New Year Worldwide, Daily Mail, Wikipedia, Express

First Fireworks for New Year 2015, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, starting 11 am on Dec 31st 2014 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time - London, UK).

Australia is the place to enjoy fireworks in warmer weather.


In the UK with frost outside in the morning, I do what I did at ski resorts in the USA, wear ski clothes. Ski jacket are great for cold days, with zips, warm cuffs, outside and inside pockets, jolly colours bright enough to be seen by traffic when crossing roads at night.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2892275/Let-party-begin-World-prepares-massive-New-Year-s-Eve-celebrations-2015-set-start-bang.html

I looked on Wikipedia to see if there were any copyright free pictures of the New Year 2015.

Wiki has lots from 2014 or earlier.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=new+year's+eve+fireworks+2014&qpvt=New+Year%27s+Eve+Fireworks+2014&FORM=VDRE

My favourites so far (10 pm UK time) are Sydney over the harbour bridge and along the river, seen from the air of course, then Dubai, with lights shooting up the centre of the skyscraper and coming out of the sides like a double comb or double fountain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-30640656

Here's the video to fireworks 2011 around Big Ben in London:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=image+happy+new+year+fireworks&qpvt=image+happy+new+year+fireworks&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=2498EB7360253018C8FD2498EB7360253018C8FD

Around the world fireworks:
http://www.express.co.uk/pictures/galleries/2493/Happy-New-Year-2015/People-watch-as-Dubai-celebrates-the-New-51830

London is cold New Year's Eve - time for mulled wine - and TV from Australia

London is cold coming up to New Year's Eve. I took this sign outside Bar None in Upper Regent street earlier this month. £3.95 for mulled wine, with 50p of your money donated to Save the Children.

A public fireworks display is in the centre of London at midnight. Even if you are nowhere near the main display, or others, you are likely to see fireworks overhead as you walk or drive home, or especially from an upstairs bar or restaurant or hotel room. Take warm clothes and keep them handy even if you are indoors in case somebody suddenly decides let's go outside, let's go on the patio, in the garden, on the roof terrace, whatever. 

The entrances to the underground railway stations will be very crowded just after midnight as everybody decides to go home - or go on to another party. When I was there last year it took about ten to fifteen minutes just to get into the station. The street had a huge queue marshalled by tape barriers with police with walkie talkies direction the crowds. So add that to your travelling time. 

Seeing the huge stationery or slow-moving lines of people, we went back to the bar -restaurant where we had had dinner and drinks earlier, and waited another 15 minutes. We considered walking to another station but went back to the first one. 

On the internet you can already see the celebrations worldwide, starting in Australia and New Zealand, then Asia, then Europe, then UK and Scotland, finally west coat USA then West coast USA.

What do you need to celebrate at home whilst watching the world as an armchair traveller? Champagne - great deals from supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi. Party poppers. 

Fun candles from Poundland shop.

www.poundland.co.uk

"Poundland is the largest single price value retailer in the UK, with over 500 stores offering a great range at Amazing Value!"

What can you eat with your champagne? Panettone - mine's from Fellini in Hatch End. Fellini and the other Italian restaurants will be having parties tonight. How do you remember the spelling of Fellini and Penettone? Fellini - double ll like legs eleven (as they call in UK Bingo halls). Panettone - think Pa-net-tone. Or Pa-nett-one. Pa-netto-ne. Pane-TT-one.

Or keep looking at the word and spell it aloud three times. There are two letters N, two letter E, two letters N, but the N is at both ends separated by the double TT. Pa-NE-TT-0-NE.

Happy New Year!

Boxing Day Sales But Xmas Decorations Until Jan 6th

Boxing Day is Dec 26th, the day after Christmas Day in the UK. In olden times the servants would go round to the boss's manor or mansion with a box hoping for donations of money, maybe leftover food. It was the day those who worked in the grand house cooking and serving could have the day after off to be with their own families.

Boxing Day is a second day off work in the UK and several of the old Commonwealth countries.

Boxing Day sales start in the shops. If you don't like crowds, Boxing Day sales start on line and are extended as Boxing Week until New Year.

In Singapore the Xmas decorations come down on malls because they are no longer selling Xmas goods which were prolific in the run-up to Christmas. However, in many places Xmas decorations stay up until 12th night, Jan 6th.

French words of the day for Christmas Day - Buche de Noel to pourboire - rsvp

noel - Xmas
buche de Noel - Xmas log cake (chocolate roll)
bouche - mouth(flu)
rsvp
repertoire
ballet
bouquet
encore
pourboire (tip - literally for a drink - money for a drink)
canape
aperitif
palette
buffet

Armchair Travels: Trompe l'oeil Murals In Paris Streets

I read an article about hidden picturesque places in Paris, cobbled side streets and alleys with green corners. One place featured was Rue Cremiex which the brief caption said had trompe l'oeil murals. But no pictures of the murals.

So I typed the street name into my browser (online searcher) and up pop some pictures. One is of a mating of wisteria over the door, apparently growing up from a glower pot on the right which looks as if it is a real one. I think the pot is real, to add to the illusion. The caption says that it's a wisteria which never needs pruning.

Another photo shows a cat apparently leaping from one balcony to another.

A third photo shows a mock interior scene of a lady's double bed. Rather like Banksy's graffiti in the UK and now other countries by him or imitators.

http://blog.parisattitude.com/paris-tourism/loveliest-streets-paris.html?

https://geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Rue%20Crémieux,%2021.jpg/-/en

Prov=Taboolahttp://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rue+creieux+trompe+l'oeuil&qpvt=rue+creieux+trompe+l%27oeuil&FORM=IGRE

en.wikipedia.org/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompe_l'oeil.html

In many restaurants you will find images of scenes looking outside through an imaginary window. This is used to create a feeling of space on a wall without windows, and to create the illusion that you are in the country of the cuisine served, in Italy, or perhaps a particular area. Here's Fellini Caffe Restaurant in Hatch End, NW London.

Inside the murals create the illusion of windows onto Italian scenes.

Sometimes both inside and outside have themes. The wall below is the outside of a building in south London.

This is also done in restaurants in hotels in Las Vegas where a complex has a theme.


I was hunting all over the internet for an out of copyright image of tromple l'oeil when I found the pictures of tromple l'oeil wallpaper. then I realised I had a whole trompe l'oeil wall in the living room a few feet away. I can tell you that an entire wall of tromp l'oeil is most amusing when you are newlywed and have almost no furniture. It fills up the wall.

Five, ten, twenty years later, a wallpaper mural is a dreadful nuisance. The vista of the garden looks great with potted plants and even a bamboo chair in front of it. But try to move your upholstered settee, drinks cabinet or bookcase in front and the illusion of space and outdoors is ruined and the whole effect is mis-matched and incongruous in style, (rustic and intellectual) space (outdoors and indoors), country (English garden and Oriental furniture, or Japanese garden and imitation Louis IV furniture) or both geography and time - Italian 1950s fishing village and English year 2000 modern furniture.

How about paining your own?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2196536/Talented-artist-banned-painting-murals-house-council-ONE-person-complained.html

Never been to the Sistine Chapel? Neither had this retired decorator. He saw it in a book and copied it, not in a grand mansion but a Council House.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2451860/Retired-decorator-paints-house-look-like-Sistine-Chapel.html


Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author, speaker. See more about Angela Lansbury author and poet, on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Lulu.com

Happy Christmas - Time Worldwide

The Australians are already celebrating Xmas or New Year when families in London, England are hearing their alarm clocks and opening their eyes. Americans are still snoozing when Londoners are having lunch. That is the delight of the time zones. You can turn on your TV and celebrate all day by watching celebrations the other side of the world, travelling in time on your computer screen.

Happy holidays everybody!

Here are some of my favourite pictures:

Christmas for me is never to soon

I buy my presents at sales in June

The high street tree's lit in November

The spare room's cluttered by December

I've last year's tree and last year's hats

This year people are dressing their cats

A month of parties, I'm perfectly dressed

I've learned the trick, I'm so impressed

I used to find fun so hard

By December the first I've sent the cards

On the carousel of the Christmas whirl

Yes, this year, Santa, I'm such a good girl

We're planned, prepared, not much to do

Merry Christmas from all of us to you.

by Angela Lansbury copyright Xmas day dec 25 2014

Author, comic poetry, books, speeches, trainer.

Where To See The Whiskey Barrel Tree and Jack Daniels and Music City

In December 2014 i saw the barrel tree on a poster on Oxford Circus underground station in London. Jack Daniels Whiskey build a whiskey barrel tree at their HQ in Tennesse, USA.

The company have been sending barrels to Britain for some time. They used to send their used barrels to Scotland.

But in recent times they have been sending barrels to London, England, for decorative purposes to build a tree which is displayed from November through the Christmas period. The company is also involved in promoting music in the UK. See their website.

If you get to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery in the USA, here's what you might see in Lynchburg and Tennessee.

Statue of Jack Daniels. (Photo from Wikipedia article.)

Jack Daniels in the USA runs tours all year. 

The outdoor tour takes about one hour ten minutes and includes steps so you will need outdoor walking shoes and clothes. 

Another tour includes a tasting, for which a charge is made.

More information from http://www.jackdaniels.com/visit

If, like me, you are armchair travelling today, take a look at whiskey barrel furniture. You can have furniture made from barrels turned into tables, barrel drinks cabinets, and trugs - trays with upright handles, or chairs.

http://www.oakbarrel-furniture.co.uk

Barrels can also be used for gardens, as rain barrels, water features containing miniature lily ponds, containers for three level three size stepped fountains, and full size or half barrel troughs for plants.

A barrel tree was built in Covent Garden last year (2013) using white oak barrels, covered in lights and topped with a seasonal star. 

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer, author, blogger and speaker.

London Lights at Christmas: Oxford Circus

Enjoy Five star Food at Roux Lunch at the Landau, Langham Hotel near Oxford Circus

Five star food, five star service and five star prices at festive time. Also a five star central location, Oxford Circus. So convenient. Great place for meeting friends, especially if you are all coming from different directions. The hotel has somebody to greet you at the entrance. Elegant art deco foyer.

Separate side entrance for the restaurant. That's good if a side entrance makes you feel exclusive, discreet. Equally suitable if you are shy and retiring and the big main marble hotel entrance and bustling hallway inhibits you.

Your coat and hat and bag or newspaper are taken and hidden in their cupboard behind a door at the back of the reception desk. You are given a solid tag, black, thick, looks like a leather credit card. Good. You can feel it in your pocket and find it. Not like those flimsy raffle tickets which disappear down the hole in your pocket to reappear in the lining of your coat years later - after somebody else has made off with your identical coat, but the wrong size.

The corridor is lined with drinks cabinets.

One person was early and presumably did not want to wait in the bar. He was in the side room. We joined him and had pre-dinner drinks in the side room which I had previously glimpsed with a grand table laid for a private dinner party. We were only five in number and had not asked for a private room, so this was a treat.

I was dehydrating after half a glass of alcohol. And not my usual voluble self. The brain needed lubricating.

I asked for tap water with lemon. They brought a jug of water with lemon. And not just a glass for me but a glass for everybody, lemon slice in each glass. Yes, that's how it should be, but some places think you are the only person who might want water.

Our group organiser - I won't call him the host because we were all paying for ourselves, asked for nuts or nibbles to go with the wine. Although I feel they should have produced both water and nuts without being asked, the coated nuts arrived almost instantly and shortly afterwards two slates supposing canapés, with a side table each side so we did not have to keep passing the canapés, nor risk one person hogging the lot.

Starter
On to the table, a round table for five. I had to reject the two items containing shellfish in case I am still allergic to them after a nasty experience some years back. That left a choice of soup; or boudin blanc. What's the boudin, I asked. I must have been told some time in my life, but so long ago that I'd forgotten.

Boudin is a sausage. Sausages are in my mental column of preserved meats which are always second choice after fresh meat with nothing added, nothing taken away. Interrogation of the server reveals that the sausage contains chicken - OK. But also pork.

Those of us who were taught at school in either biology or domestic science that pork contains tape worms have never got over this early conditioning. (I have visions of myself retreating with a fixed smile, looking for the door to escape. A good thing I don't like red wine and am not drinking any more.)

So my choice is soup. The soup plate arrives with something small and colourful in the middle. I never quite get over the disappointment of thinking my starter is too small.

A moment later the cream colour soup is poured around it like a sauce, a moat. A delightful drama. Perhaps I should have been told that the soup was to follow, or given some clue.

Beside the salad plate is a side plate of piquant cheese canapés. Excellent.

Main course
Turkey. Potatoes six stars! Supposed to be with sprouts Where are the sprouts? What happened to by five a day vegetables.  Ah, sprouts are hidden under the turkey. You need an instruction book for this lunch. It's the food equivalent of an IKEA catalogue. Scientists, men like working it out from the menu. I'm a woman. I like a waiter explaining it to me.

 OK - found the sprouts under the turkey. I'm still trying to count my five a day. I suppose a vegetable soup is one vegetable, sprouts makes two. At lunch time I do like meat and two vegetables.

How about a sigh of some salad, fresh salad? Not everybody at my table agrees. Those sitting either side of me have differing views. My companions are mixture of health freaks and lettuce-phobics.

Dessert
I've had Christmas pudding about three times already in the past fortnight so this time I forego my favourite seasonal dish for the chestnut dessert. The presentation is amazing. The little morsels of meringue stand on fat stalks and look like miniature mushrooms or bar stools for The Borrowers.

Coffee
The Wedgwood cups and milk jugs are perfect.


Price. Shock. Twelve and a half per cent is a lot.

This was our second visit and we'd been so looking forward to it. At that price I would expect something really gaspingly exciting every moment, not just flavour, but also visually, with contrasting colours.

rouxatthelandau.com
http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk/restaurants/fine_dining_restaurants.htm

French words of the day - au revoir to souvenir

au revoir
barrage
boucle
bouffant
boutique
cafe
charcuterie
colleague
croupier
derriere
eclair
garage
patisserie
poignant
regime
memoir
metier
reservoir
rouge
souvenir

Christmas Lights At Intu (formerly Harlequin) Shopping Mall, Watford

The lights in Intu mall have turned it into a fairyland. 

Children can spend their pocket money riding on the little train.

After you've seen the lights, if you want to buy Coca-Cola, a machine on the mall's lower level takes credit cards.

I exclaimed to my family, 'This machine takes credit cards!'

Somebody quipped, 'But does it give them back?'

French words of the day

amiable
coup
coupe
pastiche
troupe
vintage

Heel cake slice - rush in to buy it before Xmas (or order online)

Genuine Cakes of Hatch End has a most attractive display in the window, constantly changing, so if you are near Hatch End do stop to have a look. (Free parking in the Broadway alongside and if that's full, 20p an hour in the car park.)

I was looking for a Xmas present and this caught my eye - a cake slicer cum server with a heel turning it into a high heel shoe (mid heel actually). You could display it on the dining table or sideboard or in a nicely lit glass cabinet like the one in the window of the shop. Lovely for an engagement party or wedding.

When I went in to ask the price, I was shown that the heel is a detachable magnet. Even better, a bonus, you can present the cake slice in three ways. 

1 under the heel. 2 under the toe with the cake slice supported upside down. 3 With the magnet on top of the handle where it i most easily seen. (You can just spot the tiny circular magnet if you look at it this way up - and demonstrate it to your guests.

The box has an illustration on the back so if you give it to somebody for Xmas or a birthday or engagement or wedding, and you are not there to explain and demonstrate, they can read the box.

This is definitely something for the girl, boy, man,women, trainee chef, patisserie enthusiast who likes making or serving cakes.

If you are passing the shop, look in the window or go in to see it. If live nearby and want it for Xmas, rush to get it. Their other branch is a small but permanent kiosk in Watford near the Apple store, at the John Lewis end of the Harlequin indoor shopping mall (now renamed Intu - which seems less memorable and does not have the symbol).

At £25 it was beyond my budget, but I am sure many people will see it and want it straight away.

I did a search on line, and if you want a different design of heel, such as a zebra, (I prefer the diamond) and a cheaper price - even including gift wrap, and don't mind waiting for delivery. Yes, you can have it delivered and make a cake at home. Or pop along to genuine cakes and buy the cake slice and have a piece of cake while you are shopping. They sell small cakes, too.

As their sign says, they offer free cake samples, (come times they are outside the shop offering a teeny taste, usually one variety - but on Hatch End special days several shops offer bite size samples of food, with flavours or products changing every hour as you will discover if you walk up and down in both directions. You can also order cakes online. Go to cake decorating classes. And they have kids cupcake parties.

Cake and Prosecco bar on the upper mall at Intu, Watford. 

Genuine Cakes UK | Handmade Cakes for All Occasions

genuinecakes.co.uk

info@genuinecakes.co.uk

Tel: 0208 428 8585

Do go to the Genuine Cakes website. It's full of interesting articles and helpful tips. What to do for an outdoor wedding (including providing pashminas for bridesmaids if it gets chilly later in the day in spring and autumn.

And a handy link to a site telling you how to make a braided chollah.

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/rosh-hashanah-challah-recipe-and-braiding-tips-from-a-shiksa

Cake servers and novelties:

http://www.poshhippo.com/home-and-garden/wild-heel-cake-server/cake-server-gourmet-glam.htm

Where To Go For New Year's Eve Restaurants North London and Lunch New Year's Day

LIST BY LOCATION

Ruby's Restaurant & Bar (see my previous post)

Christmas Pudding at Ruby's Restaurant, Bushey Heath.

Casa Mia Restaurant in Hatch End.

BUSHEY HEATH
www.rubysrestaurant.co.uk/specials_at_rubys.php
£50 including drinks New Year's Eve
Ruby's Restaurant, 81 High Road, Bushey Heath, Herts, WD23 IEL
tel:020 8950 8231
rubysrestaurant.co.uk


HATCH END
Fellini New Year's Eve dinner and Dance live music
£70 plus 10% service charge.


RUISLIP
Hawtreys Barn Hotel Ruislip
Hawtreys is already fully booked for New Year's Eve but you can have the same menu in the Cromwell Room.

Alternatively:
New Year's Day lunch at Hawtrey's Restaurant in The Barn Hotel, £29.95 three course meal including tea and coffee. Add a glass of sparking wine £5-£10.


WELWYN
The Wellington at Welwyn
New Year's Eve £75.

Fellini Restaurant in Hatch End.

LIST BY PRICE

NB - Check whether drinks, coffee and service are included. Adjust price if drinks are not included and you wish to drink bottled water, juices, alcohol and coffee. Allow for 10% service charge, any higher service charge listed, service not included, or more generous tip.

RUISLIP

New Year's Day lunch at Hawtrey's Restaurant in The Barn Hotel, £29.95 three course meal including tea and coffee. Add a glass, or two glasses, of sparking wine £5-£10 = £40 each person.

BUSHEY HEATH
www.rubysrestaurant.co.uk/specials_at_rubys.php
£50 including drinks New Year's Eve
Ruby's Restaurant, 81 High Road, Bushey Heath, Herts, WD23 IEL
tel:020 8950 8231
rubysrestaurant.co.uk

HATCH END
Fellini New Year's Eve dinner and Dance live music
£70 plus 10% service charge(Including service = £77).

WELWYN
The Wellington at Welwyn
New Year's Eve £75.

Too dear? Have a pub lunch at Wetherspoons Hatch End. You must book.

If you are outside the area, or considering going to different restaurants, you could draw up a chart or grid with locations down the left and prices listed on the right.

Furniture stores in Mrs Beeton's Hatch End: New bargains. Luxury - Sale!

If you missed the closing down sale of Waldorf's last weekend you'll be delighted that bargain furniture is available this weekend (Dec 20-21) just before Xmas, and onwards - permanent sale. This company moved from Cricklewood, wanting larger premises for their successful business. And what do I mean by bargain prices. For example, £30 for a bar stool. If you've looked online or at other shops in Hatch End or elsewhere, and their prices are too high, have a look at this place.

If, however you are looking for luxury, top price items, but still like to feel you are getting a bargain, Hatch End has several luxury furniture stores. Chaplins, Moores, both have pre-Xmas sales. If you are looking for something different, such as a coffee table for 'only' £600 in the sale - or a snooker table at more than £2000 with glass top - probably not in the sale, then Chaplins with a wide shop front, is the place.

Over the road is Moore's. What a place for window-shopping. 

If you want to sit and discuss your potential purchase, or phone the family to ask what colour and what price, you can do the rounds of all the shops and pause for a break.

You could stop for lunch or coffee in Wetherspoon's pub, or Fellini Caffe. 

A plaque to domestic Goddess Mrs Beeton, who wrote the book of Household Management, on on the wall of Serrata Greek-Mediterranean style restaurant.

the bad news is that Waldorf and Delisserie have both closed. 

But the good news is that another place will soon open in the Delisserie site and replacing Waldorf in  a week, Furniture Clearance is already open.

Hatch End has its own website, Come To Hatch End.

Angela Lansbury is an author, travel and features writer, photographer and blogger.