Preventing suicides by signs and building designs

Important points from this document

1 a Preventing climbing

Suicide prevention fence.

1 b  Enabling a person who changes their mind to climb back.

2 Enabling a witness to call for help

3 A safe place to sit and talk

4 That talking helps distract

What I was looking for was shapes of buildings, such as a stepped pyramid or Toblerone shape.

Manchester university. Photo by Pit Yacker.

And other safety features.

The Samaritans have signs at many bridges and known suicide spots in order to prevent suicides.

I was amused by the Samaritans helpline sign which started, 'Are you looking for a sign? This is it.'

Useful Websites

 https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s168370/Preventing%20suicides%20in%20high%20rise%20buildings%20and%20structures%20PT%2026.04.22.pdf

Please share links to your favourite posts

Statues of Emmeline Pankhurst, The Statue of Liberty and other famous women

Photos from Wikipedia
 

The statue of Emmeline Pankhurst is in Manchester, England, UK. Here are some others:

EUROPE

London, England

Florence Nightingale (London)

Mary Seacole (London, England)

Edith Cavell (London, England)

Amy Winehouse (Camden, London, England)

Noor Inayat Khan (Gordon Square, London, England)

Manchester

Emmeline Pankhurst (Suffragette)

France

Paris

Statue of Liberty replica (8)

Colmar, Alsace (and other cities in France: Germany: Norway: La Rioja, Spain; and worldwide including mini versions in model villages)

Americas

USA

New York

Statue of Liberty, New York (and replicas in Virginia; Colorado; Indiana)

Statue of Liberty

Useful Websites

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

https://www.invisiblewomen.org.uk/visible-women

English Football Museum, Singapore, opened but temporarily closed? But more football to see on the web

 Whilst dining at Warehouse restaurant in Clarke Quay, Singapore I saw the sign in Singapore, English Football Museum.

England has a football museum in Manchester. 

FIFA has a football museum in Zurich, Switzerland.

Madeira has Ronaldo's museum.

Singapore has the English Football Museum, a sports bar, like Hard Rock Cafe, a place where you can eat and drink and admire souvenirs from the famous.

5.30 to 10.30 pm.

02-02 block D.

Tel:+65 6259 4229.

Grand opening was Nov 2020 according to their Facebook page.

Closed Sunday.

Useful Websites

https://www.capitaland.com/sg/malls/clarkequay/en/stores/english-football-museum-opening-soon.html

https://www.facebook.com/EFMbar/

No connection from their website.

I messaged them on their Facebook page and somebody replied, Due to Covid restrictions we are not accepting any online reservations.

 https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g188113-d9716522-Reviews-FIFA_World_Football_Museum-Zurich.html

About the Author

About the Author Angela Lansbury

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

translateforfun.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.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Watch out For Confusing Names: New York, Paris, Perth, London, Manchester, Columbus, But enjoy the associations

What can the map tell us? What can we learn from our travels?


Flag of the USA

New York
New York in the USA is named after York in England. When I first visited New York in the USA, I was puzzled by the fact that New York was often written as New York, New York. The City and the state have the same name. I have vivid memories of my first trip, walking down the spiral Guggenheim art Gallery, later reading about Guggenheim on the Titanic. I cheered myself up taking a bus tour, a Duck tour into the river, and sampling some Hersheys chocolate at an enormous shop.

York, over in England is a major attraction. Not just the large cathedral. You can walk around the city's impressive old defensive walls. York is small. The narrow alleys are full of dinky little shops, seling antiques and modern crafts. And a chocolate museum or two. Brits fondly remember Rowntrees of York.

New York in the USA has modern skyscrapers. What about history? Art deco buildings.

I once asked a girl at the World Travel Market in London, England, 'What would you say to British tourists who argue, 'I don't want to visit New York because it has no history; I would rather visit Greece!"?


Flag of Greece

She snapped, "I'd say, 'Come to New York. I have been to Greece. They have hundreds of years of history - but they still can't get the plumbing right!' "

I was glad I asked. I had not endeared myself to the PR girl, but I had received an interesting and amusing answer.

Let's move on around the map.

Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas, was named after Paris in France. It is easy to work that one out.

Manchester, Where?
When I lived in London, I was puzzled when I heard a song in a musical about Manchester, England. Nobody in England specifies that Manchester is in England. When I try to look up Manchester in Wikipedia, I immediately find myself on a page about Manchester United Football Club. But there is another Manchester, not in England.

London, England.
That is why you must add the country when addressing letters. I went from London, England, to live in the USA, and told people I was from London. My accent is British. Most people worked out that I was from London, England.










Flag of Canada, featuring the maple leaf.

London, Canada
However, several people asked me, "Are you from Canada?"
"No, England."
"So sorry."
"Never mind."

I didn't mind. The trouble only started when I left the USA to go back to England.

Stratford, Canada
When my family moved to the USA, we took several trips to Canada. We learned to add maple syrup to our porridge at breakfast time.

I vividly recall being in a hotel near Niagara and picking up a leaflet on Stratford and Shakespeare plays being performed that summer. I wondered why a Canadian hotel had leaflets about the UK. Then I discovered that Canda has a place called Stratford and a Shakespeare theatre season.

When I got back to the UK, American PR ladies would phone me and ask, "Have you received my invitation to visit our new hotel and nearby museum?"

I would answer, "No, I haven't. but thanks for calling me and telling me about it. I am in England right now. But I shall look you up next time I am in the USA."

Neither of us realised what had happened to the missing letters. Months later I received envelopes redirected from Canada.



Perth, Australia
After that I visited Australia. If you go to Australia, or just look on the map, or at the index to a map book or guide book, you will see that a city called Perth is in Scotland. Another Perth is in Australia. That is why you must add the country, when addressing letters. When you meet a man with a Scottish accent in Australia and ask where are you from, if he says Perth, you need to ask, "Perth in Australia or Perth in Scotland?"

Conclusion
The popular saying goes, the world is a small place. On the contrary, it is a big place. Big enough for your plane or letter or luggage or even you, yourself, to end up on the wrong continent. Watch those city names! Add the country name!

However, to look on the bright side, after you have been to both cities which sound alike, visiting either will draw your attention to the contrasts and their history. You can enjoy indulging in daydreams about the differences and associations. I think of New York and York. York had Rowntrees chocolate and New York has Hersheys chocolate. Ah!

!

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Cat Cafés Around The World To Visit - Starting in Singapore, more in the USA, Japan, everywhere

Problem
Cat Cafes hae proliferated all over the world. More than 50 in Japan. Others in the Far East and Asia are in India, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Wiki lists cat cafes in Australia and New Zealand, Canda the USA and Mexico. Where is the nearest cat café? Here are a few of my favoutie destinations:

Answers
Alphabetically:

ENGLAND
Manchester

JAPAN
Kyoto
Tokyo

RUSSIA
Russia has only one but it's a good one.
Cats Republic, St Petersburg, Russia. Photo by Catsmuseum in Wikipedia.

RUSSIA
Cats' dinner time at Cats Republic. St Petersburg, Russia.

Cat perching in Cat Café, Singapore. Photo by Falonsonnen99 in Wikipedia.

SINGAPORE
Cat cafe
Clarke Quay
Charges per hour
...............

The Cat Café
241B Victoria Street
Level 3 above Burger King
Boat Quay
thecatcafe.sg
Email
Tel (Only during opening hours.)

On their website you can see the cats, with their names, and pick your favourite.
http://thecatcafe.sg/cat-cafes-cat/

The place opened in 2014 and is run by a husband and wife team.

I could not get directions from their website but I got directions from their Facebook page.
One minute from Bugis MRT station.
What you need to know before you go:
~The cafe serves tea of coffee or soft drinks and a pastry. `there's an entry charge of Singapore $15 which includes a soft drink.

I woke up at 7 am on a Monday morning and thought I'll go there for breakfast and a photo. Good thing I checked. No use rushing there for breakfast or elevenses (UK term for a  drink and snack at mid-morning, at 11 pm). Nor even lunch. On Mondays, it opens at 3 pm until 10 pm. You could have a one-course Indian meal at busy Boat Quay, then go here for your coffee and a pastry for dessert.

Other days, Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays, 10-10. Please check times for yourself. I read the Monday times and thought that was all week.

Cost? So that's $15 - plus the price of a pastry. You are paying for the novelty and entertainment and the cost of feeding the cats.

If you normally pay that price for a coffee at a Starbucks or a Sheraton, no problem.

USA
Many cat cafe establishments all over the USA. One in Lower East Side Manhattan is called Koneko which is Japanese for kitten.

Happy travelling, meouw!

Useful Websites
https://catcafe.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_café (List of cat cafes around the world.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koneko_(cat_cafe) Manhattan, New York, USA.
https://www.travelpirates.com/other/usa-cat-cafes_4291

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

Esperanto - quick guide to the rules and how to make friends worldwide

Problem
If you are struggling along with learning a language, what can you do?

Answer
I've tried Duolingo and it's great. I am progressing nicely with German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. I am doing well translating back from these languages when I see writing, especially texts in four languages, signs, labels, even travel websites. ( I don't do so well when I try songs in the language being sung, which go too fast.)

Now I've started Duolingo's Esperanto. You can see from the Duolingo site how many people are learning each language. With other languages that doesn't matter, because you know that there are speakers worldwide for the top half a dozen. It doesn't help me that Chinese has more speakers than any other language if I'm struggling with the multi-line symbols. I don't care that there are more people learning Esperanto than Czech, though that's interesting. The question is, I could go to Prague, as I did a couple of Christmases ago, and read signs in cafes and read the news on my hotel breakfast table. Where could I go to speak to an Esperanto speaker?

As Gandhi said, you must be the answer to the problem you wish to solve. He didn't say quite that. What did he say? He said: You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

What changes would we need?

Esperanto as an easy option language for those who are not taking other languages. Esperanto linked up with Speedwriting.

Start an Esperanto Toastmasters club in London and Singapore.

Make learning Esperanto my New Year's Resolution. I go to half a dozen meetings and each year I'm looking for something both useful and practical to do and say. (Not losing weight again.)

Learn Esperanto.

I just typed into Google translate:

Learn Esperanto.
I hope to learn Esperanto.
I hope you will learn Esperanto.

Yes, Google has Esperanto. I never noticed that before.

Lernu Esperanton. (Learn Esperanto.)
Mi esperas lerni Esperanton. I hope to learn Esperanto.
Mi esperas, ke vi lernos Esperanton. (I hope you will learn Esperanto.)

Mi - I
Esperanton - Esperanto
esperas - hope
vi - you
lernos - learn
ke - that

Who benefits?
People who cannot learn more complicated languages.
People who are sick or frail and want to learn a language as a distraction which is not over challenging and tiring.
Anybody bullied or ignored because of a disability or being a minority in their country.
Anybody who wants instant friends in another country.
 - and possibly staying on holiday with others - who speak the same language!) for free or cheaply and maybe reciprocating.

I can do that through Toastmasters. But here's another possibilility.
A new goal for me - persuade Toastmasters International to start an Esperanto speaking group. I can start small, suggest this on
a This blog
b The Duolingo Esperanto leaners' forum
c Facebook
d LinkedIn.

Lastly, I shall translate this post into Esperanto.

Author
Angela Lansbury travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Learner and teacher of languages.

Problemo
Se vi strebas lerni lingvon, kion vi povas fari?

Respondo
Mi provis Duolingo kaj ĝi estas bonega. Mi progresas bonege kun la germana, itala, hispana kaj portugala. Mi bone bone tradukas de ĉi tiuj lingvoj kiam mi vidas skribadon, precipe tekstojn en kvar lingvoj, signoj, etiketoj, eĉ vojaĝaj retejoj. (Mi ne faras tiel bone kiam mi provas kantojn en la lingvo, kiun oni iras kantante, kiu iras tro rapide).

Nun mi komencis la Esperanton de Duolingo. Vi povas vidi el la loko Duolingo kiom da homoj lernas ĉiun lingvon. Kun aliaj lingvoj, kiuj ne gravas, ĉar vi scias, ke ekzistas parolantoj tutmonde por la plej alta duono de dekduo. Ĝi ne helpas min, ke ĉina havas pli da parolantoj ol iu ajn alia lingvo, se mi luktas kun la plurliniaj simboloj. Mi ne zorgas, ke ekzistas pli da homoj lernantaj Esperanton ol ĉeĥa, kvankam tio estas interesa. La demando estas, mi povus iri al Prago, kiel mi faris kelkajn Kristnaskojn antaŭe, kaj legis signojn en kafejoj kaj legis la novaĵojn pri mia hotela matenmanĝo. Kie mi povus paroli al Esperanto-parolanto?

Laŭ Gandhi diris, vi devas esti la respondo al la problemo, kiun vi deziras solvi. Li tute ne diris tion. Kion li diris? Li diris: Vi devas esti la ŝanĝo, kiun vi deziras vidi en la mondo.
Kiujn ŝanĝojn ni bezonus?

Esperanto kiel facila elekta lingvo por tiuj, kiuj ne prenas aliajn lingvojn. Esperanto ligita kun Rapidkribado.

Komencu Esperanton Toastmasters-klubon en Londono kaj Singapuro.

Faru lernadon de Esperanto pri mia nova jara rezolucio. Mi iras al duona dekduo de kunvenoj kaj ĉiun jaron mi serĉas ion kaj utila kaj praktikan fari kaj diri. (Ne perdas pezon denove.)

Lernu Esperanton.

Mi nur tajpis en Google tradukitan:
Lernu Esperanton.
Mi esperas lerni Esperanton.
Mi esperas, ke vi lernos Esperanton.

Jes, Google havas Esperanton. Mi neniam rimarkis tion antaŭe.

Lernu Esperanton. (Lernu Esperanton)
Mi esperas lerni Esperanton. Mi esperas lerni Esperanton.
Mi esperas, ke vi lernos Esperanton. (Mi esperas, ke vi lernos Esperanton).

Mi - mi
Esperanton - Esperanto
vi atendas - espero
vi - vi
lernu - lernu
tio - tio

Kiu profitigas?
Homoj, kiuj ne povas lerni pli komplikajn lingvojn.
Homoj, kiuj estas malsanaj aŭ malfortaj kaj volas lerni lingvon kiel distro, kiu ne superas malfacila kaj timiga.
Iu turmentis aŭ ignoris pro malkapablo aŭ malplimulto en sia lando.
Iu ajn, kiu volas tujan amikon en alia lando.
- kaj eble restante ĉe ferioj kun aliaj - kiuj parolas la saman lingvon!) senpage aŭ malkara kaj eble reciproke.

Mi povas fari tion tra Toastmasters. Sed jen alia eblo.
Nova celo por mi - persvadas al Toastmasters International por komenci Esperanton-parolantan grupon. Mi povas komenci malgrandan, sugestu ĉi tion
Ĉi Ĉi blogo
b Forumo de la Duolingo Esperanto
c Facebook
D LinkedIn.

Finfine mi tradukos ĉi tiun afiŝon en Esperanton.

Aŭtoro
Angela Lansbury vojaĝisto verkisto kaj fotisto, aŭtoro kaj parolanto.
Lernanto kaj instruisto pri lingvoj.

Esperanto - English
Aŭtoro - author
blogo - blog
forumo - forum
lernanto - learner
mi - I
problemo - problem
respondo - answer
vi - you

English - Esperanto
answer - respondo
author - aŭtoro
blog - blogo
forum - forumo
I - mi
learner - lernanto
problem - problemo
you - vi

Esperanto Rules
1 Nouns end in o. (O in the word noun.)
2 Adjectives end in a.  (A starts the word adjective.)
3 Verb infinite (to do - ends in I, first letter of the word infinitive.)
4 Adverbs end in E.(advErb)
5 Opposites are created by adding MAL before a word.
6 Present tense indicative verbs AS
7 You don't use A before mouns. LA is the, whether you are talking about a man or a woman.
8 For plural add J.
9 Accusative is N.

https://www.duolingo.com/comment/15227919/The-Sixteen-Rules-of-Esperanto-Ultimate-Guide
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto_grammar - helps you understand English grammar, too, and ends with Our Father in heaven translated into Esperanto.

Places to Visit
EAB, Barlaston, near Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK.
Green Star Pub, Esperanto Way, England, UK.
Manchester, England, Esperanto group meets monthly.
Bialystok, Poland. Exhibition on Zamenhof (1859- )
visitbritain.org
https://whistlinginthewind.org/2018/02/02/why-is-esperanto-the-most-successful-invented-language/?utm_content=66777996&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
Esperanto Association of Britain EAB
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/06/saluton-the-surprise-return-of-esperanto
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/
duolingo.com

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More Of Manchester's Magic Moments: Alan Turing Memorial

More of Manchester's Magic Moments:

 Alan Turing Statue

Alan Turing statue in Sackville Park, Manchester. Photo by Joseph Reddington.

 A few facts about Alan Turing: 1912-1954.

Father of computer science.

Wartime codebreaker.

I also like the quotation from Bertrand Russell:

Mathematics, ..., possesses not only truth but supreme beauty like that of sculpture.

Plaque photo by lmno.

Bletchley Park Museum

 The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB.

Where the top secret codebreaking all happened in WWII.

Other statues and memorials around the world include:

UK

Life size statue at Bletchley Park made of Welsh slate.

Statue outside School of Management Building, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey.

USA

Alan Turing bust on side of Deschartes hall, the computer science building at university of Oregon.

Bronze statue showing Alan Turing walking carrying books (middle distance) at School of Mangement Building, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, England. Photo author Mark Boyce.

More information from:

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

https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/tours-and-sightseeing/tours-and-tour-guides/sightseeing-manchester-p340511

https://www.surrey.ac.uk (University of Surrey)

visitengland.com

visitbritain.com

Author

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

Manchester United: Manchester's Magic Museums, Memorials and Moments: Including What to see at the National Football Museum and Manchester

Problem
I have been a supporter of Manchester United ever since the air crash 60 years ago. I was only a tot at the time but I remember the shock of learning about it. Where can you go to support Manchester United?

Answer
The National Football Museum, Manchester, is a great place to go. A survivor of the air crash was Sir Bobby Charlton, who attended a 60-year commemoration in February 2018.

Mancunians are united in praising their city. I used to share a flat in London with a doctor from Manchester called Trudy and she claimed that people in the north of England were much warmer and friendlier than in London. Manchester is a great place for museums, whether or not you visit the football museum or are a football fan.

What are my top 10 Manchester sights?
1 The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ. Tel:0843 208 6000.
This complex named after Lowry contains two theatres and assorted eating spots as well as an exhibition of some of up to 100 Lowry paintings. Open Sunday to Friday 10-5 and Saturday 10-5. Free 30 minute tour of exhibition at noon and 2 pm.
The artist painted such evocative paintings with his crowds of matchstick people rushing to and fro, even little dogs. The people looked poor and painfully thin and anxious but full of energy.
Entrance is 'free', with a ticket and donation box. You also see a film on Lowry's life.

In Manchester Art Gallery I looked at a reproduction of his living room with the chair with the spring sticking out. For visitors. A typical artist, employed, but he didn't seem to care about looking after property, only devoted to his art. So good at painting people, but reputedly anti-social. He was given honours in his lifetime but turned them down.
The shop has loads of great items at all prices decorated with parts of his paintings, prints unframed and framed, bags, pill boxes, silk ties, and brooches.
https://shop.thelowry.com/collections/jewellery-and-accessories?page=2

2 A statue of Lowry seated on a bench, drawing, is in the village of Mottram in Longdendale in Greater Manchester.

Memorial to artist Lowry (1887-1976), statue seated on a bench in Mottram in Longdendale, Manchester. Picture author A Carty.

A bridge links The Lowry and the War Museum. Parking is expensive (unless you are staying at a nearby hotel such as the Holiday Inn Express) but you can see both The Lowry and the War Museum if you pick the nearby car park.

3 War Museum

4 National Football Museum
Free entry. Open daily.
Inside the modern museum, see banners, football, football shirts.

Outside the museum, dramatic statue of a footballer flying through the air diagonally to save a ball from the goal. Most statues show people posing upright. Apart from capturing a moment in history, it's an innovative piece of sculpture. Looking at the statue is like looking at a plane. You can't help marvelling at the miraculous design and how it defies gravity and keeps up.

National Football Museum, Manchester, England.

5 The City's Science Museum
So much to see and do here. I loved the history. So much to read and learn that if you go back a year or more later it's like visiting a different place. I recall on my first visit reading a grim story about the flooding of the cemetery sending coffins and bodies and skeletons through the streets, and how that is prevented in modern times. When I went back I seemed to miss this drama and looked at totally different things. My favourite part was the reproduced street with the pharmacy, sweetshop and toys.

6 Gaskell House
84 Plymouth Grove. Home of author Elizabeth Gaskell.

7 Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street.

Manchester Art Gallery. Photo by David Dixon.

8 Jewish Museum
Fascinating. I remember reading about immigrants with coins hidden in the lining of their clothes.

9 Chinatown
Chinese New year, this year starts Friday Feb 16, 2018. Expect lion dances and drums and festivity.

10 Getting About
It would be fun to take a modern tram. And an old-fashioned tram.

Modern Tram in Manchester. Photo by Dr Neil Clifton in Wikitravel.

To make liefe easy, you can also take a hop on hop off bus tour on a bus which is half open at the top, in case it rains or is cold. The cost is about £12 for adults, £6 for concessions and stops include the national football museum. 

For a Manchester United fan anywhere in the world, a great city to visit.

Getting There
Manchester has England's largest airport after Heathrow and it's an award-winning airport.

Useful Websites
http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/explore-the-museum

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

https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/tours-and-sightseeing/tours-and-tour-guides/sightseeing-manchester-p340511

visitengland.com

visitbritain.com

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

Potholes Filled With Pictures Made of Mosaics In Chicago, Painting, Pranks, Penises in UK

Problem
Potholes - everywhere - and one right outside your door. How can you fill it?

Answer
Pothole fillers who got tired of waiting have been working on potholes in the USA and UK. How to find them? There's an online map for the Chicago pothole art. Here's where to see them:

USA
Chicago - mosaics in potholes - made by Jim Bachor, mosaic artist. Every year he has a new theme, such as ice cream of flowers, something attractive. He encourages publicity by leaving a goody bag for/from the Best Neighbour with instructions on how to post links to his artwork.

What to see in Chicago:
The C l o u d Gate in Millennium Park. (Spaces inserted in text to defeat what I shall call the automatic "spell spoiler".)
Pothole Art by Jim Bachor 'The Pothole Guy': approx 45 sculptures, since 2013
Artwork by Jim Bachor at Chicago city's Thorndale Red Line "L" station.

USA Tips
Update - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4459346/Child-killed-3-adults-injured-truck-hits-car-NYC.html
More information from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/0366e18c-09e6-4847-8afe-1e3977a9a81a?intc_type=singletheme&intc_location=bbcthree&intc_campaign=bbcthree&intc_linkname=article_mosaics_contentcard33
http://www.bachor.com/4600-north-kenton---map (where to see potholes he filled in Chicago)
http://www.bachor.com/pothole-installations-c1g1y (shows his mosaics in potholes)
http://www.bachor.com (shows his mosaics which are not in potholes)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bachor (History including his commission 'Chicago Transit Authority that was installed in the city's Thorndale Red Line "L" station.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2656250/Talk-street-art-Chicago-artist-fills-citys-potholes-marks-one-beautiful-mosaic.html
http://chicagoist.com/2017/04/05/jim_bachor_pothole_art.php#photo-1
Jim Bachor is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

UK Pothole
In the UK, in the city of Manchester in the north of England, potholes have been outlined by prankster nicknamed Wanksy (for any foreign language readers, this is a pun on the name of graffiti artist Banksy, combined with an insulting rude word). W a n k s y (spaces inserted in text to defeat 'spell spoiler' (Angela Lansbury's term, coined today, 26 April 2017) which prefers winks) has used graffiti to draw penises around potholes to draw attention to them. I'm a fairly prudish person in some ways, when it comes to what is said, done, and painted in public places, but I think, for once, this is 'hilarious' (as the Daily Mail likes to say).

UK Tips
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11570595/Meet-the-man-using-penises-to-fill-potholes.html

Artistic or obscene? Amusing and practical? Both have their places in filling potholes.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Football museums in Maderia, Manchester and worldwide

Problems
Where to take your sporty kids and husband on holiday? How to make conversation with a taxi driver whose first question is which football team do you support?

Answers
Football museums are great outings and good topics of conversation. You can plan a visit, dream of a visit, talk about the venue.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo Museum, Funchal, Madeira (Portuguese island)
2 Football Museum, Manchester, England

Story
When I was teaching English to an English-speaking pupil in England who had no interest in essay writing I asked him to write me a two page essay. I suggested several subjects, inducing, his family, his school, the area where he lived, music, gardens. Blank looks. So I asked, "What are your interests? What do you do at weekends all day?" His only interest was football. After a moment registering what seemed a dead end, I said brightly: "What would you like to write about - your favourite footballer, your favourite team, the rules of football?" He brightened up, but could not find a sentence to say.

I persisted. "What football programme do you watch? Can you write down the time and name for me so I can watch it? What's the name of your favourite team?"

I wondered whether I had achieved my purpose. I had. The next week he came back with a long English essay, four A4 pages! All about football. I was delighted.

I am now geared up to give a speech or encourage a speaker, using football, football museums and statues of footballers as the subject.

Football Sculptures To See
Bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at Cristiano Ronaldo airport, Madeira
Splash (was outside the original site of the Football Museum which was in Preston and has moved to Manchester. See Wikipedia shows pictures of the Bobby Moore sculpture at Wembley Stadium, London, England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_football_statues

The Sir Tom Finney, a pub in Penwortham, near Preston.

Tips
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_Museum
Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Todd St, City Centre, Manchester M4 3BG, UK
Phone: +44 161 605 8200.
Opened: February 16, 2001
Hours: Open today (Friday March 31 2017)· 10AM–5PM.
The museum contains the Lowry painting: Going To The Match.

At the end of the Wikipedia article you will find links to the Hall of Fame for many other countries and areas such as Asia, Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Scotland.

Summary of Sites To Visit
UK
The Sir Tom Finney, a pub in Penwortham, near Preston.
Statue Splash (still in Preston?)

Portuguese
Bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at airport, Madeira
http://www.complex.com/style/2014/06/the-most-important-soccer-statues-worldwide/headbutt

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please like, follow and share my posts.

Travelling to Manchester? See Emmelina Pankhurst Centre

In the news in May 2015 is the Emmelina Pankhurst Centre in Manchester, UK. It was home of Emmelina Pankhurst, who founded the Suffragette movement, campaigning for votes for women. First they achieved votes for women aged over 30, then women aged over 21.

Other relevant articles in Wikipedia include one on Emmelina Pankhurst and another on her speech in the USA.

Photo from Wikipedia.

The centre is on the Ardwick Historical Trail which also includes a plaque to author Mrs Gaskell.

Emmelina Pankhurst Centre and Museum
60-62 Nelson Street
Chorlton on Medlock
Manchester
M13 9 WP.
Tel: 0161 273 5673
Email: admin@thepankhurstcentre.org.uk
thepankhurstcentre.org.uk
See article and photos in Wikipedia.

Munching T-bone steak at Miller and Carter Steakhouse, Ruislip - also Harrow in London, England and Wales

Driving into Ruislip we saw this place with an adjacent car park and pulled in for a quick meal.
The decor is inviting, modern and chic. This steakhouse has class. The atmosphere is informal but the place is pristine and smartly decorated, with amusing cartoons on the theme of cows and bulls holding conversations.

Drinks
Lots of choice. Lots of drinks by the glass, conveniently divided by styles on one large page. Could not see a sweet muscat for dessert, but two kinds of zinfandel, red and white.

If you've no room for dessert, coffee with a chocolate pot.

Starters
Chicken wings, four pieces, to start were good. Although billed as spicy with specks of red pimento, not too spicy, just tasty. Came with a finger bowl containing lemon and paper napkins.

Main courses.
Steaks offered included T-bone and our English speaking local London waiter was able to explain clearly the different types and sizes of steak. The steak was served with a choice of three kinds of potato, including the healthy option of baked in its jacket. Chips came in a container. The piece of cooked tomato was well received.

If you have more time than money, get in and out before 6.30 pm when you can have two courses, or add a dessert for £3, at less than £20. Options on the lunch menu include chicken main course and apple crumble dessert, which is not on the evening menu.

The evening desserts are all highly calorific and mostly sugar and toffee and ice cream and chocolate.

This chain has 35 locations including Bath, Cardiff in Wales, Harrow in North London, Lakeside shopping centre, Leeds, Manchester, and Poole.

You can find them using satnav. Follow them on Facebook. Sign up to their newsletter and get a free starter or dessert.

I have reviewed the Ruislip branch on Tripadvisor in November 2014.
More information from
www.millerandcarter.co.uk


Photos copyright Angela Lansbury.
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