It has dawned on me today that communities are needed in a big city such as London. We were walking down our local high street when I have noticed how little chain-stores there are on the street and it made me realise that I need to support the little guys to bring their own unique blend to the area to help build that much needed community spirit.

I have joined a local forum where people living in my area have come together to make a change, little changes though but a change non the less. Ever since joining the forum I have felt a strange sense of belonging and I urge everyone coming to London to blend into the local community to make the area better. This is needed unless we want a crime ridden area where people are too scared to be themselves or live in their own area. Think about it!

The community spirit really does wonders for an area. By supporting the locals, voicing your opinion and to meet up every now and then all play a vital role in society. I am not much for meeting strangers in the townhall but I am willing to lend a hand to clean up the area or even to visit and support a local fair. What possitive changes can you bring to your community?

There is roughly eight million people living in London and a vast majority of them make use of the transport for London network to get around. All these people touch buttons to open doors, hold on to poles inside tube carriages and use handrails in busses. These spots are all potential breeding grounds for the common cold virus . People are generally not very hygienic and it is important to protect yourself otherwise you would get the same cold over and over again throughout the year.

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself without it interfering too much with your life. Most people travelling around London carry some sort of bag with them which means you will have space to store a small bottle of antibaterial handwash. Most stores sell these in pocketsizes which requires no water, basically rubs dry. This is ideal for London and every traveller should have one, heck, everyone should carry one of these at all times.

The reason for the dramatic headline is because it sends a clear message and the NHS uses it on their campaign against the cold virus. It is quite catchy and should be followed where possible. Catch it in a tissue, bin the tissue at the earliest convenience to kill it dead in it’s tracks. Stay safe by following basic hygiene advice.

Earlier this week I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get last minute train tickets from London to Glasgow. Why last minute? Don’t even go there. Anyway I racked my brains and abused Google but I could not get tickets for less than £200 per person. To be paying that amount of money would be insane, so wrote off the trip until someone recommended going by coach. I had travelled across country before on a coach but it was not my most memorable or comfortable trip yet so the thought had no occurred to me.

Scouring around on Google trying to find tickets, I found National Express. They had available seats and good deals too so we decided to take the plunge and get tickets. It was going to be an eight hour bus trip so we opted for the departure time in the middle of the night. At least we would be asleep for most of the journey. Arrived at Victoria Coach Station at around 22:00 and we sat around with what looked like hundreds of other people opting to travel by coach. The coach bus itself was not big but it was going to have to do. They do not sell any refreshments on the coaches, so if you decide to use them, get your own snacks and drinks before the time.

The journey itself felt quick as busses are allowed to do 100mph on the motorways, loved it. All coaches come with safety belts which are required by law. My biggest concern was that I needed to have a toilet facility on the coach and luckily all of them have one. Not the most spacious place but it will do. The coach made two stops where people could grab a quick snack and stretch their legs and we used them each time. They do not allocate a lot of time on these stops, about 15 each, so you have to make it quick.

It was definitely an experience travelling in the middle of the night. I would recommend you give them at least a go before not opting to travel by coach. It would probably save you a small fortune if you want to explore the United Kingdom. A word of advice, if you are planning on travelling at night, take a travel pillow with as some coaches can be quite uncomfortable to sleep in. Oh, grab an Ipod or something with music, it helps. The National Express coaches can really be the cheaper alternative.