. The actual point is on the corner of Strand and Charing Cross Road, near the statue of Charles 1 - there is even a plaque on the wall confirming this.

Marble Arch is a well-known landmark, seemingly lost on its own island. It was originally built as the entrance to Buckingham Palace but not used. Inside the Arch is a tiny office which used to be a police station.

On the traffic island at the junction of Edgware Road & Marble Arch is a plaque which most people ignore, marking the site of the Tyburn Tree, London’s main execution spot, where about 50,000 people were executed. Nearby in Bayswater Road is the Shrine and Tyburn Convent where the nuns still pray for the souls of those whose lost their lives.

Covent Garden is really a spelling mistake! The area used to be the market garden for what is now Westminster Abbey monastery and convent.

The architect of the Oxo Tower originally wanted to use electric lighting to advertise the meat extract product but permission was refused so he re-designed it with OXO incorporated as windows on all four sides of the window which shined out the advertising message. The building now houses restaurants, design shops and galleries.

In 1881 the Savoy Theatre became the first theatre to be lit by electricity. The Savoy Hotel stands on the site of the Palace of the Savoy – see the panels on each side of the approach to the hotel recording its history. Cars coming from the Strand to the Savoy must travel on the right, not left – this is the only place we’ve heard of in Britain where this happens.

Events that will change the world sometimes take place in innocuous places. John Baird first demonstrated how television would work above what is now Bar Italia in Frith St, Soho.

At one stage the Tower of London was like a zoo - it housed a menagerie of all kinds of animals includings lions. The moat used to have water in it but was drained in 1843 and during the war was used to grow vegetables.

Much of the land is London is still owned by The Crown and a handful of rich families. The largest and most lucrative of these historic estates is that of the Grosvenors, much of whose land is in Mayfair & Belgravia. Part of the reason that this area looks so smart is because the Grosvenor estate exercises strict control over the upkeep of properties, ensuring they are all regularly painted in a magnolia cream colour, don’t have satellite dishes and in some cases have the coat of arms on them. You can get a walking tour map of Mayfair & Belgravia from the estate office.

Criss-crossing London’s bridges and following the Thames Path (now the longest riverside walk in Europe) is a great way to see London. The oldest surviving bridge is the Clattern Bridge at Kingston dating back to the 12th century. Richmond Bridge is the oldest Thames surviving Thames bridge (built 1774) and is a great starting point for a leisurely walk to Ham House.

The Thames used to be incredibly dirty because it was where all waste from London ended up. In 1858 the stench became so bad it was known as "The Great Stink" - so plans were drawn up to provide proper sewers and drainage. The Victoria Embankment between Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges houses some of these and provides a major route from Westminster to the City.

The Exclusive Haunts of London's Elite

2008-08-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

Its not uncommon to sight celebrities walking the streets of London. London's fashionable areas boast of an almost exclusively celebrity clientele. Here are some of the city's places where you can sight a celebrity.

Bungalow 8: in the Covent Garden area of London, is a regular haunt of many famous people. This is a fashionable, subterranean with regular guests including Kelly Osbourne, Kate Moss, Damien Hurst and top designer Christopher Kane, who held his Dazed and Confused Fashion Week after party in the club. With bottles of water alone costing £10 though, you'd better be ready to spend like a celebrity as you rub shoulders with them.

Maddox is another upmarket establishment. A members-only bar situated in the Mayfair area, this bar was designed by renowned designer Sammy Chams, who created a minimal space with room for a bar, boutique club area and an Italian restaurant with the main focal point being the glass encased DJ booth at the top of a staircase. Playing a mix of funky house, R 'n B and chart hits, Maddox has a wide range of cocktails and food on offer, sure to please even the most discerning of London clubbers, with top names seen at the club including P Diddy and Keira Knightley.

Maya:Arguably the hottest West End late night haunt in the Soho area, decorated in stunning colours with walls clad with transparent screens etched in a mosaic effect, which alternate through a spectrum of vivid fluorescent colours during the night. With most nights in Maya packed full of upbeat and friendly club goers the atmosphere is always vibrant, with table service being provided by a fleet of waitresses clad in bright yellow hotpant-length playsuits. With a music policy ranging from current rock acts to 70's cheese, the dancefloor is busy all night long helping to sustain a tremendous atmosphere.

A new guest is bugging London history museum

2008-07-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

The experts at London's Natural History Museum are not easily baffled. They pride themselves on classifying and displaying thousands of species, from birds and mamals to insects, dinosaurs and snakes, and are confident that they can identify most living things on the planet.

Except for a tiny red and black bug that has appeared in the museum's own gardens.

The almond-shaped insect, about the size of a grain of rice, and was first seen in March 2007 on some of the plane trees that grow on the grounds of the 19th century museum.

Within three months, it had become the most common insect in the garden, and has also been spotted in other central London parks. The museum has more than 28 million insect species in its collection, but none is an exact match for this insect. Still, experts were cautious about calling it a new discovery. "I don't expect to find a new species in the gardens of a museum" said Max Barclay, collections manager at the Natural History Museum. "Deep inside a tropical rain forest, yes but not in central London." The bug resembles the Arocatuse roselii, which is usually found in central Europe but is a brighter red and lives on alder trees.

Entomologists suspect the new bug could be a version of the roeselii that has adapted to live on plane trees, but acknowledged it could be an entirely new species.

Either way, it appears the museum's tiny visitor which appears harmless, is there to say. "We waited to see if the insect would survive the British winder," Barclay said. "It did and its thriving, so now we had better figure out what it is."

London an International Hub

2008-06-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

London has five international airports. Apart from serving as the largest aviation center on the planet, its main airport Heathrow, is the busiest airport in the world. Heathrow is conveniently connected with the city, the easiest being the tube which runs just below the airport when you exit out of Terminal 2. It recently opened its Terminal 5 which is estimated to carry 35 million passengers a year at capacity.

Read more on http://www.londonforidiots.com/

London 2008 Fireworks

2008-06-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

London City

2008-06-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

London, the capital city of England is the financial, cosmopolitan, cultural and tourist hub. A crucial settlement for approximately two millennia, It is presently one of the world's major business and financial centre, with considerable involvement in culture, education, entertainment, media, fashion politics, and arts all lend to its position as one of the key cities in the world.

London is the biggest & most populous city in the European Union. Its population is very cosmopolitan, drawing from a diverse range of peoples, cultures & faiths, speaking over 300 dissimilar languages. Occupants of London are referred to as Londoners.

London is an global transfer hub, with 5 international airports and a large port. It serves as the biggest aviation hub in the world, & its head airport, Heathrow, carries more international passengers than any other.

Read the rest of the article on http://www.londonforidiots.com/

Top things to do when you visit London

2008-06-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's the classic photo opportunity: have your photo taken standing on the Prime Meridian Line at Greenwich.

Head for The Royal Observatory and in the courtyard is a metal strip where you stand over the line and can be in the the eastern and western hemispheres at the same time. The Greenwich Royal Observatory was established by King Charles II in 1675. Greenwich was chosen back in 1884 as the Prime Meridian of the world, Longitude Zero (0° 0' 0"). Every place on Earth is measured in terms of its angle east or west from this line (longitude).

Get more details on directions and things to do at http://www.londonforidiots.com/