Just Capital

Just capital

London comes alive in the summer; there is so much to see and do.  However if you’re lacking the imagination to find something to keep you entertained, fret no longer, as BrakeAway Bike Tours have come up with some suggestions to see you through the vicious winter months…

Get into shape
Wheely great
We all love the feel of warm sunshine beating down on our backs…unfortunately glorious weather signals seriously skimpy clothing displaying acres of flesh. If you’re feeling the flab but doing little to fight it – the dreaded treadmill failing to inspire you– then ditch the gym and try cycling instead. Not only is cycling surprisingly cheap, but it is a healthy and social summer activity, burning approximately 350 calories per hour. BrakeAway Bike Tours have daily tours to spin you around the capital, helping you to take in the sights, whilst getting into shape. Find out more at www.biketouroflondon.com

Go salsa! 
Blame Enrique Inglesas and J Lo if you will, but there’s no escaping salsa dancing – and for good reason. Excluding your intake of sumptuous Latin cocktails, a night spent salsa dancing will build up your stamina no end. With its wacky wall paintings and zany zebra print couches, Fiesta Havana offers a different Latin dance night every day. (www.fiestahavana.com)

Take up a new sport
Bling swing
Dismiss the notion of golf as a pringle wearer’s game. Golf has shaken off its staid image thanks to hip swingers such as Catherine Zeta Jones, George Clooney, Samuel L Jackson and JT. The Capital is home to several public courses which are not only relatively cheap but offer a way to have fun and get fit – all in the great outdoors. Try these on for size:
Dukes Meadow Golf Club, W4
Dulwich and Sydenham Hill, SE21
Central London Golf Centre, SW17
Trent Park Public Golf Course, N14

At the races
Gambling is in our genes; few can resist parting with a pound in the hope that they’ll hit the jackpot. There are plenty of race courses within easy reach of the capital – although for people watching the fashion circus of Royal Ascot is a must.

Go to the dogs!
Greyhound racing – once associated with old men – has undergone something of a renaissance. Such is greyhound racing’s newfound popularity that it’s now Britain’s second most popular spectator sport; guaranteeing a great group night out. Fast and furious races regularly take place at Wimbledon Stadium. Check out: www.lovethdogs.co.uk/wimbledon

Park life
Country aficionados may moan about the lack of green space, yet 30 per cent of the capital is given over to green space. So wherever you find yourself in the city, a park is never far away. Hyde Park on a Sunday is a CD Traveller favourite; this is when the legendary Sunday soapbox orators spout forth at the famous speaker’s Corner. Other parks worth a visit include Regents Park with its secret nooks and crannies, Primrose Hill and Greenwich. London is also a nation of gardeners, meaning there is no shortage of stunning gardens to enjoy. The most famous is of course, the Royal Botanical Gardens located at Kew.

Boating
When the sun has got his hat on, nothing beats whiling away a summer’s day boating on the Thames. Salubrious Richmond is the ideal place for such an excursion. Day boats boasting a cabin, sunshade and out boat motor can be hired from Hampton Court. For the low-down visit www.hamptonferryboathouse.co.uk

Sky high
Suspended in an enclosed space age glass pod over the Thames, a ride in the London Eye cannot be beaten. It’s no roller coaster, but the 30-minute wheel provides you with a stunning view of one of the world’s most famous panoramas – from the ill-fated Dome to the splendour of Buckingham Palace. Couples wanting privacy can ascend on a Cupid’s capsule for a more intimate ride. 

Take a tour
“But I have lived here all my life,” we hear you cry. That may be, but it can take a lifetime to get to grips with London. So grab yourself a bike with BrakeAway Bike Tours and explore every postcard sight imaginable to mankind: www.biketouroflondon.com

Movie mania
Of course being Britain, summer does not necessarily equal sunshine. On a gloomy summer’s day nothing beats catching a quality flick on the big screen. However don’t just visit any old cinema; multiplexes are making way for quirky, independent film houses. Visit the Electric in the achingly fashionable Notting Hill, with its luxurious leather armchairs and sofas and well stocked bar serving champagne and cocktails (www.theelectric.co.uk.) Or make it an IMAX experience by heading to Waterloo; home to the UK’s biggest screen. Stock up the popcorn supply, kick back and enjoy.

Become a culture vulture
London is a cultural treasure trove – whatever your interests chances are the Capital caters for them. Take in the latest art collection at the Tate Modern or catch an outdoor opera performance in Holland Park. (www.operahollandpark.com) The ultimate highlight? To attend an outdoor concert in the beautiful grounds of Hampstead’s Kenwood House for proms on the heath.

On the theatre front, feel good musicals – the perfect antidote to the credit –
to catch include Hairspray and The Jersey Boys. Meanwhile if children are in tow, then a performance of the Lion King or new show Sister Act will go down a treat.

Shop till you drop!
If you’ve money to burn (lucky you – we are in recession after all), head for Harvey Nichols or the shopping mecca that is Selfridges. Those conscious of the credit crunch can pick up some bargains at the world famous Harrods sale. Spoil yourself and round off a spot of shopping with cocktails at smart, hotel bars like the Library Bar at The Lanesborough or The Blue Bar at The Berkeley – both of which are within easy walking distance.

When searching for interesting accessories, fashionistas make for one of London’s many markets. Portobello showcases up and coming designers while the stalls at Spitalfield have gone from strength to strength stocking a wide range of quirky individual accessories. Other markets worth a look include Bermondsey, Berwick, Camden and Covent Garden.

So there you have it; the definitive list to see you through the summer. Rise up off the sofa: London’s delights are on your doorstep.

Allemagne dix points

Was there ever a Nelson Mandela House where Only Fools and Horses was filmed?  It seems that all along Del Boy was selling us some dodgy gear!

Indeed, the British comedy show Only Fools And Horses has a small secret to tell. All the time that Del Boy, Rodders and Uncle Albert were parking up the Reliant outside Nelson Mandela House in Peckham…they were in fact somewhere else!  The exterior shots of the Lambeth tower block had a stunt double in West London - Harlech Tower in South Acton; and if you fancy taking in this construction steeped in fame, jump on the E3 bus from Acton Town.

A folly good ball!

There are a few sham castles that are just fronts. I know of ones in Derbyshire and Bath..but this is a sham/folly in London.

London’s first tube line was Paddington to Farringdon in 1863.  Demand soon grew so new lines had to be made and houses brought up.  These houses would be demolished, the tube dug, and then covered again.
Some property agents wanted a high price, most notably in Leinster Terrace, Bayswater.  So as well as paying to knock down two beautiful houses, the train company reconstructed the fronts only, making them look like real houses.
Today thousands go past with out ever noticing that 22-23 are just flat fronts with nothing behind.
A famous hoax in the 1930s saw an amusing con man make a small fortune by selling 10 guinea tickets for a charity ball here.  It was only when the excited guests - in full evening dress - knocked on the fake door they realised their folly!

Get on your bike: http://www.biketouroflondon.com

Fear of collisions with cars, lorries and buses may put some people off the idea of cycling as a form of exercise, particularly those travelling on busy city roads. But collision statistics issued by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in 2001 show that there is less than one cycling death in the UK for every 18 million miles cycled. A serious injury occurs less than once in every 900,000 miles cycled.


Both doctors and government health experts concluded that the risk of injury was outweighed by the benefits of cycling in ‘Cycling: Towards Health and Safety’, a report issued by the British Medical Association in 1992.

Ten reasons to take up cycling

If your reading this, chances are you already cycle or have an interest in cycling. But, nevertheless, here are ten powerful reasons to take up cycling.


1. Freedom.
Cycling gives a sense of freedom that sitting in a car can never give. Descending a hill on a bike is exhilarating, something you never feel in a car. Cycling also gives greater freedom about where to go. Many towns are encouraging pedestrian only areas. With a bike you can go down narrow lanes, on canal paths and often cut corners that you cannot do in a car.

2. Quicker Travelling.
In many congested towns, a bike can offer the quickest method of transport. For example, in London average speeds on roads amounts to a paltry 9mph (this is actually lower than 100 years ago!) Even a moderately fit cyclist will have no trouble in beating cars, buses and the underground. Also with a bike, you don’t have to spend time driving around looking for parking. You can park usually exactly where you want to end up.

3. Saves Money.
A good bike costs £200; a reasonable car will cost £5,000. With oil prices rising through the roof, cycling can also save significantly on petrol costs. The majority of car journeys are for distances less than 5 miles. These distances are easily cycleable. These short journeys also have the relatively highest petrol costs because cars are most inefficient at low speeds. It is estimated that leaving the car in the garage for the average commuter could save an estimate £74.14 ($150) per week (source: Cycling Weekly June 19th)

4. Lose Weight
Cycling is a low impact aerobic exercise and is an excellent way of losing weight. Cycling can also be combined with shopping and commuting therefore, enabling very busy people to find time for exercise. It is also a lot cheaper than gaining membership to the gym. With obesity becoming an endemic problem in western society, cycling can play a key role in helping to keep the population in shape.

5. Health Benefits.
Cycling is good for the heart and can help reduce incidence of heart disease, one of the biggest killers amongst developed countries. Sedentary lifestyles also contribute to other ‘silent killers’ such as diabetes and high blood pressure. see: Health benefits of Cycling at Bupa

6. Relieve Stress.
If you work in an office or have a stressful job, exercise such as cycling can be a powerful way to help reduce stress and take your mind off many problems. Exercise releases chemicals such as serontin. Serontin is known to promote a feeling of well being. But, also vigorous exercise is an effective way to take your mind off trifling problems. Often coming back from a bike ride, you can see problems in a new perspective

7. It’s Egalitarian
Everyone cycles, it is the great social leveller. Rich or poor, Oxford don or little kid, everyone can enjoy cycling.

8. Reduce Global Warming
Cycling creates no pollution or Carbon dioxide emission. It provides a powerful way to help make a meaningful contribution to reducing pollution and preventing future global warming.

9. Less Accidents.
Unlike Cars, bikes are not lethal machines. In the UK, over 3,000 people a year die on the roads due to car accidents. An accident involving bikes may cause injury, but, very rarely will a bike be the cause of a fatal accident. If more people cycled it would definitely help reduce the death rate on our roads.

10. It’s Fun.
The bike has repeatedly been voted the most popular invention of the past 200 years. Cycling is simply great fun.

Raven Mad

Some political wag has said the reason the country is currently going to the dogs is that there is only one raven left in the Tower.


The legend is of course that if the ravens leave the tower then the country will fall.

Well:
The Raven Cemetary can be found in the drained moat close to the Watergate and St Thomas’s Tower. There’s a special Raven Memorial Headstone that lists all the ravens buried there since 1956.

It has been observed that when a member of the flock perishes, the birds will hold what could be called a “raven funeral” – a 24-hour event marked by raucous outcries. The Ravenmaster buries the dead bird in the Raven Cemetery located in the drained moat close to the Watergate and the St Thomas Tower. (St Thomas is the patron saint of clergy.) (Incidentally, in England, tombstones are sometimes referred to as “ravenstones”.)

The St Thomas Tower is also known as Traitors’ Gate because it was through this Tower that condemned prisoners accused of treason arrived from Westminster.

Bethlehem

If you were looking for something a little different to do with the family on a wet Sunday afternoon in the 1700's, you could do worse than take a trip to Bethlehem hospital, known as 'Bedlam' (located on the site where the Imperial War Museum now stands), a huge and well-known lunatic asylum.  On arrival you would enter the vast entrance hall to be confronted by Cibber's huge statues of two loonies, Melancholy and Madness, reputedly modelled on two of the inmates.  From there you would progress to the main gallery, where all the most seriously disturbed residents would be chained to the walls, or in barred cells, for you to gawp and laugh at.

Any inmates that got a little out of hand would be whipped like animals.  In 1770 the authorities seemed to notice that the inmates didn't like this treatment so much, but they didn't stop it as they were making too much dosh through contributions.  Instead they decided to make it a ticket only affair.  It makes our current behaviour concerning the mentally ill seem almost rather humane!

More tales, tips and trivia like this on a fabulous bike tour of london: http://www.biketouroflondon.com/