World Travel Market (WTM) London 2021 ExCeL London from November 1 to 3

This week London has been hosting the World Travel Market (WTM) at ExCeL London from November 1 to 3 . Incidentally ExCeL , owned by Abu Dhabi was a centre for overflow Covid hospitalisations in London.

Abu Dhabi at WTM London
Abu Dhabi at WTM London

The theme of the event was ‘reconnect, rebuild’ Continue readingWorld Travel Market (WTM) London 2021 ExCeL London from November 1 to 3

Arabia at the London Book Fair 2018

Tulips under a male Date Palm, just off Kensington High Street in London,

Date Palm - London
Date Palm – London

set the tone for a mix of Continue reading “Arabia at the London Book Fair 2018”

Wandering through London

North of London’s centre for Lawyers is Lincoln’s Inn Fields one of London’s great public squares.

Sir John Soane's Museum
Sir John Soane’s Museum

It’s where one of London’s oldest and nicest Museums, Sir John Soane’s Museum, is located. Despite the good weather I had a Continue reading “Wandering through London”

RepresentationPlus visits Oman at Al Bustan Palace Hotel

Alison Cryer of RepresentationPlus visits Oman as the Ministry of Tourism organised a meeting of their overseas representatives and Oman based travel industry companies at Al Bustan Palace.

Representation Plus at Al-Bustan Oman
Representation Plus at Al-Bustan Oman

RepresentationPlus gave Continue reading “RepresentationPlus visits Oman at Al Bustan Palace Hotel”

Oman Air to Muscat

Flying from the green of an English Summer into Muscat on Oman Air

The rain of a typical British Summer has kept trees in early summer leaf (except the Horse Chestnut which, where we live, has been badly affected by the new fungus which creates an Autumn brown off in early July).

English Fields
English Fields

On the ground the constant downpours have forced the birds of the garden under the creepers, Continue reading “Oman Air to Muscat”

Dates from Oman

in Bond Street London

I managed to get back and see the Hadrian exhibition at the British Museum. The reading room in which it is held is of course an appropriate venue as Hadrian’s Pantheon inspired its dome. Timed tickets should have been a warning – the space was probably full to its designed capacity and it was a struggle to move at my pace and see the exhibits.

Hadrian at the British Museum
Hadrian at the British Museum

For me the outstanding impact was the representation of Hadrian throughout his rule – each artist created a sculpture of a man whom the “vir in via” must have been able to recognize has they walked past him. It was wonderful that among the marble, the curators included a written plea for support, from a foreign civilian living in northern England, to the region’s governor.

Bateel Bond St London
Bateel Bond St London

Perhaps the same man had touched a large amphora, found near Hadrian’s Wall, which was displayed along with an image of a shard mountain of 26million amphora. Later, walking along Bond Street, I was surprised to see a familiar shop name. ‘Bateel’ a shop selling Dates and Date products has a branch in Muscat. Amazingly they had set up close to where a company I was general manager with 25 years ago had a shop. My surprise was not really in seeing Bateel but, with a rental of probably GBP300,000+ per year, the extraordinary volume of dates they must sell to cover costs – probably Arab Embassies are ideal clients.