Jet Lag and London

Jet lag happens when you cross time lines and your body gets confused as to whether it is day or night. For example, going to London from Texas takes about nine hours in the air. The clock in Texas said something like 4:00 PM on take off and the clock in London said something like 6:00 AM on landing at Gatwick. Jet lag happens when you can't sleep on the plane-which I could not-and its the start of a new day when you arrive.

The Travel Insider has a lot of advice about the treatment of Jet Lag-get a lot of sunlight during the day and take Melatonin at night. For me Jet Lag mainly means that the first day in London is pretty much a wash. Staggering off the 777, finding our way through Customs, getting on the Gatwick Express, navigating The Tube to get to the Hotel and then-well, it all becomes a blur.

Drinking lot of water is always good advice and try not to think about what time it is at home. A quick search on Amazon gets over 600 results for Jet Lag and a Goolge Search gets over 600,000 results. My own method of dealing with Jet Lag was to drink lots of water and try not to sleep until it was night time in London. I would not advise having anything really important to do on that first day. We wandered around the British Museum, an amazing place even when you are half asleep.

Do the many cures for jet lag work? I don't know. I do know that I was totally exhausted by the time our plane landed. Of course, that first flight we had seats over the wing with a nice view of the giant jet engine out the window. My advice is to get a seat as close to the front of the plane as you can and drink lots of water.

Just be aware that the first day in London could be a bit tough. The following days were better. There is so much to do and see in London that you'll be tired at the end of day. Then you'll sleep at night and feel fine-just in time to get back on the plane and head back home. I don't recall a lot of jet lag on the return home-but then, it is always good to be home.

Westminster Abby London

Poets were buried or memorialized around Chaucer in what became known as Poets' Corner. These include; William Blake, Robert Burns, Lord Byron, T. S. Eliot, Thomas Gray, Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Keats, John Milton, Nicholas Rowe, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Thomas Shadwell, William Shakespeare and William Wordsworth.-Wikipedia

As a photographer I was a bit disappointed with many sites in London. The rules for Westminster Abby are much like the rules for other Royal or Historic Sites in London-Photography and filming (pictures and/or sound) of any kind is not allowed in any part of the Abbey at any time. Which makes it kind of hard to get those cool shots of the statue of Shakespeare in the Poets Corner. You can buy postcards with pictures of just about anything you would want. But that is never exactly the same as taking your own image, even if it is the same as a million others who have come before you.

Westminster Abby is more than a spot to take photo-its a totally amazing place with too many wonders to take in. The tagline says From 1065 to Today and that's a pretty long time. You used to be able to make brass rubbings here as well, but a thousand years of people making carbon copes has taken its toil on the brass plates. The Abby is still a working church and so there are Services here if you would like to attend one.

Westminster Abby is a London must see. The building is amazing and awe inspiring. Westminster Abbey is usually open to visitors from Monday to Saturday throughout the year. On Sundays and religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas, the Abbey is open for worship only. There are several types of tours available-Audio Tours, Guided Tours, and Verger-led Tours. Allow several hours & include seeing St. Margaret's Church & Jewel Tower. If you love architecture as I do, then make sure you don't miss a visit to the Abbey.

Bates Gentlemen's Hatter London

Edward Bates Ltd have supplied stylish hats and caps to discerning gentlemen from their enchanting Jermyn Street shop in London since the turn of the century.
-Bates Hats


There was a scene in Are You Being Served where Captain Peacock showed up to work wearing a Homburg Hat and he was only allowed to wear a Bowler. This bit of silliness went on throughout the show, until the ancient Young Mr Grace wandered by and told Peacock he shouldn't wear a Bowler-he should wear a Homburg.

Bates Hats is the kind of London shop that Captain Peacock would have gone to get either a Bowler Hat or a Homburg Hat. Hats, of course, just aren't what they once were. All we have to do is look at old photos or watch a film from the 1950s and we can see that wearing a hat used to be required. Indian Jones is about the only hat wearing hero still around-and he is supposed to be a throwback to those glory days anyway.

I've heard that JFK killed the hat, as he didn't like to wear them and everyone wanted to be like him. Of course, The Beatles didn't wear a lot of hats either. Though John Lennon was found of a number of hats, they were not exactly formal hats. The 1960s changed everything-hats were just one more casualty along the way.

My own love affair with hats has followed a winding path from Cowboy hats to Greek Fisherman caps to my latest-a sort of Sandown cap. Mine is a Stetson Cuffley Cap Made in England. The kind of thing you might see in an old John Wayne movie. Bill Cosby wore one in a short lived Sit-Com based on One Foot in The Grave. Cosby was way too nice for the part.


At any rate, Bates Hats is one of the London spots that you can wander by and feel as if you have fallen through yet one more time warp. Hats-expensive quality hats-are what you'll find at Bates. So go in and have look-you never know when a hat might be just the thing you need.

Edward Bates Ltd, 21a Jermyn Street, St. James's, London, SW1Y 6HP
Opening Times - Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9.30am - 4pm
Closed between 1pm and 2pm, Sat only.

Davenport's Magic London

Davenports are a real magic shop, based in central London close to Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross station and the Strand. We were established in 1898 by Lewis Davenport, and are the oldest family run magic business in the world.-Davenports Magic

It's possible that you never wanted to do any magic when you were growing up-possible but unlikely. There is just something about making a coin vanish into thin air or sending a playing card flying that makes the heart skip a beat. At least, my heart anyway.

Jay Sankey is one of my all time favorite teachers of magic, his DVDs are just great. So great in fact, that watching a few of them makes you think you can do them as well as he can. It still takes practice to do an illusion correctly, even if you do know how it is done. Davenports has a lot of Jay Sankey stuff, well worth checking out.

Davenports Magic also has a Magic School, where a bit of person attention might just help smooth out the rough edges of your magic act. For me just hanging around and looking at all the different props and effects is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Lots of accessories and books and DVDs to be found at Davenports.

Of course, learning how a trick is done can take the fun out of it. But once you realize that knowing how to do it is not the same thing as doing it-well, you still have to have respect for the pros. Magic is not as easy as it looks-but it is fun trying.

London Halloween

Between 2001 and 2006, consumer spending in the UK for Halloween rose tenfold from £12 m to £120 m, according to Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail, making Halloween the third most profitable holiday for supermarkets-Wikipedia

Halloween is one of those holidays that I always loved. Just the idea of getting all kinds of candy and getting to dress up-well, who could ask for more? Why, being in London for Halloween, of course, would be a bit better.

There are a lot of Halloween Events going on in London. Here's a short list of the ones that sound interesting to me-

Halloween Hide'n'Freak at the London Zoo-Halloween Hide'n' Freak 25 Oct-2 Nov Learn all about animal disguise and camouflage, meet creepy seven foot high beetles and bugs, join the interactive Halloween storytelling in the giant tipi and see the Halloween themed Animals in Action shows.

Halloween at The London Eye-London's noble guardian - the eminent Wizard Belvedere - is normally on hand to watch over and protect the city, but has had one too many drinks. So the Wizard could use your help-book a London Eye Secret Spell Flight and cast your magic spell on top of the London Eye.

Halloween at London Dungeon- On October 31st, faces won’t get any uglier than during the London Dungeon's world record breaking attempt to paint the most faces in an hour. From 12 noon to 1 o’clock, the public are invited to take part and receive a disgusting Dungeon make over before they head into the darkness of the Dungeon tour.

Halloween Ghost Walk-what better way to spend the odd Halloween than walking around the old courtyards and silent graveyards of London’s oldest and spookiest quarter? I've always like walking tours and having that personal touch of a guide to point out all the cool and creepy stuff.

For a list of other Halloween in London activities check out LondonTown and View.

The NFL in London

"Last year was a launch, this year is about the Xs and Os of converting people to being lifelong NFL fans," Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of the NFL in Britain.

The BBC has a Sport Page that explains American Football to British Football fans. American football is not a game that makes a lot of sense, but I do enjoy watching it. The National Football League hopes that people in London will like watching it as well. On Sunday 26th October 2008, the NFL is coming back to Wembley Stadium as part of the National Football League’s International Series. This year's game will see the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers take to the Wembley Stadium turf. Tickets ranged from £45 through to £100.

The NFL London website has the story of the NFL's plans for world domination. I must say that I have mixed feelings about the whole NFL in London thing. The Dallas Cowboys are about the only sports team that I follow and outside of Manchester United, I haven't heard of any other British sport teams. So why should London sports fans want to see American Football?

London has a lot of American touches, from Krispy Kreme donuts to Kentucky Fried Chicken to the ever present McDonalds. London is an ever changing city and that is a good thing. I don't expect that the NFL International Series will turn London into Dallas or Pittsburgh, but I do wonder why the NFl wants more world wide fans. Is there going to be London NFL team? A Mexico City NFL team? Or do the plans call for whole new leagues to be created around the world? Will we see an NFL with Edinburgh vs London and the winner gets to play in The Superbowl? I can't keep up with the Teams in the NFL now, let alone a whole new world full of NFL teams.

Vast hordes of new NFL Franchises are off in the future-for now we just have the Football game being played in Wembley on Sunday. I am not a fan of the Chargers or the Saints-but I do like the idea of the Saint's Cheerleaders riding around in the London Eye.

Top Ten London for Kids

While London may not seem the best place in the world for kids, there are a lot of things that the little ones should like about the place. The Tube is an amazing bit of business and there is something interesting about riding a train underground. Of course, those really long escalators can be a bit scary, as The Wife found out when we rode up one for close to four stories on one of our trips. But if the kids like escalators, then your set.

There are tons of parks, street performers, and just interesting people of one sort or another all over London. Riding Double Decker Buses, Thames Ferries, and other sightseeing forms of transport can be as much fun for kids as for adults. But for the kids who wants real entertainment, items on the following list should do the trick.



London's Top Ten Attractions for Kids

Legoland-Hey, its an amusement park in Windsor. Gotta love amusement parks. Legoland theme park with lots to do for children, Lego model village, rides, gold panning, car racing and lots more. The theme park has spectacular models made entirely from Lego blocks-I know shocking for a park called Legoland, but they are pretty impressive. The kind of things you wanted to make from Legos but never had enough Lego blocks laying around. Allow between six and seven hours for your visit. Daily shows.

London Aquarium-I've always been a fan of aquariums. There is just something about being in a cool, dark place surrounded by fish swimming around in tanks ranging from small to ginormous. Kids also seem to find these places fun to hang out. It's a place for kids to point out the odd little fish that adults can't seem to find. There are 50 displays with about 400 forms of aquatic life.

London Eye-the giant Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames that brought back the fun of going around a very large circle. These rides on the London Eye are called flights and offer great views of the city and mild thrills for those afraid of heights. A flight on the London Eye will last about 30 minutes taking you to a height of 135 metres. Children under 5 go free but do require a ticket and children aged under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ years. Any children on a Champagne Flight will be served fruit juice instead of alcohol. No adults aged under 18 years are permitted on a Cupid’s Capsule.

London Zoo-I have always loved zoos. Kids love zoos, too. Next Easter The London Zoo will be launching its new Children's Zoo. This exhibit will provide thousands of children with the chance to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, smells and experiences of life in the animal kingdom. Winnie the bear once lived in London Zoo and became Winnie the Pooh.

Syon House and Gardens-Described by Sir John Betjeman as 'the Grand Architectural Walk', Syon House and its 200 acre park is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, whose family have lived here for over 400 years. Syon House is widely featured in the Robert Altman feature film Gosford Park and has also appeared in The Madness of King George, The Wings of the Dove, Emma, The Golden Bowl and The Avengers.

Tower of London-The Tower of London an amazing place filled with all kinds of fun stuff. There are Beefeaters in loudly coloured clothing and Ravens here and there. The Crown Jewels are very pretty. There are suits of armor and lots of weapons of one sort or another. The Tower of London is big-so there is a lot of room to roam around and look at all the cannons and stone walls. The Tower of London is a great place for kids of all ages.

London's Transportation Museum-London Transport Museum explores the heritage of London and its transport system, and the stories of the people who have travelled and worked in the city over the last 200 years. The Museum's collections include original artworks and posters-and more than 80 road and rail vehicles in its collection. There is also an impressive assortment of toys and models.

National Maritime Museum-The National Maritime Museum comprises three sites: the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Observatory and the Queen's House. The Museum's beautiful setting in the Greenwich World Heritage Site, with its array of historical and hi-tech architecture, its stunning views over London and the Thames and its position on 0º longitude offer an unrivalled set of visitor attractions.

Natural History Museum-When I was a kid it was the Dinosaurs that always got my attention at a Natural History Museum and the dinos here are pretty amazing. Set in an old Victorian building with walkways set at Dinosaur eye level, the Central Hall helps make this a great museum. London's Natural History Museum has more to offer than dinosaurs-70 million items collected over 400 years.

Kew Gardens-Kew has all kinds of gardens and activities to keep children entertained. There is a Tree Top Walk where you climb 18 meters up and get a great view of Kew. For the kids who like insects there is a Stag Beetle Loggery, home to many of Britain’s largest native beetles – males can grow up to 50mm. The Waterlily Pond has a lot of ducks and coots. Temerate House and Palm House are great glass houses which bring back the age of Victoria.