Sunday, August 29, 2010

Skirmish of Wit

I used to love looking at Skirmish of Wit. Now it's been protected and I can't visit it any more. It's very disappointing when that suddenly happens!

I miss Miranda's posts about touring historic houses, visits to the theatre, and books that she'd read. I used to look at it a lot.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cleo de Merode, An Edwardian Beauty



Here is my article on the beautiful Cleo: Cleo de Merode

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Luxurious London Ritz


Edward VII was painted there. King Alfonso of Spain stayed there. Even James Bond stayed in a sumptuous room overlooking Green Park in the movie, Diamonds are Forever.

Lady Furness famously asked her friend, Wallis Simpson, to take care of the Prince of Wales in the hotel. Wallis took a little too much care of him, to Lady Furness's chagrin!

The Ritz, which opened in 1906, has always been a favourite of royalty and the wealthy. The seven-storey building was designed by the architects, Charles Mewes and Arthur Davis, to resemble a Parisian chateau at the height of the Belle Epoque. It was also the first large building in London to have a steel frame.

Ritz managed the hotel for a long time and placed the famous French chef, Escoffier, in charge of the meals. It must have been wonderful to dine at the Ritz in those days or stay in one of the rooms furnished in Louis XVI style. The beautifully restored rooms have gold leaf mouldings, chandeliers, and marble fireplaces.

If you can't afford to stay at the Ritz, perhaps you can take Afternoon Tea in the gorgeous Palm Court.

Tutor Next's Math Tutoring

Tutor Next is an excellent online tutoring service which provides online tutoring to K-12 and college students at a cheap rate. Students can try the service for free before deciding to use it, by using the online demonstration.

Tutor Next delivers personal tutoring to students. Their tutors can provide math help with exam preparation, math questions, and the various types of math problems.

Tutors from the service will deliver excellent homework help for students at their own place and during their own time. They will help with difficult questions and individual math problems.

Tutor Next provides students with algebra help, calculus help, and physics help.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Tudor Vista Offers Math Tutoring

Tudor Vista offers online tutoring for K-12 and college students for only $99.00 per month in all subjects. They have an online demo which enables first time users to try the service for free. Students can have live chats with tutors in any subject that they choose.

Tudor Vista helps students to identify an acute triangle, for example, by providing diagrams and questions about acute triangles. This is invaluable for a math student. The service also helps students with such difficult concepts as line segments and indices.

You can also learn about the diameter of a circle
and the definitions of algebraic expressions.
The tutors at Tudor Vista can also help you with the square footage calculator.

Tudor Vista is the perfect way for K-12 and college students to learn in their own place and in their own time at a cheap price!

Friday, August 6, 2010

A Most Luxurious Hotel


(The Savoy Hotel by Strollerdos at Flickr.com)

Little George loved staying at the new Savoy Hotel in London. He sometimes pushed the buttons in the elevator if the elevator boy let him, and the hall porter sometimes let him take care of the guest's top hats. Little George's mother, the great Nellie Melba, also loved it and held many fabulous dinner parties there.

Richard D'oyly Carte built the Savoy to accommodate tourists and out-of-towners who traveled to London to see the theatre and the sights. He had managed Gilbert and Sullivan and spotted a niche in the market. He also wanted to expand into a new business.

The Savoy, built in 1889, was extremely luxurious because D'oyly Carte wanted to attract wealthy Americans who were used to the best in their own country. The hotel was the first in the British Isles to have electric lights in every room, and it also boasted new Otis elevators. D'oyly Carte employed the best people for his grand hotel, including the great Ritz and the famous French chef, Escoffier. The great chef introduced haute cuisine to Great Britain. Escoffier delighted Madame Melba by inventing a new recipe, Peche Melba, for her.

Since then many famous people have stayed at the Savoy. Monet painted there. Edward VII met his mistress, the beautiful Lily Langtry, at the hotel. The young Princess Elizabeth made her first public appearance with her handsome beau, Prince Phillip, at the Savoy. A grand Coronation Ball was held for her after she became Queen.

The luxurious hotel is undergoing an extensive renovation which is costing over 200 million pounds. It is due to open later this year with the celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, in charge of the Savoy Grill. A suite will cost over 2000 pounds. Unfortunately, I won't be staying at the Savoy any time soon!