Tag Archives: festival

Travel by flight or by train… shall we stay in London this weekend?

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Good afternoon! Here we are on Friday, hurtling towards the weekend, with a quick update from London. Some bitesized pieces of the latest news specially selected to provide you with some good topics of conversation and some useful advice. To start off, here is some travel news! Maybe the summer is over, but there are still a lot of us that are waiting for our holidays and maybe are planning some travel right now. Maybe you need to organize some business travel… What is the best thing to do? Organise by oneself, booking and checking every detail or rely on a travel agency?

Airtravel with low cost airlines has had several problems in the last few weeks: shortly after the Spanish crash of last August, a Ryanair flight from Bristol to Barcelona-Girona had to make an emergency landing after loss of cabin pressure. And on the 11th of September another Ryanair flight (from Dublin to London) had to make an emergency landing shortly after take off at Dublin airport and oxygen masks were dropped into the cabin, leaving all the passengers afraid or their lives, but safe.

But today something different has happened: thousands of British travelers were stranded, because one of the largest tour operators collapsed under pressure from high fuel prices and a sagging economy, reports Ap, and the Timesonline.co.uk explains: ‘thousands of travellers were left stranded overseas today after XL Leisure, Britain’s third largest tour operator, collapsed and BA’s chief executive predicted that another 30 airlines would go out of business before Christmas’. At the moment at least 67,000 passengers across the globe are left waiting to be brought home…

Travel by train could be a good solution: the British train services are good and on time (well…mostly. ed.). But from yesterday we were cut off from the continent. Bbc.co.uk says: ‘thousands of passengers hoping to travel through the Channel Tunnel face further disruption after a fire on a freight train. The tunnel is closed after the fire broke out about seven miles from Calais on Thursday afternoon. Firefighters say the 16-hour blaze has now been put out. And unfortunately the opinions about the re-opening of the tunnel are divided: will the tunnel open tomorrow or in two weeks?

We shall see. Maybe this weekend it’s better to stay in London: the weather won’t be so bad and the city offers a lot of ways to escape from the boredom! A suggestion! Don’t miss the Thames Festival!

August in London: is business on holiday?!

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Far be it from us to discuss the weather at every possible moment, however when it’s sunny here in London we may indulge ourselves from time to time. Like now. August’s a slow month for most businesses and with the Bank Holiday approaching, it’s a tough time to be thinking about work for everyone. Of course we will be here throughout the holiday and sporadically sunny period and you can rest assured that we will be looking after your business if you’re sunning yourself in tropical climes. If you’re not as lucky as some and are unhappily restricted to the urban confines of Londinium, then heed our advice and go along to one of this weekend’s many festivals of the summer:

Beautiful Days – Escot Park – music event

Who’s playing? Squeeze, Supergrass, Levellers, Alabama 3, Nouvelle Vague, Turin Brakes, Stiff Little…

Bloodstock Open Air – Catton Hall – music event

Who’s playing? As I Lay Dying, Communic, Alestorm, Cloudscape, Evile, At The Gates, Crowning Glory…

V Festival Chelmsford – Hylands Park Chelmsford – music event

Who’s playing? Muse, The Verve, Stereophonics, The Kooks, Maxïmo Park, Alanis Morissette, The Zutons…

Shoreditch Festival 2008 – Hackney – music and performances

From 16 to 24 August 2008, cultural and physical activities in a wonderful programme to chill out in Shoreditch Park

CREATE08 – Olympic Boroughs –  music for carnivals and community street parties, but also art galleries, theatres and exhibitions to enjoy ’til you drop.

Watching the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing and waiting for the Olympic Games 2012 in London, CREATE08 hosts several events to enjoy and relax to get ready for the Autumn.

London has festivals for every taste

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Hi there! Today is another summer day in London, the sky is blue and the sun is hot, and we are still in the office… But never mind, the day is long, the night is longer and another weekend in London is kicking off! And what’s on? The main event is the Festival of Architecture 2008, that is closing the celebration of the city’s buildings, streets and spaces. The Festival started on the 20th of June and it will close on the 20th of July. During this month it has brought to the streets a huge number of exhibitions, guided walks, cycle rides, boat tours, design workshops, debates and talks: everything intended for Londoners and visitors alike. You can find all the events here. Over 300 architectural installations and events to celebrate London’s urban past, present and future.

London is the city of the Queen and of Norman Foster: the landscape is a hotchpotch of old and new. Old Victorian buildings lurk next to futuristic skyscrapers, ancient towers rise close to modern bridges; the ecclectic architecture is the outcome of a varied history and society rich with contradictions. London is also the city of the festivals, everyday the great city offers international premieres, talks, screenings, meeting and celebrations. The programme of events from West to East, from North to South is amazing: not only art and architecture, but also food, theatre, dance and music. For all people keen on music, there’s LoveBox at Victoria Park this weekend. What music is it? All kinds! Because from 10 am on Saturday 19th to 10 pm on Sunday there will be seven stages with funk, soul, reggae, indie, pop and dance.

Culture and fun are London’s key words and attending events is the best way to get to know the real soul of London. Taking part in them is also a good way to meet people and understand them. To be a real Londoner it is essential to follow the buzz of activities… shall we go?!