Not Just a Granny

what to do with 6 hours in London

April 24, 2010 by notjustagranny

UPDATE: 17.10.2012 – the Olympics are over so now all areas are once again accessible :). Hope you enjoy the walk.

UPDATE: 18.04.2011 – this post was written for a friend last year. However, feel free to use the information herein. I have a blog on London where you can find out a lot more about fun and interesting things to do and places to go while you are here – go to http://3daysinlondon.info/ Wishing you a fab time in the city.

So assuming your free time is the whole 6 hours I would suggest that you go to Green Park and visit Buckingham Palace to see the fabulous flowers (seasonal) and then take a walk to Big Ben & Houses of Parliament; so here goes:

Buy a one-day travel card for zones 1-6 at Heathrow Underground Tube station, off-peak Zone 1-6 £8.50 this will allow you unlimited travel from Heathrow to and in and around Central London and back again. If you travel before 09:30 the cost will be substantially higher. For further fare info click here which will take you to TravelforLondon website showing fares/zones.

Hop on the Piccadilly Line which runs from all Heathrow terminals. Allow an hour for the journey and go to Green Park (it’s direct).

Get off at Green Park and take the exit straight into Green Park. Stroll through the park till you reach The Mall and on the right you will see Buckingham Palace = approx 10-15 minutes stroll allows you time to look around and enjoy the many features.

Buckingham Palace

At Buckingham Palace spend some time looking at the Victoria Memorial Gardens and the Queen Victoria Memorial fountains.

Victoria Memorial Gardens

then take a walk along The Mall towards Trafalgar Square. On your way take a stroll through the park = St James’s Park.

tulips at St Jamess park

It is beautiful this time of year (April) and the tulips are magnificent = 30-45minutes or so. If you walk through the park, head to the Blue Bridge and cross over towards Birdcage Walk and stroll along towards Big Ben and Parliament Square.

Then at Trafalgar Square, spend 15 minutes or so if you wish to look around

fountain at Trafalgar Square with National Gallery in the background

While at Trafalgar Square why not pop in to The National Gallery, it’s free (they do appreciate donations) and the entrance is beautiful. Although the Olympic Clock is now gone, I have left a photo in just because 🙂

london 2012 olympic games, olympic games london

The London 2012 Olympic Clock at Trafalgar Square

and then head along Whitehall (main road) towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace) = 15 minutes or so. A pointer for direction is that Lord Nelson on his perch (column) faces towards Big Ben and Houses of Parliament along Whitehall (name of the road),

you will also pass Horse-Guards Parade (4pm to see the 4 o’clock parade; much lower key than say changing the guard but impressive and free. If you get there at any other time then all it is is a big square. Having said that there is a memorial to those killed in the South African campaign over 100 years ago which is both impressive and moving – thanks to Paul for the inserted contribution) as well as No 10 Downing Street on the right hand side of the road and the Cenotaph; a memorial to those killed in the 1st & 2nd WW situated in the middle of Whitehall.

At Big Ben, be sure to cross over to Westminster Abbey (looking towards the right & closed at 3.30 most days), the whole area is looking gorgeous.

royal wedding, westminster abbey, things to do in london

Westminster Abbey the venue for the Royal Wedding on April 29th 2011

After that return to Big Ben

Big Ben

and walk up onto the right-hand side of the bridge (Westminster Bridge) where you can view the whole palace alongside the river.

Houses of Parliament aka Westminster Palace

At that point you would be able to see the London Eye and the Aquarium. Cross over to the opposite side for a better view.

the London Eye with the Aquarium in the background

be sure to stop and have a look at the statue of Boudicca on her chariot (Queen of the Iceni who ravaged the Romans). There is an ice-cream stand on the corner there where you can buy a double cone soft vanilla ice-cream with flake for £? the prices changes regularly but it’s in the region of £2.00-£2.50) 🙂 If you take a walk along the Victoria Embankment, be sure to have a look at the Battle of Britain memorial…it’s stunning.

If you want to and have the time, take a walk along the Victoria Embankment (with the river on your right hand side), towards the next bridge (Hungerford & Golden Jubilee Bridges), where you can see the RAF (Royal Air Force) monuments alongside the embankment as well as all our gorgeous trees that are just about in their full greenery (assuming you are here in spring/summer). = 45 minutes.

At Embankment Station there are a number of coffee shops where you could stop off and have a cuppa = 30minutes or so. If not and its a hot day, then have an ice-cream instead 🙂 If you have time climb the stairs onto the bridge, for a magnificent view upstream of the river towards the London Eye etc. From here you can take the District or Circle tube line to Earl’s Court and change for the Piccadilly line for Heathrow.

Heathrow to Green Park = 60-70 minutes give or take

Green Park station stroll to Buckingham Palace 15 minutes

Buckingham Palace through St James’s park to Trafalgar Square 60 minutes

Trafalgar Square 15 minutes

Walk to Big Ben and Houses of Parliament 15 minutes

Time at Big Ben and perhaps Westminster Abbey 60 minutes

walk along the Embankment (the London Eye will be on your right hand side) to Embankment station 15-20 minutes

stop for coffee (or not). There is a lovely park just behind the station; Victoria Embankment Park, a lovely environment to stop and rest for a while. You will find a memorial to the poet Robert Burns in the park as well as many other statues and and interesting memorials = 30 minutes

Back to Heathrow from Embankment approx 60-70 minutes.

These are all estimated times and depend on how long you stay at each place or how slow/quickly you walk. I have allowed extra time for each leg of the excursion, so you may find it takes a bit less for each. It’s up to you how long you want to take at each place. Good luck and have a fabulous time. Let me know if this works for you. 🙂

Posted in Historical, Holidays, things to do in London, Travel | Tagged Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Heathrow, Houses of Parliament, http://www.tfl.gov.uk, London Eye London Aquarium, Piccadilly line, St James's Park, Trafalgar Square | 6 Comments »

Who was St George?

April 23, 2010 by notjustagranny

St George on Google 🙂

Most countries which observe St George’s Day celebrate it on April 23, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George’s death in 303 AD.

St George’s Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George’s Day is also England’s National Day.

Saint George is the patron saint of some important cities, mainly belonging to the territories added to the old kingdoms of Castille, Leon and Aragon in the historic period of the “Reconquista”.

The legend

St. George and the Dragon, wood sculpture by Bernt Notke in Stockholm’s Storkyrkan

St. George and the Dragon in Stockholm’s Gamla stan

Woodcut frontispiece of Alexander Barclay, Lyfe of Seynt George (Westminster, 1515)

According to the Golden Legend the narrative episode of Saint George and the Dragon took place in a place he called “Silene,” in Libya; the Golden Legend is the first to place this legend in Libya as a sufficiently exotic locale, where a dragon might be imagined. In the tenth-century Georgian narrative, the place is the fictional city of Lasia, and it is the godless Emperor who is Selinus.

The town had a pond, as large as a lake, where a plague-bearing dragon dwelled that envenomed all the countryside. To appease the dragon, the people of Silene used to feed it two sheep every day, and when the sheep failed, they fed it their children, chosen by lottery.

It happened that the lot fell on the king’s daughter. The king, distraught with grief, told the people they could have all his gold and silver and half of his kingdom if his daughter were spared; the people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake, decked out as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.

Saint George by chance rode past the lake. The princess, trembling, sought to send him away, but George vowed to remain.

The dragon reared out of the lake while they were conversing. Saint George fortified himself with the Sign of the Cross, charged it on horseback with his lance and gave it a grievous wound. Then he called to the princess to throw him her girdle, and he put it around the dragon’s neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a meek beast on a leash. She and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the people at its approach. But Saint George called out to them, saying that if they consented to become Christians and be baptised, he would slay the dragon before them.

The king and the people of Silene converted to Christianity, George slew the dragon, and the body was carted out of the city on four ox-carts. “Fifteen thousand men baptized, without women and children.” On the site where the dragon died, the king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George, and from its altar a spring arose whose waters cured all disease.

Traditionally, the swordwith which St. George slew the dragon was called Ascalon, a name recalling the city of Ashkelon, Israel. From this tradition, the name Ascalon was used by Winston Churchill for his personal aircraft during World War II (records at Bletchley Park), since St. George is the Patron Saint of England.

How cool is that! Thanks to Wikipedia for the above….a font of information as always. This story has fascinated me ever since I discovered that my birthday falls on the day of the Patron Saint of England, especially as I so love England. It is quite thrilling. 🙂

So who was St George?

Quick Facts about St George

Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)
Lived in 3rd century
His parents were Christian
Became a Roman soldier
Protested against Rome’s persecution of Christians
Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith
Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine

St. George is believed to have been born in Cappadocia (now Eastern Turkey) in the year A.D. 270. He was a Christian. At the age of seventeen he joined the Roman army and soon became renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith.

When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George’s pleas fell on deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him. St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23 April, 303.

In 1222, the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St George’s Day and he replaced Edward the Confessor as England’s patron saint in the 14th century. In 1415, April 23 was made a national feast day.

my thanks to woodlands-junior for the info

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life | Tagged 23 April, England's National Day, Golden Legend, googles front page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George, http://www.google.co.uk/, patron saint of england, St George and the Dragon, St Georges Day, Winston Churchill | 3 Comments »

Handing you over to the Authorities

April 22, 2010 by notjustagranny

Since that day in July 2000 when I had cause to call on you in haste, we have been close companions, never far from each other’s side as you have opened doors and guided me across borders.

I recall that when we first met it was under dire circumstance; my daughter had just been knocked down and run over by a golf-cart in Philadelphia, US of A, and I needed your help as a matter of urgency. Fortunately she recovered after a short stint in hospital and although many laughed at the thought of someone being run over by a golf-cart….you hurried over and did not leave, mindful of the fact it was no joke at all.

As it turned out she swiftly recovered and in due course returned home so we did not have to leave the country.

Keeping close, we did eventually venture across the seas and our first port of call was Zurich in Switzerland. There we did not tarry long, keen to be off and on our way to Dublin in Ireland, stopping briefly in London. You saw me safely through Border Control and no-one doubted your authenticity.

Since then we have kept each other company as we travelled far and wide across the world.

We’ve made numerous crossings across the Irish sea, sometimes by plane, once by bus (an experience hopefully never to be repeated), and whenever we returned home to South Africa you were always there, sturdy in your constancy.

I thank you now for all those trips, holidays far and wide; first New York where we were met by my daughter and treated to a limosine ride from the airport, then taken on a tour of New York City. From there we flew to Florida, and you were always at my side.

Next we ventured into Europe: travelling first to Venice in Italy, then Paris in France via the Eurostar – to celebrate my 50th, Amsterdam in The Netherlands (just for fun), then Gibraltar (a British stronghold) to celebrate the Bi-Centennary of the Battle of Trafalgar, where to my dismay we were unable to cross into Spain :(. In between we went to the Bahamas on a cruise, and visited family back in South Africa.

A few years later we returned to Paris in France again and then onto Bruges in Belgium for a holiday. Since then we have been back to visit with my sister and brother-in-law in Ireland and to Phoenix Arizona for my Date With Destiny.

And now, as the times draws near for when you expire, I have to hand you over to the Authorities, hopeful that they will treat you with care.

It is with a heavy heart that I have to replace you.

And although this means that we will never travel together again, you will always hold a special place in my heart, fondly remembered for all the joy and laughter that has been mine to enjoy as we travelled to places near and far.

So to you I say; thank you – dear Passport…..farewell.

On the plus side; I get to change the photograph 🙂

On the negative side; I’m ten years older 😦

Posted in Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel | Tagged across borders, battle of trafalgar, cruise to the bahamas, handing you over to the authorities, London, passport, south african passport, travel to amsterdam, travel to bruges, travel to florida, travel to gibraltar, travel to ireland, travel to new york, travel to paris, zurich in switzerkand | 5 Comments »

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth

April 20, 2010 by notjustagranny

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year. Her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June.

The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.

The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately, but the occasion is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London: a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park and a 21 gun salute in Windsor Great Park

The Sovereign’s birthday is officially celebrated by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour on a Saturday in June.

June 12 this year – The tradition of Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour is carried out by fully trained and operational troops from the Household Division (Foot Guards and Household Cavalry) on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, watched by members of the Royal Family, invited guests and members of the public.

Queen Elizabeth II was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

The Princess, christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, was named after her mother. Her two middle names are those of her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.

The Princess’s early years were spent at 145 Piccadilly, the London house taken by her parents shortly after her birth, and at White Lodge in Richmond Park.

She also spent time at the country homes of her paternal grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, and her mother’s parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.

In 1930, Princess Elizabeth gained a sister, with the birth of Princess Margaret Rose.

When she was six years old, her parents took over Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park as their own country home. In the grounds of Royal Lodge Princess Elizabeth had her own small house, Y Bwthyn Bach (the Little Cottage), which was given to her by the people of Wales in 1932.

Princess Elizabeth’s quiet family life came to an end in 1936, when her grandfather, King George V, died.

His eldest son came to the throne as King Edward VIII, but, before the end of the year, King Edward VIII had decided to give up the throne in order to marry the woman he loved, Mrs Wallis Simpson.

Upon his abdication, Princess Elizabeth’s father acceded to the throne as King George VI, and in 1937 the two Princesses attended their parents’ coronation in Westminster Abbey.

Princess Elizabeth was now first in line to the throne.

Shortly after the Royal Family returned from South Africa in 1947, the Princess’s engagement to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was announced.

Having known each other for many years, the couple were married in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947.

As Britain was still recovering from the war, the event was fairly simple and Princess Elizabeth had to collect clothing coupons for her dress, like any other young bride. They spent their honeymoon at Broadlands, Hampshire, the home of Lord Mountbatten, and at Birkhall, Balmoral

After her marriage in 1947, Princess Elizabeth paid formal visits with The Duke of Edinburgh to France and Greece, and in autumn 1951 they toured Canada.

On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father’s death and her own accession to the throne, while staying in a remote part of Kenya.

The Queen meets thousands of people each year in the UK and overseas. Before meeting Her Majesty, many people ask how they should behave. The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour – just courtesy. However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting – For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.

On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am’

Thanks to http://www.royal.gov.uk/ a veritable mine of information

Thanks to http://purplerosee.blogspot.com/2009/08/worlds-richest-royals.html for the photo 🙂 it’s great

Posted in Historical, news from around the world | Tagged 21 April, Britain, http://purplerosee.blogspot.com/2009/08/worlds-richest-royals.html, http://www.royal.gov.uk/, Queen Elizabeth II | 2 Comments »

What Lies Beneath?

April 19, 2010 by notjustagranny

What Lies Beneath?

The hidden mystery of the foot world, aka my socks!

At first glance you would assume that I am wearing a pair of plain black socks! You would be wrong…. for if you took a closer look (if I allowed you to 🙂 ) you would notice that all is not as it seems!

Today I am wearing the first of a series, and my most recently acquired: pair of socks.

Ah! Ha! You might say “Now what is so special about a pair of socks?”

Initially one would think that wearing a pair of socks is nothing unusual and certainly not out of the ordinary! After all……millions of people wear socks every day.

But these are special socks.

First of all……I am a sock collector. I have socks from South Africa, socks from America, socks from Paris and socks from Amsterdam. I have ‘silly moo’ socks, I have ladybird socks, snowflake and Father Christmas socks, I have ‘Best father in the World’ socks (there is a story behind that and no I am not a transexual :)), I have pink, blue, red, orange, yellow and purple socks. Flowers, stripes, patterns and animals…… and that is where this particular pair of socks comes into the picture!

Two years ago I attended a seminar/course called ‘Wealth Dynamics’. An entrepreneurial platform.

At the time, attendees were invited to stand up and present their Start-Up business and invite investors or people who wanted to be involved. Long story short, a young man by the name of Tom Minter stood up and presented his business: Socks for Happy People or Socks4HappyPPL for short 😉

As soon as he spoke my ears pricked up at the mention of socks. As a proverbially Happy person, the idea of Socks for Happy People appealed to me! I was fully taken by the idea, loved his presentation and the appeal of happy socks, I’ve kept in touch ever since. Sadly, although I was never in a position to invest in the business, I have had great fun mentioning them on twitter and facebook 🙂

I have kept track of their ups and downs, their disappointments 😦 and successes 🙂 via twitter, facebook and youtube. Keeping afoot of their progress, so to speak! Pun intended.

It has been two years of patient waiting, now fulfilled, and today I am wearing my first pair of Socks4HappyPPL 🙂

Now, you may ask…..What indeed Lies Beneath?

The choice I made for my first pair is the ‘What Lies Beneath’ model. Have I said yet ‘What Lies Beneath’? No, not yet I havn’t!

At first appearance you would be forgiven for assuming I am wearing a pair of dull, ordinary, nothing wrong with that pair of black socks……. but ahhhh; ‘What Lies Beneath’?

First of all the socks are, I can now say with total confidence….EXTREMELY comfortable. My gosh, I will have to increase my ‘socks’ budget and order another few pairs.

Why? Well I’ll tell you:

Firstly, they are quite simply the most comfy socks I have ever placed my form of transport into, fitting like a glove? They are socks…I promise. They are 80% organic cotton (organic cotton: better for the soil, better for the workers and better for you!) the rest is made up of 19% Nylon by necessity (makes the design possible) and 1% Elastane (ensures a snug fit)….and snug they are.

Secondly, and more importantly, besides the fact that I collect socks, is the fact that Socks4HappyPPL are what is termed a: ‘Social Enterprise’. What this means is that they contribute part of their income to a charitable cause; in this instance they supply socks to the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation.

So every time I buy a pair of socks, a little child, homeless, somewhere in Mongolia will also receive a pair of super-warm camel hair socks! 🙂 This is done via the Buy1Give1 method of contribution.

Now before I continue let me ask you this: What do I, the folk at Socks4HappyPPL and hairy Mongolian camels have in common?

We’ve all just helped a street child in Mongolia!

But wait…. there is more…….when you order your Socks4HappyPPL you have the option of contributing to the Penny On Trust. Yes! Not only do these fine folk at Socks4HappyPPL send a child a pair of socks each time you order a pair, but they also support Penny On.

Penny On is a system whereby you have an option to add onto your purchase 1 penny or in fact as many pennies as you wish, to your purchase. Can you imagine the power of that! Millions of pounds are spent online every single day; if each person added just 1penny to their purchase…..the mind boggles. Awesome!

So, finally and in conclusion….What Lies Beneath?

Finely crafted, woven into the fabric of my socks and keeping me company every step of the way, I am accompanied by a multitude of creatures: There is a pony, a squirrel :), a frog and a duck, butterfies, a camel!, a kangaroo, a hippo, a turtle, a penguin, a bird, a man carrying above his head….what looks like a pig!? And last but not least there is a giraffe.

I will never walk alone again, and as I walk about my day, I am in the company of and accompanied by a whole retinue of creatures, and no-one would even know!

Only I know: What Lies Beneath!

who would have guessed - What Lies Beneath!

my Socks4HappyPPL duly tried and tested :)a Giraffe and friends

a Giraffe and friends

Posted in Inspiration, news from around the world, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged camel hair socks, Christina Noble Children's Foundation, facebook, http://Socks4HappyPPL.twitter.com, http://www.cncf.org/en/home/index.php, http://www.pennyon.com/, Mongolia, social enterprise, Socks For Happy People, Tom Minter, Twitter, Wealth Dynamics, What Lies Beneath, youtube | 4 Comments »

Who is in your front row?

April 19, 2010 by notjustagranny

I received this in an email from my sister today, and thought the words were just perfect. I would like to share them with you:

Who is in your front row?

Life is a Theatre… ~ Invite Your Audience Carefully~

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in your life.
There are some people in your life who need to be loved from a DISTANCE.
It is amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of – or minimize your time with – those draining, negative, incompatible, ‘not-going- anywhere’ relationships or friendships.

Observe the relationships around you.
Pay close attention…

Which ones lift, and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage, and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill, and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have drama, or don’t really understand, know or appreciate you & the gifts that lie within you?

Remember that the people you have around you will have an impact on your life, your values and your income. So, be careful when choosing the people you hang out with, as well as the information with which you will feed your mind. We should not share our dreams with negative people, nor feed our minds with negative thoughts.

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you… the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW, and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

Ask for wisdom and discernment, and choose wisely the people who will sit in the front row of your life.

You cannot change the people around you….but you CAN change the people you choose to be around!

WHO IS IN YOUR FRONT ROW?

Posted in family and relationships, Inspiration | Tagged relationships | 2 Comments »

When Mama stamps her foot!

April 17, 2010 by notjustagranny

Oh yes sirree, Mama has stamped her foot again and boy is she mad; spitting fire and ice, her fury can be seen and felt for hundreds of miles as plumes of smoke spill forth from her nostrils.

Keeping watch on an angry volcano

For all our advances in technology, science and understanding of our universe, when Mother Nature stamps her foot; we are but puny flotsam tossed about in the winds of fate, at the whim of her fury.

Who knew that when the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland erupted last week Wednesday that by Thursday we would be grounded!

With 7,500 airplanes normally flying across our skies on a daily basis, surreal would be a perfect way to describe the lack of planes now. We are so used to vapour trails that to look up now and only see blue sky and clouds is weird to say the least, and yet unless you actually think about it and pause to look, it is not immediately obvious, with the exception of folk who live in their flight paths.

Iceland is 600km away and the winds have blown the ash, now reaching 8km’s high first here and then into Europe. Not since WW2 have we been grounded…….you’ve been bad little people and now you are grounded. Go to your room and stay there for the next 4 days! 🙂

Bizarre true, real absolutely.

One of my twitter friends asked me yesterday if it was ashy here and my reply was no! Well I now have cause to retract that comment….the floor this morning was covered in a fine patina of grey ash! The bird bath is covered with a fine film of dust and my eyes have been burning since I woke this morning.

It has been both fascinating, exciting and a teensy-weensy scary watching all the news reports. We are truly at the mercy of the winds and the ash spewing forth across the skies, to all intents and purposes cut off from the rest of the world. The ferries and trains still run, overloaded with people suddenly desperate to get home; onto familiar ground.

The cost to the economy has so far been £600million and with 6million passengers stranded in airports or lands far away, the costs mount up with no absolute guarantee it will soon be over….we are at the mercy of the winds.

On the plus side, coz of course there is always a plus side: the people who live in Richmond (and other areas) are enjoying the peace and quiet. With 1 plane every 90seconds on a normal day, now they are free to open their windows without the rush of noise from above, can stroll through the park and actually hear the birds, free from the 200,000 tonnes of Co2 which will be saved every day. Joggers and kite-flyers are out on the runways, making the most of the space.

Meanwhile the volcano continues to erupt, and reports suggest that it is more active than it previously was. As it continues to blow, we remain in a state of suspended wonder, with no noise pollution above our towns, the airports are eerily empty and businesses are counting the cost, waiting for the all clear to resume travel plans.

How small our planet has become of late, with cheaper travel and a multitude of airlines all clamouring for our business, we travel to far-flung countries and islands wihout a 2^nd thought, eager to explore the world. And yet, how far away is home when you are stranded in a foreign land; no money, no visa, no food and no place to stay.

How life is disrupted and thrown into turmoil and there is nothing we can do about it, while in the skies above us 3 layers of volcanic residue continues to rain down.

Found this link showing the effects of the ash cloud from above.

Here are some photos I took this morning 08:30 at Hampstead Heath. I stood in one spot and did a 360degree circle. No planes in the sky; surreal.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

@HelpSaveBees

April 15, 2010 by notjustagranny

Hi Damian, I hope you dont mind me replying via my blog, but I had too much to say for a tweet 🙂

Firstly I think you are doing a brilliant job and are to be commended for taking action to help save our bees. I have been horribly concerned for the bees of the UK and the USA for some time now and if I remember correctly I wrote a couple of blogs a while back.

Re the @InnocentDrinks issue, I agree that they should be complimented for the 40 hives to the @NationalTrust and helping to re-introduce 2million bees back into the UK, and bravo to them for doing that. I love too that they have the wee flower packs attached to the drinks bottle… great idea and excellent marketing, and why not also to the carton?

What I have issue with is what feels to me like a bit of jumping onto the band-wagon. Now I know that they are not the first, are certainly not alone in the practice and probably won’t be the last to use a current cause to promote a product.

I just have a problem with what feels like commercialism and self-interest. I also feel very uncomfortable with them making a drink using honey. The bee population is already having great difficulty meeting human demand and are overstretched in so many ways, that it is almost unbearable. If they had promoted the bees and the project using a different flavoured drink I would have applauded them for sure, although of course for obvious reasons they have to use a drink with honey.

Your comment raises an interesting question: Have Innocent in fact used British honey for the drinks? Their whole marketing agenda is based on ethical buying, congruency & giving back to the planet et al, so I sincerely hope that they have in fact only used UK honey. BTW, whilst reading through their press releases I noticed they recently did a deal with Coca~Cola????

As for myself I only ever buy UK honey and preferrably from smaller co-operatives or at markets. I would rather pay more for the product than not support our industry, although I do realise of course we have to trade. I just feel that with the current situation the poor bees should be given a break and allowed to recover. After all they need the honey for their own purposes too and that is why they make it in the first place (citation off wikipedia: Honey is created by bees as a food source. In cold weather or when fresh food sources are scarce, bees use their stored honey as their source of energy). It’s only coz we humans have formed a liking for the taste that we have bred bees to produce more than needed by the bees themselves 🙂 I’m not surprised that the poor wee creatures are dying out, they are exhausted! 😦 and that besides all the muck (chemicals) that has been thrown at them over the years.

I did some research and reading up on the subject some months ago for my own personal interest, and this is one of the sites I visited to that end. It may be of interest to you although I am sure you know way more than I do. I have learnt a lot more since reading your posts 🙂

Just as a matter of interest, what do other tweeters say about the Innocent Drinks campaign? Or am I the only one with a bee in my bonnet? Excuse the intended pun 🙂 🙂

Posted in Health, Interesting articles, lifestyle | Tagged @HelpSavebees, bees, British Honey, coca~cola, ethical buying, honey, http://161.58.48.157/consumers/kids/beefacts.asp, http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_ingredients/, innocent drinks, National Trust, UK honey, wikipedia | Leave a Comment »

….a walk in the park

April 10, 2010 by notjustagranny

By all appearances spring has definitely arrived. We have been blessed with three wonderful sunshiney days; days to be treasured as they are so rare. Everywhere you look are blossoms galore, red, pink, white and yellow, the bushes are a blaze of colour.

spring colours

I took a stroll down to Hampstead Heath this afternoon to make the most of the sun and get some fresh air (been cooped up in the house since yesterday at 11:30)

sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy....

It is amazing how the sunny weather brings out the multitudes. The grassy lawns of the park near the ponds were sprinkled with sunbathers, solitary snoozers, groups chatting, moms and dads pushing prams or yelling at kids on bikes, kites swooping gaily in the breeze, dogs running after balls, splashing in the ponds, ducks flapping and squawking, and overall an air of contentment and enjoyment; the ice-cream man doing a roaring trade.

sunbathers, groups chatting, a day in the park

I meandered along the paths, peering through my lens, snapping here and there, capturing the sun and the mood. Some very hardy (or mad) folk were swimming in the men’s pond (??) mad dogs and englishmen!!

spring blossom at the ponds

I eventually reached one of the lower ponds and stopped to watch the waterfowl. A similar multitude of birdfowl were out feeding, flapping, diving and scooting across the water; a splash of water in their wake.

eqyptian geese

a menage-a-trois

Across the pond a swan set out; a mission on his mind. Wings set in battle formation his breast cleaving the water before him, like a scooner at sea he plowed his way across the pond, with a beady eye on the egyptian geese. A game (?) of tag soon ensued. The geese flapping and running across the water, attempting to outswim the swan, to no avail. He was not deterred when with a flourish of wings the geese lifted into the air and swooped down on the far side of the pond.

a swan harrasing the egyptian geese

With sails set and determined strokes the swan was not giving up. Soon it reached the geese who had just settled and once again he bore down with murder in mind! The geese flew up into the air, voices raised in angry protest. To no avail No sooner were they settled than once again the swan bore down.

Eventually after about 10minutes of to and froing the geese gave up and with an anguished cry, spread their wings and flew off to safer waters.

the egyptian geese finally gave up and flew off

The swan, satisfied with intruders seen packing, he then settled his feathers and leisurely made his way to the side of the pond to feed.

to the victor; the spoils

To the victor; the spoils.

p.s. same blog, just added the spring blooms photo

Posted in It's my life, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged egyptian geese, hampstead heath, London, photography, swan, Travel | 5 Comments »

ET tweet home…..

April 9, 2010 by notjustagranny

Hello. I just finished reading a great article about the phenomenal rise in twitter users world wide. It is interesting to note that more than 60% of users are from outside the US of A.

DYK? that India has 550billion mobile phone users; that the twitter website is available in 6 languages, and there are even twitter users in The Vatican and outer space!

Personally I love twitter. I love that it is fast, I love the homefeeds although of course they sometimes move too fast. I love that I can connect with people around the world in real time and have short bursts of conversation, find out whats happening and meet lovely people in the virtual world who are really real people.

One of the things I enjoy most about twitter are the very diverse and creative names that people come up with. Sometimes it relates to what they do, or their philosophy in life, perhaps their beliefs and for some it is just a bit of fun. It is amazing how many combinations the english language can come up with.

Many ppl pass on or re-tweet quotes and I love thinking about those quotes and what they mean to me before I RT them for others to enjoy. It amazes me just how many quotes there are in the world and the diverse backgrounds the ‘quotees’ come from. (I’m not sure if quotees is a word…if not… well now it is )

I enjoy the different applications that have sprung up around twitter and my particular favourite is hootsuite, possibly coz it is such a funky name. I love the lists, makes it so much easier to find the ppl whose tweets you want to keep track of and also lets others know who you find most interesting; like @HelpSaveBees

The follows are great fun too: like #ff or #followfriday where you get to mention ppl that you have had conversations with during the week, or ppl that you really appreciate and you get a chance to say thanks for retweeting my quotes or my links, or get to #shoutout your appreciation for their following or comments. You get a chance to mention ppl who have impressed you with the content of their tweets or links, and say hello to friends.

Of course as Kenneth Wu will tell you; there is a dark side to twitter. One of these would be the ppl who use twitter as a platform for abuse and rubbish content. Fortunately you can just block such ppl. I had one bloke who was beginning to stalk me, sending really idiotic tweets….so boof bang…blocked!

I always tell my daughter that I was born to twitter. I started my account @notjustagranny just over a year ago and have never looked back. It’s fun, it’s funky and it’s really interesting. I love the educational links that get posted and have learned more about the world through these links than I did before. I could quite happily spend the whole day on twitter…….

I find it incredible how news gets posted around the world in the blink of an eye and you get to hear in real time about things and events that are happening on the other side of the world before you even hear it on the news……it’s like the 6 o’clock news is almost redundant.

I love that I can show my support for various causes and give a #shoutout when they have a particular campaign like @Socks4HappyPPL whose mission it is to supply a pair of socks to homeless kiddies in Mongolia. So for every pair of socks you buy they send a pair to Mongolia. And we get to share and contribute to that.

It’s fun to see what people are getting up to, to be able to know what is being said in a seminar that you are unable to attend, to know who goes to #starbucks and who is jetting of somewhere nice. It’s great to share in the events of the world like #earthhour; to see photos that you may not have seen ever and to connect with people around the world for a great cause.

I have inserted the link to the article in question and hope you enjoy it too. click here

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, Interesting articles, It's my life, news from around the world, Travel | Tagged #ff, #followfriday, @Socks4HappyPPL, Cindy Eve, earthhour, ET phone home, hootsuite, http://www.twitter.com/notjustagranny/, Kenneth Wu, Mongolia, notjustagranny, quotes, socks, The Vatican, Twitter | Leave a Comment »