Single to Totenschinken Hofstrasse, bitte

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I’m grateful to Ross Lydall of the London Evening Standard for the heads up on what the London Underground map may have looked like if Germany had won WWII. Never mind the map of Europe, this is how the map of the London Underground could have been redrawn if the Germans had won, or would it? An Austrian university librarian has imagined how the Tube network would look if we all spoke German, renaming the capital's 270 stations from Heidenreihe (Heathrow) to Hahnenzuchter (Cockfosters).



Horst Prillinger has used a mixture of wit and linguistic dexterity - Heidenreihe most accurately translates as "heathen row" while Hahnenzuchter could be read as "chicken farmer" - in adapting the station names. Mr Prillinger said the map had translations that preserved the meaning of the English words, such as Burnt Oak becoming Verbrannte Eiche, and "deliberate misunderstandings".

While the suffix "ham" means "home", he translated it as the meat, so West Ham becomes Westschinken. Here is Horst’s website;

http://homepage.univie.ac.at/horst.prillinger/metro/english/network_maps.html



For the history of Mr. Beck’s iconic London Underground Map see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/11/mapping-world.html

Der Untergrund

Die Linien, Bahnhöfe und Zonen von London Underground, London Overground und Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Als Klassiker des Designs macht die U-Bahn-Karte das Fahren im Londoner U-Bahn-Netz denkbar einfach. Diese übersichtliche Karte enthält einen Schlüssel zu allen eingezeichneten Stationen sowie die 6 Gebührenzonen.


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For more see TUBE BLOGS and TRANSPORT BLOGS in the Blog sidebar >>>>>

London Bloggers Meetup

We had another great London Bloggers Meetup last week with our guest speakers Leo Babauta from Zen Habits and Arvind Devalia from Make it Happen. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their talks, not only interesting and informative, but very inspirational too.

Rather than me tell you all about it, why not watch some short clips from the night below.



http://zenhabits.net



http://www.arvinddevalia.com/blog



www.daithaic.blogspot.com

http://www.londonbloggers.net

A slow day in London Town

“Worst Tube strikes yet say commuters as walkouts cripple London” was the headline in today’s London Evening Standard. Commuters struggling to get to work were today caught in a war of words over the third 24-hour Tube strike in as many months. All 11 lines suffered major disruption, 80 stations were closed and 100 stations were picketed in a row with the RMT and TSSA unions over job cuts and ticket office closures. Union bosses and angry passengers claimed the service was “far worse” than during the two previous strikes. At Marylebone Station this morning the lack of alternatives to The Tube were evident. The “Marshall” at the taxi rank had added to the confusion by reversing the direction of flow of the queue but this didn’t really matter. As with the last strikes there were hardly any taxis at the ranks as the “City Boys” block book them as these titans of Casino Banking are more important to London than people who do real stuff. No sign of the extra buses either, rather the opposite as road works made the traffic in the area impossible. A 205 bus to Bow in East London turned up from Paddington already full and no sign of the No. 2 bus to Victoria.



Commuters struggling home this evening were warned to expect another Tube strike on November 29 and then a series of stoppages after Christmas. Union bosses said walkouts in January could be announced after a “truce” next month. Tens of thousands of passengers suffered today as the third 24-hour strike in as many months caused disruption across the network. All 11 lines suffered major problems or were suspended, 80 stations were closed and 100 stations were picketed in a row with the RMT and TSSA unions over job cuts and ticket office closures.

The Standard quoted commuters urging Boris Johnson to tell Tube workers “enough is enough”. A commuter from Richmond was quoted as saying said: “The strikes are obviously getting worse. I have to get a taxi instead.” A spokesman for the RMT said there was “no question” disruption was worse than the last strikes with leader Bob Crow saying: “Today's action is rock solid the length and breadth of the system.”


Covent Garden Tube Station

London Underground insisted it had more trains running and more stations open than before. Managing director Mike Brown said: “Despite the deluded claims by the RMT and TSSA leaderships the Tube service this morning is moving hundreds of thousands of people across London. Over 40% of our services are running, with all but one line being served and that is the Circle line, where almost every station is served by other lines. 75% of stations are being served, and we are keeping London moving.” LU said 50 trains were operating on the Northern compared with 29 last time. But a third of the line's 33 stations were closed because there were no staff to operate them, meaning that even though trains were running, commuters could not get onto the platforms to catch them.

Among the Tube stations closed during today were Charing Cross, Westminster, Piccadilly Circus and Knightsbridge as well as Heathrow Terminal 4. The Mayor came under renewed fire for not personally meeting the RMT and TSSA unions. A fourth walk-out is planned for November 29 and with no resolution to the dispute in sight passengers were warned of more strikes in the run-up to Christmas. London Underground said at the height of the morning peak period it was operating 44 per cent of services compared with 28 per cent last time.



Lines were either suspended over part of the route or ran with massive delays and cancellations. The Circle line will be suspended throughout the day and there was no service on the Waterloo and City lines for an essential part of the morning peak. Roger, travelling through Victoria, said: “It was terrible down there. It's the queuing to get into the station that's really bad. Some of the lines are totally crippled. People just have to get on with it as best they can.”



Gary, an IT trainer from Kent, said: “I can see these strikes going on for some time because their positions are fairly entrenched and it is difficult to see how a speedy resolution will be arrived at.” Mr Crow insisted that the strike was over “safe Tube staffing levels as our members send out the clearest possible message to the Mayor to call a halt to cuts before there's a major disaster”.



The conciliation service ACAS announced that fresh talks will be held tomorrow. The unions are protesting at plans to axe 800 mainly ticket office jobs, although they claim the number is set to rise to almost 2,000. TfL deny that safety is being compromised and insist there will be no enforced redundancies. While commuters in London had well practised strike routines, tourists to the city found their plans thrown into disarray.



Stefan from Berlin said: “It's a nightmare for people visiting London.” However the cutbacks in Underground are regarded as the thin end of a pointed political wedge to cutback the Underground which includes further redundancy, centralisation of HR, Finance and IT within the TfL organisation and selling off 55, Broadway, London Underground’s iconic and fully paid for Head Office (Estates Gazette February 14th 2009).

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/give-my-regards-to-55-broadway.html

Whereas London Underground is being told to cut its cloth according to a recent BBC article on pay and bonuses TfL is very much committed to Rolls-Royce solutions with some employees on large salaries getting half as much again as bonuses.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11369278

Having explicitly committed to no ticket office closures in his Mayoral election manifesto Mayor Boris Johnson is now hoisted on his own petard, so being Boris you then make noise about something nay anything and wave your arms frantically! So now Boris is on the news banging on about banning strikes where less than 50% of union members vote. This could also be an awkward argument for BoJo as such a "turnout threshold" would have prevented his own election on the back of just 19% of London voters.



And the only reason he is talking about one now is to cover for his total inaction in getting the promised "no strike deal" with the unions. So as you mull that one over on your journey home tonight here's a few other statistics from the “Tory Troll” Blog to think about:

Boris Johnson's meetings since 2008:

Rupert Murdoch: 1
Rebekah Wade, The Sun: 2
Lord Rothermere, Daily Mail: 1
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan: 1
Lily Allen: 1
Kelly Brook: 2
Tube Union leaders: 0


What Boris promised when running for election?


Boris discussing important matters with Lily Rose Beatrice Allen, a popular chanteuse. Who says Global warming is not real?

Free Gerald the Elephant!

Johnathan Yeo's "Blue Elephant"

I recently reported on how Londoners were rubbing their eyes in disbelief as a colourful herd of 258 life-sized model baby elephants has appeared across their City to raise money for charity. Artists including Sacha Jafri and Sam Hacking have decorated each of the 1.5m (4.9ft)-high fibreglass models, which are being displayed in public places from May. Then on 30 June, the charity Elephant Family will auction the models, and hope to raise about £2m to protect India's elephants. The animals have been placed at numerous landmarks including Buckingham Palace. The 2010 London Elephant Parade has now become something of an obsession with many Londoners pursuing an unofficial challenge to photograph all the elephants across London.

Now imagine their distress reported in the Evening Standard that Gerald the Elephant is being held in captivity! According to the report a model elephant painted by artist Jonathan Yeo is generating a cult following after it was banned from its home in Selfridges for being too risqué. The sculpture is covered with Yeo's trademark pornographic collage, which proved too much for bosses at the Oxford street store who asked for it to be removed after complaints.


Selfridges, Oxford Street, London

The artwork, called Gerald and created by the son of South Suffolk Tory MP Tim Yeo, is one of 258 life-size statues of baby jumbos dotted around London for the 2010 Elephant Parade in aid of the Elephant Family charity, set up by Mark Shand, brother of the Duchess of Cornwall, to help save the Asian elephant from extinction.

Gerald was moved from Selfridges to the charity's Bloomsbury HQ, where staff were besieged with calls and emails from elephant fans who have been tracking the sculptures across the capital, desperate to find Gerald and take his picture.


Elephant with Tower Bridge in the background

After a "Free Gerald" Facebook group was set up to trace him, the charity decided to let visitors in to take a snapshot. Mr Shand said: "We had put him near the staff entrance at Selfridges because we thought he would keep the adults company and not offend anyone, but he offended everyone. So we brought him back to the office but we got two or three hundred emails and phone calls asking, 'Where is Gerald?'


Elephant with the Houses of Parliament in the background.

"Then a Facebook campaign started. All we could do was offer appointments to come and take a picture. More than 200 people turned up and we let them in one by one." Now John Stephen, co-owner of Chinawhite nightclub in Fitzrovia, has offered Gerald a home. "He said he belonged there," said Mr Shand. "All Gerald wants is a roof over his head." The statue will be on public display at Chinawhite between 1pm and 2pm on Monday. It will stay at the club until June 30. Sotheby's will auction the elephants, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, between June 29 and July 4 in a bid to raise £1million.



Each model has been decorated by a different artist or celebrity, including Tommy Hilfiger and Sir Terence Conran. Secretary Petra Jirusova, 32, from south-east London, who set up the Free Gerald Facebook group, said she has now photographed all 258 elephants. "This quest of finding them takes you to parts of London you may never visit," she added. "It's great fun."

For the full story on the 2010 Elephant Parade in London see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/05/elephants-of-old-london-town.html



The crowd to see the "Blue Elephant" at Elephant Family charity in Bloomsbury

The Elephants of Old London Town

Elephant Parade

First time visitors to London may feel it is inhabited by herds of elephants as they get crushed at rush hour on the Tube or trampled underfoot trying to go shopping in Oxford Street. However they can now rub their eyes in disbelief as a colourful herd of 260 life-sized model baby elephants has appeared across London to raise money for charity. Artists including Sacha Jafri and Sam Hacking have decorated each of the 1.5m (4.9ft)-high fibreglass models, which are being displayed in public places from May. Then on 30 June, the charity Elephant Family will auction the models, and hope to raise about £2m to protect India's elephants. The animals will be placed at landmarks including Buckingham Palace.

They will also appear in areas such as Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and on the South Bank. Jewellery designer Sabine Roemer dressed her elephant with a 700-carat emerald on its forehead. She said it was "amazing" to see her completed work in Trafalgar Square. "We started talking about it a year ago," she said. "I wanted to have a very traditional Indian-looking elephant and to make a jewellery piece."

Artist Sacha Jafri stood next to his gold elephant emblazoned with hearts. "I had the birth of my little baby during all of this so it has these heart motifs," he said. The artworks include three anonymously-decorated 'election elephants' with boxing gloves, representing the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives. Elephant parades have already been held in Antwerp and Rotterdam, and after London the elephants will move to New York and Milan. The parade follows the format of Cow Parade, which began in Zurich in 1998 to increase tourism and raise money for charity.










Trafalgar Square

An Elephant Family spokeswoman said: "The elephants will appear overnight to cheer London up and raise some vital funds." Here is their site and explanation of Elephant Parade;


Chinatown

“Elephant Parade is a conservation campaign that shines a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Brought to you by www.elephantfamily.org , the event sees over 250 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London this summer.

Each decorated by a different artist or celebrity, the elephants brighten and beautify the city, enhancing every park, street corner and building they grace. Running from May to July 2010, this is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record. With an estimated audience of 25 million, we aim to raise £2 million for the Asian elephant and benefit 20 UK conservation charities.

All of our elephants are for sale by auction and every bid you place is a bid for habitat. Mini elephants are available at Selfridges, 80 Regent St, 36 Carnaby St and Greenwich Central Market or at the elephant parade online shop. Happy elephant spotting!”








Leicester Square

So on this Friday evening these 260 Elephants provoke a great smile from passers by as I stroll through Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Hanover Square and up to Selfridges. There in the Basement there is the Elephant Parade shop selling miniature versions of the Elephants I had just seen. There they have a full sized Elephant called “Heaven’s Haathi” (Haathi is the Hindi / Punjabi word for Elephant) and a full range of miniature elephants including my personal favourite “Bobby Elephant.”


Only 3175 miles to Accra, Ghana

London has always been a city of many cultures and many faiths, with a population from all over the world. Throughout history it has been an important centre for the settlement of immigrants and refugees. Today, over 200 languages are spoken in London. As I wandered through the centre by the wonderful iconic Trafalgar Square with its pedestrianised north side and into Leicester Square and Chinatown the diversity which makes this city so special and such an iconic World City was obvious. In the park in Leicester Square the capitals of the Commonwealth are commemorated in plaques and over all of it beams the statue of England’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, whose statue boasts the apt epigram; “There is no darkness but ignorance.”


Great Titchfield Street


Hanover Square

London is a special place and a great World City not because of its place in history or its great monuments, architecture, museum’s and art galleries but because of the special qualities and dynamic it gets from the ethnic diversity of its people living in a free and tolerant society. My regular Blogistas will have denoted a tincture of unhappiness on my part about the recent elections but what is impressive is the way the well oiled wheels of the British State move and how power and authority are transferred; No meetings of “Strong Men” in back rooms take place, no militias on the streets, no protests rather the Civil Service prepare tea and briefing notes for the new ministers. This tolerant and well ordered inclusive society is treasured no more than in this dynamic city whose inhabitants appreciate its interest and variety.
A bit like that remarkable and hugely social animal the Elephant who has been so ill served in the last century by the attentions of mankind. Hopefully the proceeds of Elephant Parade will do something to redress that balance whilst adding greatly to the gaiety of the urban streetscape.




“Heaven’s Haathi”

“No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Since Dr Samuel Johnson uttered these words to James Boswell in 1777 opinions have differed on whether being tired of London is just that for obviously there is plenty of life elsewhere but there is no doubt that this is still an iconic World City attracting hordes of visitors and herds of Elephants in the run up to hosting the Olympic Games in 2012.




Bobby Elephant

For a (busy) day seeing this diverse city whilst avoiding the usual tourist traps see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/09/day-in-london.html



“There is no darkness but ignorance.”

Xmas in London

London Eye at Xmas

London is always a hectic bustling city and no more so than over Christmas and New Year. The world and its live in companion seems to descend on the shops and the West End, especially this year as the weakness of sterling has made shopping in London good value. If you enjoy hustle and bustle, and keeping busy during your Christmas holiday then London has a special seasonal buzz, the shopping centres have grottos where you can take the children to meet Santa Claus, go on family trips to the outdoor ice skating rinks, and even spend some hard earned money at the fantastic international London Christmas fairs that take place throughout the city centre.


Hamleys Toy Shop, Regent's Street




Harrods 2009 Xmas Bear


Harrods

Christmas in London is a magical time and made more so by some of the best Christmas lights in the world. Most of them switch on in the middle of November and I recommend checking out Bond Street, Marylebone High Street, Oxford Street, Carnaby Street and Covent Garden - and at the same time of course you can do your London Christmas shopping. Possibly the most famous lights on a single store are at Harrods in Knightsbridge, an old favourite of Belle de Pays Noir who was particularly attracted to the ski jackets although some of them are so thin that they could only be worn by Posh Spice types. The window and store displays at Harrods are well worth seeing but my own favourite are the themed displays at Selfridges windows on Oxford Street which combine originality with a sense of humour which is something the harassed hordes of shoppers appreciate.






Selfridges windows




Fortnum and Mason's, Piccadilly

Each year since 1947, a Christmas tree has been given to the people of London from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain's support for Norway during World War II. The tree is usually over 20 meters high and 50-60 years old and is erected in London's popular ceremonial public space, Trafalgar Square. The Christmas tree lights are switched on in the evening on the first Thursday in December. The tree usually stays till the Twelfth Night of Christmas, 6 January, when it is taken down to be chipped and mulched. The switch on this year was as always a happy occasion with the square full and the carol singers in good voice.






Trafalgar Square

A growing trend are the ice skating rinks in high profile locations normally with an Xmas Market attached and a convenient mulled wine stall as you need to do something to keep warm. Indeed the Sage has graced the ice at the rink at the Natural History Museum even if it has involved the somewhat unorthodox “bum skating” technique. It is not easy staying upright and why should it be different on the ice?


Somerset House Ice Rink

The daddy of all the rinks is set in London’s great renaissance Palazzo on the Thames, Somerset House. This ice rink celebrates its 10th birthday this year. Meet in the Skate Cafe & Bar to enjoy a celebratory drink or visit the Tiffany Tuck shop where jewellery, cupcakes and other treats are on offer. A calendar of special events includes Breakfast with Tiffany, DJ nights and family mornings. Open all day and into the night, Somerset House ice rink is London's favourite winter tradition and it has a superb setting in the courtyard of William Chambers great building which was for many years the Admiralty Headquarters in the days when Britannia really ruled the waves.


Natural History Museum Ice Rink

Another great located rink is my favourite on the east lawn of the Natural History Museum in South Kensington which is now in its fifth year. The Natural History Museum Ice Rink has a new 1050-square-meter rink, plus a Cafe Bar and fairground carousel. There's also a smaller 100-square-meter rink for younger skaters, linked to the main rink via an ice bridge.


Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

The Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is London's largest open-air ice rink. Covering 1400m² and accommodating 400 skaters at any one time, the rink is created with 130,000 litres of frozen water, weighing 130 tonnes, and kept frozen by 13km of piping. Winter Wonderland features an outdoor ice rink, a traditional German Christmas Market, Zippo's Christmas Circus, and a 50m giant observation wheel offering magnificent views of Hyde Park.


Tower of London

Situated in the dry-moat beneath the fortress of the Tower of London, the real-ice rink offers the chance to skate in a truly unique setting on the banks of the River Thames. So grab a hat, gloves and scarf and take time out of the hustle and bustle of London to experience skating under the battlements by the Thames.




Oxford Street Lights "A Christmas Carol"

Leicester Square echoes to the shrieks of customers on the Fairground rides and attractions in the heart of the West End, at the Leicester Square funfair. Interspersed with the rides are the stalls offering the traditional and traditionally unrewarding attractions of coconut shies, Aunt Sally’s and Hoopla? Two things to remember, you rarely win a prize and when you do it is rarely worth having. Buy the overpriced candy floss or popcorn instead; at least you’ll come away with something! Attracting thousands throughout the Christmas season, Bob Wilson’s Funfair is only in town for a month, so there’s only limited time to enjoy the funfair before the New Year. However am I the only one to wonder why funfairs are traditionally run by tattooed monsters from the East End who describe themselves as “Showmen”?




Leicester Square Funfair

The wonderfully restored vegetable and flower markets by Charles Fowler at Covent Garden and the street theatre in the Piazza in front of Inigo Jones St. Paul’s Church are always a visitor magnet. This attraction is reinforced at Xmas by the Christmas Food and Drink Markets and the futuristic lighting displays in the market arcades. The futuristic sculptural light display in the covered market centres on three large scale 'chandeliers' that visitors can interact with. The installation incorporates a modular lighting array created from hundreds of energy efficient, full colour LED tubes, delicately suspended in the spaces of the North and South Halls and the Central Avenue of the Market Building.


Covent Garden Market

Individually controllable pixels encased within the tubes display an ever-changing display of swirling snow, gently falling in organic real-world patterns, and providing possibly the only white Christmas London will see this year. Full visitor interactivity comes through a handy touch screen panel situated in the South Hall of the market building, so at certain times of the day, visitors can create their very own snow storms.




Regent Street lights

The modern story of Covent Garden began in the 1630s when land formerly belonging to Westminster Abbey, 'the Convent Garden' was redeveloped by the 4th Earl of Bedford. Today overlooked by the Royal Opera House the former vegetable & produce market has been restored to a thriving urban hub with numerous shops and street theatre, particularly on the Piazza in front of Inigo Jone’s St. Paul’s Church at the western end. At the other end of the piazza you come to London’s Transport Museum. If the day gets too hectic take a breather in this fascinating child friendly museum which also boasts an excellent restful restaurant and a somewhat wonderful shop full of transport memorabilia and fascinating gifts which you won’t find elsewhere.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/londons-transport-museum.html

After all that excitement take a rest before London, as always, sees in the New Year with a BIG PARTY!! Since 2003, London has celebrated New Year’s Eve along the banks of the Thames. Following the chimes of Big Ben at midnight, a spectacular ten-minute fireworks display is fired from the London Eye. London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display has been acclaimed around the world and attracts large crowds.

The annual New Year's Eve Fireworks display, launched from the foot of the London Eye and from rafts on the Thames, is visible from most of central London: the basic rule is that if you can see the London Eye, you'll be able to see the show. They cram enough firepower for an hour-long display into ten explosive minutes, lighting up the sky for miles around. The best views are from Victoria Embankment, the South Bank, and Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge. Hungerford Bridge is closed after 8pm and there's also no entry to Westminster Bridge after this time. Go to www.london.gov.uk/newyearseve for full details.


Carnaby Street

Beginning with Mayor of London Boris Johnson who will beam a personal message on to the Shell Building, situated on the Thames, a star-studded list of international personalities sharing their message of goodwill in the countdown to 2009.

The celebrity projections have been devised in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, which helps unemployed young people gain skills to find work. The Trust’s young ambassadors, who have turned their lives around with the charity’s support, will also attend the display as VIP guests.



The projections will form part of the build up to the midnight fireworks display at The London Eye, which is being organized by the Greater London Authority and is being created by internationally renowned pyrotechnician Christophe Berthonneau.

The good thing is that transport on the night is free so there is no need to pay a fortune for a taxi or risk a dodgy mini-cab to get home after the New Year’s Party. Transport for London is laying on free travel plus services through the night, to make sure that Londoners and visitors celebrating New Year's Eve can get home safely. All TfL services will be free from 2345 on New Year's Eve until 0430 on New Year's Day, thanks to sponsorship by ING Banking. The all-night Tube service will run continuously from the start of services on Thursday 31 December 2009 until they end the following day, Friday 1 January 2010.



From approximately 0200 on New Year's Day, the Tube will operate at a 15-minute frequency in central London and every 30 minutes on branch lines in outer London. Night bus services will be subject to diversions, but will operate throughout the night. DLR and Croydon Tram link services will also run all night.

So, if you are in or visiting London, Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year’s Eve Party!


Happy New Year!