This morning I had to take a detour through The Glades Shopping Centre and it hit me that Remembrance Day is fast approaching. What I know about Remembrance Day is shocking and I thought I might as well educate myself on the inns and outs. Remembrance Day is normally celebrated on the second Sunday in the United Kingdom. There are several other Commonwealth countries celebrating Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day is all about commemorating the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces and civilians since the World War to keep the nation safe. Celebrations are normally organised by the Royal British Legion who also gather much needed funds through the Poppy Appeal. Their target this year is to raise £36 million pounds and every penny counts as it is used to support service men and women through tough times. The Royal British Legion goes above and beyond; visit their website below for the full story and how you can help, even if it is just by donating a few pennies

What is the significance of the “Poppy”?

“The poppy’s significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare.”

The Royal British Legion

There is something magical about the South Bank in London. The area is home to the London Eye, Hayward Gallery, National Theatre and so much more. The area is always vibrant and buzzing but not too busy compared to Piccadilly Circus. Best part of it is that you do not need to spend money to enjoy your time there. You could grab a seat on a bench and just stare the afternoon away looking at the Thames River or you could enjoy some free entertainment close to the London Eye from the daily entertainers. The list goes on and on and I would need to dedicate an entire post to just that but I actually wanted to say how great the atmosphere is at the South Bank.

This week I managed to see a sculpture called DROP by Paul Cocksedge. This is all in aid of the London Design Festival. People were moving pennies around on the sculpture to create messages. The aim of the sculpture is to encourage people to add to it and at the end of the festival it would be donated to charity, not a bad idea. It is quite clever actually. This is just one of many examples of things to do and explore at the South Bank in Waterloo.

According to statistics you are more likely to be injured in serious or fatal crashes if you are a motorcyclist rather than a car driver. It does not sound that severe, does it? I use to ride a motorcycle but have not really been allowed to go for a license again to ride one again. It is simply too dangerous in a big city such as London. I see motorcyclist take chances every day and have actually seen an accident or two happen. It takes one second for it all to go wrong.

The DVLA in the United Kingdom is actively promoting their motorcycling campaign called think. It is a good campaign that can be heard on the radio and seen on TV throughout the day. This whole idea of mentioning the campaign on here was sparked by me witnessing another motorcycle accident this morning. A street bike was stuck underneath a garbage truck in the middle of a busy road. Luckily both parties were not hurt and were both struggling with the police officer to get the bike out again.

The five most common factors in road accidents that involve injury to motorcyclists are:

• failed to look properly
• loss of control
• failed to judge other person’s path or speed
• careless, reckless or in a hurry
• poor turn or manoeuvre

Pardon my dodgy photos but I had to do it sneakily, felt a bit weird about taking photos of the accident scene but I guess real life photos send the message home better.

It seems like I am almost too late for this festival that was right on my doorstep. First I hear of the London Design Festival but it looks interesting. I am not the artsy fartsy type but I do find these creations interesting and appealing. The London Design Festival is what makes culture and art in London so vibrant. The support behind this festival is humongous and every artist in the world would kill to be a part of it here in London.

These two pieces were outside the Royal Festival Hall in Waterloo. My first impression of the first photo was that they are busy constructing a huge artsy Christmas tree already. It did not occur to me that it was part of the London Design Festival, specifically called Supercell by Marc Newson. The Southbank is amazing; you will always find different things being displayed and constructed bringing the element of new and fun to the area.

The London Design Festival is an annual event that takes place in London at various locations. Their website has more information on the matter as there is a lot to take it. Quickly, check it out before it is too late and you will need to wait to 2010.

The Lambeth Country Show kicked off this weekend with unexpected weather but they seemed to have luck on their side as they only had a few drops on Sunday. The show is held each year in Brockwell Park. The park is gigantic and they could not have picked a better place. The views from the top of the small “hill” is amazing, you can see The London Eye, The Gherkin and the Battersea Power Station. What a perfect setting for a weekend filled with activities?

Safety came first as you saw all the barriers and dedicated staff members walking around. The Metropolitan Police had their turf covered that is for sure. The people who organised this event really know their stuff and it was a pleasure to interact with the crowd. We walked into one of the main entrances and were overwhelmed by the amount of different food stalls on offer. It really represents Lambeth with the different cultures and areas within the borough.

There were countless of activities to explore, anything from face painting to advice on going back to work. The whole event was arranged to be free of charge. The only places you had to pay for were the fair and the food stalls, everything else gratis. The live music in all areas different made it interesting as you explored the different parts of the event.

The only part that disappointed me a bit was the fact that the food stalls and fair was a bit pricey for an area which was free of charge to enter. I would definitely go next year and take a picnic with to enjoy the event. Despite that, we still had a great time and would recommend it to anyone who was thinking about attending the show next year.

Antony Gormley’s latest project launch in Trafalgar Square is called “One & Other” where he uses volunteers to stand for an hour on the fourth plinth. This will be done for 24 hours each day for the nest hundred days. We made it to Trafalgar Square just in time to see the first person get off the plinth. The very first person was a housewife from Lincolnshire, Rachel Wardell. She seemed to be beaming when replaced with another volunteer and the reporters went crazy!

Stooly.com managed to get a video on YouTube in time for you all to enjoy! I am sure you have seen the hundred and two reruns on all news channels if you live in the United Kingdom. We have seen Antony Gormley’s work in Liverpool and the statues he had on London buildings. He definitely knows how to pull an audience with his art. You can watch a live feed of Antony Gormley’s “One & Other” project by clicking here.

Watch the video we made at Trafalgar Square – CLICK HERE

It has dawned on me that London has a lot of festivals in the second half of the year. The best thing about these festivals is that you do not need to spend money unless you want to. You can enjoy all the activities and the entertainment without forking out a few pounds.

The Thames Festival is not as quite as popular as Notting hill Carnival but it is getting there slowly. You can experience all the excitement this weekend at the South Bank area in London, makes it much easier for people living in the east of London to get to this festival.

The whole festival is about celebrating London and the Thames River, hence the name. We went there last year and you could really feel the buzz and it was a great day out, just a shame we did not stay for the fireworks which I heard was amazing. I can not begin to explain what you will experience but it will be fun. Remember that you do not need to spend any money unless you want to, but some things might be expensive and remember to take cash with. There were no cash machines around the area.

The best feature for me would be the fireworks on Sunday night as well as the night carnival which should be absolutely amazing. I am sure if you go to Flickr and type in Thames Festival, you’re bound to see what people experienced last year.  Alternatively you can visit the Mayor’s Thames Festival official website to see what they’ve got planned as well as photos from the previous years.

There are so many activities taking place in London every week that I find it hard to keep track of them all. There is always something to look forward to and most of the activities and festivals around London are free of charge to attract the people. One of those free events is called Scrum on the Beach.

This years Scrum on the Beach event is sponsored by 02 and will be taking place on the 28^th of August 2008 at Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is to be converted into a beach and there are plenty of promises for entertainment for the entire day free of charge. If you are a 02 customer, you could get a free massage from a 02 Angel as well as enjoy a free smoothie. Best part of all is that you can meet some of the England rugby players and get a free autograph whilst you’re there.

The initiative is to encourage more people to take rugby up as a sport. Guess the United Kingdom need a few more stars in their national team to take on the Aussies, All Blacks and the South Africans! All in all, it should be a great day out and hopefully the weather will be great.

The Stooly.com team is intending on attending the Scrum on the Beach event and we’ll hopefully take tonnes of photos for the site, so keep coming back for updates! If you have been to a previous event, share you experience with us by leaving a comment below.

UPDATE: We’ve taken a few photos and videos of the event – CLICK HERE

Everybody is talking about it, we might as well join in even though we normally steer well clear of politics. Nobody can ever have a healthy debate about politics and walk away from the debate smiling; it always manages to end in fumes. So, we’re basically going to highlight the issue and walk away before we burn our fingers. The states are battling it out big time, Zimbabwe is at each others necks and we Londoners have the chance to cast our vote for the next Mayor of London.

In a matter of a few short weeks us Londoners can go and cast our vote for who we want as the next Mayor of London. There is this nifty website that counts off the days until the London Elections if you can’t be asked to do it yourself. As most of you know, good ol’ Ken Livingstone is running the show at the moment and let’s just say that the media has had a lot reporting to do on all the bad vibes from the Londoners.

This year we have Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick as the main three candidates for the London Elections. It is not our place to dish up the dirt on these boys, each one to their own but we thought that we’d highlight the London Elections in time for anyone that did not know about it to get their opinions voiced and vote for the change they want to see in London.

I am sure you can find a lot of interesting stories on each of these candidates if you google them, some of it might be true, some not but let us point you in the right direction so long that you can get registered to vote and keep up with the latest information straight from the London Elections website.

London Elections – Everything You Need to Know! 

It amazes me how quickly time seems to fly these days or have we become too busy to notice it? Either way, it is that time of the year again where we all pretend to be Irish and drink until the sun comes up, well, some of us. St Patrick’s Day is not just celebrated in the United Kingdom; countries around the world have now made it their own and drink to the occasion even though they have no idea why it is being celebrated in the first instance. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on Sunday the 16^th of March 2008.

As always, the St Patrick’s Day festivities are going to be big in London this Sunday with a planned parade and festival. People from all cultures in London will eat, drink and be merry all day long. Some brave enough to dress up for the occasion. The St Patrick’s Day parade will start at noon (12) at Hyde Park Corner all the way to Whitehall Place, quite a walk but would be entertaining and fun. If you are not planning on drinking with the crowds then join in the parade as we’ve only ever heard good things about it.

Not up for the parade? Why not go to the St Patrick’s Day Festivals instead? The festival is being celebrated in Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. You can enjoy a great day out listening to music, meeting new people, fun, food an crafts. This is an event not to be missed in London!