London Souvenirs By Embankment Station in Gift Box and Blimey Britain

 From Gift Box

Suitcases in several sizes featuring tube maps and other London, England and UK themes.

Socks from Gift Box.

Tote bags from Gift Box.

The windows show all kinds of mobile dolls with rocking, shaking heads. You can also buy bracelets. 

Opposite even larger is Blimey Britain.

Thomas Calvi umbrellas in animal spot designs.

Gift Zone (London's Gift Superstore): Located on New Goulston Street (near Aldgate and Liverpool Street, this is a massive, floor-to-ceiling warehouse-style shop packed with thousands of British souvenirs, football merchandise, toys, and traditional memorabilia. They cater to both retail shoppers and wholesale/

Cool Britannia: A well-known, large dedicated souvenir retail chain with stores in central London locations offering extensive selections of Union Jack items, London apparel, and classic memorabilia.

Crest of London: Established in 1990, Crest of London is one of the market leaders and most prominent souvenir shop chains in the capital, featuring large inventories of high-end and novelty gifts.

Fancy That of London: Operating as one of London's oldest souvenir chains, they run multiple stores stocked with traditional British gifts, heritage items, and iconic London city merchandise.

You can also get smart, pricier items from Fortnum's, Harrods and other department stores.

Gemini informed me of a few more:

Gift Shops

Attractions and Landmark Gift shops

The British Museum

London Museum

The Natural History Museum

Tower Bridge Gift Shop

Transport for London

Westminster Abbey 

Useful Addresses and Websites For Gifts From London

Gift Box

Embankment Place, London WC2N 5AQ.

The Gift Box UK online shop at the same address is only online and offers a different range of personalised goods.

https://coolbritannia.com/

PORTUGAL. Oporto and the WOW wine and food museums

 

The Disney World of wine for families, Oporto in Portugal was absolutel the top place I reecomend everyone whould visit. It ihas everything.

The Portuguese are keen on visitors, keen on the British. The Port wine facotries had many British founders and traded with England the the UK is still a prime market for Port and Portuguese wines. 

The WOW complex is on a steep hillside one one side of Oporto. The public car park is at the bottom of the hill and from the terrace you get a wonderful view over Oporto and the bridges over the river. Porto of course is the city grown up at the estuary. Wines grown on the steep hills inland could be sent by road or rail but the river route was directo and quicker. 

The river is wider than the perilous sheer drop roads which snake up and down the inland hillsides even today. You would not want your wines bouncing along the potholed and avalanche prone rock srewn roads road when the barrels could sail smoothly down the river.

The WOW complext has something for everyone including chidlren and non-drinkers. 

The shops sell hats, tee-shirts, aprons, socks, chocolates. 

You could start at the chocolate museum. Or the cork museum. 

The history  of wine is equally fasinating.

We booked a gourmet lunch with matching wines. 

Outside on the terrace you can order cheaper snacks such as chocolates.  Watch the peacocks parade past and display their feathers.

Now is the time to buy Union Jack Souvenirs - on Amazon, in supermarkets, everywhere

 

All this year you can celebrate the platinum Jubilee year and buy from the abundant supply of Union Jack items. 

Even friends and family who are not avid supporters of the royal family can find something amusing. My relatives were delighted when somebody gave them a vase in the shape of a Corgi dog. 

All from Amazon.

Dresses from Asda supermarket, UK, label George,

and from AliExpress, China but you pay postage to the UK.

Useful Websites

Cheapest Union Jack t-shirt but distressed pattern

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Union-distressed-colour-patriotic-Medium

11.99 pounds sterling from Amazon Union Jack t-shirt with sleeves

Christmas Gifts From Travellers To Travellers, from Journals, Maps and Suitcase Covers, to Aprons, Chocolates, Key Rings, Umbrellas and More

My ebook on improve your English with alliteration is available for download from Amazon. 

English dictionaries of all sizes can be bought on line. 

If you are obsessed with Stonehenge or the Loch Ness Monster, or know somebody who is, then, failing a trip to visit the original and/or the museum, a key ring, poster or book is a cheaper alternative to stick inside a Christmas stocking for amusement. Or inside a Christmas cracker, the DIY sort.

I bought towelling bath mit from Primark with a Union Jack.

Gifts From England

Chocolate

Passing through Heathrow airport? We bought Terry's white chocolate  and orange bar. It tastes good. It's different.

Tesco Express in London often has cakes topped with Thornton chocolates.

Also look for Kendal Mint cake.

English Heritage

Union flag (union jack) golf umbrella, twenty five pounds (plus postage?) with navy outside and the Union Jack inside.

The cheapest union Jack tee-shirts are on ebay. Some of them have messy edges to the flag. You can buy tee-shirts with the flag large or small and the normal way up or sideways.

Stonehenge

Spinner key ring; oven glove. Socks. Bottle opener key ring. 

Book: I never knew that about England. Tells you where Wendy and Long John Silver are buried, and where King Alfred burned the cakes.

British food includes:

Bakewell tart, malt loaf. Cadbury's chocolates. Quality Street chocolates. Scones. Mrs Beeton recipe book. Fray Bentos tinned steak and kidney pudding. Marks & Spencers thick cut marmalade. Ginger in syrup in glass jars from supermarkets.

Harrods goods with their symbol. Toby jugs. Wedgwood crockery. (All cheaper in the January sales - which often start online as early as Boxing Day, Dec 26, or even Christmas Day, Dec 25.)

Diabetic and gluten free goods from pharmacies. 

Kosher and halal goods from supermarkets and speciality grocers.

Large numbers of Chinese and Indian (mainly Pakistani and North Indian) restaurants, some vegetarian restaurants. Indian sarees and items from areas such as Southall in London. Bit Chinese mall on the Edgware Road in London.

Numerous art galleries and museums and stately homes have shops. Sherlock Holmes items from their shop near baker street station.

UK flag mask

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/united-kingdom-union-jack-england-britain-flag-vintage-distressed-finish-design-turnpike.html?product=face-mask-flat

Winter Novelties

Paperweights which show falling snow when turned upside down.

Travel Novelties

You can buy a suitcase, a suitcase set, or suitcase cover with pictures of the UK, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, or the words New York.

I bought a cover to cover a scruffy suitcase. The cover prevented me from reaching into the outside pocket which was a nuisance. However, you might find it adds security by preventing things from falling out or to stop petty pilferage.

Gifts From Scotland

Loch Ness Monster

Scottish shortbread biscuits

Tartan hat or kilt, tee-shirt or teddy bear toys or key rings wearing tartan kilts and hats .

Whisky

Gifts From Wales

Welsh cakes

Welsh love spoons

Tee towels with words of Welsh or Welsh recipes

 

Gifts from Ireland

Aran sweaters

Items in green and with four leaf clover motifs

Personalize

Personalized with your surname in the middle, Monopoly, ordered from Selfridges.

Looking for a bargain?

Lidl, the low price German supermarket in London, England, before Xmas sells stollen bites from Germany.

Hanukah theme gifts will be reduced price after the end of hanukah, widely sold in London UK supermarkets, Jewish delis and shops, and the USA bargain stores.

After Christmas you can stock up on Christmas theme items for next year.

Soon to come, more ideas for you. 

Classic companies in the UK include department stores Hamleys, Selfridges, Harrods, Marks & Spencer, Tesco. 

Classic chocolates are Cadbury's, Thorntons, After Eight, Hotel Chocolat, Terry's.

Classic flags are the Union Jack, flags of Scotland, Wales, and Eire, the USA, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Football teams.

Classic US authors include Dickens, the Brontes, Jane Austen.

Classic US authors include Edgar Allen Poe.

Classic Christian gifts are from churches and cathedrals.

Classic Jewish gifts are from synagogues and Jewish gift shops and Jewish museums.

Travel Diaries

Cheap Travel Diary For Children

If you cannot travel, you can cut out or print pictures for a wishlist. Or start collecting stamps. I remember as a child seeing pagodas and Ankor Wat. When I finally reached Ankor Wat, at retirement age, it exceeded my expectations, and it was not the only building in that style but one of many. Also, by then it was not remote and eerie, but surrounded by sellers of postcards and drinks and even restaurants in huts and one storey wooden buildings. 

Finally, there's the KrisFlyer shop.

Useful Websites

Child's union Jack cap

https://www.lazada.sg/products/union-jack-uk-england-flag-united-kingdom-united-kingdom-england-london-kids-baseball-hats-childrens-cap-hip-hop-caps-childrens-cap-hat-hats-for-children-childs-summer-cap-sun-hats-cap-for-boy-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-10274603/Christmas-gift-ideas-traveller-life-luggage-tags-heated-jackets.html

https://www.english-heritageshop.org.uk/

https://www.english-heritageshop.org.uk/collections/exclusive-collections/stonehenge-medallion-collection

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/shop/

https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/board-games-monopoly-by-you-silver-tokens-personalised-board-game_R03866787/

https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/

https://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/

https://www.theirishstore.com/irish-gifts

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Traditional_foods_of_the_United_Kingdom

Tee shirts with Union Jacks on ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282830021956?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM

https://www.facebook.com/KrisShop/

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/united-kingdom-union-jack-england-britain-flag-vintage-distressed-finish-design-turnpike.html?product=face-mask-flat

About the Author

About the author of this blog

About the Author of this blog, 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.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Argopuro Trek Pictures, near Surabaya, Island of Java, Indonesia

Trevor Sharot on the jetty on the lake half way up, or half way down, Argopuro. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright.

So peaceful. Think of the Simon and Garfunkel song, 'the sound of silence', an oxymoron (contradiction) which suddenly makes sense. The perfect moment. the perfect picture.



Walking across uneven wet stones. This is why only the most intrepid take treks like this. Not for the nervous. If you are unsteady on your feet you need others willing and able to assist. Not everybody carries sticks. Younger people tend not to take sticks. Two sticks are handy in situations like this.

If you are on a handphone or laptop you cannot see the person in front has sticks. If you have blown this post up on a screen in an study at home or an office at work or a hotel conference centre you can see the sticks.

Socks
In town we would carry a second pair of dry socks to cope with rain and puddles and open toe sandals. On a trek, instead Goretex boots are waterproof for a short time.



Triumphal arrival at the top. Argopuro. Indonesia. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Photo taken with a mini tripod. you have to make sure the picture is in focus. If your camera has focused on grass or branches or stones in the foreground, your group of people may be out of focus. So you have to push or cut anything in the way of the lens. Then take the picture again. Perfection.

For more photos by Trevor Sharot see
trevorsharotphotography.com

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

The Doorman At The Sheraton Towers Hotel is wearing what costume?

For about twenty years I have seen this lovely gentleman in his striking outfit. I finally got around to asking him, "Tell me about the clothes you are wearing. "

He said: "It is the outfit which was worn when Singapore was under British rule - the uniform of the traffic police. White helmet, white socks, long socks and shoes - all in white."

The distinctive doorman at Sheraton Towers Hotel, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

Where Is It? Packing, Unpacking And Storing Clothes and Accessories

The airport had lots of smart suitcases for sale. We didn't need them. We could buy cheaper.

SUITCASES
Damaged?
Hard-sided suitcases offer protection. You can balance a handbag on top. You can even sit on some of them. On the other hand, they won't give, and they could dent.

On the other hand, you get home and find your luggage stained and holed, with handles which won't push down, zip pulls pulled off. Even the carry on luggage which is places on racks and buses, dragged along by helpers.

You can probably buy cheaper online - if you spend all year looking.

But what size do you need? One bag per person on the cheapo airlines? How will we get our larger items in this? Weight your luggage. Allow extra time to Check-in Oversize items.

But first we must find items to pack.

Problem
Does any of this sound like your family?

Now it's summer, put away the clutter of your winter items, or prepare for your skiing holiday in New Zealand. Think about where you will be looking next time you need the items. Write notes to yourself and everybody else in the family. Two heads, brains, memories, are better than one. Just writing a note, or telling somebody, helps you remember.

Do you have outsize items? Do your suitcases need repairing or replacing?

Photo of snow shoe walking with poles and hats, hooded jacket, and gloves, courtesy of Elves Village, Finland.

FAQ 1 SKIERS AND NON-SKIERS
We go on ski holidays.
CLOTHES & EQUIPMENT
We cannot find the skis - where are they?

We find the skis but no boots. We find the boots but no socks. We find the socks but no hats. We find the hats but no goggles.

MAPS & STATIONERY
Where are the ski trail maps and road maps from last year?
In case we break a leg, we need a book. Where's that book we never had time to read?

We are exhausted - we need a holiday.

FAQ 2 HIKING HOLIDAYS
We go on hiking holidays.
We cannot find the trainers and waterproof boots. We found the trainers and washed them off. But no matching socks. When we try on the socks, we cannot lace up the boots.

We cannot find the zip-off trousers (USA convertible pants) which convert from shorts to trousers and back.

We cannot find the lightweight jacket with the zip-off hood. We find it but it doesn't match the trousers. We had another one somewhere.

We want to get away from it all, all this stress.

FAQ 3 SWIM & GYM
BEACHES: BEACHWEAR & ACTIVITIES
We go on any holiday with beaches and pools - or might have a pool.
Where is the surfboard? The life jackets for the boats? The swimming rings?

Where are the swimsuit, swim hat, beach shoes, sunglasses, snorkels, baseball cap? We have three caps, matching our jackets, but none of them match the colours of our swimsuit.

The hotel has a gym, free or cheap aqua-aerobics classes. To use the pool, you need beachwear. Some Asian hotels don't allow bikinis but want one-piece costumes. Most pools require swim hat, so you don't spread hairs and hair grease, or get your hair caught int he sucking jets.  For a gym, you need trainers and a tank top and shorts or tracksuit.

FAQ 4
Where are the missing items, in the loft/attic, spare room/basement?

Answers
FREQUENT ANSWERS
1a SUITCASES
Wash down or wipe down the outside of suitcases to removed stains. Wipe or change luggage tags. Wipe wheels. Vacuum clean the dust and dirt from the outside and crumbs from inside.  Allow time to dry.
Hide stains and scratches and dents and prevent new stains and scratches with suitcase cover protectors.
You can also change the appearance of your suitcase from plain black to red or yellow or wavy colours or splodges multi-colour pattern so it is easier to identify.

1 b SKIS ETC
Big items could be:
Standing upright in the corner of the room.
Lying flat behind or under a sofa.
Moved to the attic, basement, spare bedroom, store room, outdoor shed, garage, in a relative's larger home, loaned to student son or daughter.

Allow time to sell off the old ones. Use the money for the new ones.
Buy second hand - it's only for a few days.
Hire, because the latest skis and boots with the latest colour and style and the latest technology.

MAPS
Find old maps and brochures. Sort all old maps and brochures by country. Store in box files alphabetically, or piles on shelves, alphabetically, with a label on the shelf or a printed A5 sheet on side of the bookshelf. Keep a copy on your laptop or computer. Email it to yourself under the country name in emails.
Photograph all maps and store in photos. Email it to yourself with the country name in the subject. Store emails in a file called PHOTOS.

2 HIKING
FAQ 2 Answers
Boots.
We need thinner socks.
Picnic box for car or pocket.
Water bottle.
Insulated picnic carrier.
Kendal mint cake.

Food for the journey, enough to share.

Dates. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

3 Answer SWIM & GYM
Allow time to book swimming lessons, diving and lifesaving lessons for everybody before a holiday near a beach. Lessons are available for all ages, from babies upwards. You can buy floatsuits for children.

Wear an old swimsuit and see what others are wearing. Find out suppliers from fellow swimmers and the instructor.

FAQ Answer 4
Ask.
Were they given away to the mountain guides, loaned to somebody on the trip who never gave it back? Are they in the home of a parent, child or another relative. Was the ski or glove lost on a foreign mountain or a beach? Is it still in the suitcase, at the back of the wardrobe.
Maybe it is already packed by somebody else who swears / thinks it is their socks / gloves / whatever.

Pack a week earlier to allow time to hunt through the house. If no luck, order from Amazon or eBay.

USEFUL WEBSITES

SUITCASES Luggage (UK); Baggage (USA)

Weighing Luggage
https://www.epictraveller.co/product/portable-travel-luggage-scales/

Suitcase cover /protector
Look for the words, dustproof, washable, stretch.
Measure your luggage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Periea-Elasticated-Suitcase-Luggage-Cover/dp
Huge range of designs including mixed animals, amusing big brown scowling bear on yellow background for kids.
Designs with Winter and Summer for storing your winter and summer clothes.

Smaller range of covers in assorted sizes cheaper on eBay.

Repairs
Amazon sells wheels, leather thread, sets of five colours of patches, handles, zipper pulls.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seattle-Sports-Built-U-S-Repair/dp/B001OPM8T6/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1532707974&sr=8-30&keywords=luggage+repair

Swimming AIDS
Amazon sells swim fins for children, flotation rings, noodles, float boards, armbands,

Swimsuits
Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=swimming+aids

Trousers
Search for convertible trousers, cargo pants, hiking trousers
https://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-aspen-zip-off-trousers-ladies

eBay
I have ordered a suitcase cover. I can upload a photo later when I receive it and give you my verdict.

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

Why You Should Protect Your Toes When Walking

Problem
If you walk uphill, you return downhill. Even walking on the flat, over bumps, you frequently turn your toes downwards. After a whiel of doing this, whether doing a hike or marathn or just a walk around the neighbourhood and up and down hill in a park, you might feel your roes start to hurt. Later you see blue bruises under the nail.

Answers
If you wear shoes with toe caps, that protects yhour toes from outside objects, everything from hitting a rock or a stone, step, a glass door, a wooden or metal base to a bed or a leg on a bed or chair or desk in a hotel room.
One of the causes is that your foot is not held over the ankle or at the heel and slides forward. The toe cap protects you from outside but does not stop your foot sliding forwards and hitting the front of the shoes.

Solutions
1 Wear socks - even in hot weather. Get dressed well in advance so you have time to find socks which are long enough and light enough around or heavy enough and co-ordinating colours with the shoes and skirt or trousers (US pants), and your belt and bag and hat and entire ensemble.

2 Put something soft in the toe of the shoe if you buy shoes a size too large to allow for swelling feet in the heat and on planes and heavy socks worn in winter or cold weather.

3 Carry a second pair of shoes (in your bag or rucksack or car boot) which rub in a different place or expose your toes in restaurants and when you don't need so much protection.

4 Avoid toilets down several flights of stairs in restaurants and buildings. Go to the toilet when you pass one on a level whether or not you feel desperate. Saves time and toes later.

5 Look for shoes which have support across the instep and the heel.

6 Tighten the strap at the back of sling backs. Your buckled strap which you keep treading on and creasing shows that it's not tight enough.

7 Tighten the laces on trainers. Whenever you stop with your group or by yourself for a break, check your laces. If necessary, pull them tight and re-tie the knot.

Happy walking!

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and phtographer. (Photos of fruised toes and various types of shoes will be added later.) Please come back and share links to your favourite posts.

Fly Around The Internet For Travel News: Reader's Roundup On Singapore's Dreamliner

Window seat. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
So many snippets of news. Let's keep them together in one place.
March 28 - 2018

Singapore Airlines Introduces the new Dreamliner Boing 787-10
'Designed for Dreams' they say, as they proudly announce that they are the first to fly this aircraft on the Asia-Pacific route.

What's in it for passengers? It's quieter, an advantage for those travelling in all classes.

If you are in Business class, whether on short or long haul, you can enjoy direct aisle access and recline fully (flat!) to sleep or rest with shut eyes. Speaking of sleeping, the windows are larger, but can be dimmed at the touch of a button.

If you can't afford to fly in Business class, you can admire the new seating when flying on the airline. I shall be on one of these planes at least four times later this year. Check it out as you walk past when boarding and exiting and tell your friends about it.

I always look at the abandoned socks, no longer needed by business people, some of them unworn (but nobody is going to sniff to check). I think, if the socks are going to be thrown away, maybe I could just grab a pair and recycle them inside my boots.

But the people behind me are marching briskly forward. I am probably watched by 1984 style videos. My husband would be incensed at my bringing the family, the British, the consumer, into disrepute. The glamorous girl at the door is watching and waiting to bow to me and say goodbye.

Superior Socks
My family are frequent flyers and if I remember to ask, they might remember to save me my Singapore Airlines socks. I have quite a collection. I wear them all winter under boots in Britain. I have navy airline socks, a jolly red pair from Virgin which I flew from the UK to America and back, plus a cream colour pair, from who knows what airline and when, very handy in summer.

Socks save the soles of my feet from getting hard on flat floors in flat shoes. Socks fill out boots bought a size too large ion the internet. When I don't bother to wear socks, I am reminded by itching bites from mosquitos, gnats, who knows what. So and reduce my chances of getting bitten on the ankles by mosquitos in the office in Singapore, I wear spare socks.

If you ever visit me and want to give me a present and don't have time to buy anything, I am always delighted to receive airline socks (even if you've worn them - I can just pop then in the wash) plus sleeping masks, whatever.

I imagine you may be shaking your head, tutting and smiling. It's amazing what other people do, isn't it? It's amazing what you do, and think, when you actually write it down! I once looked around a room at Writers Holiday in Wales, and asked my friend, Linda, 'Who do you think is the most interesting person in this room, who we could write about?' She laughed and retorted, 'You are!'

Hotel Room Booking Bring Airmiles
Use the airline's booking service for hotel and get airmiles. They say they give 2 krisflyer miles for every US$ spent.
Hotels
https://www.agoda.com/singaporeair1?cid=1604904
Flights
http://www.singaporeair.com/

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

Heel pain solutions found: support socks, heel cups and more

Problem Painful Heel
I had really bad heel pain. Could not walk. Worse in the morning. Worse on the right heel than the left.

Answers
I had to give up running up and down stairs and take the lifts at stations and plot my journeys to avoid long interchanges at stations. Is that the problem or the answer? It was only temporary relief.

Medical Plantar Fasciitis?
I searched on line to find out what was wrong. I was worried it might be diabetes and I could end up losing my foot or leg. I was relieved when it seemed that my problem was plantar fasciitis. I had a label but neither cause, prevention nor cure.

I looked online.

NEW SHOES?
A lady on a station in Singapore suggested I needed new shoes. I looked at my sandals which I wore every day. Lovely Josef Seibel sandals. Two-colour sandals which co-ordinated with my clothes and did not look too sporty as if I were hill-walking on rugged terrain, but suitable, elegant enough for indoor group meetings.

Worn Heels
Underneath they were wearing on the heel on one side. In the old days you wore leather shoes and when they wore down you took them to the menders and chose heels and had them re-heeled.

Unfortunately, today's synthetic moulded shoes cannot be fixed. When will somebody make sandals and both inexpensive and inexpensive shoes which can be repaired? I suggest shoes which can be taken apart easily to that one part can be changed, or two pairs can be combined to make one new pair.

Shoe Discounts
Another solution would be a buy two get one free offer, so that your favourite colour and design will continue to be in your cupboard so you can ditch the oldest and still have one pair which looks smart and supports your feet. Hotter sometimes does seasonal offers on buy two or three pairs of shoes and get a reduction.

Second-hand Footwear
I tend to buy second-hand sandals and shoes because you can never be sure whether shoes bought by mail will fit so I don't want to spend a lot of money. Even paying return postage and wrapping up items and taking them to the post office is a nuisance and wastes time.

I have been looking very carefully at the soles of second-hand shoes. If you only want to wear them for an evening talk when you are sitting down except for the ten-minute interval, the tops matter more than the underside.

However, I often need shoes or sandals you can wear all day, with lots of walking to the station, at station interchanges, 500 metres or ten minutes walk from the station to your destination. You might be walking around an exhibition or art gallery or conference or show.  Then you need shoes or sandals with support to stop getting pain.

Observing Others' Shoes And Stepping
You don't want to be walking lopsided in down-at-heel shoes. I look at people ahead of me on the escalator.

Flat Shoes and Flip-flops
On the marble floors in shopping malls, I hear people behind, alongside. I look at their bare feet in flip-flops, making a noise. I see old people shuffling along in flip-flops. (In Australia and New Zealand called thongs.) You can hear the noise of their shoes dragging along the ground.

I come out of a shower and wear completely flat towelling slippers or synthetic toe-post shoes.
If I wear flip-flops around the house, it's good for letting feet breathe. However, I notice that I don't lift my feet. When I change into sandals and set off down the street, and up and down steps, on uneven pavements, I keep tripping. Why? Because the front of one of my sandals has hit something and I am not stepping high enough over slight obstructions from uneven paving stones.

Heel Supports
I looked in a pharmacy or drug store in Singapore in the food section and found heel supports or liners to put inside shoes. They cost a lot of money, about the equivalent of £20. They would not suit sandals. They would slip out.

Amazon Products
However, today, weeks later, I found what looks like the solution. I had started searching for snadals. Then I clicked on kitchen clogs, protective shoes for chefs and ktichen workers. Underneath popped up protective shoes, liners, support, suport for the arch of your foot, items for people on their feet all day and more.

I wanted not support for arches, but padded socks. They fit around the ankle so they should not slip off when wearing sandals.

You can buy heel cups for closed shoes, and what look like socks with open toes, or socks with the fronts cut off. Both Amazon and Ebay had them.

Reviews Of Heel Cups and Liners
I looked on Amazon for the reviews. What could go wrong? If your feet are large or your ankles are wide the sock style liners in one size fits all might be too tight. Other reviewers said the items disintegrated in use - the gels rubbed off under pressure from shoes and straps, or went sticky.

Other reviewers, writing both when they had just received the item and after wearing, said the results were ok or wonderful.

Prices
Prices ranged from about £1 from China with free postage, or up to ten pounds or twenty or even thirty.

Should you go for the dearer ones on the grounds that you get what you pay for? Or go for the cheaper ones on the grounds that

a) If they don't work not a great financial loss
b) If you are cured in a day or two, they don't have to last forever.

NHS
One advertiser says their socks or inserts are approved by the NHS (National Health Service in the UK). Does that mean I can get them free?

Happy
Anyway, I am so happy to have found the sock-type solution, which can be worn inside a sandal. An alternative would be to order and wear the flat shoe liner or 'cup' support which might slip out, but secure them inside a pair of your own socks.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.

Welsh word look alikes and sound alikes

Problem
How do I remember Welsh words?

Answer
Look for patterns of letters and meaningful phrases.

Welsh - English
e s g i d i a u - shoes (sounds like yes giddy eye)
c r y s - shirt
m e n i g - gloves
n e w y d d - new
s a n a u - socks
s i w t - suit
t r o w s u s - trousers

English - Welsh
gloves - menig - the last letter of m e n i g is the first letter of gloves. Imagine a mirror image. The e in menage is second to last in the mirror.
New - n e w y d d (the first three letters are the same)
shirt - c r y s (looks like a crease in the shirt belong to Chris, creating a crisis, making us cry)
socks - s a n a u (pronounced san - eye; sanitary socks, I washed them. Both words start with the letter s and have five letters.)
suit - s i w t (The first and last letters are the same  s..t .  Both have the letter i. u an e are similar.)
trousers - t r w s u s  first two letters and last letter are the same which makes it easy to translate from Welsh back into English. Trous(res) (suit) us. Push the o and u together in trousers to make the letter w. It sounds similar in both languages.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages. I have many posts on languages and travel. Please save and bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.

Mosquito repellent clothing: from Craghoppers

When it's cold I cover up. But now when it's hot I cover up.

Here's a website I look at occasionally.

What with m a l a r i a , d e n g u e, z i k a, I like to remain covered up and sit indoors.

A good tip is to wear long trousers of leggings and tuck them into your socks.

Any camping or outdoor shop should have a range of products if you ask an assistant.

http://www.craghoppers.com/nosilife-collection

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

Packing tips for all occasion

The trick is to have a checklist. Most frequent travellers know they need a neck pillow. But if you have more suitcases than neck pillows you might still go off without yours. The same goes for packing any medication. Keep a checklist.


Checklist of essentials
Four wheel suitcase
Suitcase label and key and coloured label or ribbon for identifying black suitcase
Passport
Tickets
Addresses of people at destination.
Insurance.
Safe pocket for valuables.
Quick release shoes for security.
Small duplicate underwear and socks in case of lost luggage.
Small handy swimsuit and cap.
Conditioner.
Phrase book/dictionary.
Pen and paper.
Reading material.
Phone which is economical at destination.
badge for conference
pills
prescription for ordering spare or replacement spectacles and sunglasses
Evening scarf or cravat

Know-how
Route to hotel.
Method of transport to hotel.
Money for taxi and tip at both ends of journey.
Travel cards for both ends of journey.
Trip details left with family or friends at home.
Emergency details at destination. (eg nearest friend, police station, hospital, number to dial in emergency)
Packing list printed inside suitcase for re-packing at destination
Tin of sardines or similar for emergency in-flight delay or arriving late at night.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3215352/The-ultimate-guide-surviving-long-haul-flight.html

Packing List For Summer Courses

If you take a summer course, writing, songwriting, painting, sports, etc you may wish to make a packing list.

PASSPORT/ID/driving licence
MONEY/local currency for taxi?
Taxi and hotel address.
Friend/relative/conference organiser phone number and email.
Check family or friends have not moved since your last visit.
Hotel at destination open 24 hours where you could go in case of overbooking, or arriving delayed, in the night.

Address checks
Check local hospitals in case you have to be taken to hospital for minor injury and have a preferred hospital, or whether you'd prefer to drive home.
Check address and opening hours of local pharmacy (US name is drugstore).
Check address of local stationery shop/bookstore.
Check address of nearest coffee shop/restaurant for a break or entertaining hosts or entertaining networking contacts.
Take addresses of family, colleagues, businesses you could visit nearby if staying longer.

TICKETS
for train, plane. Take printed copy even if it's online in case computer breaks down.
Check time changes - are you arriving a day later? Check tickets match. Check day of week travelling.

I once flew home from a trip to the Isle of Man on Saturday, expecting to set off on a Monday to meet a group - but on Monday found they had left on the Sunday. I missed a trip to Venice to stay at the famous hotel. PR was so angry she refused to let me pay for myself for another flight and join them a day late.

On another occasion we flew to Asia, having given our hosts our departure date instead of arrival date. They cooked us a special local dinner prepared by a local lady on Saturday night, but we arrived on Sunday.)

Packing List For A Short 2-7 day educational summer course

For a songwriting course
Book on songwriting
Laptop with online songwriting course
Your songs filed alphabetically
Packet notepad for ideas
Pens
Folder
Business cards
Smartphone or device for recording song ideas
File of websites/addresses to share with new contacts
C.V.

For a writing course
A4 pad
Pen
Pencil
Pencil sharpener
Stapler filled with enough staples
Paperclips
Rubber bands
Loose leaf file
A5 or A4 box file
Briefcase or paper holdall or tote bag
Luggage tag (to distinguish your conference bag from other people's)
Dictionary
Draft of your book
Poem to read at open microphone night
Plot book or poem outlines
Flyers adverting your books
Business cards
List of your published books in date order
List of your favourite authors and books
Not of books you already own so you don't buy duplicates

Speakers /Authors giving readings
Address cards
Copies of your book
Copies of previous books to hold up during talk
post-its placed in passages you wish to read.
(Or large print photocopies of the section you wish to read as bookmarks)
Speeches and poems with highlights for important words.
Mark pauses for laughter.
Printed copy of your speech, hard copy and on line, so if you fall ill or are delayed somebody else can read out your speech and give the audience your shared advice and website.

CLOTHES
Check dress hire shops for last night fancy dress party at conference/birthday party/New Year's Eve.
 Walking shoes/sandals/evening shoes/beach, gym or sports
Socks/tights

OUTERWEAR
Coats, jackets, raincoats, rainhats, umbrellas, overshoes, waterproof boots or shoes
Dresses/caftans
Skirts
Blouses
Shirts
Shorts/Bermuda shorts/cargo pants/culottes
Trousers (USA pants/cargo pants)

Underwear pants (UK - in the USA pants are what the British call trousers so for you reading in the USA pants and underpants or panties), bras, vests, slips.
1 Neutral pair co-ordinating with all outfits
2 Special evening pair or co-ordinating with special outfit
3 Spare shoes in case others get broken or dirty
Slippers for hotel
Beach shoes
Scarves, belts, and jewellery.

BITS AND PIECES
4 Picnic: plate, cutlery, lidded box, plastic bags; water bottle./ Emergency kit: tinned sardines, grapes, orange, Kendal mint cake.
5 First aid kit
6 Cosmetics
7 Toiletries: washbag; facecloth; microfibre towel/turban;Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shaver, shaving gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap, bacterial wipe, hair tint (for long trips), comb, brush, nail file, manicure scissors, tweezers, emery board, toenail clippers, nail varnish remover pads, nail varnish, moisturiser.
Pills (regularly taken with daily pill dispenser)
Emergency pills for stomach ache or colds, antibiotics, hay fever, allergies

SWIMWEAR
Swimsuit and swimhat -
Beach towel or wrap/sarong

Nightwear night clothes night dress pyjamas/wrap (even if you sleep nude, wrap helps if fire alarm
Spare bag fold-up suitcase/tote bag/carrier bag, for souvenirs/books/newspaper/wines/literature/ gifts for others/gifts you're given/certificates won
Wrapping paper for gifts and
Spare card for unexpected birthday/wedding/baby arrival/new home/local festival

Outfits for each day, with matching underwear and socks, shoes and coat and hat
(Unless your colour scheme is all black, or black and white with red or blue scarves, and ties
Belts to match all outfits

STATIONERY
Phrase book and dictionary for all destinations (If on laptop, find them and mark as favourites to find them easily and fast when needed.)
Print phrases you are likely to need at destination to please hosts
(Greetings, thanks, my name is, welcome, translation of first line and punchline of your speech to audience or thanking hosts for a meal)

SECURITY
Jacket with zipped inside pockets (or sew in pocket, or sew zips into inside pockets.
Belt with concealed pocket
Change purse

CLEANLINESS & SAFETY
Clothes washing gel/powder
Fly killer spray
Fly repellent for skin
Fly repellent clothes from specialist camping/trekking shops
UV clothes for outdoors
Sunglasses
Sunhats
Suncream
Calomine
Sting relief
Picture of local venomous snakes or wildlife so if you're bitten but can't catch it (dead!) you can point to picture or tell hospital what bit you.

Thank you card to post from destination country or leave behind with host.
Note of host's favourite chocolates, wines, authors colours, for buying gifts at airport as you depart to see them (or to send after you have left).

Make your own list in two columns for day and evening. Day of week (or date for longer than a week).
Rule a line left margin for ticks for when you pack to go, and on right for ticks for when you return.
Copy list on phone and email it to yourself/your family.
You could photograph the contents in the suitcase, and the suitcase showing brand name, in case your luggage is lost.

SELFIES
Finally photograph yourself at the doorstep as you leave.
Check when you get home you are still in the complete outfit, have not left your hat, coat, gloves on the plane or in the taxi.

LABELS
Label your clothes and your children's clothes with name tags or half tags which you can use to prove ownership at lost property without revealing to thieves where you live if your home is left empty or you don't want granny and the babysitters and dogs alarmed by burglars who were hoping the place was empty!

TURN OFF/THROW OUT
Leave 30 minutes extra for turning off heating, checking gas, fridge, waste bins, locks.
Before you go, turn off heating/air con or set on low. Set alarms.

Throw out milk and fruit or give it to neighbours. (We once were glad we had not thrown away the milk. We had a delayed flight, drove home, reclaimed the milk, made coffee. Then got a call to say come back for another flight. Gave the neighbours/family the milk a second time!)
 Leave door keys with trusted family. Tell hosts at other end you are leaving on time/delayed.

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, travel writer, author, speaker.