Saturday, March 23, 2013

Travelodge introduces loo laughs


London’s biggest hotelier, Travelodge has opened the first ever hotel above a comedy club.

Bethnal Green Travelodge, a 131-room hotel which represents an £11million investment has been built above Lee Hurst’s iconic Backyard Comedy Club - which over the years has hosted many well known comedians.

To mark the opening of the UK’s first comedy club hotel partnership, Travelodge is introducing loo laughs – a toilet roll which is printed with a selection of funny jokes and cartoons to keep customers entertained and laughing whilst visiting the loo.
In support of the company’s loo laughs toilet roll, the budget chain surveyed 2,000 Britons to seek their views on reading in the bathroom. Key findings revealed that just under half (49%) of Britons like to read on the toilet. Interestingly this is a more popular pastime with men as a third reported they read on the loo whilst just a fifth of women stated they do.

Eight out of ten respondents stated reading on the loo alleviates boredom and three quarters of adults thought loo roll printed with jokes was a good idea.

The nation’s favourite bathroom reading material includes: newspapers, magazines, journals, business publications, TV guides and comics.

The research also revealed Britain’s biggest loo readers can be found in the following locations: London, Chelmsford, Oxford, Cambridge and Southampton.

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: To celebrate the opening of the UK’s first comedy club hotel concept, we thought it would be a fun and novel ideal to introduce joke printed toilet roll; so that customers can continue to giggle whilst visiting the loo.”

At the Bethnal Green Travelodge opening, the company also announced it location target list for a further 145 hotels across London. The target list includes locations such as: Westminster, Camden, Southwark, Lambeth, Islington, Ealing and Greenwich.

The Travelodge target list of 145 new hotels would create nearly 4,000 new jobs across the capital and boost the local economy annually by £290million.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Messi Villa greets Rayo

Barcelona 3-1 Rayo Vallecano

Messi Villa axis too strong for Rayo
Franjirrojos swept as a strong wind blew
Xavi, Puyol, Valdes absent from the show
Indomitable form at the Camp Nou

Villa slotting from a Messi pass
Then Leo lapped up the acclaim
Messidona’s brace top of the class
For the eighteenth straight league game

A partnership befitting El Blaugrana
Brilliant third from the Argentines skipping feet
Primera march for Roura and Villanova
Raul Tamudo though put paid to a clean sheet

17.03.13

Number 7
© Emdad Rahman
www.football-poems.com

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Heavy hitting Khaliq Miah is going places

Emdad Rahman: Khaliq Miah from West Drayton is on the up.

The eighteen year old bruiser has won 55 of his 70 amateur fights and I traded blows with this British Bangladeshi powerhouse at the recent “No Fear, No Mercy” United Kingdom Boxing Union fight night at the Water Lily in Mile End.

Khaliq is coached by his Father but also travels to Plaistow, east London for extra training. It’s not an easy slog: “I travel to Plaistow station in east London by train and live in west Drayton, a town 10mins from Heathrow airport. It takes me around 2 hours to get there and back, and I train 3-4 days a week minimum.”

Khaliq has been boxing for ten years and dreams of becoming a professional: “I have reached 4 ABA finals, losing on close points decisions.

”My Ambition is to have what every true boxer wants a boxing, a legacy and to become world champion.

On the night, Khaliq won his bout by default after his opponent failed to turn up.

“No Fear, No Mercy”

UKBU hosts boxing extravaganza

Emdad Rahman: The United Kingdom Boxing Union (UKBU) held their eagerly awaited “No Fear, No Mercy” boxing night in Tower Hamlets, east London.

The March 2013 event played host to some of the biggest ex professionals and amateurs past and present, all clubbing together to make the glittering event a success. Boxers on the night included Mohammed Badawi, Zoheb Zee Zee, and Rocky Amin.

Councillor Rajib Ahmed, Tower Hamlets Speaker and First Citizen was ringside. He said: “I have enjoyed an evening of entertainment. The fitness levels and power shown by the boxers has been impressive and I congratulate Walid Ali, Abdul Mukit and the whole team for the manner in which they have organised such a great evening. I wish them greater success and look forward to more nights of boxing being hosted within our borough.”

Promoter Walid Ali is a former WSO & UKUB British Champion. He first donned Boxing gloves aged 14 and learnt his trade at the world famous Repton Boxing Gym under the tutelage of legendary head coach Tony Burns.

Walid has also coached at Repton and is now in charge of Walid Ali promotions, as well as being the Head of UKBU. He said: “The United Kingdom Boxing Union is overwhelmed with the support from Lutfur Rahman, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and local councillors, all of whom have attended past events. We need help and support to raise awareness and I urge members of our community to help us move forward with this.”

The United Kingdom Boxing Union (UKBU) is a recognised organisation which organises championship boxing bouts. Since 2009 the UKBU has successfully hosted numerous boxing, dinner and charity events for the vulnerable and needy, including in 2010, a charity boxing show at the renowned Troxy in London’s East End to raise money for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal. The event was a success and more than 1000 supporters attended the glittering bash.

Photography by Emma Tarrant

Monday, March 11, 2013

Reds dent Spurs Euro bid


We’ve struggled with Man Yoo and Citeh
Stevie Clarke’s Baggies and Arsenal
Sticky Toffees and Rafa’s Chelsea
Then along came the mighty Cockerel

And it’s El Pistolero Suarez yet again
Strong character against a team in great form
Vertonghen’s brace causing momentary pain
But the Kop brewed a Mother’s Day storm

Whilst Carra Gold joined the 500 guild
Subtle Reds pile the agony for AVB
Downing’s leveller was ever so chilled
Comeback complete with Stevie G’s penalty

© Emdad Rahman
Number 7
www.football-poems.com

Monday, March 04, 2013

Queen Elizabeth Park Bus Tour 2013

We took part on the tour during the weekend.

The competition may be over, but on the Olympic Park there is still a race for the finish.

In just six months time the site which covers parts of East London such as Stratford, as well as some iconic Olympic venues, will begin to be unveiled as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

This isn’t just a new Park it’s a brand new piece of the city which offers state of the art iconic venues, new places to work and live and a year round program of events and activities.

This £292million project includes clearing away temporary venues and Olympic facilities – the hockey and basketball arena have already gone, and the Waterpolo will be removed before the summer. The Copper Box, which was a venue for the London Olympics and is situated in the Olympic Park, is being refitted for public use with a new gym, and sports courts for hire. This iconic sporting venue is one of five Olympic venues which make up the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and are all well worth a visit. Thousands of trees, bushes and flowers are being planted creating a pleasant new Park for an afternoon stroll – and the new routes around the Park will mean that you will now be able to walk from Newham to Hackney, or Waltham Forest to Tower Hamlets with ease. Some routes are already starting to open. The Greenway, which connects Hackney Wick to Pudding Mill Lane in Stratford and runs along the Olympic Park, was recently opened, and Waterden Road will open later this year.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is fully open in spring 2014, when it will be free to come and walk around the parklands. Taking advantage of the Olympic venues such as swimming in the Aquatics Centre or hiring a court in the Copper Box will cost broadly the same as local leisure centres, and there will be an enormous variety of sports, entertainment and other events to get involved in.

But you won’t have to wait for spring 2014 to enjoy the Park including all the Olympic facilities, there are a number of events and activities in the pipeline, and we are hoping to bring concerts to the Stadium by July of this year, so it’s worth registering for our newsletter at www.noordinarypark.co.uk