OK, so I’ve got this nice new phone that has GPS. So I tested it out. I was by Holborn station and wanted to find the nearest Tesco. And so, in Google Maps, I typed “Tesco” to find a. it had worked, and b. 2 contradicting reviews. I share them with you today…

Tesco Express
100 Southampton Row,
LONDON, Greater London, WC1B 4BB

08450 269358
www.tesco.com

REVIEW 1
by Paul R from Romford

****
Set right in the middle of Central London, this venue is not surprisingly always quite busy. More surprisingly I generally think there are as many locals as tourists shopping here, set within 5 minutes walk of Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Charing Cross tube stations this is a reasonable sized Tesco express store. You can buy snacks such as sandwiches and crisps, there is a small bakery and magazine section and you can also buy some smaller parts of your weekly shop. The place is well laid out there are plenty of checkouts and a decent selection of products on display, generally they don’t have the same special offers as larger Tesco stores but this place is all about convenience and it is convenient buying a can of coke here when its cheaper by 50p than most local rivals. The store is well run as it has a high turnover of custom and the staff remain friendly and efficient throughout.

REVIEW 2
by Julia Madeleine from London

*
Express by name, but not by nature!
I have never stood in a queue for a longer time than at this Tesco. It is a tiny place and always crowded at all times of the day and night.

It’s popularity is due to it’s 24 hour opening and selection of candy, ready meals and wines… There isn’t really a reason to go here unless you’ve forgotten something with your regular shop, or are picking up a quick sandwich or dinner for one.

There is a pharmacy section, very handy if you’re sick and suffering at 2am. Also, if you’re in the market for flowers or celebration cards, there are often an okay range of these but the selection, variety and quality of what it on offer is very variable.

Handy for a pint of milk, but not a good place to do your weekly shop! And be prepared to queue… there are never enough staff to man the tills, however they are friendly, perhaps the one redeeming feature of this convenience store.

A refreshing alternative for cider lovers is the uncommonly coloured pink cider readily available at many bars.

Pink is the new Gold

When poured into a glass with ice, you can almost taste it, as an overwhelming smell devours you into a naughty unacceptable drink.

At a drunken 4.7% abv., it’s not a drink to take down quickly, despite it’s friendly but misleading colour. One too many of the magic juice would put you over the limit in no time, and so should be drunk with care.

This comes at a favourable price as well, resulting in money well spent. An expensive cocktail can cost you about £9 in London, but priced on an average of £3.30 give or take, this could be your quick source to becoming a tasty drunk!

Final verdict?

Pink is the new gold. With competitive prices on the market and the recent credit crunch, this, along with the £9 cocktail, may not seem to favourable with the good old fashioned pint of beer, but you’ll get more in a bottle and the colour can only put forward your masculinity.

The handset looks nice and the phone is easy to use. It’s fast, and has features you’d expect working really

LG KT520 - Does it exist?

well. The camera is of a great quality and adding an additional memory card enables you to store a high number of files (the handset memory is quite small – only could fit about 4 songs and a couple of photos). However, and this could easily just be my handset, but when reading messages as old as 2 weeks or more, when you select the message in the inbox, it’ll either give you a blank or give you a different message. Now my phone is in repair for switching off every 30 seconds as well.

Savannah Memories - Richard Milburn

A story of life in the savannah told through the point of view of an Acacia tree focuses on the wildlife and two characters – a travel guide who appreciates life in the savannah more so in comparison to other travel guides, and a female photographer from England, sent to capture real life of the savannah.

Having the story-teller as an acacia tree was an interesting character device, and made a refreshing difference in telling a fictional story. The tree would tell us what the tree “sees” around it, and so is able to give us a different point of view to wildlife in the savannah as the tree lives there, giving us what is to be a more accurate view of life there, unlike by a human character passing by for example.

Another interesting tool used in the book is how the tree almost tells a new story of a different species of animal that live there with each new chapter, whilst keeping continuity through the two main human characters’ stories of the development of their relationships. The author gives us an educational background of each species and how they live, integrated in the fictional story, allowing the readers to learn something new about a certain species, and allows us to discover new ones through the book.

The relationships between the characters, and the animals, are developed well and easy to follow. A relaxing read, and a good alternative to your usual summer read.

Reviews of this book will also be put up on:
Amazon.co.uk
Waterstones
Blackwells

Click the above links to buy

Richard Milburn is going back to Kenya this summer, and you can follow his travels through his blog: Karibuni Kenya

“Let’s wave at the 9:15!”

The Railway Children - inclusive of a real live steam train!

The production of The Railway Children at the National Railway Museum in conjunction with York Theatre Royal had an interesting set, one I have not seen before. When we entered, we were seated on either platform one or two, either side of a train track. What one may have seen it as a risky set-up, worked brilliantly, and the acting did not suffer from it – in fact, made it stronger as the audience felt more engaged and involved with the story.

Inclusive of a real live steam train (“Stirling Single”, a 39 tonne steam locomotive built in 1878), seated on the platforms of the station brings you close to the action and you feel as if you’re part of the action. The train rolling into the stage was an impressive attempt and worked brilliantly. 

The acting was superb – laughter, tears – all sorts of emotions were expressed by the audience. It was superb, and the relationships between the characters were strong. Well worth the watch if you’re in the neighbourhood.

£15 adults/£10 conc.

Book here at York Theatre Royal

“London’s Heartbreakers…” – one of the famous phrases said on air in this brilliant radio station based and aired in the heart of London.

Heart 106.2 - Touching people's hearts

With the mix of music from previous decades and current music, it’s a radio station that appeals to most. The DJs of the station do not speak too much and let’s the music do the talking, frequently playing back-to-backs of songs to keep you entertained. However, as with all radio stations, adverts are a must, and as annoying as they are, Heart 106.2 makes up for it in the back-to-backs and the taste of music.

So, why not relive your previous decades or hip-hop to brand new tunes with this radio station? Heart 106.2 really does touch your heart.

Listen here

David Hasselhoff - Hope and Survival?

Baywatch – a brilliant and heart-warming story of Mitch Buchannan and his lifeguards has touched the hearts of people all around the world, with David Hasselhoff himself fetching a Guinness World Record for the most watched TV star. The iconic slow running adds a unique beauty to the show, symbolizing the importance of time in relation to saving someone’s life.

It’s a story about a group of lifeguards on a beach in Malibu saving people’s lives and ensuring that the casualties are reassured, giving them hope, and ultimately, saving them.

David Hasselhoff himself doesn’t act his role as the protagonist, but IS the role. Not only does he appear to endanger his own life for our pleasure, but also engages with the other actors to express emotion very effectively.

Most namely, the other actors on the show such as Carmen Electra and Pamela Anderson have highly notable moments in the show that enhances the entertainment and the morals behind the show.

Another big icon of the show is the visual red costumes (red shorts and red bikinis) that the characters wear to portray their lifeguard careers. These costumes appears to put across a strong idealistic set of male and female roles, but challenges the stereotypical view of men and women, by showing that although they appear different, can face up to the same challenges the world throws at them.

Baywatch – a story of hope and survival? Well… maybe a bit more than that. Well worth the view!

This stylish handset brought to you by Nokia is hardly available in local mobile phone stores. However, you may still have a chance at eBay and here’s why you should trade your brand new WAP phone for the Nokia 8110.

First off, it’s stylish handset has a slim-lined build to it, making it less bulky than some of the phones you see today. It also has a sliding cover that reveals the keypad, and you can even talk into it! The screen has a lot to offer too, as it will show you who is ringing you (to avoid awkward conversations if necessary), shows you the number you’re ringing (in case you type it wrong) and also sends SMS text messages!

It also weighs 152 grams with 5 hours talk time. It can store 125 names in the phone alone, and gives you a large choice of 16 different ringtones inclusive of the handset with no catch!

If all that isn’t enough… it starred in The Matrix.

To start off, the front cover is quite simplistic and therefore effective. For those who are unable to read, there are pictures of the transport fares that it will describe inside the leaflet. This is immediately attractive and inevitably forces me to pick one up.

When picked up, you are most likely to open up to the first page. There, in a nice coloured layout, there is a summary of the changes taking place. Fantastic for those who do not like to read lengthy paragraphs on little information. You keep going to find a colour-coded contents page which is ideal for those lazy personnels out there because then you are just invited to open up to the page(s) with the colours on it.
Throughout the rest of the leaflet, it is all colour-coded with fares set out in a nice table fashion. One of the easiest and nicest leaflets they came up with, which is surprising after a similar team came up with that London 2012 logo…

Makes a fantastic bed-time read. A must-grab! Available at your local Underground Station.