 London is set for a busy couple of months. The Queen's Jubilee celebrations have in part begun culminating with some spectacular events in June 2012. Then in July the London 2012 Olympics will start. Tourists from across of the country and the Globe are expected to flood into London. Sadly they will not be the only ones. Media sources have reported today that an influx of people from Romania is being experienced in London. Many if not all are said to be either beggars, prostitutes or pickpockets. All must be the "professional" kind in order to be able to make their way to the UK. Either that or they may form part of criminal gangs. London has many busy and bustling streets but the police will be appealing for people to act in a sensible manner. This means ensuring that expensive items are out of sight, money is not flashed about and handbags, purses and wallets are kept in a secure place at all times. Develop a tough exterior as far as street beggars go. This blogger is often guilty of falling for a sob story and giving in to beggars but remember some of these will not be in true need of money. These London 2012 beggars could be laughing all the way to the bank. Some media sources have reported coach loads of would be beggars and pickpockets arriving in London daily. This could be scaremongering. They have also reported that the authorities have claimed they do not have the resources to deal with the problem. Well they better find the resources, hadn't they. The UK fought long and hard to secure the Olympics 2012. It would be a shame to squander the tourist potential this Summer will offer the UK through penny pinching. According to the mailonline, Romanian crime syndicates are flooding London with hundreds of pickpockets, prostitutes and beggars ahead of the Olympics. Coachloads of penniless migrants are arriving in the capital every day, many already armed with maps directing them to the best patches, which they have been ordered to defend from rivals.Perhaps foolishly this blogger would presume that UK Border Agency staff would have some powers, and similarly so would the police force . There are reports of an increased number of Romanians sleeping rough in some of the tourist areas of London such as Marble Arch. The reports make for dire reading and it would appear that the time for Government action is long overdue. For heaven's sake get a grip or are we to face more problem deportations following the Olympics? Tags: UK olympics, London 2012, Queen's Jubilee, Romanian beggars, Romanian prostitutes, Romainan pickpockets
 The UK has two huge events this year. 2012 is the year that the London, UK, will host the Olympics
and the year that Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. 60 glorious years on the UK throne.
Royal watchers are in seventh heaven. Republicans are already sick to the back teeth of all the Jubilee publicity. However we must get used to it, as it is not going away, at least not yet.
The Queen's Jubilee precedes the Olympics. The latest event to be revealed to the media is a carriage procession. Royal promoters have already sussed that the latest big Royal attraction is the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. William and especially Kate are much sought after. THeir attendance at any event is sure to lead to huge publicity and record crowds.
Of course the other reason to "bring out the big guns" could be because the couple are liable to be the next rulers of the UK. It should of course be Prince Charles who succeeds to the throne but many believe that it will in fact by his son Wilklaim and his wife Kate.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince William and Princess Catherine will all share a carriage. Whilst others such as Charles and Harry will also be in the procession they will nt be in the same carriage as the four previously mentioned. The procession is set to take place on June 5, 2012 and will travel through Westminster in London. It is expected that thousands of well wishers will turn out to watch the procession and enjoy the day's events.
For William and Kate it will be their first formal carriage ride since their wedding in April 2011.
 Queen Elizabeth II of the UK is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year. In 2012 she will have been on the throne as the country's reigning Monarch for 60 years. Female UK Monarchs it appears live much longer than their male counterparts. This Queen, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth all reigned for more than 50 years. If our current Queen continues she could break all known records. Today, March 8, 2012,the Queen kicked off this year's celebrations. She, along with husband Prince Philip, Kate the Duchess of Cambridge and a veritable army of police officers, military personnel and companions visited Leicester. Whilst the Duke of Cambridge is not in the country Kate seems to be attending many functions with her husband's paternal grandparents. She is certainly a crowd puller and pleaser. Taking Kate along is like bringing out the big guns or a secret weapon, as far as a charm offensive goes. The BBC has reported, "The Queen watched cultural dancers before entering De Montfort University, where she attended a fashion parade with the Duchess of Cambridge. The Duke of Edinburgh viewed a university project aimed at improving life in the local community. The royals then attended a service at Leicester Cathedral".The BBC went on with those all important frivolous details of who was wearing what or should that be who was wearing who. The Queen wore a cerise cashmere dress and coat with black trim and matching hat by Angela Kelly. The duchess wore a suit by LK Bennett, a hat by James Lock, and Episode shoes. No mention of the Duke of Edinburgh, unsurprisingly. Funny how we do not class any of this as sexist when you think what a touchy subject sexism can be? Media sources have reported that crowds swelled the area. Whilst this may be true there could be some poetic licence. There did seem to be a good turn out but nothing like those in yesteryear. However in time this year we will no doubt see huge flag waving crowds cheering the Royals on. The day's events of course included a luncheon for a select few dignitaries. If you live in the UK or will be visiting in the near future here is the itinerary of the Royal tour of the UK. - 8 March, Leicester
- 23 March, City Day Manchester and Salford
- 29 March, North London Redbridge, Walthamstow, Harrow
- 26/27 April, Wales Cardiff, Margam, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberfan, Ebbw Vale, Glanusk Park
- 1/2 May, South West England Sherborne, Salisbury, Crewkerne, Yeovil, Exeter
- 15 May, South London Bromley, Merton, Richmond
- 16/17 May, North West England Burnley, Accrington, Warrington, Chester, Liverpool
- 13/14 June, East Midlands Nottingham, Burghley, Corby, Stevenage, Hatfield
- 25 June, South East England Henley-on-Thames
- 2/6 June, Scotland (Holyrood Week) Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Perth
- 11/12 July, West Midlands Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham, Shropshire
- 18/19 July, North East England Sunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Durham City, Stockton-on-Tees, Leeds
- 25 July, South East England Cowes, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Hampshire.
Check here for special Jubilee discounts
 The UK may be small with many problems but it still has some terrific places to visit. Be it a day trip, a long weekend or a two week vacation, you could be spoiled for choice. Love cities? Try London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff or Birmingham. Enjoy history? Visit the historic city of York, Bath, Chester, Lincoln or Nottingham. Prefer beach holidays? The county of Cornwall has beaches to die for. Others can be found at Scarborough, Brighton, Bournemouth or Torquay. In other words the UK offers much more than you might imagine. Even a rural setting is catered for with the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Scottish mountains and more. There are however two important considerations when taking a vacation in the UK. The cost and the weather.Accommodation, eating out, travel and the like could cost you more than a week's break in Greece, for example. The UK is reportedly suffering from a drought but tell that to the weather. It is as unpredictable as ever with Summer like weather in March and Winter type weather in May. In other words any weather is possible but at least you should not experience earthquakes, tornadoes and other weather systems.The cost could be a different matter although today March 7, 2012 the government launched its "vacation in the UK campaign". The campaign claims that Brits will be able to receive a discount price for many events, attractions and the like in the UK. In June the UK will host the London Olympics. This will be preceded by the Queen's Jubilee and associated celebrations and events. According to the BBC "Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was the "perfect time to make the most of the UK" as he launched "Holidays at Home are Great" at the London Eye." Wonder where he will be spending his vacation? Hunt went on to say, "2012 is going to be a year like no other in our history with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. "With so much going on, this is the perfect time to make the most of the UK and take your holiday, long weekend or short break here." Plenty of UK celebrities are working on the campaign. Commercials will show people such as Stephen Fry, Rupert Grint, Julie Walters and Michelle Dockery extolling the virtues of a "staycation". This is the term often used for a holiday or vacation spent in your home country. The adverts will apparently offer good discounts to visit restaurants, attractions, events, stay in accommodation and use public transport. Many however are for the period up to and including June 2012. Most families in the UK take their main vacation to time with the school summer holidays which begin at the end of July. Perhaps the campaign has been created after the Royal Wedding last year. Many people in the UK took advantage of the extended weekend break and took a vacation abroad. Plenty of people have already planned to do this in early June 2012.The representative of Visit England said, "This is the largest domestic tourism campaign ever undertaken and aims to inspire UK residents to take advantage of the fantastic events taking place in the country this year. "Now is the time to holiday at home - there is no comparison anywhere else in the world with what's on offer here in the UK this year." That is debatable. One of the ads has Rupert Grint asking why anyone would go surfing in Bondi when they could go to Bridlington Beach, in Yorkshire. This one has to be a joke. Still there will be some great things to see and do in the UK this year but the cost will still be too much for many. This blogger is also wondering just who is funding this £5m campaign which is being led by VisitEngland? More info hereDiscounts and deals here
 Yesterday, February 5, 2012, the Queen and some members of the British Royal family were cheered on by well wishers as they attended Sunday church service on the Sandringham estate. In truth the crowds were smaller than perhaps was anticipated but severe weather had took its toll. Of course it was not extreme weather in the great scheme of things but enough snow for the usual mayhem that follows such events in the UK to occur. In many ways yesterday was the start, proper, of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. 60 years ago today young Elizabeth heard the sad news of her father's death back home in the UK. She and her husband of four years, Prince Philip, were on vacation in Kenya. When the news was telephoned through to the royal party it was some time before the Queen was actually informed. A code used to inform the party was misunderstood causing some delay. In the end Philip broke the news to his wife. For the Queen this year will be a time for celebration but tinged with the sadness of that day. By and large her reign has been successful and she has weathered the changing times and life's trials and tribulations quite well. The lowest point for the popularity of the monarchy probably came with the divorce of Charles and Diana, revelations about his long standing affair with his now wife Camilla and the death of Diana. Many people still believe that Diana died as some part of a royal conspiracy. Prime Minister Tony Blair in many ways "saved" the royals during this time. Out of step with many Republican Labour politicians he saw the worth and value of the crown. He admired the Queen and did all he could to offer support and guidance during this time. He has since been snubbed on more than one occasion by the same family. He was noticeable by his absence at the wedding of William and Kate yet other past Prime Ministers were all too evident. This blogger may tend toward the Republican view, even with age, but many people around the world will enjoy the splendour of the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. The celebrations will be held early in June. Before then though there will be various events up and down the country for those so inclined to enjoy. The Queen has been on throne all through this blogger's lifetime. Memories drift back to the mid 1950s and a visit to our city by the Queen. With an ardent Royalist Mother of course we were taken to see the Queen. In reality all we had was a glimpse of a smiling young woman waving as the black limo sailed past. It was enough though for Mum and the others who had turned out in force. The effort of dressing the children in Sunday best, with the girls resplendent with red, white and blue ribbons, in their hair was rewarded by that wave and smile. The weather was kind but, had it not been, nothing would have stopped us attending. Time's have certainly changed but the Queen in so many ways has remained steadfast for 60 years. 60 Glorious years? Yes, I guess so.
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