Making a Success of Your Relocation

Posted: Wed 23 January 2019 at 11:35

A relocation to a new country brings both challenges and opportunities. It’s an incredibly exciting time, but can also be stressful so we’ve put together a short guide with some tips for helping you to settle into your new home in a new country.

Give yourself time

Whatever your reason for moving to a new country, it will take time to settle in. Don’t expect to feel right at home or to have ever last detail sorted out right from the word go. Instead, see the move as an ongoing process and a journey that will take you months or even years to travel through.

Consider a short-term let

One of the best ways to get started in a new country, or a new location within your own country, is to sign up for a short-term let. This gives you time to find a longer-term or permanent housing solution that is perfect for yourself and for your family if you are bringing one with you.

It’s extremely difficult to assess a potential home remotely, so renting a place for a short period will allow you to get life’s little details sorted out and arranged in situ. If you are looking for a job following a move, a short-term let will enable you to attend interviews. If you are looking for a house to buy or rent longer term, a short-term apartment will allow you to get to know the area and see properties in person before signing on the dotted line.

Get your finances organised

For anyone planning to set up a new life in a new country for any significant period of time, or to work, for that matter, setting up a bank account is a minimum requirement. You will also need to look into the tax implication of living and working abroad and ensure you notify the right organisations.

Make friends

Making friends when you become an expat has never been easier, largely thanks to the internet. In many locations around the world, and especially in major cities, there are organisations, online tools, forums and meet-up groups that can help you get to know local people and also other people from your home country.

It’s a good idea to put yourself ‘out there’ so to speak, if you value your social life. It isn’t always easy, but looking for something in common can really help. This might be having young children, playing or watching a particular sport or even speaking a particular language. There are hundreds of opportunities to meet like-minded people wherever you are in the world.

Find a doctor

Finding out where you should go to see a doctor and a dentist and getting yourself signed up should be a priority once you become an expat. Locating your local A&E, or equivalent, is also a good idea – particularly if you have children. Consider different scenarios and make sure you have the knowledge you need to seek assistance in various circumstances. For example, what number do you call if you need an ambulance? How do you pay for medicines prescribed by a doctor? Where is your local 24-hour pharmacy?

Windsor Great Park makes Telegraph’s best winter walks list

Posted: Mon 21 January 2019 at 14:50

The Telegraph newspaper has listed Windsor Great Park, along with the Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede as one of the top 25 winter walks in the UK.

The new list encompasses the entirety of the UK and includes some of the most dazzling locations for walks on crisp clear winter days. The newspaper described the Great Park’s Long Walk as a ‘great sweep of an avenue lined with horse chestnut and plane trees.’ It goes on to guide walkers up to Snow Hill and onto the Copper Horse statue.

The Telegraph includes an interesting detail about the Great Park’s Snow Hill, as being the location from which Henry VIII waited to hear of Anne Boleyn’s execution, which he himself had ordered.

The guide then advises walkers to exit the park at Bishopsgate before ‘looping round to the Runnymede memorials’ and returning to Windsor via Old Windsor and Datchet. The start and finish point of the walk is the Two Brewers pub, on Park Street in Windsor town centre, one of the very best historic pubs in the area.

Elsewhere on the list were beautiful walks taking in some of the UK’s most heritage-rich locations. These include Blenheim Palace’s Great Park, Chequers and Stonehenge. There are also walks around the regions that inspired literary greats like Charlotte Bronte and Beatrix Potter, as well as artists like Constable.

Holidaymakers keen to book apartments in 2019, says poll

Posted: Sat 19 January 2019 at 10:41

Some 37 per cent of travellers from around the world plan to shun hotels for more unconventional accommodation, such as apartments, in 2019.

The Booking.com survey of thousands of travellers planning holidays for the coming year, found that more and more people are looking for a different experience to staying in a hotel. Interestingly, almost half of those questioned (49 per cent) said that that their main reason for wanting to shun hotels is to live more like a local.

Renting apartments and executive accommodation, as opposed to a hotel room, when visiting the UK, or anywhere else for that matter, can help travellers create a home from home. Increasingly, people want to be able to cook in their own kitchen and enjoy their holiday in a place in which they can feel truly at home.

Some 30 per cent of those questioned said they would book an apartment in 2019. Another 30 per cent said they would book a holiday home this year. Either way, it’s clear people are turning their backs on traditional hotels and looking for more authentic and comfortable accommodation.

Cost was another aspect cited by many of the respondents. Booking.com said that 45 per cent indicated that booking ‘home-type accommodation’ offers better value for money than hotels and guesthouses, for example.

Third runway at Heathrow could see end to low flying aircraft

Posted: Wed 16 January 2019 at 13:57

Windsor is located near Heathrow Airport, which is one of the reasons why it’s such as popular location for tourists and business travellers. However, with the convenience comes a little aircraft noise on days when the wind blows in an Easterly direction. Now, news has come that the introduction of a third runway at Heathrow could reduce the amount of low-flying taking place over Windsor.

A new Airspace and Future Operations consultation has been launched at the airport to discuss the issues surrounding the third runway. One of the possibilities being discussed is that flights into the airport could use all three runways throughout the day, meaning an end to all-day flights over Windsor.

One anti-noise pollution campaigner said that the plans to change how Heathrow uses its runways amounts to a ‘near-revolution’ in the airport’s flight paths.

Additionally, the consultation is also going to talk about the extension of the gap in night flights in and out of the airport to ensure a longer gap overnight.

Although most Windsor residents say they no longer notice the aircraft noise, the news that it could be reduced may please some people visiting Windsor.

Heathrow’s executive director for expansion, Emma Gilthorpe, stated: “We are committed to delivery expansion responsibly and putting the needs of local communities at the heart of our growth plans.”

What’s in store for visitors to the UK in 2019?

Posted: Sat 12 January 2019 at 13:58

Visitors to the UK will be treated to a range of events and activities over the coming year. Here, we round up some of the best cultural events taking place around the UK in the first half of 2019 – many of which you can visit from your base at one of our central Windsor serviced apartments.

JANUARY

January is the month when we are all returning to work after the Christmas break. As in many other Western countries, this is a quiet time of year, when people are often feeling the financial pinch a little too much. However, this doesn’t mean there’s no time at all for fun. Particularly if you’re Scottish….

Burns Night

25th January – throughout Scotland

Burns Night is a celebration of everything to do with the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Born 260 years ago this year, ‘Robbie’ Burns is the National Poet of Scotland and throughout Scotland, people partake in music, dancing, drama and poetry before sitting down to a celebratory dinner of haggis with ‘neeps and tatties’, not forgetting a few drams of whisky of course!

Skating at Somerset House – London

You can enjoy the outdoor ice skating at London’s iconic Somerset House well into the month of January. Bring your warm clothes and enjoy the opportunity to skate around the majestic and historic courtyard. Legendary London department store Fortnum and Masons sponsor the event and provide high-end refreshments for anyone who can’t bare the idea of ice skating without champagne!

FEBRUARY

Things liven up a little more now that the light at the end of winter’s tunnel is just about visible. The days are a little longer and the daffodils and snowdrops are starting to peep through, lifting everyone’s mood and getting them excited about being out and about once more.

The Rugby Six Nations

Cardiff, London and Edinburgh 1st-16th February

The Six Nations is an annual Rugby tournament between England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. Matches are played in Cardiff, Twickenham and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

Chinese New Year Parade – London

10 February

If you want to experience Chinese New Year in the most authentic and celebratory way outside of Asia, head to London’s China Town on 10th February. Hundreds of thousands of people line the streets and take part in the procession, which involves music, dancing, huge puppets and masks. Treat yourself to an authentic plate of noodles or dimsum afterwards!

London Fashion Week

From 16 February – London

It may not be for everyone, but those interested in fashion flock to the capital each February to get a head start on the next season’s trends. Catwalk show tickets are up for grabs and events and promotions take place all over the city involving hundreds of the best London clothes and accessories brands.

MARCH

March is when spring officially arrives and the odd day of sunshine brings British people out in droves. There’s plenty to keep visitors busy this month,

St Patrick’s Day

17th March – Northern Ireland and various locations around the rest of the UK

It’s not just the Irish who enjoy St Patrick’s Day. It’s interpreted among most people as the day when we are all given a license to drink a little too much and wear something green. Aside from that, though, are a number of fantastic parades, concerts and carnivals celebrating all thing Irish.

Kew Gardens’ Orchid Festival

Until 10th March – Kew, London

The world-class botanical gardens at Kew deserve their reputation as one of London’s top tourist attractions, and are easily accessed from Windsor. Now in its 24th year, the Garden’s annual Orchid Festival is celebrating the botanical wonders of Columbia this year, with greenhouses full of the country’s most beautiful flower specimens.

APRIL

Blossom covers the trees and the warmth of the sun takes everyone outdoors in April. Think pub gardens, riverside walks, and East Egg hunts.

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Grand National,
5 – 7 April , Liverpool

This four and half mile horse race is one of the most famous in the world. It involved 30 fences and is difficult for both riders and horses to even complete, let alone win. Putting a bet on the ‘National’ is popular in the UK, but in recent years the race has been called out for being too dangerous for the horses taking part. You can make up your own mind.

The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race,

7th April, London, England

The annual rowing race between athletes attending Cambridge and Oxford Universities, is a very English site to behold. It takes place along the picturesque stretch of the Thames at Putney and was first raced in 1829. Nearly 200 years later, it’s fought with a rivalry just as bitter as it ever was.

London Marathon

28th April – London

Another sporting event that brings out the crowds in the Capital is the London Marathon. As one of the most famous marathons in the World, elite runners from around the world rub shoulders with charity runners dresses as elephants and giant babies. Some 40,000 entrants pound the pavements for 26 gruelling miles, while thousands of onlookers gather to cheer them on and soak up the uniquely uplifting atmosphere.

MAY

Chelsea Flower Show

21-25th May – London

This Royal Horticultural Show takes place each year at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and is viewed as a quintessentially English event. With incredible floral displays and beautiful gardening inspiration around every corner, visitors from all over the world flock to this stunning event.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show

8-12 May – Windsor

This premier horse show takes place in the private grounds of Windsor Castle itself, which makes it a highly popular event for horse lovers from across the globe. The itinerary also includes the highest levels of show jumping, dressage and carriage riding.

JUNE

As the summer gets underway, you can’t move for music festivals, family events, street parties and carnivals – especially within London and the other major UK cities.

Royal Ascot

18-22 June – Ascot

Many people attending royal Ascot, which is arguably the high point of the British racing calendar and the ‘season’ enjoyed by the British upper classes, choose to stay in Windsor, as it so close-by. The racing events take place over four days, including Ladies Day, which is an event favoured by the Queen who almost always finds time in her schedule to attend the racing at Ascot each year.

The Isle of Wight festival

13-16th June – Newport, Isle of Wight

This is one of the UK’s longest running music festivals, with its roots back in the late 1960s when thousands of young people fled to the island over three years running. In 2002, the festival was revived and it has been a big success ever since.

Slough Trading Estate at 97 per cent capacity

Posted: Fri 11 January 2019 at 12:44

Slough Trading Estate, which is home to a large number of major businesses, has announced it is at nearly 100 per cent occupation, after securing new lease agreements over the past few months.

Business travellers staying in Windsor serviced apartments often make the short journey over the River Thames to Slough on a daily basis. Slough is home to the headquarters of a range of national and international businesses and Slough Trading Estate has long-been a popular location for businesses operating in the South East of England particularly.

Paul Lewis, the Trading Estate’s manager, has revealed that 11 existing clients with premises at the Estate have expanded over the past year. In the meantime, it has ‘welcomed’ 23 new businesses. Lewis stated that the economic and political environment does not seem to be having much impact on the demand for business premises in the area. He said: “overall our customers are cautiously optimistic about what 2019 holds for Slough and our regional economy and are determined to get on with the job.”

Capacity at the trading estate now stands at 97 per cent and this is despite the fact that the launch of the much-anticipated Crossrail line has been delayed. Lewis said that, although the delay was disappointing, Slough Trading Estate is supporting its clients in calling for the opening of the line to take place as quickly as possible. Crossrail, once opened, will significantly reduce the time it takes to get from Slough to Central and East London.

He added that the rail link will be a “huge boost” for Slough businesses. It is also likely to make Windsor an even more appealing location for business travel accommodation.

Windsor Great Park releases new group visitors guide

Posted: Wed 9 January 2019 at 11:59

If you’re thinking of visiting Windsor as part of a group this year, make sure you access Windsor Great Park’s brand new group visitors guide to the Savill Garden.

The Crown Estate itself has announced that a new group visitors guide will include lots of valuable information to help people get the very most from their trip to Windsor, and particularly to the Great Park and the Savill Garden.

The guide includes information on several special tours that groups can take part in. This includes the Royal Heritage Tour and The Savill Garden’, which involves a personalised coach tour of the Great Park. The statement says that the tour provides ‘the opportunity to be immersed in 1000 years of Royal History.’

It adds: ‘This limited availability tour allows visitors to understand how Windsor Great Park works in the modern day, as well as learning about its long history.’

Other ‘experiences’ for groups, which are detailed further in the new group visitors guide, include:

Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden
Frogmore House and The Savill Garden
The Royal Garden and River Boat Cruise – three options that include catering for you to choose from
Dorney Court and The Savill Garden

The guide also shows three rambling routes that groups of walkers can take use to get even more up close and personal with the Windsor countryside, each based around the Savill Garden.

The Garden has a recently built building at its heart, which embraces and complements the natural surroundings of Windsor Great Park. Inside you will find a range of excellent food and drink options as well as a popular gift shop. To find out more about the group visitors guide, visit www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/groups

Strangest Business Travel Expenses Revealed

Posted: Mon 7 January 2019 at 11:09

As a business traveller, claiming back your expenses can sometimes be a headache. You may have to wait a while to see the cash appear back in your account, or you may feel slightly guilty about that expensive dinner you enjoyed. However, some business travel expenses really take the biscuit.

Expense management software firm Certify has put together a list of the strangest business expenses it has dealt with over the past five years – and it makes for fascinating reading. Some of these were approved, while others were seen as simply too lavish or too ludicrous for the business in question to cover.

Towards the top of the list is a massive claim for a helicopter ride to a business meeting. The claim was for around £5,000 and, rather unsurprisingly, it was not approved. Another rather questionable expense was for a cost of a Rolex watch, purchased for ‘customer appreciation’. This claim was approved by the business – must be nice being one of their customers!

While some of the expense claims on the list are lavish, others suggest a rather irresponsible approach to business travel. One claim involved the repair of a hotel room wall after the employee punched a hole in it. To make matters worse, he also then expensed the cost of rebooking his airfare as he was in jail when his original flight was scheduled.

Another irresponsible employee successfully expensed the cost of towing his vehicle after he illegally parked.

So what can you expense as a business traveller?

Each business will have its own clear guidelines on what is expensable while on a business trip. However, here’s a quick list of some of the items that are usually expensable:

Any food and drink consumed up to a reasonable limit
Accommodation
Travel and transport costs (trains, cabs, flights, car hire etc.)
Costs involved with entertaining clients
Calls and wifi costs etc.

Basically, if you are having to purchase items when travelling for work that you not have needed to buy at home, you will usually be able to expense them. As a business traveller, you will not be expected to be out of pocket as a result of your business trip.

You must keep all your receipts for any business travel expenses to ensure you can prove how much each item cost and when and where the money was spent. You will also usually be required to make the expense claim within a certain period of time following the trip, so don’t sit on those receipts for too long! If you have a business credit card, which you can use for any business expenses you incur during your work trip, the whole process of business expenses is made much simpler.

If you decide to enjoy some extra leisure activities that are not related to your work, you will usually have to cover the costs yourself.

Heathrow and Gatwick invest to prevent drone issues

Posted: Fri 4 January 2019 at 12:34

Business travellers and tourists using Gatwick and Heathrow airports will welcome news that both are to invest millions in anti-drone equipment.

The decision to invest follows an incident in the run up to Christmas where flights in and out of Gatwick were disrupted for a number of days when a drone was spotted in the area.

The equipment that Heathrow and Gatwick are reported to be investing in can detect and jam communication between the operators of drones and the drones themselves, rendering them useless. The equipment is thought to be the Drone Dome system that has been developed by Isreal and was that used by the RAF when they dealt with the Gatwick drone incident in December 2018.

Gatwick says that it has already spent £5 million on ensuring that it has the technology and equipment in place to deal with future drone attacks. Meanwhile, a spokesperson at Heathrow stated: “The safety of our passengers and colleagues remains our top priority. Working closely with relevant authorities including the Met Police, we are constantly looking at the best technologies that help remove the threat of drones.”

In addition to the investments, the Ministry of Defence says it is ‘ever ready’ to assist in dealing with the threat of drone-use in and around airports.