Wheelie Good Idea

Isaac Newton first discovered the Universal Law of Gravity in 1665. It was 320 years late before the travel industry found a solution to moving packages/luggage with wheelies. A brilliant concept that has made many a weary traveller sign with relief.

But little has changed since. Those little handles that come out of the top are just not up to the job. In most cases they merely transfer the weight of a loaded case directly downwards, making the traveller’s arm, shoulder and back twist and ache. Yet a handle can be such a simple thing when designed properly using a basic pivot triangle that connects the case and the handle, loaded flush from the back (not the top) and controllable for people of all heights. So the contents have been shifted to straight above the wheels.

Whilst designing this unique luggage handle Live Luggage has also made it robust, tactile and cool looking but claims most importantly it gives absolute control.

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Chinese Eclipse

The total eclipse of the sun is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. The one due to occur next year in China on July 22nd 2009 is expected to be the longest of the 21st Century, predicted to last five minutes and 40 seconds.

Special trips to China for it are being organised, including two by China specialist, WendyWu Tours - a 16-day ‘China and Eclipse Experience’ and an eight-day ‘Eclipse and Shanghai Spectacular.’ Both tours include flights, transport, accommodation and meals. Top astronomy author Stuart Clark will be on hand to share his knowledge and experience.He will be making a special presentation for tour members in Hangzhou on the banks of the Qiantang River on the day of the eclipse itself.

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The Singapore Slings

Quickly, what is the first thing that comes into your head when you hear the word ‘Singapore’? Sling? Rugby Sevens? No spitting? The trouble with countries you have not visited yet is that it’s hard to get past years and years of accumulated clichés. Just as France is not full with cyclists in stripy tops with garlic round their necks carrying baguettes under their arms, not everybody in Singapore heads for cocktails at Raffles (well, not all the time). The sea has always played a key part in Singapore’s history, largely because it occupies an excellent natural spot on major sea routes on the edge of the Malay Peninsula. During the Middle Ages it was called Temasek or ‘Sea Town’ as well as Singa Pura (‘Lion City’). Its strategic importance was not lost on the empire building British during the 18th century in their continuing battles against the empire building Dutch and consequently Sir Stamford Raffles (yes, it was named after him) turned Singapore into a world famous trading city. More recently, it became a famous theatre of war during World War II when it was taken by the Japanese forces and held by them from 1942 until 1945. Today, there are plenty of locations around the country where you can findout more about these often dark times.

One of the most interesting is Changi Chapel and Museum which include artifacts, photographs and drawings from the time of the occupation which meant imprisonment for over 50,000 soldiers and civilians. Visitors can stay for a service on Sundays at 9am.

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Liverpool where the Merseybeat goes on

The City Beat five other hopefuls - Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle/Gateshead and Oxford - to win the much-coveted prize and organisers are now promising to put on ‘the most spectacular celebration of culture in the history of Europe’. A grand claim indeed, but there is certainly much to enjoy in and around Liverpool. Festival planners (www.liverpool08.com) promise a year-long festival of art, architecture, ballet, comedy, cinema, food, fashion, literature, music, opera, science and theatre. And they’ve got plenty to shout about. Liverpool has:

● the largest collection of Grade II listed buildings outside London
● the fifth largest cathedral in the world
● one of the busiest film locations in Britain

Here are our top tips for where to go, what to see and where to eat. Enjoy your
trip!

The Beatles Story

Perhaps the city’s most famous export, the Fab Four are celebrated in this musical experience which looks at The Beatles from their earliest beginnings right up to the present.

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Indian Summer

This summer, London will host India Now, a three month celebration exploring Indian culture and India’s contribution to London life. There are a whole host of events to explore from food to fashion and from fine art to Bollywood musicals.

If you’re into haute couture don’t miss the V & A’s Fashion in Motion exhibition, which opens on the 7th September and showcases Indian designer, Manish Arora. For fine art followers the Noble Sage art gallery will present ‘India Now’ from the 1st to 14th September, while on the 2nd September, Regent Street will be transformed into an magnificent Indian streetscape.

There will be a fantastic array of music, spectacular sculptures, food stalls and artisans.

Finally for all musical lovers Indomania Weekend on the 17th/18th offers a ‘musicians, artists and writers extravaganza’ on the South Bank.To find out more visit: www.visitlondon.com/india

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Essential packing

Perfect for maximum comfort during a long haul flight or the first step of getting into the relaxation groove once you arrive, this ‘yoga suit’ from a range by Carolyn Cowan starts at just £30. www.devotion.co.uk.

Great for those chill evening breezes, this wrap around shawl in red (available in black) £45 www.erichill.co.uk .

And Going Green

Large Flower Embroidered Top adds a fresh spring feel to casual trousers. This lovely green collarless cotton tunic has contrasting aqua hand-embroidered detail - not to be forgotten when it’s essential to be kool. £30. Sizes 10-18.

Great Beaded Sandals - Flatter your feet with these attractive flip flop style sandals with sequin and iridescent bead finish. £18 Sizes: 4-7.

And if you need help getting into a holiday mood try this wonderful hand made turquoise lontar palm bag decorated with sparkling sequins. £20. All from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk.

One of Bod Lip Balm’s key ingredients is paw paw, which apart from being rich in vitamin A and C contains an enzyme that’s considered a great help for healing cracked skin. Then there’s shea butter, which as we already know promotes healing, suppleness and elasticity, and cocoa butter, which softens and protects.

Available in two yummy flavours – luscious mint or vanilla smooch – the pot is small enough for your jeans pocket: £6.50. Try the website - www.greenface.co.uk - which has heaps of other luscious products, just right for holiday face saving.

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Morocco bound

Morroco, especially Marrakech, was for many years a must stop on the old hippie trail. Although the magic that brought the tuned-in and dropped-out crowds in the 1960s and 1970s is still here, things have changed, not least that instead of spending several days in a crowded minibus travelling overland, you can now fly direct from the UK not only to Casablanca but to Fez, Agadir and Marrakech itself. It’s also very good value for money, though it would sound strange to describe it as a budget holiday destination.

Despite decades under Spanish and French colonial rule – which produced the new town quarters to mirror the old Medina districts in the major cities - this is still obviously very much a traditional Islamic culture with the vibrant indigenous Berber way of life in no sense under threat. My own first introduction to Morocco was as a 19-year old student when I spent the whole of a summer wandering around the country. It was a marvellous experience, one that I’ll never forget (especially as it was my first introduction to the art of haggling: see below for some hardwon advice!). You could easily spend six months travelling around the country and only scratch the surface – on that first visit I spent most of my time in Marrakech and the High Atlas mountains and while I didn’t regret a minute of it, the brief time I then spent in Tangier, Casablanca (which feels more French than Moroccan in many ways) and Fez gave me an appetite to return.

World Heritage Site

Fez – a former capital of Morocco - may not have the international fame of Marrakech and is rather more traditionally conservative, but it is more than a match for it architecturally and is arguably the country’s intellectual centre, home to probably the world’s oldest university and nearly 800 mosques: the Al Qarawiyin Mosque, Morocco’s oldest, retains its original minaret, built in 956. The city has over 8km of fortified walls but it’s the medina, the whole of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is absolutely unforgettable, not least because it’s so narrow and mazelike that first-time visitors are almost guaranteed to get lost within it.

It’s also a bustling and very much working area where transport is by bike or donkey, never car, and you can happily stumble around for others, enjoying the specialities of each district, whether they be dyers, potters, woodcarvers or weavers. As in the of Morocco, if you get the chance of quick peek beyond these labyrinthine walls into the patios behind, make the most of it – that Tardis feeling of hidden depth and light is truly astounding. As well as being famous for the high standard of its handicrafts, Fez is also home to one of the world’s most important music festivals, the annual week long Fez Festival of World Sacred Music which attracts internationally famous musicians such as Ravi Shankar and Youssou N’Dour. A great blog about Fez is The View From Fez at http://riadzany.blogspot.com.rest.

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