Milton Keynes - Unforgettable !!!

This Sunday me, my son Anand and wife Bhagirati were invited for lunch at the house of one of Anand’s friends, Shilpa Kanchan(Kulkarni). We took the National Rail train to Kings Cross Thames Link Station from East Croydon. We were to change to the underground from there and go to London Euston from there. From London Euston we were to take the National Rail services again to Milton Keynes Central Station. From Milton Keynes Station a cab will take us to the ultimate destination Shilpa’s House. Shilpa and Anand were colleagues in the past when Anand was employed with tech Mahindra. Tech mahindra have their London Head quarters at Milton Keynes. Shilpa’s Husband Rahul works for Accenture in Central London. Shilpa’s mother was visiting her from India.

We started from our house in Croydon at about 11 AM and reached London Euston by around 12.10 PM without much difficulty. We were surprised to find the next Train to Milton Keynes which was to leave at 12.09 PM still at the station. The next available train was at 12.39 and hence we made haste and managed to catch the 12.09 train whci was very crowded. After traveling through the compartments we found seats for all the three of us though not near each other. I settled down with my customary SUDOKU and my wife and son who managed seats next to each other were chatting amongst themselves about various trivial matters. We cruised along fairly comfortably till Harrow Hampstead and afterwards the trouble began. There was some announcement regarding signal failures and our train started limping afterwards with unscheduled stoppages due those signal failures. Finally we reached Milton Keynes around 2.10 mPm instead of the schedules 13.15.We promptly took a cab which Anand had booked as soon as we left Bletchley station and we reached Shilpa’s house. After the customary introductions and a welcome cool drink of lemon juice we started talking amongst ourselves. The two ladies, my wife and Shilpa’s mother were talking domestic matters while we me, anad and Shilpa were talking shop about our work and experiences all of us coming from the IT Industry. I found Shilpa to be a very smart and intelligent girl.

We sat down to lunch and were treated to the special delicacy “Neer Dosa” made from rice flour and masala rice.The preparation made by Shilpa’s mother was very tasty and we soon finished our meals. We deicded to explore Milton Keynes after the afternoon tea and hereunder is a short write up of what we saw and enjoyed.

Milton Keynes is a large town in northern Buckinghamshire, in South East England, about 45 miles (75 km) north-west of London. It is roughly halfway between London and Birmingham. Milton Keynes was formally designated as a new town in 1967. Its 34 square miles (88 km²) area incorporated the existing towns of Bletchley, Wolver ton and Stony Stratford along with another fifteen villages and farmland in between. It took its name from the existing village of Milton Keynes, a few miles east of the planned city centre. Uniquely for the UK, the urban form uses a 1 km grid for the top level of street hierarchy: the local form of most districts is more conventional. It is said that the layout was planned by some American architects and was modeled after the US cities made of boulevards.

We decided to walk around and visit an amusement place known as Xscape (www.xscape.co.uk) which had some good things to enjoy on a weekend.

Xscape is the country’s biggest indoor REAL snow slopes, Europe’s first purpose-built body flying tunnel! , rock climbing walls, bowling, multiplex cinema, gym and fitness centre, numerous bars and restaurants and urban retail outlets all under 1 roof. Please vsit the link for some detailed information on the various exciting amusements available – but for a price!!!

Snow Slope ( An Extract from their Website)

Nothing can beat the adrenaline rush of speeding down a slope covered in crisp snow with the cold air in your face. And now you don’t even have to leave the country!

The Real Snow Slope at Xscape Milton Keynes is the UK’s longest REAL snow slope. There is a 170m long main slope for seasoned slope lovers and a dedicated lesson slope, with qualified instructors for beginners. We offer lessons and coaching to suit all levels of ability and can even give you guidance of you want to try something different like freestyle or moguls. Family fun tobogganing sessions are the ideal opportunity to enjoy the thrill of the cold air while staying a little closer to the ground!

So whatever your ability or your passion – there’s 1500 tonnes of pure snow just waiting to be ridden!!

For après ski join us in the Sno!bar and café where you can enjoy a cafe latte or a pint of Kronenbourg’s finest with a unique view of the slopes and all the action. We hold regular music nights and themed parties and can even let you have private use of the bar and conference suites if you want to enjoy a bit of exclusivity!

Some fotos. ( Again from the website)

Enjoy Skiing!! OOPs !! I Am Falling!! It Is very Cold here !!

Mountain Climbing

Tunnel Flying ( an Experience of a life time ( An Extract from the website)

It's flying!

Imagine a wind tunnel that could be used for testing the aerodynamics of an F1 racing car, turn it upright, step into the airflow and you are skydiving. It's a proven concept operating in several countries to the benefit of the skydiving community and anyone else who wishes to taste the thrill of freefall in a completely safe environment.

Many tunnels (in warm climates) simply suck the air in from ground level, push it through the flight chamber & diffuser and expel it at the top. Airkix recirculates the air which warms up quickly as 1000HP creates energy and heat. In winter it’s warm and in Summer it’s cool!

Starting at the bottom; we have a plenum that is 27.4m long by 8.5m wide and 4m deep (90x28x13ft). Inside are some huge aluminium banks of turning vanes thatsmoothly turn air around corners in straight lines. This takes out turbulence. The air is forced through the inlet contractor in the centre of the plenum and up into the flight chamber. The inlet contractor squeezes the air into the chamber at normal flying speeds of about 100-110mph (161-177kph).

The air travels through the clear acrylic walled flight chamber and on up through the diffuser before hitting turning vanes at the top that turn the air left and right into the huge fans which push the air out into the top corners where it is turned on its downward path through the return air towers (RATS).

At this point warm air can be forced out of a huge door and cool air sucked in from an opposite mounted door. The air then gets a final turn at the bottom corners before the cycle starts again at the turning vanes back into the inlet contractor.

Getting in and out

Don’t worry about small matters such as jumping, falling or hitting the fans – it just can’t happen!

The setup is simple, a 12ft (3.66m) diameter tunnel that has two open doorways into the ante chamber (in effect, the outer chamber) which can seat up to 15 people. Inside the flight chamber is the invisible airflow and all is calm in the outer chamber.

The flight chamber has a sprung floor made from aircraft standard steel wires. The instructor will spend much of their time walking on the floor as they look after flyers.

To enter the tunnel, stand in the open doorway and lean forward, you will feel your legs lifted from under you as you assume a horizontal flying position. The instructor will take a loose grip on your flight suit and help you get into a neutral flying position before teaching you the basic moves.

Movements including going up and down, forwards, backwards, sideways and turning are all simple and easy to master and you will soon be learning new tricks!

To leave the tunnel, simply fly to the second doorway, take a grip on the sides and stand up and you are back in the ante chamber. In goes the next person and you all shuffle up until it’s your turn again.

Some fotos. ( Again from the website)

A Real smile !!

At The Top Of The Tunnel!!!

One Of The Instructors Showing Off!!!

For a more detailed account of the flying Tunnel and some exciting videos visit the following website by copy pasting the link below :

http://www.airkix.com/pix_flix/flix.asp?

I am attaching some photographs and a video of the flying tunnel taken on the occasion by us. One must visit Milton Keynes and Xscape while in UK for the sake of the younger generation who are bound to have an experience of a life time there.

We had a good time there with some cool drinks and chips and hastened home at 8.00 Pm on the journey back home. We reached East Croydon back by 10 PM and that was the end of a memorable Sunday.

A View of the Skating rink - Artificial at XScape

Another view - Aren't the kids having a whale of a time!!

From Left to Right - Me, Shilpa, her Mother and my Better Half - Photographer Anand

Shilpa's Mother, Bhagirathi (my wife), Anand & Me The photographer Shilpa

Shilpa, Her mother, My Wife & Anand - photographer - yours truly!!

Rainbow captured on the camera by Anand - On the way home from Milton Keynes

Isle Of Wight - Day 5 (Last Day)

This being the last day we had to vacate the hotel and carry all our luggage with us. We decided to visit Ryde which is the boarding point for our ferry and cover all the attractions there. The attractions at Ryde are The Flamingo Park and The Waltzing waters. We started after our last breakfast at our hotel and took a cab to Walzing Waters. After an unforgettable experience we took another cab to The Flamigo park. After the flamingo park we had to take the ferry at 3.30 PM towards home.

The Waltzing Waters is the world's most elaborate water, light and music production. "Its like nothing you've ever seen before"...a triumph of artistry and engineering. Visitors are overwhelmed by thousands of dazzling patterns of moving water synchronised with music in spectacular fashion. This indoor production is an entertainment that one never forgets.

Link to The site for more information.

http://www.waltzingwaters.co.uk/isle-of-wight/iow-home.html

This attraction known as the Flamingo Park has been helping to conserve exotic bird species and wildlife for over 34 years and decided to change the Park's name to better reflect the continual growth and expansion work that is ongoing.

The Park is home to a huge diversity of rare and beautiful birds and animals, not just the famous flamingos and critically endangered Humboldt penguins but has evolved from a bird gardens into a unique wildlife encounter. There are mammal species from around the world where visitors have the chance to meet wallabies and meerkats, a truly incredible experience. You can feed and stroke and learn all about the animals at very close quarters.

The new Tropical House will inspire visitors of all ages. Work to create a tropical oasis in which rare birds and plant species could coexist together with amazing water displays and aquaria started back in the late 1990's. The need to conserve many of the bird and animal speices as well as flora and fauna of islands around the world is the primary aim of this project. Preserving and protecting these island habitats and highlighting the serious plight of such delicate ecosystems is brought to you in this ever-changing scene.

One of the largest tropical aviaries ever built in the UK will astonish and captivate, as you embark upon a journey from coastal regions to tropical forest where a canopy of free flying birds and breathtaking displays awaits you.....

We took the ferry and reached Portsmouth from where we took the train back home and reached home at Galleons Reach by 7.00 PM

This being the last day all our cameras were packed and no photographs were taken.

I hope you all enjoyed reading an account of our holiday at The Isle Of Wight which was very memorable.

Isle Of Wight - Day 4

The next day dawned as usual. The weather was perfect for a day of site seeing. We decided to start the morning with a visit to Shanklin Chine, locally, after which we decided to walk through the Shanklin Old Village . After that we took a cab to Ventnor where we visited the Botanical gardens. Then we walked down the Ventnor Bay to the village of Bonchurch which houses the ancient church. It was a day full of long walks. However we never felt tired in spite of the walks because of the ideal weather.

Ventnor Botanic Garden is on the beautiful Isle of Wight, on the south coast of England. Once a favourite home of Queen Victoria the Isle of Wight has a unique sub-tropical climate and is also known as 'The Garden Isle'. Located on the southern tip of the Isle of Wight the Botanic Garden has exotic plants, trees, flowers and shrubs from around the world displayed in a series of temperate and sub-tropical gardens.

The Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight is a place where the pleasure of plants can be enjoyed to the fullest, it is also a place where people of all ages can learn more about the wonderful world of plants and the inextricable link that we have with them.

Ventnor Bay is a predominantly sandy beach. Here the family have access to cafes, restaurants and pubs for refreshments. The backdrop of the town from the beach, makes Ventnor Bay feel decidedly Mediterranean. There is a boat haven at one end and rocks at either side of the bay for kids to go crabbing. A great family beach and one not to miss.

The village of Bonchurch nestles between Shanklin and Ventnor and is truly worth a visit to appreciate the quaint cottages, large imposing Victorian Mansions and the village pond.

Built on the side of St.Boniface down, leading down to the sea, Bonchurch will remind you of the sort of holiday of yester year. The seafront has a safe shingle and sand beach, surrounded by rocks, which the kids will love to climb over, hunting for crabs and small fish. For the parents, there are several cafes, which look out to sea and serve a variety of local seafood specialities. From the shore you can take the level walk along the revetment towards Ventnor. Here you will pass tiny fisherman's cottages, Wheelers Bay and end up at Ventnor harbour.

Bonchurch, like Ventnor, was constructed predominantly through the Victorian years for the wealthy gentry, who holidayed in the area, taking in the notably milder climate, which is protected by the stunning backdrop of St. Boniface Down, the Island's highest point. To the west there is a superb walk through “The Landslip”, a coastal woodland, perched on top of the cliffs, which has been modelled by Landslips and erosion. Sheltered by ancient oaks, this walk is a must, you can walk through the deep stone gorge called the Devil's Chimney and then once at the top reward yourself with a cream tea.

A visit to Bonchurch is a must for people who appreciate the quiet life. The views, seafront and atmosphere.

http://www.isleofwight.com/albums/ventnor/index.html

It was back to the hotel in the evening after the now Customary Dinner at “The Jasmine”

Link to our album on the Web

http://picasaweb.google.com/venkatraman.anand/IsleOfWightDay4ShanklinChine?authkey=hSzKIwOhi3U

Last Day - Day 5 Blog Follows

Some Images from our camera

Isle Of Wight - Day 3

The weather today was almost a repeat of yesterday. It was difficult to get up from the bed on such a csy day. We reluctantly got up around 8.30 had our usual sumptuous breakfast by around 9.30 and were ready to go out by 10.00. Anand having been to this part of the world earlier was our navigator and the plan for the day’s site seeing was done on the breakfast table.

So it was decided to cover Godshill Village, The Alum Bay Beach and then to take the Boat ride to the light house there at “Needles” as it is known as.We were to also visit the Glass & Ceramic Factory.

After the customary Breakfast we caught a bus and reached Godshill Village.

Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight with a population of approximately 2,800 (1998). It is located between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the island.

Attractions

Since 1952 Godshill has been the home of a model village of itself and Shanklin's old village at a scale of 1:10. It is so detailed that it contains a scale model of the model village. Within that second model there is a third, even smaller model of the village.

Some Images form our camera.

Click on the link below to enjoy the breathtaking photographs of the Miniature village.

http://www.invectis.co.uk/iow/gv1.htm

After that we went to visit “The Needles” at Alum Bay.

The Needles are the western most point of the Isle of Wight and are a series of chalk stacks which protrude into the see at the end of which is a lighthouse. Nearby is Alum Bay, which is home of the famous coloured sand but is has a rather commercialised 'pleasure park'. The is a chairlift from the top of the cliff to the beach. The sea around the Needles was notorious for shipwrecks. The first lighthouse was built in 1785 on top of the downs, the current one during from the 1850's. A helicopter pad was added in the 1990's and the lighthouse subsequently became automated and unmanned.

Black's guide of 1880 describes them:

The celebrated Needles are five "isolated masses of the extreme west point of the middle range of Downs, which have been produced by the decomposition and wearing away of the rock in the direction of the joints or fissures with which the strata are traversed The angular or wedge-shaped form of these rocks has resulted from the highly-inclined northward dip of the beds of which they are composed." The appellation Needles has been traced by some to the German niecler fels, or " nether cliff;" but, more probably, was suggested by the numerous pinnacles starting up from each rugged mass, or by the lofty conical rock, 120 feet high, known as " Lot's Wife: which fell into the sea, in 1764, with a clash and a roar audible at Portsmouth harbour. The channel between the Needles and the Dorsetshire coast is called The Race. There is something imposing wrote Mr. Rush, the American ambassador, in 1817, "in entering England by this access". "I afterwards" he continued, " entered at Dover in a packet from Calais--my eye fixed upon the sentinels as they slowly paced the heights. But those cliffs, bold as they are, and immortalized by Shakespere, did not equal the passage through the Needles"

To reach Needles we had to change two buses. After along run aboard the buses we reached Needles where we found one of the most amazing beaches. This is a pebble beach rather than a sand beach. The beach is down a sloping hill and to reach there you have to go by a chair lift. down a deep slope. It was a great experience. From the beach there is a boat service which one can take so that one can go for a ride in the sea as well as have a good look at the ancient lighthouse from close quarters.

Click on the link below to get the images of the Needles bay.

http://www.theneedles.co.uk/gallery.php

Some Images form our camera.

After that we spent time visiting the glass and ceramic factories and had a first hand experience of ceramic and glass ware like flower vases being made.

Last but not least after a tiring day was our dinner which, we for a change had at a town called Newport where we had to change bus en-route to our hotel in an Indian Restaurant and again surprisingly the food was excellant.

DAY 4 Blog Follows

Link to our full Album on the web :

http://picasaweb.google.com/venkatraman.anand/IsleOfWightDay3GodshillAndNeedlesAlumBay?authkey=k0sv_Z20Kas

Isle of Wight - Day 2

If you are in England and you do not talk about the weather is like committing a crime. So here I go. The weather today was very cool, the temperatures hovering around 12- 15 degrees celtius. There was a strong wind blowing with a hint of rain to come during the day.
The arrangement with the hotel was bed & breakfast as with most of the hotels in UK. We were told that breakfast will be served between 8.30 AM and 9.30 AM.

We had a good breakfast consisting of milk and cereals, Orange Juice, Toast Butter and Hash Browns with Baked Beans (Triangular pieces of potato cutlets fried nicely to brown with cooked beans in sauce).We washed all that down with Tea or Coffee as per individual choice. It was a very filling breakfast and we started planning our day.

We Visited the Butterfly World :

Butterfly World is a colourful and enthralling experience as you watch hundreds of exotic butterflies from around the world fly freely in the tropical indoor garden.

A visit provides the opportunity to see hundreds of butterflies flying freely in a natural environment. They are mostly tropical species but are representative of the five continents of the world. There are usually around 25 species to be seen at any one time, though 100 species are on display at one time or another, during the season.

The exotic gardens are all attractively laid out.Visitors have the unique opportunity to study the egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-imago life cycle at first hand.

Many information boards are displayed and illustrated signs identify the popular species and their country of origin. The emerging cages provide the chance to see around 20 adult butterflies being born each day as they emerge from their chrysalis.

We also have exotic finches flying freely and Chinese Painted Quail wandering around eating uninvited insects.

Some Images of the Butterfly World

It also contained a Japanese garden with nice fountains.

The tropical gardens are authentic reproductions of Italian and Japanese gardens with a delightful range of water features.The formal Italian Garden has brilliantly coloured bedding plants, classical figures, balustrading, and a Roman temple facade. The Japanese Garden has an informal setting of oriental plants - maples, azaleas, pines and conifers, amidst statues, pagodas, replica buildings and pebbled and gravelled areas. Within both gardens are beautiful fountains, a waterfall and some special water displays.

There are two koi ponds holding a wide range of colourful Japanese Koi Carp, with some over 75cm long. The hand feeding and talks on these amazing fish is not to be missed. It will automatically be given to booked groups. Some members of each group may be able to hand feed the Koi.

From the year 2000 Jumping Jets were added , which shoot jets of water three and a half metres high and five metres across in a synchronised display and other 'get wet if you want to' water features.

'Small World' is set in a dark fairytale setting with decorative lighting and an animated diorama of animals and other characters, including an arctic pirate scene and a clown band playing music. Youngsters love these fun attractions.

Some Images of the Fountain World

After that we had the experience of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

The Isle of Wight once boasted 54 miles of railway, most of which was closed between 1952 and 1966. However its unique atmosphere has been perfectly preserved by the largely volunteer-run Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which began operating trains in 1971.

The Railway is truly a journey back in time - a living, breathing museum! All the carriages and most of the locomotives have spent much of their working lives here on the Island. They have all been painstakingly restored to pristine condition and are the hallmark of the delightful railway. The oldest locomotive was built in 1876 and carriages date back to 1864!

The railway runs five miles from Wootton, through Havenstreet and Ashey, to Smallbrook Junction, which is the interchange with Island Line's electric trains that run from Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head (Connecting with the Wightlink high-speed catamaran service from Portsmouth Harbour). Havenstreet is our main station with a large tarmac car park. Granny Winter's Pantry offers a wide variety of hot and cold meals, snacks and beverages and the Railway Shop has a fascinating cornucopia of unusual and nostalgic gifts to satisfy all tastes. A children's play area, woodland walk and museum of Island railway history are also to be found at Havenstreet. The train ticket is valid for unlimited travel on the day of ticket issue, so please ride as much as you wish!

The Steam Railway is an ideal day out from the mainland with the journey time from Portsmouth Harbour taking as little as 30 minutes. Through tickets are available from the Wightlink booking office at Portsmouth Harbour and from many mainland railway stations.

After that we went and visited the Sandown Beach and then back to the hotel after a tiring day and Dinner at by now the favourite "The Jasmine".

Some Images of the steam Railway

Link to the Photos of Day 2

http://picasaweb.google.com/venkatraman.anand/IsleOfWightDay2ShanklinNewportSmallbrookJunctionSandown?authkey=G2Vsihj-Nl8
Day 3 Blog follows

Isle Of Wight - Day 1

I with my wife Bhagirathi landed up in London to spend a few months with my son Anand and his wife Mallika. Anand is working in a company and he is based in London. Mallika also is working with an Insurance firm. They have a flat on hire in an area known as the Docklands. It is a beautiful apartment on the banks of the Thames and there is a good view of the Thames from their front room Balcony.(Foto of view from Balcony as alongside).

Anand and Mallika took a few days off combined with their Eater holidays so that we could have some time together. We decided to go to The Isle of Wight, an Island to the South of England and a part of the United Kingdom.

Anand browsed the net and came up with a four day plan from March 31, 2007 to April 4, 2007. He booked two rooms for Bed & Breakfast at a hotel named “The Esplanade” on the Sea front in a place named Shanklin in the Isle of Wight.

Anand’s house is near a station named “Gallions Reach” on the Docklands Light Railway System a driverless train which operates between Bekton and Tower Gateway to connect the docklands to Central London.

We were to take the DLR train to Canning Town and change over to the Jubilee Line on the London Underground from there to reach London Waterloo. From there we were to board a train to Portsmouth Harbour. A ferry was to take us across the sea to the island “The Isle Of Wight”

We took the DLR to Canning Town and changed to Jubilee Line as planned. However when we Reached and boarded the train to Portsmouth Harbour we were told that due to major engineering work along the tracks we were to get down at a station named Guildford from where a bus will take us to Haselmeyer. From Haselmeyer another train was to take us to Fratton and from ultimately take us to our destination Portsmouth Harbour.

*** Jubilee Line Train ***

D L R Train

Inside a Jubilee Train

Hearing this I started wondering whether we will reach our destination properly and how all this changeover was to be managed. However to my utter surprise I found that the changeovers were organized wonderfully well and there was a courteous guide to lead us to the next changeover at each place we were to change and we reached in time in spite of the unscheduled changeovers. The co-ordination between the bus and the train service providers has to be seen to be believed.

We duly reached Portsmouth Harbour and took a ferry from there to The Island and landed at a place called Ryde.

From Ryde we took another Train to Shanklin where our hotel was situated along the Esplande. I was surprised at the quietness of the beachfront. However due to the fact that it was off season the beach was not crowded. It was also spotlessly clean.

The seafront at Shanklin

We arrived at the hotel at around four in the afternoon and we were allotted our rooms. Myself and Bhagi were allotted a room on the second floor and Anand and Mallika were on the first floor. The hotel owner Kevin told us that these rooms were only for that day and the next day morning we would be moved to rooms directly across having the sea view as per our request.

We unpacked and started planning our activity for the rest of the evening. The weather was very good with a chill in the atmosphere. There was a cold wind blowing which made us to wear our jackets in addition to the sweaters we had put on. However coming from the ever hot Mumbai it was a welcome change for me and my wife.

After unpacking our luggage and having had a hot cup of Tea we decided to take a stroll along the excellent sea front. We went around to have a look at the various shops, gaming houses, gardens, mini golf courses for the children to amuse themselves etc along the beautiful Esplanade. As the sun set we went in to the Shanklin town which was on a higher level in search of a good vegetarian hotel preferably serving Indian cuisine.

Luck was on our side and we located Jasmine, a Bangladeshi hotel. Anand was however was very suspicious about the food there since he has had some bad experiences at Bangladeshi restaurants in the UK. However we were in for a great surprise when we were served the food to find that it was very tasty food. We had an excellent dinner and returned to the hotel via the steps leading down to the beach from the town.

Link to the Photos taken on the First day

http://picasaweb.google.com/venkatraman.anand/IsleOfWightDay1LondonToPortsmouth?authkey=fN07rli5lqM

Day 2 Blog Follows