London To Belfast - The Real Story Behind Queens Handshake With Sinn Fein

London's Buckingham Palace to Belfast City, and even a handshake thrown in for good measure - it's a big ask alright! Rightly many are welcoming the courtesy and humility offered by Martin McGuinness in giving his big answer - an agreement to shake the hand of the Queen of England but some would say why not? She is after all, in the eyes of many in North Eastern Ireland and the South just a visiting monarch of another land, entitled to the same hospitality and welcome as any other V.I.P. A kindly old lady needing to be treated with respect and consideration, albeit an old lady with much establishment and political baggage.

But many are also curious about Sinn Fein's sudden mood of benevolence. Doesn't this outreach often come from those with gravitas, with sway, with the confident flair of winners? These commentators would be bang on target for there is another story bubbling up beneath the Queen's handshake story today and it is bigger and potentially more powerful than a mere monarch handshake. The other story involves the Euro, the rise of the socialist left in Europe, Tsipras, Hollande and Merkel. The mood music is changing in the underbelly of Europe and Sinn Fein have the measure of it and are in tune with a 'painful cry of the dispossessed ' that is so familiar to them, They are on home ground with this one. What is more, their people are increasingly with them.

So we hear that there is to be a potential carve-up of some of the constituencies in Ireland. In circumstances not unlike those of Greece, successive Irish governments are struggling to keep the allegiance of an exhausted and embittered austerity electorate looking with new eyes on a party who is singing the same tune, unheard previously in all the fracas of frenetic Celtic Tiger Ireland. Sinn Fein, with their 'working class hero' message are gaining ground, making headway, biting the heels of the established jaded parties and increasing their Tds and vote share exponentially. Is it any co-incidence that those potential reformed constituency areas  are those closest to the old so-called 'border?' Sligo/Leitrim and Cavan.

In shaking the hand of the Queen, Martin McGuinness is making a warm but shrewd and politically astute move, proffering an olive branch to both Unionists and Southerners. 'Don't be afraid, Sinn Fein is coming to save you from the vultures of Europe.' I wonder has he shaken the hand of #SexyAlexi Tsipras yet?

Update - View From London - Spectator Blog - Not Much Fun For Queen?

Update #McGuinnessQueenHandshakeDay Stunningly Beautiful Golden Green Colour Brands Bright Moment Into The Memory - See The Moment Here
London To Belfast-Handshake And Gallery Looked Fun For All

Man violently detained by police at Trafalgar Square, 26/03/2011 11:13pm

Good Italian Restaurants For A Fun Party Meal In London

Good Italian restaurants in London.
Good Italian restaurants for a fun party meal in London don't get much better than Bella Italia in Covent Garden. We have had experience of birthday parties at various Bella Italia Italian restaurants around the country with different ages and all those special meals were memorable for the right reasons. This Italian restaurant review is aimed at those looking for a warm ambience, traditional Italian menu and value for money

On my student daughter's recommendation following her successful graduation fun party at Bella Italia's Italian restaurant in Henrietta Street Covent Garden London, we also tried the restaurant chain in a modern city setting in the south of the UK. We weren't disappointed.

Following a tip from my daughter, we popped in early to the restaurant to enquire about space and booking for a son's tenth birthday party. This turned out to be a wise move as she had advised us that she had a really fun time at her Italian theme party by introducing herself to the restaurant staff first. Sure enough, after booking us an appropriately-sized spacious table, our waiter took down some details - the child's age, name and where he would like to be placed at the table.

When we returned, it seemed that the same waiter had been assigned to us and had arranged to decorate the table in festive party mood! The restaurant was already very atmospheric with its dim lights, baroque ornate Italian effect furnishings, mirrors and decor - and had a cosy ambience. Added to this was a bunch of Helium balloons, a crayon activity pack and a surprise for later.

The waiter (I was assured by my well-travelled daughters that he was genuine North Italian!) was very attentive and took our order quickly and accurately. There is a £7.99 two-course option Italian menu at lunchtimes and although the choices are obviously going to be limited, we all found something we liked. Both the pasta dishes (penne and linguine) however had a tomato-based sauce - a cream based sauce would have offered a little more variety. The other choice was pizza, so the birthday person chose from' a different menu and had Lasagne. The Bruschetta with roast vegetables starter was just the right size portion and had an authentic olive oil and basil flavour. The Caesar chicken salad was fresh and crisp and ample for a starter.

The drinks arrived pretty smartly, as did the starters, but the mains were a little slower. However, we were in party mode and the wait didn't affect our enjoyment of the Italian restaurant experience. One of the restaurants has an open kitchen which added a jolly air of bustle with the added advantage of being able to see how clean the kitchen was. We were impressed. The toilets also were spotless, well-appointed, with historical decor touches.

My daughter had recommended the Tiramisu from the dessert menu but the older members of our little party were already full-up, though the younger members enjoyed the basic but tasty chocolate ice-cream. This arrived with a brandy snap, three waiters, a sparkly candle and a rendition of Happy Birthday with the child's name pronounced right and lots of smiles!

For an economy recession-beating meal out, the Italian restaurant Bella Italia was fun for kids and older people alike - which may have accounted for the healthy bookings here compared with other restaurants in the same area. The restaurant was about half-full with a clientele from theatre-goers to parents with buggies on a Friday - all presumably,like us,looking for value for money in these difficult financial times.

Would we go there for a fun time again? The crucial test. Yes, definitely. If all you want is a good value Italian menu, a mediterranean ambience and a package where you know what to expect and how much it's going to cost, then Bella Italia is a good choice whether in London or the provinces. This restaurant review has concentrated mainly on those requirements and we weren't disappointed.

image credit: spjwebster flickr

Fun London Dance Studios At Covent Garden - Topselling Street dance DVD

Pineapple Studios London - Dance Masterclass: Strictly Street [DVD]

Future Of PE Fun in London Lies in Dance - Sacked reality TV judge Arlene Phillips to be government ‘dance champion’ - Times Online

Sacked reality TV judge Arlene Phillips to be government ‘dance champion’ - Times Online

Fun London Christmas Shopping Already? In August? Buying Cyber Puzzles In Hamleys

Fun London Christmas Shopping for us has to be Hamleys in Regents Street where we love to browse for all the latest puzzles games like this one, crazes,gadgets and gizmos for Christmas Stocking fillers and unusual gifts before everyone else gets to hear about them and they sell out, or the lines are so long we can't face the thought of queuing up to get them. That's why we are talking about Christmas Shopping in London in August!
If you want to plan a Christmas Shopping in London trip for October or November, you really do have to start thinking about it in August. Firstly, if you want train or plane tickets and cheap hotel accommodation you can actually afford then you need to book them now! Also, if its not too early for the stores to start their Christmas gift buying, then it's not too early for us either - and stores like Hamley's are already organising their Christmas in-store demonstrations of new products like puzzles games,cyber puzzles, gadgets, gizmos and other top ten Christmas gifts for kids. I've at least made a start with this first purchase of a totally more-ish shiny, heavy silvery addictive executive puzzle for my son - it will look great on the desk with its chic contemporary looks and he loves a challenge - particularly magnetic puzzles.We're always on the look out for the latest puzzles and magnets for kids.

Fun London Contest - Newnham Kids Take Part In Fun Latin Dance Contest

Fun London Latin Dance Classes Preparation - Best rated most helpful Latin Dance Teaching DVD

One fun London venue in July was Newnham Town Hall. I read today that fun was had by all during the London Latin dance classes competition, with children from local primary schools taking part.

In a time when governments and health gurus are trying to get parents to take children's weight more seriously in an effort to reduce obesity in the population, its great to see an exercise that kids actually enjoy being promoted - Dance.

There are many London fun dance classes for kids including hip-hop, rap, disco, electro and Latin Dance and competiton with peers always a little more motivation and sparkle.

With the so-called London fun Olympics round the corner in 2012, now's a great time to get relulctant kids to consider a more cool kind of out of school club - Dance. Of course there are all the usual favourites too such as jazz, tap and ballet - and there are lots of exciting platforms and showcases in the pipeline in the way of fun London 2012 entertainment where committed children can take the stage and demonstrate their newly-learned dance skills.

Our next fun London visit is planned for October and we'll be adding Newnham and Stratford days out to our itinerary alongside the Olympic Village building tour!

ZSL Tickets

Click On Image

London Fun Attractions - Buy The Latest Wedge Wellies And Grab Some ZSL Tickets For The ZOO!

Some things to remember before your fun visit to London Zoo :

 no photography for commercial purposes.

Children under 16 will not be admitted without an adult
No re-entry to the zoo.

• No dogs are allowed on the ZSL London Zoo premises.
• Bicycles are not allowed on Zoo premises.
• Scooters, rollerskates, rollerblades, skateboards are not allowed on Zoo premises.
• Heelys roller shoes must not be used as skates, but may be worn as shoes.
• Please note, there is no provision for left luggage.
• You can get a daily photos pic of your visit

Hackney Council - LB Hackney - London Fields Lido

London Fun With Hackney Council - LB Hackney - London Fields Lido

When it's hot in London, fun for families who like to swim isn't far away! London Fields Lido is the only outdoor heated lido in London, so make sure to get there early and beat the crowds. Why aren't there more of these? Swimming, races or even some aqua aerobics is such good exercise for everyone in the family.

Sonnet 43 Paraphrase Shakespeare in London Fun At The Globe

Sonnet 43 Paraphrase And Meaning - During London plagues, Shakespeare took to writing sonnets, as the theatres were shut down. In sonnet 43 , in attempting to paraphrase, we can see how the author took this quiet opportunity to experiment with his poetry and hone his writing craft when all the fun of London had gone quiet and audiences and fun seekers had fear and disease on their minds. In this sonnet, he beckons his writing inspiration to come to him while he sleeps:

Sonnet 43
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected,
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
Sonnet 43 Paraphrase When I am sleeping and my are closed, and I am dreaming, that's when I can imagine things best, like you - my inspiration. The things I see during the day when I am awake with my eyes open are not as inspiring or imaginative as the things I see in my dreams. When I look upon my inspiration during dreams, its brightness is enough to light the dark. Sonnet 43 by William Shakespeare is open to two interpretations. Some critics believe the author is referring to a sweetheart here and that this sonnet is a love poem in honour of the person who inspires his writing and brings him joy. Other Shakespeare enthusiasts interpret the sonnet simply as as a call to his poetic Muse, his imagination. Either way, this romantic poem carries images of beauty, joy, sleep and light. Shakespeare obviously had fun with this poem, experimenting with form, structure and style and making the piece quite complex. For some Shakespearean London fun in the author's own capital city, try The Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames. there are fun activities and workshops right through the holidays with many budget London hotels close by. Catch a show at the theatre in the evening, or view some of the many exhibitions in the museum. Shakespeare's Globe is one of the most fun things to do in London. ,
You, my inspiration, are so bright you make even shadows bright I wish I could see the bright shadow of your inspiration during the day time when I'm awake how happy would I be to see this 'bright' shadow during my waking hours, when even people without perfect vision can see you glowing. I can't really say my own eyes are blessed when I can see you during the day, but at night,when my eyes are blind with sleep, they can still discern you. Until you come to me agin, my waking hours are like the dark. when at night wth your 'bright' shadow, my 'blind' eyes of sleep are able to perceive you Till I see you days are nights, and night-time seems like day-time when you are there. .