The Hotel Strand Continental in London that houses the India Club.

London

21 September 2017 21:21 IST

Was hub for nationalists during independence movement

The India Club in London, a hub for Indian nationalists in the U.K. during the independence movement in the 1930s and 40s, is fighting for its survival after plans emerged for the building to be demolished internally.

The Club has its roots in the India League, which campaigned for Indian independence, and is located near India House — the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom.

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It has functioned as an Indian restaurant and hangout for Indian journalists and intellectuals since 1946, with former Indian Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi among its guests over the years.

Now, the leaseholders of the six-storey Edwardian building it is housed in at 143-145 The Strand in the heart of London have discovered a planning application made by the landlord with the local Westminster Council to convert the interiors of the building into a modern hotel establishment.

“This is a tragedy. We have done everything possible to retain the ethos and spirit of the place. We intend to build as much community support as possible to preserve this piece of Indian history,” said Yadgar Marker, the director of Goldsand Hotels Limited trading as The Strand Continental Hotel, which houses the India Club.

Parsi-origin Marker has been running the establishment with his wife, Freny, since they rescued it from ruin in 1997. He is now campaigning for it to receive listed status from English Heritage as a historically important landmark to save it from extinction.

The campaign has already received some high-profile backing, with Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor speaking out in favour of a Club co-founded by his late father, journalist Chandran Tharoor, along with V.K. Krishna Menon, independent India’s first High Commissioner to the U.K.

“The India Club has, for many years, offered a home away from home for Indians. It is iconic, as it has continued to preserve its old world charm. Given the importance of The India Club to Londoners and Indians alike, I am of the belief that it should be bestowed with ‘heritage status’,” writes Mr. Tharoor in his endorsement letter.

Low-cost option

The club is located on the first floor of the Strand Continental, a 26-room hotel always in high demand as a low-cost option in central London for travellers. The linked India Restaurant, which serves South Indian food, has been popular for its rustic and authentic Indian feel. “We have deliberately held on to the formica tables and other dated aspects, including old photographs and portraits, to retain the feel of 1940s India when nationalists would gather around cups of tea to deliberate on Indian independence. The feedback on the food and the architecture of this little India is always heart-warming,” said Mr. Marker, who is also preparing to launch a petition against the planning application that proposes to tear down the interiors. The club is the contemporary incarnation of the India League — established by Annie Besant in 1921 and then revived by Krishna Menon in 1929.

Most of the meetings of the India League were held at the House of Commons but a good proportion were held at the India Club on the Strand, according to William Gould, Professor of India History, University of Leeds.

“The India Club, especially because of its connections to the India League, is one of the most important heritage sites for South Asians in the U.K., and not just in London,” said Mr. Gould.

“It was one of the key sites for the discussion and planning of how British public opinion could be changed to favour Indian independence, and after 1947, it was the main lobbying organisation in the U.K. around Indian political affairs,” Mr. Gould said.


Frank has a business trip to Athens, Greece – which we’ve been talking about turning into a Europe trip. Normally I spend weeks going through options, checking multi-destination flights and ticket prices. Out of the blue, Frank tells me he found tickets to Paris on air miles – super low air miles. And he booked them! It was like winning a trip on a game-show. I’ve never had someone book a trip for me! Wow! This must be how Oprah does it! 😉

Wanderlust. Is that one word? Spell check (my dear old friend) hasn’t drawn its jagged red line, so I guess it is one word.

Wanderlust. Why me? That deserves an exclamation point too. Why me?! I have the life. All the comforts of a very nice life; caring husband, healthy happy child, family and friends, nice home in wine country, vacations, etc… Looking at this list, there’s something interesting -would most people list more “things?” I have mentioned my home I guess.

I even have a job now. When I started this blog I didn’t have one – that’s when the writing stopped. It took some time to get adjusted to the new way of life. Even my job is nice. Three flexible days a week at a tech company. The people are wonderful to work with and the environment is fantastic. There’s “beer on deck” on Fridays, where we all hang out. We had a “real” Christmas party this year. No one has an office, not even the CEO -he has an open work space like the rest of us. Mixed drinks on Thursdays. Home-made waffles. I could go on. You get the point.

All of this and I still want to leave. I come home from a trip (the latest was the Big Island), and I’m ok for a week or two. Then the ache starts. I long to go somewhere. I start checking Expedia for flights. That’s when my dear sweet husband tells me we just got home and can’t afford the time or money to go on another one now. I secretly mope and tell him “I know… I just like to look.” Which is true. I don’t mention the ache – the desire I have to explore.

I want to explore. No. I need to explore. But why?

Is it because my job isn’t mentally rewarding enough? During law school I had wanderlust, but not as bad. It’s something to ponder. I’ll think about it and write more. I’d love to hear what other people experience…

Do I get paid for advertising for the Fairmont? No. Back when I made my original posts, it was around our trip to Boston. And as usual, the Fairmont treated us quite well. They upgraded us to a signature suite. On our first evening they gave us a lovely gift – a signed copy of the Catie Copely book for our two-year old, along with a soft stuffed dog. How sweet!

Now keep in mind, we are loyal Fairmont patrons, but we are not the biggest spenders. I can honestly say we have never paid more than the rate for a basic room. What we have done is been loyal guests at the Fairmont. Over the last 5 years we have continued to stay at the fairmont for at least two weeks per year. On various trips (both vacation and last minute business), we seek out Fairmonts are reserve there.

One such time was an emergency trip to Vancouver where we found ourselves standing in the hallway of Vancouver General at 3am with a crying baby, hoping and praying my uncle would live through the night. We had just flown in from San Francisco and had an emergency briefing from the doctors. It was cruise season and all the hospital’s recommended hotels were booked. One call to the Fairmont and they had a room ready for us, and gave us a super-low rate due to the emergency situation. We arrived at the hotel to find a small selection of food in our room as well as a note saying they were happy to have us and sorry it was under such dire circumstances. When my other uncle and father needed to fly in the next day, the Fairmont assured they had rooms next to us and at our same low rate.

I’m babbling.

Long story short, we just had a wonderful stay at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island, Hawaii. It was there that I learned about the Fairmont credit card and its wonderful benefits.

Early bird gets the hotel room on hotwire.com. Late bird gets the Fairmont.

What can I say? I did the whole betterbidding.com thing, found the Omni Park Hotel on hotwire for $183, and didn’t book it. Went back two days later and not only was the hotel not listed on hotwire, but it was sold out on all other sites!

Time to re-start my search. A big part of why the Omni was such an ideal option was its location in the center of downtown Boston. We want to take the Freedom Trail Tour, and don’t want to be far away from the hotel in case the little one loses it.

The Taj has a decent location, but it was $250 a night! At that price I might as well look at the Fairmont. I mentioned before, I’m a member of the Fairmont President’s Club. And look what just arrived in the mail. (Do they scan my computer?!)

Again, not cheap. But they did have it listed on Expedia for $292 per night. It wasn’t clear if that’s cancelable or not. That’s a steep rate for something non-cancelable. So I called the president’s club line. An actual person answers the phone! Yes! And Canadian, so quite nice and easy to work with. She let me know that the rate was non-cancelable. Ugh. That’s really too much money to lose if Francesca is sick or something changes.

I asked her to check the AAA rate, and turns out it’s $306/night, but you get a $50 voucher towards food at the hotel. Nice! That means breakfast.

Have you seen the door-hanging breakfast cards at the fairmont? I love them!

If you’re a control freak like me, or risk averse, sites like Hotwire.com are ones you stay away from. Personally, I can’t imagine going online, booking a hotel and not knowing which one it is. After spending a zillion dollars on flights to some destination, I do not want to spend a gazillion on some hotel that has not gone through the proper vetting process.

By vetting, I mean using tripadvisor.com. In the olden days, before tripadvisor, you would look up a hotel online (apparently not that olden of days), and pray they weren’t scamming you. The worst was one you’d get to the hotel and find that half the place had been renovated and the other half was pre-1970. Yuck! This happened to us once at the Kensington Close Hotel in London. My husband (at the time we weren’t married yet) and I were taking a trip to London with his parents. They live in the Netherlands, so we traveled from there, via the ferry in Calais, France, to London.

I was in charge of getting us a hotel. So I went online and found the Kensington Close Hotel. It had a great location, decent price, and good looking rooms. Here’s what the web-site showed:

Not bad, right?! I was so excited when we checked in. The last time I was in London was just after high school, and it soon became my favorite city (although it’s a toss up now with Paris). We check in, get rooms on the same floor, and head up the elevator.

We got off the elevator, and stepped into a dilapidated hallway. uh-oh. Then we opened the doors to our rooms, and double uh-oh. I was mortified. It looked like the room hadn’t been updated since the London bombings of WWII. And they had been a casualty of such bombings! The wallpaper was peeling off the wall, even hanging in one spot. The carpet had huge stains on it, the wall had mold in the seams, and the bathroom – really, I can’t go into it in fear that some of you reading are eating right now. Needless to say, the photo on the website did not match the room I walked into.

Frank’s parents put on their best face and acted like everything was ok. Keep in mind, this was a decent priced place, not CHEAP. It was down-right nasty. Here’s the matress:

We were EXHAUSTED after the long day of travel, and really needed a shower. Naturally, the tub was clogged. By the time the water got hot, I was standing in a foot of cold water and needed to take a quick shower so A) the tub wouldn’t overflow, and B) Frank had time to shower before it DID overflow.

By the time I was done getting ready, doing my best not to touch any surfaces, I was pissed! And embarrassed! My in-laws are very sweet, polite people that wouldn’t think of going down to a front desk causing a ruckus. So I had to do it myself, and certainly not in-front of them. After all, what future daughter-in-law wants their in-laws to know what a Bitch there son will be marrying?! right?

I walked down to the front desk and asked them to change our rooms. I was informed this was a standard room. I asked the clerk to open their website, which he did. Then I asked him to look at the photo (above) and tell me if he thought they looked the same. “No, the one on the site is an updated room.”

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH….. so That’s how this works!

After barraging him with the whole false advertising spiel, we were handed the keys to our lovely new, updated room. The one I had intended to book in the first place. All is well that ends well.

I was fortunate enough to find Tripadvisor early-on, and have used it for every hotel booking since! That’s my vetting process – check tripadvisor. Easy enough. But without knowing the hotel name, I’m outta luck. Or maybe not… thanks to betterbidding.com.


The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (season 3)

The third season of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody aired on Disney Channel from July 23, 2007 to September 1, 2008.
Zack and Cody Martin are twin brothers who move into the Tipton Hotel in Boston with their mother, Carey, where she sings and performs in the lounge. The show also centers in London Tipton, the daughter of the hotel owner, who is very wealthy and ditzy, the hotel's down-to-earth candy-counter girl, Maddie Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Moseby, the strict, dutiful, and serious manager, who is often the foil to Zack and Cody's schemes and has a liking to the piano, pocket hankies and ballet.

The returning recurring characters who were introduced in previous seasons, include: Adrian R'Mante as Esteban, Brian Stepanek as Arwin, Sophie Oda as Barbara, Aaron Musicant as Lance, Sammi Hanratty as Holly, Bo Crutcher as Skippy, Tyler Steelman as Mark, Charlie Stewart as Bob, Robert Torti as Kurt, Brittany Curran as Chelsea, Patrick Bristow as Patrick, Camilla & Rebecca Rosso as Jessica and Janice, Anthony Acker as Norman, Sharon Jordan as Irene, Marianne Muellerleile as Sister Dominick, Jerry Kernion as Chef Paolo, Ernie Grunwald as Mr. Forgess, Kaycee Stroh as Leslie and Alexa Nikolas as Tiffany. After being absent in season two and in almost every season three episode, Estelle Harris returns in the series finale as Muriel.

Alongside the old recurring cast there are also new characters introduced: Giovonnie Samuels as Nia Moseby, Kara Taitz as Millicent, Cierra Ramirez as Jasmine, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Amy, Jaelin Palmer as Leah, Jareb Dauplaise as Wayne and Tara Lynne Barr as Haley.

Not returning for this season are the following cast members: Monique Coleman as Mary Margaret, Alyson Stoner as Max, Allie Grant as Agnes, Vanessa Hudgens as Corrie, Dennis Bendersky as Tapeworm, Gus Hoffman as Warren and Caroline Rhea as Ilsa.

Special guest stars and notable appearances in this season include: Michael Clarke Duncan as Coach Little, Meaghan Jette Martin as Stacey, Mark Indelicato as Antonio, Kathy Najimy as Principal Milletidge, Kay Panabaker as Amber, Tony Hawk as himself, Jaden Smith as Travis, Drew Seeley as Geoffrey, Kelsey Chow as Dakota, Daniella Monet as Dana, Chris Brown as himself, The Cheetah Girls as themselves and Nicole Sullivan as Miss Klotz.

Plot
In the season premiere, Cody graduates from Buckner Middle School, however Zack has to go to summer school because he failed English but ends up being the best in class. Cody searches for a summer job and ends up working at Paul Revere Mini Mart, which is managed by Wayne Wormser. Maddie becomes a camp counselor and finds that she needs to spend the summer with a group of juvenile girls including Holly, the little con-artist and hustler from the season two episode "Have a Nice Trip". London Tipton gets a summer romance with the hotel employee Lance, despite her friends not being supportive of the couple since he's poor and constantly embarrasses her. He ends up breaking up with her before the end of the summer. Mr. Moseby's niece, Nia replaces Maddie in the hotel candy-counter and becomes friends with Zack, Cody and London. Once summer is over, Zack, Cody, London (who was expelled from Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Catholic School), Nia, Barbara, Bob and Mark join Cheevers High School and end up getting in trouble in the first week. After being away in Antartica, Maddie returns and also joins Cheevers High School. In the beginning she doesn't get along with Nia. London starts a web show titled "Yay Me! Starring London Tipton", produced by Cody and eventually Maddie too.
In the episode "Let Us Entertain You" the SS Tipton is first introduced when Zack and Cody get an offer to stay at the King Neptune suite if Carey accepts to sing at the cruise. This ship will be the new main setting in the Suite Life spin-off The Suite Life on Deck. In the series finale, we finally get to know why Muriel disappeared during seasons two and three: she had been retired for a few years.
This season also includes an episode titled "Lip Synchin' in the Rain" that aired in the same night as High School Musical 2 and is about a school production of High School Musical.

Theme song and opening sequence
The theme song is the same as in previous seasons, with the opening sequence replacing a few scenes with new ones from season three.

Cast

Main cast
 Dylan Sprouse as Zack Martin
 Cole Sprouse as Cody Martin
 Brenda Song as London Tipton
 Ashley Tisdale as Maddie Fitzpatrick
 Phill Lewis as Mr. Moseby
 Kim Rhodes as Carey Martin

Special guest cast
 Michael Clarke Duncan as Coach Little

Notable appearances
 Meaghan Jette Martin as Stacey
 Mark Indelicato as Antonio
 Kathy Najimy as Principal Milletidge
 Kay Panabaker as Amber
 Tony Hawk as himself
 Jaden Smith as Travis
 Drew Seeley as Geoffrey
 Kelsey Chow as Dakota
 Daniella Monet as Dana
 Chris Brown as himself
 The Cheetah Girls as themselves
 Nicole Sullivan as Miss Klotz
 Estelle Harris as Muriel

Recurring cast
 Brian Stepanek as Arwin Hawkhauser
 Giovonnie Samuels as Nia Moseby
 Adrian R'Mante as Esteban Ramirez
 Sophie Oda as Barbara Brownstein
 Aaron Musicant as Lance Fishman
 Sammi Hanratty as Holly
 Kara Taitz as Millicent
 Cierra Ramirez as Jasmine
 Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Amy
 Jaelin Palmer as Leah
 Jareb Dauplaise as Wayne Wormser
 Bo Crutcher as Skippy
 Tyler Steelman as Mark
 Charlie Stewart as Bob
 Robert Torti as Kurt Martin
 Brittany Curran as Chelsea
 Tara Lynne Barr as Haley
 Patrick Bristow as Patrick
 Camilla & Rebecca Rosso as Jessica and Janice
 Marianne Muellerleile as Sister Dominick
 Jerry Kernion as Chef Paolo
 Ernie Grunwald as Mr. Forgess
 Kaycee Stroh as Leslie
 Alexa Nikolas as Tiffany

Co-stars
 Sharon Jordan as Irene
 Anthony Acker as Norman

Episodes

 This season consists of 22 episodes.
 Filmed from 2006 to 2007.
 Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Phill Lewis and Kim Rhodes are present in every episode.
 Ashley Tisdale is absent in eleven episodes ("Summer of Our Discontent", "Baggage", "Sleepover Suite", "The Arwin That Came to Dinner", "First Day of High School", "Of Clocks and Contracts", "Arwinstein", "Orchestra", "A Tale of Two Houses", "Tiptonline" and "Benchwarmers") due to the filming of High School Musical 2.

References

External links

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Category:2007 American television seasons
Category:2008 American television seasons


Both hospitals will re-schedule appointments ahead of the planned five-day strike next week

Dr Al-Any worked at the Whittington Hospital in 2013. Photo: Steve Parsons

The Whittington Hospital said it will have additional consultants, specialist nurses and pharmacy staff in the emergency department to minimise waiting times.

The hospital will be contacting patients to reschedule non-urgent services and asks anyone with an appointment or operation scheduled during the planned strike action to be in touch.

The Royal Free said it would be contacting patients whose treatment is affected, although it is trying to keep cancellations to a minimum.

A Royal Free spokeswoman said: “The emergency departments (accident and emergency units and urgent care centres) in all three of our hospitals will remain open and we will ensure there is appropriate cover in those departments.”

A Whittington spokeswoman said: “We would like to reassure all our patients that we will continue to provide urgent and emergency care throughout these latest planned strikes.

“Throughout the planned industrial action will do our best to minimise waiting time for patients in our emergency department.

The British Medical Association announced junior doctors will stage a full withdrawal of labour for five days, between 8am and 5pm, September 12-16, as part of a series of strikes.

– If you are a junior doctor with views about the strike action, contact anna.behrmann@archant.co.uk

I live in the north west of London in the United Kingdom. Like the rest of the country, I have been looking on in bewilderment at the Brexit deal while politicians on both sides of the house vie for political supremacy. Divisions in government make for good news headlines but do nothing for the public’s confidence in its institutions.

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As part of a major refurb, the London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale has renamed its three new-look function rooms to reflect the geography and rich history of the area. The largest, perfect for weddings and large meetings, is named after a Hampstead subterranean river, The Westbourne.


It all began not so long ago. On a dreary January evening, as I sat in my mouldy tiny dorm without any heating, I began to fantasise.

In my previous post I talked briefly about how I found my way into the world of sex work. After a long string of abysmal relationships (and each one deserves a post of its own), I decided that my compensation for the time wasted is long overdue. A couple of days after breaking up with my last ex, I signed up to a funny little website which some of you have heard of – Seeking Arrangement.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Seeking Arrangement; it’s a social network designed to put wealthy men who want sex and companionship, in touch with broke naive (usually) female students who are ready to sell themselves cheap. Ignoring the familiar cover-buzzwords such as “companionship” and “mutual affection”, it is essentially freelance escorting/sugar-coated prostitution. Either due to the current economic climate or due to the enormous number of escorting agencies popping up like mushrooms after the rain, a thing such as “allowance” seems to be pretty unheard of these days. Everything boils down to “pay per play” which is usually far below the hourly rate of what an average escort makes.

As a general rule, the girls on the website are divided into several categories: professional escorts who are on the prowl for cheaper escorting experiences. There are also some self-entitled “princesses”. The latter believe that men must fall at their feet and throw thousands of pounds a month at them just for existing without actually doing anything other than breathing the same air as them. Some girls are looking for their one true love (but that true love must ideally be an oil magnate or a media mogul). And then there are a few girls like me, who have absolutely no bloody idea what they are doing on there.

The men are a different story. It goes without saying that most of them are in fact, married.

Species #1 are usually very married and very horny. Some are serial adulterers, but others are encouraged to have mistresses by their wives.

Species #2 is the Older Gentleman who is either divorced or chooses to remain an eternal bachelor. Usually very capricious and will expect you to turn up at any specified location at a snap of his fingers.

Species #3- the Young and Cheap. Usually, they are young businessmen and banker-boys who make a decent living but will very much treat you like a whore (in the worst intended sense of that word). Don’t expect to be spoiled and worshipped; he will be mercilessly negotiating the price down while wanting no strings attached because he feels that he is entitled to special treatment due to not being “some gross old dude”.

Species #4 The Tip-Toer. Usually married (on average for about 5-10 years) and wants something fresh and exciting. Alas, his conscience doesn’t let him sleep at night. He usually has little kids, but his wife will not take it up the arse. They have not had sex in over two years, and the question of blowjobs has probably never come up at all. You may even end up going out for a drink, but chances are nothing will actually ever happen because he simply enjoys chatting to younger girls and feeling desired.

My first encounter was with Species #2 and let me give you a piece of advice gentlemen, never use the same profile picture on a sleazy hook-up website as your LinkedIn. I knew everything about him within the first 2 minutes, but boy, his blandness exceeded all my expectations. He had a personality of a soggy cream cracker. His profile picture was at least a decade old while his skin looked like a crossover between cracked latex and old parchment paper. When I entered the pub where we agreed to meet for lunch, he was busy scooping out his tomato puree from a glass with a celery stick. He was not in the slightest interested in getting to know me and surprisingly, was not interested in intimacy either. Instead, he spent the next hour mansplaining to me the bare basics of my degree (political sciences). I excused myself and left, or rather, ran without looking back.

My next encounter also fell into the second category perhaps, but I would have classified him as more of an “amoeba”. He reminded me of an overgrown stick insect who spent most of his time living alone, talking to his dogs and staring at stock-market charts. He, in fact, exceeded the first gentleman in his lack of personality and was clearly, absolutely terrified of talking to me. After chugging about 5 fancy cocktails he finally croaked “You have very hairy arms. It’s rather unusual”. Which I guess sounded like a compliment in his head. He then proceeded to tell me all about his irritable bowel syndrome and clinical depression, which caused him to want all of humanity to become extinct. His final attempt at flirting was trying to rope me into some “Mother Earth” cult.

There were others too. A very wealthy lawyer I spoke to on the phone who openly told me that girls like me “do not belong on SA” and I should go back to “reading Harry Potter or going to Comicon conventions”. He sincerely believed from the bottom of his heart that women should neither work nor go to university nor vote. He asked me out to dinner but when I cut short his interrogation about my favourite sex-positions and showcased my understanding of abstract mathematical concepts (I genuinely don’t know how we got onto that topic) he hung up, blocked my number and sent me a horrible message on SA saying that I am “rude and act like an 80s power woman” (the latter I took as a compliment)

There were a couple of Tip-Toer specimens who droned on about their boring domestic lives, and I can no longer even recall their names, let alone their faces. There was one who looked like an absolute movie star, and I wanted to do unspeakable things to him from the moment I saw him. Sadly (for me), he was really into watersports (does not mean what you think it means) and being paraded on a leash in a gimp mask.

And then I met Stephen*. Stephen contacted me himself, and to this day, I don’t quite know what to make of that encounter. He wanted fun and was not even particularly interested in learning my name. He turned out to be a very big Broadway producer with Ivy League education and millions in his coffers. For a wealthy man of his caliber, he was rather cheap when it came to “fun”. We had tea and macaroons at one of the most luxurious hotels in London, and then we proceeded to “the next level” for about 1.5 hours in his hotel room. Sexually, not a lot actually happened, and I left with 500 pounds which he had discretely slipped into my purse. This was the easiest money I had ever made in my life. We repeated the experience a couple of days later while he was still in town for business and this is the story of how I made my first grand from just sleeping next to someone in the same bed. Even though it was supposed to be a continuous arrangement, I never actually saw him and heard from him again.

There was also Adam*, a handsome silver fox and #1 specimen, who to my greatest shock and horror turned out to be the father of a kid I went to primary school with over a decade ago. Nevertheless, that did not stop him from being spectacular in bed and handing me an even more handsome envelope of cash. We saw each other twice.

But after that my interest in seeking arrangement and sugar daddies waned and I thought that it was time to make things a bit more efficient and professional.

It was time to find an agent…


Tag Archives: Threesomes

This couple met and got married in London at a tender age. Today, this man is 40 and his wife is 35. They both consider their marriage for what it has become. According to David, his marriage is just for circumstances. It’s devoid of romance and chemistry.

So, what’s next for David, divorce? No way. Dissolving their home, finances and family is just not an option for him. No, opting to stay in this marriage is the practical option.

Late last year, David decided that he was going to venture out in the city; he was going to experience London by going out more and hanging out with friends. That is when an idea popped into his mind, and he decided to Google a London-based escort by the name Sandra (not her real name). At first, David was concerned about the cost, discretion, and health risks that came with hiring a high-end escort. Good news is, Sandra stated on the internet that she gets screened every two months, and that she’d use a condom because staying healthy was her priority. Also, David read that Sandra was a part-time porn actor. He was very encouraged to try her out.

After several email and text communications, David set out to meet Sandra in the foyer of a London hotel. After settling into the room, Sandra asked David to have a shower with her; which he happily agreed with. By the way, it was the first time he’d exposed his naked body to a woman other than his wife or doctor in a long time. It felt exhilarating. As he watched Sandra soap her breasts, then reach for his cock he wondered why he had waited so long to take this adventure. As the soap washed from their bodies Sandra went to her knees, sucking his dick while the warm water pelted them both like rain. He came like an explosion in her mouth, and she sucked him dry before letting him go.

Ever since, David has developed a special affection for London escorts. Even though he knew that Sandra treated this as a job, David admits that there was a thrill associated with knowing that Sandra didn’t view sex as just another chore. Today, David can’t separate himself from escorts in London.


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The footnote has been flagged on social media as suspicious and, indeed, its appearance in the government document lends it that quality, but the explanation could also be a political one: The campaign did not want Trump visiting Russia during the election because the political signal it could send might not have been helpful. The question, then, is what would the goal of the trip be for the low-level staffer? Would the trip have been aimed at improving relations with Russia or colluding around the release of “dirt”? The outcome of Mueller’s investigation will hinge on such still-unanswered questions.

A footnote in the government document sheds additional light on the discussions within the Trump camp at the time. After hearing about Russia’s entreaties for a Trump visit, one senior campaign official forwarded the note on May 21 to another and added, “We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal.”

Roughly two months after their first meeting, in May 2016, Papadopoulos received a message from his contact that “I have just talked to my colleagues from the MFA. The[y] are open for cooperation.” Papadopoulos communicated this back to a “high-ranking campaign official” and continued to have discussions with members of the Trump campaign about Russia throughout the month.

Within a month, Papadopoulos was introduced to an individual claiming to be connected to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to try and set up such a meeting. On April 26, he met the professor at a London hotel, where he was informed about the “dirt”: “The Russians had emails of Clinton.” From here, Papadopoulos furiously communicated with Trump campaign officials to set up meetings between them and representatives of the Russian government. He thanked his contact for helping to make these connections, telling them that “it’s history-making if it happens.”

Papadopoulos first joined the campaign as an adviser in early March 2016. According to court documents, later that month, while traveling in Italy, he met a London-based professor who claimed to have connections to the Russian government. Shortly thereafter, that individual introduced him to a woman who claimed to be a relative of Vladimir Putin. She met with him in London. Papadopoulos reported back to the Trump campaign several times that he was working on building connections with Russian officials, stating at a meeting on the last day of March, attended by Trump, that he had connections that could “help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and President Putin.”

In interviews earlier this year with FBI agents investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, Papadopoulos repeatedly lied about his activities. On July 27, he was arrested while arriving at Dulles International Airport. He pleaded guilty on October 5.

Since his arrest, the unsealed document said, he has been cooperating with federal investigators.

A former adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign secretly pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with representatives of the Russian government during the campaign. According to court documents unsealed Monday, George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser on Trump’s campaign, confessed to repeatedly attempting to set up meetings between individuals connected to the Russian government and Trump, including people who claimed to have “dirt” about presidential rival Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails.”

Wow. Read this section of the Papadopoulos charge, including the footnote. Someone “low level” has to visit Russia as to not send a signal. pic.twitter.com/Qz2c1zNQ6Y

According to the court filings, “From mid-June through mid-August 2016, PAPADOPOULOS pursued an ‘off the record’ meeting between one or more Campaign representatives and ‘members of president putin’s office and the mfa.'” After much back and forth about Trump or representatives of his campaign, on or about August 15, 2016, a “campaign supervisor” told Papadopoulos, “‘I would encourage you’ and another foreign policy adviser to the Campaign to ‘make the trip,’ if it is feasible,” according to court filings. According to the document, that trip ultimately did not take place.

If those efforts began in mid-June, that would place it after a much-discussed June 9 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner, representing the Trump campaign, and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who had offered the Russian government’s help in the campaign. The lawyer promised information that “would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father,” according to an email sent to Trump Jr. “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

Trump’s son replied: “If it’s what you say, I love it, especially later in the summer.”

Veselnitskaya came to the meeting with talking points that mirrored ones the Russian government had provided to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.

During interrogations with FBI investigators earlier this year, Papadopoulos repeatedly lied about the extent and nature of his activities and the timing of his contacts between Kremlin-connected individuals and the Trump campaign. He also deleted his Facebook account and opened a new one, in what appeared to be an ill-fated effort to conceal past communications.

The new revelations puts Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Mueller’s spotlight. Sessions has made repeated claims that he had no knowledge of collusion with the Russian government and never knew anything about Russian hacking into the emails of the Democratic National Committee nor campaign chair John Podesta.

The problem for Sessions is straightforward. Papadopoulos was a foreign policy adviser to the campaign, and Sessions’s portfolio on the campaign included foreign policy, heading a national security committee on the campaign.

Sessions has already been forced to revise what he called misstatements, having denied meeting with Russian officials only to later acknowledge such meetings took place. Sessions met at least twice with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, initially claiming that the discussion only focused on foreign policy. It later emerged that Kislyak said the opposite in a memo to his superiors back home, telling Moscow he had talked about the campaign with Sessions.

Earlier this month, Sessions appeared again before the Senate Judiciary Committee and denied any improper conduct. “Let me just say this, without hesitation, that I conducted no improper discussions with Russians at any time regarding a campaign or any other item facing this country,” he said.

Mueller’s ability to make his case — if there is one to make — will be strengthened by two other arrests made Monday, that of Manafort and his associate Rick Gates.

Manafort is a long-time D.C. consultant, having begun his career advising Gerald Ford’s re-election campaign in 1976. He since served as a lobbyist and international gun-for-hire, developing close ties with a number of severe human rights violators. Manafort has advised Mobutu Sese Seko, the longtime military dictator of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ferdinand Marcos, a famously corrupt dictator of the Philippines.

But Manafort’s most infamous relationship is with Ukrainian strongman Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian politician who was removed during an uprising in 2014. According to Mueller’s indictment, Manafort ran a “multi-million dollar” lobbying campaign for Yanokovich from 2006 to 2014, involving two D.C. law firms, all while illegally concealing that he was acting on behalf of a foreign government.

Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, people who are paid to represent foreign governments must register and publicly disclose sources of income.

In addition, the indictment says that Manafort laundered more than $18 million through shell companies in Cyprus, avoiding paying taxes on the money while he used it to buy expensive clothing and cars. In July, the New York Times reported that shell companies connected to Manafort owed Russian interests more than $17 million dollars – a clear red flag that someone could be pressured by a foreign government.

In 2006, Manafort bought an apartment on the 43rd floor of Trump tower through a company he controlled. He lived in the tower since and transferred it to his name in 2015.

In 2016, Manafort was initially hired — for free — by Trump to help wrangle delegates for the Republican convention — a job he once did for Ford. But he effectively became campaign manager in June of 2016, after Trump fired Corey Lewandowski. Manafort’s rise to prominence in the campaign attracted suspicion from many commentators, who saw his ascent as a sign of Trump’s affinity for overseas strongmen. He stepped down after it emerged he had been the recipient of $12 million in off-the-books payments.

Correction: Oct. 31, 2017

This article originally misstated the date of George Papadopoulos’s arrest.


Mo Farah celebrates with Usain Bolt during what was a triumphant London 2012 Olympics for the pair.
Photograph: Adam Davy/PA

Niels de Vos has not slept much over the last six months, working 18-hour days as he combines being the chief executive of UK Athletics and London 2017. We meet on the top floor of a Stratford hotel, overlooking the stadium which has just hosted 300,000 spectators over 10 days of the World Para Athletics Championships.

“We sold more tickets than Wimbledon did and more than the Open golf,” says De Vos. “For a para athletics event that is incredible.”

There will be another 700,000 in attendance for the IAAF World Championships starting on 4 August, for which Usain Bolt is the headline act. Despite the quick turnaround between championships, De Vos is in a buoyant mood. He is particularly pleased having signed the biggest sponsorship partnership of his decade as CEO of UKA, a deal which will be announced next week and which he hopes will underwrite the core costs of the governing body for the next 10 years.

World Paras could return in 2019 to a London that has embraced event | Jacob Steinberg

Read more

He is also energised by plans to bid for the European Athletics Championships in 2022 and to host the World Para Athletics Championships again in 2019.

“People are now starting to come to us saying: ‘Can we put our event into your stadium because it’s the best stadium in the world and you’re the best team in the world at putting events on.’ So that’s pretty cool,” says De Vos, “We really want this month of athletics in the London Stadium every year to be synonymous with the summer in the same way that Wimbledon is,” he adds. “There are a couple of one-day events which we hope to host next year. I think those will be real game changers, to appeal very much to the future generation. We offered £9.58 tickets for the World Championships the nights Bolt is running and that wasn’t because we couldn’t sell them at a higher price. It’s because those kids will be inspired to watch, participate and officiate in the future. That’s the more precise legacy.”

With Jessica Ennis-Hill’s retirement and Greg Rutherford unable to compete at the World Championships through injury, the number of bona fide gold medal contenders among Great Britain’s number is dwindling. De Vos admits that beyond Mo Farah they will be hard pushed to win any titles but warned against judging the team too harshly even if God Save the Queen is not ringing out too often.

“You can see at the moment that in most disciplines of athletics there is one person way above the rest and everyone else is fighting for the minor medals,” he says. “Certainly Wayde van Niekerk looks nailed on for a gold medal in the 400m and everyone else could pick up smaller medals.

“From a British perspective most of our medal shots could finish anywhere between eighth and second or third. But very few are likely to emerge and hit gold. There are one or two unfortunate injuries and often expectations are too high because winning a global track and field medal is brutally hard, probably more difficult than any other Olympic sport. But they go in buoyant and what we know is that they’ll be phenomenally well prepared and won’t let anyone down with their level of performance. I’m not discomforted by where we are right now.”

While booming ticket sales for London 2017 are rightly highlighted by De Vos as a triumph of organisation and marketing, the wider health of athletics as a spectator sport in this country is not so certain. At the British Championships in Birmingham in June one former athlete said it was the worst crowd she had seen in 16 years. It has been suggested a credibility crisis, with widespread doping scandals and corruption at the heart of the IAAF, athletics’ world governing body, has put off the crowds. But this is not a narrative De Vos recognises.

“People still trust in athletics,” he says. “I don’t buy that people are not interested in the sport because they’re still piling in to watch. People are aware that actually the sport is the cleanest it’s ever been and they definitely believe in British athletics.

“I just don’t buy this caricature,” he adds. “I don’t think there’s a credibility issue and some of the issues we’re talking about are quite historic. I think we’re in a great place in the UK, with more kids wanting to do athletics than ever before.”


The Artwork, Soul & Romance Of Indonesia

The phrase hotel originated from the French phrase hotel, derived from the word hote – which means host. Kini cari hotel akan semakin mudah karena Traveloka memiliki berbagai alasan yang akan menjawab segala ketakutan Anda. As you possibly can see, there have been quite a few occasions all through the historical past of the lodging trade when hoteliers utilized creativity and supplied high-notch providers to remain ahead of the competition and provide something extraordinary to their guests.

Inspired by the world travels of bicycle owner George Hincapie, Hotel Domestique presents luxurious stays and unmatched experiences in hospitality, delicacies and adventure. People who like to have intercourse in hotel rooms should spend money on low cost cards, or hotel membership companies. Many authorities ethics specialists found the decision untenable, notably as a result of the hotel does enterprise with lobbying groups and foreign governments.

Elegance, style, luxury and the very best quality of service and discretion, make the Hassler Roma an emblem of worldwide hospitality and a top hotel for a true luxurious expertise in Rome. This luxury hotel in London enjoys an unrivalled setting, where the elegance of Mayfair, energy of Soho and class of St. James combine. Located solely four km from the north end of Québec Metropolis, the Hôtel de Glace is a should-see attraction that has seduced over a million folks around the globe since its opening in 2001.

Marrying the elegance of the English tradition with the form of creative collaboration emblematic of the Portland expertise, Afternoon Tea at Hotel deluxe options customized-blended teas, tableside a la carte craft cocktail service and a standard menu of tea sandwiches, home-made scones and pastries. With the benefit of a full-service hotel, excursions division and reward store, you and your visitors will be able to get pleasure from a memorable marriage ceremony experience within the shadow of the Colorado Rockies.

Hotel Yountville beckons company with buildings constructed of stacked Napa river rocks, heavy timber beams and copper accents. These rooms, located in the unique a part of the hotel – the previous royal villa Odak – have been fully revamped to match the villa’s grand style and the wants of discerning fashionable travellers. Located proper in the coronary heart of the city since 1874, the landmark hotel is within walking distance of unique procuring areas, museums and the business district.


Collectibles-wise, I confess to a real weakness for uses of the phrase "the Oscars of our industry". "The Tractor Of the Year Awards are, quite rightly, considered the Oscars of our industry," one press release assured me. "Often referred to as the Oscars of our industry," tempted another, "the Window Covering Manufacturers Association has announced the best new products of the year." "It is a great honour to be recognised at the Veterinary Marketing Association awards," declared one honoree, "which are the Oscars of our industry." And my personal favourite: "The Welsh call centre awards are considered the Oscars of our industry."

For all the absurdity, though, there is something endearing about the above examples, redolent as they are of glad‑ragged agricultural vehicle designers having to look gracious as the gong goes to an alternative team of alternative torque specialists. The same cannot be said, alas, for the newest addition to the desperately thin awards ceremonies calendar: the Footies. "Football's answer to the Oscars", according to the Sun, which insists: "An awards ceremony for the beautiful game in this country is LONG overdue."

Do consider that monstrous injustice righted. At the end of this season, the inaugural Footies will take place at what the organisers promise will be "a glamorous central London location". But what form will this exciting evening take? Well, the event appears tailor‑made for all those who look at today's Premier League and remark that what it could really benefit from is more self-regard, and a greater emphasis on celebrity. "Bringing together football and music," the blurb promises, "the star-studded event will celebrate the best of what the season had to offer, with live music from headline acts famous for their love of football".

It was Rio Ferdinand who famously once explained: "The music, the fashion, the TV – it all goes to make up Rio Ferdinand," so it is no surprise to see the game's most self-effacing polymath listed as one of the event's founders. According to Rio: "We want it to become the most unique awards event in the calendar." The categories have already been decided upon, unfortunately, so it doesn't look like there'll be room to add a self-parodic one for "Most Unique". But there'll be Player of the Year, Goal of the Year, Free Kick of the Year, Result of the Year, Game of the Year, Manager of the Year, Fan of the Year, Journalist of the Year … it goes on. James Corden will host, obviously.

"I think the Footies is going to become a date in the diary for many years to come," Corden honked obligingly. I certainly hope it will prove itself a worthy contender for the Awards Awards, a genuine awards ceremony which honours the best of the awards ceremonies.

Which rather brings us to the central conundrum of the Footies – namely, football's sense that it requires an awards ceremony. After all, surely there already is – how to avoid this sounding as if one is pointing out something transparently obvious to a child of seven? – something of an in-built award structure to the game as it is set up in this country, and indeed elsewhere. Trophies, titles, championships, points … Stop me if any of this sounds vaguely familiar, but in professional sport, achievement is recognised by dint of the entire bleeding thing being a competition.

Yet progress has apparently deemed this so insufficient, or old hat, that it can be properly rectified only via recourse to one of the more expensive hotel ballrooms on London's Park Lane. Still, perhaps in the future toward which this exciting innovation is hastening us, the season could all be decided via a series of knockout award ceremonies, with the final victors forced to play a single exhibition match. Just for old times' sake.

Premier League clubs leave rainbow laces in a knot

Now the dust has settled on Stonewall's attempt to get football players to wear rainbow laces to highlight homophobia in the game, can we spot a pattern in the manner in which most Premier League clubs formulated their excuses as to why this really couldn't happen? They whinged about Paddy Power's involvement, of course – though the laces were unbranded. But the real offence seems to have been something else entirely.

A Chelsea statement ran: "We fully endorse the principles behind this, but have a number of issues with it in its current form, among them the lack of consultation and commercial aspect." Or as Tottenham put it: "Whilst the campaign message is positive and one we support, there was unfortunately no prior consultation with ourselves, the Premier League or other clubs." Fulham echoed: "This campaign was initiated without consultation with clubs or the League."

There were more like this – in fact, so eerily like this that one might almost suspect there had been centralised assistance in repelling the immensely dangerous threat of some football players wearing different coloured laces in their boots on one weekend. Still, as Manchester United's cookie cutter response had it: "It's a positive move that Stonewall are now speaking to the League directly."

Positive for the League, certainly, with failure to involve them seeming to be the gravest of modern footballing sins, as though numerous high-level meetings were really required before the momentous step of handing out some laces to players could possibly be taken. The effect, oddly, is to cast "lack of consultation" as somehow more offensive than homophobia – so do adjust your Premier League moral compass accordingly.


360 (film)

360 is a 2011 internationally produced drama thriller film  directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Peter Morgan as a loose adaptation of  Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde. The film stars an ensemble cast of Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster, Rachel Weisz, Jude Law and other international actors. Following the stories of couples and their sexual encounters, 360 was selected to opened the 2011 London Film Festival. Magnolia Pictures released the film on video on demand on 29 June 2012 and was released in United States theaters on 3 August 2012. The film reunited Weisz and director Meirelles, who worked together on The Constant Gardener.

Plot

Vienna
Anna accompanies her sister Mirka to a nude photo-shoot for an escort agency, run by Rocco. Mirka chooses the professional name 'Blanca', and Rocco reveals he murdered a wealthy client, splitting his money with the escort who tipped him off. Anna waits downstairs while Mirka performs a “personal favor” for Rocco, and the sisters return to Bratislava by bus.

Rocco calls Mirka to meet a client named Michael Daly, and Anna accompanies her to Vienna. When one of Michael's associates loudly debates whether Mirka is a prostitute, Michael walks out, and leaves his wife multiple affectionate voicemails. Returning to his hotel, he receives a call from his associate, who talked to Blanca and blackmails Michael into a business deal.

Paris
An Algerian man spies on a woman wearing a red beret, on her way to the airport. It is clear he has feelings for her he cannot express. He talks to an imam, but continues to follow the married woman, and goes to his mosque and a therapist for advice.

London
Rose walks to a hotel, unaware a distraught woman is taking pictures of her. Rose meets Rui, and tells him they must end their affair, but they have sex. Returning home, Rui discovers his girlfriend Laura has left him, leaving him a video that reveals she was the woman photographing Rose. Michael Daly returns home, revealing he is married to Rose, and they attend their daughter's school play. In bed, Rose recalls Michael's voicemails, and when he mentions his next trip may be to Berlin, Rose exclaims that she would love to go.

Colorado
Sex offender Tyler, released after six years in prison, fears he is not ready to face the temptations outside. Boarding a flight home to Brazil, Laura chats with fellow passenger John, who is searching for his long-missing daughter, and they are stranded in Denver by bad weather. Tyler speaks on the phone with his social worker about his uncontrollable attractions, and encounters Laura in an airport restaurant. She invites him to her hotel room, but Tyler rebuffs her intoxicated advances and locks himself in the bathroom.

The next day, John finds Laura, and is moved when she hugs him before parting ways. John arrives in Phoenix to examine unidentified remains, which turn out not to be his daughter. At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, John declares that he can finally accept his daughter's unknown fate and move on.

At the meeting, Valentina (Dinara Drukarova) shares her own story, revealing she is the woman the Algerian man spied on in Paris. She plans to divorce her husband Sergei, who is consumed with working for a crooked Russian businessman, and she is secretly in love with her boss.

Back in Paris
Returning home, Valentina tells Sergei she wants a divorce and is interested in someone else, but Sergei ignores her and leaves. Valentina arrives for work at a dental office, where her boss is the Algerian man. They repress their mutual feelings for each other, and he tells her she should find another job; both are heartbroken as she leaves.

Back in Vienna
Sergei picks up his boss, who reprimands him for studying English. Mirka and Anna arrive in Vienna, and Sergei sends Mirka to his boss' hotel room. Anna and Sergei bond over their mutual love for books and learning English, and she persuades him to drive them around the city.

At the hotel, Sergei’s boss shows Mirka a briefcase of cash, and she texts Rocco. While Mirka performs fellatio, Sergei's boss reads her phone; realizing she plans to rob him, he knocks her unconscious and calls Sergei. Returning to the hotel, Sergei finds himself in the elevator with Rocco. Leaving as Rocco attacks the boss, Sergei drives away with Anna. Regaining consciousness, Mirka takes the money and leaves. In voiceover, Anna reads a farewell letter to her sister.

Berlin
Michael walks through Berlin with his business associate, professing his love for his wife. They meet Rose, and she and Michael head to the airport arm-in-arm. The associate notices a woman walk into a building; she meets Rocco for a photo shoot.

Cast

Lucia Siposová as Mirka
Gabriela Marcinkova as Anna
Johannes Krisch as Rocco
Jude Law as Michael Daly
Moritz Bleibtreu as Salesman #1
Jamel Debbouze as Algerian Man
Dinara Drukarova as Valentina
Vladimir Vdovichenkov as Sergei
Rachel Weisz as Rose Daly
Juliano Cazarre as Rui
Maria Flor as Laura
Ben Foster as Tyler McGregor
Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Fran
Anthony Hopkins as John
Mark Ivanir as Sania
Danica Jurcova as Alina
Peter Morgan as Salesman #2
Riann Steele as Waitress
François-Xavier Demaison as Taxi Driver
Patty Hannock as Psychiatrist
Djemel Barak as Imam
Chipo Chung as Editor
Sydney Wade as Ellie
Byrd Wilkins as Social Worker
Martin McDougall as Airport Policeman
Gerard Monaco as Airport Security Desk Official
Youssef Kerkour as Phoenix Policeman
Sean Power as AA Secretary
Christoph Zadra as Hotel Security Person
Tereza Srbova as European Girl
Giorgio Spiegelfeld as Photographer
Lisa Palfrey as Psychologist

Reception
360 has received generally negative reviews from critics, as it currently holds a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 74 reviews. Philip French in The Observer (London) concluded "360 has a gleaming surface and a knowing air, but essentially it reflects the lives of people who spend too much time in planes". Manohla Dargis in The New York Times says "There are moments in "360" that show what the movie might have been ... But the overshooting and overediting here suggest Mr. Meirelles, or maybe the producers, were trying to work around this story, instead of with it."

References

External links

Category:French films
Category:French romantic drama films
Category:British films
Category:British romantic drama films
Category:Brazilian films
Category:Brazilian romantic drama films
Category:Austrian films
Category:Austrian drama films
Category:2011 films
Category:2010s romantic drama films
Category:Films directed by Fernando Meirelles
Category:Films shot in London
Category:Films shot in Paris
Category:Films shot in Vienna
Category:Films shot in Slovakia
Category:Films set in Colorado
Category:Films set in London
Category:Films set in Paris
Category:Films set in Vienna
Category:British films based on plays
Category:Films based on works by Arthur Schnitzler
Category:English-language French films
Category:Films set in Austria


Information about parking in RM13 9HY

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Location

Operator

Price

Hours

Rainham Station

NCP

£4.70 / day

12am - 11pm, Mon - Fri

Viking Way

London Borough of Havering

£0.20 / 2 hours

7am - 6pm, Mon - Sat

Cherry Tree Lane

London Borough of Havering

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London Borough of Havering

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London Borough of Havering

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Location

Operator

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Max Stay

Gidea Park Station Car Park, Romford

RingGo

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7 days

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6 hours

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2 hours

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7 days

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2 hours

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The Cosby show(
Visual
)5
editions published
between
2005
and
2011
in
English
and held by
575 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
This 4-disc collection features all 24 episodes from the first season of one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, featuring
Bill Cosby as Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, OB-GYN, and Phylicia Rashad as his attorney wife, Clair, and the challenges this dual-profession
couple faced raising a family

The Cosby show(
Visual
)5
editions published
between
2006
and
2014
in
English
and held by
531 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Heathcliff Huxtable, a doctor, and his wife Claire, an attorney, struggle to balance the challenges of their successful careers
and the demands of their five children, who vary in age and each have their own problems

Two and a half men(
Visual
)3
editions published
in
2007
in
English
and held by
521 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Charlie Harper is a bachelor in paradise, complete with Malibu beach house, overpaid job and a very active dating life. Then
his uptight brother Alan, in the throes of a divorce, moves in, bringing his 10-year-old son Jake with him. Together they
start a new family of two adults, one kid, and no grown-ups

Mary Tyler Moore(
Visual
)1
edition published
in
2002
in
English
and held by
501 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Mary Richards moves to Minneapolis after a bad relationship where she get a job as an associate producer at WJM, the lowest
rated evening news show in the city

The golden girls by Buena Vista Home Entertainment(
Visual
)4
editions published
between
1986
and
2005
in
English
and held by
484 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Join Dorothy, the smart one, Sophia, the glib one, Rose, the naive one, and Blanche ... Season 2 garnered its second straight
Emmy award for "Outstanding Comedy Series" and a Golden Globe for "Best TV Series Comedy/Musical." It's a star-filled season
with special guests, including Burt Reynolds in a surprise cameo and a young George Clooney playing a Miami policeman who
saves the day

Get Smart(
Visual
)2
editions published
between
1965
and
2008
in
English
and held by
467 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Maxwell Smart is bumbling Agent 86 of CONTROL, the secret agency created to fight the evil KAOS organization. Invariably,
Smart's bumbling style lands him in hot water. Lucky for him, Agent 99 is there to bail him out

The Mary Tyler Moore show(
Visual
)8
editions published
in
2009
in
English
and held by
380 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Join Mary and the rest of the crew from the WJM-TV newsroom for another season of the classic sitcom. This time around Mary
deals with more adventures, both in the newsroom and with her romantic life. Season 5 features: Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?,
The Outsider; Not a Christmas Story, An Affair to Forget, What Are Friends For?, The System, Phyllis Whips Inflation, The
Shame of the Cities, Marriage Minneapolis Style; and more

Neil Simon's seems like old times by Neil Simon(
Visual
)13
editions published
between
1980
and
2013
in
English and Multiple languages
and held by
345 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
A comedy in which a writer (Chase) becomes involved in a bank robbery and turns to his ex-wife (Hawn) for help

Get Smart(
Visual
)2
editions published
between
1967
and
2009
in
English
and held by
260 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Join the agent of control in 26 classic episodes, including the Emmy Award-winning episode Maxwell Smart: Private Eye, and
featuring guest appearances from Joey Bishop, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, and many others

Camping with Henry and Tom : a comedy by Mark St. Germain(
Recording
)9
editions published
between
1996
and
2014
in
English
and held by
216 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Mark St. Germain creates an amusing adventure filled with humor, insight, and surprises relevant to the politics of today.
Inspired by an actual camping trip with President Warren Harding, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford

Soap(
Visual
)2
editions published
in
2004
in
English
and held by
213 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
The celebrated soap opera spoof returns for a second helping. Includes all 22 episodes from the Emmy Award-winning second
season

The man who came to dinner by George S Kaufman(
Visual
)6
editions published
between
2000
and
2005
in
English
and held by
213 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
The story of a noted critic and social celebrity who is stranded at the Stanley family's Midwestern home after injuring his
hip on their property

Get Smart(
Visual
)1
edition published
in
2009
in
English
and held by
203 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Bumbling spy Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of nemesis agency KAOS with a great deal of help from
his partner Agent 99

Six degrees of separation : a drama by John Guare(
Recording
)9
editions published
between
2000
and
2014
in
English
and held by
147 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
"In a Fifth Avenue apartment high above Central Park, art dealer Flanders Kittredge and his wife Ouisa are trying to interest
a moneyed friend in a $2 million investment. When an unexpected young guest arrives, claiming to be the son of Sidney Poitier,
the plot takes some wonderfully unexpected turns. Veering effortlessly from hilarity to pathos, this dazzling play was lauded
by The New York Times as transcendent, magical and a masterwork."--Leaf A. Theatre Works, Audio Theatre Collection

Neil Simon's London suite(
Visual
)4
editions published
between
1996
and
2004
in
English
and held by
146 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Neil Simon's play involving a sadistic chiropractor, a missing newlywed, a man and his rich ex-wife in a London hotel

For richer, for poorer(
Visual
)5
editions published
between
1992
and
2012
in
English
and held by
75 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Jack Lemmon stars as a successful businessman who loves to work and makes millions doing it, while his son Michael is happy
sitting back and having it made. So dad decides to teach him a lesson by giving away every dollar of his hard-earned fortune.
But hilarious comedy ensues when the lesson backfires, and making it all over proves a lot harder than making it the first
time

The Mary Tyler Moore show(
Visual
)6
editions published
between
2002
and
2005
in
English
and held by
71 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Contains 8 episodes from the first season

Soap(
Visual
)1
edition published
in
2010
in
English
and held by
59 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
"The comic saga of the Campbells continues, as the two families deal with such everyday matters as prison escapes, kidnapping,
murder, blackmail, UFOs and demonic possession."--Container

The Mary Tyler Moore show : the best of season one(
Visual
)3
editions published
in
2005
in
English and Multiple languages
and held by
50 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
Four episodes from the first season of the Mary Tyler Moore show, which chronicle the story of a single woman who becomes
a television producer


Friday, July 8, 2011

David Gandy at Tatler's Pyjama Party at Claridges Hotel on July 07, 2011, London (England)

[...]Gandy was the best-dressed of the evening, adhering to the 'strictly bedroom' dress code in a silk polka dot robe by Dolce & Gabbana. A white shirt and black foulard ensured that the 31-year-old was ready for bed [...].


This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

West Ham's calamitous season endured another dose of ignominy last night after police were called to investigate disturbances that erupted after players were confronted by supporters at the club's end-of-season awards dinner at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Trouble apparently flared once the club's co-owner David Gold had delivered a speech in which he had pledged the team's stay in the Championship would be brief after relegation was confirmed at Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Witnesses claimed supporters then reacted badly after the striker Demba Ba allegedly refused to sign an autograph, with other players, including Manuel da Costa, confronted in the ensuing mêlée.

Plates and glasses were apparently broken in the brief fracas that followed, with a group of supporters running from the function suite out of the hotel, pursued by security staff.

Actors from EastEnders and The Bill tried to put on straight faces when they presented Scott Parker with an award after the fighting has stopped.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called to investigate an incident at around 9.15pm last night. "Officers attended the scene but no obvious or serious offences were alleged," said a Met spokesman. "The situation calmed down very quickly."

The vast majority of West Ham's relegated squad, as well as the co-owners, Gold and David Sullivan, and the vice-chair, Karren Brady, had been in attendance at the dinner, held at the plush venue in Park Lane, which fans could pay to attend.

No one was available for comment from the Grosvenor House Hotel. A West Ham spokesman described the incident as a "minor disturbance that was over very quickly", and added that "more than 800 guests had a great time."


Quintessentially Group

Quintessentially Group is a British concierge company founded in 2000 by Aaron Simpson, Ben Elliot and Paul Drummond. The company is headquartered in London and operates 60 offices worldwide. Quintessentially is a members-only "luxury lifestyle management service" that provides concierge services including travel bookings, restaurant recommendations, and access to events. Quintessentially Group includes 16 brand services, including Travel, Events, Estates and the Quintessentially Foundation. Annastasia Seebohm is the company's global chief executive officer.

History
Quintessentially was established in 2000 by Aaron Simpson, Paul Drummond and Ben Elliot, the nephew of the Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Simpson met Drummond at Oxford University and later started the company with business partner Elliot as a small, London-based concierge service. Before founding Quintessentially, Elliot had co-founded K-Bar Plc, a group of nightclubs and bars, and Simpson had worked as a film producer.

From 2002 to 2005, Quintessentially expanded from two offices in the United Kingdom to ten around the world. In 2018 the company reports to over 60+ offices in cities such as Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and New York.

In 2010, the company was estimated to have about 86,000 subscribers, including 800 billionaires. Quintessentially moved its headquarters from Soho to Portland Place in early 2011. The company grew over 20 percent during 2012 from £13.5million in turnover to £16.7million by April 2013. In 2017, the group's total turnover was $100 million.

The Quintessentially Lifestyle App was introduced in early 2014. The mobile app features recommendations, reviews, and allows members to make requests to their Lifestyle Managers. In November 2016, Quintessentially partnered with Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham to host the seventh annual Global Gift Gala at the Corinthia Hotel in London. In 2017, it was announced that the company was building a "super yacht" for its members.

Operations
Quintessentially Group is a network of 16 brand services that operate the personal services provided for its private members. These companies include Travel, Events and Estates, and Quintessentially Gifts.

Quintessentially Lifestyle
Quintessentially Lifestyle is a members-only luxury lifestyle management and concierge service. The New York Times called Quintessentially Lifestyle, "The company that transformed the idea of concierge services into 'lifestyle management.'" It provides Corporate Solutions and Private Memberships that include preferential rates on hotels and other reservations, access to events, luxury gifts, and other services.

 Globally, the firm employs more than 1500 Lifestyle Managers in over 60 offices speaking 35 languages.

Quintessentially Foundation
Established in June 2008, the Quintessentially Foundation is the charitable arm of the Group. It has raised more than £9,000,000 through various fundraisers, including the annual Poker Night. In 2013, the annual Poker Night fundraiser generated £160,000 for the Duchenne Children's Trust that funds research for the development of a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The foundation has supported organisations like Room to Read and has also funded medical research to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. The company has also organised a 500 kilometre rickshaw race in India to raise money for elephant protection.

References

Category:British brands
Category:Conglomerate companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Luxury brands


Starwood Q3 ops down, Sternlicht to step down as CEO

EmilyChurch

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
HOT, +0.00%
said earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter declined 11.5 percent to 23 cents a share. Analysts polled by Reuters Research had forcast earnings per share of 20 cents, on average. Excluding special items, earnings declined to 24 cents a share from 27 cents a year ago. Revenue-per-room rose 4.4 percent, the group said. Looking ahead, Starwood said it sees fourth quarter earnings at 32 cents a share and EBITDA at $260 million. Analysts are forecasting EBIT at $258 million. Separately, the company said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, intends to step down as CEO once a new CEO has been hired. Sternlicht will co-chair a newly formed search committee. Upon the CEO's selection, Sternlicht will become Executive Chairman of Starwood. "It has become increasingly difficult for me to fulfill (the) global responsibility in the face of the needs of my family and my other activities. Additionally, I believe a growing "best practice" in corporate governance is the separation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer," Sternlicht said.

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Malaysia & Vietnam Holiday

Are you looking for the holiday of a lifetime? Scrap the ideas of a beach holiday or a city break, this Travelbird deal is truly mindblowing! With visits to Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, with hotels, flights, breakfast, luggage, transfers and tours included.. you’d be foolish not to take a sneak peak at this deal.. ;-)

Your Malaysia and Vietnam Holiday Package Deal

From London Heathrow, your first stop is Kuala Lumpur for 2 nights, where you will be staying in the Metro Hotel Bukit Bintang***, (transfer airport > hotel included) where your first excursion takes place – the Batu Caves and a tour of the Malaysian capital – the rest of the day is for exploring the culture at your own pace.

On Day 3, you will then catch an internal flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) for 4 nights here, where you will be staying at the Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview***. In Ho Cho Minh, you can enjoy two optional tours for a surcharge – a full day excursion to the Củ Chi Tunnels + Cao Dai Temple on Day 4, or a full day excursion to the Mekong Cai Be Floating Market on Day 5. On the evening of Day 6, you will take an overnight train to Nha Trang, sleeping in a 4 person cabin.

On Day 7 in Nha Trang, you will stay at the Hotel Regalia Nha Trang*** for 6 nights, and can enjoy an optional excursion of a full day cruise along the Cái River on Day 7, for a surcharge. Day 8 includes a complimentary excursion to Monkey Island and the Doc Let Beach, where you can sample fresh seafood and take in the views. You can also enjoy a full day excursion to Tropical Islands + Snorkelling Tour on Hon Mieu Island on Day 9, which will be supplemented with a lunch. On Day 13, you will take the night train back to Ho Chi Minh City, where you will stay in the same hotel as before, for 1 night.

Day 15 is the day your holiday of paradise is sadly over, where you will be brought to the airport to board the plane back to London Heathrow. Don’t forget to check your hotel’s ratings and reviews onTripAdvisor.

This is obviously only a short summary of all the hotels, flights and tours included in this package deal, you can read about this holiday fully through the link below. Happy holiday shopping!

Please note that I'm just a blogger who loves to find holiday deals on the Internet and share them on my blog. The deals published on my website are not provided directly by me, but by external travel agencies and providers. Deals must be booked on their websites using the screenshots provided as a guide.

comments

Good morning Matthew,
thanks for your comment. :)
As you might know I’m just a blogger who loves to find holiday deals on the Internet and share them on my blog. The deals published on my website are not provided directly by me, but by external travel agencies and providers.
I will keep an eye on any holiday deals like this one and I’ll make sure to share them as soon as I spot them. :)
Thanks for following my blog and have a great start to your week,
your HolidayGuru :)

Hello Amy,
of course I’m not ATOL protected, because I’m not a travel agent and I’m not working in a travel agency. I’m just a blogger who loves to find these holiday deals on the Internet and to share them on my blog. All deals that I find need to be booked with the provider who is offering the deal. So you book with providers like Thomson, Expedia etc and they are ATOL protected providers. I really keep an eye on ATOL protected providers and providers that are, in my opinion, trustworthy. If you have any questions regarding your booking or payment, just contact the provider directly.
Hope that helps and have a nice day,
your HolidayGuru :)


Corwen

Corwen is a town, community and electoral ward in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Merioneth.  Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated  west of Llangollen and  south of Ruthin. At the 2001 Census, Corwen had a population of 2,398, reducing to 2,325 at the 2011 census. The community includes the villages of Carrog and Glyndyfrdwy. The built-up area according to Nomis was 477 but does not include the estate of Clawdd Poncen. Including Clawdd Poncen the total is 777.

History

Corwen is best known for its connections with Owain Glyndŵr, who was proclaimed Prince of Wales on 16 September 1400, from his nearby manor of Glyndyfrdwy, which began his fourteen-year rebellion against English rule. A life-size bronze statue of the prince mounted on his battle horse was installed in The Square in 2007. It commemorates the day he was proclaimed the last true Prince of Wales in 1400.

The town grew as a centre for cattle drovers. Attractions in Corwen include the motte of a Norman castle, the thirteenth-century Church of St Mael and St Sulien and the Capel Rûg built in 1637 by William Salesbury.

Corwen Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1909. The club closed at the onset of WW2.

Economy
Located in the hills of north Wales, the main economy of Corwen is based in and around farming. The town's main employer is local trailer manufacturer Ifor Williams Trailers, started by a farmer looking to transport sheep to the local market.

Transport
In the 1860s Corwen was linked to the national rail network in 1864 by a line from Ruthin along the Vale of Clwyd and in 1865 with a Great Western Railway branch line along the Dee valley from Ruabon. The station was a vital development in the town's importance as the centre of the local agriculture industry. Unfortunately neither survived the Beeching Axe in the 1960s. The town is now linked to the Llangollen Railway. A temporary station, Corwen East (Welsh: Dwyrain Corwen), was opened on 22 October 2014.
The permanent way had been extended into Corwen in late spring 2014. Work is in progress to construct a new permanent Corwen railway station alongside the town's main car-park, near the town centre.

Bus services in Corwen were primarily provided by GHA Coaches with routes available to Wrexham via Llangollen on services 5 and T3, Barmouth via Bala and Dolgellau on service T3 (now operated by Lloyds Coaches), and to Ruthin on service X5 (now operated by Arriva Buses Wales), with through services continuing to Denbigh. Llew Jones operate a twice daily, weekday service to Llanrwst with one journey extended to/from Bala.

Corwen is the last sizeable town on the A5 road from London to Holyhead until Betws-y-Coed is reached. Because of this it still contains a number of hotels which were used in the past as coaching inns for the Mail coach and stagecoaches. Although the A5 is no longer the most important road to Holyhead, having been superseded by the coastal route of the A55, there is still significant traffic travelling through the town centre’s narrow main street.

Culture
Corwen hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1919. The Pavilion in the town, which was pulled down in 2015, played an important part in Welsh culture throughout the 20th century. It hosted several concerts and eisteddfodau. It was also the venue for the first concerts performed by Edward H. Dafis, the first Welsh-language rock band to receive significant press notice, in August 1973.

Novelist John Cowper Powys (1872-1963) lived in Corwen with his common-law wife Phyllis Playter from 1935 until 1955, when they moved to Blaenau Ffestiniog. He wrote two major novels both set in this region of Wales, while living in Corwen, Owen Glendower (1940) and Porius (1951), amongst other works of both fiction and non-fiction. In 1940 he began a novel set in contemporary Corwen but gave it up, to start his "Romance of Corwen", Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages, in January 1942, the action of which takes place in 499 AD.

Geography

References

External links

Category:Towns in Denbighshire
Category:Communities in Denbighshire
Category:Wards of Denbighshire


Tuesday, 18 April 2017

Last week I advised a smaller customer on their upcoming Windows 10 migration. As a smaller shop (approx. 100 users) they don't have access to the usual tools that I would recommend, although they use MDT for imaging and WSUS for patching. They don't have any tool for hardware and software inventory so we were unable to have a conversation about application compatibility. I thought this would be a good opportunity to test drive Upgrade Readiness, a "free" component of Microsoft Operations Management Suite (OMS). Let me clarify that, I was told it was free but I was unsure what I'd actually get.

This is from the Microsoft TechNet article, looks hopeful:"You can use Upgrade Readiness to plan and manage your upgrade project end-to-end. Upgrade Readiness works by establishing communications between computers in your organization and Microsoft. Upgrade Readiness collects computer, application, and driver data for analysis. This data is used to identify compatibility issues that can block your upgrade and to suggest fixes that are known to Microsoft".Getting StartedUpgrade Readiness is a component of OMS and was formerly known as Upgrade Analytics which was previously known as Windows Analytics (I mention this as you'll still see these terms).The first step in this process is to sign up and create an OMS Workspace. This must be linked to an Azure subscription (either new or existing) even though you will not be charged.

Navigate to the following page to sign up for Upgrade Readiness (even though the page still says Windows Analytics).

If you already have an Azure subscription you should sign in with the subscription owner account. This is to allow you to easily link your new OMS Workspace with your existing Azure subscription.

If you are already using OMS you can choose "Existing OMS Customers". Otherwise choose "New Customers". This is the one we need.

This is the "Create New Workspace" page of OMS. Choose a workspace name eg. yourdomainFrom now you will access your workspace using this link:https://yourdomain.portal.mms.microsoft.comEnter the rest of your details (Workspace region, name, contact email address, phone number, company name and country).Select Create to create your OMS workspace.

The OMS workspace has been created and your Azure subscription is available. Choose Link to link your workspace with your subscription.

If you don't have an Azure subscription (ie the account you have signed in as is not the owner of any Azure subscriptions), you will need to create one before you can continue. Select "Create New" and run through the wizard to create a new Azure subscription. You will need a credit card for this although you will not be charged if you only want the free Upgrade Readiness.

The OMS workspace has been created and linked to your Azure subscription. Now you have to add the Upgrade Readiness solution. Check that box and select Add.(I've also added Update Compliance (Preview) but that is optional).

This is our OMS workspace. See that the Data Plan = Free in the top right corner. We'll have a look at that again later.

Configuring OMS

See that Upgrade Readiness requires configuration. Click on the tile and the Settings dashboard opens. Navigate to the Windows telemetry panel.

Copy and save your commercial ID key. You’ll need to insert this key into the Upgrade Readiness deployment script later so it can be deployed to user computers.

Click Subscribe for Upgrade Readiness. The button changes to Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe from the Upgrade Readiness solution if you no longer want to receive upgrade-readiness information from Microsoft.

Click Overview on the Settings Dashboard to return to your OMS workspace portal. The Upgrade Readiness tile now displays summary data. Click the tile to open Upgrade Readiness.

Proxy ConfigurationThe following endpoints should be whitelisted. They need to be accessible in order for your clients to send telemetry data to Microsoft. This data will subsequently be displayed in Upgrade Readiness.

This service provides driver information about whether there will be a
driver available post-upgrade for the hardware on the system.

If you are using
a Windows Compatibility Update published after February 2017 (appraiser.dll
version >= 10.0.14979) you don’t need access to these endpoints

Client configuration - compatibility updatesThe compatibility update KB scans your computers and enables application usage tracking. If you don’t already have the KBs installed, you can download the applicable version from the Microsoft Update Catalog or deploy it using WSUS or ConfigMgr. I'm just running a pilot for now so I'll install them manually.For Windows 7 I need the following

Windows 7 SP1

KB2952664
Performs diagnostics on the Windows 7 SP1 systems that participate in the
Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. These diagnostics help
determine whether compatibility issues may be encountered when the latest
Windows operating system is installed.
For more information about this KB, see https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2952664

KB 3150513
Provides updated configuration and definitions for compatibility diagnostics
performed on the system.
For more information about this KB, see https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3150513
NOTE: KB2952664 must be installed before you can download and install
KB3150513.

There are different KB requirements for the various operating systems. You'll find that information here

Initiates the collection of the telemetry data that Microsoft needs to assess your organization’s upgrade readiness.

If enabled, displays the script’s progress in a cmd window, providing you immediate visibility into issues (success or fail for each step) and/or writes to log file.

Download the script package from here. See here for full script instructions but you have to edit the script with the following information:

Location for log information

Commercial ID

Log behaviour

Executing RunConfig.bat.

In my pilot I copied the script files locally to a folder C:Temp\Pilot. I also used a local log file C:\Windows\Temp.

What does Upgrade Readiness give us?

I onboarded two Windows 7 clients for my pilot.

This is what I could see in my OMS workspace after a few days.

Drill into Upgrade Readiness to see more details.

Scroll over. Now we can see really useful information. We can find applications and drivers with known issues. These are the issues we need to resolve before the Windows 10 deployment.

Note that the information can be exported to Excel and saved locally. That's really cool.

The not-so-good stuff

I have a few little problems with the solution which I felt I should mention:

Windows 7 computers require that two KBs are installed for the solution to work. KB2952664 and KB3150513 are required. It's unfortunate that KB2952664 has to be installed already before KB3150513 can be installed. I appreciate that computers should be fully patched but that isn't always the case. I needed multiple reboots for my pilot clients with this customer. It will now be a little awkward to automate this to the remaining clients using a Group Policy computer startup script.

This TechNet article contains exit codes for the upgrade readiness script. 0 is the "successful" exit code. However I got a 0 code even though the script could not run and a log file was not created. This was a little confusing.

It can take quite a while to onboard devices - up to 3 days for my second pilot client.

Windows 10 Version 1703 is not yet available as a target version. Perhaps it's too early, or perhaps it will be available when 1703 is declared business ready.

The free data plan is a little restrictive. The daily upload limit is 500MB and the data retention period is 7 days. Note that the initial upload for each client is expected to average 2MB.

You can increase this by purchasing an another offering.

Next stepsIntegrate Upgrade Readiness with ConfigMgr to access client upgrade compatibility data in the admin console. You'll then be able to target devices for upgrade or remediation from the device list.Final VerdictI'm generally quite happy with the solution. It will do exactly what I need for this customer.Until next time......

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

I'm very pleased to be involved with the Windows Management User Group in London. We're hosting an event on 21st April in Hotel Xenia (160 Cromwell Rd, London SW5 0TL).We're a ConfigMgr/Intune-oriented group and this time we'll be discussing Windows 10 and Azure. Please come along it's free.My session is titled "10 top tips for deploying Windows 10". I've done a lot of work in his area recently, primarily for Microsoft Consultancy Services, so I've picked up some tricks along the way. I'd like my session to be interactive so that we can learn from each other. If you attend please join in and tell us your war stories.

The agenda is as followsMorning sessions:

Afternoon sessions:

Although the event is free you must register in advance hereHope to see you there.....


London Fashion Week: And we’re off…

It’s Day One of London Fashion Week, and Team LLG have been at Somerset House (above, viewed from the Radio Bar at the shiny new ME London Hotel) since 8am this morning, making number two of our films about Zoe Jordan’s AW13 show, in association with luxury reseller Vestiaire Collective.

We’re now holed up in a very lovely room at the ME London, which I have been lent for the day, editing together the morning’s footage, and I am hoping to get out to some of the shows this afternoon – especially Stephen Jones’ Headonism presentation.

It’s a beautiful day in London: we had a restorative coffee up in Radio, the rooftop bar at the ME London, after we finished filming this morning, and watched the sunshine glisten on the Thames. (Along with a room full of stylists and fashion people.) I thought I’d share the view with you in the series of images below: it’s really quite phenomenal. It’s going to be a hard task extracting me from here! It’s the perfect hotel for LFW: bang opposite Somerset House.

Down The Strand, with Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square in the distance:

Over the Thames, to the South Bank, and the National Theatre, with the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben off to the right:

St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard, the Gherkin:

I think we’ve just found London’s new hotspot bar for the summer…(The hotel is in soft opening right now, with the officia launch on March 1st.)

Instagram Slider

Back in London after a week in #Austria surrounded by these astonishing snow capped mountains and beautiful Lake Altausee. And, thanks to @vivamayr , I'm 3lbs lighter and feeling great. #vivamayr #mayrcure

I bought an entire box of Scilly Isles Narcissi for my Easter decorations at Covent Garden Flower Market yesterday and now my house smells divine

Picking out beautiful pink tulips for Easter at the flower market this morning #newcoventgarden


Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Stonehenge-Bath(58 km)

Guests can be picked up at their hotels in the morning. Our first stop of the day will be the famous Stonehenge, an anthropological mystery that has fascinated people for decades. From there, we will head to Salisbury, England, home of landmarks such as the Salisbury Cathedral, which houses the Magna Carta.

After lunch, we will travel to Bath, England. Here we will see sights such as Bath Abbey, the romantic Pulteney Bridge, and more. In addition, guests will be able to visit the Roman Baths.

At the end of the day, we will return to the departure point for dropoff. There is no hotel dropoff. Please see "Departure and Return Details" for more information.

Stonehenge, UNITED KINGDOMThis world-famous prehistoric monument dates to between 3000 and 2000 BC. It is a UNESCO National Historic Site and one of the most recognizable icons of Britain in the world. It is thought to have been a burial site.

Bath, UNITED KINGDOMBath is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, known for its Roman-built baths.

Roman BathsThe Roman Baths is an exceptionally well-preserved bathhouse built around a natural hotspring in antiquity. The first bathhouse there was built in about 890 BC (before Roman rule), though the current building dates to about 65 AD.

First-class luxury Motor-coach and the services of a professional Tour Guide

Exclusions

Pick up and drop off at your hotel

Lunch is not included in the tour price.

Gratuities to guide and driver

Parking Information

Additional Notes

Return Tips: For full day tours we offer convenient returns. Our guides will find out where everyone is staying in London while on tour. Then they will plan a route through London that is convenient for you, or advise you how to take the Underground or Bus services back to your hotel.

Policies

Confirmation

All purchases are subject to re-confirmation within 1-2 business days after booking. Please do not book the airline tickets until you received the confirmation.

Redemption

You will receive an confirmation email (e-ticket) after your order was received. Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Email (e-ticket). When you reserve your attractions and services you will be asked to print e-tickets to present when you arrive at your destination. You must print the e-tickets and take them along on your trip; they are your proof of purchase.

Terms & Condition

Currency Fluctuations:
All tour prices are current at the time of publication and are susceptible to currency fluctuations. We reserve the right to alter the tour price in accordance with changes in foreign exchanges rates and changes in prices for services. The rate that you pay when you reserve your tour will protect you against future currency fluctuations; on the other hand, no price adjust (refund) will be made based upon change in tour prices.