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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Sun Country Airlines



When you nip out of London for a quick trip to Minneapolis/St Paul in Minnesota, USA-think about a trip on Sun Country Airlines. Use Sun Country Airlines to head to Dallas, or Phoenix, or Las Vegas. I always like to travel and cheap flights are one of the best values for your money. Sun Country has Fare Sales and you'll be flying the #1 Airline for Customer Satisfaction.

Sun Country Airlines has great travel packages to their many destinations. Packages include roundtrip airline tickets on Sun Country and accommodations at a fine hotel. Maybe a trip to Alaska would be the perfect adventure. Ride the Alaska Railroad through scenic Alaska, cruise the Prince William Sound to Columbia Glacier, visit authentic gold mines, ride a sternwheeler on the Tanana River, enjoy a true Alaskan salmon bake before boarding a luxury cruise ship through the majestic Inside Passage. All inclusive Sun Country Airlines packages feature air, meals, attractions, shows, 4-star hotels, luggage service, personally guided and escorted travel.

I've always found travel by air to be an adventure, and with Sun Country Airlines you get award winning customer service so your adventure will be a good one. Cheap flights and interesting destinations are always a winning combination. Low airfares and complimentary hot sandwiches onboard Sun Country Airlines flights make for great travel. Sun Country also provide complimentary beverages including juices, Coca-cola products, coffee and tea. Sun Country Airlines still offer perks on their flights like cheeseburgers, cookies, leather seats and free checked baggage.

So feel free to roam around and see what there is to see with Sun Country Airlines.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

25 London Must Sees


London has a lot of attractions that any visitor to London will not want to miss. It is a large city, so large that most visitors never realy leave the middle of town. Which is fine, as London has many of it's most interesting bits just walking distance away from each other. Of course, there is the need for the occasional Tube ride, and that is also something every one who goes to London needs to see.

25 Top Attractions in London-well, make it 26 Top London Attractions-in no particular order.

Hampstead Heath- The Heath is only four miles from Trafalgar Square and has about 800 acres of lovely countryside. It is rich in flora and fauna, is enjoyed by thousands and is within easy reach of millions!. The landscape has woodland, meadows, heathland and many ponds along its valleys and features such as hedgerows and ancient trees provide links with the past. Kingfishers, reed warblers and all three species of British woodpecker breed, over 300 species of fungi have grown here and many-specied bats are here. The area is composed of East Heath, Kenwood House, Golders Hill Heath Extension, Sandy Heath, the Hill Garden and Pergola and West Heath.

British Museum-It is well worth popping in and having a quick look round, check out the cat mummy and all the other amazing items on display. Its collections, which number more than 13 million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. The Great Court with it's lattice work glass ceiling is a favorite subject of photographers.

Buckingham Palace-The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

Tower of London-Another place that needs at least half a day just to wander through and see what there is to see, Raven, Crown Jewels, Towers, Weapons, Armor, and all kinds of history. The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. The Tower of London is reputedly the most haunted building in England. The ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536 for treason against King Henry VIII, has allegedly been seen haunting the chapel of St Peter-ad-Vincula, where she is buried, and walking around the White Tower carrying her head under her arm.

Shopping at Portabelo Road-Market days start gradually from around 5.30am with trading between dealers from the UK and overseas. Most stall holders have arrived by 8.00am and the market is in full swing for the rest of the day, with collectors and visitors from all over the world.
The shops and stalls of Portobello Road offer an extraordinary variety of goods ranging in price from a few pounds to several thousands.

Hampton Court Palace-Lots of great stuff to look at here, and lot so of people wandering around in period costumes. The buildings and gardens are most impressive and lawns are lovely expanses of green. I'd advise taking the train to get there from London, as the boat trip I took last three and half hours. Of course, it was a lovely time floating down the Thames and seeing all those bridges.

Highgate Cemetery-If your like me you love nothing better than a nice wander around some old tombstones and Highgate has some of the best monuments in the world. Among the famous and imfamous buried here are Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, George Eliot, Henry Moore, and Ralph Richardson. Countless lessor known persons are resting here as well. There is a lot of green among the gray stones and it is an interesting place to pass the odd hour.

London Theatre-You'll often find some of the best British Actors on stage in London. Unlike America Actors, the Brits don't mind doing something besides the movies once in a while. But even if you don't see some Sir or Dame up on stage, the shows in London are one of those London attractions that are not to be missed. Whether new or a revival, there's bound to be something showing worth seeing.

St Paul's Cathedral-St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fifth St Paul's Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major medieval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The cathedral is one of London's most visited sites. The cathedral sits on the edge of London's oldest region, the City. The City originated as a Roman trading post along the edge of the River Thames.

House of Parliament-Parliament is open to all members of the UK public and overseas visitors. You can watch laws being made, attend debates and committees, tour the buildings, or climb the Clock Tower-It's essential that you feel confident in your health and fitness before climbing the Clock Tower(Big Ben). It's a very beautiful building and one that shows up in a lot of postcards and tourist snapshots. Stand right beside one of the great glass faces of Big Ben-that's pretty cool.

Tate Modern-Created in the year 2000 from a disused power station in the heart of London, Tate Modern displays the national collection of international modern art. This is defined as art since 1900. Tate Modern includes modern British art where it contributes to the story of modern art, so major modern British artists may be found at both Tate Modern and Tate Britain. You just can't hit too many Museums in London.

Somerset House-A beautiful building in the heart of London, The Neoclassical palace that stands today between the bustle of The Strand and the sweep of the river occupies the same site as the original Somerset House, an imposing mansion built in 1547 by Edward Seymour, 'Protector Somerset' to the Tudor King Edward VI. The 18th century palace reveals its secrets and surprises on free guided tours on the first & third (excluding 16 August) Saturday of every month, at 12:15, 13:15, 14:15 and 15:15.

Neasden Temple-One of Oh, you-don't-see-that-everyday kind of places. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London is the first traditional Hindu Mandir in Europe. 2,820 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of Italian Carrara marble were shipped to India, carved by over 1,500 craftsmen and reshipped to London. In all, 26,300 carved pieces were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle in less than 3 years. Since it is a Temple there are many restrictions that need to be followed when visiting.

Notting Hill Carnival-The Notting Hill Carnival has been taking place in London, on the last weekend in August, every year since 1965. This great festival began initially from the energies of Black immigrants from the Caribbean, particularly from Trinidad, where the Carnival tradition is very strong, and from people living locally who dreamed of creating a festival to bring together the people of Notting Hill, most of whom were facing racism, lack of working opportunities, and poor housing conditions resulting in a general suppression of good self-esteem.

Imperial War Museum
-The Imperial War Museum is unique in its coverage of conflicts, especially those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. It seeks to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and ‘war-time experience’. It is proud to be regarded as one of the essential sights of London.

Chinatown-London’s original Chinatown was in the East End, where Chinese employees of the East India Company had first appeared in the 18th century. British soldiers had returned from the Far East with a new appetite for Chinese cuisine. A few restaurateurs set up business in Gerrard Street in the West End, a street that already had a reputation for interesting cuisine as the site of some of London’s first European restaurants. The popularity of the new Chinese establishments attracted more Chinese entrepreneurs away from the East End to seek their fortunes, and the Chinatown of today was born.

London Eye-Since opening in March 2000 The London Eye has become an iconic landmark and a symbol of modern Britain. The London Eye is the UK’s most popular paid for visitor attraction, visited by over 3.5 million people a year. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometres in all directions. British Airways was the main sponsor of the London Eye until February 2008.

Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park-Covering 111 hectares (275 acres), Kensington Gardens is planted with formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. It is a perfect setting for Kensington Palace, peaceful Italian Gardens, the Albert Memorial, Peter Pan statue and the Serpentine Gallery. Hyde Park is one of London's finest historic landscapes covering 142 hectares (350 acres). There is something for everyone in Hyde Park. With over 4,000 trees, a lake, a meadow, horse rides and more it is easy to forget you're in the middle of London.

Shopping in Covent Garden-Shopping in Covent Garden is exciting. Some of the things you can buy there, you can't get anywhere else. Although rent is higher here than anywhere else in London, quite often the shops and markets sell at low profit margins to compete to sell some of the choicest quality things available anywhere. You can get bargains and rarities - not just in the Piazza.

Greenwich-Greenwich is a district in south-east London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. It is best known for its maritime history and as giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time. The maritime connections of Greenwich were celebrated in the 20th century, with the siting of the Cutty Sark and Gypsy Moth IV next to the river front, and the National Maritime Museum in the former buildings of the Royal Hospital School in 1934. Greenwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created.

Victoria and Albert Museum-The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Now named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it was founded in 1852 as the South Kensington Museum, the V&A has since grown to now cover some 12.5 acres and 145 galleries. Its collection spans 5000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day, in virtually every medium, from the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa.

Sir John Soane's Museum-Soane's collections included approximately 30,000 architectural drawings, ranging from a book of drawings of Elizabethan houses by John Thorpe to the largest collection anywhere of Robert Adam's original drawings. There are also architectural models. 15 of Giovanni Battista Piranesi's original sketches of Paestum hang in the Picture Room. The collection of Neo-classical sculpture collection includes both plaster and terracotta works by John Flaxman. And that's just one part of a one of the seemingly endless collections. There is a lot to see here.

London Pubs-The Best Pubs in London is a subject some serious debate and everyone seems to have thier own favorite pub. The pub is more than just a shop where drinks are sold and consumed. For centuries it has been a place where friends meet, colleagues 'talk shop' and business people negotiate deals; a place where people gather to celebrate, play games, or to seek quiet relaxation. Due to changes in the law, the pub is now a place for families. It is re-establishing itself as the place to eat, a tradition that had all but disappeared after the last war. Many provide affordable accommodation, particularly in rural areas. In remote communities pubs often serve a dual role, such as church or post office.

No. 11 Bus-Route 11 starts at the bus station of Liverpool Street station in the north eastern corner of the City of London and terminates at Fulham Broadway travelling via the West End and some of London's most famous landmarks. The journey from the top deck is a cheap means of sightseeing in London.

Kew Gardens-The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are a spectacular 300 acres of public gardens, containing more than 30,000 species of plants. The highlights of a visit to Kew are the two great 19th-century greenhouses filled with tropical plants, many of which have been there as long as their housing. Both the Palm House and the Temperate House were designed by Sir Decimus Burton, the first opening in 1848, the second in 1899. The Princess of Wales Conservatory, the latest and the largest plant house at Kew, was opened in 1987 by Princess Diana.

National Gallery-London's National Gallery, founded in 1824, houses a rich collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900 in its home on Trafalgar Square. The collection belongs to the British public and entry to the main collection is free, although there are charges for entry to special exhibitions. The present building, on the northern side of Trafalgar Square, is the third to house the Gallery, and like its predecessors it has often been deemed inadequate. This is a perfect place to wander around and just marvel at what you'll find.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Mr T is Big in London


"Speed walking. I pity you fool. You a disgrace to the man race. It's time to run like a real man."-Mr T

Ok, maybe Mr T isn't really all that big in London, but he has managed to hit a few London newspapers. Mr T is a has been actor who came to fame by beating up Rocky and then by being B.A. Barackus in The A-Team. He's been living off his tough guy image ever since.

Like many America has-beens, Mr T has found he can still make a living in other world markets-like the U.K. where there are a couple of ads featuring Real Man Mr T belittling all things British.

The TV Show Family Guy also makes fun of Brits on a semi-regular basis. In one episode a rugby team is named the London Silly Nannies and they run away from an American football team in a carriage shaped like a pumpkin rather than play them.

The Snickers Get Some Nuts campaign has not been aired in the U.S.-though they are all available on YouTube for the curious. I suppose it could be spun to make fun of American jocks, well, no it couldn't. American jocks are the bedrock of U.S. commerce, we could never do anything to make them look like a bunch of numb skulls.

Right. It seems that one of the Mr T ads showing all men in the U.K. as being inferior to Mr T has offended someone. Specifically it is offensive to gay people. These ads are clearly silly. Mr T crashed through walls, crushes cars as he drives over them, fires Snickers bars out of a chain gun and shakes his fist like an old man in his front garden. He challenges the manhood of anyone not eating Snickers bars and the tag line Get Some Nuts-well, who could find that offensive?

You can tell that Snickers has taken the complains seriously by the fact that the Speed Walker commercial is the first thing you see on their Get Some Nuts website.

Gay groups has been know to complain about odd things. They didn't like the Buffalo Bill character in Silence of The Lambs, though it was never made clear that he was gay, just a phycho. Likewise gay groups are offended by the Mad Scientist in The X-Files I Want To Believe for his odd choice in victims. The argument here is that Mr T pelting the speed walker implies it is ok to beat up gay people. Mars of course says it's just in fun, so lighten up.

Or maybe Mars thinks they just aren't manly enough to take a joke.

Beatrix Potter in London


July 28 is the birthday of Peter Rabbit author Helen Beatrix Potter-she was born in London on 28 July 1866 and died on 22 December 1943. Not too long ago an original watercolor illustration by Beatrix Potter for the final scene from the Rabbit Christmas Party set a new auction record in London at 289,250 pounds.

Beatrix Potter invented the character Peter Rabbit in an illustrated letter to the child of her former governess in 1893. It remains the world’s bestselling children’s book, with more than 80 million copies in circulation.

In order to authenticate some of her illustrations she frequently visited London’s Natural History Museum and, in particular, the Geology Department. Before she took up writing children’s books it is clear that Beatrix Potter had the mind of a professional scientist and biologist. Many of her findings, particularly in the field of mycology (fungi) led the young Beatrix Potter to approach the Royal Botanic Gardens with various theories. They were not interested in her work and refused to discuss it as she was female.

Of course, if Beatrix Potter had succeeded as an expect on mushrooms, we would have never had all those wonderful Peter Rabbit books. As it is she left London behind and moved to Scotland's Lake District. Hill Top, one her homes there, ranks as the most visited literary shrine in the Lake District, a remarkable achievement in 'Wordsworth Country'.

In 2006 Renee Zellweger made a film called Miss Potter, which I somehow managed to miss. The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success. I may have to watch today in her honor.

Thanks for all the great books, Beatrix.

Monday, July 21, 2008

London's Designers Guild


Established in 1970 Designers Guild is one of the foremost international home and lifestyle companies-designing and manufacturing wall coverings, furniture, furnishing fabrics, bed & bath, fragrance and home accessories. With a flagship store in London and offices in London, Paris and Munich. Designers Guild products are sold in over 60 countries worldwide.

I love places with names like Designers Guild, it has both that old world and science fiction feel to it. In this case, it is an out of this world London shop. Designers Guild offers a broad range of luxury furnishing fabrics and wall coverings for both the domestic and contract sectors as well as all kinds of cool stuff for bed and bath and home. In addition to the Designers Guild Collections the company also designs and manufactures under license William Yeoward fabrics and papers, Jasper Conrad fabrics and is the distributor for Ralph Lauren fabrics and paper.

While most of the modern world sits in giant marsh mellows of white walls, ceilings and carpets, it is nice to see that the Designers Guild still makes walls worth looking at, not away from. I like all the stripes and bold colors, as well as the more classic patterns. It's all about the colour. Just looking at all the shades and all the beauty makes you feel more alive.

The Designers Guild is the kind of place where Mrs Bucket(pronounced Boo-kay) would feel right at home, especially among all the Special Collections. Of course, Hyacinth wouldn't actually buy anything-but she would leave the catalog in plain sight on her immaculate coffee table.

Visit the flagship store at The Designers Guild London Showroom 277 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EN, United Kingdom

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Changing of The Guard at Buckingham Palace London

There are a handful of things that everyone traveling to London is told-you have to do this-The Changing of The Guard at Buckingham Palace is one of things.

My personal experience of the Changing of the Guard in London was a bit of a let down. It was a gray and overcast April, so it was a bit chilly and the Guard was dressed in their winter coats-which are gray and rather dreary compared to the summer garb of bright reds.

We went and saw the men of horseback, who sat perfectly and still, and it was part of their job was to sit perfectly still. Not too gripping to watch though. Then we went over to the Palace and watched, with a few hundred other people, as the Guard came marching down the street. We watched them march through a pair of very ornate gates at Buckingham Palace and then we waited twenty minutes or so until a nearly identical group of Guardsman marched back out and back down the road. Viola! The Changing of the Guard.

This is one of those London attractions that needs a detailed brochure or an audio guide to tell you what is going on. Ok, Changing of The Guard seems to have a guidebook and lots of other info. There did seem to some yelling of orders of one sort or another, but it was hard to tell what was going on from the crowded street. There is a very nice statue of Queen Victoria here and the Palace itself is very pretty. The mobs of people were not so pretty, but that is one of the side effects of being a world famous event.

Now it is entirely possible that The Changing of The Guard is, in fact, an amazing event and I just missed all the good bits. Or it is possible that watching the Guard march around is the good bit. The Guards are very impressive with their tall hats and long coats. There is so much other great stuff near Buckingham Palace that you don't really miss anything by standing around and watching the Changing of The Guard-tons of old buildings and famous buildings and just stuff that cries out London are on all sides.

From Buckingham Palace you can easily walk to other great London sights including; Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, St James' Palace, 10 Downing Street, The Thames, Trafalgar Square and even Hard Rock Cafe-to name just a few of the great London sights near by.

It was worth doing, if for no other reason than you can say: Oh, The Changing of the Guard, I did that.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis


"Chelsea Dagger" is a song by The Fratellis and their second single. It was released on August 28, 2006. It is taken from their debut album Costello Music, which was released in the UK on September 11, 2006. It's supposed to be named after Jon Fratelli's wife Heather, a burlesque dancer whose stage name he borrowed for the song-wikipedia

The Fratellis recently preformed at BBC's T in The Park. Ok, not really about London, but I have had this song in my head the past few days. I love all that stuff in the video as well. Chelsea Dagger is just great song, even if it has been co-opted by a bunch of sports nuts.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech, that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible-Prof Henry Higgins.

Bernard Woolley: As they say, it's a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance.
Jim Hacker: Oh really, Bernard, must you and Humphrey really always express yourself in this roundabout and pompous way? "More honoured in the breach than the observance"! Must you always distort and destroy the most beautiful language in the world - the language of Shakespeare?
Bernard Woolley: That is Shakespeare, Prime Minister.

William Shakespeare, like Mark Twain and Emily Dickinson is forced upon an unsuspecting and unappreciative youth. When I had to read Romeo and Juleit in high school it was quite simply baffling. Filled with words I had never heard, poems that weren't really poems, prose that didn't seem to be prose, and a teacher telling us How Wonderful Shakespeare was. Over the years I have gained a bit more of an appreciation for the The Bard's works.

I am rather fond of that whole little genre of Shakespeare plays rendered in alternate universes-Richard III was bloody amazing! And Romeo and Juliet as Mob families was a bit of fun as well.

But what about Shakespeare as old Will was meant it to be? Well, head over to Shakespeare's Globe Theater for a feel of the Good Old Days. For example Shakespeare's Globe Theater has the first Thatched Roof in London since the Great Fire. Lots of fresh sunlight for lighting. Some times all male casts are used, just as they were in Shakespeare's day.

There is the Globe Exhibition-which has been refurbished with most exhibits re-presented to improve your journey through the history of Shakespeare and the Globe. Find out about extravagant Elizabethan costumes, Renaissance instruments and how they were used, and the dramatic stories of the first Globe crossing the Thames, and the new Globe being reconstructed on Bankside.

This year the shows at Shakespeare's Globe Theater include the performance of his most searching tragedy, King Lear; his most wild and inventive comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; his most thrilling and savage satire, Timon of Athens, and his invention of a new form, the sit-com, in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

It's a very pretty building which brings back a bit of the good old days. While London is full of real old buildings, Shakespeare's Globe doesn't have it's going to fall over at any moment feel to it. This is another London Attraction that should be on everyone lists of things to see, well, if they like Shakespeare anyway.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Lee Ho Fook's-Werewolves of London

Saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand, walking through the streets of Soho in the rain, he was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's, going to get a big dish of beef chow mein-
Warren Zevon

There are a handful of songs that I will listen to when the come on the radio no matter how many gazillion times I have heard them-Werewolves of London is one of those songs.

So when I went to London the first time, there were a handful of places I just had to see-Stonehenge, Tower Bridge, and Lee Ho Fook-I know Stonehenge isn't in London, but it was still the top of my list.

London's Chinatown is an amazing place, the phone booths with their little pointed roofs, the windows filled with roasted ducks, and the Apothecary with jars filled with who-knows-what. And there was Lee Ho Fook's, great name anyway. I scanned that little menu by the sidewalk, but there was no beef chow mein on it. Maybe it's a special request item.

But the point was not to eat at Lee Ho Fook's in London, any more than it is necessary to walk across Tower Bridge-just to see it and photograph it and be able to tell your friends-yeah, there really is a Lee Ho Fook in London.

I've been to Mystic, Connecticut as well as London, England. There really is a Mystic Pizza there, and it is a cool little restaurant, with a lot of neon and stuff hanging off the walls- just like in the movie Mystic Pizza. But it is just a pizza joint, albeit one with photos of famous people eating the pizza. So I didn't eat at Lee Ho Fook's, but I did walk by and have a look at it.

Somewhere nearby Lee Ho Fook there was a very pretty Chinese girl in a very elaborate and colorful costume, she was asking a pound to have her picture taken. So I gave her a pound and The Wife took a photo of me and this lovely girl, then I took a photo of the Wife and this lovely girl. The sad bit is that I only had black and white film left, so this girl her in amazing costume rests in my photo album in beautiful monochrome. I have a digital camera now.

Maybe next time I'm in London I'll actually go and eat at Lee Ho Fook's instead of just looking at the menu.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Doctor Who is Brilliant

Spoilers-

And so is Doctor Donna and Doctor Who 2-Journey's End was really good.

Oh there was a bit of worry that David Tennant would be leaving Doctor Who, but then, his future wife did recognize him, didn't she? So he must not have changed that much.

I thought Russel T Davis being appointed an OBE by the Queen last month was a bit over the top, but then, Doctor Who is a really great show. I liked that whole the gangs all here aspect of this season's last two episodes. Good to see everyone from the Russel T Davis universe fighting over who gets the chance to save the Universe this time.

About 7.4 million people tuned in for the season's last Doctor Who episode-and millions more will be watching as the days go by. Doctor Who is a great show and I have been very happy the new series. There is still some question as to what will happen with Doctor Who now that the great and powerful Russel T Davis is stepping down. It is possible for the Clone Doctor and Rose Tyler to cross that Sealed Forever Gap one more time if they need to.

Captain Jack had the oblivious desire to spend some time with both Doctors and Donna after it was revealed that they were all three The Doctor. Jack always has been an ambitious lad. There was that whole possibility of happily ever after, but those never really work out, do they?

While I'm on the topic of great season endings, I loved the end of Sarah Jane-Mr Smith, how could you? I really didn't see that coming. It was great.

Anyway-Doctor Who is fun, no matter who plays him or who writes him. Of course, you do wonder how many times one Time Lord can save the Universe. So tell me, if the Daleks can constantly come back, why can't the rest of The Time Lords? I know they were all prats anyway, but they were good for a laugh once in a while.

For more serious details about the show, visit Dalek Base and Of Code and Cats.

Long Live The Doctor! Oh and The Tardis, of course.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Wimbledon, London


In the 1870s, at the bottom of the hill on land between the railway line and Worple Road, the All-England Croquet Club had begun to hold its annual championships. Wimbledon matches that had no tennis, what a concept.

But the popularity of croquet was waning as the new sport of lawn tennis began to spread. After initially setting aside just one of its lawns for tennis, the club decided to hold its first Lawn Tennis Championship in July 1877. I wonder if there was a long wait for tickets to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships cost back then?

By 1922, the popularity of tennis had grown to the extent that the club's small ground could no longer cope with the numbers of spectators and the renamed All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved to new grounds close to Wimbledon Park.

Wimbledon historian Richard Milward recounts how King George V opened the new courts. "He gave three blows on a gong, the tarpaulins were removed, the first match started - and the rain came down..." The club's old grounds continue to be used as the sports ground for Wimbledon High School.

There's more to Wimbledon, London than lawn tennis, but for of the world-it only exists for a few days during the Wimbledon Championships. Then everyone wants to buy Wimbledon tickets, and make them cheap Wimbledon tickets, please. The news is that there will be yet another tennis match between the Williams Sister for the Wimbledon Championship. Well, I like them both and it doesn't really matter which one wins the Wimbledon Trophy. Seems they always win the Wimbledon Womens rounds.

I wasn't there at the right time to be looking for tickets for Wimbledon, and would not have been that interested in seeing a Wimbledon match anyway. But if I was there at the right time for the Wimbledon Finals, it would have been a bit tempting to try and get a couple of Wimbledon tickets. I couldn't have afforded to watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, but it would have been fun to say-Oy, do you know how much they want for Wimbledon tennis tickets? £91 doesn't sound all that bad, does it?

Well, Wimbledon, London would be a neat place to visit anyway.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Beatles Interview Found In London


"For 44 years a canister of film had been stored in a damp garage in South London; unopened, unloved and almost thrown away," the BBC reported.

The nine-minute Beatles interview took place in the studios of Scottish Television on Thursday, April 30, 1964. It seems that John Lennon said Ringo Starr should be seen and not heard-well, Ringo never did get much respect, did he? But he did get the occasional death threat and his songs were the fun ones-while John did that odd bit of business about #9. Well, John Lennon was always joking in those days. The Beatles were just a lark-they never thought it would last.

Seeing all the excitement about the lost Beatles tape, British PM Gordon Brown announced that his favorite Beatles song is "All My Loving." Actually he was asked about his favorite Fab Four song as part of Liverpool's Beatles Day celebration. Beatles Day, on July 10, will mark the 44th anniversary of the Fab Four's triumphant homecoming to Liverpool after they conquered America in 1964. The Echo is also trying to find the most popular Beatles Song.

I love all things Beatles and it is always cool when some new bit of business pops up. Nice that the tape turned up in London-lots of Beatles connections with London though. You'd think that after all these years there wouldn't be anything to find-but they were interviewed by like a gazillion people and some of them must still have the tape laying around somewhere.

I also love the BBC and BBC 4 has the Lost Beatles Interview. The interviewer talks about how he can't recall why he didn't take more photos of The Beatles, but this was before they became THE Beatles-so why would he have taken a ton of photos? Pop groups come and go, don't they? It's only in looking back that it seems a missed opportunity. One of my favorite early Beatles history bits is how Ringo wanted to open a Hair Salon, and how he did. Seems a bit silly now, doesn't it? A lot of the interview is kind of silly as well-but that was one of the great things about the Beatles.

Even after they had made A Hard Day's Night they still thought it was going to be over any minute. Here we are 44 years later and it still isn't over.