JB in London

Good evening clan
I am currently in London where we had a stand at A Home buyers and Investors expo @ the Excal Exhibition Center 10/11 Oct
I must admit it is a quite new experience for me and my business partner.
We are staying @ The Claredon Hotel in Blackheat Common, I don't know why they call it common, it doesn't look common to me the accommodation is great as well as the food, but the personnel is at the most abrupt , aloof and unfriendly, except for an exception here and there.
I believe this is where the owners of the shipyards used to stay,

Must say the exchange rate currently of 18/1 is making a hole in my pocket.

Walked around a bit and landed up at a betting shop, with a total of 3 punters
I saw they showed the SA racing but only first 4 races
had a bet on the dogs
but they too fast for me, played on the jump as I turned around from betting window and before I could reach screen the race was over! my selection ran 2nd
but I decided that's not for me

lost about 80 BP but called it quits, no race cards available and I cannot pick a horse from a newspaper against the wall and no form
so I decided my money better in my pocket

Off to an appointment n London tomorrow
Traffic a big problem here
when we arrived their was a pile up on highway had to go through London,took us 2 1/2 hours to reach hotel was stuck in 5 or 6 traffic jams
saw a program here on road rage
big fights between motorists and cyclists
30 million cars and 20 million cyclists
and also no parking, went to London's financial district for a meeting had to go by taxi because no parking available.
I think I will rather stay in SA

Bookies in UK are shocking, nothing for the punter

unless you have more than 3 biggish bags with you, the best is to take the tube from Heathrow as you said the traffic is a nightmare. That M4 into London is the killer.

As for the miserable waiting staff. Well most of them get a crap wage and most of them live in. (I know this as when I travelled I took up jobs like that to get around) The Brits DO NOT TIP very often (their excuse is that the service is poor) and that's why you get crap service.

London is not England, just like any other huge city in the world its full of people just trying to get from A to B in the quickest way in order to get to work or whatever. The further North in the country you go the more friendly the people are. English people are extremely friendly and genuinely on 99% of the time very nice as well. 18/1 is a big price to pay in order to come over here for a holiday but I hope that you enjoy your stay.