Decorative tiles at Euston station showing historic arch

 

On the platform of the Victoria Line at Euston station. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

This jolly, red artwork recalls an arch from an earlier era, which campaigners had tried to save.

I think they should restore the actual arch, at least a smaller replica.

Useful Websites About Euston Station and London's Railway Art

https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2016/04/27/station-tile-designs-victoria-line-london-uk/

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/infrastructure/item/1984-74

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

Please share links to your favourite posts on this blog.

Pret chicken & avocado sandwich - quick and convenient, with seating

Pret at Euston station, London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

A useful stop. Two triangular thick half sandwiches. Brown bread with seeds. Moist avocado. Chicken for a protein boost.

-ends-
 

Fish, Shellfish, Joint Complex Sample & Allergies

 

On Euston station I was offered samples of Joint Complex. 

I was a bit suspicious. However, when I went online I discovered that it is sold at Boots chemist, which has a branch near Baker Street station. I am obviously over 50, was walking with a stick due to a recent problem (which seems to be gradually improving). Medications are more likely to be needed, or wanted, by the elderly, so if you are handing out to a targeted audience, or those willing to take samples, I was an obvious target. I still had questions.

1 Do you need it?

2 How do you take it?

3 What do the reviews say?

4 What does it cost? I thought it was quite expensive, if you buy enough for a month or three months. If you commit to a bulk purchase, it's a good idea to be sure you need it, like it, don't suffer from side effects, and will continue. 

5 Do I need any supplements? My doctor's just tested me for deficiencies. I have ostopoenia, which means in danger of osteoporosis which is more serious. Bones like a fragile honeycomb with holes. So, after a fall from dizziness, I am concerned.

I should be able to get nutrients from my diet. (However, I do already take calcium supplements. In theory, even in winter in the UK I should be able to walk in the sunlight for 20 minutes to half an hour every day during daylight hours. In practice I am in a desk job and am scared of getting skin cancer and falling over.

If I need a medication which is only available on prescription to prevent overdosing or reaction to other ingredients, I should be eligible to get it from my doctor. (Although doctors may say that if it is not a medicine required for a permanent condition, just an over the counter medicine you might require once for a temporary condition, you should be able to save your time and the doctor's and NHS money, by asking the pharmacist for advice. Then buying what you fancy or supplements you need to take temporarily because you are travelling or crossing time zones without access to fresh food. 

5 What are the ingredients? It lists fish. When I told the person handing out the supplement that I was allergic to shellfish, he took back the sample and said, "Better not take it, then."

Later in the day I went back through Euston and another person was handing out the free samples. I took one of each of two colours.

I went home and hesitated to try them because of my fear or eating or drinking anything made with shellfish.

However, when I discussed this with my husband later, he said that calcium often comes from fish bones, and supplements might include cod liver oil, neither of which are shellfish. 

I went onto the Boots page to look for a list of ingredients. It also says fish. I was still in doubt. I kept going round and round the system of Frequently Asked Questions, which were mostly about delivery, and not ingredients. Then I found phone numbers. For the UK or Ireland.

The UK one was 0345 609 0055, This did not specify whether it was only office hours, such as 9 or 10 to 5 or 6 pm, Monday to Friday, or seven days a week and 24 hours, which it could be if there was a call service with overseas staff in a different time zone or on shift work.

Another alternative is to go into my local pharmacy, in the suburbs, preferably midweek, on a non busy day, or the big one in central London.

I made myself a sample of one of the drinks but did not like the taste. However I think I left it to stew for too long or did not add enough water. 

The instructions told you how much water to add. But it was all in measurements. I never weigh anything. For me, measurements have to be in tea spoons or tea cups. Preferably with a drawing, nice and large, not teeny print in a similar colour to the coloured background. I don't mind seeing the accurate measurement, to help others, but it is not sufficient to guide me. If you were on holiday in a hotel you might not have a weighing machine handy.  

Given that some of the customers are creatives like me, and others are elderly and can't read small print, lose their reading glasses, it would help to print text large and drawings of tea cups and spoons nice and large.

I read the reviews on the Boots website. One customer said they disliked the taste of one version of the product, and looked forward to trying the other flavour. Good. I'm glad it wasn't just me finding the drink too strongly flavoured. 

AI revealed this about the ingredients

Joint complex" can refer to a supplement or a type of anatomical joint. As a supplement, it is a blend of ingredients like glucosamine, collagen, and MSM to support joint health, cartilage, and mobility. In anatomy, a complex joint is a joint with more than one articulation surface, plus an articular disc or meniscus, like the knee joint. 

Joint complex as a supplement

• Purpose: Supports joint health, cartilage, bones, and connective tissues. 
• Key ingredients:
  • Glucosamine: A building block for cartilage. 
  • Chondroitin: Supports healthy cartilage. 
  MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane): Another popular ingredient for joint health. 
  Collagen: Provides structure for bones and cartilage. 
  Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin C for collagen production and antioxidant support, and Vitamins D, K, Copper, and Manganese for bone and muscle function. 
  Herbal extracts: Such as turmeric extract or Boswellia and ginger to support inflammation management and flexibility. 
  Hyaluronic Acid: Promotes joint lubrication and smooth movement. 

Useful Website on Joint Complex Powder In A Sachet

https://reviveactive.com/products/joint-complex?variant=31549026467926

Euston Station seats and announcements

 Euston station in London, on the ground floor Train Overground has useful seats for waiting for trains, if you are departing later or meeting people. Handy tiny tables have  QR codes for checking train times.

You can eat snacks bought nearby, using the tiny tables. Individual birds from a team of pigeons pick up the crumbs. Their feather uniforms are grey and white, or brown which co-ordinates well with the curved imitation wood seating.

The birds compete with human litter collectors.

Wearing orange.

This is Euston station overground. It is upstairs from the underground. Obvious? No. Some stations require a walk from the underground to the overground. Look at the underground map or the websites. Euston is good. From the uderground you have a choice of routes. Straight ahead is an escalator route. To your left are a corridor and stairs to three overground train line entrances, including the Lioness to Watford line via Willesden Junction.

Useful Websites

ttps://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/london-euston-stations-newest-recruit-ruffles-pigeon-feathers

Tottenham Court Road station

Why would you go to Tottenham Court Road station? Because it is right next to Foyles bookshop, as well as theatres and shops and a convenient corner when catching trains.

Tottenham Court Road station is in Tottenham Court Road, in central London, many stops away from Tottenham. The station is also on the corner of Oxford Street, which might lead to Oxford but is not near it.

I was so looking forward to seeing the new station which was cordoned off for many months whilst it was being redeveloped as part of Crossrail which will transform London, bringing new area within reach, new restaurants and shops and friends and meetings. Easier journeys.

If you've got a moment, stop to read about Crossrail.

the entrance near Foyles is not colourful, in fact the design is black and white, striking, sombre and sophisticated, like Westminster station.

However, down on the Northern line platform, going north to Euston, is a colourful mosaic by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Italian parents. He is also known for sculpture. See his sculpture P i s c a t o r (autocorrect is trying to change this word) on nearby Euston station. (And more sculptures around London and in Edinburgh.) Read more about Paolozzi in Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Paolozzi
Photos by Angela Lansbury, 2016. Copyright.

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

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Secret subway station in London set to open in summer

Crystal Palace
Fabulous picture of orange and white triangles formed by coloured tiles or bricks radiating out from the top of columns, are in a picture of the secret subway below the burned down Crystal Palace. The subway station is set to open this spring. It's now January. Less than two or three months from now. Wonderful.

It should set a standard for other stations in London and elsewhere to emulate. I've seen pictures of fabulous stations in Russia and elsewhere. Really looking forward to this.

Sherlock, Brunel and more
If you want to see interesting London stations meanwhile, take a look at the statue of Brunel on Paddington, and upstairs the lovers. On Euston there's a statue of the mapmaker in Australia with his cat. Another station, Victoria, has an artist with his palette. Baker street station has tiles showing Sherlock Holmes, whose statue is outside the station.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35275639

Cats: sitters, Christmas stockings, statues, cat museums to see on holiday

CAT MONUMENTS and MUSEUMS

Cat monuments and museums to visit on your travels include:

1 Cat statue, Christmas Pantomime and Film
Dick Whittington's cat, London, England.
Children in England learn the memorable phrase: Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London.
Dick Whittington was a real person. This model shows his cat. The cat statue was placed on Highgate Hill under a cage to protect it (from accidental traffic damage or vandalism).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Whittington_and_His_Cat

The story of Dick Whittington is popular for pantomime's in London, before Christmas every year during the holidays for families, especially with younger children. It has also been made into a TV film starring well known actors and comedians such as Harry Hill. You can see it on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F87IvUBShY

2 Cat Statue
Cat accompanying Captain Matthew Flinders, map-maker in Australia, shown in statue on Euston station, London, England.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Cat Museum
The cat museum is in Kuching, Malaysia, and the word Kuching is Malay for cat. I saw lots of stories about cats from all over the world. Anne Frank had a cat. Other celebrated cats have belonged to leaders in the USA and UK and elsewhere.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g298309-d447294-Reviews-Cat_Museum-Kuching_Sarawak.html

Cat Gifts
Looking at cat stocking images, I found presents for female cat owners include black stockings with cat tops, faces and two little ears sticking up.

You can buy a cat ring holder. The Lakeland catalogue says the little cat will be 'perfectly' happy to mind your rings. It costs £7.95. Ref 42832. Page 118 of their catalogue
Tel 015394 88100
lakeland.co.uk

Red Xmas stockings for cats included the shape of a red fish with a ribbon hanging loop.


Cat Christmas stockings are sold by Waitrose supermarket.
Here's one I photographed in South Harrow, NW London, England.

Cat puppets and soft toys are sold in supermarkets, especially at Xmas time.

Catteries
UK boarding catteries (as opposed to breeding catteries) are inspected and licensed. and should display their license.

http://www.maxkitty-petsitting.co.uk/sem_cat_v2.html?gclid=CjwKEAiA7f-yBRDAgdv4jZ-78TwSJAA_WdMalq8zoEHzGixNYopmBPzPTCYojfJX-LbreHFoDL-wJxoCBazw_wcB

Cat Statues and souvenirs
The British Museum in London has statutes of cats from Egypt in the collection and in the shop and the online shop.
http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/sculpture/gayer-anderson-cat/invt/cmcr90740

Museums in London and New York
British Museum, London, England
For pictures of British Museum cats including a mummified cat and a beautiful finger ring with a cat on top go to:
http://www.littlehouseofcats.com/cats-in-art/museum-cats/british-museum-cats/

Met Museum, New York, USA
To see a picture of the cat statue which was intended to contain a mummified cat go to the website of Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Details of entry times on the Museum home page.
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/544118
If you know of any more, please tell me. Please follow me for more interesting stories on travel, like my Facebook page, or link to me on LinkedIn. Details of my books and profile are on Lulu.com and Amazon.

Cat Collection in Amsterdam
Are you going to Europe? Look for this cat theme Cat Cabinet in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/cat-cabinet/


Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author of Larry The Talking Labrador. See my books on Amazon.com and Lulu.com

Australia, London, Melbourne, Melbourne Cemetery, Healesville - what's the connection?

I was looking at this wine bottle label and trying to trace the location and names of the places mentioned, Healesville in Victoria, in Australia? This moscato is sparkling and different muscat grapes vary. Let's nor worry about that now - it's enough of a challenge for us in the UK to work out where to find Victoria. After a brief diversion into what I've just been told about Rutherglen Muscat, which I'm typing up because I want to remember it, I shall tell you what I've found about Melbourne, Healesville and the snooker gravestone.

Northern Victoria is also known Rutherglen Muscat, a sweet wine. 

(You may know Rutherglen muscat. I am informed by my local UK expert, that the local clone is Brown muscat making red not white musket. Some wines are made in a solar system like sherry blending vintages and flavours to get a consistent flavour over the years. A third local characteristic is raiseined grapes in an area with lots of heat and not so uch water.

I've been to Australia, to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, but Healesville?

Let's start with what I know, Victoria in London is named after Queen Victoria and Victoria in Australia must have been founded and named after her in her era.

Australia, Captain Flinders, His Map and That Cat

The name Australia is related to the English man, Captain Matthew Flinders, who mapped Australia and gave Australia its name. His statue was placed on Euston station in London this year (2014). See pictures of Flinders and his cat statue in my earlier post by doing a search for the word Euston.

Melbourne

Melbourne was named after Queen Victoria's minister, Melbourne, who was living in London and having an affair with a lady, immortalised in the line, 'would you like to sin on a tiger skin with Eleanor Glyn?'

Healesville

Healesville is an area north east of Melbourne, Australia. Healesville is named after one of its first VIPs. Ironically he was a teetotaller campaigning for temperance. I wonder if the vineyard realises that their address immortalises and recalls him?

What became of him? He was buried in Melbourne Cemetery. So were other VIP founders of Australia, or early members of the government.  But the most amusing gravestone in the cemetery is that of the snooker player below. 

Walter Lindrum, Australian Billiards Player

The grave is of Walter Lindrum in Melbourne General Cemetery. (I found the photo in Wikipedia when I researched Healesville.)

Enjoy contemplating this whilst drinking your Moscato, from Healesville, Australia. (The UK importers are mentioned in the previous post on this blog.)

Walter Lindrum OBE, Australian billiards player

Where to Find Free Toilets, and signs to toilets, please - oops

The toilets on Euston station charge an outrageous 30p for toilets. I know, it's to stop undesirables hanging around and using the toilets. And to prevent people washing. If they want to deter pickpockets and pick up artists and panhandlers they should put video cameras and warning signs around the entrance and inside above washbasins at eye level, everywhere except inside cubicles, to track people entering and leaving the premises.

Or have somebody paid to be on site 24/7. Motorway stops can do it. Every little branch of a cafe can do it. The DLR can afford to pay three people per platform giving information and ensuring safety during major events at Excel. You could even have sponsors. These toilets managed by such and such a toilet paper or soap or coffee bar chain.

Toilet in a London church twinned with another.

On other stations, such as Bank, there are signs warning that if you urinate in the corners of corridors (such as the one leading to the lift, which is handy if you are elderly or disabled, or carrying heavy luggage and don't want to use the stairs because you are on a long journey and tired).

Euston station is surrounded by coffee stalls, and everybody knows coffee irritates the bladder. But no free toilets. I suppose some of the long-haul trains must have toilets. Pubs have toilets. Big restaurants have toilets. McDonalds and Burger Kings - the bigger branches have toilets. As far as I'm concerned all toilets are twinned with mine back home, which sets the standard for cleanliness and toilet paper.  Back in the good old days toilets cost a penny but there was always a free one, not so nice and clean, if you were caught short of change as well as caught short.

Pregnant women, pensioners with prostate problems, small children, people unfamiliar with alcohol, need toilets.

I was just reading through a page on London travel advice in my copy of the Metro newspaper when I came across a link to a watchdog. it listed
www.londontravelwatch.org.uk
I thought, before I complain to them about toilets, or lack of toilets, I'll type in toilets and see what comes up.
I found a link to a toilets map.
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/toilets-map.pdf
Of course if you choose to print it, this uses up your very expensive colour inks.

Euston Station Statue of Australian Explorer Captain Matthew Flinders And his Cat

The cartographer with his cat and compass. Born and bred in Britain, Flinders found out all about Australia and literally put it on the map. You can see the statue, photograph it, sit on it, admire it, meet by it.

Captain Matthew Flinders

Close up of his cat called Trim.

Captain Flinders and his compass.

Close up of the compass.

Map of Australia and the name of explorer Flinders.

Prince William unveiled the statue this summer, July 2014. Captain Flinders not only navigated Australia, he named it. Captain Flinders is well known in Australia but will now become familiar to everybody in Britain who passes through Euston station. 

What a superb statue and a super story. Captain Flinders travelled (like Dick Whittington, Lord Mayor of London) with his cat, the amusingly named Trim. Trim the travelling cat. (The statue of Dick Whittington's cat is also in London.) Congratulations to whoever thought of the statue and to the sculpture designer.

A lovely landmark which brightened up my day as I ran around Euston station playing where's my train.

Photos copyright Angela Lansbury