Diamonds, lab grown diamonds, opals, counting and tags, at the Jewellery and Gem trade show in Singapore in September 2022 - where next?

 The show was divided into sections by country, types of stone, type of product, so you could look at Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Israel, or Antwerp, the Diamond Centre, or Poland, where Gdansk, the Amber capital in Poland, which has exhibitions and authenticates your amber. At the show I was able to see and buy samples of amber, jewellery such as fine (thin) silver or gold chains.

 Some stands were not able to sell to potential customers because they are not in the Zone. What does that mean? Paying 7% tax, even having to register each piece you take out of your country and showing you have brought them all back through customs. 

Counting

How do you count dozens of pieces of jewellery and precious stones? There's an app, a business, which does that. Not cheap, but it enables the jewellery store to stock take every night by waving a wand over tags. 

What a great idea. How handy to tag everything. Never lose a coat or hat. Could you take it home to count your packing? Never lose shoes or leave a left shoe under the bed or a toddler's toy in a cot.  Alas, not yet. It would cost a lot and every item would need a tag. Maybe one day.

Successes

A few people on stands at the show were not doing as well as they had hoped. I asked, 'Why?' 

'Because our existing customers and potential customers have attended recent trade jewellery shows elsewhere. Such as India.' 

Covid laws have changed. A cancelled show in Hong Kong in 2022 meant the gain of a show in Singapore.

One stand owner told me, 'Our potential customers from Hong Kong haven't come in the numbers we wanted. They would be allowed to leave Hong Kong for Singapore, but would face quarantine on returning to Hong Kong.'

Antwerp

But others found the show very successful. Those on the Antwerp stand were very happy. At the end of the day they were eating chocolates and drinking bubbly. They were brokers, go-betweens, without the worry of physically transporting goods.

Other stands had chocolates under the table. Belgian chocolates. Chocolates bought at Changi airport on arrival.

More from me later. It will take some time to read through all the useful brochures I collected.  The stand owners will be packing up an hour early today - the last day, Friday, - and preparing for the next jewellery and gem shows in other countries.

If you are in the jewellery business, or want to learn about what's new from the media, look out for information on fairs and events around the world including

Lab Grown Diamonds

Lab grown diamonds come in various colours. They are cheaper. Industrial diamonds used in electronics are usually lab grown diamonds.

Fairs Worldwide

Turkey - Istanbul

6-9 October 2022

16-19 March 2023

Middle East

Bahrain

22-26 November 2022

Dubai

12-14 Feb 2023

India -Hydrabad

9-11 June 2023

New Delhi

30 Sept-October 2nd 2023

Thailand

from other organizers

Fairs UK and Europe

https://www.eventseye.com/fairs/cst1_trade-shows_uk-united-kingdom_jewelry.html

Fairs In the USA

https://expotobi.com/country/usa/sector/gems-jewelry

I found this link to a consumer website for lab grown diamonds although the reviews were not all complimentary. I would decide my budget and visit three shops, with a companion, and read reviews, before making a major decision. 

https://novitadiamonds.com.sg/

All about amber - visit the Amber museum, see a public Amber exhibition annually, and in the trade, go to business to business jewellery and gem exhibitons

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I learned about Amber in Poland from the Jewellery & Gem Show.

The city of Amber is Gdansk on the north coast, the Baltic Sea coast of Poland. You can visit an amber museum, attend an amber exhibition every year, and get your amber authenticated as real. Two lovely ladies, Alexandra and Margaret (in English, in Polish you add some sh sounds) told me all about it when I met them at the Jewellery Gem World show in Singapore in September 2022.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Apparently, amber feels warmer than synthetics. It is still living, has been evolving hundreds of years, and is still able to change. It is affected by heat, will change colour.  

They showed me a chart of amber colours. If you visit the annual amber exhibition in Gdansk, you can buy amber. Detour to their stand to get it tested. Any problem? It's rare, but has been known. You could protest to the seller (the retailer who might say they too, were misled by the wholesaler). Sh. Don't say I told you.  If you want a certificate from them at the exhibition you have to pay. For most people just knowing they had real amber would be enough. 

Why would you need a certificate? To tell your family. To keep. To show an insurance company. In case you want to sell your jewellery later, or buy better pieces and would like to release the earliest ones you bought. To be sure you were not buying piece of plastic.

Visiting the amber museum has shot up my wishlist. I have their magazine which is in Polish and English, very handy if you are keen to learn a few words of Polish easily.

Jewellery Show News colours and shapes of delightful diamonds, and more exhibitions

 I found the most amazing things at the jewellery show in Singapore. Black diamonds, pink diamonds, and a diamond with a hidden six point star (the star of David) in the middle. The show is open only to the trade but you can read about it here from me. 

If you are in the trade, and you could not get there, or you want to find out about future shows, they will be held in Delhi in September-October, 2023; in Thailand in  April 2023, in Japan and Hong Kong in September. In the future back to Singapore again.

For more information on business to business, in the jewellery business see

https://jewellerynet.com/en-us/home/

(Would you like to design jewellery? See my previous post about the jewellery making school.)

Jewellery-Making school where you learn to make jewellery - start a new career, in a staycation or holiday in Singapore - or just buy jewellery from graduates

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

All that glitters is not gold, a lot of it is diamonds, white diamonds, pink diamonds and even black diamonds. I found that out at the dazzling Jewellery & Gem World Singapore (a trade show on at Expo, Singapore) from Tuesday 27th September to Friday September 30th, 2022. Wholesalers of jewellery and gemstones gathered to display their wares to importers and shops in Singapore and the world. In just one day I learned a lot about the delightful cut of diamonds, their kaleidoscope of colours. 

I discovered what costs more than gold, as well secrets of distinguishing real amber and opals from the fakes.

 Here's a roundup of my discoveries:

1 The jewellery school JDMIS, Jewellery Design & Management International School. I met Tanja Manuela Sadow, the Dean and director, a jolly, smiling lady, as well as one of her graduates, and I admired some amazing designs. The courses re-start about every two months, and you can take several levels, ending with a diploma. Whilst a diploma is handy when you want to work for somebody else, many students want to set up in business designing jewellery, and to make jewellery for themselves.

Not surprisingly the course will set you back a bit, including all the equipment and tools and supplies you need to make your designs whilst a student. However, the good news is that for Singaporeans, Skills Future grants from the government pay a large amount. How long will this initiative from the government continue?

If you are not in the trade of missed the show, and learning jewellery design sounds like too much hard work, and you just want to buy jewellery or get a personally designed piece, a unique piece, you can go to the shop which is open from 10 am to 7 pm (reopening on Saturday after the show at Expo which ends on Friday September 30th). Please phone to check opening times.

JDMIS

Tanja Manuela Sadow, GJG, Dean, Director,

501 Stirling Road, MDIS Campus F-1075/82, Singapore 148951 

tel +65 6221 5253 / 6223 4318. 

The shop is open from 10 am to 7 pm.

-ends-

Preview of future posts and exhibitions

 I found the most amazing things at the jewellery show in Singapore. Black diamonds, pink diamonds, and a diamond with a hidden six point star (the star of David) in the middle. 

How do you identify the cuts of diamonds so you can ask for what you want? How do you odentify real amber, or get it authenticated? 

The show is open only to the trade but you can read about it here from me. If you are in the trade, and you could not get there, or you want to find out about future shows, they will be held in Delhi in September-October, 2023; in Thailand in  April 2023, in Japan and Hong Kong in September. In the future back to Singapore again.

For more information on business to business, in the jewellery business see

(Would you like to design jewellery? See the above post about the jewellery making school.)

https://jewellerynet.com/en-us/home/

Themed clothes for travellers: bus, bicycle, plane - tee-shirts, dresses and duffel bags - what does duffel bag mean?

 bicycles

Joanie clothing navy, pepper shirt dress 25 pounds oo best offer on ebay in September 2022 plus postage

FOR CHILDREN on Etsy, from Perfect Printing a tee shirt showing a London bus.

Bus design dress from Cath Kidston.

You will see many items for sale in Heathrow airport in the departures area.

Redbubble sells duffel bags and backpacks with repeated plane designs, pale emerald green, turquoise green and pale navy on a white background, for about fifty pounds sterling. The name duffel bag comes from a Belgian town which produced cloth, just as denim comes from the French word de Nimes. Strictly speaking a duffel bag is open at the top with a drawstring. A sausage shape bag with a zip is a gym bag or kit bag.  

Useful Websites

Bus tee shirts for children and adults

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PerfectPrinting

Heathrow and plane backpacks and duffel bags (gym bags or kit bags)

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/heathrow+airport

Why Passengers Should Wear Seatbelts - You as driver and you as passenger

Only this week I was a back seat passenger in a car and the driver and front seat passenger told me, 'no need to wear a seatbelt, it's not the law, he's a careful driver'.

That's not the point. You can be hit by a car from behind or sideways at a crossing. You could be hit an obstruction ahead. Or the tires can slip on a wet road or hit an obstruction or an animal or pedestrian or vehicle pulling out, or bike overtaking from behind or somebody overtaking from the opposite direction.

Seatbelts also stop the person in the back seat becoming a bullet or cannon ball to kill the person in the front seat. Save lives of yourself and others. Seat belts are there for a reason. Seatbelts save lives, save you from worse injuries. 

I know of two events in 2022 which survival or being saved from worse injuries has been attributed to wearing seatbelts.

1 UK

2 USA

Car manufacturers have experimented with automatic seatbelts. These are not yet the norm in 2022.

However, now in the UK the car bleeps if seatbelts are not worn.

Useful websites

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/occupant-protection/seat-belts/#:~:text=From%201975%20to%202017%2C%20seat,car%20occupant%20deaths%20by%2045%25

Crash victim says seatbelt saved her life:

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/park-royal-crash-victim-said-24850425

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt

Australia

https://rac.com.au/car-motoring/info/seat-belts

UK

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/wearing-seat-belt-and-exemptions#:~:text=The%20law%20requires%20that%20drivers,restraint%20as%20required%20by%20law.

Singapore

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/RTA1961-S688-2011

worldwide detailed studies of speeds ages etc

https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/relationship_between_speed_risk_fatal_injury_pedestrians_and_car_occupants_richards.pdf

Helplines for travellers - and hopeful words

Every country has separate numbers for helplines. When you move to a new country or are staying in a hotel overseas, put the emergency numbers in your mobile phone and memorize them.

Where else to get help? Ask the receptionist at the hotel. Ask the concierge. Add the numbers whilst you are waiting at reception or waiting for a porter (the Americans might say bell hop) to bring your luggage (Americans say baggage).

You can get help in different countries, different languages including Welsh, and for yourself, or somebody else, such as a parent, child, sibling or somebody you are caring for. 

What about a customer, somebody in the street acting oddly? 

To end on a happy note, the Samaritans have several success stories of people who were saved from committing suicide (eg jumping off a bridge) and went on to lead many years of happy, productive lives, sometimes staying friends with the person whose compassionate and prompt action had saved a life.

The scriptures say that to save one life, is as if one has saved the world. It is, to the person saved, their family, and all who know them.

One man found happiness again when his wife brought in a dog.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11178805/A-man-whos-dog-helped-heal-tried-life-wrote-book-pooch.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed_article&ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

In the Americas 911 is the usual number.

• 
  
• 000 (Australia)
• 102 (India)
• 106 (Australia)
• 108 (India)
• 110 (Iran, Japan, China)
• 111 (New Zealand)

• 112 (Europe and others, worldwide GSM mobile networks)
• 119 (parts of Asia and Jamaica)
• 120 (China)
• 123 (Colombia, Egypt)
• 128 (Mercosur member states)
• 190 (Brazil)
• 911 (Iraq, North America E-911 system, Philippines)
• 988 (United States Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• 999 (UK and others)
• 1122 (Pakistan)
• • Here are more details

Singapore

Helplines

• National Care Hotline:

1800-202-6868 (8am - 8pm)

Mental well-being

• Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline:

6389-2222 (24 hours)

• Samaritans of Singapore:

1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours)

• Singapore Association for Mental Health:

1800-283-7019

• Silver Ribbon Singapore:

6386-1928

• Tinkle Friend:

1800-274-4788 and www.tinklefriend.sg

• Community Health Assessment Team:

6493-6500/1 and www.chat.mentalhealth.sg

Counselling

• TOUCHline (Counselling):

1800-377-2252

• TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers):

6804-6555

• Care Corner Counselling Centre:

1800-353-5800

Online resources

• mindline.sg

• My Mental Health

• Fei Yue’s Online Counselling Service

• Tinkle Friend

• Community Health Assessment Team

UK

 Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.

Mental health support by text message

You can text "SHOUT" to 85258 for free from all major UK mobile networks. You'll then be connected to a volunteer for an anonymous conversation by text message.

This is not an NHS service. This free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging mental health support service is run by a charity called Mental Health Innovations.

• 000 (Australia)
• 102 (India)
• 106 (Australia)
• 108 (India)
• 110 (Iran, Japan, China)
• 111 (New Zealand)
• 112 (Europe and others, worldwide GSM mobile networks)
• 119 (parts of Asia and Jamaica)
• 120 (China)
• 123 (Colombia, Egypt)
• 128 (Mercosur member states)
• 190 (Brazil)
• 911 (Iraq, North America E-911 system, Philippines)
• 988 (United States Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• 999 (UK and others)
• 1122 (Pakistan)
• • 
    

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/police-and-scdf-say-officers-responded-correctly-in-incident-of-woman-who-jumped-from-eunos-flat?dicbo=v2-c65946087dc656e5593bafcd0fa8bbe7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emergency_telephone_numbers

https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/motivational-quotes

"To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world" - Dr. Seuss

Travelling with Toddlers Without Tantrums

 Babies crying on planes, babies throwing food on the floor in restaurants - annoying if it's other people's and it lasts even longer and more regularly if its your own family. What are the solutions.

We tried carrying a dummy. Which the baby threw on the floor. We attached it to her jacket.

Then mother wanted to wean baby off the dummy. But Dad said you could not allow a baby to cry in a restaurant. It wasn't fair on other diners. It was too stressful for the parents and grandparents. Crying babies upset the wait staff. The restaurant owner was in a dilemma - risk upsetting the five with the baby, or risk upsetting the two nearby couples. Worse still for the people at adjoining tables who had paid good money for a night out - sometimes to get away from their own children after paying for a a babysitter in order to get a few hours of peace.

Suggestions For Solutions

1 Dummy

Keep a spare just in case. Pin on a dummy - somewhere inconspicuous so it is only used when really necessary to quiet a fractious baby.  

2 Check causes of crying.

Go through the checklist. Is baby wet, bored, tired, hungry, thirsty?

Plan for all events, especially the common and predictable: 

Baby Changing

Carry a nappy bag. Use a bag which unfolds to make a changing mat, or pack inside or carry separately a changing mat.

Alternatively, pick a restaurant with a changing table. Suss out every restaurant in your local high street - which Americans call main street. When you find one, get the menu, and persuade the family that this is your favourite menu or favourite, fun restaurant, try it out at cheaper lunch time, or simply tell your family the truth, the restaurant has a handy baby changing area. 

Bored? You could be bored if you were ignored. After baby has looked around, baby will look at you. You could allot a rota of people to talk to and entertain your baby.

If baby is bored, take baby for a walk around the interior of the restaurant, or the upstairs room, or the outside.

3 Have an escape plan.

Where can you take the crying baby? To the car parked outside? The Ladies toilet? The restaurant's upstairs room? The restaurant's downstairs room? The alley to the back car park? The garden at the back? The pub garden? The awning on a rainy day? Walking distance of home?

3 Distractions - toys/books/bubbles

Every member of the dining party should bring something to entertain baby. 

And know a song. 

Know a finger game. 

Make shadows on the wall.  

Here's the church, here's the steeple, open the gates and here are the people.

Have a baby sling so you can walk around, jiggling the baby.

Baby No Plate

Teach toddlers to put food they don't like onto a side plate. No throwing on the floor! No dropping onto the laps of the child or adult.

What is bad? Not the food. Not the baby. Throwing is bad.

That is what you tell yourself. It is a more positive and focused message to tell the child.

Bubbles

Bubbles at 50p or a dollar are cheaper than a babysitter.

Photo by Steve Ford Eliot in Wikipedia from Flickr.

Useful websites

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/19861030/parenting-coach-50p-item-instantly-calm-toddlers-tantrum/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=amazon+bubble

For tips and tricks, weird and wonderful people and places in the Americas, Europe, Asia and  down under in Australia and New Zealand 

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Travel comfort clothes: Pockets in dresses and clothes, anti chafing underwear, and patterns of books for book clubs and writing summer schools

Just the thing for a writers' conference, or book group. Blaze. Thirty nine pounds on shopify, from Popsy clothes in the UK. Two pockets and tie front.

A playsuit, above the knee.

(A jumpsuit is ankle length.)

Dresses with two pockets

Popsy Clothing in the UK makes dresses with two pockets, as you see from their garment photos on models with hands in pockets. Also other clothes, with two pockets (in a range of sizes of clothing) and bags, for women and children. 

Popsy anti-chafing underwear.

The Popsy company also sells anti-chafing above the knee long underpants in cerise and red (no pockets). Such jolly colours. Make you feel good about yourself when you dress, undress, and go to the toilet (or as the Americans say, rest room and bathroom).

On facebook they welcome suggestions for new styles and patterns.

And here's a  book to read on your travels, about the founder of SCOTTeVEST

https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Man-Unauthorized-Autobiography-Passionate-ebook/dp

Useful Websites

https://www.popsyclothing.co.uk/collections/dresses-with-pockets?sort=price-ascendinghttps://www.popsyclothing.co.uk/collections/dresses-with-pockets?sort=price-ascending 

https://www.facebook.com/popsyclothing

Easy to recognize Malay and Indonesian words in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore

Flag of Malaysia.

In Malaysia and Indonesia and the Food Courts of Singapore you will see lots of Malay words for food and drink. Makan (verb) means eat and food for short, and makanan for food. Miniman means drink. Indonesian and Malay are similar with a few differences in vocabulary, with Portuguese words or derived words added in Indonesia. 

In Singapore you see signs and hear announcements on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) trains, in the four national languages, English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay and Tamil. The easiest language to pick up quickly is Malay, because the script is one which English speakers recognize, and what you see is what you say. (Technical term, a phonetic language.)

I looked at the English language and Malay language versions of a health leaflet about vaccinations and found lots of similar words. You will easily recognize:

Malay - English

aktif - active

aktiviti - activity/activities

doktor - doctor

fizikal - physical

kronik - chronic

program - programme

serius - serious

sistem - system

sosial - social

vaksin - vaccine

vaksinasi - vaccination/vaccinated

Some common words (with my memory aid hints)

Malay - English

anda - you/your (I'm fine - and you?)

atas - above (at the top, like a hat)

atau - or

bagi - for

boleh - can

dan - and (same letters in a different order)

di - at

diri - self (direct it back to yourself)

ini - this (in, inside or on or is this, isn't it innit?)

orang (as in orang utan) person

orang-orang (plural is doubled) people

rumah - home (room at home, letter m in both languages)

selamat - safe (Letters s a a and e in both words)

wanita - woman/women (initial letter w in both words,  and the e in women is pronounced like i, it is a woman)

Malay is very similar to Indonesia.

Useful web sites

duolingo.com Indonesian

Facebook Polyglot groups

translate google

Please share links to your favourite posts.

The Marina Bay Barrage, for walks, for fountains, picnics on grass, and views of Marina Bay Towers, the Singapore Flyer big wheel, the Singapore skyline

Marina Bay Barrage, walk beside the grass, overlooking the fountains. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Free to enter, the Marina Bay Barrage.

Distant view of on the left Marina Bay Sands, the triple towers with the hotel at the top and the infinity swimming pool. On the right illuminated at night, the Singapore Flyer. 
 

Fountains at Marina Bay Barrage. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The fountains change colours. Red, green, purple.

I went there with a Toastmasters International group. Our event organizer, Peter, had booked an indoor room in the complex, on the second floor, with stairs or lift access. 

Afterwards we had a picnic on the grass and took photos at sunset. 

Most of the year you can walk across the barrage. (Check because it is due to be temporarily closed for upgrading.)

At the moment (September 2022) you need to catch the 400 bus, which runs half hourly from above the Bayfront MRT underground railway station, about four stops. Or take a walk or cycle. By the end of the year the new Marina Bay station's east coast line  will be open! 

Useful Websites

https://www.pub.gov.sg/marinabarrage/faqs

https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/architecture/modern/marina-barrage/

Spot the Blue and Boats and Ships On the Bayfront MRT Mural - and more in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

As you rush into or out of the station you might be tempted to hurry past the long blue mural of boats and ships. I was in a hurry and took a photo of the mural and author's description to read later.

On my mobile phone I could hardly make out that the little blobs were boats. However, the next weekend I showed it to my husband and he blew up my picture on a big desktop screen. He was impressed by the variety of boats shown.

First, he noticed a boat with ice creams. Then a boat with fruit.

Then, different styles of boat, shown by their sails or curved bows. He guessed at or identified several. Can you see them?:

A clipper - with clipped sails, triangular

A schooner - with full sails

The curved up front of an Asian boat

Bay front MRT is underneath the distinctive Marina Bay Sands complex, with its triple towers, connected by a hotel, with an infinity swimming pool. You can buy a ticket for the observation deck, or book a table for a meal at the luxury restaurant with a view for a special occasion.

The Boats on the Mural

Our initial impression was that one artist must have spent hours painting all those little boats. No. Hours organizing the project. That boats were all drawn by children aged 7 to 12. So many families have their own connection to the mural.

Teco Enamel construction

I found a detailed description of the construction of the mural on the website of the company which provided the raw material for the construction. The product they supplied had to be able to deal with graffiti, not have colours which faded. The company is Taiwan Enamel Company Limited, for short their name is condensed to the word Teco.

Interestingly, the Teco company also makes enamel baths and bath accessories such as taps.

More Murals To See

They were also responsible for other murals you can see on the Downtown line (and on websites, and in my blog posts) such as a nearby station, Promenade, and up north in Woodlands South. Also other murals or signs in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Abu Dhabi, UAE which you can see on their websites

Useful Websites

Bayfront station

Mural Construction

https://taiwanenamel.com/projects/graphic/bayfront-mrt-station-singapore/

Singapore International Water Week

https://www.siww.com.sg/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayfront_MRT_station

Youtube  video of Singapore stations' murals

DIY marmalade in England and Singapore

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury

How to find a meeting place - midpoint with meetways

Oslo Airport. Wiki.

Why do people think it's easy for me to travel across London or Singapore to meet at or near their home or station or shopping centre - but too far for them to travel the same distance across London or Singapore to meet me at or near my home or station or shopping centre?

How about meeting exactly half way? But not in a field. In the nearest cafe or restaurant. A website helps you do just that.

Well known meeting points include New York's Grand Central Station clock, the mushroom in Stockholm, Sweden.

For London, England, there's an up on Meetie London.

Not to be confused with Meetup, which lets you set up meeting groups, for example to speak a foreign language. The organizer pays Meetup a 6 or 12 month fee. Worldwide. The organizer can choose a cafe, restaurant or well known place to meet.

 Useful Websites

https://www.meetways.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MeetWays/

Meeting Points Around the world including USA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_point#:~:text=A%20meeting%20point%2C%20meeting%20place,tourists%20and%20citizens%20to%20meet.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.meetie.meetie

After Paddington Bear, Where Next For Marmalade? Follow Queen Elizabeth's footstep's to Wilkinson's Tiptree Museum for a taste - early tea time

What is marmalade? A jam made from oranges, sharp oranges, not only sugar, so they have a bitter bite to wake you up at breakfast time.

After the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was videoed sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington bear, where can you buy marmalade?

In central London in Fortnum's department store. But actually, in any supermarket.

Brands include, Mark's, Robertsons, and more.

M & S sells marmalade fine cut, medium cut, coarse cut, and with ginger.

We look for thick cut marmalade.

Many other brands and variations exist.

Rose's

• Lemon & Lime
• Lime
• Lemon
• Grapefruit
• Orange
• Ginger

Her majesty The Queen visited the Tiptree jam factory in 2010.

If you are in London, take a trip to the Tiptree museum in Essex. Entry is free. You can watch a film and see the factory. It take fifteen minutes to forty five minutes for your visit. 

You can also visit their tea rooms. They make chocolate spread, salted caramel. And their website has recipes for all meals of the day and cocktails. Make sure to get there early. They museum and cafe cum shop keep factory hours. They close at 4.30 in winter and 5 in summer.

They also serve and sell quince or damson preserves, honey, alcohol, and Christmas puddings!

It starts with picking fruit.

Tiptree tea.

 

Tiptree hamper.

DIY Marmalade

 If you want to make marmalade, you need Seville oranges from Spain which are sold in England in early Spring. To make marmalade you want fruit which does not have wax or insect repellent, on the skin, so look for oranges which say they are suitable for making marmalade, or treat them suitably.

We made marmalade in Singapore from little round orange fruit which look like oranges but a gardening centre told us they were limes. When we were short of fruit, we added an ordinary orange to increase volume and that worked out just fine.

Useful Websites

For pictures of the queen's visit to the jam factory:

https://www.tiptree.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Food_museums_in_the_United_Kingdom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkin_%26_Sons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiller%27s_marmalade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Marmalade

https://www.britishonlinesupermarket.com/marks-spencer/marks-spencer-jams-spreads/m-s-marmalade.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose%27s_(marmalade)

You tube demo of making marmalade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTfp3HevfmE

https://www.tiptree.com/tiptree-jam-museum

https://www.tiptree.com/products/marmalade

Please share links to your favourite posts

Visit The Potato Museum, Idaho, USA or potato museums in Bruges and other places

Angela Lansbury holding an Idaho potato promotional toy. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

I was given this charming soft toy at the ProWine fair in Singapore. I love potatoes. Baked potatoes in their jackets are best when you are on a diet.

Wikipedia gives a comprehensive history of the Mr Potato game and how it developed.

You can go onto the potato museum website and see what is in their gift shop. They have a patch, a magnet, mugs with a giant potato on a truck (in England we say lorry) and a poster with Marilyn Monroe.

The Potato Museum, Idaho, USA. From Wikipedia.

You can eat in the potato cafe. 

Wikipedia says
in 2016, the museum renovated the baggage claim area of the depot which was used for storage and opened the Potato Station Café. The café serves baked potatoes, French fries and other potato-themed foods such as potato bread, potato cupcakes, and chocolate dipped potato chips.

Bloggers can find more than 600 recipes!

You can also see a museum about French fries in Bruges, Belgium.

The Mr Potato head toy (with several parts) is for ages 2 and up.

Useful Websites

USA

Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot, Idaho.

https://idahopotatomuseum.com/mr-potato-head/ 

https://idahopotato.com/dr-potato/the-difference-between-idaho-potatoes-and-russet

WORLDWIDE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Potato_museums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Food_and_drink_museums

RECIPES

https://idahopotato.com/recipes/tag/blogger

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Australian Weddings - the black and white

Australia

I have also seen weddings in public parks in Australia. The problem with public parks is that strangers can come along and heckle or  intrude on photos. Not to mention wandering dogs!

I have also seen pictures of ski scenes in weddings, and under-water ceremonies. I am glad I didn't need clothes for a snow white wedding or an underwater wedding.

How To Be A Bridesmaid

When my book, How to be a bridesmaid was published, I was in Australia for a visit. My publisher arranged for me to be on TV. Meanwhile, I went around a wedding show at the hotel. 

The seller of a video service showed me her brochure and video. She thought I was a bride-to-be. I started getting Imposter Syndrome.

 Eventually I had to admit, "I'm sorry. I don't need a video. I am not a bride-to-be. I am on TV tomorrow to promote my book, How To Be A Bridesmaid. I am looking for ideas and facts about weddings in Australia, in order to be amusing, informative, up-to-date, and relevant to the audience." 

To my surprise, and delight, she was not at all annoyed. She simply turned the her sales pitch and used the situation to her advantage. She said, "Ooh. I'd love to have my video company on TV. Can you get me on TV."

I sighed. "I have no idea how to get you on TV. I didn't arrange it. I am only on there because the publisher in London fixed it. I am going to speak to them later about what I am to talk about, so we can run through it. The only thing I am going to talk about is etiquette. Wearing white. Not wearing black. Unless you had a video of a bride wearing black ..."

"Yes! Yes! I do!" she said. "That would be great. I just have to get permission from the bride. Hold on, I've got her number here. Hello, I am wondering ...? Angela! She would be delighted. She and her bridesmaids all wore black. She would love to be on TV! Give the TV company my name and I'll send them a short clip. Don't worry about copyright, or credentials. I'll sort all that out. You can say whatever you want. I am so thrilled. I am so glad I met you! Thank you, thank you! What can I do for you?'

I replied, "Tell me about wedding disasters."

"I'll send you a collection of clips from things which were cut out of wedding videos. You can't show them. But you can talk about them. Just don't mention any bride's names."

That was a dream come true for me. I had my magic moment on TV of looking horrified at a bride wearing black. I was prepared. I shook my head, tutted. Then I stammered a polite, diplomatic, reason why - it worked for her - but would not for most brides! 

I also had enough funny stories about wedding disasters to speak entertainingly on radio for the rest of my life. 

Please share links to your favourite posts.  

Weddings Worldwide: You can marry on a train in Florida, in a hotel garden or ski slope in America, on a beach in Hawaii, or the Maldives, outdoors in a field in Israel, on a rooftop in Singapore, UK Kew or zoo

American Weddings

Brightline is a privately owned railway  line which has served as a marriage venue for a wedding in 2022. 

I have witnessed a wedding (as the official witness) on a cruise ship out of Florida, but this is the first time I have heard of a wedding on a train.

The train wedding couple did not meet on the train. They met when the husband to be was renting property (Americans say leasing) from his bride-to be. They had many dates taking the train and the bride thought the train ride was the most romantic part of the date. 

The train company sectioned off part of the train for the ceremony and reception afterwards. Photos were taken on the train and at the station. 

UK Weddings & Emergency vehicles

In England I have seen many reports of unusual carriages to the wedding venue, usually connected with the jobs of one of the spouses or their family. A nostalgic horse and carriage is quite common.

 I recall a double decker bus being used. Also I recall one case of the bridal party stuck when the road was impassable. Emergency service vehicles (a fire engine) came to the rescue.

Israel Outdoors

I attended a wedding of a relative by marriage in Israel. The incoming security stopped me and asked me the bride's name. The wedding invitation was all in Hebrew and I hadn't a clue. (Her name was Ayala.) We took a taxi from the airport. The taxi driver had trouble locating the venue so we arrived later than expected.

Australia's Public Parks

I have also seen weddings in public parks in Australia. The problem with public parks is that strangers can come along and heckle or  intrude on photos. Not to mention wandering dogs!

I have also seen pictures of ski scenes in weddings, and under-water ceremonies.

Singapore's Rooftop Wedding Receptions

I attended a wedding on a rooftop in Singapore. While we were circling before the wedding we had a chance to take photo of the bride and ourselves against the distant scenery. Once we were seated, because of the high safety wall, we did not see the scenery at all. That was okay. We were more interested in the food and talking to each other. However, at 7 pm in Singapore the sun sets. Later, the view had vanished. Just some lights in the darkness far away. So it's a good thing to arrive early at a scenic destination to get photos. The bride and groom and official photographers might be monopolising the best spots, and, of course, they have priority. So, if you are a guest, arrive early.

Botanical Gardens Bandstand

And another in a restaurant in the Botanical Gardens, after a ceremony planned for the bandstand. The officiant was late. 

The bride wanted photos of exchanging vows on the bandstand at sunset. So we rushed to do a mock ceremony. 

As a Toastmaster I was able to improvise the mock ceremony. I had a few stage-whisper prompts from those standing alongside. 

Afterwards the officiant arrived as the dinner was being served at the allotted time. The real ceremony was performed indoors.

Useful websites

USA

Train

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11211743/Florida-couple-married-Brightline-TRAIN-using-meet-one-dates.html

Ski Slope

https://www.herecomestheguide.com/wedding-venues/type/ski-resort

Boat

Singapore

https://www.facebook.com/vineyardhortpark (Singapore)

https://vogue.sg/the-best-unconventional-wedding-venues-in-singapore/

UK

You could get married at Kew Gardens in London. Going north, you could get your wedding photos at Ness Gardens in Liverpool.

You can hire a classic fire engine.

https://www.classicfireengines.co.uk/fire-engine-weddings/

My son got married indoors in London. However, just before the ceremony, the photographer unexpectedly walked us across to a tiny park we had never noticed with feature of rocks and tumbling plants. A look at a map might show you the nearest park to an indoor venue.

Angela in an Ann Balon dress and Marks & Spencer fascinator at her son's wedding in the UK. Pre-wedding photo in the nearby public greenery.

UK

https://www.kew.org/venue-hire/civil-ceremonies

Please share links to your favourite posts.