Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
The Shard and London Bridge Quarter
There is no doubt about it. The Shard is going to be absolutely exquisite when it is finished in 2012. Here are some press images that were released a couple of years ago. You can see more plus videos and models at the site London Bridge Quarter - The Shard - London Bridge Place.
The skyline will be greatly altered (you can click on the image for a larger resolution).
The Shard will emerge from behind City Hall and will look like a shard of glass going into the sky.
We will finally be able to walk along the street level again and on the piazzas between the buildings.
The Shard will feature super snazzy apartments…
… and state of the art offices.
When The Shard is competed in 2012, it will be the tallest skyscraper in the United Kingdom. It will stand at 310 metres tall (1,017 feet) and will have 72 floors plus 15 radiator floors on the roof.
The project architect is Renzo Piano and he has designed the building to look like a shard of glass. The building will have a public viewing gallery at the top and is expected to draw two million visitors a year. I’d just like to put it out there that I would love to be amongst the privileged group of people that gets to preview the viewing deck.
I, for one, cannot wait to see it when it is finished. I do, however, find it makes me think rather silly things. For example, “Oh look! There is even place for the Four Horsemen to land” and “We have a Gherkin, an Onion and now we have a Toothpick!” I will try my best not to come up with any more witty remarks.
Read more...Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
The Shard Update March 2010
I was absolutely convinced that I had posted about the Shard and London Bridge Quarter before but all I can find is one tiny mention in a post from October 2008. Oh well, here is a really big update then seeing as I haven’t told you anything about it before (and if any of you can find more in my archives, you can be my best friend!)
The Shard and London Bridge Quarter is the development that is currently taking place right outside of London Bridge station. It is taking forever to go up but when it is completed in 2012, it will be the tallest building in the United Kingdom. When finished, it will look like a shard of glass. I know in 5 years time, it will seem impossible that this place was a giant construction site for four whole years so I would you to give you an idea of how it looks now.
Taken from the platform at London Bridge rail station.
Taken from the front entrance of London Bridge station.
Taken from the stairs by Guys Hospital.
A view of the lower level.
Taken much later that afternoon from inside Guy’s hospital grounds. This is my favourite photo.
Come back next Tuesday for an update on what the Shard will look like in the future!
Read more...Friday, 19 March 2010
Shout South Africa
Another great South African musical initiative and once again, stolen from the lovely Vanessa (I stole You Make Joburg Great from her in January).
Shout SA is a movement that was started by South African musicians Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane after the murder of musician Lucky Dube. The video below features the cream of South African musicians as they band together to give South Africans a voice in the fight against crime. All South Africans have been touched by crime in some way and most know someone who has died as a result of crime, be it from an unlicensed vehicle skipping a red light or during a robbery or hijacking.
The song is great and I loved that I recognised the musician’s voices before their faces. I’m trying to find out how we can buy a copy of the song from outside of South Africa.
The most important message is that the responsibility for change lies in all South Africans and that no crime, no matter how big or small, is acceptable. That has always been my biggest observation in England, that citizens here are more acquiescent and law abiding as a whole than in South Africa.
You can follow them at Twitter @ShoutSA but their Facebook appears to have committed suicide. They also have a YouTube channel.
I’m trying to set up a couple of interviews with every day South Africans in the run up to the World Cup but although there has been interest, I’ve not had any replies. If you are in South Africa right now and would like to chat about who you are and what you do, then please contact me. South African bloggers are most welcome!!
Read more...Thursday, 18 March 2010
Calling All Successful People
This has got to be the easiest, quickest and least expensive way of helping young children and teenagers. The Department for Children, Schools and Families in England has started a project called Guiding Lights. The aim is to inspire young children and teenagers to follow their dreams and to take the career path that most appeals to them. This is achieved by encouraging people to write about their own success stories and to give tips and hints on how to get into various industries.
Apparently, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, world-famous architect and Gherkin creator Lord Foster, television journalist Donald Macintyre and lots of other interesting and successful people have already got involved and posted stories on the site.
I’ve often noticed how crazy clever and successful some of the friends I’ve made here on the Blogosphere are so why don’t you take five minutes out of your day to visit the site and share your success story.
They are currently seeking input in all of the following industries:
The Creative Industries
Green Technology
Social Business
Technology
Personnel and Development
Surveying
Accountancy
Environmental Health
Veterinary Profession
Nursing and Midwifery
Medicine
Chemistry
Engineering
Languages
I think it is a fascinating project and in the future, I hope to find out more about the project and how the DCSF has involved their partners.
Read more...Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Running for Autism
One of the greatest benefits of running this blog has been the opportunity to meet all sorts of people I might not have encountered otherwise. A short while ago, I received a couple of comments from a friendly blogger called “Revivor” and when I popped over to his blog, I saw that he was organising a four day run from Clapham to Brighton to raise money for the charity CASPA (Children on the Autistic Spectrum Parents’ Association).
Naturally I was intrigued and so I contacted him straight away and we decided to meet up and chat about his noble adventure.
Ivor Reveley (check out the “Gotta Run” t-shirt)
On whether he has done such a thing before…
Two years ago, on his fiftieth birthday, Ivor and a team of runners ran from Romford to Orpington. They ran 50kms over 50 hours to raise money for 50 young people with autism. Ivor broke that down for me and explained that it is not as impossible as it sounds (bearing in mind that I walk a 5km fun run once a year): you run for two to three hours a day over three days and cover about 20 kilometres a day. It is not easy but it is possible!
They raised £8,500 on that occasion which meant that their charity CASPA was able to obtain viability and get the real start that it required. This is so important, as Ivor explains, because it meant that the charity could remain a stable entity in the lives of the children and families it serves.
On why he was raising money for CASPA?
Ivor's sixteen-year-old son has autism. After being a charity trustee for fifteen to twenty years, Ivor realised that he had the skill necessary to make a difference in the lives of other children with autism and he decided to get involved with CASPA.
On what CASPA is and what they do...
Ivor is the chair and trustee of the charity. They started off as an informal parents’ association in 2002 and formally registered the charity in 2005. As a charity, they run events and workshops for young people with autism such as:
- Brighton Beach kid’s days out
- Youth Club on a Friday night
- A residential week long summer camp
- Independent Living Workshops (which are sponsored by the LDA)
They have received brilliant feedback from the children who say it is a safe environment for them to have fun, free from bullying or other such concerns.
On making the runs interesting…
After completing A-levels in Economics, Geography and Maths, Ivor went on to study Economics at university. An avid map lover, Ivor is now using his Geography and Maths skills again as he plans the most historical and geographically interesting routes through cathedrals and up high streets. The idea is for the runners to enjoy these events and to see and learn about the places they run through.
On this year’s event…
Date: 30 April – 3 May 2010.
Route: Clapham Common to Brighton Beach (route details)
Ivor hopes to do events like this every even year and this year they will be doing a four day run from Clapham to Brighton. Ivor is keeping a log of all of the training and organising of the event in his blog Four Days Running.
A half marathon is 21km and these runners will be doing more than that each day as they will run from about 2.30pm to 5pm every day for four days.
Friends, family and supporters will be able to meet up with the runners every evening as pub nights are being organised on Facebook and the hotels that the group is staying in is published on the site (stay on route).
This is not a public run but anyone interested in joining the run can contact Ivor at the site to get involved. They have a photographer taking part this year so expect great photos!
On how YOU can help…
You can donate money using the button above. That will take you to the Just Giving site where the money will go straight to the charity and won’t touch anyone’s hands.
But don’t worry, there are lots of other ways to help too:
- Follow the Four Days Running blog
- Follow Ivor’s Twitter account: @revivor.
- Join the fun and do the four day run: Run With Us
- Stay on the route and be a supporter
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Monday, 8 March 2010
Guest Post: Perchance to Dream: Seriously Fine Dining
Chris Zwierzynski, from Tripbase.com shares some expert advice on fine (read: really rather expensive) dining in Britain.
Barely a day goes by when we don’t hear of someone’s tales of woe with regards to their finances. Maybe nary a day goes by when you don’t think of your OWN tales of personal finance horror, but this post isn’t about personal finances, in fact, this post isn’t even going to be particularly serious in the slightest, perhaps a welcome break from the drudgery we encounter on a day-to-day basis. This post is for those who dare to dream, who occasionally – or often, there’s no discrimination at play here – have flights of fancy where they can afford whatever they please, consequences be damned.
Food. Everyone loves food. Of course, there are picky eaters, gluttons who eat anything and then there’s the gourmet, who will indulge in only the finest of fripperies wherever food is concerned. You’ve probably guessed where this is going and it’s headed in a direction in which the subject matter will revolve around the finest/most expensive eating establishments in Britain, avoiding the cliché that is the “world’s most expensive” and instead opting for the lower-key “just in Britain” subtitle, so maybe you’ll want to bear these in mind next time you’re booking any flights to London. There are no diamonds in food, gemstones on cutlery-related shenanigans here, for these places are expensive because…well…they just ARE.
London, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Also one of the single most expensive restaurants in the world, this place can set you back at least £120 for a single person and that’s just selecting from the average stuff. If you were to opt for more exquisite dishes and then a bottle or wine or so, well, then you’re looking at a hefty price-tag indeed! A favorite amongst locals and tourists alike (provided that can afford it, of course), the restaurant itself is known for serving up the most palate-pleasing dishes in the whole of England’s fine capital city. Typical delights on offer might include Cornish lamb, pork belly and the finest Angus beef, all mixed in with a wide range of other fine accoutrements. By the time you were done with this place, you’d certainly be in a better position to understand the reason behind the three Michelin Stars that have been awarded to it. However, your wallet might not be!
Berkshire, Waterside Inn
Put on the proverbial map thanks to fantastic food, a three-star Michelin chef in the form of owner Michel Roux and a £24 plum soufflé that made it onto the Forbes list of the world’s most expensive desserts (it came tenth), the Waterside Inn is not only a dive into opulence, but also a dive into quality as those stars aren’t awards to just anyone that comes along. With “Inn” in the title, you’d be correct in suspecting that the building housing the restaurant also serves as a place where you can – for a modest sum – spend a few nights. The restaurant’s chefs serve the whole gamut of dishes you’d expect: lobster, rabbit, lamb, duck, turbot and many others, each served as decadently and in an adept a fashion as you’d imagine. Truly an experience for the rich in taste as well as the rich in wealth, as you will most likely be set back around £100+ for a two-course meal.
London, Sketch
Back to the nation’s capital again, for meals that again breach the £100 mark. Sketch has long been touted as an incredibly expensive place to eat, hence the gaggle of celebrities and other people of note that occasionally dine at the establishment. However, the price doesn’t belie the quality and instead is more of an indication of it, what with the restaurant itself being a product of Algerian restaurateur Mourad Mazouz and celebrated French chef Pierre Gagnaire, you can rest assured that the place will contain nothing less than the most sumptuous of everything the culinary realm has to offer.
For more travel tips and vacation inspiration, check out the Tripbase Travel Blog / Tripbase site.
About Tripbase:
Tripbase eliminates the time-consuming and frustrating online search process by providing travelers with personalized travel recommendations for their next trip.
Tripbase was named Top Travel Website for Destination Ideas by Travel and Leisure magazine in November 2008.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
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