Friday, 27 July 2012
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Will they charge for using the toilets at Luton Airport next?
I have been using "London" Luton Airport for nearly 30 years now and seen the transformation from a small airport with an old terminal building to the much smarter building that houses it now.
Unfortunately for a visitor arriving in the country the welcome is not great. The approach from the planes is not too friendly.
Once you have crossed the tarmac there is not much in the way of covered walways and if it is a summer like 2012, people get very wet.
You have to walk up and down stairs often before reaching passport control, why when it is meant to be a modern building. All the internal walkways could be geatly improved with bright posters or pictures. After all visitors have not arrived in some eastern bloc country prior to 1989, but in 2012 Britain the place where the Olympics are being held.
Unlike most other international airports where you put a coin into the luggage trolley and get it back again, at Luton they keep it.
The person meeting you has waited half an hour in the car park and has to pay £7.20 for the priviledge (possibly higher than London Heathrow) and if he or she pays by credit card there is a surcharge on top.
When you are dropped off the person dropping you off has to pay a £1 or risk a fine for "Ilegal drop offs", to go through the Government security checks, they encourage you to pay for a "speedy clearance".
Once inside the terminal, if you go there early in the morning as I did on a Thursday in July around 7.30a.m there are so many people there you have to queue for the toilets.
In May this year easyJet said that "the infrastructure at Luton Airport must improve and old perceptions swept away". -"Passenger friendly terminal facilities – Reduce waiting times at security and immigration. Increase the number of stands to remove the need for bussing to planes, an improved terminal experience – more seating and retail on the way, not in the way."
The worry is that they will do a bit of tidying up and improving and possibly add further toilet facilities and do you know what, probably want to charge for using their "Speedy super loos".
Luton Airport needs to improve, but not by making its customers have to keep on putting their hands in their pockets every five minutes so the company running the airport can make larger profits.
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| Luton Airport Departure Lounge early in the morning in July 2012 |
Unfortunately for a visitor arriving in the country the welcome is not great. The approach from the planes is not too friendly.
Once you have crossed the tarmac there is not much in the way of covered walways and if it is a summer like 2012, people get very wet.
You have to walk up and down stairs often before reaching passport control, why when it is meant to be a modern building. All the internal walkways could be geatly improved with bright posters or pictures. After all visitors have not arrived in some eastern bloc country prior to 1989, but in 2012 Britain the place where the Olympics are being held.
Unlike most other international airports where you put a coin into the luggage trolley and get it back again, at Luton they keep it.
The person meeting you has waited half an hour in the car park and has to pay £7.20 for the priviledge (possibly higher than London Heathrow) and if he or she pays by credit card there is a surcharge on top.
When you are dropped off the person dropping you off has to pay a £1 or risk a fine for "Ilegal drop offs", to go through the Government security checks, they encourage you to pay for a "speedy clearance".
Once inside the terminal, if you go there early in the morning as I did on a Thursday in July around 7.30a.m there are so many people there you have to queue for the toilets.
In May this year easyJet said that "the infrastructure at Luton Airport must improve and old perceptions swept away". -"Passenger friendly terminal facilities – Reduce waiting times at security and immigration. Increase the number of stands to remove the need for bussing to planes, an improved terminal experience – more seating and retail on the way, not in the way."
The worry is that they will do a bit of tidying up and improving and possibly add further toilet facilities and do you know what, probably want to charge for using their "Speedy super loos".
Luton Airport needs to improve, but not by making its customers have to keep on putting their hands in their pockets every five minutes so the company running the airport can make larger profits.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Cannes self catering holiday rental available from 31st July
A privately owened apartment with individual style and a superb view.
The apartment is located less than 1km from Palais des Festivals and located 150m from Cannes la Bocca train station - 3 minutes by train to the centre of Cannes.
This stylish apartment that sleeps four, situated on the Boulevard du Midi boasts magnificent, panoramic views of the Mediterranean encompassing the islands of St Honorat and Ste Marguerite as well as its impressive pool set within beautiful Italian gardens.
The Palais des Festivals and the famous La Croisette are a short walk away. Around Cannes are a number of medieval perched villages, including Mougins (about 10 minutes from Cannes once you get up to the autoroute), St-Paul-de-Vence, Antibes Old Town, and the famous perfume capital of Grasse.
There are also frequent boat excursions to St-Tropez, where every Tuesday and Saturday from 8am to 1pm, there is a large open-air market in the beautiful Place des Lices. There is also a Provençal market just 2 minutes from the residence.
Places to see nerarby:
Grasse - 21km. Considered the world’s capital of perfume and was made “Ville d’Art et d’Histoire” (town of art and history)
There are numerous old ‘parfumeries’ in Grasse, such as Molinard, Fragonard and Galimard, each with tours and a museum. An annual Fête du Jasmin or La Jasminade is held at the beginning of August.
Fact: Twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine are now harvested in Grasse annually.
Antibes Old Town - 14 km. The covered market (Marché Provençal) offers fresh products every morning except Monday, with a magnificent selection of meat, fish, cheese and vegetables.
Home also to the Picasso museum - for hardcore Picasso fans.
Cap d’Antibes is a beautiful and invigorating walk around the cape.
Mougins - 7km. Has a strong culinary history with such great chefs as Roger Vergé and Alain Ducasse having managed restaurants in the village. Both were synonymous with the restaurant L’Amandier, which is situated in the heart of the old village.
Mougins also hosts the annual ‘International Gastronomy Festival of Mougins’, or ‘Les Étoiles de Mougins’, an international gastronomic event taking place every September in the village.
The Mougins Museum of Classical Art (MMoCA) was opened in May 2011. Included in the museum are the works of Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Degas, Dalí, Dufy, Chagall, Derain, Lautrec, Yves Klein, Damien Hirst, (and so on.)
Fact: Pablo Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life living in Mougins (1961–1973), where he died.
St Paul de Vence - 26 km. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries, in particular Fondation Maeght - its collection includes many important 20th century artists including Bonnard, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Fernand Léger and Joan Miró (among others) *http://www.fondation-maeght.com
Saint-Tropez - 70 km. Dubbed the ‘playground to jetsetters, fashion models, and millionaires’.
Tropezien beaches are located along the coast in the Baie de Pampelonne, topless sunbathing is now a usual way of sunbathing for both men and women - the Tahiti beach is now “clothing-optional”, but nudists often head to private, nudist beaches, like that in Cap d’ Agde.
It also hosts the most exuberant open air market in the whole of the Riviera; every Tuesday and Saturday from 8am to 1pm.
And much more: Provencal gastronomy, wineries, bakeries, chocolatiers, and high fashion.
Things to Do:
•Beautiful beach 100 meters
•Jet ski rental 2 km
•Cannes Garden Tennis Club 2 km
•Diving courses 50 meters
•Water skiing 300 meters
More information at jmlvillas.com Here
jmlvillas.com Holiday Rentals site 3rd July 2012
We trust the problem will be rectified very shortly.
The problem also effect jml-insurance.co.uk, however many of the products advertised can either be found at www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk or at www.insurance4carrental.com or for Ireland at www.irishpropertyinsurance.com
We have been told that the problem has nothing to do with all the wet English July weather!
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