Kenyan world record holder Wilson Kipsang won his second title at the London Marathon today, while fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat won the women's race. Kipsang set a course record 2:04.27 with compatriot Stanley Biwott coming in second. It comes as no surprise to hear that the mighty Kenyans and Ethiopians are in the top 10 places in a marathon in any given place of the world- they are the undisputed world champions in this sport. Mo Farah, the Briton who won 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the 2012 London Olympics and last year's World Championships, came in 8th place in his first marathon race. Despite missing out on the British record, Farah recorded the fourth fastest time by a Briton. The London Marathon covers a distance of 26.2 miles (approx. 42 km), and even the most meticulously prepared marathon runners are often surprised by the sheer physical and mental challenge presented. The photos below were taken at the 24 mile marker near London Blackfriars bridge. The winter season in the U.K. is gradually grinding to a halt...so we hope...today was beautiful. Due to the close proximity of the English Channel and the North Sea on one side, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of this large Island, the country is prone to showers and storms anytime the temperature soars....so I would not be surprised if the showers return. For now, the storms have left everything clean and crisp: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Last week, starting from the 14th of February (Valentine's Day), the UK experienced a month's worth of rain within 48 hours, and while most us tried to find the beauty in that horrible weather, it goes without saying that we were badly let down by Mother Nature.
The UK has been battered by strong winds and lashed by heavy rain in a series of brutal storms that have across from the Atlantic. The storms, which began in October last year, have forced many from their homes, and over 600,000 were left without electricity. The UK Met Office confirmed that the United Kingdom had seen its wettest winter in records since 1910. Even more weird is that there has been no snow in 2014...so far...who knows? we may experience the first cricket match to be played in snow! (it happened in June 1975, and in April 1999 when play was stopped because of snow)...will 2014 end up like this too? We shall see... Having ruled the skies for over three decades, Concorde stands quietly by the side of the BA Maintenance hangers at Heathrow opposite runway 27L and admires all the new 'kids on the block' who land and take-off in front of her. I miss the daily thundery noise that she used to make (everyday at 4pm) over south London coming in from JFK.
With an ever fast growing world...aircraft manufacturers need to build faster and more fuel efficient aircraft. The faster the world uses up all the oil, the faster they discover the Next Big Sustainable Energy product. We're (passengers) only dong our bit for the planet by putting the bets down for that! Photo taken from a BA A321 as we landed on the southern runway at Heathrow. It's always a sheer delight to fly over Central London while making the final approach to London Heathrow Airport...best view in town...takes about 5 minutes to land from this point...but takes 2 HOURS to get back home to Dulwich. The new year starts with an action packed January, and a feeling that 2014 is going to be much better than 2013...or any other year before that.
The former commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, was in London recently promoting his memoir, which he published after he retired in July 2013.
While in space, Cmdr Hadfield tweeted about his life at the ISS to his one million followers, sharing striking images of the Earth. It's not everyday you get to shake hands with an Astronaut. Thanks, Cmdr Hadfield, you're an inspiration. The Autumn 'leaf-drop' season provides quite a spectacle in London with streets, parks, pavements covered in a stunning sea of red, orange and yellowish Maple leaves. Technically we are in Winter (albeit a mildly warmer start to one), however the leaves (mostly Maple leaves) are falling because we are experiencing above-average temperatures for Winter, and that's why the leaves are falling everywhere now. However it is also by coincidence that many of the capital's roads are being repaved during this time....so this also brings along an unexpected and unintended street art where autumn leaves have been embedded into the new tarmac (how the devil can one get them out?!)
Damien Hirst eat your heart out as the capital's streets are automatically being tuned into art display extraordinaire (!). No doubt will give the Mayor of London plenty of sleepless nights though..! On the 5th December 2013 at 18:50 GMT (20:50 UCT) at the age of 95, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon died at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection. Mr Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities. He had been receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital. Announcing the news on South African national TV, President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela was at peace. "Our nation has lost its greatest son," Mr Zuma said. Celebrities as well as every living American president, along with foreign dignitaries ranging from Prince Charles to the Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe attended a huge memorial service in Johannesburg's FNB stadium on the 10th of December. At the time of Mr. Mandela's passing away, I was in London, and as soon as news of his death arrived in London there were scenes of many people mourning and paying tributes outside the South African High Commission in London. It was a moving experience to be there and share the moment in history with many who admired Mr. Mandela's leadership and vision. One of the advantages of flying out of Heathrow (especially if you are departing out of the easterly runways') is that you get treated to some marvelous views of the capital (weather and visibility prevailing!). Though it must be said that with a take-off speed of around 250 knots/287mph (and increasing!), and an increasing altitude, it doesn't offer hope that the views will last for long- especially as it takes only around 6 minutes to get from Heathrow to the other side of London! The views never fail to captivate (camera ready at hand, I even managed to get a photo of my home as we flew over it for a final goodbye!) The sight of a Egyptair Boeing 777-300ER landing at Heathrow's Runway 27R caught my eye as I made my way in order to catch my flight. Despite the serious civil unrest and chaos that the country is going through, the airline is still flying normal schedules without any issues. Egypt's sea resorts, especially Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, are popular holiday destinations for many Europeans (July and August are the hottest months of the year at Sharm el-Sheikh, and become a beehive for avid scuba divers). The pristine waters of the Red Sea (it's actually turquoise), the year around sunshine, the great Egyptian hospitality and the delicious food all are key reasons why so many Europeans escape their boring and dull lands in search of sun, sea, and sand.
The land of the people who were one of the first major civilizations to codify design elements in art and architecture is going through a tough time at the moment. While there may be enhanced security in places such as Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada (where I guess most of the passengers in the plane above would have come from), the country is going through a phase of continued unrest and the evolving political situation. In Cairo on the 14th of August Egyptian security forces ended sit-in protests at Nahda Square close to Cairo University in Giza and at Rabaa Al-Adaweya mosque in Nasr City. This resulted in at least 500 deaths. Violent clashes also occurred near Mostafa Mahmoud Square in Mohandiseen, Cairo. It’s very likely that there will be further protests in Cairo- and let's hope that Great family run English pub and restaurant located close to the Northern Perimeter Road at Heathrow (just off Bath Road, and behind High Street Harlington). Perfect for pre take-off (or post-landing) English food - the Pheasant never fails to please.
'Fresh beer battered cod served with homemade chips and salad'- REAL English food never tasted so good. Wash it down with a pint of Windsor & Eton Conqueror Black IPA (or just water if you are flying!) If you are looking for a place to dine outside on a lovely summer's day (irrespective of the British weather!), and with one of the best views of London, then head to the Côte Brasserie at the Hay's Galleria. The food is not bad for a chain restaurant - just as good as the marvelous views. Highly recommended!
One of the most interesting observations I have made in London is the sight of rickshaws (normally a mode of transport associated with developing countries such as Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam etc.) being used as a tourist attraction/ 'mode of transport' in the City of London (perhaps not the place you would expect a rickshaw to be in if you are a tourist coming from a country where you use it for your everyday commute). Hundreds of rickshaw drivers offer short trips to tourists in the West End each night, providing an estimated 4,500 journeys.
The rickshaws in London are branded as being sustainable and eco-friendly (well, of course they are....they are powered by a human). There have been arguments that are both for and against the use of the rickshaw in London. While they provide an adequate source of income for the immigrants who operate them (usually from Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova), they are also considered somewhat dangerous. Last year Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said even responsible operators “cannot ensure the safety of their passengers” and are adding to night-time traffic jams. He wants new laws that would give him the power to sweep the unlicensed and often uninsured pedicabs from central London. On that note, a transport expert (who wishes to remain anonymous), told me that the taxi and bus industry globally is one of the most corrupt cliques there is. I am not sure what to make of that comment - but this man surely does! Scotland's Tartan Army flocked to the heart of London ahead of the friendly match with England. Around 30,000 Scottish football fans travelled to London for the friendly match at Wembley Stadium - the nation's first meeting with 'Auld Enemy' England since 1999. The capital became a sea of blue as Scotland supporters - many wearing kilts and ginger wigs - gathered in Trafalgar Square.
The English eventually won 3-2 of the Scots to take victory in a match. If there was any joy for the Scots, then thankfully the weather changed just in time to make them feel more at home in Wembley - the sunshine experienced earlier in the day turned into a cold and cloudy evening. I grew up in the days before London City Airport (LCY) was built. The airport is a Short Take-Off and Landing facility (STOL) located in the east of the city (next to Woolwich, and the Docklands). Back then, in the early 1980s, the site where the current runway is situated was nothing but a long stretch of concrete which was occasionally used as a docking port by container ships (hence the name Docklands).
The airport is surrounded by the water-filled Royal Albert and King George V docks to the north and south respectively. Due to the airport's proximity to Central London, and the surrounding residential areas, it has stringent rules imposed to limit the noise impact from aircraft operations. This, together with the physical dimensions of the 1,508 m (4,948 ft) runway and the steep glideslope (it's at 5.5 degrees as opposed to the stranded 3 degrees approach angle at most airports including Heathrow), limits the aircraft types that can use London City Airport. The size and layout of the airport and overall complexity caused by the lack of taxiways mean that the airport gets VERY busy during peak hours. It poses a challenge for the air traffic controllers because there is only one runway in use with a limited taxiway. Operations are restricted to 06:30 to 22:30 Monday to Friday, 06:30 to 13:00 on Saturdays and 12:30 to 22:30 on Sundays. These restrictions are related to noise. You may think that living in a quiet London suburb 15 miles away from the airport, such as Dulwich, would not be an issue when it comes to noise. Well, it does pose a problem, especially when LCY is using runway 09 (due to the Easterly winds, which account for around 40% of the year...around 90% of which falls in the summer months)...then it causes problems because landing aircraft come in LOUDLY over South-East London before turning around over Central London to land at runway 09. From my experience I find the main noise issue is with the older aircraft (BAe 146, and the Fokker 50) whose engines make that screeching noise as they speed in over SE London at a speed of around 200 knots at 2,800 feet. When the airport originally opened, the airport's officials promised the London community that noise would be kept at a minimum because they would have aircraft operating with 'quieter' engines. While that may have been the case with the likes of the BAe 146 and the Fokker 50 back in the 1980s...it is no longer the fact because these aircraft are far more nosier than the modern jetliners of today's era (Airbus A318, and some of the private jets that fly into London City Airport are quiet). However, for the moment, residents in South-East London can only hope that runway 09 is not used as much (I am sure the same problem occurs for residents of Barking and Dagenham when runway 27 is used for around 60% of the year). It's not that bad on the whole because the noise activity only happens during peak hours...but imagine having a BBQ in the garden and a jet screams past overhead every 5 minutes or so! Since it's introduction 6 years ago, the Airbus A380-800 has become a regular visitor to Heathrow, with Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines all flying this beast into London. Soon British Airways will start flying the A380 from LHR.
She's not as beautiful as the Boeing 747, however two things do stick out about the A380....she is remarkably quiet, and her enormous size (wingspan and length of fuselage both just under 80 meters)...which means that while you may be having a chat with your friend in a cafe, she will surprise you while gilding past quietly in the background..it's gets me every-time...almost as if a huge whale is in the sky... Wanna know what's she's like inside? Here, read THIS, and if you ARE flying First Class on her, then try the showers (can't beat a shower in the sky..) Seen here, Dwayne Malone of Emirates takes her out of Heathrow...back to Dubai. |
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and experiences during my travels, and how some things have affected my life as an expat and world traveller. Travelling is about capturing that moment in life. Every word, view and opinion on this page is that of Navjot Singh - except where indicated. The most recent is at the top. Scroll down to read the archive. Or search using CTRL+F (COMMAND + F) and enter a keyword to search the page. Just some of the stories you never heard before. The NAVJOT-SINGH.COM web blog is separate to this web site....Click blog, which may not be visible in some countries due to local firewall restrictions, so in those cases this weblog may be read. The weblog also includes some of my press trip reports- most of which are not published on the official blog because of copyright issues. The weblog also contains articles that may be associated directly with a PR trip for a country, airline or a hotel. These are PR reviews done in relations with various companies. If you are an investor or a trend watcher then you may find this website useful as investing has a lot to do with personal observations and finding the ideal trend or next big thing. The average human on the street frequently knows far more about the state of the economy than politicians, university professors, subject matter experts, and financial analysts who seldom travel, or if they do so, only from one hotel to another hotel! The pulse and vibrancy of an economy is nowhere more visible than on a country's streets. All photos and words are © Navjot Singh unless stated. Photos taken by others or by agencies are appropriately copyrighted under the respective name. No photo or word/s may be taken without the prior written permission by the author (i.e. Navjot Singh). All Rights Reserved. Archives
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