Queen Elizabeth's birthday

Elizabeth II has seen her birthday be celebrated several times this year. Do you know why? Check out this video, it explains why she has had no less than THREE celebrations this year: Queen Elizabeth's three celebrations

There have been massive celebrations around the world, not just in London or all around the UK, remember she is also the Head of the Commonwealth. Does that sound familiar?Check it out if it is something you have never heard of before.

I really recommend you to watch the following video, too. It shows how still at 90, Queen Elizabeth is in excellent shape. You can listen and watch the Queen deliver a very short speech (1 minute). Make sure you watch it until the end, there's a joke there. 
Enjoy her pronunciation, there sure is a reason why the 'standard' (meaning posh) variety of English is called the 'Queen's English'.

Here is the transcript if you want to read along:

'To everyone here today, and to those holding street parties elsewhere, I would like to say thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you continue to give me.

I hope these happy celebrations will remind us of the many benefits that can flow when people come together for a common purpose, as families, friends, or neighbours.  And I pay tribute to the commitment, selfless devotion and generosity-of-spirit shown by the hundreds of charities and voluntary organisations represented here today.  You are an example to us all.

I much appreciate the kindness of all your birthday wishes, and have been delighted and moved by the many cards and messages I have received.  How I will feel if people are still singing Happy Birthday to me in December, remains to be seen!'

Holborn's Station Hologram

What do you do when you have to go up - or down- some escalators? Do you stand? Do you walk?

Escalators inside Marble Arch tube station in London

A new type of escalator is being installed inside some stations of the London tube. On these new escalators, people are supposed to STAND, NOT WALK. Of course, people did whatever they wanted...what if you are late or in a rush to get somewhere?

To try and get people to follow the rule, they put some blue footprints on each step: 

Blue footprints in Heathrow Airport tube station in London

As you might have guessed...this didn't work. So, the next step was to ask metro employees to remind passengers. And this didn't work. The result of this sequence of failed ideas is absolutely innovative: they are using a HOLOGRAM of a lady to remind people. Londoners are having a laugh at this, as they find it to be something between amusing, bizarre or even surreal. 

Inside Holborn station

Check this article, you can find a video of the hologram and some extremely funny twits about it: Article about Holborn's tube hologram

Finally, just in case you were wondering why on earth would they do something like this in the tube, here is the answer: 

More people get to the top faster if everyone STANDS and NO ONE WALKS

Click on the following link to watch a really well done simulation to demonstrate this! Article and simulation