Signs of the times: good practice that avoids pitfalls

Why signage in public places can be an issue

Signage can be difficult to get right, irrespective of which industry you’re in. If I was to pick out common factors from those that I consider to be the most successful practitioners, I believe that the best examples offer a combination of clarity, visibility, consistency and common sense. So where do you find them, and what are the signage pitfalls in public places that must be avoided at all costs?

Why is signage important? The reasons are various, but the key points are that without the aid of physical signage, people can potentially get lost, be put to considerable inconvenience, or even get themselves into a potentially unsafe or vulnerable situation from a security point of view. No-one  wants that to happen to anyone at business premises, and that’s why it’s so important for businesses of all sizes to get right.

Who can demonstrate good practice?

In my initial ignorance about the subject, I didn’t fully appreciate that informational signage and way finding was such a big business, or that as a country we’re among the world leaders in this fiield. Then I visited the Liverpool waterfront last year, and saw the results of the wayfinding and signage project completed there in and around Albert Dock by Holmes-Wood, who describe themselves as ‘one of Britain’s leading companies working in direction, information and identity design’. Yes, that’s right, there are specialist signage consultancies out there, that can help you spend millions on ensuring that your signage is tailored to meet your precise business needs, and looks good as well.

However, even the smallest business can learn from good practice undertaken, not only in places where new signage was necessary as a result of major re-branding and urban regeneration projects, as in the case of Liverpool; but also from the signage displayed in other high traffic public places such as airports, shopping malls, and on the motorway network. The directional signage and branding developed initially for the  UK motorway network, and then the entire national road network of Britain by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert between 1957 and 1967, is now a recognised design classic, that has become a model for motorway and road signage internationally. It’s a mark of its success, that it’s still in use today.

Clarity is vital when it comnes to signage. Wherever possible it makes sense to make use of internationally recognised systems of symbolism, such as those used for hazardous chemicals, and health and safety signs. It becomes vital that warning signs can be understood at a glance, even when people don’t speak the  language, and can’t read written text. That’s why international signage conventions have developed, such as the use of the lower case letter ‘ i ‘ which is used as visual shorthand to designate tourist information centres worldwide.

Mistakes to avoid

On occasion signage can be percieved as patronising, irrelevant, or worse, can be seen as treating grown adults like naughty children. From time to time I come across such signs. Where signs are used inappropriately they have the potential to provoke a negative reaction, disappointment, confusion, fear or even annoyance, all emotions that are not good for business from a marketing point of view.

In general signs should be used only to communicate simple unambiguous messages that are relevant to everyone who sees them. Unless there is danger, or a possible threat to life or limb, any complicated scenarios, applicable to the minority of the people passing by, is probably best communicated by a different method, and ideally during the course of personal communication.

When things get complicated..

In hotels, where there is a plethora of information that needs to be communicated, and people have an expectation that they’ll receive guidance appropriate to their individual needs, it can be particularly challenging to ensure that guests receive all the information and reassurance they might need, at the same time as being politely encouraged to act on it. In this instance it’s sensible practice to offer an information folder in all guest rooms, and to serve up the answers to frequently asked questions in advance of guest arrival on websites; but that’s not usually enough.

Signs can act as a catch all to help businesses communicate information; but they should not always be relied on or used alone. Some instructions, for example about responsible energy use,  can cause resentment or negative attitude on the part of the paying customer.

With businesses increasingly looking to give their business a ‘green edge’ and promote responsible tourism, it can be hard to find the right tone of voice, and form of words to encourage responsible attitudes to such issues as noise, energy use and contentious areas such as daily replacement of towels and bedding, with signage alone.

Tried and tested strategies

However you look at it, signs have a tendency to lecture because you can’t ignore them. One alternative approach is to draw people’s attention to where they can find information available (but not try to compel them to take notice); and you can invite people to be responsible about their energy usage for rational reasons, rather than posting signage that seems to demand compliance. A self catering opearator I know leaves a copy of the paperback book ‘One Planet Living’ in her cottages, and offers copies for sale to those who express interest. She’s found that this works well.

Offering a reward for compliant behaviour is a further strategy that can be adopted to persuade people to change their habits or encourage reponsible behaviour. I’ve come across hotels that reward guests who leave their car in the car park all day when they go out, with free tea and cakes when they return. Another goes out of her way to explain how to reach local attractions by public transport.  There’s no doubt though, that it can be a challenge to get people to do things the way you want. One thing is for sure, although signage can help, I certainly don’t think it will ever be the only answer.

What do you think? Marketing is about everything that helps a business to identify and satisfy customer needs profitably.  Contact Manifold Associates if you’re a business having difficulty in identifying the most appropriate form of  words and images to explain your business philosophy in your marketing communications. We also help businesses through the process of rationalising and communicating the reasons for people to do business with them; and deliver training on marketing your green credentials.

Until next time…

A snapshot of English summer – on the beach

The coast of England, and many of its towns, popularly known as ‘seaside resorts’ are undergoing something of a renaissance; and I saw more evidence for myself on a vist to Dorset earlier this week.

Background briefing
I bet you didn’t know that Scarborough in Yorkshire was established as the first English seaside resort as early as 1626, when a Mrs Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of the cliffs south of the town, giving birth to Scarborough Spa, which soon began attracting many visitors to take the waters there. In addition  medical experts including Richard Russell  in 1750 cottoned on to the idea of recommending the health benefits of bathing in Brighton salt water.

Ironically  the health benefits of bathing in salt and mineral rich water in places like Thermae Bath Spa (which I wrote about in September last year) is once again being recognised today -  illustrated by the successful marketing, and efficacy of  natural salt and mineral products sourced from places like the Dead Sea, years after consumers began to sneer at luridly coloured bath salts and bath cubes (remember them!) marketed in  1960s and 70s Britain, and poor sales plummeted the concept into temporary oblivion.

People were only able to travel long distances from urban and industrial concentrations of population to English seaside resorts in large numbers following the arrival of the railways, (which first came to Scarborough in 1845); although a few other easily accessible southern coastal towns such as Bognor Regis, Margate, and Brighton and other more northerly centres such as Morecambe and Skegness had begun to develop an initially local following amongst gentry and royalty. Only the wealthy could afford the expense of travelto the coast by stage coach or carriage, and later, paddle steamer, to escape the stifling and stinking summers suffered in great conurbations like Manchester and London, during the industrial revolution.

Bournemouth, where I found myself last week, is 200 years old this year. The heyday of English seaside resorts, when people came in their droves to enjoy the beaches, amusements and nightlife, ran roughly from the coming of the railway in the mid Victorian era, to the advent of package holidays in the 1970s. Then even the most well established and up market English resorts, including places like Bournemouth, and Torquay in Devon, began to notice the family market for long summer holiday breaks suffering a noticeable decline. The   visitor economy of coastal towns was forced to become more reliant on income from day visitors and people travelling on short breaks  by car as well as train, as the masses increasingly started jetting off to roast on the beach under virtually guaranteed Mediterranean sun.

From the early 1970s, holiday packages at affordable prices were provided by operators such as Thomson, Horizon and Clarksons, and the market for them literally took off, to the detriment of English seaside resorts. It soon necessitated the most seriously affected local authorities in English resorts trying to identify ways and means of regenerating themselves and appealing to new markets. The consequence was a process of re-invention which continues to this day.

The inside track on the rejuvenation of Bournemouth

I saw first hand what happened in Bournemouth in the 1970s, as I was living there as a student at the time. Undoubtedly it was one of the luckier English coastal towns, being blessed with a superb location, on a sweeping bay of golden sand sheltered by low cliffs, punctuated by narrow pathways called ‘chines’. These features allow direct pedestrian access to the beach from the town, which is dotted attractively with pine trees and public gardens.

It also helps that the coast around here enjoys spectacular views, with the protective chalk downlands of Purbeck along the western horizon, the Isle of Wight to the south east, and the New Forest National Park on its eastern fringe, which come together to make Bournemouth a great touring base.

The problem has always been that in England it can rain, even in summer. In the 1970s people who’d grown up used to wet weeks in the English west country, wanted a summer holiday with uninterrupted sunshine, something that seems to have far less importance nowadays. In fact what we now appreciate is that occasional rain has the benefit of keeping the surrounding English countryside relatively green in summer, compared to Mediterranean countries!

For a while, in 1970s Bournemouth, as in other coastal towns, misfits, substance abusers and social outcasts started to move in to vacant accommodation in the more run down area around the Lansdowne and Boscombe. In Bournemouth it was initially the success of English language schools, such as Anglo Continental in Wimborne Road; and later the new University campus at Wallisdown, that helped to turn things around, bringing in large numbers of  students, many coming initially to learn the language; and incidentally taking advantage of the inexpensive accommodation on offer (then). Many enjoyed their time in the town so much that they stayed on after their studies to work in the area, adding to the cosmopolitan atmosphere, and helping to secure Bournemouth’s  future success.

The Bournemouth International Centre then opened in 1984 to replace the ageing  Winter Gardens on the West Cliff, and The Pavilion (which has now been restored) in the centre of town, as a conference venue. This helped bring in more year-round business, and prevented the defection of valuable regular business from political party conferences and other organised groups, as well as providing a new venue for concerts by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, contemporary musicians and other events and productions.

It’s undoubtedly helped that Bournemouth has had a lot of great PR for high profile seafront housing development, especially in Branksome and the Sandbanks Peninsula; but also for the regenerated Boscombe area and its controversial surf beach, which I wrote about in November last year. Although coverage received by this latter project has been more mixed, from the evidence of my recent visits I still think it’s likely to be destined for long term success, assuming that the surf reef’s remaining teething problems can be successfully ironed out. The town has also helped put itself on the map with regular open air continental markets held in The central Square, and The Bournemouth Balloon, a tethered installation which ascends to a height of over 150 metres, and allows spectacular views up to 20 miles distant from its base in the Lower Gardens.

Similar spectacular coastal view experiences are also available at Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower at Gunwharf Quays and Brighton is planning a new tower, i360 at West Pier.

Summer 2010 highlights

If you’re looking to hire a surf pod at Boscombe surf beach or a beach hut on your visit to Bournemouth this summer you can book online subject to availability on the Visit Bournemouth website.

You’ll also find some great beachfront cafes strung out along Bournemouth Bay. When I visited the excellent Bistro on the Beach at Southbourne for lunch on a cloudy Wednesday last week, there were no window tables left by 12.45, so if you want one make sure you get there early! They also open for breakfast and for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and a new takeaway kiosk has opened for the first time there this year. There’s another well located beachfront cafe at Branksome, and the exclusive Cafe Shore at Sandbanks looks great, but I haven’t actually tried either personally, as yet.

If you want an adrenaline rush and a ‘guaranteed bad hair day’ during your visit, it’s on offer on high speed powerboat trips around Bournemouth Bay and further afield, at Adventure cruises of Christchurch, based at nearby Mudeford Quay. Bournemouth Air Festival, an annual event in August offers a more exciting land based spectacle.

I understand that day trips to Bournemouth, and Weymouth, location of the sailing events for the London 2012 games, by steam train from London are available on limited dates this summer. More information. I have no experience of this operator, so my mention of this service cannot constitute a recommendation.

If you like what I write
If you’re part of an organisation looking to outsource PR or marketing services, or want help with your digital content strategy, my company Manifold Associates could provide the solution you’re looking for.  We’re happy to work with existing suppliers in a collaborative environment, and can work with your team to identify and brief new types of specialist service providers you might need, such as professional photographers. Contact us for more information.

Until next time…

How to get to London 2012

This week, as the official games mascots Wenlock and Mandeville were launched to the world, I had the opportunity to visit East London to see for myself the progress being made on the Olympic Park.

An unpromising start…

For those wondering if there’s anything interesting for members of the public to see yet, the answer has to be a resounding yes. In fact walking tours of the main site, such as the one I joined, led by an official blue badge guide, are now available.

The tours start from Bromley By Bow station(one of the stops on the District Line going towards Upminster). You might think on arrival that you’ve come to the wrong place, as you emerge from the station onto a dual carriageway, and believe me, the traffic noise is pretty horrendous, and the fragile looking skeleton of the Olympic stadium is only just visible in the middle distance.

Worry not. Hang on in there, and seemingly in a flash the guide leads you down a flight of steps below the road level. You then cross under the road, and pass down the side of a Tesco superstore occupying land reclaimed from former use as a chemical factory. This unlikely start then takes you over a bridge into a new side of East London, starting with The Three Mills, a conservation area and home of a restored tidal water mill on the River Lea, called House Mill. Incidentally the river Lea has been the beneficiary of a huge clean up operation, and is now part of a network of restored navigable waterways that are adding to the area’s emerging attractiveness.  Also nearby is a large park and the Three Mills film studios, Londons largest, but least well known.

Of the original three mills (one of which is now demolished),  House Mill has  recently been restored and converted into a visitor attraction, with the ground floor of the Millers House turned into a pleasant waterfront cafe.   Plans are afoot and money is being raised to convert the mill to generate hydro electricity in the future. It’s one of the  earliest known tidal mills in England, and was one of several providing flour for the bakers of Stratford-atte-Bow, who supplied bread to the City of London.

A surprising discovery in a watery grave

Our guide explained that the original plan had been to use the recently restored waterway network around the Olympic Park to transport visitors to the games; but this plan has not been actioned because of security fears.

Continuing along an adjacent waterway, we were astounded to hear about recent plans to  rescue the original Euston Arch, which was discovered dumped in a watery resting place here,  in Prescott Channel (NOT named incidentally, after a certain former UK deputy Prime Minister of the last government).

The Euston Arch originally stood  outside the London railway station of the same name, but was demolished in 1961 following the failure of a campaign to save it led by the late Sir John Betjeman. The campaign to rescue the arch and restore it to a position outside the current Euston station, is being led by historian Dan Cruickshank, who located the remains after some persistent detective work. Read about his campaign. You can support the campaign to re-erect the arch by contributing to the blog, or join the Facebook group.

The green way to Stratford

On our tour we also heard about the Greenway to the Olympic Park, a flat walking route for pedestrians to access it,  which will run all the way from Beckton on the north bank of the Thames in East London.  Our guide told us that the route is not yet fully complete as I write. However it seems that it could be a good move for Londoners in 2012 to get to the Olympic Park by taking the District or Hammersmith and City line tube to West Ham, one of the three designated Olympic gateway stations, from where the Greenway will be well signposted.

Another option for locals and visitors will be to take the tube to Stratford at the end of the Jubilee line, particularly convenient for the new Westfield shopping centre which is scheduled to open at the Olympic Park at the end of 2011; but I bet that’s going to experience a huge volume of passengers! Incidentally, having seen what it’s like at the moment, my advice is to not bother going to Stratford for shopping until Westfield opens.

Coming from Kent, it already seems to be obvious that the best way to get to the Olympic Park from there will be to leave the car at home, and take a Javelin high speed train to Stratford International, which links in to the other end of the Westfield complex from the Jubilee line station. Read my post about the high speed Javelin service.

At the Park site
The closest station to the stadium construction site at the moment is Pudding Mill Lane on the Docklands light railway; but that particular station will be closed for the duration of the games, because it will be unable to handle the large volume of visitors that would otherwise be experienced.

To view the Olympic Park construction site, including the stadium and the Aquatic Centre, already dubbed ‘The Pringle’ (owing to the shape of its curved roof like the eponymous potato crisp brand), a viewing platform, visitor interpretation centre and small cafe has been set up, called the View Tube, which can be booked for group visits.

In conclusion, a walking tour is probably the best option at the moment to find your way around the Olympic Park and receive informed commentary about the games.

News and information about London 2012. Or visit Inside the Games.

Can I help you?

Are you looking for insider information and informed comment about destinations or tourism in Britain? You could commission me as a freelance photo journalist, to undertake desk research or market intelligence  work. For more information contact me at Manifold Associates.

Until next time…

Tales of the unexpected: carpe diem!

Many more of us than usual have been forced out of our usual ‘comfort zone’ by events over the past week. Following the ejection of vast quantities of fine volcanic ash from Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, most of the UK and much of northern European airspace was closed to aviation for safety reasons for almost a week. An event without precedent in aviation terms.

Several serious near disasters involving passenger jets previously flying through clouds of volcanic ash around the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ near the Indonesian volcanoes of Mount Galunggung (1982), Mount Pinatubo (1991) and Mounts Redoubt and Spur in Alaska (in 1989 and 1992 respectively), lay behind the reaction of the authorities this time. Aviation and meteorological authorities, and air traffic control organisations all united to take a conservative approach, unilaterally closing large swathes of airspace as a precautionary measure with almost immediate effect, declaring the safety of passengers paramount, over-riding all commercial considerations.

The event also happened at a time when large volumes of people were travelling following the Easter holiday, traditionally a time of peak traffic flows in Europe.

What was different this time

Air travel was disrupted to an unprecentedented extent; but what was noticeably different this time (and from the cessation of aviation following 9/11) was the unexpected duration and the consequential huge and unanticipated knock on effect on other transport networks within Europe and further afield, as people have become unexpectedly stranded, and given the duration of the problem,  started (with admirable and increasing amounts of ingenuity as days of disruption continued), to seek alternative ways to complete their journeys, in spite of the additional cost, causing huge short term spikes in demand for alternative transport services with limited capacity.

If the disruption had gone on much longer I belive that more people would have started looking at long distance travel by ship, although it’s generally much slower and has limited capacity. During the disruption Royal Navy ships were deployed to bring troops home from Afghanistan with some civilians, via ports in Spain.

Unlikely beneficiaries of disruption

In the UK, ferry companies and Eurotunnel have seen traffic volumes increase significantly over what they would normally expect at this time of year as people made their way to the Channel Ports to return to the UK.  Eurostar, inter-European rail travel and coach operators such as Eurolines also benefited as people switched their attention to long distance overland alternatives to air travel. 

Other beneficiaries were less popular air routes that conveniently happened to avoid the restricted airspace. Ben Fogle, for example, flew part of his epic journey home from Ethiopia from Beirut to Rome.

In all millions of peoples’ lives and plans were thrown into unexpected chaos.  With no immediate end to the eruption in sight, further uncertainty and inconvenience seemed inevitable, until Nature calmed down a bit. Fortunately the aviation industry has united in declaring it safe for the travelling public to return to the skies today; although further disruption is not out of the question.

The case for personal contingency planning

It set me thinking about what steps people can take to prepare for, and subsequently deal with, the unexpected when they’re travelling, so they don’t get too badly caught out when some sort of disaster or unexpected event strikes.

As this week’s events have demonstrated only too well, the unexpected can strike tourism at any time. All too often we get surprised by something coming ‘out of the blue’. Can anything be done?

The first thing to say is that any unexpected event throws up a number of choices and opportunities, the most obvious of which is to do nothing and hunker down wherever you are, and hope that the problem will either go away or be swiftly resolved by people acting on your behalf and in your best interest. That can be a good strategy if time is on your side and the consequences are limited, and an end to disruption is in sight, or can be accurately predicted. This time, with the possibility of the ash cloud causing a continuing problem, it seemed to be  an unwise strategy. Taking action has the benefit of preventing you from feeling a victim of changed circumstances, putting you back in control of your own destiny.

A few years ago I was involved in the meetings and incentives side of the travel business, and during that time I got used coping with the unexpected. I learned to welcome the choices and challenges that unexpected events threw up. In my experience it was usually hotel strikes, lost documents or passports, illness or crime that caused the most  problems. I continue to believe that resourcefulness, ingenuity, persistence and patience are the most important attributes to  see you through a crisis, or indeed life in general!

It’s never my intention to offer anything other than constructive advice; but for what it’s worth, here are my thoughts on dealing with unexpected travel events. I’d also like to make it clear that I’m not referring to anything involving medical emergencies or life threatening situations, not only because I have no experience of them; but also because they involve a different set of considerations.

Before you go away

1. Always take copies of all your passports and insurance documents and leave them with someone at home you trust. Try and familiarise yourself with insurance policy exclusions before you travel. This exercise can be a sobering experience. Make a note of the insurance helpline number, take it with you and keep it safe. For travel within Europe get an E11 card.
2. Subscribe to a card protection scheme that helps you get swift replacement of credit and debit cards in case they get lost or destroyed during a incident while you’re away. There’s usually a cost, but it’s a small price to pay if disaster strikes.
3. Always tell your credit card company when you plan to be travelling abroad, so you don’t encounter problems getting approval of  ‘out of pattern expenses’. Even if you’re not planning to use the card except in an emergency, it gives you peace of mind to know you’ve got something by way of financial resources to fall back on.
4. Buy or borrow a map and guidebook or two. Familiarise yourself with the geography and general background information about your destination in advance. Take them with you if possible. They can be an invaluable planning resource (with phone numbers and website addresses) and you might avoid having to negotiate directory enquiries at a time when communications networks are overloaded.
5. Take a smart phone and charger away with you. Having email, access to social networks and internet access can each be invaluable in helping you keep up to date with news and getting about in places you don’t know.

When trouble affects travel plans

1. Stay calm and establish the facts about the unexpected situation affecting  travel arrangements, and the expected duration of the problem. If you have advance notice of a problem you might consider curtailing your trip and making a dash for home, but you’ll have to act fast.
2. If you’re on an organised or package tour make contact with the operator or their local agent. Request help and give them your contact details and mobile phone number if you have one so that they can reach you easily. If you booked direct, contact the carrier concerned.
3. Examine and evaluate alternative travel options and costs. Compare this with the expense of staying put until the situation is resolved. Look at your insurance policy exclusions, as you may not be covered for ‘Acts of God’, and you may not get a refund for unused travel arrangements until long after you return home.
4. Make friends with others similarly affected. You might be able to club together to share intelligence or transport expense. In any event keep your ear to the ground and make use of the ‘bush telegraph’.
5. Make use of any local contacts you might have. The past week has shown that in a crisis, ex boyfriends, long lost relations, or even passing acquaintances in a far flung land can provide useful help and information.
6. The more urgently you desire to travel, the more likely you are to end up out of pocket. That’s where patience can be useful. If you do need to get back home urgently you’ll  need maximum ingenuity and persistance. This was demonstrated by John Cleese’s return trip to the UK from Oslo in Norway.
   
7. Take photographs and consider writing your story. The media may be interested in running your story while you’re away, and you might even get paid.
8. Contact anyone at home who needs to know what’s happening. You might be like some lucky people this week, whose relations drove over with a car by ferry to pick them up from Calais, or were one of the 25 sucessfully rescued by Dan Snow’s ingenious Sunday speedboat service, before it was shut down by French authorities, who also heard of his plan via Twitter.
   

   Seize the moment! When faced with unexpected produce in an Omani market, I took a photo to remember it by. Allow yourself to enjoy the serendipity of life

9. Allow for serendipity in your life. Sometimes you just have to relax, make the best choice you feel you can in the circumstances, keep people informed, and live with the consequences. Incidentally, I’d be grateful for any help in identifying the unusual spiky vegetables shown above!

Even in my home village in Kent, I enjoyed the glorious sunsets which were one of the ‘benefits’ of the ash cloud, along with louder and more noticeable birdsong resulting from the absence of background aircraft noise. BBC Radio Kent yesterday interviewed residents of Edenbridge, further west, that normally lies under the final approach flight path into Gatwick airport, who reported that they’d noticed this to an even greater extent.

By the way, when it came to me making a choice of route during my recent lone trip through the mountains of Oman, I thought you’d like to know that I chose the adventurous  route shown in the photograph at the beginning of this post, rather than the tarmac ‘black top’. It was well worth the experience!

If you’re involved in the UK visitor economy and your business has been affected by the ash cloud and consequent travel disruption, Visit Britain would like you to complete a survey. Read how to take part.

If you were ‘on the road during the last week and have any comments or advice to pass on to fellow travellers as a result of your experiences, do let me know.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Virtual Viv could write for your organisation. I  can help with PR and marketing or write content for tourism businesses online or offline. Comment about what I’ve written below, or contact me at Manifold Associates.

Until next time…

BA passenger strikes back!

I spent last week on the Italian island of Sicily.  All through the winter I’d been looking forward to a spring break touring the island, with visits to the outstanding archeological sites and other attractions, as part of a group of parents from my son’s school, accompanied by the enthusiastic head of classics.

When I first received the itinerary, I only vaguely noted we were flying British Airways to Catania, one of the two major airports on the island, the other being Palermo.  (In fact Ryanair have subsequently started to operate weekly flights to Trapani in the far west).

Worry beforehand

Although it wasn’t long before the Unite union strike ballot, and the possibility of strike action by BA cabin crew began to cast a long shadow over the trip, there was no question of cancelling or postponing.  There were simply too many people, and too much complicated diary juggling  involved, to allow for that.

We knew that the rules stipulated that unions have to give seven days notice of strike action, so it was with a huge sigh of relief as seven days before departure on 15th March came and went without an announcement, and more strike free days ticked by.  It still came as a hammer blow though, when on Friday afternoon 12th March (before we were due to travel out on the Monday of the same weekend), that we learned that the date of our return on 20th March was the first date to be affected by strike action.

It was decided we’d go ahead with the trip in any event,  and worry what was going to happen to the return flight later. I received quite a few phone calls and ‘good luck’ emails from friends and colleagues who knew I was travelling BA on the first strike day. Although we were due to return on a Saturday, so if the worst came to the worst those with work commitments theoretically had a day to play with, it was the worry of uncertainty that stressed everyone out, above all Caroline, the tour organisor who was also accompanying us – an unenviable task in this particular instance.

Draw on all available back up

While we sat back enjoying our tour (of which more another time),  poor Caroline had to spend hours on the phone to the tour operator through whom the trip had been booked, monitoring whether our return flight had been cancelled or not, and weighing up various alternative options.

It’s at times like these, that you thank your lucky stars that you have a tour organiser and a tour operator to sort things out rather than having to do it yourself – which I would’ve done had I booked my own flights direct with BA. At least most of us could get on with enjoyng our holiday!

What happened to us

Two days before we were due to fly back, on the Wednesday 17th March, ironically as we were strolling along the ridge to the temple of Concord, at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, news finally came through that our return flight from Catania to Gatwick had been cancelled by British Airways.

After all the options had been examined, and the implications to our itinerary had been weighed up by Caroline and the tour operator,  the best solution proved to be an Alitalia Air One flight from Palermo to Milan Linate, and then a wait for a connecting Alitalia flight back to Heathrow.  Since our cars were all parked at Gatwick, where we’d departed from, BA were obliged to lay on a coach to take us back there on arrival, as well.

How the trip was affected

I guess we were pretty lucky as a group, to come away relatively unscathed from our experiences on this occasion. Sicily as a destination is fantastic, particularly at this time of year with all the wild flowers in bloom. However, every member of the group was still put to considerable inconvenience, in addition to the tour organiser who accompanied us. Here’s a summary:

• I personally witnessed poor attitude and service from BA cabin crew.  One member of the cabin staff on our outward flight to Catania had to be prompted on numerous  occasions to fetch a glass of water for a neighbouring passenger who needed it to take medication. She was made to feel a nuisance.
• The switch of airports for our return flight from Catania to Palermo meant that we lost about half a day in Sicily from  our itinerary. The direct consequences of this were:

1. we had to get up an hour earlier for breakfast on the last day in order to have any time to visit Taormina
2. we had to completely miss a trip to the finest Roman mosaics in Europe at Piazza Armerina (usually a highlight of any trip to Sicily, and one I was particularly looking forward to), in favour of a three hour journey across the island to Palermo.
3. as a result of the necessary changes to the itinerary, four members of the group opted to stay in Palermo for two nights and completely miss visiting Taormina
4. instead of a planned leisurely picnic lunch in the countryside on our last day in Sicily, we had to eat our sandwiches in a motorway service area en route to Palermo
5. the revised flights via Milan involved an earlier than scheduled take off, with an additional 3 hours travelling time, and although a coach was organised from Heathrow to Gatwick to collect people’s cars, the journey home ended up  longer and later  at night than had been anticipated.

With another British Airways strike starting tomorrow, you can probably expect to read more tales of woe in the media; but believe me, whatever happens, there will be plenty more personal experiences like mine that don’t get written about.   Visitors to Britain are probably having comparable experiences to ours, right here, in our home country. Unfortunately it’s almost bound to have a detrimental effect on perceptions of Britain abroad, and subtle but long term damage could be being done to the image of Britain as a destination. Not something we need with London 2012 coming up.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Virtual Viv could write an article or news release for your organisation. Photo journalism assignments particularly welcomed.  Comment about what I’ve written below, or contact me at Manifold Associates.

Until next time…

Travel by Javelin: benefit from high speed

As soon as I found myself planning to attend an event at the British Library, which is adjacent to London St Pancras, I decided it would be an ideal opportunity for me to try out South Eastern’s  new domestic Javelin high speed rail service. It started operating a permanent full daily timetable at the beginning of this week, following several months of less frequent ‘preview’ services on weekdays only.

What’s new?

The new services allow for better use to be made of High Speed One, Britain’s first and only high speed rail line,  linking London to the Channel Tunnel, and on to Paris and Brussels. Previously it was only accessible to international travellers using Eurostar services to Calais, Lille, Paris or Brussels.

Javelin trains have brought a dramtic reduction in domestic journey times between London and large swathes of Kent, making commuting from and visiting the ‘Garden of England’  a much more attractive proposition on new or upgraded track. Ashford is now down to a journey time of 37 minutes from London St Pancras; and passengers from Ebbsfleet International can make the trip to St Pancras or vice versa in under 20 minutes. It’s also now possible for domestic rail passengers to interchange with international services in Ebbsfleet International for the first time, in addition to Ashford International.

Javelins are now operating beyond Ebbsfleet International, to Gravesend, the Medway towns where Charles Dickens grew up (Strood, Rochester,  Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham) and continue down the north Kent coast to Sittingbourne, the foodie haven of Faversham, and stations to Margate and Broadstairs, including trendy Whitstable and more sedate Herne Bay. Taking the high speed line to Ashford, Javelins now continue beyond it to the World Heritage city of Canterbury(West), Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate; or Folkestone, and Dover. More information about visiting Kent.

Javelin timetable information

What’s different about the trains?

Once you activate and enter inside sliding doors, you’lll find smart dove grey and Air Force blue interiors with concealed lighting and overhead digital information signs updating you with information about the next station stop and connecting services, in addition to audible information announcements. Plush comfortable seats are set two by two each side of a central aisle. I particularly noticed almost half in the less popular backward facing position in my carriage. There are relatively shallow overhead luggage racks above the seating,  some space for luggage under seats, and at least one open storage rack in each carriage as well.

Currently it is not possible to make seat reservations, although I noticed an electronic system in place on the outside wall above each row of seats, to make it possible in the future.  Ticket checks were made on both legs of my particular journey. As far as I was aware there were no refreshments on offer on the train.

My opinion

As expected, both my journeys were fast, smooth and comfortable, with  smooth acceleration and braking, and no noticeable vibration, even when the train reached its top speed of 140mph/225.3kph. There are 200 Javelin services running each weekday, with a reduced service at weekends. Neither of the trains I travelled on were crowded.

In addition to making it easier for visitors to travel in comfort and style to or from 21 stations in Kent, the new service has the added advantage of making it much easier for passengers planning to travel to the north of Britain on the east coast line, to places like Leeds, Tyneside, Edinburgh or anywhere else served by rail from London St Pancras or adjacent Kings Cross. This also applies if your journey starts in the north or east of England and you’re journeying in the opposite direction to Kent. The high speed service  arrives and departs from Platforms 11-13 at London St. Pancras. To find it simply follow the signs for ‘National Rail’ and you’ll find you ascend to these platforms by escalator or lift/elevator.

On a north Kent Javelin journey from Margate, the Javelin trains only join the high-speed line at Ebbsfleet, west of Gravesend, for the final 20 miles into London, so the time saving benefits of  using the high speed services does lessen as you go further east. Services via Ashford will however run on the high-speed line for longer, and will be quicker than existing services, with  the journey from Dover  shorter by 15 minutes, and Canterbury shorter by 23 minutes, compared to other routes.

Another consideration, whichever direction you’re travelling in, is that if the high speed route is a travel option for your particular journey between Kent and Edinburgh in Scotland, the north east, or east of England, you’ll find it’s no longer necessary to endure the hassle of travel across London by bus, tube or taxi! This alone can shave an hour off your total journey time, which is another great reason to travel by Javelin. Try it soon. In many cases it’s worth the small premium on the cost of the regular service. I shall certainly use it again.

Javelin trains are also going to be used to transport people travelling to London 2012, with the Olympic Park at Stratford International, the intermediate stop between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras, just a few hundred metres away from the station. Watch the video.

Until next time…