How to save fuel in London
London cabbies to practise ‘smoother driving’ with the Spring-O-Meter and learn how to save fuel in London.
London cabbies have been known to sometimes throw and tantrum or two and drive erratically through the streets of London believing they are ‘above the law’.
Although any misbehaving on the road might now not be so easy for London cabbies thanks to a new gadget known as the Spring-O-Meter.
In an attempt to cut fuel bills by enhancing fuel efficiency, this dashboard-mounted device informs drivers when their driving becomes erratic. The Spring-O-Meter dances about when a driver brakes suddenly or moves forward too quickly, and when it gets really annoyed with a cabbie’s driving, it loudly beeps its horn.
Spring-O-Meters were put in the vehicles of cabbies for a two-week trial to see whether the ‘smoother driving’ encouraged by gadget helped them learn how to save fuel in London.
The trial showed that the fuel of the cabbies using the Spring-O-Meter fell by 12% and if they continue to use the device for 12 months, they would save approximately £600 in fuel.
The brain behind the scheme is Jamie Young, of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.
“We chose cabbies on purpose because they are stereotyped as set in their ways and so are a relatively difficult group to influence,” Mr Young said.
Three great things to do in London this autumn
The leaves are beginning to curl inwards and turn red, orange and yellow, the nights are becoming darker and the mornings feel considerably fresher, we can safely assert that autumn has arrived.
Don’t let the cooler weather and darker nights put you off getting out and about in London, as, on the contrary, now can be a great time of year to explore and experience the capital. We take a look at three great things to do in London this autumn.
Power of Making, V&A, Cromwell Road September 6, 2011 – January 1, 2012
Attending exhibitions can be a great way to ‘beat the autumn blues’ in London, and none more so than the Power of Making exhibition at V&A. This unique show has been collaborated by the V&A and the Crafts Council and presents more than 100 crafted objects, made by both amateurs and professionals.
The exhibit, which combines both time-honoured techniques with some innovative ones, includes a ceramic eye patch, a life-size crochet bear, the handcrafted puppets from the 2009 film Fantastic Mr Fox, a metal flute, amongst many, many more.
Horse Riding in Hyde Park
There is nothing quite as invigorating as riding a horse on a fresh autumn morning. Horses have been stabled at Hyde Park for more than 300 years and there are five miles of bridleways designed for riding around the park and beside the Serpentine Lake.
Positively Pink – Breast Cancer Awareness in London
From 1st October, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month and The Haven, the Wyndham Grand London, Chelsea Harbour’s 5* all-suite hotel, launches a new pink afternoon tea.
The positively Pink Afternoon tea’s menu consists of pink, bite-sized treats, with ‘super food’ ingredients such as watercress, green tea, ginger, spinach and turmeric.
These are all known for their medicinal properties in preventing and treating cancer. The menu was put together with expert advice for The Haven’s own nutritionalists.
The positively Pink afternoon tea supports breast cancer charity The Haven, which has support centres in London (Fulham), Leeds and Hereford. 10% of the bill will be donated to The Haven.
This is a really good way to champion Breast Cancer Awareness in London, just check out what’s on offer:
To start how about a selection of perfectly pink sandwiches? Whole wheat bread filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese & baby spinach; turmeric chicken & watercress; Brie de Meaux with ginger & mango chutney; and free range egg, chive & garlic mayonnaise with mustard cress on onion bread.
Then to home-baked cakes, pastries and deserts; apricot opera cake, banoffee tartlet, green tea panna-cotta, strawberry and lime tartlet and ginger-spiced carrot cake.
And that’s not forgetting the classic, warm mini-scones oozing with fresh clotted cream and fine strawberry jam… served with an optional glass of Pink Champagne and all for a good cause.
London on a Plate – new app for London restaurants
While London cabbies may know the capital like the back of their hand, for the majority of us, London with its sheer size and vastness, can be a little overwhelming.
With literally thousands of restaurants, cafes and bars littering the streets, knowing where to eat here takes overwhelming feelings to levels of exasperation. This is where new app for London restaurants called London on a Plate steps in.
Designed by journalist and author Charmain Ponnuthurai, the London on a Plate app for iPhone is intended to make this tremendous city more ‘intimate, memorable and accessible’.
Rather than simply listing every eatery in the capital, Charmain Ponnuthurai provides a curated list of restaurants that she considers clasps every aspect of food culture.
From the quality of the food, service, drinks, prices, to advice by top British designers on what to wear to a particular restaurant, London on a Plate is intended to give indecisive London diners instant clarity and decisiveness when it comes to choosing where they are going to eat.
Some of the world’s most elite chefs, including Tom Aikens, John Torode and Fergus Henderson, are involved with this new London restaurants app, who have sourced 100 specially-commissioned recipes from some of the most acclaimed kitchens in London.
More reasons why The Wyndham Grand is the best luxury family friendly hotel in London
We recently wrote about luxury family friendly hotel in London, The Wyndham Grand, and the fabulous ‘Back to school afternoon tea’. Now we bring news that totally reinforces the claim of best family friendly hotel in London.
Now the Wyndham grand caters for kids just as much as adults. Here’s why –
* London’s only 5 star all suite hotel can accommodate two adults and two children, with no additional charge.
* All meals for children at the Chelsea Riverside Brasserie are served on an award winning TumTum dining set. The special kids menu is helped further as children will love getting to grips with the colourful sets. Oh, and kids go free at breakfast!
* The suites contain a sofa bed in the living room and travel cots are supplied, giving a sense of privacy when needed. There are two TVs in each suite as well, which is always good news! And a real plus if you plan on staying with a baby or toddler is The Wyndham Grand’s partnership with Easidream. Each baby will receive a ‘Ewan the dream sheep’. The multi award-winning Gift of the Year 2011 emits soothing sounds at a low base frequency and projects a calming pink glow which help settle babies and toddlers into a peaceful sleep.
* For play time, The Wyndham Grand is ideally situated for an exciting boat trip up the Thames. The Wyndham grand also supplies Coiledspring Games that will keep the children happy whilst parents can relax (or join in). The innovative and exciting games and puzzles, which have been designed with an educational role, include Rat-a-tat-cat and Rory’s Story Cubes.
* And The Wyndham grand has not forgotten about the journey home. The Wyndham Grand London has partnered with Little Jetsetter, experts in keeping kids entertained on long (or short) journeys with fun, practical packs and keep parents happy with a range of travel aids. The Little Jetsetter pack includes two reusable sticker books, crayons, doodle areas, a cuddly toy, disposable bibs, change mats, all-natural travel baby wipes and hand sanitizer gel.
