Avenue Drive, Uxbridge Road,
Iver, England, United Kingdom, SL3 6DU
At London's Heathrow airport I photographed the welcome sign. I sent to my family to tell them we had arrived home safely.
1 You can do this with a welcome sign at any aiprot to show you reached your holiday or business destination.
2 As well as on your return.
3 You can use a picture like this to welcome your family or colleagues back home.
On closer look at the picture, London seems to be stuck in a time warp. The picture shows E R, Elizabeth Rex, Queen Elizabeth. Rex in Latin for royal. So my schooldays Latin still comes in handy.
I did not notice the timewarp at the time. Nor did my family. I only noticed it now, blowing it up for my blog.
I suppose some people will say that using a picture or a previous member of royalty does not matter. Britian has history including Elizabeth II, Elizabeth I, Henry VIII and many more.
Never mind. The picture did its job.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
The tree greets you on arrivals at Heathrow Airport. A spiral of purple up a cone of white fairy lights. With a five point star on top.
Not green, and not tree shape. Yet it is unmiskably a Christmas tree, or what nowadays reminisces of one. All electric. No dropping leaves nor spikes. Clean and efficient. Modern. Like a plane.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
Lights to brighten up the early nights. In Singapore dusk was at 7 pm all year. In London, England, days are shorter in winter.
You can photography the guard with the goodbye message, godbye to the UK. Or stop to be photographed next to the picture.
Keep the photo private until after your return so nobody thinks your house is empty. Insurance might fail tp pay for a burglary if you told the world yu were jetting off.
Spacious arrivals hall at Changi airport.. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Heathrow
You are supposed to dress for your destination, so leaving chilly London for sunny Singapore you should dress in light clothes. However, there is a howling gale between the taxi set down, for which there is a charge, and the walkway to the terminal entrance. They should glass it in.
Heathrow Airport Check-in
People were not social distancing. Despite this, everything went well with Singapore Airlines check-in.
Heathrow Airport Public Toilets
Good. I like the way the Ladies has a Z-walk around the entrance barrier, privacy provided, with no door handle.
Walking
After the check-iin and security, I counted six walkways and escalators.
The Airline Lounge
In the Silver Kris Business Lounge, great food and juices. The near the buffet tables are at sensible table height for eating.
Around the corner is a bar serving alcohol, with a barman, and I found Prosecco.
My favourite foods included hot food, rice, potatoes, chicken.
On the cold side were, salads, apples, chocolate cake with orange, large biscuits. Sandwiches of two types, including chopped chicken.
The Singapore Airline Lounge Toilets
Since Covid, and recession, and fuel price increases, the free things have gone.
On Board Singapore Airlines
On Board Snacks
I did not like the peas and crackers. Firstly, I was afraid of breaking my teeth biting them. They are too salty. They are too spicy. I prefer peanuts, nuts, or raisins.
Food
The food was good overall. My fish meal at the first meal was not heated through. I managed.
Drink
In-Flight Films
Film About Mandela
I watched a film about Mandela. I enjoyed the African singing, and the speech he gave later.
Korean Film - The Handmaid
I watched The Handmaid, set in Japan-controlled Korea in the 1930s.
(I thought it was going to be a different similarly titled, The Handmaid's Tale, written by a Canadian author. The plot is set in the future where women in special clothing are breeding for a dominant male class.)
The Handmaid's plot indeed has twists. It also has the most pornographic material I have ever seen on a family flight. Lesbian scenes include full nakedness of both women entwined, and orgasms, and sex toys. Plus readings of Sadistic stories and violent scenes showing blood.
Plus a snake as a barrier to escape.
And a nasty, multi-armed octopus.
I went back onto Wikipedia to clarify the plots of the two books. This film (Americans say movie) had some flashback memory scenes which confused me. I did not know what was real and what was fear or wishful thinking.
I managed to watch through to the end. The two lead actresses are so watchable that I could watch it all over again. I can see why it won awards, although I am surprised it was not censored for a plane.
The Korean film which I saw was based on the book, Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, set in Victorian England.
Toilets
How to improve toilets.
Toilets are not co-ordinated. You could have a quick toilet for people who only want to be a minute so they don't queue behind three people who want ten minutes to change clothes.
You could also show if another toilet nearby is empty.
You could provide drinking water in sealed small containers for people who want to clean teeth.
The toilet drawers for combs are empty. Either fill the drawer or put a sticker over the sign. You waste time and delay others looking for things which are not there and delaying others.
It would help to have a signal to staff if the basin is blocked or the hand basin paper disposal is full.
What is good in toilets?
Toilet seat covers.
Moisturizer.
Landing
I think that the staff, either the plane staff or the cleaners, should do a sweep of the aircraft for lost property in the overhead lockers and the floor.
Changi Airport Arrival Toilets
Wonderful cubicles with some toilets offering built in bidets enabling you to freshen up.
Feedback To Singapore Airlines
If you want to give feedback to the airline, you can ask for a feedback form, but they are likely to suggest you can go online.
Every now and then you are sent a feedback form. The website will ask if you have a Krisflyer number.
Feedback to Airports
At Heathrow I picked up a feedback form on border control.
Useful Websites
Films on Singapore Airlines
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/flying-withus/entertainment/movies/
https://www.changiairport.com/
https://www.singaporeair.com/feedback-form/
https://www.heathrow.com/contact-us/online
https://feedback.changiairport.com/index.html#/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation
More details on the films in the next post. I have several blogs. Please share links to your favourite blog and posts.
The Christmas decorations are down in some areas of Singapore. Our condo had removed the big blow up Santas and Xmas tree. Just the little ones on the ceiling were still swinging about, waiting to be taken down.
Over in Bukit Panjang shopping mall, the Xmas lights were gone. Chinese New Year lights were up in the atrium.
Meanwhile, over in England, the first Easter eggs are out in the shops. I made a typo. I called them Eater eggs instead of Easter eggs.
Easter Sunday is April 17th. In 2022.
The Xmas and New Year holiday week is prime time for buying (customers) and selling shops for Champagne. Easter is the prime time for chocolate.
In the UK the home grown chocolate is Cadbury's. Milk Chocolate. It has a creamy taste.
American Chocolate
Hershey's is a brittle, black chocolate. Designed to not melt. Waxy.
M & M's devised the alliterative and succinct selling slogan: Melts on your mouth, not in your hands.
Egg Choice
In the UK, on the far end of the family friendly are Easter eggs and chocolate rabbits and other animals and objects. You can buy big hollow chocolate eggs wrapped in foil in an open sided presentation box. Chocolate eggs the size of a chicken's egg. Chocolate rabbits in foil. Mini-eggs.
The good news is that Panettone which we have got used to seeing in supermarkets in London and Singapore and worldwide are also a food for Easter.
Whilst Xmas is over for some, others still have Xmas ahead. January 5th (Wednesday in 2022) is New Year's Even for some. Thursday 6th January is Christmas Day in Belarus.
We bought Japanese chocolates called Royce. A nod to Rolls Royce. Each chocolate is wrapped in a see-through wrapper. A bit like After Eights. Royce has good presentation. However, I was not overwhelmed by the flavour or texture.
My favourite was the white orange chocolate bar we bought at Heathrow airport.
Useful Websites
https://www.honeycopy.com/copywritingblog/melts-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/08/chocolate-day-hurray.html
About the Author
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.
Quick Quotations
Who Said What When
Multi-faith buildings are not new. First let's point out that a building which was built for one faith, later sold or taken over and converted for use by another faith is a different matter.
If you tour the East End of London, England, you are likely to see the outside of a former synagogue, which the Hebrew lettering, now used as a mosque.
In Spain, a well known tourist attraction is a huge many-columned mosque which after the departure of the Moors, was converted into use by Christians with a church built in the middle.
In another city, you can see a synagogue which was saved, because it was given a new function as a church. But let's look at new ideas for multi-faith buildings.
USA
Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.
