Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, Inspiration, It's my life, tagged blogging about London, blogging about my life, blogging about my travels, blogging on wordpress on January 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 13,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Posted in It's my life on January 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »
This is super cool I just had to share 🙂 the WordPress folks are genius 🙂 I love stats under normal circumstances, so this was good fun to see. Thanks wordpress… 🙂 Looking forward to my 2013 stats!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 27,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 6 Film Festivals
Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, tagged annual events in london, things to see and do in london, wassailing an annual event, wassailing the thames on January 15, 2013| 3 Comments »
me and the Green Man
yes! You read that right…..I went Wassailing down the Thames on a Sunday afternoon!! The Twelfth Night of Christmas festivities are held annually on the 6th January, and this year (also the first year) I got to hear about it!
So yesterday (January 6th) was one of the highlights of my London life to date!! I have lived in this city for 11 years now and it was only 2 weeks ago that I learned about the custom of wassailing. I received an email from a friend of mine inviting me to join him and his crew on the Trinity Tide as they carried the Holly (Green) Man from St Katherine’s Pier along the Thames to Bankside. I joined the cutter and crew at the pier at 1.45pm and my excitement knew no bounds; to be a passenger on the Trinity Tide had been a dream of mine since November 2010 when I first saw it in the Lord Mayor’s Show 🙂
the beautiful Trinity Tide
My daughter who was to be the official photographer and I set off really early and made our way to Tower Hill…thankfully the trains were running just fine and we made it in good time 🙂 We stopped off at Costa Coffee for a last-minute order (by text…gotta love social mobility) of 5 hot coffees; white please!! 🙂 I was guessing the crew were in need of urgent refreshment after rowing on what was a cold and grey day, from Deptford to Tower Bridge. Then down to the pier it was…I was still stressing big time about ‘am I in the right place?’ & ‘where were we landing?’ and sent a panic stricken text to Joe to make sure I had the right place. Daft!!!
me on my phone 🙂
When we arrived at the pier, there was no Green Man to be seen; my nerves were skittering about and almost overwhelmed my excitement. Then suddenly I saw the Trinity Tide as she rounded the bend
the Trinity Tide arrives in good time
and a few seconds later I saw the Green Man making his way down the walkway to the pontoon!! Hooray!! I was in the right place at the right time! This does not happen often 🙂 The Green Man looked absolutely splendid decked out in his greenery and the face painting was extraordinary! The Holly Man ‘brings in the green’ and ‘wassails’ or toasts the people, the River Thames and the Globe – an old tradition encouraging good growth.
the extraordinary Holly (Green) Man arrives
The cutter pulled up alongside the pontoon and quick as a flash before anyone could change their minds I was on and seated. Try to pry me off now and see how far you get!!! 🙂
safely ensconced and looking as pleased as punch
Within a very short space of time we were off…..the piper in the bow,
settled in for the trip; the piper in the bow of the Trinity Tide
the oarsman ready to row, the jolly green man standing as we go, one of the Mummers to wave and say hello; wassail the boats, then me in the VIP seat ( 🙂 ) and Joe standing at the stern to guide us safely along the river with nautical expressions like: easy as you go, or keep it even lads and even the odd ‘heave’.
looking ever so tiny against the huge structure of Tower Bridge, the Trinity Tide is on her way
Ohmygosh…what fun!!! I was truly in my element, grinning from ear-to-ear like a cheshire cat. I could scarcely believe my luck.
What an experience…..I can recommend it to anyone….although I am not sure that you would be able to go in the Trinity Tide, but you can sure take a ferry along the river. The views of the city are marvellous and although the tide was out and the water so low I could probably have walked along the river (kidding!), it was just amazing to sail beneath the bridges and see the buildings along the embankments from that perspective.
the underbelly of London Bridge, thankfully not falling down that day.
The Cap’n and his crew hailed and cheered the Green Man and the Trinity Tide and even 3 Days in London got 3 cheers….what fun!!
We made exceptionally good time, those blokes sure know how to row….and before we knew it, and way too soon for me, we arrived at Bankside.
the Green man arrives at Bankside…let the festivities begin!!!
And an extra bonus….because we were so early we (the rowers not me!!) rowed almost to Waterloo Bridge and then back down again, all the while the Mummer and Green Man wassailing along the Thames.
We landed safely on the beach (Churchill would have been proud), where we were met by a group of Mummers and others.
The Mummers waiting to greet the Green Man
Quick as a flash the Green Man was gone and I didn’t even have time to say goodbye 🙂 I climbed out the boat with huge reluctance! The embankment was lined with revellers and spectators there to see the arrival of the Green Man from the Thames, watch the Mummers and join in with the celebrations and Twelfth Night festivities.
Their costumes were just brilliant and the characters enchanting! I said goodbye to the Trinity Tide and crew and all too soon they made their way back along the Thames to Deptford.
goodbye Trinity Tide; bon voyage and thank you
The play was in full swing by the time I found myself a good vantage point and although I could not see very well or hear much of what was going on, the bits that I did get to see and hear were uproariously funny. At the end of the play, cakes are distributed – a bean and a pea hidden in two of them. Those who find them are hailed King and Queen for the day and crowned with ceremony. The little cakes were duly handed out and King Bean and Queen Pea were identified, they were crowned and the whole jolly group set off with revellers and spectators trailing behind to the George Inn for the next bit of the tradition. I ran like mad through the back streets (it’s really useful knowing my way around!) to get to the George Inn before the crowd as I really wanted to record them arriving….which they did with great noise, pomp and ceremony!! What a brilliant experience.
the Holly (Green) Man arrives at the George Inn, Southwark amidst much noise and ceremony
I can highly recommend that you put the 6 January 2015 into your diary and head on over to Bankside for next year’s festivities. Snippets of information in this blog are from this site; do visit it, it’s brilliant.
If you would like to join me on twitter where I post information about London I would be delighted. I am also on facebook and if you have any photos you would like to share of your London experiences, why not join the growing community of people who love London. Thanks for dropping by and reading this blog, I also blog about London at 3 days in London. So if you are in London for 3 days….or perhaps more, do feel free to visit the website for some ideas on places to visit and things to do and I wish you a wonderful stay.
Posted in It's my life, tagged 3 days in london, life in london, Personal Development on December 14, 2012| 4 Comments »
A few years ago I became embroiled in the Personal Development world. One of the many things we ‘learned’ was to not look back; “if you look in your rear-view mirror you can’t see your way forward”. Now I understand the sentiment, and I get the gist of it…ergo don’t always be looking back and perhaps regretting things you may or may not have done etc etc. However, sometimes it is good to look back and you may just discover something that you had forgotten about, but that was meaningful to you at the time, something that can lift your spirits. I just had such a moment. I was clearing out an old email address inbox…actually the truth of it is I booked for a workshop for tomorrow and can’t find the darn confirmation so am searching through all my email addresses in the hope I can find it 🙂
So I typed in the search bar ‘museum of london’ and an old email popped up in the search results, an email that has absolutely nothing to do with the Museum of London, and yet everything to do with London, and more specifically an anniversary date……I clicked on the link and this is what I found 🙂
The title of the email was: 08.10.08 an auspicious date….
“Hi folks,
I had to put finger to keyboard today and share with you this most auspicious date!
Today is my 7th ANNIVERSARY!!!! Anniversary of what you may ask?……well, it is 7 years ago today that I left South Africa for the first time to explore the wider world. An adventure of my life, that is still taking me on paths unknown and avenues as yet unexplored.
I remember so well the events leading up to my taking what was for me a huge step. Me who loves my comfort zones, my own bed, a cup of tea when I want it and to be able to lock myself away behind closed doors. How life and I have changed since then.
3 main events happened that year (2001) that were to have an impact. My sister Caroline was living in Ireland and was to celebrate her 30th birthday on the 9th October (tomorrow), and dearly wanted someone from the family to join her and hubbie Ewart for the party 
. My daughter Cemanthe celebrated her 21st birthday in the August and gained her independence as an adult, and the company I was working for at the time closed their doors in July. I was at a crossroad.
I made up my mind easily enough about travelling to Ireland, who wouldn’t? Booked my ticket through Swissair who promptly went bust a month later. Not to be deterred I got myself through sheer force of argument onto SA Airways. Handed my house and car keys over to my daughter, packed up my old kitbag (actually it was a new rucksack) and on this days 7 years ago fit to bust with sheer unadulterated terror and excitement I literally bounced through the terminal, through customs and on my way to my big adventure.
Flying via Zurich, I was overwhelmed with emotion to realise that not only was I in Europe but I was in the same space that WW2 happened. Flying over Europe later that day I was in tears remembering. Arriving in London that afternoon I was faced with the daunting task of getting myself from London City Airport to Heathrow with not a clue how. I had to eventually speak to someone and asked for help (not an easy task for me at that stage), made my way to the tube and off to Heathrow. What an experience, travelling on the tube was an experience I have never forgotten, and still love. I recall looking out the window as we neared Heathrow, looking at the Mary Poppins scene before me and thinking to myself…..”I could live here!” and now I am. How marvellously lucky is that. Btw….Mary Poppins scene= all the chimney pots!!
Later that day I arrived in Dublin and still bouncing with excitement and joy I flew into the arms of my beloved sister and brother-in-law. Wow, 4 countries in less that 24hours!!!! Awesome.
Dublin and indeed the whole of Ireland was a magical experience and I am still totally in love with that wee island. My ticket was booked for 6 weeks; I stayed for 6 months. Loving every minute I vowed to return as often as I could. To date I have: 8 times and still have a few counties to explore. When my 6 months was up I flew over to London to obtain the necessary paperwork that would allow me to apply for my Ancestral Visa. Yes, thank godness, my grandfather had the good sense to be born in London and I had the unalienable right to apply to live in this fabulous country. I flew back to SA for a couple of weeks to set my affairs in order, sold the house and car packed my belongings into storage (where they still are today) and flew back to my new life. What an adventure.
I started off in Ireland and spent a couple of months there travelling and exploring and then returned to London to find a job. I had the good fortune to find free accommodation and for 6 weeks ‘house sat’ a fabulous penthouse in Hampstead with a view right across London. What a way to start. I job searched and explored and finally settled on a job as a Carer, and so began a new chapter. Initially I was daunted by the reality, but after a week something clicked and I stayed in the caring environment for 6.5 years. I have had the good fortune to travel round this gorgeous country in that capacity and have been to some really beautiful places. The most memorable being Plymouth where I cared for the dearest man who stole my heart. It was there that I was inspired to write poetry for the first time, a couple of which have since been published.
During the last few years I have travelled to some amazing places, been driven through New York in a Limousine (courtesy of my daughter), climbed the Empire State Building, flown along the eastern seaboard of the USA to Florida. Visited Disney World, seen Snow White and Sleeping beauty in person 
, ridden on a roundabout, visited Sea World and Animal World, and experienced some of the most amazing sights I never imagined existed. Floated through Venice on a Gondola, driven through Paris in a soft-top Cadillac (courtesy of my daughter), climbed to the top of and had dinner at the Eiffel Tower, celebrating my 50th birthday with my daughter, sailed along the Seine and wandered the streets of Paris to my hearts content. Wandered the halls and tree-lined avenues of Versailles. Walked the streets of Amsterdam, seen sights that blew my mind and was humbled by a visit to the Anne Frank museum. Been on a cruise to the Bahamas, with the love of my life and travelled right round Florida from east to west and south, waded in the Gulf of Mexico, rode on a hydrofoil in the Florida swamps and stood at the southernmost point of USA, 65 miles from Cuba. Awesome. I’ve meandered the cobbled stones of Edinburgh, Bruges and Gibraltar. And as well as all that, I have had the most amazing adventures and visited some gorgeous cities and towns in England and Wales. Explored castles and cathedrals, ancient sites and visited islands. Explored London from one end to the other and watched the sun rise over the Thames at 5am. Seen the Grand Canyon from the air (it’s bigger than you could imagine), enjoyed an Arizona sunset and flown over the USA from west to north, seen swathes of snow that extended for hours, walked across the airport in Canada in shorts and t-shirt in freezing weather, and seen the Labrador Coast from the air.
2012.12.14 *insert: I am no longer so sure it was my “good fortune” since it has cost me a ‘fortune’ with no long lasting benefits – but that’s for another story*…… Last year I had the good fortune to be introduced to the world of Personal Development, learnt about values and beliefs, walked on Fire and jumped backwards off a 60’ pole, dug into the very depths of my soul and made wonderful friends along the way. I have had the good fortune to learn from some of the world’s best teachers and attended courses that have opened my mind to possibilities I never knew existed. Discovered my wealth profile, and been introduced to some fantastic opportunities. This has also awoken a passion in me to be what I always wanted to be; a teacher. Every day is a constant learning curve and I feel like a sponge, absorbing everything I can. I have read the autobiographies of some of the most influential people of our lifetime, one or two of which have had a profound effect on my thinking.
I have learned about Skype, Youtube and Facebook, am a member of more groups than I can count, have virtual conversations with people from the far corners of the world, learned more about building a website, Internet Marketing, Photo Reading and business than I ever thought possible. 2012.12.14 *insert – I have now also learned about pinterest, instagram, foursquare and of course twitter!*
I am now on a new adventure and have after 6.5 years left the world of caring and am returning to Credit Control. Had my first formal interview in 11years, which in the pre-UK days would have left me daunted and shaking. Instead I used the tools I have been taught and before the interview was over had been invited back for the 2nd. It is my intention to get this job, which is a senior position for a global company and a brilliant opportunity to do what I do best, set up systems and procedures and create a new department. I will keep you posted. Your concentrated and concerted wishes for success will be most appreciated. My next interview is Monday 13th at 4.30pm UK time. Keep your minds focussed please….I really want this position. it will also keep me in London which will allow me to see my friends more often, attend all the courses and seminars i want, and attend the training available to build my business.
I have a map for my life, which I never had before and I now live my life with intention rather than accident. And best of all, my daughter has travelled so much of this incredible journey with me. And there is so much more to come.
In closing, thank you to all you lovely people; my darling daughter, dear family and friends who have patiently waded through my voluminous emails and listened to my dreams and shared my excitement as I set off on each new adventure. And to those who have become my friends along the way, I thank you for the new dimension you have brought to my life.
I celebrate and appreciate you all. We may not meet very often, yet I think about you all. we have shared some very special times and that is very precious to me.
Here is to the next 7 years as I celebrate my JOY OF LIFE. I love the thought of all the things I have planned and all the possibilities as yet unexplored.
Much love to you all.
end of email from 2008.
And looking back!!!! I am amazed at how much has changed and how much has remained the same……I didn’t get the job and continued with the Caring, still travelling in that capacity, I did apply for a different job a few years later, which I got and hated….the sameness of every day drove me mad as did the boss, and the commute wore thin around the edges eventually, I went back to the Caring after 7 months and decided office work is no longer an option for me, I have however started up my own business http://3daysinlondon.info/ which is finally gaining recognition and traction, I now have my own home (sharing a house with my daughter) which she has to herself about 3 weeks of every month whilst I travel in my capacity as a Carer and I am still totally in love with London!!!! 🙂
So there you go…..sometimes it does pay to look in the rear-view mirror. And if you have read this far….I salute you!! Thanks 🙂
Posted in around the UK, It's my life, wealth and finance, tagged bank bailouts, corporation tax avoidance, taking a stand on October 17, 2012| 5 Comments »
Oh woe is me!!! This is the death of the Starbucks gingerbread latte for me. Since about 2006, once autumn was in the air, I have waited with anticipation for when Starbucks bring back their gingerbread lattes – my favourite winter drink!
death of the Starbucks gingerbread latte 😦 saving lives and tax!
This for me heralded the season of dressing up in my winter woollies, xmas lights and snow (hopefully!)….whoo hoo!
Just yesterday I read in the Daily Mail that Starbucks has (allegedly) not paid any tax in the UK for the last three years! And they are not alone. Since the furore created with the news that the many of the large Corporations sponsoring the London2012 Olympics were exempt from paying tax I have decided to take a stand and boycott any company that does not pay tax and/or pays their CEO’s outrageously over-the-top salaries and bonuses. The latter are usually the banks and invariably these men at the top walk away from their posts after a few years with perks/payouts/pensions in the £millions. Are these types of payouts warranted? And what about when the banks fail? Invariably we; the British tax-payer have to bail them out….along with all the other (m)uck-ups!
So since the furore of the Olympics I have kept a close eye on the papers and especially on the large corporations that pay very little or no tax in the UK, this despite a turn-over that runs to £millions plus. According to the Daily Mail Starbucks posted a UK loss of £33million on sales of £398million (it does however pay VAT on in-store hot drinks!) Big deal…WE pay the VAT. It’s included in our bill and all they do is hand that over to the Treasury… It does make you wonder that if they are posting such huge losses, are their CEO’s capable of running a company? They should be making a profit, how come such big losses? And I am not referring to legitimate expenses.
So coming back to the subject in hand, this means the death of my gingerbread latte…I am from now boycotting Starbucks and any other company that I hear of that doesn’t pay tax, especially if I have to pay them for their product or service. So far facebook and google are only exempt from my boycott because they are free, although that does not excuse them. A small stand perhaps but from the backlash on twitter last night I would hazard a guess that there are a great number of people in the UK that are fed-up with the large USA corporations coming into the UK, opening up shop, making money and then laughing all the way to the bank, and mind the UK companies that do the same thing. Whatever has happened to ethics and honesty in business?
read more:
and this has been going on for some years now….
and Comics have gotten in on the act too!
my idol has fallen 😦
and lets not forget our erstwhile politicians…the people we are meant to trust, the people we trust to do good for us in Government!! reminds me of the whole debacle a few years ago….and duckgate!!! All very well selling the duck house for charity…he sure knows that you can claim any donations to charity off your tax!! So big deal!!
and the list goes on, and not just in business either – a report from the TUC has claimed that every year an astonishing £13 billion is avoided in taxes by the UK’s wealthiest people….well of course they would, they have smart, expensive lawyers that can unearth all the loop-holes.
Seems the old adage of “there are two things in life you cannot avoid: death and taxes” is no longer valid…. you CAN avoid tax.
However….we also have some honest Business men who do pay their taxes
On the bright side…..I am saving myself a heck of a lot of money by not buying from these companies and as I unearth more….the C.H.I.P.S. will fall. And the issue that sparked the creation of the page!
UPDATE:
2012.10.19 and so the chickens come home to roost GOOGLE now don’t get me wrong, I love google I have no problem with them making bundles of cash/a profit and I would be happy to pay a monthly fee to use it for my business, but I do object to these large corporations NOT PAYING THEIR DUE TAXES.
Posted in Fun Stuff, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged london 2012 olympic games on September 22, 2012| 5 Comments »
Tower Bridge goes gold – London2012 Olympics
“It was all a very good show”……said with typical British understatement for the fact that Britain and London had managed to pull off one of the greatest shows on earth!! London2012 Olympics and then the Paralympics went off like a dream. Magic, mayhem, Madness, Mandeville, a zip-lining Mayor and the Mo-Bot; leaving us with the legacy of a summer of fun, friendliness and a whole new perspective to the usual stiff-upper lip the Brits are renowned for!!
After months of planning, hard work and a carefully crafted proposal that included what the committee considered would be the legacy of the 2012 games for London and the UK; 6th July 2005 brought the news that London had won the right to host the 2012 Olympics! The thrilling announcement that our bid had been successful was met with a roar of approval, the crowds in Trafalgar Square went mad with jubilation, magic was in the air and London was abuzz with excitement. People chatted in the streets, in pubs, in offices and at home we watched the news over and over again, the scenes of our London Committee jumping into the air was thrilling. The first time for 64 years.
London 2012
That evening the talk was of the Olympics and Paralympics, 2012 seemed so far away. The next morning London was shocked to the core and jerked out of her jubilation with the dreadful, terrifying and shocking events that ripped through the underground, killing and maiming so many people, by the bombings that took place. 7/7 was etched forever in the physche of London. The Olympics left the scene, that was yesterday.
the 7/7 Memorial in Hyde Park
Slowly and surely, after many agonising months that for some stretched into years, London recovered, moved on, changed, welcomed newcomers, said goodbye to others and erected memorials in the name of the people who died on that terrible day. The Olympic Park took shape,
the Olympic Stadium nearing completion
bridges were built, East London changed like a shape-shifter, the dissenters said it would never be a success – that it was draining the public pocket, the transport system wouldn’t cope – it was too old, too crowded, reams of papers were printed, millions of words compiled, and miles of temporary fencing installed – enough to stretch from Canary Wharf to Weymouth and Portland.
Then suddenly the Olympics were just 500 days away. Where did the years go? The Olympic clock was installed at Trafalgar Square, the event celebrated with a party and suddenly the excitement of what lay ahead started to seep into the very fabric of the city. And the people came from far and wide! The clock become a feature of the square, included in millions of photos….in years to come they would be able to say…..I was there! Tours of the Olympic Park could be booked, these tickets highly desirable and people came from all over the world to have a look.
London 2012 Olympic Park overview
The days crept by, now it was just months, the dissenters cried foul, the protagonists rebuffed and yet inexorably the days just crept by…and suddenly….100 days to go!! The Olympic rings were up at St Pancras Station ready to welcome visitors from abroad on the Eurostar, the Olympic Park neared completion, many of the venues already completed; ahead of schedule despite reports of doom and gloom, the Olympic rings launched on the Thames carried on a barge, Olympic rings were hoisted and secured onto Tower Bridge,
The Olympic Rings on Tower Bridge
and now the buzz on the street was the Torch Relay, not long to go!!! Bubblegum Pink signs appeared on the underground, above ground;
with a colour like that…you simply could not go astray
go here, go there and @GAOTG, venues arose as if by magic in Central London and some of our favourite ‘places to go’ were suddenly out-of-bounds…..London will never cope!!
the Olympic Rings at St Pancras
Volunteers practised for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the practise run a #BestKeptSecret, Games Makers volunteers trained, the torch designed and 800 created, loved by some, by others not. The costs crept up £9billion all told, word on the street was that the Opening and Closing ceremonies alone would cost £80million, 50 pence coins to commemorate the Games taking place went into circulation, the main sponsors came under fire for not paying tax, their validity questioned; whoever heard of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola sponsoring an event that required peak health and fitness? G4S fell down at the finishing post #epicfail – the Home Secretary came under fire – the already stretched Army roped in to provide security, and surface-to-air missiles installed on roof tops – controversy reigned…London would never cope!
An ancient ritual in Athens. Greece, home of the Olympics. A Princess. A Football legend. Land’s End.
The Olympic flame, kindled from the rays of the sun flies in on a British Airways plane named The Firefly. Then Saturday to Land’s End for the start of an 8,000 mile relay! The Torch has landed.
And it’s off – carried in turn by 800 nominated and carefully selected torch-bearers, from one end of our fair land to the other, travelling through 1,019 cities, towns and villages, the Torch relay galvanised Great Britain and the crowds grew and grew as the torch travelled round the country, people lined the streets come rain or shine, heroes and outstanding personalities as well as very ordinary people carried the flame; held high with pride and joy, a human chain that reached the length and breadth of Britain, each Bearer keeping their torch as a memento. None too soon and the first torch appeared on eBay – up for sale!! 🙂 Commercialism is alive and well.
Parties were held, fireworks blasted off, events and extravagances, and at each stop the crowds just grew and grew, the relay had promised that the torch would pass within a few miles of every person in this country; South, East, West and North….we all had the opportunity to step out and cheer, supporting the runners as they took their place in history; the greatest show on earth. We all had a chance to watch it go by.
Olympic Torch Relay at Kew Gardens
All too soon and yet not soon enough, the Torch arrived in London, flying in by helicopter, upstream and up over our beautiful Tower Bridge, and in competition with the roar of the helicopters the crowds cheered and roared! Hooray!!!! The torch has arrived! Staying the night in the Tower of London from whence it set off the next day to travel through all 33 Boroughs of London. I managed to see it at Kew Gardens, up close and personal and then again at Millenium Bridge – outstandingly exciting.
Millenium Bridge
Wenlock and Mandeville appeared as if by magic, not there yesterday, suddenly here today, these controversial characters dotted the city, at famous landmarks, along the South Bank, Albert Embankment, in famous gardens and in quiet corners; @MOLPresents another London attraction! Locals and visitors got into the swing of things and started to ‘Stroll’ on Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, Red and Yellows trails to #findWenlock & #findMandeville,
Tourist Mandeville – I Love London 🙂 – me too!!!
The Olympic Clock – one of many attractions in the city to celebrate the momentous occasion. The days and hours flew by and as the clock counted down crowds would gather each night in Trafalgar Square as the day drew in and evening hour approached 9, then in the space of a millisecond, with a loud cheer and applause the numbers slipped over…..** days, ** hours, ** minutes and ** seconds to go…..
the Olympic Clock at Trafalgar Square
Twitter, facebook and youtube alight with excitement or dissent, millions of photos uploaded to the net, the London Eye blazed bright for a while lit up by the tweets of the nation, the colours pulsed capturing the mood on the street. News spread with the flash of a fire #socialmedia changed the face of the Olympics.
At last the time had arrived and on the 27th July, aboard the Yarmouth Belle, astounded at the crowds already lining the banks of the river at 6.30am on a wet and chilly morning, I followed the Olympic Flame as it travelled on it’s penultimate journey, burning brightly in a cauldron on the Royal Barge Gloriana along the Thames from Hampton Court Palace to Richmond and thence to London Pool. And from Hampton Court to City Hall, on boats, grassy banks, in buildings, house-boats, lining the locks and bridges, the people of London with flags, brollies and bunting held high cheered and waved as the flame went by.
the crowds waiting patiently to cheer on the Olympic Torch on the Royal Barge Gloriana
At Richmond I disembarked and ran like crazy to the station for the train to central London, I wanted one more glimpse of the torch as it arrived at Tower Bridge, we had the #HomeAdvantage.
Again the torch was greeted by huge crowds, like a moth to a flame ( 🙂 ) the people came, the space around City Hall on Bankside and the walkways of Tower Bridge filled up rapidly as word spread….hooray! the flame is here………and now it was time…..let the Games begin. Inspire a Generation.
The Royal Barge Gloriana arriving at Tower Bridge with the Olympic Flame
And later that night, along with billions of people round the world, we settled in front of our tellies – the best seat in the house! – desperately envious of the 80,000 people who had managed to get tickets for the #OpeningCeremony. With music, magic, mayhem and Madness the ceremony began. In turn we were amused, astounded, thrilled and surprised as the wonderful, amazing #OpeningCeremony got under way. Gently and slowly the pace built up as our pulses increased, green fields gave way to the Industrial Revolution, gold rings rose into the sky, the Queen parachuted in with James Bond; shaken and stirred as were we. What a spectacle! We had it all, laughter, music, scenes from history, a nod to the Victorians, scenes from the 60’s, the Tor, the Minis, the dancers and drummers, the pace quickened and a loud cheer greeted the parade; the first of the Athletes as they entered the stadium.
Great Britain….Athletes Parade at the Opening Ceremony (and this was as close as I got 🙂 )
Greece as the guardian of the Games proudly in front. Then from A-Z the teams from 204 countries marched by, the Athletes excited and jubilant, the flag bearers carrying their country’s flag with pride. We watched with curiosity as the parade went by – what were those copper petals carried on the arm of a pretty young girl? #BestKeptSecret And the crowd just cheered and cheered.
Speeches followed, then the flags of Greece, Great Britain and the Olympic flag were carried in and raised as the crowds just cheered and cheered. And then the moment we had all been waiting for, a moment suspended in time….finally we saw the flame again; now on it’s final leg, with speed along the Thames, burning brightly in it’s golden torch, a luminescent speedboat steered by one of the most recognisable faces in the world sped beneath Tower Bridge leaving behind a wake of bright light as fireworks exploded above the bridge……. a fitting display for a very important flame.
With a flourish it arrived at the Olympic Park, handed over to a legend of sport, then carried high on the roar of the crowd it arrived in the Stadium, carried round in relay by 7 young athletes and finally, as the world held their collective breath, the next generation stepped up and the first flicking flames leapt high lighting the amazing, the brilliant, magnificent London2012 Olympic cauldron, 204 copper petals rose slowly towards the heavens, ablaze! You could almost feel the gasp; what an amazing cauldron.
The London2012 Olympic Cauldron
Fireworks lit up the sky, explosions of colour shooting high! Let the Games begin!
To say that I found the Olympics totally inspiring would be an understatement…I spent most of my free time glued to the TV, and bounding high on a wave of euphoria when finally the days arrived when we too could atend the events I had been lucky enough to secure: Fencing at the Excel Arena and Synchronised Swimming at the Aquatics Centre….in yes!!! wait for it!!!! In the Olympic Park no less!!! OMG!!!
me at the Olympic Park for the Synchronised Swimming
The events were brilliant – @TeamGB shone and shone and shone, GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE our wonderful atheletes put on their best show and we went from strength to strength. I was bursting with patriotic pride. Never mind that I had never heard of 90% of those athletes, I saw them now and they were brilliant. Tears flowed….some theirs, plenty of mine!!! Kept Kleenex in business. LOL
Claire Balding came into her own, a brilliant presenter….we marvelled at the magnificent Mo Farah….the Mo-Bot was born. I gasped and cried as I watched a horse dance in the Equestrian event, screamed at the TV and jumped up and down like a lynatic, an audience of one but no less excited, thrilled and blown away….yes!!! GOLD at Eton-Dorney. The Mayor Boris Johnson got stuck on a zip-wire at Victoria Park and Bert Le Clos captured the heart of the nation when his beautiful boy won the swimming event. We watched records broken, hearts broken, and barriers came down. GOLD here, SILVER there and BRONZE everywhere…..and then in the closing event Mo Farah secured a final GOLD and a place forever in sporting history.
OMG, my heart.
Our excursion to Excel Arena was way exciting, and despite being way at the back and not having a clue as to what was going on, just being there was sheer magic. The Games Makers were brilliant, guiding, shepherding and answering. Army chaps smiled and said hello, not quite going as far as a high-five but close enough.
me and Cémanthe holding one of the Olympic torches at Excel Arena
And so those magical days of the #London2012 Olympics went on, thrilling, exciting, fun and fascinating. A summer like no other and never to be forgotten. And all too soon the last day arrived, @TeamGB were 3rd in the league of medals….whoo hooo!!! Way, way better than anyone ever expected…carried through by the sheer determination of the athletes and the joy and pride of the spectators. The #ClosingCeremony was no less exciting and just as crazy as the #OpeningCeremony albeit tinged with sadness….the time had come to say goodbye.
But fear not……the #Paralympics were on their way……..
Posted in Fun Stuff, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged london2012 olympics, olympic fireworks, olympic opening ceremony, the olympic bell on August 27, 2012| 1 Comment »
The Olympic Rings at St Pancras Station
After all the hype and hurrumph about the London 2012 Olympics last month’s opening ceremony was absolute genius. Danny Boyle is to be commended for capturing the spirit of Britain’s past; her quirky characters, her obscure humour, her rebellious nature, her natural reserve and cleverly incorporating it into one evening of extravagant, quirky and totally amazing scenes all gathered together into one.
I had planned my schedule around the Opening Ceremony and made absolutely sure that I was going to be at home to watch on TV. We had been told that the best views would be via the TV, so I took them at their word, although to be sure…I would so have loved to be at the Olympic Stadium for the atmosphere….nothing beats that. However, since we were not, I made a traditional meal of Bangers & Mash with peas (not mushy) washed down with a bottle of sparkling wine (JC leRoux – a nod to my roots) and for dessert we had…ice-cream!! 🙂
our celebratory refreshment!!! 🙂 JC le Roux
I prepped and planned, and as the day sped by my level of anticipation grew! We had decorated the house with flags and bunting; red, white & blue!
flags and bunting galore……
With mounting excitement we settled down in front of the telly at 8pm, and tuned into BBC1 to catch the build-up and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a second! I had been up with the sparrows that morning, headed to Hampton Court Palace to join the Yarmouth Belle and travel behind the Olympic Torch on the final leg of the relay to London. (another blog will follow on that escapade!!).
following behind the Royal Barge Gloriana and the Olympic Flame enroute to London
Finally and with a huge hurrah the Opening Ceremony began! I was beside myself with excitement, making my daughter laugh at my silliness. What an magical experience to watch the opening bell being rung by Bradley Wiggins,
The Olympic bell
and then the scenes of Britain played out, quirky, funny, amazing, awesome, brilliant and overall humour aplenty!!! I mean WHO could ever forget that moment when The Queen, our Queen Elizabeth II turned around to greet Bond!!!!! Have you ever!!! It was beyond brilliant. Certainly my highlight. And the fun didn’t stop for a moment. How proud we were to watch our teams walk by, all so proud with their flags held high. We were lucky enough to be able to cheer twice; once for South Africa
the South African Olympic Team
and again for the UK!!! Our GREAT Britain.
#TeamGB – whoo hoo!!! and didn’t they do us proud!!
Pastoral scenes, the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Brunel, Miners, gold from the mines beaten into 5 rings, Glastonbury Tor, The NHS, GreatOrmondStreetHospital, Mary Poppins, Mr Bean, Chariots of Fire, music across the decades, Tim Berners-Lee, our national Anthem, “God Save The Queen”… for which I made my daughter stand and my sister sent a text to say (I bet your Mother is standing for the Anthem!) LOL, damn right I am – spot on!! The lights, the energy, the noise, the excitement…..the stadium a heaving kaleidoscope of colour and energy, a swell of sound that must surely have been heard in outer-space!
a kaleidoscope of colour
That unforgettable scene of David Beckham speeding along the Thames in a luminescent speedboat the flame proudly flaming up front, under the magnificent Tower Bridge accompanied by a magical explosion of fireworks, enough to dazzle the eye!!
Olympic Torch speeds along the waterways of London 2012 to the Olympic Stadium
Sir Steve Redgrave waiting at the quayside inside the Olympic Park, and so finally we knew who would carry the flame and light the cauldron…but no, another surprise in store….the flame, very fittingly was handed over to the next generation – the London2012 motto “Inspire a Generation” – nominated by the athletes of past generations – 7 young athletes , who then carried the torch triumphantly in a final relay around the stadium! Brilliant!! The Olympic Flag and the Union Jack carried with pride and raised aloft amongst the other countries carefully placed on the Tor…inspirational!
the Olympic Flag being carried up the Tor
And then, the lighting of what is most assuredly the most magnificent of all Olympic cauldrons! 204 copper petals, one for each country, cupped and ready to accept the light! What a wonder to behold as the stems all rose up into the night sky, a beacon seen from afar!! Sheer inspiration!
aflame; the London2012 Olympic Cauldron
and then the piece-de-resistance…the fireworks…no Olympic Opening Ceremony would ever be complete without a magnificent explosion of fireworks!! These did not disappoint!
the London2012 Olympic fireworks
And so the Games began!!
let the games begin!!!
I had tried ever so hard to resist taking photos of the TV screen as each scene rolled out, coz as you know photos off the telly are anything but good….but eventually I caved in and although they are no good from an artistic angle, for me they symbolise what was one of the most amazing events! And I was here….in London, in 2012….awesome!! I also have tons of newspapers to sort out! 🙂
Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged kew gardens olympic torch relay, london 2012 olympic games, olympic torch relay richmond on July 25, 2012| 8 Comments »
London 2012
#London2012 and I am here!!! Thrilled to be part of what is the cremé de la cremé of sporting events, one of the most amazing events in sports. I am living a part of history that for some folks (me included) is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We live history every single day, some impacts on us and much doesn’t….depending on where it happens and what happens and whether or not we are involved in some way.
My personal history was written the day the company I was working for back in South Africa went into liquidation…little did I know just how much that was going to change my life; the radical shift that was pending…and I didn’t even know. My only concern on the day was…”let me into the building I have work to do…don’t have time for this BS!!” (they did and I got on with my job 🙂 ), my next concern was whether or not I would get another job….those were the days of the new South Africa where to be Old/er, White, Man/Woman was not conducive to getting a job and then the worry about the mortgage popped into my head.
Then I had a stroke of genius….I would visit my sister in Ireland 🙂 What a great idea…. I didn’t have to ask for leave..I would be free to go on holiday for as long as I liked! So I booked my ticket and the rest is ‘history!’…..and here I am living in what is the greatest city in the world and just about to be part of one of the most momentous events of this year…and we have had quite a few! I bought/ordered tickets for my daughter and myself and thankfully we were awarded tickets for 2 events; one at the Olympic Stadium and one at Excel.
Oliver Golding, just before they lit the flame for his section of the relay…up close and personal
The buildup was initially slow, but over the last few months the excitement has mounted and when the Olympic Flame landed in the UK on 28th May, we really got into the swing of things as it travelled around the country, drawing ever greater crowds to watch it go by! And yesterday it travelled through my home town!!! Hooray.
I was so excited the night before that I hardly slept!!! I went to bed at about 1.30am; the adrenaline racing through my body & my mind popping about all over the place. I finally fell asleep only to wake at 5am. Unable to go back to sleep, I got up, had a cup of tea and a biscuit then dressed and ready to go by 6:48. I kissed my daughter goodbye. She is usually out the door well before me (I don’t do mornings) and by 7:12am I was at Kew Gardens….no-one else was there. I thought for sure I had the wrong place. I quickly got onto twitter (via my brand new wonderful little mobile computer (aka a phone) and saw tweets about the traffic being interrupted and that they would be handing out maps and info at Kew Station…so I whizzed over got myself a much need cup of coffee and waited. They got there at just on 8am and map in hand I strode back up the road to the gates…..the Marshalls had just arrived and were amazed to see someone already there. LOL I was in the right place, at the right time…okay, well still a tad too early!
Kew Gardens gates…..open at 9.30am 🙂
Then while I sat and waited an old gent joined me on the bench and we chatted awhile. I was too excited to sit still for long so made my excuses and off I went to hang around in front of the gates in the hope they may opened them sooner….they didn’t!
Finally they opened the gates……..and I was in. By then the crowd has grown as more and more folks arrived. My friend Peter joined me and we set off, taking photos along the way to find a good spot.
Anjula Wilson – at Kew Gardens after her stint carrying the Olympic Torch in the relay
Yesterday was seriously awesome…to see the Olympic Torch from such close proximity. No barriers, no policing, just UK citizens and visitors enjoying what is a momentous occasion. To see a flame that has travelled not only across our country but from another land, with a history that goes back aeons…this is a must see. Personally, despite all the hiccups, all the negativity and all the problems we have had…I think we should be proud to hosting this amazing event. #London2012 I am so grateful that I am here to experience it.
One of the advantages of being up that early was that I got to see the river with the morning sunrise. I have photgrpahed this particular scene hundreds of times, but this was the first time so early in the morning…..I guess I am going to ‘have to do mornings’ 🙂
early morning at Twickenham Bridge
After the Torch had left, we meandered about exploring the gardens and having a look at the new David Nash exhibition and walking around the Treetop Walkway which is seriously cool. After an hour or so we headed over to Twickenham for tea and cupcakes, then strolled along the Thames pathway to Richmond and finally to the station at 5.45pm. What a brilliant day.
I have posted some photos of the Olympic torch and Kew Gardens on my facebook page.
Just found this new post with a brilliant photo of the Olympic Rings at Kew Gardens
Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged admiral of the port boat challenge, admiral of the port challenge race, river thames events, trinity house history, trinity tide, what to see in london on May 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Big Ben and with minutes to go till 7pm the boats head out
Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012. Just over a week ago I received and invitation from a friend of mine whom I met via Twitter to attend this historical race. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement…I love this history of the city and anything to do with events in the City gets me all excited…..needless to say I accepted.
Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012
The course will be from
The Palace of Westminster
to
the Westminster Boating Base,
a distance of 1.33 statute miles
The event is open to all Watermen’s four oared cutters in full livery regalia with canopies
carrying the coxswain and two passengers.
Trinity Tide heading out
“Our boat, which is the Trinity House Cutter “Trinity Tide”, will be the beautiful white cutter with the green canopy”.
When I arrived at just after 5.30pm I noticed a number of small water-craft tied up alongside Westminster Pier and headed on down to have a look around. It was really interesting to see the boats up close and there was an excited buzz of chatter and laughter as the rowers and passengers milled about either putting the bits and pieces together or just catching up.
attaching/installing the flag….no doubt there is a technical term for this 🙂
It was really interesting watching the oarsman setting up the canopy and the seating area, the different flags, the oars and all the bits and bobs (which I am sure all have professional names 😉 ) and in no time at all it was ‘all aboard’ and off they went into the middle of the river to catch the fast flowing tide and a race to the finish line.
the boats gathering and heading to the start: Westminster Bridge
I had met up with Joe and his wife Jan, and as a guest of theirs had been invited to the champagne reception after the race. The plan was for us to see the competitors set off and then race up the stairs of Westminster Bridge, dash across the road and hail the first taxi that came along, then make a mad dash (or as fast as London traffic will allow) to the venue for the finish and the reception.
one quick photo as I dash up the stairs
So as soon at the boats got to the bridge, we ran along the pier, along the Embankment, up the stairs, hesitated briefly at the traffic lights, ignored the red signal, checked for traffic…none…and ran across the road….dashed along the sidewalk and lo and behold there was a cab…almost as if it had been waiting. We hailed madly, checked that he could go our way, jumped in breathlessly laughing and urged yer man the cabbie to race to the finish line. It all felt very 007’ish and my heart was racing with excitement (or exertion)!! 😉
We got to the pier (finish line) in good time to watch the boats arrive; very exciting to watch that!!!
there in the distance you can catch a glimpse of the boats. at this point I switched over to video, so no stills of the boats coming in…. (p.s. the boats in the foreground were not in the race)
Then for the champagne…hmmm yum.
champagne 🙂
I was very impressed with the food provided and a great evening was had by all. But…..my curiosity was piqued! I wanted to know more about this race, so yesterday I sat down and did a bit of research and this is what I found:
Posted in It's my life, tagged fun stuff, hair cuts at home on May 17, 2012| 2 Comments »
Okay, so here’s the thing. I like my hair long….I love the feel of it on my back when it gets midway down, I love to pin it up in a swirl or tie it up in a pony-tail. But it gets heavy, and unwieldy, it gets in my eyes and messes up my photos on a windy day (you know what I mean?). I seldom, if ever visit a hair salon, preferring instead when it gets too long to hang my head over the bath, bunch the hair together, grab a sharp scissors and hack off the inches….chip chop! No cost, no hasstle, no worries…someone always tidies up the ends and makes it neat at the back. I can’t see the back anyhow so no worries…
But today, the hairdresser came to do my lady’s hair…and while we were chatting, the three of us, she happened to mention that other carers have had their hair cut by this bloke and asked if I wanted mine cut too….and out of nowhere, without a 2nd thought…I said yes.
So we have gone from long
long
to short
short
and now that it’s done it feels fab. I haven’t had my hair this short for well over 9 years…possibly more. I do recall tho visiting a salon in Crouch End some years ago and the girl made such a mess of it, I said not again…especially as they charge a ruddy fortune to cut your hair in this city.
So now apparently I look 10 years younger and if thats the case then I am well happy….despite the grey…well I prefer to say ‘silver’ LOL.
No Instagram images were found.
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