Excel Exhibition Centre - the excellent best and worst for travel and toilets

 Excel this year I was at The Real Italian Wine And Food Experience. 

Excel, Prince Regent DLR station entrance/exit. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Toilets

The absolute best was the juxtaposition of the entrance on the ground floor and the toilets also on the ground floor opposite.

This end of the gigantic venue, larger than some airports, is best. You still have a five minute dog leg or L shape walk to Prince Regent station. The semi-circular 4 star hotel has a spa and gym, delegates who stayed there told me. The hotel is conveniently right outside.

Left, the multi coloured hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Behind it is a large car park.

Advantages of Prince Regent Station DLR

Although one DLR stop further from central London, best for events at the end furthest from the Custom House station end. 

The PR station has a convenient lift behind the long staircase.

Advantages Of Custom House Station DLR

This alternative Custom House station is at the big entrance which is for larger events occupying the entire building or shows at this end. 

The walkway above from the station passes a wall of green plants on your left. On the right you pass restaurants and a coffee shop.

Toilets on Two Levels

Inside Excel from the Custom House DLR direction, the first toilets you reach are down stairs. Not ideal if you are carrying goods to or from the show. Good if you want to get some exercise. If you can wait, you can use the ground floor toilet at the Prince Regent station exit at the other end. 

The hall is the size of a major airport. I wish they would instal a travelator!

DLR stands for Docklands Light Railway. 

TFL Transport For London.

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What to see in Santander - cathedral, art gallery, clifftop and more

 Santander, the post and sailing centre on Spain's northern coast is a lovely city. You drive from the ferry port straight into the city centre, passing an ultra modern art gallery and underground car park, where we parked to visit the cathedral.

The Cathedral

The Cathedral is surprisingly small.  Like a living room with two side rooms. The free leaflet was easy for me to read although I have very limited Spanish.  You can see it all in 5-10 minutes.

Then a drive along the coast road, with at ground level passing the little boats and the sea. Or on the clifftop where the joggers run along under the trees passing the bus stops and the open top tourist bus. Cyclists have their own lane railed off beween the cars and the jooggers.

Down again to ground level you see the palatial building of the casino. Opposite is the grand hotel where wwe had a resonably priced coffee and toillet stop.

Altogether delightful. You might find yourself driving around the one way system in circles looking for the cathedral which we did before we discovered the reasonably priced car park which is adjacent to the cathedral.

Altogether, visitor friendly.

-ends.

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Preventable accidents? Warning signs to buy, display, demand

 

I read about four kinds of fatalities this month (October 2023). 

1 A passenger in a train lost their life looking out, learning out of a window. One of several accidents and near accidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1mYj8B5Z0

2 A major fire at a wedding in Iraq. The video shows fireworks setting fire to decorations above. Reports imply that the non fireproof cladding installed without breaks allowed the fire to spread rapidly. If the fireworks had not been set off indoors this would not have happened. However, the owner appears to blame an electrical fault. In my opinion that would make the cladding more of a culprit. Because any kind of spark, electrical as well as fireworks, candles, arson, could have caused a rapid spread of fire. The other factors which exacerbate in this kind of fire emergency, were inadequate fire exits, lack of fire extinguishers. In many UK Toastmasters meetings the MC (master of ceremonies) starts by indicating the location of toilets and fire exits. An event organizer or bride and groom should have a checklist which includes safety of venue, including fire exits (how many do you need for how many people?), are there lights showing the way to fire exits (like on aircraft) so you can reach the nearest exit. Should there be a warning before fireworks are started. Should they be banned indoors and near trees and bushes? (In the UK a tenant lit a flame indoors for a baby blessing ceremony. She repeatedly insisted that you MUST go seven times around a fire to bless the baby. yes, but not in her building. It should be banned in the lease. 

3 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12576845/The-teenage-girl-died-school-bus-crash-M53-Wirral-named-15-year-old-Jessica-Baker.html

4 A so-called freak accident in which a passenger stood up in the sun roof of a car in a car park. Apparently the passenger was hit by a low roof or beam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

The accident was not a freak accident. It was preventable. If the car would be designed to not move unless the back seat passenger's seat belt was done up. If cards had warnings of Ten Commandments For Safety for front seat and back seat passengers. If the car park was designed so that somebody standing inside a car could not hit their head. If the Highway code carried a page warning of types of accidents with a quiz asking drivers to note them. 

4 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

Useful Websites

Warnings

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

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

Do not lean out of window video

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=do+not+lean+out+of+windows&type=E210US739G91802#id=3&vid=c29144d6e6052d24f79c8383e18aacea&action=view

Fire prevention

Order signs from websites. Also fire extinguishers.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fire+extinguisher

https://www.bradyid.com/signs/fire-exit-sign-cps

https://www.ebmag.com/exit-and-emergency-lighting-and-signage-a-primer-for-these-continually-evolving-life-safety-solutions/#:~:text=an%20exit%2C%20a%20public%20corridor%2C%20or%20a%20corridor,of%20level%20where%20there%20are%20stairs%20or%20ramps.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/FY06_46e0-ht10_stf_emerg_illumination_checklist.pdf

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/markets/buildings/fundamentals-of-emergency-lighting-guide.pdf

https://www.compliancesigns.com/pd/portrait-do-not-lean-out-of-the-car-sign-with-symbol-nhep-34242

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/NFPA-Today/Blog-Posts/2021/07/16/Fire-Extinguisher-Types

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/illegal-stick-head-out-car-window-sunroof/

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American and British Words From Today

 An American asked, what is an HGV. Here goes:

UK - USA

1 HGV = heavy goods vehicle / large lorry - truck

2 HGV - truck and trailer/semi/ articulated truck/18 wheeler/big rig

3 lorry - truck

4 lorry driver - truck driver

While we're at it, a few more handy words:

UK - USA

1 car - automobile

2 (car) bonnet - hood

3 (car) boot - trunk

4 car boot sale (usually in a field or car park) - garage sale (usually in a garage)

5 car park - parking lot

6 high street - main street

8 pavement - sidewalk

7 road - pavement

8 turn right - make a right

9 petrol - gas

10 garage - gas station

Have you any complaints or compliments about Heathrow Airport, gateway to London, England, the UK?

Have you any complaints or compliments about Heathrow?

Our journey exiting Heathrow was very pleasant due to the lack of crowds. Fast through the lineup to exit. So few passengers that the lugggage came through fast.

What could be better? The contract tracing system is daft. You are supposed to fill up online. But the wifi system was not working so we could not read our phone.

Leaving Heathrow you see wonderful historic photos of Heathrow and famous passengers and visitors through the ages. The Beatles. HM Queen Elizabeth. Many countries have huge panels of the capital city's attractions and scenic spots around the country.

Where are the giant pictures of Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Traflagar Square and Nelson's Column?

Statues?
Where are the ever changing videos of slides of famous people from history? London's statues alone could provide entertainment. William Shakespeare. A few quotations from Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare.

Alcock and Brown statues. Author of photo Arpingstone. In Wikipedia.

The statues of Alcock and Brown, the first pilots to fly across the Atlantic, were displayed at Heathrow before going to Brooklands Museum.

But you don't need to have the statues. A photo of the statues, or a slide prjected onto a wall would be great.

Scenery?
How about some scenes of the Lake district. And Wordsworth's poem? Durdle Door.

How about advertisements of historic pubs. k

Or famous foods?

Famous Drinks.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Scotland
Whisky.

Chocolates.

Something healthy? Strawberries and cream.

Wimbledon tennis.

Guinness records.

Add some photos from Wales?



We were met by a car hire driver who could not remember on which floor he parked the car. It would be better to have each floor with a distinctive decor. A different colour. A reminder of the floor as you leave. A code you can scan which sends a reminder of the floor to your phone.

Useful Websites
https://www.heathrow.com/contact-us/send-us-your-feedback
https://uk.pcmag.com/news-analysis/88858/how-to-use-a-smartphone-app-to-find-your-car
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_tracking_system

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

American English and British English - How I was confused by words you read, see on signs and hear

Flag of the UK

Same language? Mostly. George Bernard Shaw, playwright, and wit, described, American and Britain as ,'two countries separated by a common language'.

My long lists are at the end but I shall start by entertaining you with some stories of problems I had with American English.

I was brought up (raised) in England. As a student, I went on holiday all round the USA on a Greyhound bus. I had a special ticket, not just for students, 99 dollars for 99 days. The Greyhound buses still go from city to city, carrying passengers from station to station, and you can send parcels. the buses carry the logo of the greyhound, symbol of speed.

In America, the first difference was the use of the word bus. Greyhound bus? The bus was what we in England call a coach. A long-distance coach. The Vehicle was a one-decker, going from one city to the next.






Greyhound company symbol

 
Greyhound bus.

When we got off the bus, sometimes at dawn, when I was not at my brightest, I faced the challenges of language.

At the city stops, I could not see any signs for toilets. They were labelled rest rooms.

Sometimes we stopped long enough for a snack. The menus offered apple pie a la mode. That meant with a dollop of ice cream on top.

I soon learned that a lorry was called a truck in the USA, and even Canada, which often uses British English.

.
Might-E Truck, Canadian company vehicle.

After I married, we went to the USA again. At Disney world on a monorail we heard that the vehicle would be stopping 'momentarily'. We rushed to the exit, fearing the monorail would be making only a brief stop. No. They meant, in a moment.

Food
Later, when we lived in the USA, I still found some of the vocabulary challenging. We soon discovered that biscuits were called cookies.

Clothes
In shops, nobody understood when I wanted to buy a nappy. I didn't understand the word diaper.

Pants were a constant cause of confusion. Now, I can usually work out what is meant. But the unintended double entendre is embarrassing.

Erase
When I asked for "a rubber" in a department store's stationery department, the assistant told me, "We don't stock them, You need a drug store."

Whilst I continued shopping, looking for a ruler, I soon found a rubber. I asked the assistant, "What do you call this?"
She replied, "An eraser."

I popped into the nearby drug store and asked, "Do you have rubbers?" She showed me to a shelf displaying Durex. Ah. Condoms.

Right
In the car, I did not understand a passener's request for me to, "Make a right!"

Put what right? Correct what?

He meant a right turn.

I asked, "Are you in a hurry to get home?"

"No hurry,"  my passenger replied. "I'm not expected until 'a quarter after'."
"What's that? You mean a quarter past."

"Sure, do."

Hm. I would have said, that's certainly right.

Garage
I said, "Than you dont mind if we stop. I need to fill up with petrol." I asked the American passenger, "Is there a garage near here?"

He told me, "Nothing nearby."

A few yards later, around that next corner, was a garage. I demanded, "What's this, then?"

"A gas station."

To him, in America, a garage was a place or business which did repairs (and stored cars).

Food
We stopped for food, looking for a take away. It was called a take out.

Worldwide, the words differ for Take Away

A take-out or takeout (U.S., Canada, & the Philippines); carry-out or to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. & Canada); take-away (U.K., Australia, South Africa, & Ireland, and occasionally in North America);takeaways (New Zealand); grab-n-go; and parcel (India & Bangladesh Pakistan) is a prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet that the purchaser intends to eat elsewhere.

In America, when we drove through West Virginia in the Nineteen Eighties we wanted a restaurant. But we saw only fast food, and clubs.

Eventually we saw a passer-by and asked him for a restaurant. He pointed.

I objected, "But it says Club!"

He explained, "The clubs are restaurants. Because they serve alcohol, diners have to join a club, by paying one dollar and giving their identity and age, in order to enter a premise serving alcohol and to be served alcohol."

We went to the restaurant and were asked to fill out the forms. We did so. Then we were asked to pay three dollars, one dollar each.

My husband objected to the three dollar charge,"I can't drink because I'm driving. Our son is too young to drink.  My wife doesn't want to drink."

The restaurant owner chewed for a moment, then said, " The law requires me to charge you, a membership fee. But I can reduce the price of your meal, by three dollars. Because, it's late at night, and I'm about to close, and I've no other customers, so I'm sure happy to have your business.  How's that? Great. I'm so glad to see you. Where are you guys from?"





Websites
wiki - American English
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Vocabulary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_Lines
Terminology worldwide for Filling Stations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station
https://www.sweet2eatbaking.com/uk-us-conversion/

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker and speech trainer, was born and educated in England and lived in the USA.

I have several more posts on Americanisms and learning languages.
Please share your favourite posts.

Baby Died In Hot Car - I forget my shopping - what can you do to remember?

We all forget things. I have left an umbrella behind in the car of a friend or a taxi to the airport. I once drove off leaving my teenager behind at school when he was loading up the car. I heard him slam the car door and thought he was in the car. But he had gone back to slam the car boot. Fortunately, I got no reply to my questions, stopped the car, looked back and saw him running after me frantically waving. No harm done.

But other people are not so lucky. I open the news and learn abut a death in a hot car.

An average of nearly forty children a year die inside cars. What can de done to prevent this?

Time to make it an offence to leave a child or pet in a locked car in hte USA. Put up a sign at supermarket entrance.

Suggestions to how to remember to take your child.

1 Warning reminders in car parks.

2 Warning reminders in cars.

3 Put your phone in your bag by the baby. If you think you might need your phone to hand in an emergency, alternatives could include leaving your shoe next to your baby, making your own handwritten or typed note, baby in car. Time for Mothercasre in the UK, to issue signs for the car.

End the news with reminders in hot weather. The temperature is ... do not leave chocolate on the back window, do not leave a baby or pet in the car.

People forget essential things all the time. They lose car keys. You don't want to lose your car keys with the baby inside.

Cars get stolen frequently. You don't want your car to be stolen with the baby inside.

But if you take the sleeping baby into the house in the car seat, that could also be a hazard.

Confession time
I left a bar of chocolate in a car. It melted. I had underestimated the heat and forgotten the chocolate. I don't do that again. With a child or pet you don't get a second chance.

How To Remember
The best and most unusal advice I saw:
1 leave a toy on the front seat to remind you that the baby is in the back.
2 Move the baby seat to the middle, not hidden behind the driver.
3 Buy a car seat alarm.

But you don't have children. How does this affect you?

The technology for alerts already exists. If you get into a car and don't do up your seatbelt, the car alerts you.

Set Alerts
The simplest alart is to set an alarm. If you know your journey taken ten minutes, set an alarm for nine or 15 to remind you to check on your child, or shopping.

Buy Alerts
Some alerts tell you that you have a passenger in the back when you open the driver's door. Others send a warning to your phone when you walk more than a certain number of feet.

One woman sais she bought car seat alarms or seats with alarms for her friends at a baby shower or a gift delivered when visitng a new mother or better still the mother to be. Garndaprents could also be given this gift, or give it to their children or children in law who are expecting a baby.

Some hire car companies supply car seats. Enquire about the seat's safety features and whether you need to buy an alarm.

An attempt was made to pass legislation but the law was not passed. Meanwhile there are sseveral items you can buy.

Some of the alarms have other functions, such as reminding you to remove your shopping or frozen food from the car.

An added incentive to buy one for yourself or others, or simply mention them to friends.

A simple solution is to set an alarm on your phone. Or to send a photo of the child dropped off to a whatsapp group of parents and granny

As they say, prevention is better than cure; forwarned is forearmed. Travel safely.

Useful websites
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7047435/Police-interview-mother-determine-left-baby-die-SUV-parked-AutoZone.html
https://myfox8.com/2019/05/18/baby-dies-after-being-left-inside-hot-car-while-parents-went-inside-store/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/mom-shares-warning-about-car-seat-danger-after-her-toddlers-death/ar-BBPmE98
https://www.ohmyparenting.com/9-safety-warning-signs-and-labels-every-parent-should-not-ignore/2/
https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/7-ways-to-not-forget-your-child-in-the-car/
https://www.fatherly.com/gear/best-car-seat-alarms/

Baby And Car Seat Alarms
https://www.kars4kids.org/safety-app/
http://ridenremind.com/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Jewel Fountain Floodlit By Night at Changi Airport

I went solo to see Jewel in the daytime and loved it. My family went as they passed through the airport on their way out of Singapore.

I found a video of the lights on the fountain. Having been there I now that you will be able to see it from every level.

I am looking forward to going back at night and seeing the illuminated fountains. I suspect it will be hard to eat with all the distraction. not sure if the lights are continuous or on and off.

I also want to go back to the cheap jewellery shop.

I took photos of the Coffee Museum plaques and was able to blow up my photos and read them later at home.

One of the other attractions of this attraction is that it is right next to both the airport and the MRT.

Author
Angela Lansbury

Jewel Changi Update - Driving To Changi? You Can See Jewel's Giant Waterfall Quickly

Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright.

A relative called me from Changi Airport. He drove there (on a motorbike). If you are departing, or meeting a relative at the airport, the car park is, of course, landside. So is Jewel shopping mall, with its waterfall centrepiece, 40 metres high, the world's highest indoor fall, right next to the car park!

So if you are not overburdened with luggage, for example, only with a rucksack or two for a long weekend hiking, or nothing much because you are meeting somebody, stroll along and take a look.

A good way to kill time if you have taken the precaution of arriving early for your own departure, but the traffic was good. Or if you have arrived early to meet somebody. Of, if their flight arrival is delayed.

What is there to add about impressions of the central waterfall? I was impressed by the height, the coolness of the open splash part. Lower down by the basement restaurants it is encased in glass so you don't risk getting wet.

Free entertainment!

Like being on holiday already, before you leave. Or like being on holiday, if you are not going out of Singapore.

My relative said, "I was impressed by the way it seems bottomless. Just goes down and down."

Useful Websites
https://flights.staralliance.com/en/
changiairport.com
https://www.jewelchangiairport.com/
Singaporeair.com
visitsingapore.com
http://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/facilities-and-services/airport-parking.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on Changi airport and Singapore and destinations around the world. Please share links to your favourite posts with your family, friends and colleagues.

What Went Wrong At Weddings Or Dinners What you can do to avoid trouble

Safeguard Honeymoon Money
First, don't embezzle the honeymoon money. 

Safety On Stag Nights
Second, don't take the groom on a stag night in which everybody is so drunk that they have black eyes and don't enjoy the wedding. On one or two stag nights the groom or best man has been badly injured or even gone, missing, immediately or much later found drowned. Sometimes, the bride sees the photo of the groom kissing the near naked stripper and cancels the wedding.

The wedding ceremony - money 
In France at the church a cup or box is passed around collecting money. This is not for the bride and groom but for the poor. So do not put into the box the gift for the bride and groom because they will not receive it!

If the minister is not paid but received a 'donation', the best man has to ensure the correct money is in an envelope with the minister's name, and must work out when to discreetly hand it over.

1 Forget to reply to the wedding RSVP in the UK
Why is this wrong? The wedding dinner is costing the bride or groom or their families easily 50 or 100 pounds sterling per seated guest just for the meal. If five couples don't turn up, that is 500 hundred pounds or more spent unnecessarily, wasted food, looks like their friends don't love them, their friends who were left off the list to make room for you will be annoyed, and when you fail to send a gift and confess, "Oops I forgot!", your friendship may sour.
Remember the RSVP!

Ushers should know the seating order. Family at the front. Bride's family on one side, groom's family on the other side.

If you mislay the wedding invitation and reply, you might get lost between the wedding ceremony venue and the reception venue and miss the dinner.
Don't follow other guests.
One group followed another car and ended up outside the local hospital. They had followed a doctor who was on call.

2 Deliver gifts to the bride's home in advance. Gifts at hotel go missing. 
Traditionally wedding gifts are not delivered at the wedding. Only close family would give money.
At a wedding I attended, my gift and all the others were stolen from the family\s hotel boot in the hotel car park.

3 The best man should make sure the groom reaches the wedding venue. If there is a delay or cancellation, he should tell the bride and venue.
I was supposed to be a witness at a wedding on a cruise ship. The groom did not turn up. the ship's staff called all the local hospitals. The groom had evidently done a runner. 
Unfortunately, his parents were already on board, on the one week cruise, sharing a dinner table with the bride's parents. The cruise ship said they could not move the table seating,because all the other tables were families and friends who would not wish to be separated. I don't suppose anybody else wanted to be forced to try to be jolly sharing a table for a week with the jilted bride.

2 At dinner, don't talk with your hands. Even if you are Italian.
Why not?
a) You look like a foreigner.
b) You are likely to knock the red wine over the bride's white dress. Would that make you popular?
The groom will assume:
You made a mistake. You are an idiot.
You did it deliberately. It might start a fight.

3 Do not not get drunk and do not start a fight.
Why? The hotel will charge a lot of money.
The wedding party giving speeches next door will not be pleased about the noise.
(I heard about this from a hotelier in the UK.)
The groom will spend the night in jail.
The bride will never forgive you. (Her mother will say she was right about you all along.)

Hire a wedding car - and have a backup.
In Australia I was sent videos of out-takes by a wedding video photographer.
In one video, the best man was distracted and left off the handbrake. His car rolled downhill into the car of the bride's father. In addition to the damage, they needed two cars at short notice to get to the wedding.
In another video, the best man's group thought it was funny to cover all the groom's car windows with  several inches of shaving foam. He could not see to drive to the airport. He was in a hired suit. I have never seen anybody look so angry.

Don't deliver items to the honeymoon suite or make an apple pie bed nor allow anybody else to do so.
The best man or so called friends so often wreck the room that many hotels will not allow anybody else in. Because the bride and groom will sue the hotel for running the wedding and the hotel in turn will sue the guests or bride and groom for damage to the room.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Author of
Wedding Speeches & Toasts
Etiquette for every occasion.

Where You Can Eat,Drink, Shop and Park Free In Harrow

At the top of the hill are some fine restaurants, a pub, but narrow and steep streets, and competition for parking places. Down in the town you have the multi-storey St George's car park.

In Harrow on the Hill town centre you have a big choice of places to grab a quick bit or have a quick chat before or after a meeting. We were looking for somewhere to go after a Toastmasters meeting at the Baptist Church in College Road.

Food
Costa - at the base of the steps up to Harrow on the hill station by the bus garage.
Greggs
McDonalds
Nandos
Wenzels Bakery.

Shops
Argos
Debenhams
Dyson
Poundland
Primark

Cheap Shops
Poundland - two branches, one in Station Road near Debenhams, on the opposite side of the road, racing the statue.
Primark

Ethnic

Vegetarian restaurant next to McDonalds. Small ground floor seating area.

McDonalds is bigger than it looks. There's an upstairs.

DRINK & EAT
Pubs
At least three, the one by St George's car park, the Irish pub, a Wetherspoons.

Gyms and Sports
Fitz
Harrow Baptist Church has a sports hall beside the kitchen at the back.
Another gym in the shopping centre.

Debenhams
I have not been there recently but last night somebody told me the Debenhams car park is open plan and open all night.

St George's
Updated car park, now reduces the paper. Instead of a ticket as you enter and another as you leave, the one you receive on entering is scanned when you pay.

But when issued, how does it act as a receipt?

If you are on business and claiming expenses or tax, you might want to photograph the ticket and the charges for your own records.

On the current UK tax system, I believe you cannot claim your journey to and from work but you can claim expenses for trips made for work whilst at work.

Free Parking
In St George's after 6 pm parking is free.

How Late?
The St George's car park is open until 3 pm.
I was told that Debenhams is open all the time.

Why would you need overnight? Lost car keys. Too drunk to drive. Stayed overnight at your friend's because it was too late and dark to travel.

On shift work.

Nearby

Harrow and Wealdstone

Wikipedia photo of the supposed Weald Stone

Free Parking

late night in some places. Check for updates.

Author
Angela Lansbury
Please share links to your favourite posts.
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/02/harrow-on-hill-station-is-being.html

Water bottles and drinking water when travelling

You need moisture in Singapore where it is so hot that you are perspiring all the time. At a morning meeting I looked for a drink. No water provided. 

The days of giving everybody a small plastic bottle of water and coming to an end (October 2018). Even if you stay in air conditioned offices and use cars and taxis, only a proportion of the car parks are underground. You spend a lot of time in overground car parks or bus stops or open air taxi stands. So you need water.

Yes, going green, saving trees, not using plastic, all very well, but people need a drink. I went to two meetings in a day with no water provided.

I used to carry water bottles. Then I got backache. I ditched the umbrella and water bottle, just carrying too much. 

We are in transit over water in Singapore. Early days - no water fountains. Then along come the gyms and hotels and coffee shop. Now you are expected to carry a water bottle and fill it up from a water fountain which has paper cups or no cups. You can buy a collapsible cup.

Author

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

Translate into Spanish - words at the airport, hotel,

Problem
Next year I am taking a holiday with a group of ex-pats who speak English, Indonesian, German and Dutch. We will be in Bulgaria. So I need to brush up on the basics of sentences in four languages, enough to grasp what they are saying. I have chosen half a dozen vital sentence which I will learn in each of the three languages.

I also go to a Toastmasters group where two people speak Spanish, one from Spain, another from Venezuela. Although I can read Spanish, when I was asked, in Spanish, 'do you understand Spanish,' I was flummoxed because I could not immediately summon up the reply, only a little. So I am collecting the phrases one might need, which I habitually need, in three of four languages which I will be needing when checking into airports and accosting strangers who speak assorted languages. Here's the Spanish.

I started by spending ten minutes on the German, as I already know German. That is in another post. I need to practise saying these sentences so I can not only understand, but also speak!

Read the English, then the German / Spanish / other language. Come back to the English and see if you can remember the German / Spanish / other language.

ENGLISH
AIRPORT
Excuse me - do you speak English / German / Dutch / Indonesian / Malaysian?
No, sorry. / Yes, I do. I am English!
Only - a little. Slowly, please!
Can you write it down?
I have a dictionary - can you Google translate it?

1
Airport
Good morning / Good afternoon / Good evening
Welcome
Excuse me
Can you help me?

2
Where is the check-in? Where is the Lufthansa / KLM desk?
Where is the lounge?
Where is the toilet? The ladies / The gents /
Men / Women/ Boys / Girls/ male / female
And - What time is the shuttle bus?

3
It's due now /
in Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes,
in half an hour, every hour, on the hour
Sorry - it does not run on Sunday / the evening / bank holidays
If you can't wait, how about a taxi - over there

4
Where is the bus stop?
Where is the car park?
We are in a hurry. We are late!
You are late. You must hurry!
Calm down. You are in good time. You've plenty of time.

5
I don't know
I am also looking for it
No idea
I'm a stranger
Ask over there

6
Ask him / her / them
Come with me
I'll show you
Thanks
Bon voyage / have a safe journey

7
Mind out! Watch out!
Take care / Look after yourself
See you soon
See you later
Goodbye

AEROPUERTO
Disculpe, ¿usted habla inglés / hablas alemán / holandés / indonesio / hablas malayo?
No, lo siento / Sí, lo hago. ¡Soy Inglés! Soy alemán, soy indonesio, soy holandés
Solo un poco. ¡Lentamente por favor!
Puedes escribirlo?
Tengo un diccionario. ¿Puedes traducir Google?

1
aeropuerto
Buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas tardes
Bienvenido
lo siento
¿Me puedes ayudar?

2
¿Dónde está el check-in? ¿Dónde está el medidor Lufthansa / KLM?
¿Donde está la habitación?
¿Dónde está el baño? Las damas / caballeros /
Hombres / mujeres / niños / niñas / hombres / mujeres
Y, ¿a qué hora es el servicio de autobús?

3
Es debido /
en cinco minutos, diez minutos, quince minutos,
en media hora, cada hora, cada hora a cada hora
Lo sentimos, no se ejecuta los domingos / noches / días festivos
Si no puedes esperar, ¿qué piensas de un taxi?

4
¿Dónde esta la parada de autobus?
¿Dónde está el estacionamiento?
Estamos en apuros. ¡Llegamos tarde!
Llegas tarde ¡Tienes que darte prisa!
Cálmese. Usted está allí a tiempo. Tienes mucho tiempo.

5
No lo sé
También lo estoy buscando
Ni idea
Soy un extraño
Pregunta por allí

6
Pregunta pregunta
Ven conmigo
te mostrare
Muchas gracias
Buen viaje / viaje seguro

7
¡Cuidado! ¡Cuidado!
Cuídate)
Hasta pronto (Literalmente en español Adiós por hoy)
Nos vemos más tarde
Adios que Te Vaya Bien

GERMAN
FLUGHAFEN
Entschuldigung - Sprechen Sie Englisch / Sprechen Sie Deutsch / Niederländisch / Indonesisch / Sprechen Sie Malaysisch?
Nein Entschuldigung. / Ja, mache ich. Ich bin Engländer! Ich bin Deutsche. Ich bin Indonesisch. Ich bin Niederländisch.
Nur ein bisschen. Langsam Bitte!
Kannst du es aufschreiben?
Ich habe ein Wörterbuch - kannst du Google übersetzen?

1
Flughafen
Guten Morgen / guten Nachmittag / guten Abend
Herzlich willkommen
Entschuldigen Sie mich
Kannst du mir helfen?

2
Wo ist der Check-in? Wo ist der Lufthansa / KLM Schalter?
Wo ist die Lounge?
Wo ist die Toilette? Die Damen / Die Herren /
Männer / Frauen / Jungen / Mädchen / männlich / weiblich
Und - Um wie viel Uhr ist der Shuttlebus?

3
Wo ist die Bushaltestelle?
Wo ist der Parkplatz?
Wir sind in Eile. Wir sind spät!
Du bist spät. Du musst dich beeilen!
Beruhigen. Du bist rechtzeitig da. Du hast viel Zeit.

4
Ich weiß es nicht
Ich suche auch danach
Keine Ahnung
Ich bin ein Fremder
Frag dort drüben

5
Frag ihn / sie / sie
Komm mit mir
Ich werde Ihnen zeigen
Vielen Dank
Gute Reise / sichere Reise

6
Pass auf
Sich selbst versorgen
Bis bald
Bis später
Auf Wiedersehen

***

English - German
AIRPORT
Airport
Good morning / afternoon / evening
Welcome
Excuse me
Can you help me?

I don't know
I am also looking for it
No idea
I'm a stranger
Ask over there

Where do I check in?
Here / Just there / Over there
On the right / left
Upstairs / downstairs
Up the stairs / up the escalator

Through the doors
At the far end
Where is the exit?
Where are the taxis?
Is there a cheap bus /shuttle bus?

Where does it go?
Does it go into the city / to my hotel
Where is the tourist office?
Can you point (to it)?
I see it!

I can't see it
Thank you
You're welcome
I need water
I would like a cup of coffee

We have black coffee
We only have tea
That's fine
No thanks, I'll leave it
Sorry, I haven't time

How much is it?
Is that the right money?
Do you take Euros?
Yes/no
Is that right?

Is that the right money?
Just right / That's it!
Nearly / almost
Another 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Where's my change?
Keep the change
Where's my change
The bill, please
Keep the change

What time is check in?
They are calling my flight!
I have to go!
Please hurry!
Can I get past?

You have time - plenty of time
Please sit down and wait
Can I sit down, somewhere?
Where can I sit?
I'll be over there

Hotel
Welcome to our hotel
Here is your key
Please fill in this form
We need your name
Write it here

We need a credit card?
Do you have another credit card?
We do not take American Express
That's fine / ok
Just a moment / minute!

We need a signature
You must sign it
Cash will do
Do you take credit cards?
I need a taxi

I need a toilet
Where are the toilets:
Over there
To the right
To the left

See the sign
You can't miss it
Is that everything?
Yes, we're finished
You may go

Later post - Restaurant

Later post - Friends

Earworms has recordings of sentences for these situations
You can buy from Berliz direct and through Amazon and ebay

Useful Websites
Berlitz / Earworms
Amazon
Ebay

Author
Angela Lansbury, please save and share links to your favourite posts.

How To Find A Car Parking Space And Find Your Car!

Problem
You drive around and can't find a space. You find a space and go off. When you come back you can't find your car.

Answers
I wish everybody would arrange car parks like the one at Disney which had animals and names and colours. The only trouble is if you remember it was a four-footed animal on blue, then you walk out through the next parking lot which is another animal on green and then past donkey on red by the time you get back you think it was camel on green and your family think it was zebra on turquoise.

In White Flint mall in Rockville, Maryland , USA, my husband was walking through the full car park back to his car when a smartly-dressed woman in an elegant two-seater drew alongside and asked, "Are you going back to your car?'

He replied, "Yes, why?"

"Hop in," she answered. "I'll drive you back - because I want your parking space!"
He got in.

Enterprising lady. Sounds like the start of a romance.

No, he didn't marry her. Why not? She must have decided he was a dolt because he couldn't find his car.

Eventually she tired of driving him around.  She saw a space ahead. She suggested that he get out.

Finding A Car With Photos
However, he learned his lesson. The next time he found himself parked in a huge car park, he took photos as he walked away from his car, all along the route, each time he turned. He turned to face backwards, the way he would face when returning. It worked a treat.

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

Colourful Towers and Cars in the Sky in Singapore

Problem
I see a wonderful building changing colour as I watch on Scotts Road as we walk from the Orchard direction towards Newton MRT.

The two towers change colour as I stop to photograph the building. From royal blue through white to red. I love it. What is the building called?

Answer
I photograph the front with the name. Unfortunately when I get home I find that the picture of the facade across the road in dim light taken in the evening with a handphone is not clear. However, I know exactly where the structure is situated.

So I later look it up on the map. It's called the Hamilton. I remember the name. It reminds us of Lewis Hamilton, the racing car driver. No coincidence.

I decide to search and research the building. On their website I learned nothing about the light display. I was surprised to see that the twin towers of the building contained fewer than 60 flats.

Car Parking En Suite In The Sky
The big surprise was the ensuite garage in the sky for each flat.

Long ago I stayed at a hotel which was alongside a car park. They had arranged for the bays to be numbered so that if you reserved a car parking space it was on the same level as your hotel bedroom. I thought that was a novelty and a clever idea and a convenience. But the idea of matching car parking to the level of your home bedroom did not seem to catch on elsewhere and did not spread worldwide.

Have a look at the Hamilton website. You have to enjoy a really swanky car to want to have it parked visible beyond a glass window alongside your apartment's living room.

In Singapore just owning a car is a luxury. You have to be able to afford the Certificate of Entitlement as well as the cost of the car. Yet the roads are full of cars.

http://www.hamiltonscotts.com/en/latest-news
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton

Photos and video by Angela Lansbury. Copyright 2017.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Roads, steps and alleys in Singapore

Problem
If you've already taken the major sights, or don't have the time and money to visit, what can you photograph?

Answer
Roads and Alleys.


Tips
A water feature or flight of steps adds interest.Go for anything colourful and step nearer.

Near Cashew station: Uphill walk past the large protective rain tree. I start with a view downhill towards the station. My first thought was to crop the picture and cut out the large expanse of green grass. If you put a finger or thumb over it you can see how it would look. I could create a totally different view, yet the tree fills the screen but is not the centre of attention.

If I were to cut the top of the tree out of the picture, as well as the grass, I would have the cyclist on the right, the sign to the station in the middle, and the approaching car headlights on the right. This picture could be captioned to say something else, not about nature but about transport, cycle or car to the station. The station has a cycle rack but no car park. In England more suburban stations would have car parks.

A picture, it is often said, is worth a thousand words. Instead of 'a picture is worth a thousand words', I would say that 'a picture tells a thousand stories'.

Only a short flight of steps - but oops, what a drop into the drain either side. If I were in charge of health and safety I would insist on a handrail on all steps.

Photos by Angela Lansbury
Copyright
All rights reserved

David Lloyd Club Hatfield Herts

David Lloyd has branches all over the UK. If you want to join the club or pay a visit with a view to joining, phone them first because the buildings has barriers. You have to go through a turnstile to get to the cafeteria. You might be invited to the club as a member's guest, or to a meeting held in one of the function rooms.

Car park
I visited the club for a meeting of Toastmasters International, a Hertfordshire branch.
We parked in a large open air car park. No trouble finding a space.

We saw two similar colour cars parked alongside. One of my friends said, "I see two cars of similar colour parked alongside. My friend said that often happens. I wonder why that is?"

Another friend suggested, "They like to be together."

I don't think it's true.

"You park where there's a space. One large enough."

I park away from others, between two empty spaces, so I can get out easily without damaging my car or anybody else's. I hope the space will stay free. I have been known to photograph my car in a large car park so that I can find it again.

The Shop
The large sports shop stocked swim and gym wear. Some high priced items, others were on sale at reduced prices. I could have bought leggings in various patterns and styles, plain or with patterns or embellishments (like thick tights without feet or short stretchy skinny trousers) in various colours, lowest price about £20. I needed a pair to wear under an ankle length skirt on a cold October day, but decided a pair of tights would be cheaper.

Gym Sizes and Membership Prices
Gym membership comes in assorted prices. Several gyms in London have regular offers in their windows or in local newspapers of reduced price memberships at certain times of year or to attract a second member of your family to join.

Work Perk
You can also get corporate memberships. Some businesses offer gym membership as a perk to attract or keep staff. Others like to keep staff happy, or healthy. Or a small business might want to get a reduced price for the boss and family, and offset the membership off tax.

Some gyms allow you to work out at a second gym in their group, or another local gym. This is handy if you work in one area but live in another. You might want to beat the traffic and go to work early, or you need to work late.

Other gyms allow you to use any of their gyms worldwide, which is good for those who are constantly travelling. With some gyms this is a permanent feature, others have a two tier membership, lower price for membership of your local gym, higher price for membership of a group of gyms. belonging to gyms in a group means that if one facility is out of use for renovations or maintenance, you can use a different gym. They might also have different hours, for example at evenings or weekends or over the Easter and Christmas holidays.

Visitors
Soem gyms are exclusively for members. Others run classes which are open to outsiders. Some allow members to bring in guests. If you attend only intermittently, you might go to classes at a gym and pay the visitor rate.

Fees for guests vary enormously. Once club might let you bring in a visitor for just £5. Others, such as one in Hong Kong which had reciprocal membership of a club I belonged to in Singapore, was charging £50 for a day visit and use of the swimming pool. In some you need to be a guest of a member. Other clubs let anybody attend. But you often have to show photo ID such as a passport.

I imagine this is for all kinds of security, but because people using gyms and swimming pools are leaving clothes and valuables in lockers or lying around, mainly to prevent theft, such as credit cards and clothes from changing rooms, more than gym property. From conversations I have had with gym staff, including trainers, visitors find it is a nuisance to have to produce ID. But this is for the protection of everybody, staff, members and visitors.

Visitors to gyms and club swimming pools can often attend classes, or swim, by paying a fee. If I were a regular visitor I would check on ebay whilst sitting in the cafeteria, or car park, and then look at the shop again. It is nice to be able to see goods in your hand and choose the size and colour and thickness and quality, especially if you are in the mood to buy or need new or replacement gear for a lesson or workout session. Also to buy instantly.

I have often been two to gyms in North West London, one in Northwood where my family used to be a member, and another in Harrow, Fitz Gym, which has no shop, although it is behind a shopping mall containing a Sports shop and a Marks and Spencers. It is nice to have a gym on site. You can go shopping whilst waiting for others.

The Food
The cafeteria is spacious and elegant. I was pleasantly surprised. It overlooks a sports area. The tables are large. They suit a small group of four who can gather at one end, or a large group.

On a Sunday lunch time there was a short queue. A cabinet sold yogurt, and some children size portions. The main menu offered baked potatoes with fillings. One of my friends ordered large thick sandwiches with salad including small tomatoes. Another person had a main meal, I think it was fish, with chips and a slice of lemon on the side. We sat down to wait and their hot food came up in about ten minutes.

I found a children's size meal of two hard boiled eggs. That seemed to me a healthy option, right for my diet, with no sauces. The charge was a very reasonable price of £1.25.

The cappuccino came up in huge cups. The top layer was froth. Oner person uncovered the froth and found the cup was only two thirds filled with liquid. However, the cup was so large that the cupful was a generous sized portion and she soon agreed with us that she had plenty.

The light bulb had blown in the lobby of the room where we were meeting so we were trying to sign in in an indoor area in semi-darkness. A member of staff suggested that we moved to another table under a light by another wall. This worked. But I thought we should have had the light fixed during the five hour meting, or beforehand.

We had the use of an adjoining room by an empty bar for the contestants who had to leave the room and be called in. That room seemed rather cold when I arrived and the room was empty. But maybe the warmth of the people changed things because later when the group gathered it was fine.

The jugs of water ran out and we had to ask staff to re-fill them. A couple of members of staff were around to look after our group.

David Lloyd Club,
Hatfield Business Park,
Hatfield
Herts AL10 9AX
Tel
Website

Safe fire exit from hotel buildings and bedrooms

After a fire in a holiday hotel I started trying to book rooms at hotels and conferences on the ground floor (which Americans call 1st floor) or the 1st floor (which Americans call second floor). 

Since that time, smoking had become illegal in bedrooms in UK hotels and although originally you had separate rooms reserved for smokers indoors, now smoking is forbidden in most public places where people work or pass though. Major causes of fires are kitchen fires and smoking, especially smoking in bed, when the smoker is likely to fall asleep leaving a cigarette burning in an ash tray or waste paper bin. So the ban on smoking in bedrooms benefits everybody.

1 Check fire escapes.

2 Check fire extinguishers and smoke alarms and gas leak detectors.

3 If needed, buy fire extinguishers or alerts or fire blankets for kitchens and bedrooms for your own rent-out property (or home swap).

4 Note assembly areas in the nearby car park. (I have always wondered whether a car park is a good place to stand in a fire. Ok if it's empty. 

(We once drove out of a car park in a hurry on New Year's Eve, I think it was in Prague, when cars in a large car park were crammed close together and several people started letting off rockets and sparklers near our car and other car engines.)

After

It is a surprise to me to see smoking on balconies banned. I did see recently that somebody was send off a ship after smoking on a ship's balcony. The problem with smoking on balconies whether on a ship or in a hotel is that a gust of wind can send the smoke into nearby windows where people inhale it and worse still carry a lit, half lit or supposedly stubbed out cigarette in through a nearby window or open door where it can start a fire.

Exit Directions

On the back of a bedroom door in hotels in the USA, UK and Europe and most parts of the world you are likely to see either directions as to what to do, how stop stay put and signal to attract attention,  and / or how to get out in the case of a fire. (In some areas you will also see directions on what to do in the case of a flood or tsunami, or just any emergency.)

Advice I have read includes:

Take your door key in case the star or exit is blocked or smokey and you need to return to your room. (You also need to get back in if it's a false alarm and reception is busy helping others.)

You are usually advised not to delay your exit by gathering valuables. I leave the door key by the door. Some hotels handily have a slot or hook by the door handle containing the key or key card. If not, I put the key on the floor where I will tread on it on exiting. I also like to keep my shoes or slippers either under the bed at the pillow end or by the exit.

Advice on staying in the room might include:

Check the door handle to be sure it is not hot before opening to be sure the fire and smoke are not too near.

1Block the gap under the door with a rolled up towel to stop smoke getting in. 

2 Soak towels and bedding with water to make them less combustable and a flexible shape to block holes which might let in smoke.

3 Removing sheets to make ropes for climbing.

4 Throwing out cushions or mattresses to create a softer landing.

5 Writing a notice in big letters in black felt tip pen (or pen, paint, shoe polish, lipstick, eyeliner, nail varnish, whatever you can find, on white paper, A4 sheets taped together, white pillowcases, saying help, SOS, or an appeal for help in English or another language. You could also draw the number of people in stick figures. 

Exit Map

The map may helpfully mark your hotel bedroom in colour You can then count the number of rooms to the dire exit. I looked and noticed a slight step up between my room and a fire exit. If i had to get out in a hurry in darkness, or smoke, I might trip, so it was a good thing I was aware of that hazard. 

You could also try walking to the exit with your eyes shut or wearing a blindfold (with somebody watching as you do it to stop you if you veer towards an obstacle or to the top of a flight of stairs. You can also note when the fire drill is due to take place.

If you are making an announcement in a hotel or conference you might want to warn people of the regular fire drill at, for example, 11 am on a Monday or a Friday. You might also add that any fire alarm outside these times is not merely a drill but the real thing.

Although a drill might be simply to test that the bells are working, often it is to check that all guests as well as prominent and temporary staff are familiar with procedure. Knowing what to do also helps in a real emergency to keep people calm because they have taken the route before and to save confusion and speed the process. 

It also teaches you whom is in command, who needs help, and what you need to take with you.  

Read up on the latest information from fire brigades, hotels, transport and websites in your area.

You can buy folding rope fire ladders to fix and carry with you in your luggage.

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