Tuesday, August 7, 2007

The Flight and English Weather

Those of you who have not flown overnight before should be aware of a couple of golden rules.

We are singers, and we have to be at our best the day after we arrive. So ... keep talking to an absolute minimum; drink copious quantities of water; avoid alcohol and coffee if you can manage it (I know this might be difficult for some!) - both dehydrate; wearing ear buds plays havoc with the mask, and combined with the background aircraft noise, it can be 3 or 4 days before hearing and tonality return to normal. If you need to be entertained, either wear headphones that do not go into the ear, or read a book! And ... if the noise can be heard through your headphones by your neighbour, the volume is too high. Finally ... if the urge to sing descends upon you, resist. Singing in a pressurised cabin puts a greater strain on the vocal cords.

English weather. It will almost certainly rain on a number of occasions while you are in England. The likelihood of it being heavy rain is small. A light rain jacket should be sufficient. Umbrellas are cheap, so there will be no need to take one with you, unless you have a good collapsible one. The days will probably feel cool by our standards, but "muggy". Humidity will be relatively high in Lincoln, it being on the edge of the Fens (an area of low-lying land with a lot of water). You should not feel the need to add extra layers during the day, but the evenings may feel cool, so light sweaters or jackets will be required. In Lincoln, you ill probably wish to do a lot of explorinbg. Remember - the pavements (sidewalks) are paved rather than tarmac, so a good stout pair of walking shoes or boots would be a good idea. Also in London - where the streets are NOT paved with gold - walking is often the best option. Prepare accordingly.

Finally, a note on towels. In the London hotel, I would expect good, thick and large towels of the type we have become accustomed to. In our Lincoln accommodations, the towels may be a little less adequate. The towels may be thin and small. It might be wise to pack a large, thick beach towel ... just in case.

Richard

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