Henley pictures, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK

 

Henley

Leander Club signs in Leander Hotel

Displays of the rowing club at the Leander Hotel, Henley.

Rowing club displays. Leander Hotel. Henley.

Photos from Sharot family. Copyright.

 Henley Royal Regatta in 2026 will be June 3- to July 6th.

Online you can buy caps with big front brims, knitted beanie hats, a woolly hat with a pompom on top, and boaters with brims. If money is no object, a teddy bear costing 250 pounds sterling.

The name Henley means high wood or clearing. It is often referred to just as Henley. But there is another Henley, Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, as well as places called Henley in Australia and New Zealand.

I was wondering which one is in and which one is on. Then I realised that, like a boat, you are on a river, or river bank. But you are in, or within, and area.

Useful Websites on Henley

https://wikitravel.org/en/Henley-on-Thames#:~:text=Henley%20is%20the%20terminus%20of,times%20taking%20about%2045%20minutes.

Henley Royal Regatta

https://www.hrr.co.uk/

Souvenirs Hats and Bear

https://shop.hrr.co.uk/product/caps-classic/

Henley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henley-on-Thames

Updated Oct 24 2025.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

What to do in an earthquake and other emergency situations = be prepared

New Zealand Earhtquake

In February I visited Napier in New Zealand which had a catastrophic earthquake in 1931 which destroyed the city in the subsequent fire and killed more than 200 people. Napier's free museum has exhibits on the earthquake. The city was rebuilt by intrepid and determined business people who raised funds to restored the roads, and rebuilt the streets with shops and the hotel in art deco style, which is a tourist trade selling point today.

New Zealand earthquake in 1931, at Hawke's Bay. 

USA Earthquake

I also visited San Francisco after its fire. I remember being told that poolside chairs had to be chained down to prevent them fling off, being ruined and more importantly injuring or killing people below. 

Now March 28 2025 earthquakes have destroyed buildings and lives in Thailand, and Myanmar worse hit because that country had the eipicentre.

What do you do in an earthquake.

I was in Greece on a travel writer familiarisation trip to Zakinthos.Ironically, a local dignitory was welcoming us with a speech about how safe the isalnd was. A loud bang shook the building. 

Everybody ran out, at least the Greeks did. We Brits thought the Greeks had rushed to find out what caused the explosion. 

After a few minutes they did not come back. I could see the ear-rings shaking on the girl sitting opposite me, and the drinks shaking in their tumblers.

One of the Brits said, 'I think that was an earthquake. Wherever they've gone, we need to join them. We should leave - now.' 

Thailand and Myanmar

As you can see from the videos of Thailand and Myanmar, (like 9/11 when the Twin Towers fell in New York) when buildings fall, you have to contend with the falling structure, debris, plus a cloud of dust or fire or flood spreading. 

(If you are uninjured and able-bodied, you might desire to return to rescue others, which may be thwarted by cautious security wanting to save you from the risk of further earthquakes or dangerous buildings.

I remember reading about the fire in a hotel in Florida. A survivor said that people like him who were around the swimming pool, survived, but could not get back to their bedrooms to retrieve their passports and money. He was lucky because he was not swimming but wearing shorts and had his credit card in the pocket, so he was able to buy clothes, food, and an air ticket to get home.

It is good precaution to keep an ID and credit card and a spare piece of clothing such as a folded scarf or sarong  with you at all times.

The Victorinox Jetsetter is a multifunction folding tool with scisors but no knife, accepted by the TSA for plane travel.

Being prepared for any emergency should be standard practise foe everyhone everywhere. Remember Benjamin Franklin's saying, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. It is standar practise for many schools, offices and other public buildings to have regular fire drills to pracise evaluating a building and gathering in one place to check how many are missing and whom. That is one reason for taking a roll call, or signing into a building. In an evauation, the fire officers know if anybody is missing and needs help, and they don't go risking thier lives hunting for people who were never there because they weant out fo the evening or day or night but did not bother to tell anybody. 

A doorbell camera on the front door of a building is handy for elatives to check on olderly people or those who live alone. They can see in any emergency when you left and escaped to safety.

Save the children has a useful set of guidelines outlining how you can ensure everybody of every age knows what to do and where to go in an emergency so they can reach safety and find each other.

Useful Websites

https://www.savethechildren.net/blog/nine-tips-earthquake-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlxlxd7882o 

Delightful Dinner With Volcano Sushi For our Farewell Dinner at Azabu Ponsonby Japanese Restaurant, Auckland, New Zealand

The volcano sushi. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright. 

For our last night farewll dinner in Auckland New Zealand, my husband and I, our host family, a married couple and their grown-up daughter, and a couple we met for the first time, sat around a long table in the Japanese restaurant.

Azabu, the Japanese restaurant entertained us with their flaming device, for the volcano sushi. 

We were given chopsticks.

Cheesecake dessert with sorbet. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyrright

Seven of us dined there and we had a jolly evening. My family and friends enthused about the shellfish.I could not eat it because of an allergy. So I had chicken kebabs instead.

For me the highlight point of the meal was the cheesecake dessert. It was not solid like a filling baked New York style cheese cake, but it was creamy and moreish.

If I were on my own, in a couple, not in a group sharing, I would have had the set tasting menu.

The Name Azabu

Azabu is an area of Tokyo. It is an pmarket area with embassies and expaats. Famous residents include  Yoko Ono who was there in WW2. The name azabu means hemp cloth.

Azabu Ponsonby is in the Ponsonby Area. The group has another sister restaurant called Azabu Mission in the Mission area.

Practical Details

Azabu Ponsonby

26 Ponsonby Road,
Grey Lynn,
Auckland
View in maps

Contact

+64 9 320 5292
hello@azabuponsonby.co.nz

Useful Website

https://savor.co.nz/auckland-restaurants

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

Please share links to your favourite posts

New Zealand Place Names & Restaurants Using Maori Words to recognize and remember

Flag of New Zealand

Pronunciation

Wh is pronounced f

Word Order

In the Maori language, adjectives follow nouns, the same as in French (moulin rouge, red mill), Italian and Spanish (casa mia is my house).

Double Words

Rotorua  →  roto  "lake" +  rua  "two" = "two lakes" 

Common Words

Te is the, singular. Think of it as the word the shortened with the letter h missing. 

Maori - English

iti - small (think of bitty and little, itty-bitty)

kia ora - hello, thanks, 

kiri - bell, bark (of a tree), skin

komiti - committee

maunga - mountain

miti - meat

motu - island

motuka - motorcar

nau - come / ship

Nau mai / (and or) haere mai - welcome / welcome to (seen on signposts as you enter a region or city)

Nui - big (think of e-normous)

panana - banana

pea - pear

pune - spoon

Rotorua (place name) - literally lake two = two lakes

two

te - the (as in Kiri Te Kanawa the opera singer, New Zealand soprano, sang at British royal wedding) te reo - the language i.e. Maori

Te Arai - The River (the name of a wine from chenin blanc grape, made by Millton Vineyard 7 Winery, Gisborne, North Island, New Zealand

Tereina - train

wai - water (in landscape), drinking water

Wahine - woman/ wife / ladies (toilet)

Waiheke - water cascading /trickling /ebbing

Wai hirere - waterfall

Waitangi - weeping waters (waters weeping) place of Waitangi treaty

whanga - harbour, bay

English - Maori

big - nui

hello - how are you - kia ora

island - motu

lake - in the lake

small - iti

the - te (singular)

two - two

 

 http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language-week/100-maori-words

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Māori_words_and_phrases

http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/

https://languagedrops.com/word/en/english/m%C4%81ori/topics/drinks/

Australia and New Zealand - what's the same and what's different?

FLAGS

Flag of Australia User DO'Neil on en.wikipedia

Flag of New Zealand

Let's start with the flags. Currently, in February 2025, both flags have a small Union Jack flag of Britain in the top left corner. Both have the four stars of the Southern Cross on the right.These stars are seen in the sky from both countries. But Australia's  flag's stars are white, with many points whilst New Zealand's have five points with white borders. Australia has an extra large white star on the lower. left. Like Texas, How do you remember which is which? Australia is bigger, more points and more stars.

LAND

Next lets look at the land masses. New Zealand has lots of islands. North Island. South Island. Little islands. The third most populated island, pretty, hilly Waiheke. The Bay of Islands. 

Australia is not considered an island but a continent. It's huge. Off the southern coast is Tasmania.

ANIMALS, BIRDS 

The wildlife, symbols and toys are different.

Australia has kangaroos and koala bears.

Australia has laughing kookaburras.

New Zealand has sheep. (also cows, goats,horses.)

New Zealand has and flightless kiwi birds, with long beaks. Also kias which attack car windscreen wipers at ski resorts.

FOOD

Pavlovas

Both countries feature pavolvas, large donut shape white hard meringues with a solid base in the middle supporting mixed fresh fruit. Both countries were visited by the by the British ballet dancer Pavlova and her troupe.

Australians use passionfruit. New Zealanders use green kiwi fruit.

Lamingtons

Both countries sell Lamingtons. Cubes of pale coloured sponge covered in a thin shell of brown chocolate covered in white shredded coconut.

Lamington in New Zealand. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright. 

ACCENT

Australians and New Zealanders speak English and can understand British English. 

Australians speak louder and you will recognize Australian if you think of Oss- try-lee -er.  The word today sound like to die. This can be unnerving when you are asked what you are intending to do to die.

New Zealanders speak quietly with their teeth closer together.

You can recognize the New Zealand accent if you think of asking a New Zealander a question and getting the answer yiss and hearing the number seven as siven..

NATIVE PEOPLE

Australia has Aboriginies. 

New Zealand has Maoris.

NATIVE LANGUAGES

Australian words you may recognize include

boomerang

Maori words you may recognize include 

kia ora. - greeting familiar to visitors because it is used as a brand name for a drink

Drink to buy with Maori greeting as brand name.

. JEWELLERY SOUVENIRS

Australia has opal jewellery.Opal is the national gemstone. From Coober Pedy.

New Zealand has paoa shell jewellery.

Useful Websites

Australia

https://www.pmc.gov.au/honours-and-symbols/australian-national-symbols/australian-floral-emblem
New Zealand

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

What To Eat At The Cosy Cove Cafe Waipu, New Zealand - savouries rather than sweets - and prices should be shown!

The Cove Cafe is a convenient stopping place on your journey from Auckland on your journey to the islands, in fact there is not much else en route.

It is a jolly, busy place. A handy large car park alongside contains toilets. And you can see across the road to the beach and the breaking waves and surfers.

I suspect the savouries are better than the sweet dishes. 

My husband was happy with his coffee and the prices.

Lamington

I tried a Lamington, because that is a favourite food unique to Australia and New Zealand (like pavlova). A Lamington is a cube of sponge cake, coated in a thin layer of chocolate and rolled in coconut.

Priceless

I had trouble making a choice because there was a large display of cakes, which was good, but no prices displayed. This caused me confusion. Maybe I should opt for two if they are cheap. Pick the cheapest if they are dear. Indulge myself in the dearest cake as I'm on holiday. 

My stress level rises. How do I know it's not a con to charge me extra, double because I'm a foreigner and don't understand the value of New Zealand dollars? How do I know it's not an item containing unseasonal fruit, or alcohol, or saffron or truffles, which makes it legitimately, or illegitimately, ten times the standard price of a piece of cake? 

The plus side of seeing price is that the price might tell me it's the one delectable item I ought to take. There's half a dozen Ferraris and Porches parked outside in a regular club rally. I bet they would pay more, so something must cost more to satisfy them. 

The cashier has a list of prices on her computer screen which is hidden from me and says she can tell me the price of whichever item I want. But I can't ask the price of every one of the thirty items. 

I am surprised that you have to ask. In England it's a legal requirement to display prices. 

When I told the young server that in England it was a legal rquirement, he said that he was not aware of any such law in New Zealand.

He said the food is fresh every day, so they can't write up all the prices. 

However, the same applies to meny restaurant's chef's menu of the day, where a menu changes daily. Also most supermarkets stock fresh goods, bakery, as well as fruit and veg, which are replaced each morning by a huge lorry which we see parked outside Tesco supermarket. 

If it's the law, you have to do it. You cannot charge the customer what you fancy. What you think they will pay. Nor only tell them after they have chosen when they are too embarrassed to change their mind.

I asked AI, and received this result -

Yes, it is a legal requirement to display food prices in the UK, New Zealand, and across Europe, 

with the UK's "Price Marking Order" requiring retailers to clearly display the selling price of products, including unit prices for loose items; 

in New Zealand, mandatory unit pricing for grocery products came into effect on August 31, 2023, 

and in Europe, the "Price Indication Directive" mandates clear and accurate price information for consumers. 

Disregarding the price, what about the food?

Neither I nor my husband liked the Lamington. Not because of it being sponge with chocolate and coconut. I love chocolate and coconut.

I'd had a Lamington previously, the same month, in a restaurant, and it was wonderful. Were other customers happy.

However, our friends who live in Auckland wo had recommended that we stop there hadenthused about The Cove Cafe and its savoury dishes. They don't go for desserts. So maybe I shall try something savoury, something different, if I ever go there again.

UK Price legislation for food consumption on premises and take away food

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2253/contents/

New Zealand has similar rules regarding display of prices in two places, near the entrance for rpospective customers to decide whether to enter and in each room where customers are ordering

https://legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1975/0051/9.0/whole.html

https://www.hygienie.org/a-brief-history-of-uk-food-safety-law UK Natasha's law covers listing ingredients of allergens in food such as sanwiches made on the premises.

Cellar Doors, Wineries and Wine Makers 10 Wine Places To Visit in New Zealand

 

Wineries we visited in New Zealand

Over eighteen days in January and February 2025, on New Zealand's North Island, my husband and I visited eighteen wineries. 

My husband Trevor is a wine writer and photographer and wine educator. Before we visited New Zealand, he had researched the most famous and important wineries and written to arrange a meeting with the owner and /or winemaker. We hoped to have tastings as well as learning all about what made each vineyard and winery unique.

Some places were only wine growers They grew grapes which they sold to other people. Or they had a main grape which they mixed with different varieties. Others bought in some or all of their grapes and bottled and labelled them. Others did both growing grapes and harvesting them, as well as winemaking, involving crushing the grapes, leaving them to ferment in barrels, bottling and labelling the wine.  

He interviewed the enthusiastic staff and I recorded the interviews on my handphone to save him taking notes and to enable him to be in the moment and establish rapport.

Most tourists don't have or want to have details of the wine-making process, why one grape thrives on a sunny slope, or despite clay soil. The customer just wants to taste a couple of wines and find what appeals in order to drink that with their meal and buy a bottle or two, or four or more, to take home.

My husband likes reds, dry reds. As for grapes, he likes Syrah (also called shiraz). And Sauvignon Blanc.

I like white wines, sparkling (including blanc de blanc), and rose, above all sweet wines. Gewurtztraminer. Pinot Gris. (In Europe and the USA, Grenache, also called Garnacha.)

He likes port and sherry. I like sake. So between us we cover most styles.

Cellar Doors

Cellar door tastings are ideal for this sampling of varied wines. The businesses normally charge for three or more tastings. A tasting measure is a small glass.

No Alcohol

The driver might choose not to drink. Or to drink no alcohol alternatives. (Low alcohol is not the same as no alcohol.)

Alcohol Levels

Check the alcohol level on the wine label.

Alternatively a professional, wine taster, who goes to regular trade events, will sip and spit into spittoon, which resembles a small ice bucket.

Rivals Or Good Relations?

In New Zealand I asked one wine maker if the local companies were rivals or friends - or unknowns. He said that they all belonged to a wine growers' association to look after mutual interests. 

Wine Company Links

We also found that many wine growers had moved from one company to another. Even from one country to another (eg back to the USA). Married each other. Were related, from the same ancestry (eg Croatian). Therefore they knew each other well and could compare their own company with others easily and happily.

***

If you are a tourist some top places to visit are

Auckland Area Day Trip to the KUMEU RIVER  region

1 Soljans Estate Winery Cellar Door

A great shop sells wines, and glasses with the letter S (for Soljans, therefore handy if you wish to remember the company, or if your name is Sarah, Susan, Simon, or Smith). The shop also has caps, bags and scarves.

The wine tasting was 15 New Zealand dollars per person for five wines. I loved the great wine from my favourite Gewuztraminer grape.

2 Kumeu River Winery

Run by the famous Michael Brajkovich, who makes a huge range of seriously interesting wines.

Auckland to Rotorua

From Auckland, we went to the Rotorua hot springs area, in the Waikato wine region (Wai is the Maori word for water). Near Rotorua we visited the evocatively named Volcanic Hills winery.

In Ohaupo we went to the Vilagrad winery.

Napier Area - A winery open 7 days a week for tastings

Urban Winery, Napier, New Zealand. Open seven days a week. Wine tastings. Music nights. Some food some hours from a short menu. 

Novelty - Egg shape barrels! You can glimpse the egg barrels through the glass.Their business cards feature eggs with fancy designs.

On The Road - weekend tastings

Leveret & Mills Reef Winery at Katikati in the BAY OF PLENTY WINE AREA

A lovely old vine grows over their entrance forming a shady roof from the sun or maybe some shelter from worse weather. 

Their symbol is three rabbits chasing each other inside a circle. Look carefully and you'll see the number of ears is not six. 

We were greeted by Andrea, who originated from Hong Kong. She had attractively decorated the showroom with orange lanterns for Chinese / Lunar New Year in early February 2025. 

Then she decorated the shop with pink and red hearts for Valentine's Day later in mid February. She even wore heart-shaped ear-rings she'd bought in Hong Kong.

Katikati Cellar Door shop open 9.30 am -5 pm daily for sales only, no tastings.

Wine tastings for your long weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Phone 64 77 552 0795.

WAIHEKE ISLAND

Casita Miro, Waiheke Island

The back of their business card.

Another winery which we visited was Casita Miro, Casito being Spanish for little house, and Miro the artist. Casita Miro is most notable for its wacky, colourful decor. The astonishing and delightful show starts with the long, lively murals along the drive-in, continuing at every turn with pictures and amusing objects around the restaurant, which views the picnic lawn, and in restrooms. 

A wine tasting room cum shop on the far side of the car park. 

A larger restaurant room with views, is a great place for a lunch with wines.

NORTHLANDS Wine Region  has four places we visited.

Paroa Bay

From Russell take a winding road, or the shuttle bus free for diners at the Paroa Bay restaurant. On the hilltop overlooking their vinery is a top grade restaurant, with a tasting menu. At lunchtime or early evening there is a fine view, which we captured when we stopped there and on seeing the menu immediately made a booking. But returning late at night with twilight we found outdoors breezy, chilly, and took their advice regarding tables and happily ate indoors.

The Omata Estate - for a perfect pizza

We stopped around lunch time, watched them cooking pizza in a hot pizza oven. After sampling wines, we ordered a pizza, the best pizza I've ever had. Just a thin base, not overwhelming you with filling flour, supporting and spread with a mixture of savoury white cheese and sweet red cranberry which was divine.

Marsden Winery, Russell, Northlands

Marsden Winery was big and bustling, a very popular eating place. A location with a story. The current, chatty, owner who we met, was greeting regular customers at the door and bar counter. In between, he was keen to tell us how he had bought the place and battled to keep it going as a winery.  Competing interests were thinking the site was better used by uprooting the vines and tradition and introducing a modern new housing estate.

Dancing Petrel Paewhenua Island, Northlands

By contrast, the Dancing Petrel is a quiet secluded place. But the label is dinsttive and memorable. It shows a sea bird, the dancing petrel. We sat in the back yard of the owners who are small scale producers, nature lovers, whilst they described the petrel they promote on their label.

Useful Websites

Casita Miro

Casitamiro.co.nz

Leveret

www.wineportfolio.co.nz

Soljans 

www.soljans.co.nz

Urban Winery

theurbanwinery.co.nz

(More winderies being added shortly.)

Please save and share links to your favourite posts.

Marsden winery New Zealand

 

New owner from the UK, Mike Endean, a long time NZ holidaymaker, has his own mini winery in his back garden, then bought this Marsden Estate to save it from being redeveloped into housing, got permission in Feb 2025, and has renamed it Marsden winery.

I loved the sparkling and rose. 

I met Sera  (Sera Keraka), who is the restaurant manager, who explained Maori Tattoos which show your family history.

The great Sage restaurant tasting menu

 

Sage Restaurant at Paroa Bay winery, 

46 Otamarua Road

Russell 0272

Bay of Islands

North Island

New Zealand

Tel +64 9 403 8270

www.thelindisgroup.com

Leveret Mills Reef Wine Shop - Has a Cape Dutch building, and cellar door tasting days

 This charming entance to a Cape Dutch style duilding has an old vine growing overhead.

Inside a charming lady chats to you and can see bottles of wine, and chocolate bars. Seasonal decorations in early 2025 have been orange and coloured paper lanterns for Chinese New Year and red and white (wine colours) hearts for Valentine's Day.

If you want a wine tasting, you need to time your visit to arrive on their wine tassting days.

The Landing Restaurant at The Riverhead, near Auckland, New Zealand

 We had arrived the wrong day for the restaurants at the Wineries in the area but they and our friends who live in Auckland suggested the Landing Restaurant which is large with lots of indoor and outdoor tables. Our friends called it the Riverhead restaurant for short.

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

We sat outside watching the tranquil water through the trees.

We ordered one fish and chips and one Caesar salad. We had enough food to share, half of each dish each person.

The Caesar salad was well made and contained the traditional recipe anchovies.

The dessert platter consisted of four tiny morsels. 

Useful website

www.theriverhead.co.nz

Kumeu River Winery near Auckland

 

Kumeu River winery visitor entrance.

The knowledgeable master of wine, with his delightful mother.

The laboratory.  

From Croatia to Kumeu River, this family-owned business is a big success story. 

Croatians emigrated for a better life in the 1930s, to the USA and New Zealand. Here in New Zealand they did hard work digging for gum in buried trees.

Later they bought land, and grew wines. 

We met a member of the family who has the prestigious qualification of Master of Wine. His mother takes a keen interest in meeting and greeting visitors

He showed us square metal tanks which I had never seen anwhere before, although he assured us that some can be found in France. 

He jovially told us that 'square tanks make an efficient use of space, but want to turn themselves into round or barrel-shaped tanks!' So square tanks have to be reinforced.

As the saying goes, you learn something new every day.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Waterside Hotel, Trinity Wharf, Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand - water view delights and swimming safety

 

 

Infinity pool with ladder at the deep end. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright. 

We loved our bedroom at the Trinity Wharf Hotel, Tauranga, on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

We were on the second floor (the ground floor being called first floor), of the three storey hotel on the waterfront. The name Trinity Wharf is named after the three wharves.

Sea water means you will see boats and birds. The boats are static. But the birds are constantly moving.

Best birds

Three birds trotted along the ledge outside our balcony.

New Zealand farmers don't like birds which demolish the crops voraciously and have to be scared off with noise machines and lasers and restricted by nets. 

However, we tourists are entranced, mesmerised by birds. Watching them is better than TV. As the birds stroll left and right, it's as engaging as watching tennis at Wimbledon.

They even drank the pool water. I searched online and managed to identify black backed gulls.

The only disappointment for me at the hotel was the swimming pool. 

Lovely for strong swimmers.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

We always try to book at hotel with a pool so that I can get my daily swim. At this hotel, I didn't.

The pool looked good. But it was small, with a deep end and the only ladder was at the deep end. My husband said, "It is just round rungs, not flat steps, so don't risk it."

I could not see a convenient overhang enabling me to pull myself along to the shallow end after letting go of the ladder, or getting puffed out or panicking half way along.

Besides, I am the feet and inches generation. I could have mistaken 1.5 metres for being shallow enough for me. I am the wrong side of five feet. 

Even if I survived, it would have been stressful.

I told another guest. 

He commented, "It's a safety issue."

I mentioned it to the front desk. They said, "There is nothing we can do."

There are five things they can do. 

1 Call a contractor to add a ladder at the shallow end.

Move the ladder from the deep end to the shallow end.

2 Install two ledges or steps, semi-circular, around the corner of the pool.

3 Make a spa bath with a step and barrier in the shallow corner nearest the hotel.

4 Mark the base of the pool to separate the deep end from the shallow end.

5 Put a rope along the edges so you can pull yourself up at the shallow and deep ends, all pull yourself along. 

6 Put a rope across the middle of the pool separating the shallow end from the deep end, and/or paint the base a different colour.

7 Raise the pool so it is all shallow.

8 Have a life guard and assistant in attendance to help people in and out and ensure their safety.

9 Install a video camera.

10 Have a lifeguard in the hotel on call for an emergency.

11Display the number to call for assistance displayed. (All pools in Singapore have the numbers of ambulance displayed by private pools. I think it must be a requirement or insurance or government regulation or both.)

12 Have a life ring on the wall. 

13 Have resuscitation instructions on the wall.

14 If guests complain, send a note of apology, a voucher for a free cocktail, or champagne and chocolates or more biscuits

Biscuits

That reminds me. A plus point. Biscuits on arrival. One for each of us two guests.

Buffet Breakfast

The buffet breakfast was great. Perfect scrambled eggs. Danish pastries which looked dry had a moist apple puree centre.

In conclusion, if you wanted to swim in the hotel pool from the shallow end, like me, a total disappointment. If you are a strong swimmer like my husband, a great hotel.

However, after using the bedroom's bath which had spouts I felt mollified. The hotel has many types of room. We had chosen a room with a sea view.

On balance, a lovely hotel with great water views of passing boats from the dining room.

We had booked through booking.com where my husband leaves reviews.