Stu and Pete - Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best, early Beatles

via beatlesnumber9.com

The two beatles that were part of the early line up.
Funny how this seems to be part of a great bands evolution.
The stones lost Brian Jones, and Pink Floyd lost Syd Barret.
Sees that there is someone that gets left behind is part of the
growth process.

The Beatles Story, Liverpool; museum and visitor attraction: Beatles Liverpool

Liverpool is, after all, the birthplace of the Beatles and the city that shaped their early music and lives. Experience the city that honed their sound and look through these famous locations from 1960s Liverpool. And once you've been to the Beatles Story there are all sorts of other Beatles experiences to enjoy while you're in Liverpool.

Magical Mystery Tour

Take a guided trip on the psychedelic tour bus, including world-famous Beatles sites from Penny Lane to Strawberry Field. For more information please call +44 (0) 151 236 9091 or visit www.beatlestour.org

The Cavern Club

The Beatles played the Cavern Club nearly 300 times, helping it become one of the most famous live music venues in the world. The club is buried deep beneath Mathew Street, in what were originally warehouse cellars, and had been used as air raid shelters during the Second World War.

The Cavern is still open seven nights a week with a range of live music nights and DJs and is also the finishing point of the Magical Mystery Tour, so you can pop in for a quick pint after you've seen the sights. For more information please call +44 (0) 151 236 9091 or visit www.cavernclub.org

Beatles Extravaganza Day Tour (also available in Spanish)

This tour is a must for the passionate Beatles fan. An all day tour taken in a comfortable minibus that gives you an insight into The Beatles formative years and takes you back to where it all began. You may know all the dates and songs, but it's no substitute for standing at the gates of Strawberry Fields or in Paul McCartney's bedroom.

The day includes a visit to the little known Casbah Club. The Beatles performed there many times and even painted the walls and ceilings. A brother of Pete Best (the original drummer) will show you around the Casbah. Our guides are all Beatles fans too, often with their own Beatles' stories to tell.

Visit www.pooloflifetours.com  or www.guiasdeliverpool.com for more information

Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road

The childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney have been faithfully restored by the National Trust. You can see the bedroom in Aunt Mimi's house on Menlove Avenue where a young John Lennon first began writing music, and the McCartney family home, where early Beatles rehearsals were held.

Tours to both sites run daily from March to October but advanced booking is essential. For more information please call +44 (0) 151 427 7231 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatles.

The Casbah Coffee Club

The Casbah first opened in 1957 when John, Paul and George appeared as the Quarrymen in the basement of a beautiful Victorian house in West Derby, where Mona Best - mother of early Beatles drummer Pete - had opened a coffee-dance club.

The Casbah is the only original Beatles venue to remain untouched and is considered the location where the Beatles first began. The site has been awarded a Grade II listing by English heritage. Tours can be booked in advance by calling +44 (0) 151 280 3519 or visiting www.casbahcoffeeclub.com.

International Beatles Week

International Beatles Week is the biggest Beatles celebration in the world. This week-long festival runs every August, featuring over 200 bands from across the globe, specialist Beatles events and the annual convention. For more information please call +44 (0) 151 236 9091 or visit www.cavernclub.org

Mathew Street Festival

Liverpool is home to Europe's largest free music festival. The Mathew Street Festival transforms the city with live venues and special outside stages across the city centre every August Bank Holiday Monday. For details please visit www.mathewstreetfestival.com.

Hard Day's Night Hotel

A luxurious addition to Liverpool's Beatles portfolio, the four star Hard Day's Night hotel features a music-themed art gallery, Bar Four, the Blakes restaurant - named after Sgt. Pepper artist Sir Peter Blake - and 110 rooms featuring unique artwork and spacious, luxury accommodation.

Mathew Street and the Cavern Quarter

Visit the Cavern Quarter once you've been down to see the legendary club itself. This winding part of the city centre is a tight network of former warehouses and has developed into a mecca for Beatles fans over the years, with a range of bars and shops dedicated to Beatles memorabilia.

The area is also home to Liverpool's musical Wall of Fame (which features the name of every band and solo artist to play at the Cavern since it opened in 1957) and a host of statues of the Fab Four, including a solo cast of John Lennon leaning against the wall, several group poses (including Arthur Dooley's bronze Four Lads who Shook the World opposite the Cavern) and the wistful figure of Eleanor Rigby on nearby Stanley Street.

 

via beatlesstory.com

Looks really brilliant and definitely one to go and see.

Pete Best of the Beatles Remembers - YouTube

via youtube.com

Great little interview with Pete Best the Beatles first drummer before Ringo Starr.
Very good guy, perhaps even better off that they let him go, he does not quite have to "play the game" of fame, kind of a softer version, obviously he is well known, but has the space where he is not always on television or perhaps feels the pressure to be the star personality all the time.

BBC News - The only living master of a dying martial art

via bbc.co.uk

This is really interesting. In this day an age a man feels that as part of his heritage he is trying to save an ancient art that is in risk of being lost.
We think it is great that he his a former factory worker, but has found a way to travel, learn more about his craft, and he has also attracted students and is endeavouring to keep the tradition alive.
Sikhs are part of the great warrior caste of the subcontinent, and it is amazing also that there are so many weapons that are not only part of the costume and also look very dealy in themselves.

BBC News - Nicolas Sarkozy: Greece should have been denied euro

via bbc.co.uk

Is this all clear to everyone? I have not idea what this is all about, they talk about it constantly in the news in the UK, and they do explain it, but it it difficult to understand how there is always a financial crisis of some kind, it never seems to get better, but they all stand around in suits and pose, and arrive in their cars and things get decided and on it goes.

BBC News - 7 billion people and you: What's your number?

The world's population is expected to hit seven billion in the next few weeks. After growing very slowly for most of human history, the number of people on Earth has more than doubled in the last 50 years. Where do you fit into this story of human life? Fill in your date of birth below to find out.

• 1. DATE OF BIRTH
• 2. COUNTRY
• 3. GENDER
• 4. RESULTS

NEXT

Where do you fit into 7 billion? Enter your date of birth to find out:

1500: the population is estimated at 500 million2011: 7,000,000,00015001525155015751600162516501675170017251750177518001825185018751900192519501975200020252050 1 billion2 billion3 billion4 billion5 billion6 billion7 billion8 billion9 billion10 billion

How big is your country's population? To find out, tell us where you live:

POPULATION 10002587

Every hour, there are:

15,347 Births 6,418 Deaths

Average yearly growth

+1.162%

Fastest-growing country

Qatar

+514 people per day

Average 2005-2010 Why?

Fastest-shrinking country

Moldova

-106 people per day

Average 2005-2010 Why?

Life expectancy varies across the world. Are you:

81.6 Female average

77.2 Male average

The average life expectancy in the UK is 81.6 years

Highest life expectancy

Japan

82.7 years

Average 2005-2010 Why?

Lowest life expectancy

Central African Republic

45.9 years

Average 2005-2010 Why?

this is the text

the amount the population has grown while you've been on this site

via bbc.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

What is really amazing to me is that how quickly the earth's population has grown in the last few hundred years, to think in the fifteen hundreds, we were looking at about five hundred million; if the population of the USA is about 300 million, that would be a big chunk of the world's population in the middle ages.

Garden design Crouch End - sketch out your ideas.

 

 

A well thought out design plan for your garden

will have a lot of benefits for you.

 

Even a simple plan scribbled on a piece of paper will

be a great help in visualizing how you garden might

look, even if your concept changes as you go along.

 

You will be able to envision which designs and shapes for your

garden might work well, especially in our smaller London gardens

where space might be tight.

 

You will be easily able to think about different layouts and designs

without spending hours reconfiguring your garden, only to realize that

another layout would be an improvement.

You will actually get a great idea of the actual space required.

and you'll  easily see how the design will look at a glance. 

There will be room to be creative, try some experiments, like

perhaps using a piece of coloured sponge to represent bushes in

three dimension, or use just use cut out a photograph from a

gardening magazine to give an idea of color.
You can sketch out a cohesive and well thought out plan for what your

finished garden re design will look like.

If you find you just simply don't have the time, or get to the weekend

and simply don't have the energy and focus to re create your garden don't worry!

 

Just contact Kitty Butterwick at info@planting-design.co.uk and get started

the process of working with an experienced and knowledgeable

planting and border design specialist specialising in North London and

the Crouch End area. You can do this today!

 

 

See the full gallery on Posterous

lovehome.co.uk: Small garden design ideas

via uktv.co.uk

This design style is reminiscent of a beach style house.
The hut is there for rainy days, and the shells, blue theme,
white rocks, and wood textures and desert plants all come
together to bring you the feel of being by the sea.
You could try this in your London garden too!

Only in England or Australia!

Well, I guess a lot of us are losing sleep over this one.

The Queen is apparently completely ok with the fact that the
Australian Prime Minister, Ms. Julia Gillard had determined that she
would not be bending at the knee to her majesty,
but instead, oh the nerve!, to bow to the Queen, and to shake her hand.
As far as Queen Elizabeth goes, this is acceptable, and we guess she will not be
cancelling her ten day trip over this!
Naturally, as it is their job, some of the media have kicked up a stink, and those with
a bit more of the monarchist mindset, feel that their prime minister is embarrassing them.
From the Palace, it seems the Queen is very little worried about the whole affair.
There was no indication that she was at all offended, and in fact is said to have been
really delighted with the absolutely warm Royal welcome she has been given.
There have been huge crowds cheering the Queen, all is well!

The Queen meets Geoffery Rush

Geoffrey Rush has met just met Her Majesty the Queen
during her special tour to Australia. Playing the speech
therapist to her father, a man called Lionel Logue,
Mr. Rush really scored in this role which has been highly
praised around the world. The film is Oscar laden and also
starred Colin Firth. They met after a Church service in Canberra,
the capital of Australia this weekend, on Sunday.
There was a significant amount of cheering for the Queen as
she attended the service at St. John the Baptist which is an
Anglican Church,

Crowds cheered her on as she attended St John the Baptist Anglican church.

Later this week on Friday she will open the commonwealth meeting, and
perhaps all the good wishes from the crowd outside may have been
recognition for the very same dress she was wearing happened to be the
one worn the Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding this year.

An unknown sum of money was contributed during the collection by the
Queen, who later also congratulated the great New Zealand All Blacks
rugby team for their exciting win over France in the World Cup Rugby Finals
in Auckland, New Zealand.

"The Queen congratulates New Zealand on their victory in the
Rugby World Cup Final and sends her warm wishes to the team
for their excellent performances.", one of her
Buckingham Palace spokesman said

The Queen is the patron of Motability

Motabililty,
There will be a big announcement tomorrow
about the Motability scheme, of which
Her Majesty the Queen is the Patron.

There will be changes in regards to the
more expensive vehicles on the scheme;
from now on, vehicles will be listed available only with
advance payments under two thousand pounds.

Also the parameters in regard to nominated drivers
is expected to change.
From January the first 2012, nominated drivers will
have to live within five miles of the recipient of the
Higher Rate Mobility component of the Disability
Living Allowance, which is the allowance used to
pay for the three year contract hire lease that disabled
people can get under the scheme.

This is to preserve the integrity of the scheme and
to shield the Motability from possible scheme abuse.
This has been stated as not being in response to
recent negative press, but in fact is the result of
six months of re-assessment of the scheme and how
it works, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs)
will not be affected by the new cap on Advance payments
as WAVs, will generally have a higher level of
requirement, if in doubt, you can contact Motability
Customer service: 0845 456 4566 M-F 8:30AM-5:30PM

Charles brings an artist on tour.

 

Photograph: Murdo MacLeod

 

With the upcoming tour planned for Prince Charles and his wife Camilla,

there will also be a following group of fifteen people travelling with him on his

tour to South African and Tanzania in November.

Charles has laid the groundwork for an Official Artist, to be part of his retinue.
The tour will be for eight days and will cover sixteen thousand miles there and back.
The journey will take Charles and Camilla to Quatar and Kuwait, but may not
including all official dignitaries and the normal people one might expect them to
visit. At ninety three, Nelson Mandela is apparently a bit to frail to receive a visit.

The artist is being protected from all the media and paparazzi attention, and

by bringing an artist along with him, Prince Charles is building a body of work

that may be a welcome addition to the Royal Collection.
Charles will most normally, if that term applies!, bring with him a valet, butler,

dresser, someone to do his hair, he will have a doctor in attendance, press

officers, secretaries, personal assistant, an equerry, and someone to handle the

logistics of it all.

The goal of the trip is somewhat ambassadorial, and the intent is to help build

strong relationships business wise for the UK.

Video: Queen marks Motability milestone with London 2012 Paralympic hopefuls - Telegraph

via telegraph.co.uk

Motability is really a brilliant scheme, we did not know that the Queen is actually the patron. Having just reached the point of the three millionth vehicle being presented, the scheme, which has been in operation since the 1970's is at least one organization that has gone from strength to strength.
Under the scheme, someone who is in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability living allowance or the War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement, can use their allowance to pay for a contract hire lease on a brand new vehicle, power wheelchair or scooter, every three years.
The scheme also has many Wheelchair accessible vehicles, (WAV's) which are leased for five years. These are the kind of vehicles with rear ramps for wheelchair access. Under the scheme, the recipient of the award also gets a full worry free care package which includes dealer servicing and maintenace, insurance, road tax managed for you (vehicles), windshield and tire coverage (vehicles), tire and battery replacement (Wheelchairs and scooters), RAC Motablity breakdown assistance cover (vehicles), and dealer call outs and home servicing/pick up delivery etc. (Powered wheelchair scooter).
Disabled drivers with a Blue Badge or in reciept of the Higher Rate Mobility Component, can also receive a copy of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, and small book about the size of a Reader's Digest, listing a number of days out with suitable amenities for disabled drivers.

The Queen presented the keys to the milestone vehicle and met with Paralympians, looks like it was a very special day.

Charles and Camilla to go on tour!

Charles and Camilla are going on a Royal Visit,
exciting news! The other Royal couple will be making
a visit to Tanzania and South Africa for a week,
beginning November the second, and ending on
November the ninth, and Charles, who believe it
or not is sixty two, will be adding visits to some of the
Arab Gulf countries at the end of this month also.
We wonder if they might be positioning themselves
to fill some of the gap left by Prince Andrew stepping
down from his role as business ambassador, because
a large part of the focus on this trip will be trade and
investment promoting on behalf of the UK, to help give
some support to bringing Britain into an economic
recovery phase, and also to help strengthen the
country's business partners as well. Included in the
focus of the visit will also be emphasis on the world
wildlife fund interests of Charles.

Organizing Gmail

http://collegeinfogeek.com/2011/10/a-5-step-plan-for-conquering-your-gmail-inbox/

 

Here is a great link from a college student regarding how to manage your gmail

inbox. Excellent, very simple article that clarifies the issues for disorganized

college students, gives tips how to get organized using labels, and gets you

on track to an organized life!

Royal Garden Parties

 

 

Not sure if we have ever had a Crouch End garden designed for

a Royal Garden Party, but, have you ever been to one of

the Queen's Garden Parties?

The doors open at three in the afternoon, and the event takes

place between four and six pm. Normally, the Her Majesty,

Prince Phillip, and the other Royals attending, will usually

at four.

The National Anthem is played when the Queen arrives,
and selections of different types of music will be played
throughout the event by one of the military bands that
will be playing.

The Royal family members, will then mingle with their

guests, through specially created avenues through the
guests called "lanes". Each member of the Royal Family
will meet at random with different attendees, presentations
are made, until they all gradually arrive at the tea tent

reserved for the Royals, and there they will meet further

guests. There are plenty of refreshments, the quantities
available are considerable, standard quantities being
perhaps, just over twenty five thousand cups of tea,

twenty thousand sandwiches, and twenty thousand

slices of cake. Usually there are about four hundred

staff in attendance at the event. The National Anthem is
played again at the end of the event, around six pm,

the members of the Royal Family depart, and the guests 

are left with a day of very special memories! 

Should Kate pose for Vogue.

 

Remember the movie, "The Devil Wears Prada " with Anne Hathaway,
Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, among other great actors?
Meryl Streep's role as the Editor of the New York based fashion magazine
"Runway", was based on Anna Wintour, the editor of American Vogue.
Anna has quite a reputation for being driven, scaring subordinates,
and getting what she wants.

Well apparently, what she wants, (word on the street), is Kate Middleton,
The Duchess of Cambridge, to pose for Vogue.
She is working on Prince William's photographer friend Mario Testino to
get the prized assignment. However, it is possible that Kate could demean
herself a bit to much if she acquiesces, and grants a Royal photography session.

She may find herself transitioning from being a reserved and private person,
into a glitzy and glamorous clothes mannequin. The memories still linger of
Diana, becoming a world celebrity and fashion icon, however with a price.
Allowing herself to be chased by the world's photographers,
being hustled though airports and becoming
"too available", she gave up a piece of her mystique.

This may have been her best move in a strategy to continue to be a powerful
force, having left the protective atmosphere of the Royal Family, but Kate is very
much a conservative figure who has obviously been warmly welcomed by the
Queen and the rest of the Royal relations, and will continue to play a solid
contributing role to the Monarchy, and be a symbol and representative for
many years to come.

It seems there is an interesting parallel with her sister Pippa, and the Queen
and her sister Margaret. The sister who has stepped into a significant royal
role is somehow shadowed by the other sister, who is a little more,
"entertaining", not constrained by having to live under the rigidity of court,
and having the freedom to continue to lead a relatively free private life.
Pippa's bottom, and Margaret's battles with the booze.
Kate will obviously not have to deal with that

 

 

What's this Our Kate not fashionable?

Aparrently, Mary Portas, says that Kate does not 

possess a sense of style.

This is simply and outrage!

Heads will roll!

She feels that Kate is doing a great job as a 

Global ambassador for the Royal Family profile

and the UK, but she does not understand how

The Duchess of Cambridge can be construed as

a fashion icon.

Discussing the Kate Middleton effect, it seems

anything she wears is an instant hit with female

shoppers, and also the fact that she buys 

high street brands is a big plus for British Retailers.

Mary, given the chance would go in and do a 

fashion makeover for many women political figures

in the UK, well, they just might need it, but 

leave our Kate alone Mary!

Cyclamen in Crouch End

Cyclamen come in all shades of all pink, red-colored, purple as well as bright 

warm purples..
A person can make excellent effects by combining the different shades or even growing
them in solid blocks of single colour. Bedding cyclamen are not frost
hardy so plant them in a sunny, sheltered spot. Remove any yellowing leaves
or foliage with botrytis (a fungus to which they are prone) to keep them tidy
and healthy. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering and they will give
you a lovely display all the way through the autumn.

New movie in production about Princess Diana

Just in, under development right now, is a new movie based on
the life of the UK's Princess Diana by a company called
Renassance Films, budgeted at fifty million dollars, the biographic
story  will attempt to be as accurate as possible, wtih the company
consulting with Diana's security experts

What is coming to light, as we well know, is that Diana was a
multi-faceted and complex personality, plus being a member of
the royal family, in addition to being probably the most photographed
woman of her time.

She has been described as a psychological "wagonload of monkeys"
by some who were the closest to her.

The shy girl we first new evolved into one of the most
 fascinating royal women of the last century.
The films producers will stay as close to
the truth as possible.

The production will focus on her life as a royal, the wedding and the
period of time as the Princess, and will likely conclude with the divorce
from Prince Charles.

Princess Beatrice, elegant and tasteful.

In the news, it seems that
Sara Ferguson's daughter, Princess Beatrice
is showing a well, shall we say, a fine set of pins!

Elegant, well dressed, well presented, and
obviously, she is a very charming young lady.

Shown here in a body fitting red dress
at a Paris fashion show, she looks set
to be a new style icon on the world's stage.

She was glimpsed at a special Tony Bennett
concert at Ronnie Scott's, and left with her
five year boyfriend, Dave Clark.

She has just completed her university finals,
and is all set for the road ahead.