Important things to remember when staying at a serviced apartment

Serviced apartments are growing in popularity as a choice for accommodations when traveling to a different country. There are so many benefits to staying in a serviced apartment that people are beginning to realize that it is the sensible option especially for corporate travelers, budget travelers and people who travel in a large party. It is a great alternative to a hotel stay.

The Advantages of Corporate Accommodations

Business-related travel has become more and more common over the last decade, thanks in part to globalisation. It’s possible for companies to have international partners, suppliers, stakeholders, and consumers--and for managers to need to fly to another part of the world to discuss a potential business venture or check on a project. 

In the past, the typical accommodations provided to corporate personnel are hotels. This is a good option if you only plan to stay for a couple of days, but it’s not unheard-of for a business trip to last for weeks, or even months. For longer stays, a hotel room is not cost-effective solution and the hotel environment does not provide the homey feel that you would crave for if you’ve been far away from your family for such a long time. The better option is to book corporate accommodations like apartments to let. 

The Pearly Kings and Queens of London

Do you know that each London Borough has a King and Queen?

It's a colourful London tradition and one that has been kept alive by a few dedicated people, who remain figureheads for the capital's working class communities.

Today, around 30 Pearly Families continue the tradition to raise money for various charities.

A little bit of history

The London tradition of the Pearly Kings and Queens began in 1875, by a small lad named Henry Croft.

Henry was born and raised in an orphanage in Charlton Street, Somers Town, London, NW1. At the age of 13 he had to leave the orphanage and make his own way in life. He decided he would like to help those who were more unfortunate than himself, including the children back at the orphanage where he had spent his early life. He knew that in order to collect a lot of money he needed to draw attention to himself. So as Henry swept the market streets he started to collect all the pearl buttons he found that had fallen off of the clothes of people visiting the market, and when he had enough he started to sew them on his cap and then continued until his entire suit was filled, the very first smother suit. 

Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival 2012

Marching bands and the Pearly Kings and Queens in their spangly 'Smother Suits' covered in hundreds of pearl buttons are the main draw at this annual event. The festival starts at 1pm at Guildhall Yard with traditional entertainment before a parade to St Mary-le-Bow church for a harvest festival service at 3pm. All harvest festival offerings are donated to the Whitechapel Mission.

Or you can see them in Covent Garden this weekend (18th-19th August) collecting money for London charities. Check the Events page of the Pearly Society's website for details of more events.

London The Modern Babylon: BabyLondon

London: The Modern Babylon is a two-hour documentary from director Julien Temple about the city of London in which he tries to explain the culture and the history of his city.

London: The Modern Babylon is an upbeat celebration of a city where over 40 per cent of the population are now non-British, and over 300 languages are spoken. 

London has always been a vortex of changing social and racial identity – one of the liveliest  places on earth. 

The film takes us chronologically from the First World War and the 1920s explosion of neon through the bleak 1930s and the Blitz, with its "jaunty behaviour" and the greyness of the 1950s and 1960s, at last infused with colour by pop (the sparkle was only superficial, argues bubble-bursting Ray Davies: "The only thing swinging in London was handbags").

Through it all, successive waves of immigration add new notes to the cultural register.

Temple has made a collage, mixing film archive material and popular music with the voices of Londoners past and present, from musicians, writers and artists, to political radicals and ordinary people, to create a picture of the capital's changing face.

He also has explored the city’s social and economic divisions, terrorist bombs and violent street riots. 

He pays unequivocal homage to successive waves of incoming immigrants who have reshaped and revitalised London -- from Jewish to Irish, Caribbean to Indian - but not without pausing to show the ugly racial tensions they often faced.

Visually brilliant, through this documentary you can explore and understand the real London.

On the soundtrack, the Pistols and the Kinks, of course, but also Marie Lloyd, Laurel Aitken and that hero of hardcore, Max Bygraves.

So “London is definitively the Place for Me”. And what about you? 

To see the documentary click here

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I'm sorry but I can't tell you what it is: Secret Cinema

Although we have spoken recently about cinemas, this time we would like to tell you about a very very special kind of cinema.

Unfortunately I can't tell you what it is. That's the point of Secret Cinema, nobody is supposed to know what they will be doing or which film they will be watching before they turn up. 

Have you ever heard of secret cinema? 

Secret Cinema is an organisation that stages cinema events around London and the UK, selling tickets to audiences without them knowing what film they're about to see. 

Events incorporate theatre, live music and food with the aim of recreating the setting of the film to be screened. 

So If all you want to do is watch a movie, Secret Cinema probably isn’t for you. Its audiences like to act out the movies as much as watch them. 

“It's about creating a social cinema experience where the audience can connect with each other online and at the event." said the Secret Cinema's founder, Fabien Riggall when described the idea behind this innovative concept. 

Since 2007, Secret Cinema has screened classics such as Lawrence of Arabia and Alien to a largely delighted and seriously large group of people who can interact beforehand with film-specific sets and installations and actors dressed as characters from the movie. 

In June Secret Cinema put on the shows of a production of Ridley Scott's Prometheus, launched in tandem with the movie’s national theatrical release by Twenty Century Fox. The shows were produced with the full endorsement from Scott.

The interactive performances invited audience members to step inside the film and create a unique experience and journey, far beyond a traditional 2D or 3D viewing experience.

The line between actor and audience member was blurred with Secret Cinema's online community – it has 60,000 plus Facebook followers – signing up to take part in the London events and then the screening of the film, the identity of which is only revealed on the night of the event.

In one interview released for The Guardian on the 5th July 2012 Fabien Riggall argued that “the traditional way of film distribution just isn't working any more”.

What do you think about this? Do you really think that the traditional cinema is almost dead? And what do you think the cinema of the future could be?

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Heatherwick Studio: 'Designing the Extraordinary', V&A Museum

How many of you know this name? Thomas Heatherwick. Does this sound familiar?

Let me put it in another way:

How many of you recognise this picture?

Yes, it is the The Olympic Cauldron designed by "the Leonardo da Vinci of our times" Thomas Heatherwick.

Thomas Heatherwick’s cauldron for London 2012 is a game changer.

Heatherwick’s elegant design celebrates the plurality of the Olympic Games by creating 204 separate flames, one for each competing nation, which then visually unite into one. These individual vessels are made of hand-beaten copper etched with the name of one of the competing countries.

Heatherwick's work is currently the subject of a retrospective at the V&A in London.

This exhibition is the first ever major retrospective on the work of the British designer, one of the most exciting creative practitioners working in the UK today and it will be hosted by the V&A until the 30th of September.

A gallery full of ‘stuff’ − exquisite models, material samples, prototypes and sketches − tells the story of Thomas Heatherwick from his student days at the then Manchester Polytechnic, where he studied 3D Design in the late 1980s, to the international standing he now holds across design disciplines.

Moreover, the team's work to date includes a spinning chair, a rolling bridge, an expandable zip bag, a power station, an 'endless' bench and a brand new bus for London.

The V&A show is not chronological. Exhibition curator Abraham Thomas has opted instead for ‘themes and ideas about questions’ that emerge from Heatherwick’s burgeoning portfolio.

So if you haven’t been there yet, why not come to London and do so?

For pricing and opening time, please refer to the V&A website.

And... Enjoy!

CURIOSITY: Betty, code-named thus by the secretive organisers in honour of the executive producer's dog, the Olympic cauldron has moved away from centre stage after an elegant opening ceremony performance. For this reason the flame has been deliberately put out in order to relocate the massive structure to a new part of the stadium on the night between Sunday 29th and Monday 30th July. The Olympic organizers moved the flame to a holding lantern while the cauldron was put out and relocated. 

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Up, Up and Away! Spectacular views of East London from the new London Cable Car.

All aboard, the new London cable car! 2012 is the year of innovation in the capital, as the UK’s first urban cable car opens to the public. London is famous for its transportation, in particular the iconic underground logo; the Thames cable car offers the London transport system something a little bit different, just in time for the Olympics.

The UK's first cable car takes off just in time for the Olympics. (Photo Credit: Getty Images).

Sponsored by Emirates Air Line, the new London cable car transports Londoners one kilometre across the River Thames, offering a connecting service between two newly constructed terminals at Greenwich Peninsula by the O2 and the Royal Docks, beside the ExCeL conference centre. The Cable Car will be of great benefit during the 2012 Olympic Games and it is hoped that it will ease pressure on the London transport system as an extra 1 million enter the capital. There are 34 cabins, transporting 2,500 people per hour, travelling at an incredible 90 meters above ground level – this is the equivalent of 30 double decker buses at full capacity! Emirates, offering £36million of the total £60million cost, largely funded the project – they retain the legal retain rights over the name for the next ten years and will have their name incorporated onto London tube maps. Journeys made during peak hours will take five minutes, whilst off peak journeys will take ten minutes at a cost of £3.60 on an Oyster Card or £16 for ten journeys.

Boris Johnson, our Mayor of London has heralded the new urban cable car as “a stunning addition to London’s transport network, providing a much-needed new connection across the Thames” – upon the launch of the service, Johnson stated that his trip across the Thames made him feel like Yuri Gagarin, the Russian cosmonaut. It is understood that the Thames cable car is the first step in a scheme to revive the areas it covers, providing hundreds of jobs and stimulating growth over the next ten years.

Boris Johnson discussing the new Thames Cable Car.

Whilst the London Cable Car offers a new and exciting means of transport, Boris Johnson hasdescribed the view as “staggeringly beautiful”.  On the northward journey, expect views of London City Airport, Royal Victoria Dock and the Thames Barrier. The journey back down south is what you should be looking forward to though: passengers can expect spectacular views of the O2, Canary Wharf, the City, Greenwich and the Shard, all set out upon an urban canvas. So not only is the Thames Cable Car a viable and useful means of transport - it is an opportunity for Londoners and visitors alike to experience 360-degree views of the capital at a low cost.

The Emirates Cable Car opened for service on the 28th June 2012, just in time for the Olympics – it will serve three venues south of the river, as well as offering a link to the Olympic Park in the north. If you’re planning on spending the summer in London, have a look at Boutique London Lets properties in the Docklands area – a great last minute rental opportunity for London 2012 Olympics.

London 1948 to London 2012 Olympics

London last hosted the Olympics in 1948... how far have we come? 

Cost:

1948 – £732,000

2012 - £9.3bn

Athletes:

1948 – 4,104

2012 – 10,500

Competing Nations:

1948 – 59 nations sent athletes to London, with fourteen making their first official appearance. These included British Guiana, Burma, Ceylon, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. 1948 was the first year in which the Philippines, India and Pakistan competed as independent nations. Germany and Japan, as defeated powers were not permitted to send athletes to participate in the games, but after the signing of an armistice in 1943, Italy was allowed to compete. The Soviet Union decided not to send athletes over, at risk of losing to the United States.

2012 – This year, 216 nations are competing in the Olympic games.

London Olympics 1948 (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Sports:

1948 – 17

2012 - 26

Events:

1948 - 136

2012 - 302

Cost of Standing Ticket (athletics):

1948 – 3s 6d (17.5p)

2012 - £202

Television Viewers:

1948 – 500,000 across 50 miles of London; altogether there were 64 hours of programming.

2012 - 5,000 hours of love coverage will be shown in more than 200 countries to an estimated audience of up to 4 billion.

Olympic Torch Relay:

1948 – The torch relay lasted less than one day, making its way from Dover to Wembley Stadium.

2012 – This year’s relay began on ­­­18^th May, and will culminate after 70 days at the official opening ceremony. It has made 1,019 stops and has been carried by 8,000 runners.

London Olympic Games 1948 (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Venues:

1948 – Due to financial and time constrictions, it was understood that there was no need to build any new venues – tracks were simply adapted. Wembley Stadium was the center point of the games, with the 8,000 capacity Empire pool in Wembley hosting all aqua and boxing events – they simply covered the swimming pool and put a boxing arena on top of it. – how adaptable! There was no such thing as an Olympic Village – competitors were housed in canvas tents in Richmond and travelled to the venues by bus.

2012 – 2012 has seen the building of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village in Stratford. Despite the higher budget, organizers are still thinking green: waste water that used to clean the swimming pools at the Aquatic Center within the Olympic Park is also used to flush the toilets at the 17,500 seater arena.

Wembley Stadium, London Olympic Games 1948 (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Nutrition/Training:

1948 – Limited training. Olympic athletes had a slightly increased rations – the Royal Naval College in Greenwich gave their athletes eggs for breakfast but that was about it! London was going through tough times in 1948 and as such, there was no special diet – one ate what one had.

2012 – Athletes are provided with state of the art equipment, professional nutritionists and purpose built training facilities. Multiple training sessions a day and a very strict diet.

Planning time:

1948 – 18 months, on a budget of £743,000.

2012 – London won the Olympic bid on 6^th July 2005 and held their first board meeting on 3^rd October 2005.

London Olympics 2012, Olympic Village (Photo Credit: EU Infrastructure)

There is no doubt that London is the place to be this summer! So if you're heading down to London for the Olympic Games, think about Boutique London Lets for a centrally located serviced apartment. Look to Boutique London Lets for your last minute olympic apartment. Also, have a look at our post on Interesting Facts about the Olympic Games in 2012 - a must read!

    

Play Me, I'm Yours!

Maestro! As part of the 50^th anniversary of the City of London festival, ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ offers Londoners the chance to show off their nimble fingers as fifty street pianos are scattered across London town.

Initially commissioned in Birmingham in 2008, ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ has taken off at lightning speeds and set off on a musical journey across the world. The project enters its fourth year in London and will stay on our streets until the 13^th July 2012. UK artist Luke Jerram offers city dwellers the chance to contribute to the sights and sounds of London, as the musical give their fingers to the public. Jerram states that these street pianos are intended to inspire Londoners to engage with their city, allowing for increased self-expression and community spirit. Transporting hundreds of second hand pianos to areas in which musical instruments are not common place, he offers a gift to the community that will be valued on both a personal and social level. As they say - one man’s rubbish is another man’s gold!

So if you fancy a tinker, locate your nearest street piano today and start tickling those ivories! City of London Festival has set up a website for Londoners and tourists to promote their street performances and organize events to make the most of these urban pianos. You can also have a look at photos and video performances, if you need a bit of inspiration.