Burlington Arcade, London

Running parallel with the much vaunted and frankly obvious Old Bond Street down to Piccadilly is the stunning Burlington Arcade. 

1819 and Lord George Cavendish, who at the time resided in nearby Burlington House (now the Royal Academy), was like any modern man in that he wanted to keep his wife happy, this after she complained of 'drunks and ruffians' interrupting her and her friends shopping experience. Galvanising him to set about and  commission his architect, Samuel Ware, to design a covered promenade of shops that became the Burlington Arcade

Not content with just supplying his wife with one of Britain's first shopping Malls the good Lord went one step further by installing guards to protect the patrons and uphold standards with in the Arcade. Resplendent in their Edwardian frock coats and gold braid, men brought from the family regiment of the 10 Hussar's, became the smallest private police force in the world ensuring there was, and still is, no whistling, singing, busking or even running in what is still the longest and most beautiful covered shopping street in Britain.

These custodians, known as Beadles still watch over the Arcade, though maybe more 'approachable' than in bygone days, in fact feel free to test their knowledge of London as they are rarely proved wrong, are still prepared to eject anyone not respecting the traditions of this historic landmark.

Visiting Burlington Arcade is a must, treading the carpeted, yes carpeted, corridor is tranquil and inspiring. You tend to stroll as if you where in a cathedral or museum, in some ways you are, you can smell the history...that or its the excruciatingly expensive hand bags and jewellery on display behind crystal clear glass. Yes, the Arcade was built by aristocracy and from a shopping perspective maintains the upper class standard. Hancock the jewellers designed and then produced every one of the 1350 Victoria Cross medals and the boutiques including that of Lulu Guinness and David Duggan are generally not for the pockets of the masses but then dreaming and drooling are not, to the best of my knowledge, enforced by the Beadles. 

A visit will put you in good company as Burlington boasts a very famous guest list from the Prince Regent to Ingrid Bergman, Gladstone to Fred Astaire through to Percy the Poltergeist, who in 1952, allegedly, rearranged briefcases and handbags for the residents at No. 42. 

Like all good disclaimer's, 'other Arcades are available' Princes, Piccadilly and Royal to name a few but, in my opinion, non quite measure up to the one built because of one mans love for his wife.

You can book a days travelling in London with Chirton Grange by visiting our website here

The Red Bus Menace

How many people have to be killed or injured before something is done about Double Decker buses in London.
 
Driving professionally in London for many years I have witnessed many changes, both good and bad.

The London Congestion Charge (although I admit that I raged against the concept) made a positive difference to traffic congestion in the central area and the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square a few years ago didn't bring the end to life as we know it.

As a driver you have to be accepting of most of the negative points of driving in this great or any city. For instance Black Cabs will never let you out into traffic, cyclists will 'flip you off' for no reason and pedestrians can look the 'wrong way' before they cross the road. It's London! It happens.

That said, over the last 3-5 years the iconic Red London Double Decker bus has become a menace and danger to the streets of London, or rather its driver has.

All too often they ignore the red lights, I sit patiently waiting at the junction and even as my light gets to green a bus will continue over the junction from the opposite filter, usually at speed, and fly across me. If you monitor Trafalgar Square as it is reaching grid lock you'll see the cause is a bus having blocked an exit. The same with Marble Arch, Scotch Corner etc. Now blocking junctions is frustrating of course (and mocks any attempt at a 'Green-Eco' Mayoral policy) but the real concern is the danger. 

Buses jump red lights and pedestrian crossings all the time, this is not an angry motorist ranting, well not just an angry motorist ranting. I am confident that if you polled other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians most could regale you of a near death and close call experience. You get angry and frustrated as a car driver but a cyclist or pedestrian gets killed.

The thing that concerns me most about all this is the apparent allowing (or ignoring) of these traffic violations. Trust me, London has more CCTV camera's than anywhere else in the World and if I or other motorists were to speed, jump a red light, park, stop or even break wind we'll be caught and issued with a PCN (Parking Charge Notice) and rightly so if we break the law. So how can the bus drivers flout the law so regularly and go seemingly unpunished?. These blinkered lunatics are either working to pay the fines or the 'powers that be' are overlooking and/or even encouraging the practise.

A good idea might be to give buses their own lane, let's call it a 'bus lane' so they haven't the need to speed and hur.......oh, that's right.

Anyone visiting London for the first time has to get a photograph with a Telephone Box, a Black Cab and a Red Double Decker, these beasts are indeed iconic and something the people of London are proud of. Instead they are fast becoming a real danger to Londoners and their visitors and something we really need to be looking both ways for.

Great Places to Visit: Bouremouth

When contemplating your first visit to Great Britain, obvious thoughts are set first to London, then with the luxury of a longer stay or second visit the temptation to be predictable is understanding as a call into Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford and Cambridge is hard to argue against.

The warm, near hot, conditions currently being enjoyed across the Isles allow a rare chance to sample our Great British beach fronts (before the sun realises it has taken a wrong turn or we Brits start to 'melt' and complain that it is 'actually, too hot' and that they've not slept for days) the obvious choice will be the Regency splendour of Brighton. However, any newspaper photograph that wants to reflect upon the weekends weather will show Brighton beach giving standing room only and while the smooth round pebbles suit me most 'surf dudes' prefer the soft golden sand they'll get in Bournemouth.

With an drive down through the beautiful New Forest, you arrive at Bournemouth, who are, seemingly, happy to keep its seven miles of golden sandy beach mostly to itself. The front has two historical piers that are still very much intact and all the seaside attractions you'd expect from a coastal resort but without the, well, 'tat'. Bournemouth has the perception of being the God's waiting room with sea views and while there's some of that around it makes for a more gentile visit. That said you'll find plenty of stag and Hen parties filling the plethora of hotels most weekends.

A great base for the Jurassic Coast, New Forest and Stonehenge I'd recommend giving Bournemouth at least a try....send me a postcard. Or better still, book a car down there and I'll come too. To enquire, click here

Chirton Grange Ltd

The Royal Baby Cometh

Any new addition to a family is a truly magical moment, but surely it should, for a brief time at least, be a private moment.

Of course, William enjoys the trapping of wealth and privilege that come with being part of 'the firm' and Kate?, well she knew what she was getting herself into.

There is a scene in the film The Kings Speech when Colin Firth played by King George returns from a meeting with Parliament that has just ratified his accession to the throne (to succeed his spine less brother) and when Helena Bonham-Carter asks; 'Well?'

He nods a nod that says 'BbbBugger it, I'm gonna be KKKK-ing'

but before he spits those words out he glances, for a split second, at his eldest daughter with a 'What have I got you into' look.

William and Kate must be allowed time, a week or a month with THEIR first baby, a chance to recover, reflect and announce the name George (12-1 at William Hill). The Duchess of Cambridge is now a mother and needs to bond, worry and fuss over her new gift like the millions of mothers before her. When that little hand grabs her, or William's, finger, he isn't a Prince or future King. Simply their little boy.

So let's back off, give them time and space before he becomes the most photographed little boy in history. We need a distraction, maybe a Brit could win Wimbledon or, dare I say it, England retain the Ashes.....maybe its tIme for Aunty Pippa to dust that dress off and sashay down the Kings Road.

Hotel Coffee

My line of work requires staying in many hotels up and down the UK. Different and varied in both size and star ratings they each have their faults and plus points in varying degrees

Pro's and cons of hotels are, in many ways, personal to the guest that is visiting. While working all I need are a clean room, good power shower and more than 5 TV channels but at leisure the pool, bar and restaurant figure more so. And I am sure we are all different in our likes and dislikes of our temporary accommodation.

What I do not understand is the inability to provide good tea and coffee especially at breakfast and especially the coffee.

With too few exceptions we are blandly offered 'tea or coffee' if the answer comes back tea it is never followed with any questions like 'English Breakfast or Earl Grey' milk or lemon' etc. You'll get tea, one to two bags plonked in a pot and doused in boiling water and then set before you. It is then up to us to manipulate the cheap, weak bags around the pot to stimulate some form of colour and flavour.

If coffee is your thing then you will get a vessel of luke-warm brown liquid, that has taken minimal effort, either as bland as a tax inspector's speech or as thick and heavy as a stupid boys rugby team.

Over the last 15 years coffee houses have flourished and prospered with choices of cappuccino, latte (lattai or lartee?) Flat white, Americano (blue jeans and chino's) they offer a wide range of tea's from dark and strong to fruit, iced or hot!

Yet hotels remain in the dark ages when it comes to our most important tipple of the day. So come on Hilton, Holiday Inn (other hotel chains are available) sit down and be the 1st to have us all talking about your wonderful coffee and tea selection.

Chirton Grange Ltd

A short history lesson on the Ashes

Unless you are Father Christmas, you will probably struggle to recall the earliest of cricketing battles between England and Australia. In fact, Santa might also have to delve deep into the grey matter because the inception of the Ashes dates back to 1882.

Following England's first defeat by Australia on home soil at The Oval in August of that year, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary of English cricket, which concluded that: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

Ivo Bligh, England captain at the time, pledged to win back "the Ashes" on the return tour to Australia a few weeks later. Although the hosts won the first Test, a match played over five days, England won the next two and succeeded in winning the series.

To mark the achievement, Bligh was given a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the Ashes that he had travelled to Australia to regain.

History lesson done and dusted.

Chirton Grange

Hampton Court Flower Show

Started in 1990, RHS Hampton Court Flower show has become the biggest flower show in the World. The show will run this year from 9th July until the 14th and attracts visitors from all over the UK and the World.

The show features show gardens, floral marquees and pavilions, talks and demonstrations. Erected on the north and south sides of the Long Water in Hampton Court Park, it is the second major national show after the Chelsea Flower Show but has a different character, focusing more on environmental issues, growing your own food and vegetables and cookery, while also offering opportunities to buy gardening accessories, plants and flowers.

Travel there in style with Chirton Grange chauffeurs for around £420 for 7 people all day.