I will be in the UK all next week. I haven't had time to plan, because my dad is sick, so I'm mainly going to visit him.
I have a couple of questions:
I usually fly into Gatwick, and the time between landing and coming through Arrivals is pretty short. However, this time I fly into Heathrow on early Sunday morning.
Last time I used Heathrow it was chaotic. That was 4 years ago. Security was a nightmare, lineups were horrendous. It seemed it took forever to get through all the bureaucracy, and that was with a European passport.
My flight arrives at 7.30 in the morning, and I don't want my sister to be there at that time to collect me, if I'm not going to get through Arrivals until 2 hours later. Has anything improved there? I suspect I know the answer, but thought I'd check.
The other thing is, I don't know how far I will be able to travel from home once there. But I know I'll be in London a couple of times, that's only about an hour away. Is there anything new going on in the capital? Any new exhibitions etc that you would recommend? Even in England generally, in case I do get the chance to travel further afield, is there anything that you would tell me, "this is well worth a visit" ? Thanks, dg
Heathrow is as bad as ever. It took ages for my daughter, British passport and all,to get through arrivals from Argentina (and without being a drug courier either ). However she got through fairly quickly on arriving from Shanghai (and without being a Mattel toys courier either). My advice is to expect delay even though you'll arrive early on a Sunday (or try coming in from China)!
For exhibitions etc look in the weekly magazine Time Out, which is best bought at the airport or in London because it is not always sold by provincial newsagents.
Thank you Fred, I suspected Heathrow might still be as bad. "Time Out" online looks interesting. I haven't seen that magazine since I was at university. It's certainly improved. Too bad "Midsummer Night's Dream" closes the day before I arrive though.
So by the miracle of modern technology, and Air Canada, here I am talking to you from England. And can you believe this Fred; not only was the flight 40 minutes early, because of tail winds, but I got through customs, passport control and everything at Heathrow in half an hour! Pity the weather didn't have any nice surprises for me though...or the ridiculous amount of traffic on the roads here
Hey, Dancer!! Good to hear you arrived safely!! Hope your daddy makes a good recovery. And keep up the good work! And don't forget your old buddies here at A/P!
Posts: 6600 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
Sorry, dg. You are too late.This year Summer was in mid-afternoon last Friday Haven't looked in the almanac for next year's date, but it does usually fall in August.Good to hear you Heathrow was fine. I suppose your wearing a burqa and carrying a rucksack helped: nobody would stop anyone who dressed like they could be a terrorist, so that was good thinking.
(BTW There's so much traffic because the fuel is so cheap).
Hi Babs, thank you. My Dad is doing reasonably well. He had a heart attack last week, so that's why he's in the hospital. How could I possibly forget my friends at ap?
Thank you Fred, you are totally nuts! I was the only female not wearing a burqa at the airport of course. Anyone who has traveled to the UK recently will understand this statement.
As for the summer, is it too much to expect a glimpse of the sun even, on a 10 day visit? The high only reached a pathetic 62f here today. I expect to be going home suffering from S.A.D. However, I can probably buy one of those theraputic light boxes just in time for the Canadian winter.
As for the summer, is it too much to expect a glimpse of the sun even, on a 10 day visit? The high only reached a pathetic 62f here today.
Stop complaining. Don't you know there's a war on? : "Here is the Weather Forecast, issued by the Met Office at 0100hrs Wednesday: Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth: northerly 5 or 6,decreasing 4 or 5, mainly moderate, fog patches,moderate occasionally poor...."(it gets better after that)
You don't say which bit of the sceptred isle you are clinging to at present so it's hard to give a precise forecast of rain temperature for you. However, the general outlook for the days to Sept 4th is mainly dry with sun and occasional showers, windy, some thunderstorms. There is no current Met Office warning of frogs or murrain, but light locusts are due north north easterly off the Lizard around 1300h Friday (that being lunchtime, conveniently. Can't have the Lizard with no food to eat: it's a European Union directive 477796/45/2006 'Landmarks in Nutrition' The rest of us forecast meat pies,at half-time at Stamford Bridge, Saturday)
What is '62F'? Is that a shoe size in Canadian?
You can't take national Met Forecasts as 100 per cent accurate predictions, given local factors and changeability (their local ones are best) so best keep the burqa on, in case you need it to keep the blown sand out of your eyes. The Simoom can be quite nasty, driving across the dunes, frightening the donkeys and uprooting the beach huts.
Hope your Da is OK. Give him a pint of winkles.That should make him feel better different.
Day 4: and still no sign of the sun. No, I won't be going to the seaside in my burqa, because it's bloody raining, AGAIN. So, Fred-don't I look dapper in my nice white suit-Puli, let me tell you; even linen creases when wet.
quote:
What is '62F'? Is that a shoe size in Canadian?
Ha! You know exactly what it is. You've seen the headlines in the paper: "Blimey, 80! Britain prepares for a heatwave!"
Anyway, I only wrote the temperature like that for the Americans. In Canada we use celsius. I just wanted to show off my bilingual abilities.
quote:
Give him a pint of winkles.That should make him feel better different.
Flipping heck, Fred. Winkles! I don't want to finish Daddy off. He's on bland hospital mush. We'll wait a week or two, until we let him have winkles, jellied eels, spotted dick and the like.
Babs:
quote:
I've got skype now
Good grief, Babs, it sounds like some sort of vitamin deficiency, but I'll send you a phone number anyway. I'd be so pleased to hear form you.
Good grief, Babs, it sounds like some sort of vitamin deficiency, but I'll send you a phone number anyway. I'd be so pleased to hear from you.
I have been away for a while & have only recently returned, so I missed this thread, sorry, all... DG, how long until you leave these sodden shores? If you are here for a few more days & want to give me an address, I will send you a copy of Howard Goodall programmes on DVD. I could copy them tomorrow & post them to London, if that is acceptable. Then you could return to Ontario & play them at your leisure.
Fred! Winkles, indeed! England's answer to escargots, which of course nowadays come across the Channel through the Tunnel (previously they made the voyage contained in escargot sh...oh, never mind, that's terrible)
Your 'sea areas' comment jolted me into action. If you have not read Charlie Connelly's "Attention All Shipping", make it your next 'must buy', it is brilliant. I was in tears (of laughter) several times.
DG, all the best for your dad's speedy recovery, and I hope you return to Canada a lot happier than you were when you arrived.
Lots of love, Ritz (x)
PS Fred, I know and understand all the reasons for converting 'Finisterre' into 'Fitzroy', but I do feel that the word lacks the certain je ne sais quoi which enshrouds 'Finisterre'. I think when just a small boy, I subconsciously associated the word 'sinister' with it... it always sounded awfully deep, rolling and ominous. I have been interested in weather forecasting since those days, and the shipping forecast is as indelibly etched into my mind as clearly as my own name. Here is a website regretting the passing of Finisterre.
PPS Whatever happened to 'Scilly Automatic', and Channel Light vessel Automatic'...?
Posts: 3457 | Location: Marple Cheshire UK | Registered: 06-04-02
Just clicked into this from Beverley, East Yorkshire, UK. Yes, I'm here in England too, trying desperately to find my way around a QWERTY keyboard and spell-checking like crazy. Sadly, my father too is unwell, and I've been over here from France for over a week, which explains my lack of presence round Answerpool for a while. Sorry. He was discharged from hospital yesterday, but the news, while it could be worse, isn't that great, and my Mum is now nowhere near as young as she used to be. Fred, Ritz, babs and everyone - good to read your posts - don't think I've opted out of here. I hope to be back with you all soon though it may take a little time. Dancegirl - all the very best to your Dad. I empathise and understand and am right there with you. And yes - the weather in the UK just now is AWFUL!
Posts: 839 | Location: Paris | Registered: 04-28-03
Oh Colin, I'm sorry to hear about your dad, and I wish you and your family all the best. This is the hard thing about living overseas; when our families need us, it takes time to get to them, and we usually have limited time to spend with them, once we get there.
I, for one, had noticed that you hadn't been around AP lately, and I hope you can start posting again, on a regular basis, soon. Should you feel the need to talk, please don't hesitate to email me at the address in my profile. If nothing else, we can commiserate about the British weather. Take care, dg
I am very sorry to hear about your dad, Colin. We miss your posts here, and all hope for the best for you. I do hope that he can make progress and improve. Know, at the very least that you are in our thoughts.
Posts: 3457 | Location: Marple Cheshire UK | Registered: 06-04-02
dg
Hope your daddy makes a good recovery. And keep up the good work! And don't forget your old buddies here at A/P! 
: "Here is the Weather Forecast, issued by the Met Office at 0100hrs Wednesday:
