twotravellersLondon

To be exact... the comments are about two particular places on the itinerary. There are a few large ships, including the MSC Preziosa (about 4,000 pax), and the slightly smaller Norwegian Star due to visit Longyearbyen this coming season... as well as the Balmoral. The best comparison would be between FOCL's Balmoral and other similarish UK based cruise ships making the trip to Svalbard from the UK this season but P&O and SAGA and the like don't seem to be making the trip this year. So if someone wants to cruise from the UK to Longyearbyen this coming season there's not a lot to compare the Balmoral cruise with. Be interesting to see a comparison if anyone wanted to do one.

This is one case where comparisons are pointless. We've visited Svalbard with Fred Olsen in the 1990s and so were captivated with it that we've been there lots of times since... often on a Fred cruise, a couple of times with expedition boats and we've flown in and out... staying at the Radisson. It captivated us and it still captivates us... one of us checks the weather forecast every single day... and we watch the webcams... if you've not tried it, have a look at https://portlongyear.kystnor.no ... still lots of snow and ice on the harbour... it's been a cold winter. We completed a polar circumnavigation of the archipelago one year, been blocked from doing the same on another year because of the ice. We're both certified marine mammal surveyors and one of the most wonderful experiences that we've had was cruising through a group of Belugas only minutes after leaving Longyearbyen on the Boudicca. Mind... we had to dress very warm to stay out on the decks. And we've seen a polar bear in the distance from the Balmoral not far from Longyearbyen but they're not common in summer... just as well as they're quite partial to unsuspecting tourists! (We've had a couple of close encounters on expedition boats much further North as well as some superb sightings.) On a perfect day you can see the sun for 24 hours... it makes a complete circuit of the sky and at about midnight it shines from due North... quite sensational if you can catch it. Been to Hammerfest about four times... but always in the midst of winter... very, very cold but as a result we're both members of the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society... you can join at the museum on the quay! Hope that you have a really great time. It is something well-worth looking forward to.

Delighted that these casually scribbled notes on the back of an envelope have prompted discussion about just how expensive that FOCL is compared to many other cruise-lines and resulted in so many comments with relevant insights. You're right about the FOCL price... these all came from a comparison site (that we can't mention) a few days ago... they'd been jotted down for our own consideration and were simply provided as a possible comparison following a request by another member... they weren't the result of forensic research and as you quite correctly discovered in your detailed delvings... the FOCL figure is for 2025. Now that we've quickly looked at the FOCL site (It is "we"... and both of us, husband and wife for decades, share access to this site and agree posts before they're submitted.) after having seen your post... the lowest-cost FOCL cabin with a balcony would cost us about £359.94 pppn... and to that we would need to add about another £40 pppn to cover the basic drinks package, gratuities, WIFI and something towards about three evenings in one of FOCL's speciality restaurant. So that puts what we both personally consider as our "basic" price for this particular FOCL cruise as significantly more expensive than SAGA and about the same price pppn as Regent Seven Seas. The big difference that we'd also take into account is that Regent Seven Seas offers return flights, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited beverages, included gratuities, speciality dining, unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi and even 2-3 day pre or post cruise land programmes (many at no additional cost). (As you rightly say "Fred also offers... Gratuities... at £5 a day which... must be one of the lowest amounts of the cruise lines that charge." But the fact is that Regent Seven Seas doesn’t charge gratuities, SAGA doesn’t charge gratuities and P&O doesn’t charge gratuities.) That puts the FOCL's prices in a competitive context... (which was the point of this thread and the point of the question that we responded to in the odd moment or two)... that's not having a "down on Fred"... that's comparing the market and looking at the best value for money deal that would suit the two of us. Many of "Fred's Top Fans" as they're described on the FOCL social media site probably won't like our personal view... because they frequently describe FOCL as "Excellent," "Exceptional," "Fantastic," "The Best" and "First Class." But that's their view of the company and they're obviously entitled to it. We spent decades using "Fred" as our cruise-line of choice... latterly three of four times a year. We'd planned to carry on doing so but we both became increasingly disappointed by the poor-value for money... more especially so for people like ourselves who took higher deck balcony cabins and suites. We do a far more detailed comparative costing than the scratching on the back on an envelope that we used to make a casual comment earlier in this thread before we book a cruise. We're still looking at FOCL but again and again and again FOCL strikes us as poor value for money against other offers when we look at balcony cabins. It doesn’t look like we're alone in our canny approach to getting value for money... just look out the FOCL results for the last quarter of 2023 and compare them with the previous quarter... the occupancy rate has fallen from 76% to 71% i... Operating revenues have fallen from about NOK 921 million to NOK 856 million... Net ticket income per passenger has fallen from about £189 to £161... and as P&O and SAGA's ships fill up, FOCL seems to be carrying less passengers who are less willing to spend. Just had a glance at the FOCL Culture & Cuisines cruise to the Western Med. for 14 nights this October... on the Borealis... £1,746 pppn for sharing an inside... £3,782 pppn sharing a balcony junior suite (terrace cabins don't have balconies). P&O are doing a similar cruise that same month...on the Iona... £899 pppn for sharing an inside... £1,244 pppn sharing a balcony... On these figures "Fred Olsen" is two to three times more expensive than P&O and the markup between the grades is much higher on "Fred" than it is on P&O. But people may willing pay more for what they would prefer and views may well differ depending on the cabin grade/price.

We think that it's due to come in next year.

Did this a few days ago so prices and offers may have changed a bit. We were looking for the least expensive grade of cabin or suite with a private balcony. The prices are for each person when two were sharing. Looking at a Iceland & Greenland trips this summer from the UK.... Princess... £98 pppn £1,564 16 nights add drinks, gratuities etc SAGA........ £280 pppn £5,049 18 nights "all inclusive" Regent...... £400 pppn £,8,019 20 nights "all inclusive" FOCL ........ £587 pppn £8,799 15 nights add drinks, gratuities, etc If we add the extra cost on "Fred" of insurance, travel to the port, parking, gratuities. WiFi, excursions and drinks... the cost... we recon would be well over £700 pppn.

Due to various very boring ailments some of which are "serious" we thought that our international cruising days were over a couple of years ago but we now insure ourselves with SAGA. One of us has an annual cover, the other negotiates the cover on a trip by trip basis. We've never had any problems. The trip by trip works out about the same as the annual insurance.The main things is that... we can't travel within 28 days of having any medical procedure in hospital.

That's just not the case. Not everyone can eat vegan dishes just like not everyone can eat red meat! About 3,500 people in the UK can't eat vegan food and thousands of others shouldn't. Those that can't, have diagnosed Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency. Many of them have dedicated NHS nutritionists and specialist dietitians, use handfuls of Creon throughout every meal/snack and have to make sure that they have real protein in every meal. PEI can develop gradually as people get older and so folks' bodies tell them to eat a bit more meat and dairy to compensate. When PEI gets worse, they end up malnourished, with blood sugar levels and even in a "near death" situation... It's then that doctors prescribe insulin and huge loading doses of Cholecalciferol and Zinc Citrate. Long before that happens, if they eat too many vegie based dishes... it can play havoc with the digestive system... make it very uncomfortable, far less predictable, less controllable and it can be and very, very embarrassing. Probably the very last thing that anyone would want to experience on a long anticipated cruise. But people affected by PEI tend to take it all in their stride, work their way through from menu to menu and make sure that they chose the best possible combination to give themselves a balanced diet. It's not something that they're evangelical about, it's not something to create fuss and bother about... it just choosing a healthy, well-balanced diet on a cruise ship which won't detract from their holiday or from the enjoyment of others at the same table. The idea that some people can't eat meat dishes applies to only about 1 person in 110,000... (potentially about 600 people in the UK... 0.000009% or of the population) That's about how many people have alpha-gal syndrome which makes them clinically allergic to red meat. That leaves another 2.5 million vegans in the UK who can eat red meat but who chose not to. Most people reading this thread will probably never have heard of PEI although it affects five times more people than alpha-gal syndrome but they may well have cruised with folks with PEI. They may have shared a table with someone who has discreetly popped a capsule or two during the meal, left certain items untouched on the plate or left the table for a few moments. It's highly unlikely that these folk will have discussed their medical condition and even more unlikely that they will have perturbed others by complaining about the food served or lecturing others about their own particular view. We've now personally come to the point that we will, without fuss, huff or puff, decline to choose vegan/vegetarian alternatives on a cruise because it seems that only by doing so we remove the excuse of the cruise-line that these items are "in demand." We hope that voting with our menu choices should open up the possibilities for more meat based options... exactly the stuff that we've naturally evolved over the last 6 million years to eat and naturally provides the nutritional elements that are essential for our health and well-being. Of course our choice to avoid vegetarian/vegan will leave more of that particular "lovely grub" for those who do choose it... and perhaps they will end up with bigger helpings... a win-win situation. At a time when land-based vegetarian restaurants are closing, meat free and plant based products are disappearing from supermarket shelves due to lack of demand and the number of people "identifying" as vegan in the UK. has dropped by almost 20% in the last couple of years... (fall has been greater in Europe as a whole) cruise lines should realise that pushing cheaper vegetarian and vegan options is an increasing deal breaker. The point is... that cruising should be an exciting, exhilarating and enjoyable experience. The degree of comfort, the itinerary, the ambiance, the entertainment and the food should all be part of that. So what is disappointing, is when the food choice becomes more limited, vegan/vegetarian items are put on as cost-cutting measures and portions of meat are reduced... and folks, like ourselves, are just put off to such an extent that we cruise less with that line. And of course.... the place to discuss concerns about food, and more especially if it has been made especially to satisfy a personal request... is at the time, on the cruise and in such a way that the staff can respond positively, professionally and give the time, attention and care to resolving the issue. If the buffet is a personal problem... it might be simpler, easier and more conducive to having a pleasant relaxing holiday to select another dining venue and request in advance what you would like to satisfy your personal tastes and requirements. Very much hope that there's a satisfactory solution.

Not a lot of people know this... "A vegan diet may lack certain essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. It's crucial to carefully plan your diet to ensure you get all necessary nutrients." so says the Birmingham based Vegan Society! That means nutritional supplements and food fortified with additional minerals and vitamins are essential Most committed vegetarians and vegans know the cruising pitfalls, know what's lacking and know what to do about it... to make sure that they have a balanced, healthy diet. A Vegan diet missing Vitamin B12 can lead to; headaches, indigestion, loss of appetite, palpitations, vision problems, fatigue an upset digestive system and cognitive changes. The problem is that when cruise-lines go vegie, vegie and reduce portions of meat and the number of dairy ingredients as a cost-cutting exercise, some... folks, without realising it at first, will begin to miss out on essential nutrients... Vitamin B12 for starters. Who's most at risk? People who are older... people with undiagnosed malabsorption... (almost 1% of the population) and, in the case of cruising... those older folks on longer cruises! We've no problems with folk having vegetarian or vegan options available but cruise-lines filling their menus by stealth with ultra-processed "plant-based" products devoid of essential nutrients without giving cruisers the opportunity to see exactly the ingredients... is wrong, in our opinion ... because greater exposure to ultra processed foods is bad for health and bad for mental health... as stated in the British Medical Journal in Feb. 2024. Here's an idea... order up the always available steak... Wait a moment or two after it's been delivered and then shout across the MDR, "Waiter! Waiter! There's a green-bean on my steak!" 😥😱

It's similar on the Southern fringes of the metropolis... except that the rain's just a tad warmer! Forecast for the rest of the day is wind and rain. Just reading how busy some ships were over the Easter Holiday. A day without a chuckle is a day without sunshine so best not to make a day without sunshine a day without a chuckle! 😇😂 Hope everyone is well.

Good Morning to everybody. And a good morning it most certainly is. But this must be whispered in a very quiet voice! Delighted to say that our Robins nesting in the ivy next to our lounge window had their final chick fledge at breakfast time this morning. A thoroughly grumpy looking little thing with a mind of its own... leading it's parents a hectic dance as it stomped through the undergrowth! From sweet little "baby" to moody adolescent in a matter of moments. And these are the heroes... that have worked tirelessly every hour that there's been light for the past six weeks nestbuilding, incubating eggs and feeding the chicks until they were strong enough and brave enough to take that one massive leap for birdkind. They've succeeded through wind and rain, sleet and snow and despite attacks by the infernal squirrel, viciously marauding cats left to roam and curious juvenile foxes clawing at the ivy. And... they're still working their little socks off feeding at least two chicks hidden in the garden... strategy a little different... find the offspring by its incredibly faint little tweets... (not easy when the wind is blowing the new leaves on the trees)... then drop the food about a foot away from the fledgling in the direction that they want it to move... and all done with the care not to give away the location. And when the chick's a bit too adolescent find a branch or the top of a garden cane and bob up an down for a bit. In past years, we've even seen the adults putting themselves in harms way to attract the killer-cats away from their fledgelings. Hope all are well.

Tomorrow will be a better day! We both wish you well.

You're absolutely right. Personality including, sociability, affability, gregariousness and warmth... all the things that make us want to spend time with people and share a conversation, an afternoon tea, a meal or a drink in the bar of a cruise ship... aren't generally determined by chronological age. We've done about 25-30 cruises with FOCL... we started with "Fred" when we were in our 40s. We've also cruised with other lines... however "Fred's" stood out because people on the ships were so welcoming, so friendly and they were such good company. Like on every cruise ship, there were people that we would always choose to avoid on "Fred." Usually it was because they lacked any real conversation... excepting listing all of their cruises... or had a complete lack of excitement, wonder or even empathy with the ports of call... or seemed to have a lack of respect for the places visited or the people who live there. And nobody wants to spend precious time with folks who just want to moan or, even worst, be boringly competitive for no reason. One of our best ever tables on "Fred" was made us of ourselves and delightful elderly couple from London, a couple of Oxford post-grad. students and a Doctor and his wife from central Scotland. The elderly couple from London had been childhood sweethearts, had lost touch during the war, had both married, both lost their partners late in life, had found each other again and were "boyfriend and girlfriend"... he was 92 and a Chelsea pensioner! They were brilliant conversationists. The young couple were of Chinese origin, were both researching at the same Oxford College after having completed degrees in the US and Hong Kong. They brought a quirky sense of fun to the table. The Doctor and his wife were a few years older than us... but we soon realised that he was the most wonderful raconteur who could tell a tale that would thrill, excite and fire the imagination. His wife was a gold-mine of knowledge on the places we were visiting, We added our few penny worth.... our "specialist subjects" being sea-mammals and weather... and we all used to meet on deck for a bit of whale watching. There was about a 70 year age difference! from the youngest to the most mature at the table. We all ended up as very firm friends! We're still in contact with friends that we cruised with on that same cruise to Svalbard in the 1990s... were with them on a Northern Lights cruise just last year. The idea that those who've a lifetime of experience are just "slow moving people around the ship" in a bit of an anathema... even a bit of a derogatory... perhaps even a discriminative stereotype. Some people... probably most people... grow old gracefully... they become true members of the "Wisdom Club." Some people, regardless of years, seem to spend a great deal of time having another cup of coffee or a drink while bemoaning the state of the country, Life, the Universe and Everything ... entrenching themselves deeper into the Slough of Despond. Others make the very best of life, teasing every joy and happiness, sharing every bit of exhilaration, elation and excitement on a cruise and spreading as much joy and happiness among those they meet. Those are the folks who are fun to have as fellow cruisers. On a cruise we tend to be attracted towards people who are welcoming, helpful, open, sharing and have a generous spirit... In the past, FOCLs excelled at that. Incidentally mother/in law cheekily sneaked off and joined a cruise just before her 80th birthday! She was on her own, had never cruised before, instantly made friends and had the time of her life!

That's wonderfully encouraging. We're 10˚C going on 11˚C with hints of the sun behind the clouds. Our Robins are still working really hard to fledge their brood and we have another pair of Robins just a few yards away doing their best for a brood in a separate nest. We saw the National Theatre Live production of The Motive and the Cue yesterday... the unlikely story of the relation between Richard Burton and Sir John Gielgud as they rehearsed Hamlet in New York in 1964. Not everybody's choice... a play rehearsal from 60 years ago... sounded a bit stiff and dusty but we went... really powerful drama... main characters so totally believable that it was if we'd been transported back in time... immensely moving... tears... in the audience... and a gloriously happy ending. It certainly gave us a tremendously positive boost and we left the theatre so exhilarated and elated that the grey skies, the chilly breeze and the persistent drizzle somehow became of little importance. Hope all are well and will enjoy something exciting today.

We've enjoyed several similar cruises over recent years and your research seems to have been spot on. In Vigo it's very variable. the coldest that we've had has been down about 13˚C (about 55˚F... so a bit like much of the UK is experiencing at the moment, and the best has been in the very low 20˚Cs (about 70˚F)... so a pleasant summer day. It's just as variable in the other ports but it's likely to be a little cooler. (Today Vigo is about 5˚F warmer than Southampton.) On deck the windchill is likely to take the temps down by 3˚F or 4˚C. October tends to be one of the wetter months and we would expect rain perhaps one day out of three... but, of course, that doesn’t mean that it will be fine three days in a row. We tend to pack the essentials for a fine late spring day in the south of England, add warm base layers, a light waterproof jacket... and, for all eventualities and to make sure that we're comfy, a warm hat, scarf and even thin gloves... just in case. Like most folk above have said, the weather on your proposed route is changeable... just as changeable as we would expected it to be in Cornwall or South Wales at the same time of the year... just possibly a tad warmer. Having said all of that we've had some really good interludes on that route at the time of year that you're travelling.... so hope that you do as well.

Our forecast is for "Wet, Wet, Wet." for the foreseeable future but currently enjoying sun through a gap in the clouds... and the warmth is streaming into our study. We'll take as much of that as we can get! Ages ago there was a long chat about energy usage and prices. We've now sorted out all of our figures for the last 4 years... the amount that we've used has dropped by about 20%... so the replacement windows and new fans in the kitchen and bathroom have more than paid for themselves.💰🤓💰😀 Best Wishes to all.

We've saved almost £1.2k.

There's been bits and pieces of speculation about what's happening at Bar Harbor... so a factual update might be helpful... The court judgement was on 25 February 2024. On 2 February APPLL (the Association to Protect and Preserve Local Livelihoods) said that it would appeal. By contrast others in the community and leading proponent of the referendum called the ruling a supporting the results of the vote by the folks of Bar Harbor, a "huge win for Bar Harbor citizens and democracy." On 6 March Bar Harbor Town Council called a special Wednesday night meeting to decide "next steps" following the 2022 referendum and the subsequent a court decision capping landings at 1,000 cruisers per day. The United States District Court had affirmed that The Town of Bar Harbor had the authority, under to limit the volume of cruise ship visitations in order to ensure the Town's quality of life was preserved. The initiative had been voted on by the town's people, approved at Town Meeting and, following the court case, was the law of the land. This Council would now see to immediate implementation and enforcement, in a way that is lawful, fair, and fiscally responsible. The Council had already directed the Harbor Master to cancel, or reject, requests for reservations made after the 2022 vote for all ships with lower berth capacities greater than 1,000 passengers. The disembarkation of passengers of cruise ships with reservations for the 2024 season that are made and accepted after this date are subject to the current Ordinance. However, the Council will honour reservations made before the town voted. Passengers from these 2024 ships will not be subject to the disembarkation limits of the Ordinance. Any appeal is unlikely to be heard before Bar Harbor's cruise season begins on 2 May, the Town Council's decisions on Wednesday night will have significant impact for the 2024 season. As a result, the Town would experience a 50% reduction from peak year cruise ship visitation. In reviewing the 2025 season, the Council would ensure that the disembarkation of any cruise lines with reservations made and accepted after March 17, 2022, will be subject to the Ordinance. The Town was prepared to go to court to obtain fines and injunctive relief against any landowner that exceeded the disembarkation limits, and any party that disobeys the orders of the Harbor Master. We've seen one media report that, "These restrictions would inevitably require the cruise lines to change their Maine itineraries..." and so even if an appeal was successful, it would seem that far fewer cruises would be planned to visit Bar Harbor in 2025. Some of the 5,000 or so local residents in Bar Harbor have been very concerned about cruise-ship dumping sewage, traffic congestion in the port and feeling overwhelmed and alienated in their own town by the sheer numbers of sudden influxes of cruise passengers. (There is correspondence available for those who're that interested.) While some in cruise-related summer jobs are concerned about the reduction of cruise ships, the town's summer population expands to about 18,000 people who stay in the town and surrounding area, use the local restaurants and services and contribute almost $500 million to the local economy. A few days ago, at the end of March, APPLL and the Penobscot Bay /River Pilots Association filed an appeal. Cruise Lines International Association didn't play any part in the legal action. Since 2008 CLIA has adhered to voluntary passenger caps and in 2021 proposed reducing numbers to address growing concerns about crowding. That resulted in an 18% reduction in passenger numbers from 2022 to 2023, when just over 157,000 cruisers visited Bar Harbor. Rather glad that we prefer smaller ships!

Aurora's replacement announced.... "Nostalgia will be P&O's smallest and newest ship to sail the seas and will have a suitably intimate feel reminiscent of the great days of classic ocean travel "Exclusively for adults, Nostalgia will be 270 metres long and will have three classes of passengers over nine guest decks and a normal operating capacity of 999 guests and 350 crew. "P&O are sure that Nostalgia guests will return time and again to enjoy her classic cruising atmosphere. "Nostalgia's size also means she will be able to visit some ports that larger ships can’t, and with 18 places to eat and drink, three theatre/lounge venues and three pools, she offers plenty of choice in dining, entertainment and relaxation. "Unique to Nostalgia will be Captain Nemo's lounge in the fore-hull; an amazing glass bottomed dining and cabaret area set in the lower bow of the ship where first class passenger can relax with a Martini while our resident band plays music from the roaring 20s. "One of the most environmentally friendly ship ever designed, Nostalgia will be meet every maritime ecological requirement. The ocenodynamic hull and the absence of stabilisers will not only save precious energy it will allow passengers to have a far more personal and realistic experience of how sailing was in the past." A sleek now livery and an estimated top speed, with a gale-force wind behind the ship, of 50 knots. All we can say is "Wow! Wow! Wow!"

It's 9˚C and the sky is as grey as a badger: uniformly grey, uninterrupted grey, unchangingly grey, unmercifully grey... denying the very concept of light, colour and vitality. So here's a pic. from our last river cruise a few months ago... of a vigorously exciting ginormous egg for this Easter Day... a chance to guess which café it might be found in. And another pic of the view from the café servery just to give a bit more of a clue. We're looking forward to warmer days, brighter walks and wearing less layers. The pair of Robins serving their brood in the ivy on our patio... seem to be looking forward to their off springs fledging... the two adults look shattered at the moment. Hope everyone has something nice to look forward to.

Noop! Your conjecture confuses things. The facts are that SAGA is looking at a partnership... not to "be taken in hand." SAGA has already declined unsatisfactory offers over the last few years from a private equity company and an Aussie Insurance company.

To throw a bit of factual light on some of these seemingly intentionally enigmatic hints and rumours being discussed... The facts are that SAGA is currently working with the Lazard, the investment bank, on potential partnership arrangements for the cruise business. The structure of the partnership has yet to be defined. A number of options are being explored before anything is decided. According to one credible report which appeared in the financial media on 21 March 2024 (and was then "piggie-backed") Prospective partners to SAGA have been asked to submit indicative offers in April. The normal business procedures in these circumstances, to ensure compliance, is for the Board to wait until the deadline for submissions has past and then for a committee of the Board to open all of the submissions at the same time. Until then, submissions would normally remain "sealed under lock and key." Placing things in context... SAGA's current problems relate to the car insurance market. That's been limiting SAGA's ability to generate cash and reduce debt. SAGA was in talks to sell its underwriting business to an Australian insurer but talks fell through early last year. Rumours have been rife about the Ocean Cruise part of the SAGA business since there was a rash of stories in the media at the end of January 2024. At best... some of these rumours probably originate from over-imaginative minds and are based on conjecture, speculation and supposition... and may be... a bit of fanciful gossip. Some are simply "make-up." However the "tenterhooks" approach... of some of the rumours... perhaps trying to create a bit of suspense or tension in order to concoct a bit of uneasiness or anxiety is something that we can all make our minds up on.

Good morning! It's bright. It's sunny and it's a coldish 8˚C but so much better than it threatened to be last night when we went to the theatre in Richmond to see the play 2:22. It was a great night out... promise not to ruin the very ghostly play by giving away the plot! We had a meal before the show... The pint of Cornish Cider was refreshing, the haddock and chips with crushed minted peas were perfect and the puddings were comfortingly indulgent. Rick Stein has a very good restaurant not far from the theatre... but this wasn't it. Hope everyone is looking forward to a very long holiday weekend.

Glad that you kept some sun in reserve for us when we visited Canterbury yesterday... Any idea why the Cathedral is full of electrical folk and there are heavy duty wires everywhere?

Looks like changes since you booked. At the quickest of glances, 4115, 4118, 4147, 4150 and 4010 are all still available at the same price this morning... haven't checked any of the others. So lots now available if anyone wants them. Very much hope that you have a good time.

A heavy shower of rain has just passed. We have blue skies and bright sunshine. it's 7˚C and we have a forecast for wind and rain for the rest of the day. However, the skies over London are dramatic and full of foreboding (rain). Off later this afternoon to see a ghostly play in the Richmond Theatre. In the meantime... it's (like everyone else) pre-breafast blood monitor time! Hope all are well and looking forward to the best bits of the day.