Travelling Around Europe

My hubby and I are going on out first motorbike rideout in Europe next year. We will probably take the channel tunnel to France and then amble around maybe to Germany, Luxembourg and see some nice scenery.

On a tour like this, its nice not to set a strict timetable, if we really like a place, we will stop over for two nights instead of rushing to get to the next B&B. We're only in the preliminary planning stage at the moment as its not until next May, out first planning meeting with the two friends we are going with is scheduled for a couple of weeks time at the pub.

Some other friends of ours went to Spain for a couple of weeks and opted to hire a car in Mabella, using it to explore whilst staying in Marbella as a base. We wont be going as far South as that this time, perhaps next time we'll strike towards the Spanish coast. I can see the attraction of staying in one place such as Marbella and going to areas of interest nearby, but this time we would prefer to do a proper tour and take in lots of different sights.

This is exactly why we bought the GSX 1400 so it'll be very interesting to find out how it copes with extended use. We don't envisage any problems, everything we've chucked at it so far it has taken in its stride and there's no reason this should be any different.

M&S Delivery Promotion

Hot off the press! Marks & Spencer is running a 1p delivery promotion from 18th - 28th November. The way it works is that a £3.49 discount is applied to standard delivery at the checkout, slashing the delivery charge to 1p for a limited time to any UK mainland address.

There really is no time like the present to order that must have M&S dress for Christmas. Standard delivery for large technology items and furniture is free, whilst flowers, fruit baskets and Made to Measure shirts all have delivery included in the price.

Marks and Spencer is also involved in some controversy at the moment too, with regards to one of their TV adverts. According to the BBC, eight people have complained about M&S's "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without...." advert starring Philip Glenister is sexist. The advert features Glenister, best known for his portrayal of sexist DCI Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, replying "That girl prancing around in her underwear." Neomie Lenoir, a French lingerie model and regular in Marks and Spencer adverts, dressed only in her bra and knickers, then asks "Moi?".

A spokesman for Marks and Spencer said: "We're surprised by the ASA complaints regarding Philip Glenister's appearance in our TV ad.

"Our research shows that his on-screen character in Ashes to Ashes is extremely popular with our customers and his lines in the ad are in keeping with that role."

Charity Gifts - Give A Goat

Christmas is the time of year where we think more about how we can help others. There are a lot of options for giving a charity gift to aid those in need, particularly in Africa. One of the most popular gifts are animals, such as a goat or a cow.

Giving an animal such as a goat has many advantages which eventually benefit the whole community. They provide milk which can be drunk or sold, their manure is an excellent fertilizer for crops and they can be interbred with local herds to improve the stock. Offspring can then be sold or kept to provide extra income.

Parts of Africa are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Climate change is already causing extreme weather conditions such as floods and drought, making it more difficult to successfully grow and harvest crops. Crop yields are also expected to drop significantly over the next couple of decades if global temperature rises aren't arrested.

The impacts of climate change will be widespread across the globe. In order to understand more about what the human impact of high-end climate change might be, and therefore what would happen if a successful agreement cannot be reached at Copenhagen, the Met Office has produced a map outlining some of the impacts that may occur if the global average temperature rises by 4 °C (7 °F) above the pre-industrial climate average.
http://www.actoncopenhagen.decc.gov.uk/en/ambition/evidence/4-degrees-map/

Etihad Airways and Flybe Agree Codeshare

Etihad airways and Flybe announced a new codeshare agreement on 5th November.

Etihad is one of the UAE's most prominent airlines and sponsor of the recent F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Flybe, based in the UK, is the largest regional budget airline in Europe.

The new alliance will link together Etihad's 55 destinations with Flybe's 55 destinations across Europe allowing travellers to book connecting flights between the two airways on a single ticket. Under the new agreement, Etihad can now reach destinations such as Southampton, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast. Conversely, Flybe customers can now book a ticket to the Middle East, including flights to Dubai.

The UAE continues to lead the way in the Middle East for airport growth. It is also the only place in the world to see continuing growth throughout the recession.

M&S Christmas Hamper Revival

Marks & Spencer has announced a £298.3 million half year profit - greater than expected. Sir Stuart Rose, boss of M & S added that the third quarter of the financial year had got off to a good start, although trading conditions remained competitive.

Christmas is the best time of year for retailers. In fact, online sales peak in November as shoppers start to buy their Christmas hampers full of festive cheer. Marks & Spencer are also going to start selling branded household goods in areas which they have a lower share, such as soft drinks, beer, laundry and confectionery. The brands to be sold include Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and Marmite following a successful trial in stores in North East and South East England.

Other best selling Christmas items include flowers, and party dresses. Christmas is a perfect excuse for sprucing up the house with fragrant flowers and decorations and there's nothing like treating yourself with new clothes both on the outside and underneath to give a boost of self confidence and put a smile on your face.

Christmas is also the time of year when catalogues start flooding through your door - they have mine anyway. Last year I bought various hamper items from a range of merchants and they're all trying their luck sending me this years offers. Some are quite interesting, but I would have thought they were pushing their luck a bit to make sales through what is effectively junk mail, although it must be somewhat cost effective otherwise they wouldn't do it I suppose.