Well Mari & I had an amazing 2 weeks in the UK as part of our Jet Set UK radio program/podcast “From UK Special” series & now it is time to jet back to Tokyo. We are both from the UK but both realized that every time we go back to the UK we discover new things & meet new people. It’s the never ending discoveries & amazing array of people that make the UK so interesting & continually exciting. Another thing I really noticed this time was the sense of freedom people have. London is such a diverse city where you have the freedom to be who you want to be & explore whatever lifestyle you want to live. This point was especially highlighted by my new Japanese friends I met in London who were really enjoying their new lives & making the most of the sense of freedom they have in the UK. Japanese people tend to feel very comfortable & welcome in the UK & this creates that sense of freedom & easy lifestyle. If you’re in Japan & have never been to the UK but are interested in travel & discovering new things I highly recommend a trip to the UK. From the traditional “afternoon tea” image of England to the amazing nature of Scotland & the diverse creativity of London you’ll find something that you’ll love. And finally you’ll meet some new people who’ll surprise you & make some new friends who you’ll never forget.. truly what traveling to another culture is all about!! Scroll down these pages & discover 20 “From UK Special” blog reports - I hope you enjoy as much as I did!!

Virgin Atlantic Airways ticket & boarding pass in hand - it’s time to jet!!

Guy & Mari “cheers to UK” at London Heathrow airport.

At LHR watching all the jetsetters & the lovely Virgin jets.

Jet trails in the skies over London.

On board Virgin Atlantic Airways you’ll discover some great in-flight entertainment & every seat has it’s own entertainment system & screen. On this flight I watched the latest James Bond film & the best part was one scene in the film where 007 was on board a Virgin Atlantic flight enjoying a quiet vodka while jetting to a glamorous location - it was a glamorous moment to watch & I was feeling very glamorous too on board my Virgin Atlantic flight!!

On board Virgin Atlantic you’ll also discover some luxurious amenities including the lovely Cow Shed spa products.

Dawn in the sky.

Winging our way & almost back in Tokyo.

Happy trip, happy flight & happy landings - we’re back at Narita & I’m ready to create some more Jet Set UK programs & share some happy moments from the UK with you!!

Coming to the end of our 2 fantastic weeks in the UK - Mari & I spend some amazing time in East London & meet some amazing people. I realize once again that the most interesting thing about traveling & experiencing new places is not the place itself but the people you meet. And when you don’t live in a city sometimes just being a transient passenger means you have the openness & freedom to talk with & meet more people at random. Click on the play button below & listen to us chat with a few people we met at random in East London. With all the amazing things London & the UK has to offer Mari & I both agree that the most special times we’ll always remember were the unplanned moments with the people we met & shared the experience with..

Tube, bus, cab or walk - East London is easy to get to & get around - off we go!!

Guy & Mari hit Spitalfields Markets, Brick Lane, Cafe 1001 & just hang out with loads of cool people on a Sunday afternoon. There’s tons to see - market stalls from flea markets to cutting edge new designers, shop if you want or just chill out & have a beer in the outdoor beer gardens, cafes, bars & pubs - listen to music from DJ’s or street musicians & watch all the amazing people having a good time..

At 23 Pitfield Street we find a little bit of Japan in the UK - CA4LA hat shop.

Furry beast, Guy & CA4LA store manager Hikaru Sagara - have a listen to why he (Hikaru not the furry beast) loves London - click on the play button below..

Japanese musician Geki - who loves living in East London - have a listen to him explain why & hear these amazing steel drums - click on the play button below..

I meet these lovely people in East London & they invite me to go paddling in their dinghy up Regents Canal on a Sunday afternoon.. err OK!!

And off we go - paddle!!

Mari on board & paddling!!

Dusk & the still waters of Regents Canal. I can’t believe we’re doing this!! Actually other people can’t believe we’re doing this either - people walking by & staring do cheer us on - it’s not everyday you get to paddle in a dinghy up a canal in the middle of London.. is this legal?

Regents Canal & bridge. We take a break from paddling, float for a while in the middle of the canal, share a bottle of wine & a giggle & paddle back to our starting point. A very fun, very random moment in East London - you just never know who you’ll meet & what adventures you’ll have.

There is now so much cool stuff going on in East London & so many people having a good time there Time Out magazine is publishing special East London guides.
east-people

Getting ready to go out on a Saturday night in London & listening to the radio. Here’s some random radio dial hopping with the pirate stations (& a few others in-between) from Saturday night & the Sunday morning after. Click on the play button below to listen..

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Click on the play button below & have a listen to an interview with Paul Tunkin the man behind Blow Up club & record label in London. Blow Up is a weekly event of orgasmic, mod, soul, pop, new wave action (!!) at Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Ave, Soho every Saturday night.
For details about Blow Up club please check
http://www.blowup.co.uk/club/
For details about Blow Up record label please check
http://www.blowup.co.uk/

Blow Up compilation album Exclusive Blend Volume 1.

Blow Up compilation album Exclusive Blend Volume 2.

Paul Tunkin.
paul-tunkin

Guy & Mari take a rikshaw ride in London’s West End!! You should try it too.. On Regent Street after a few drinks (probably the best way to do it) we are accosted by a rikshaw driver (rider?) & it doesn’t take much convincing to get us to hop on & go for a spin through the traffic & (cheering) crowds - yes we got a lot of encouragement from passersby.. It was very silly, very touristy but a lot of fun, a good laugh & actually a very good way to get from A to B.. highly recommended.

Mari, our rikshaw & driver.

Coasting down Regent Street.

Guy & Mari rip up the streets of London!!

One of my favourite & recommended walks in London is from Big Ben, over Westminster Bridge, all along Southbank to the Tate Modern, over the Millenium Bridge to St Paul’s Cathedral.. let’s go!!
Here’s a whole load of pic’s from the walk & you can also have a listen to some sounds I recorded along the way - click the play button below..

We depart Big Ben at high noon - & just love the majestic sound of the bell chiming.

London icons from Westminster Bridge.

Very gothic image.

Westminster Bridge & Houses Of Parliament from Southbank.

Step off Westminster Bridge onto Southbank & here’s the London Eye, London Aquarium building & art gallery.

London Aquarium.

Art gallery entrance - Salvador Dali is in the house!!

Under the London Eye.

London Eyecons..

Second hand book market under Waterloo Bridge.

Skaters make the most of modern architecture.

Skaters & graffiti.

19th century lamp post & 21st century electric “CD” box.

There’s even a beach on the south bank of the Thames!!

The Thames, St Paul’s Cathedral & the City.

Similar view, different time.

More London icons - Blackfriars Bridge, double decker bus & St Paul’s.

The old & the older Blackfriars Railway Bridge & red pillars.

The red pillars up close.

Looking into windows - people are at work in their offices overlooking Southbank.

Outdoor cafes.

Outdoor pub.

Southwark is one of the oldest parts of London & just off Southbank in the back streets you’ll find the Bishops Of Winchester Palace ruins.

Old & new London icons - the rebuilt Shakespeare Globe Theatre & the recreated power station as the Tate Modern Gallery.

The Tate Modern.

The Tate Modern is free for all but if you want you can make a donation - in a fun way.

Inside the Tate Modern - the old power station turbine hall is now the spectacular main gallery - let’s look at some of the exhibitions I’ve seen over the years..

The most simple concept with the most impact - the red glowing sun, in light fog with mirror ceiling - everyone just wanted to lie on the floor & look up & daydream..

White boxes.

Spiral stairs sculptures.

Spider sculpture.

Spider from the ground.

Under the spider.

Outside the Tate Modern we cross the Millenium footbridge over the Thames.

On the Millenium footbridge walking towards St Paul’s.

Majestic St Paul’s still towers over London.

One side of St Paul’s was being restored & the boarding was painted appropriately.

St Paul’s up close. Time your walk so you arrive at 5pm - most days you’ll catch evensong with the choir singing - a truly sublime experience.

As the sun sets we walk back along Southbank - here is a view of Festival Pier & Embankment.

Hungerford Bridge.

On certain evenings of the week you can catch free concerts in Queen Elizabeth Hall - here we enjoyed a choral group - have a listen to a quick sample of their sound I recorded - click on the play button below..

Outside Queen Elizabeth Hall is this fun sculpture deck & bar - love the legs in the air!!

Walking over Hungerford Bridge & a spectacular London night view.

We’re now back on Embankment side & a well deserved drink in the amazing old cellars & caverns of an ancient pub!! What a walk - what a day - highly recommended.
southbank-sounds

After a fun time at the British Music Experience it’s time to head back into central London & what better way to do it than by boat!! The British Music Experience is located in the O2 Arena at North Greenwich on the banks of the River Thames - so let’s jump on board our high speed cat into London..

Departing the O2 Arena by boat.

The O2 Arena.

Power station & Royal Naval College Greenwich.

Royal Naval College Greenwich.

Royal Naval College Greenwich - zero meridian set your watches now!!

New life in old buildings on the banks of the Thames.

Converted warehouses on the banks of the Thames.

Canary Wharf development.

Canary Wharf apartments.

Coming up to Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge.

Tower of London.

Tower of London jetty.

HMS Belfast & Her Majesty’s Royal Navy in dock.

The Gherkin in the City of London.

St Paul’s.

Millenium Bridge & the Tate Modern.

The Tate Modern.

OXO Tower.

Thames River view.

Moored ship & deco landmark building on the banks of the Thames.

Under Hungerford Bridge.

Looking back to Hungerford Bridge & Charing Cross station.

Victoria Embankment spires.

Victoria Embankment & Westminster.

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben.

London Aquarium.

Under the London Eye from the River Thames.

London Eye.

London Eye people in their pods.

Arriving at the London Eye jetty after a very fast, very fun 40 minute boat trip from the O2 Arena at North Greenwich.

Back in London & I’m in need of music, modern culture & an amazing experience & that’s exactly what I got at the British Music Experience at the O2 Arena - a quick tube ride to North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line. The British Music Experience has only just opened & is a totally interactive museum featuring the past, present & future of British music. It’s built into the spectacular O2 arena - where numerous super stars perform live - Elton John performed recently & Michael Jackson sold out shows coming soon. Find out more about the British Music Experience - have a listen to my conversation with Matt Glover, Senior Music Partnerships Manager at AEG the parent company of the British Music Experience - click on the play button below..

The O2 Arena London.

Walking up to the O2 Arena.

Walking into the O2 Arena.

Entering the British Music Experience.

Going up into the British Music Experience.

My ticket to the British Music Experience. A very cool feature of the ticket - all through the experience you can swipe your ticket over the barcode reader at each exhibit & then when you get home & get on-line you’ll experience more on your computer!! Check their website for more www.britishmusicexperience.com

British Music Experience banners featuring British music icons Oasis & David Bowie.

David Bowie banner & inside you’ll see some of Bowie’s original costumes, hand written lyrics & more.

Take a trip banner.

The very cool music video production pod - where you can record a music video of yourself & take it home on DVD!!

And yes of course you can go shopping at the British Music Experience - I had to buy myself a British music airline bag!!
bme

A day trip to the English countryside - started off on my return from Scotland - took the overnight sleeper from Glasgow Central to London’s Euston. Depart Glasgow 11:40pm, get comfortable & cozy in my sleeper cabin, have drinks & snacks in the dining car, back to the cabin & get cozy in my bunk bed - drift off to the clickety clack of the train track & gentle rhythm motion, have a great night’s sleep, wake up in London on arrival at 6:30am & a very civilized feature - passengers are allowed to stay onboard until 8:00am to get dressed, have a tea or coffee & get ready for their next move & I’m off to one of my favourite English towns for the day - Bury St Edmunds..

The Caledonian Sleeper from Glasgow to London. In the dining car I was expecting to bump into Miss Marple & witness a murder..

View from my cozy bunk bed.

A very sweet one car train for a one horse town!! This is passing through the famous horse racing town of Newmarket on the Cambridge to Bury St Edmunds stretch of the journey from London. Bury St Edmunds is about 80km north/east of London in the pretty pretty countryside of the shire of Suffolk where my family are from. Total journey time from London about 90 minutes.

Country life near Bury St Edmunds.

Country wild life near Bury St Edmunds.

Bury St Edmunds Cathedral & gardens.

Bury St Edmunds Cathedral, gardens & old abbey ruins.

Bury St Edmunds Abbey ruins. In the grounds of the cathedral are the ruins of the original abbey - destroyed by King Henry VIII in the Dissolution Of The Monasteries in the 16th century. It’s an amazing place, you’re surrounded by the ancient atmosphere & history - the town gets it’s name from the fact that King Edmund was buried here in 869 & later became a saint.

Abbey ruins & cathedral.

Abbey ruins & cathedral tower.

Abbey ruins - you can feel the ghosts!!

Abbey bridge.

Ducks in the abbey ruins grounds.

Anyone for tennis?? In the abbey ruins grounds.

Birds for sale sign at the aviary bird shop in the abbey grounds!!

Birds for sale.

OK time for a beer!! After walking around the cathedral grounds & abbey ruins I’ve worked up a thirst & next door to the abbey is the very famous Greene King beer brewery & I discover their beer making museum!! A very cool space with the history of beer & Greene King & the best part is you can sample, taste & buy a selection of beers. Also has an interesting interactive display showing how monks in the abbey used to each receive 8 litres of ale a day with their rations - now that would put a heavenly smile on anyone’s face..

Greene King beer brewery tour brochure.

Time for a pub lunch!! The Hound pub.. or..

The Fox pub..

After lunch time for shopping!! Bury St Edmunds beautiful old pedestrian only main shopping street.

And every Wednesday & Saturday is market day!! There’s everything from fresh food, flowers, homewear goods, clothes & much more..

Market day.

In the market place as the sun sets I’ve had a fantastic day breathing in the fresh English country air, experienced some English history, relaxed in gardens, learnt about beer (& drank some!!), had a yum pub lunch & shopped in the markets. A chilled out time in the English countryside - now I’m energized & ready for the big smoke - London here I come!!

Woke up to another spectacular day on the Isle of Arran & headed straight for Arran Whisky Distillery - not a bad thing to do straight after breakfast!!

The Isle Of Arran Distillery - look at that amazing Arran mountain landscape & blue skies!!

With James Mactaggart the Arran Distillery manager & blender. James took me on a tour of the distillery - here we are by the babbling river of pristine crystal clear (& very cold!!) water that comes down from the mountain peaks of Arran. This is the source of the famous Arran water that makes Arran whisky so special. Have a listen to my chat with James - click on the play button below..

The Arran Distillery warehouse & what an amazing aroma of whiskey - we took a very long pause to breathe in the “angel’s share”!!

With Campbell who treated me & my whisky drinking partner Craig to a tasting of Arran’s finest. Have a listen to our tasting & chat with Campbell - click on the play button below.. And I didn’t even ask him what a Scotsman wears under his kilt!!

And of course after the tasting I had to visit the Arran Distillery giftshop & buy some gifts - for myself!!
If you’d like to discover more about Arran Whisky & visit the distillery check the website www.arranwhisky.com
arran-distillery