itravelnet.com Travel Blog

Novel Idea book vending machine at a departure gate at London Gatwick, and none of them by Grisham or Brown.

Labels: airport, books, england, gatwick, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Outside the Tate Modern is the giant spider "Maman" by Louise Bourgeois. It is on display until 20 January 2008.

Labels: art, england, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

It used to be said to eat well in england, eat breakfast 3 times a day. Things have changed from those days though as there as so many migrants here, and with them they brought restaurants from all over the world.

The English Breakfast is a classic meal and you can have here for dinner and no one will bat an eyelid.

Labels: england, food

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Westminster City Council, (which covers London's Oxford Street, the West End, and the Houses of Parliament), has created a toilet-finding service for mobile phone users.

Labels: england, london, public toilet

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Eurostar has a market share of about 71% of the London-Paris and 64% of the London-Brussels air/rail routes, so it has proved to be the most popular of the two options.

Travel Time

For overall travel time the Eurostar is the quicker option once you factor in travel time to and from airports and minimum required time before flight departure.

There is less hassle to travel on the Eurostar as well. You pass through both countries customs before you board. Clearing customs and baggage screening takes no longer than 20 minutes and you only need to be there 30 minutes before departure.

As you carry your bags onboard and you have already cleared customs, once you reach Paris or Brussels you can walk off the train and straight out of the station.

Wireless

The St Pancras departure lounge has a good laptop work area. Never mind Europe's longest Champagne bar, this may be Europe's longest laptop work bench.



I was soon to be disappointed though as there is no free wireless service on offer. So far none of London's 5 airports offer a free wireless service and there are currently no airlines that are capable of offering wireless inflight (yet).

Surely Eurostar could strike a blow to their airline competition by offering free wireless in the departure lounges and on the train. If a bus can offer WiFi, then why not a train.



Ticketing

This is where Eurostar, and British trains in general, are way behind the pricing reforms that have swept through the airline industry since the low cost boom. Ticket prices are still structured like the airline tickets of old, where a one way ticket can cost more than a return.

Looking for tickets on the UK site I found one way tickets for £150. Then I searched for a return ticket using the same start date and the total price was £60. So it is more economical to buy a return and not use the return half if you want to travel one way.

The one way price is different again on the US version, and there are price discrepancies, as reported by the Independent, where the same ticket is cheaper if you live in Europe rather than Britain (though cheaper prices in Europe than the UK won't come as a surprise for British readers).

In this age of DIY travel booking, it is easy to travel to one destination and leave from another, so it would be a good option to be able to book a one way train ticket, and return via air from another destination.

Finding cheap Eurostar tickets is easy enough. If you book in advance you can find return tickets for £59.

Eurostar

Note: London-Brussels travel was provided by Eurostar.

Labels: brussels, england, eurostar, london, paris, st pancras, train, train station

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Being a nomad I don't watch much TV. Youtube has replaced my tv. Sometimes I watch DVD's of TV shows but generally speaking I have no idea what's on the box anymore.

I do like to scan the headlines of trashy magazines though in newsagencies, if only to keep up with names of the day.

Labels: britain, england

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

At the St Pancras International station is a statue of English Poet Sir John Betjeman. The sculpture was commissioned to recognise the huge role John Betjeman played in the saving of St Pancras from demolition in the 1960s.



It's hard to believe that this station was threatened with demolition, but during the 1960's it was. During this time Victorian elegance was out and concrete brutalism was in.

Down the road from St Pancras the grand Euston station was demolished, only to be replaced by the abomination that stands today. Betjeman tried to save Euston, but did not succeed. Fortunately his efforts saved St Pancras from the wrecking ball.

If you are at St Pancras to travel or just there to marvel at the roof as Betjeman is apparently doing, go over to Betjeman's statue and give him a pat on the back.

Then over the years as appreciative travellers pat him on the back, may a shiny smooth spot appear on his back as a visible token of thanks from all who pass through this station.

Labels: england, london, sir john betjeman, st pancras, statue, train station

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Visitors from Paris and Brussels can then connect from St Pancras to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. Lucky them.

Labels: england, eurostar, london, st pancras, train, train station

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

On the 14th of November London's Eurostar terminal moved from Waterloo to St Pancras. Eurostar began operations in 1994 but it has until now never been able to travel at high speed when in Britain. A new tunnel was dug under the east of London to enable high speed train travel all the way to the English channel.

The move to St Pancras means that travel times to Paris have been reduced from 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Travel to Brussels has gone from 2 hours 20 minutes to 1 hour and 51 minutes.

St Pancras comprises two remarkable Victorian era buildings. The front of St Pancras is a classic London landmark, the former Midland Grand Hotel, built in the Gothic revival style by Architect Gilbert Scott.

This part of the station is being converted into apartments, St Pancras Chambers, which is currently being advertised as 66 luxury apatments and 1 unique £10 Million Penthouse.



Behind this grand frontage is the train shed of the Engineer William Barlow. This enclosed area consists of single span arches that measure 74.8m (243 ft) across, which at the time it opened was the largest single span structure in the world.



The Midland Grand Hotel was closed in 1935 and St Pancras went into a slow decline to the point where it was threatened with demolition in the 1960's. Fortunately the building was saved, and in in 1996 the building's fortunes changed when the government approved the new high speed rail link that would put 20 kilometres of tunnel under London, bringing the Eurostar service to St Pancras.

The building was then carefully renovated and modified to accommodate the new high speed service along with the existing mainline services that operate to the Midlands. A modern extension has been added to the arched train shed to accommodate the 400 metre long Eurostar trains. The basement of the old station, which was once used as a cellar to store beer brought to London from the Midlands, is now used as the Eurostar departures area.



Eurostar operates around 50 services a day between the UK and France/Belgium. Eurostar trains are 400 metres long and comprise 18 passenger carraiges and two power cars. There are 750 seats on each train, almost equivalent to the capacity levels of two Boeing 747 planes.

Eurostar

Labels: brussels, england, eurostar, london, paris, st pancras, train, train station

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

The 13th of November 2007 is the last day of Eurostar at London Waterloo.



While it may have amused the English to have the French arrive at a station named Waterloo, you can be assured that the French were having the last laugh before they even got to the station. Laughing at the slowness of trains in Britain.

Underfunded British railway infrastructure meant that the high speed Eurostar would have to slow down to regular passenger train speed once it emerged on the English side of the tunnel.

As of the 14th of November the Eurostar will operate from St Pancras and will use the new high speed tunnel under London.

Labels: england, eurostar, london, train station, waterloo

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Some giant pumpkins on display at Covent Garden in London on the day of Halloween.

Labels: england, halloween, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Landmark Fatigue?

Today I took a walk I've done many times from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square via Westminster Abbey and the Houses of parliament and down Whitehall.

I realised afterwards that I didn't give a second look at Westminster Abbey or bat an eyelid at the Houses of parliament, two of the most magnificent buildings you'll find in London. I used to work in this area so I would see these buildings every day, so when I see these buildings now they feel very familiar to me.

Brompton Cemetery

This thought occured to me as I was wandering around the Brompton Cemetery in West London. When in London I usually stay around this area, and I always make a visit. It is one of my favourite places in London.





The Brompton Cemetery is one of the Magnificent Seven, a group of cemeteries that were opened in London in the 1800's to cater for London's population explosion and subsequent overcrowding of burial grounds at the traditional Parish Churches.



Of the seven, Highgate Cemetery is perhaps the most famous with its tomb of Karl Marx. Its overrun vegetation and broken tombstones made for ideal sets in Hammer Horror films.

Abney Park in East London has a similar run down feel and its location is way out of the usual tourist path. It has an abandoned church which is featured in the Amy Winehouse filmclip Back to Black.

I like these ones but my favourite is Brompton, if only for its convenient location for me. Once inside you are taken away from the hustle of London to a peaceful parkland. If it wasn't for the never ending procession of aircraft on the Heathrow flightpath and Chelsea's homeground Stamford Bridge looming over the southern end, you could be anywhere in England.

Labels: cemetery, england, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Doing the rounds on the Tube in London at the moment is a Nokia advertisement asking this question.

This reminded me of an interesting article I read recently about the decline in manners.



Have you smiled at anyone today?

Too many people these days grunt and ignore their way through life.

We used to be a nation that would happily talk for lengthy periods to perfect strangers about the weather.

We used to know our butchers, bakers, though probably not any candlestick makers, but we did know the old woman at the post office. When did we slip out of the habit?

However it isn't too late for us.

We could, with a little effort, be a lot nicer to each other.

So: betwen the hours of 12am and noon say "good morning" or "morning", noon to 5pm a simple "helllo" will do and 5pm to 12am "evening".

Good luck.

Labels: advertisement, england, london, tube

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

London’s County Hall is holding Star Wars: The Exhibition.

Labels: england, london, star wars

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

From the 1st of July smoking is banned in public places in England. I wont be sorry to see the end of smoky pubs and cafes.

Labels: england, london, no smoking

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

In May I passed through the Earls Court tube station and it was undergoing a major renovation. I went through Earls Court again today and there is still scaffolding everywhere. They have unveiled the new destination boxes, but they still have the old ones up as well.

Labels: earls court, england, london, tube

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

The stencil graffiti of Banksy is well known in the UK. The pseudo-anonymous artist is said to be from Bristol. This piece is on a prominent building in Park Street, Bristol.

Labels: banksy, bristol, england

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

I'm always interested to see what Stelios is going to do next with the easy.com brand. So when the easyHotel started in 2005 I knew I would have to try it out one day.

The easyHotel is touted as being the cheapest hotel in London. Rooms start at £25. It is important to note that this is a no frills hotel, just as easyjet is a no frills airlines. If you understand that the hotel is a cheap and comfortable place to sleep for the night then you will be fine.

The rooms are small. Very small! The bed takes up the length of the room and then there is a small pace to the door with the bathroom next to that. If you have large bags you will find yourself dancing around the bags on the limited floor space.

I stayed at the easyHotel located in Victoria where all the cheap (for London) bed and breakfasts are clustered. It is certainly the cleanest budget place I've ever stayed at in this area. The matresses at easyHotel are great too.

Labels: easyhotel, england, hotels, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Gordon Brown became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom today.

Labels: england, gordon brown, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Who needs to view London from the British Airways London Eye when you can see it all from a British Airways flight to Heathrow. The east to west flight path to Heathrow must be one of the most scenic flightpaths in the world. I always like to get a window seat on the right hand side of the plane when flying into London.

Flying along the Thames you get to see Canary Wharf and the building formerly known as the Millenium Dome. Then it is a flyby past the heart of Westminster with the Houses of Parliament and past Hyde Park.

Labels: england, heathrow, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

The blue plaques of London aren't just the preserve of Prime Ministers and Captains of Industry. Now any old clown can get a plaque. Mind you, Joseph Grimaldi wasn't any old clown, he was the Godfather of modern clowning.



56 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4, GB. Map

Labels: blue plaque, clown, england, joseph grimaldi, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

I love London and I consider it my second home, so it pains me to tell you that it has a terrible cafe scene. Britain is well regarded for its cozy pubs with its polished brass and potted flowers. Probably the most endearing feature of British pubs though are their names and accompanying sign boards. This is a feature which goes back to 1393, when Richard II made it compulsory for every inn in England to display a sign. Examples of which can be found at The Inn Sign Society.

The British pub scene left no room for a cafe society like on the continent. Up until the 1990's getting a coffee in Britain usually meant instant coffee in a greasy spoon diner.

Lack of cafes in Britian meant that when coffee became fashionable in the early days of New Labour, there was no resistance to the onslaught of the American style coffee franchises. Just about every British High St now has a Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa or Coffee Republic. Big High Streets will have all of the franchises. Really big High Streets (like Oxford St London) will have a all of the francises two or three times over. Small independents are few and far between.

I was pondering all this while walking through Regents Park in London. In the park there is a cafe in what was probably a gatehouse. This hole in the wall sized coffee shop is called the Cow and Coffee Bean. It has a great sign out the front that Richard II would have approved of. This sign made me think of would could have been here if cafes developed along the same path as the pubs.

Labels: britain, cafe, cow and coffee bean, england, iced coffee, london, pub, regents park, richard II

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

I have been in London for the week leading up to the world cup. The dominating news story has been Wayne Rooneys broken foot. 8 page lift out supplements in most newspapers analysing the recovery of his metatarsal.

The World Cup being in Germany of course will mean a month of war pun headlines in the tabloid papers.

Sure enough the very first match, Germany 4 Costa Rica 2, produced this headline from the Sun:

First World Four



Bty the way, you can read trashy newspapers like the Sun, or most other newspapers without ever having to buy a copy just by riding the tube every day. Doing this when I first came to London I worked out my favourite newspapers are The Independent and The Guardian. Last time I was here The FT ran an ad campaign saying you never see The FT left behind on the train. I have found this to be true.

While the tabloids are having a German punfest, the broadsheets have been encouraging readers to not mention the war.

At the UK airports there are signs warning football fans travelling over there that war paraphernalia like Wehrmacht helmets and inflatable spitfires should be surrendered at the departure gate. There is also a reminder that performing Nazi salutes in Germany is a criminal offence.



Like the official World Cup slogan says, it's "A time to make friends".

Labels: england, world cup

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

On the corner of Oxford St and Charing Cross Road you will find Dionysus, one of the few places left in London's West End serving proper English chips. The shop caught fire a couple of years ago so I'm glad to see that it is back in business.

Labels: charing cross road, dionysus, england, english chips, london, oxford st, west end

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Archibald Alexander Leach, born in Bristol, England in 1904. Most people know him as Cary Grant.

Labels: archibald alexander leach, bristol, cary grant, england

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Where there's surf, there's Australians. Aussie theme pub Walkabout overlooking the beach at Newquay, England.

Labels: england, newquay, walkabout

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Newquay in Cornwall, Southwest England is the surf capital of Britain, if you can say such a thing.

Labels: britain, cornwall, england, newquay, surf

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Out of all the counties that I have visited in England, Cornwall, more than anywhere in England, you have a sense of what county you are in.

Cornwall is at the tip of the south-west peninsula of Britain. It is bounded by sea and County Devon. Its Celtic heritage and geography helps in fostering the Cornish identity.

Driving to Cornwall from Plymouth in Devon you cross the Tamar Bridge over the River Tamar. Here you are greeted with the Cornish coat of arms and Cornish flag. People in Cornwall refer to themselves as Cornish more so than English.

Cornwall Links

Cornish Not English

Cornish Assembly

Cornwall Commonwealth Games Association

Labels: celtic, cornish, cornwall, england

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Labels: cathedral, durham, england, john washington

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Labels: daniel defoe, england, gateshead

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

You'll want platform 9 and 3/4 for the Hogwarts Express.

Labels: england, hogwarts express, kings cross, london, platform 9 3/4

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Abney Park Cemetery is tucked away from the tourist masses in Stoke Newington, north-east London. I discovered it for myself whilst riding the number 73 bus to Seven Sisters.

The park is overrun with vegetation, creeping over the old tombstones. In the centre of the park is an abandoned chapel, which adds to the gothic flavour of the park. Best enjoyed on a drizzly afternoon.



abney-park.org.uk

Labels: abney park, cemetery, england, london

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

The Notting Hill Carnival takes place at the end of August and attracts over one million people, making it one of the largest street festivals in Europe. The small streets of West London are packed in to watch the Caribbean flavoured parade.

Labels: england, london, notting hill carnival

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email

Tesco, the UK's giant supermarket chain, has introduced a self serve checkout trial in some stores in West London. You scan the items yourself and when you are done you pay with card or cash like you would at a train station ticket machine.

I had a go and it seems easy enough to use though I don't know if it is going to work. They will save labour in not employing a check out operator, but then they need to have people hovering nearby to assist people in using it, as well as extra surveillance and security as it will be too great a temptation for shoplifters to sneak unscanned items.

Labels: england, london, supermarket, tesco

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
 Subscribe in a Reader or Subscribe by Email