All smiles on the South Korean stand.
Bulgaria excelled in wines. Yet again !
Miss Romanian fashion model
Going to Waterloo for the 100th anniversary in June 2015.
Taiwan stand.
Monday 12 October 2015
Tyler Rix at Redlees Park
Tyler Rix at Redlees Park
Sunday, 13th September. I was able to get away for a couple of hours to listen to Tyler Rix and his band on stage at Redlees Park. Billy Ocean was billed to appear later, but I could not stay for his performance, but no matter. Tyler Rix was superb. Backed by his funky soul band. He belted out classics and songs of his own composition. He is a great saxophonist yet still only 22 years old. What a talent !
60’s Swinging Routemaster Bus from Richmond to Teddington
60’s Swinging Routemaster Bus from Richmond to Teddington
Last Sunday, 27th September I took the 60’s Swinging Bus, a Routemaster on a return trip to Teddington. 1960’s tunes ringing around the bus. Not many people unt…il Teddington. Then the ‘Crazy Happy Gang’ got on board. Obvioulsy the elder members of the group remembered the 1960’s, so the sing-a-long began. It was like a party. Then some Irish Rugby supporters got on at Strawberry Hill and the liveliness continued.
I think I was the only one who got off at the end of the trip. All the others were going around again !
Fun commentary from the Conductor ?
Something well worth doing !
The RML
A view of the river towards Kew and Twickenham Bridge. On the right behind the trees is a few remains of Richmond Palace where Queen Elizabeth I died on 24th March 1603. It is also the bottom of the garden of Trumpeter’s House. It featured in Emma Orczy’s book The Scarlet Pimpernel.
To the left, at one time could be seen a single house at 1, Duck’s Walk. This was where the senior surviving officer on RMS Titanic lived. Charles Lightoller took his boat Sundowner across the Channel as part of the Dunkirk evacuation. He died in 1952, and the house stood there until the early 2000’s. There is a memorial plaque to him on Duck’s Walk.
Here are some of the jolly sing-a-long passengers who got on at Teddington buying their tickets from the host, ‘Mr Conductor’. Who gave an interesting commentary about the various pop stars associated with the area.
Richmond Bridge on the journey back. The white house with the Campanile is where Emma Hamilton. Nelson’s mistress once lived.
A view of the right of the river where boats leave for Hampton Court and Westminster.
The Odeon Cinema Richmond. The inside of the main cinema has a Spanish Courtyard theme. It was more impressive when it was a single cinema. I saw my first film there, Tarzan, when I was seven years old.
Returning to Richmond Athletic Ground. This was, in the early 1960’s, the home of The Crawdaddy Club. Where the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds first started playing at The Richmond Jazz Festival. Allegedly, Long John Baldry discovered Rod Stewart singing outside Richmond Station, so the story goes.
Crawdaddy Club Richmond
Back at the Athletic Ground waiting for the next trip. Some people enjoyed it so much. They went for a second ride. All aboard !
I think I was the only one who got off at the end of the trip. All the others were going around again !
Fun commentary from the Conductor ?
Something well worth doing !
The RML
A view of the river towards Kew and Twickenham Bridge. On the right behind the trees is a few remains of Richmond Palace where Queen Elizabeth I died on 24th March 1603. It is also the bottom of the garden of Trumpeter’s House. It featured in Emma Orczy’s book The Scarlet Pimpernel.
To the left, at one time could be seen a single house at 1, Duck’s Walk. This was where the senior surviving officer on RMS Titanic lived. Charles Lightoller took his boat Sundowner across the Channel as part of the Dunkirk evacuation. He died in 1952, and the house stood there until the early 2000’s. There is a memorial plaque to him on Duck’s Walk.
Here are some of the jolly sing-a-long passengers who got on at Teddington buying their tickets from the host, ‘Mr Conductor’. Who gave an interesting commentary about the various pop stars associated with the area.
Richmond Bridge on the journey back. The white house with the Campanile is where Emma Hamilton. Nelson’s mistress once lived.
A view of the right of the river where boats leave for Hampton Court and Westminster.
The Odeon Cinema Richmond. The inside of the main cinema has a Spanish Courtyard theme. It was more impressive when it was a single cinema. I saw my first film there, Tarzan, when I was seven years old.
Returning to Richmond Athletic Ground. This was, in the early 1960’s, the home of The Crawdaddy Club. Where the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds first started playing at The Richmond Jazz Festival. Allegedly, Long John Baldry discovered Rod Stewart singing outside Richmond Station, so the story goes.
Crawdaddy Club Richmond
Back at the Athletic Ground waiting for the next trip. Some people enjoyed it so much. They went for a second ride. All aboard !
Saturday 10 October 2015
The reality of a third runway at Heathrow.
The
reality of a third runway at Heathrow.
The vociferous
citizens of Richmond, Twickenham and Kew are forever campaigning against
Heathrow expansion.
Yet in
reality any expansion will not affect them. It will affect the citizens of
Heston and Osterley and in this instance people who live there, just see
Heathrow as a job opportunity.
Yet
another letter has appeared in the Richmond and Twickenham Times, they appear
in every copy. This one is entitled ‘Debating facts on new runway’. It is the
usual turgid waffle from a leader of a ‘NIMBY’ group. The author claims that
Heathrow is far from full, what with 98% runway usage. Who are these people?
Here are
some real facts worth considering.
(1)
A
third runway will give relief to the excessive use of runways 27L & 27R.
Therefore fewer aircraft over Richmond. There will also be less pressure for
night flights.
(2)
Aircraft
will be able to land quicker, rather than being stacked and waiting for a
landing slot. Stacking will still occur but delays will be greatly reduced.
(3)
The
areas of Heston, Osterley and Longford will be affected by the third runway.
Not Richmond, whose residents will be lucky to see an aircraft land on the
third runway, let alone hear it.
(4)
The
Boeing B787 is very quiet compared to older jets. I was sitting on the platform
at Hounslow East recently and Heathrow were on Easterly take offs. A Boeing 787
was just airborne, I could barely hear it, certainly, I would not have heard it
above a traffic din.
(5)
Complaints
are made about air pollution. Real pollution comes from motor vehicles,
especially diesel. Volkswagen, have been in the news recently about this very
matter.
(6)
Heathrow
is about jobs. People near Heathrow aspire to work there. Last year I went to a
Back Heathrow event at the Hilton Hotel, Sion Park. What struck me about the
attendees was that they didn’t even work at Heathrow, yet their businesses
depended on it, however small.
(7)
Cargo
is now being transported by road to Europe because slots cannot be found on available
aircraft. Articulated-lorries belching out diesel fumes, clogging up the roads
and making a sound in most cases, louder than modern aircraft.
(8)
Politicians
have their own agendas, although they may say they don’t support Heathrow
expansion.
(9)
The
Airports Commission have made their recommendation, it is for a third runway at
Heathrow.
(10) ‘Boris
Island’ in the Thames Estuary is a non-starter. It is right in the middle of a
major wildfowl migration area. Bird strikes on aircraft is a problem. It is
also too close to Stansted, London City and Amsterdam airports !
Rolls-Royce
figures on air traffic projections indicate that a third runway is essential at
Heathrow, in fact if one is to take the figures literally, a fourth runway is
needed at Heathrow, a second one at Gatwick and another at Stansted. A major
terminal was built on the location where the second runway was proposed to at
Gatwick.
Thai Airways Airbus A380 taking off from runway 09R : Photo © Robin Rix
Another impression released by Heathrow.
The picture above is how Heathrow looked when I took a photo from the Queen's Building during April 1966. With a Kodak Instamatic ! © Robin Rix
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