Can't Resist Blogging The Thames Pageant - Didn't London do Well!!

Battersea Bridge with Oar Powered "Gloriana" Royal Barge

I don't usually blog about events but when one occurs that will not happen again in two generations' lifetimes at least, it merits a line of two.   When you live 300 yards from the Thames it would have been silly not to go down to the Embankment to take in the atmosphere and the sight of some 1000 craft from kayaks to the Queens Barge and the wonderful "Gloriana" oared barge.  I took a step-ladder and parked it next to a lamp-post (the wind was very gusty).  It was a great vantage point, if a little breezy.  There was a fantastic spirit with the crowds along the river despite the appalling weather.   All the bridges river-side buildings and banks of the river the whole length of the Pageant were thick with people as you can see from the shot just of Battersea Bridge (which was where the Pageant officially started).   They came despite it being windy, cold and grey at first eventually getting very wet later.  This was when I retreated to the TV and a warming cup of tea up the road at home.

Considering the weather the crowds and participants really appeared to enjoy themselves as did the pageant crews.  I escially take my hat off to the rowers and paddlers.   Its a long way by river from the assembly point on the Hammersmith Reach down to the Pool of London beyond Tower Bridge!  I also tip my hat to the two cental figures who at 86 and nearly 91 stood in very cold and windy conditions for over 4 hours without taking a seat!  If I get to be that age and can last 4+ hours standing up in the cold and wind I shall be happily surprised!!   Appart from the BBC's inept and inappropriate coverage, the day was a huge success - all credit to Lord Salisbury and his helpers who organised the event.  Having missed several key moment  of the day, at least the Beeb managed to show the London Philharmonic's musical salute from their barge as it stood off from the Queen's barge at the end of the pageant.  Whilst the orchestra was protected by a see-through tent the choir from the London School of Music were not!  Standing in the open above the orchestra, soaked to the skin with hair dripping wet they belted out the patriotic songs and National Anthem as if in the Albert Hall on the last night of the Proms - great voices and they did it really smiling!!! Gave me a lump in me throat so it did! 

What a lot of people have been saying is that if London can organise and put on a show like the Jubilee Week-end which went so well despite the weather (apart from BBC coverage) we can hope and expect that the organisation of the Olympics will go as well - and hopefully the weather will perk up too! 

IATA end May Report - US Airlines OK - European Not

A350 - (Picture: Airbus.com)

IATA's (International Air Transport Association) April/May Monthly report on the health of the global airline industry just out, shows that oil prices have in fact eased back to the levels last seen in December 2011 and 12% lower than for the period February/March this year.  In the US this has meant that airlines have improved their profitabily through a combination of lower (dollar) fuel costs and increasing passenger demand.  By limiting the increase in the number of seats available in the face of rising demand, US airlines have achieved good load factors. 

In Europe the Eurozone crisis has put the currency under pressure versus the dollar.  Hence the drop in  fuel costs (which are priced in Dollars) has been somewhat offset by the weaker Euro and the Eurozone crisis.  Globally, in terms of profitability only US airlines have fared better in the first quarter 2012 than in Q1 2011.


The Saudis have made good their promise to increase production and this has taken the pressure off crude oil.   Brent Crude the benchmark price for crude oil broke the $100 barrier  to fixe under $100 for the first time in 240 days. The consequences of the threatend embargo on Iranian Oil in July is obviously an unknown factor which could well put oil into an uptrend again.  However, for the timebeing, if recovering worldwide passenger demand (an above 20 yr trend of 6%) continues plus cheaper fuel, should airlines resist increasing seat availability and maintain viable load factors, they may just improve profitability despite softer airfares around the world.

EU Carbon Tax War of Words Ramps Up (FT 24 May)

The threatened trade war that Brussels seems determined to ignite which I flagged up on Cheapflights' news blog (before Stowawae started) last year,  is gradually moving closer.  It is over the unilateral decision by Brussels to include all international airlines using EU airspace in the EU's Emmissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which could cost airlines an estimated 1.4 billion Euros annually.  In a (perhaps) trite analogy its like Mr Brussels in his terrace house telling all his neighbours that they are not allowed to smoke in their own homes.  We all know that smoking is not good for you but......its seems Mr Brussels' neigbours are not having any of it!!  India has threatened to ban all EU airlines if Brussels goes ahead with its fit of pique threatening sanctions against Indian airlines.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aceffc00-a58d-11e1-a77b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1wMOJSuiH

Reputation and Credibility a PR's Biggest Challenge

Way back when as a financial PR consultant I used to advise the MD's and Chairmen of new client companies that the most precious commodity a company executive could have was their credibility.  A Board of a quoted company that looses its credibility can be certain that whatever statement they put out will be viewed with suspicion by City analysts and shareholders to the detriment of the company share price and reputation. 

Reputation is as important for a company as its executives' credibility.   However, the larger the institution, whether publicly quoted or private, the more likely is it that local or national politics will become part of the decision making mix.  The cancellation of Govt approval for HTR3 by the coalition was a political decision but one without an alternative plan to immediately address the fact that Heathrow's 2 runways were working a 98% capacity.  Lack of a policy or plan  has already adversely affected the aviation industry's ability to function in the best interests of its stakeholders.  Clearly there does need to be a system of checks and balances that protects the interests of minorities around towns and airports, even where national interests are at stake.  However where those political and legal checks and balances delay such vital decisions as addressing lack of future runway capacity in the South East, competitors will take advantage as they have already done.  Frankfurt has four runways, Schiphol has its terminal bilding signs in English all atracting international traffic. The case in point below illustrates how media and word of mouth stories (especially with social media these days) can rapidly erode reputation.

Sadly I just heard something which indicates that Heathrow appears to be loosing its reputation as an efficient European hub.  An ex-colleague from Cheapflights Media's Boston office is getting married in Italy this summer.  A big party of friends and family is flying out from the US for the wedding.  One might suppose that the natural choice would be to fly to Heathrow and then on to Italy enabling the returnees to take a break in London on the way back if they should want to.  Unfortunately the well publicised need for a third runway and problems with 4 hour long immigation queues (even before the Olympics) have tarnished Heathrow's reputation.  Consequently they are all flying via Frankfurt with its four runways and less crowded airport buildings.

Whether as a manufacturing or service company, public institution or product brand,  once a good reputation is lost it takes a very, very long time to recover and repair.  Let's hope that the Government's forthcoming transport infrastucture review will address the UK's need to improve access and maintain Heathrow as a European hub.  If it is to compete effectively in the 21st century, UK plc needs  a long term workable plan so that the travel and aviation industries have a workable framework to operate in to build on and improve the UK's reputation as a place to visit and to do business in.  Given the politics involved though I am not holding my breath.........

Thames Pageant Riverside Road Closures - Be prepared

Riverside Roads closed between 0700 & 2200

If anyone is coming into central London in any sort of vehicle on Sunday 3rd June for the once in a lifetime 1000 boat pageant on the Thames, be prepared for enormous disruption to road traffic between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.  Not only will there be road closures extending several hundreds yards away from both sides of the river between Battersea and Tower Bridge but bridges will be closed as well. (NB residents will have to carry identification and proof of address to get to residents' parking in their streets). See http://www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/InteractiveMap.aspx

Parking is difficult at any time in the boroughs next to the river so its definitely best to park away from the affected areas and take public transport to riverside areas.  I thorougly recommend checking the pageant site for access and viewing advice including locations of large viewing screens along the Embankment and other locations.  Note though that stewards will regulate access to these viewing areas and ensure that the number of people viewing does not become dangerous. 

Do check the pageant site for best access and travel details to ensure that you and yours enjoy the day in safety with the minimum possible frustration - be prepared for the fact that crowds are likely to be enormous and everyone will want to be as close to the river as possible. 

Have a great Jubilee day!

Kenya - Two faces of a Beautiful country

Having lived in and loved Kenya for three years in the late sixties I am always sad when negative news about this beutiful country hits the international media.  What with Somali based terrorists  shooting and kidnapping tourists on their Northern coastal areas, police brutality resulting in the murder of a young Brit in police custody, it is no wonder that tourism there is suffering.  That's once face...

However if I can highlight another and more caring face and that is the work of conservationists, in particular the Sheldrake Trust whose Nairobi orphnage for juvenile elephants and rhinos has done so much to counter the savage murder by poachers of their families to supply the illegal ivory trade.  The dedication and love that the keepers at the orphanage heap on their charges is in stark contrast to that of some of their compatriots. theThe following is an account of the saving of baby Barsalinga which illustrates the work being done by the "good guys" and organisations out in Kenya.   In particular by Dame Daphne Sheldrake who sent this to a friend who had previously adopted an orphan .....My friend wrote the following in her covering email to me which goes to show that Elephants do have long memories.............

"One of my three orphans - Shira - put in an appearance the other day at Voi.  She was rescued from a pit as a tiny baby a few years ago and, now a teenager, decided to join a wild herd but popped in to see her old pals when the wild herd she had joined was passing nearby."

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We have an adorable addition to the fold here at the Nursery whose story we would like to share with all our foster parents.  The story of how he lost his mother and came into our care unfolds below.

 Gunshots were heard during the evening of 13th April 2012 by the community of the Lpus-La-Mpasion area near Wamba in the Samburu tribal area of Northern Kenya.   The next morning (14th) a severely wounded female Elephant with a calf at foot was spotted in the area, bullet wounds in the chest area and front legs had rendered her barely able to even move.   Yet another victim of the ivory trade, and a grizzly reminder of the suffering attached to each piece of ivory that is sold and bought.  Her end was a painful one, full of suffering, and her calf would have been a victim too had he not been one of the lucky few rescued. 

 The matter was reported to a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) patrol within the area who summonsed the KWS  Vet, Dr. Mutinda,  who traveled to the scene to assess the injured mother.   It turned out that the female elephant s wounds were too severe for any hope of recovery, so having reported the matter to the Nairobi KWS Headquarters, it was decided that the mother be euthanized, and her calf saved and sent to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery in Nairobi National Park.   The calf had its last feed of mother s milk at 9 a.m. before the cow was later laid to rest.

By 1.30 p.m. the DSWT Rescue Team landed at the nearby Kisima Airstrip, and waited the arrival of the KWS ground team and the young baby.  KWS had a good distance to travel to bring the rescued calf to the closest airstrip and arrived about 30 minutes later with the tiny calf loaded in the back of

a landcruiser pickup with the rangers holding him securely.  After our keepers checked on his condition he was loaded into the aircraft in order to be airlifted back to the Nursery, arriving in the afternoon.

The baby, which was in good condition, approximately a two week old tiny bull still pink behind the ears was given the name Barsilinga after the area close to where his mother met her grizzly end, just weeks after giving life to this precious baby - but Barsilinga has successfully transitioned

into a new loving family, full of elephant friends and his Keepers who he absolutely adores.  A film of his rescue can be viewed by clicking this link:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hfWKqwaXiwo

We would welcome your financial support by donating directly online to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust through this link:

https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/is/donate_now.asp

To Foster Barsilinga please click on this link: 

https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/foster.asp?nn=1&G=&LP=4262012446-pic7a.jpg&addn=270&N=270&FN=BARSILINGA

 Most Sincerely,

Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick D.B.E.

http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

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Caribbean Airlines to Fly to London Gatwick From End June

As a Barbados (Bajan) fan I was delighted to learn on my trip there earlier this month that Caribbean Airlines will soon fly a direct service between Barbados and London, Gatwick starting 30 June 2012 in time for the London Olympics.  Previously there had been a Code Sharing agreement with BA on the route.    CA's May 1st press release said that seats were available for sale: (actually currently NOT when I checked with their reservations earlier today). They are hopeful though that their systems will have been updated very soon.  Hence I am unable to give an idea of costs other than the shameful amount of Air Passenger Duty the London to Caribbean leg will cost all passengers.

The twice weekly service operated by the 767-300ER fleet, will depart Barbados as BW900 on Tuesdays and Saturdays and return as BW901 with a non-stop service departing out of London on Wednesdays and Sundays.  I am told the oubound flight from London will depart at a relatively social late-morning slot.  Note the non-stop too!   It will be interesting to see what the fares will be and whether the BA/Virgin Atlantic fares will respond.

Business and Economy baggage allowances are similar to BA for both carry-on and checked luggage as far as size and weight are concerned.   CA say their customers can .."look forward to a reliable service served with natural Caribbean warmth, ethnic gourmet cuisine and great value added benefits including frequent flyer Caribbean miles and complimentary bags."