Dateline Monday 6th January 2025

Happy New Year, Monday morning greetings from the grey, not too chilly but rainy, mean streets of London W10, the New Year literally blew in with ferocity 1st January it was very windy and wet, followed by snow and zero temperatures, with Amber weather warning all over the place. It will be a bit warmer today but don’t get too comfortable it’s going to get cold again, unless you are in the North of the UK where it has been cold, still is cold, freezing cold in fact. Seem like the USA is going to get a huge dumping of snow later this week.

I hope you and yours are all well and that you had an awesome Christmas and New Year break, welcome back to reality, it is time to start making a living once again in 2025. 

Welcome to a New Year of untold and obviously unseen opportunities well that the way I see it plus only two more months and the sun will be back in the skies over this awesome Island of ours.

I am told 2025 is the Year of the Snake, as soon as I heard that I was like YIKKKEEESS the snake! but having consulted the man that knows Japan and Japanese culture inside out Mr James Kent of The J Team DMC Japan he tells me that in Japanese culture the snake symbolizes good fortune and renewal, the perfect inspiration for a fresh start, so apparently snakes rock 😊 

Sad news the former US President Jimmy Carter Died on Sunday, December 29, 2024, in Plains, Georgia - the City of his birth. Carter’s remarkable life spanned a century, during which he served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. After leaving office, he dedicated himself to humanitarian causes, earning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to advance international peace, democracy, and human rights. Rest in peace Mr President although not quite yet from Plains in Georgia he is now “in repose” in Atlanta later this week he will be taken to Washington DC for a state funeral. 

OMG the end of 2024 and the start of the New Year saw several sad events which I am not going to retell, I want to start today, the first WORKING Monday morning on a positive upbeat note, brining joy, sunshine, happy wishes, and glad tidings ( whatever they maybe) to everyone that reads my Monday e mail. 

Soap box time

Today is 459 days since Israeli and other nations’ citizens were on 7th October 2023 wrenched violently from their homes, streets, fields and places of leisure in Israel and taken to be held hostage as pawns of war held in squalid conditions in the Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza. Israeli babies, toddlers, children, teens, women, men, seniors and other nationalities are being held captive by a group of evil blood thirsty barbaric terrorists called Hamas.

Off the soap box now

Elon Musk clearly is far, far, far too wealthy, he obviously has nothing to do these days except appear next to skint Donald Trump and to comment about the UK political landscape, is Elon positioning himself to be the next President of the United States of America, that’s a scary thought even more scary that The Donald  who takes over the reins of World power in a few short weeks’ time. 

Finally, its Movie Award Season which kicked off yesterday with The Golden Globes party central was LA where else? Congratulations to Demi Moore who at last has got a trophy, for  Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) — Demi Moore, "The Substance". The Brutalist won best film, opps or should I say movie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER NICOLE

That is about it from a David point of view for this week at least.

MM and Company news update

France Amsterdam and Belgium

Pascal, Enrica and the team from NACARA DMC France as well as Alexandra, Andreas and the team at DELTA DMC Amsterdam have told us that SNCF Voyageurs and SNCB, the national train operators of France and Belgium, this week launched a new rail link between Paris and Brussels. The new service operates three times daily (in each direction) between Brussels-Midi and Paris Gare du Nord stations. Departures are scheduled in the morning, at midday and in the early evening for a total journey time of three hours. Stops on the route include Mons station in Belgium, and Aulnoye-Aymeries and Creil in France.

SNCB and NS this week also commenced a new high-speed service between Brussels and Amsterdam. 

South Africa

Brad and the team at The Inside Edge South Africa have told us that the Radisson Hotel Group has added the first property under its Radisson Collection brand in South Africa. Previously trading as the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, Cape Town, ( I have stayed there great location close, but not exactly on the V&A Waterfront so priced more competitively) the 175-room property is now known as the Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town. Renovation works have included the introduction of a new Waveside Café, and the hotel’s Tobago’s Restaurant, Bar and Terrace is also set to be refurbished this year. The property features an infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, while rooms have private balconies with views of either the ocean or the marina.

Other facilities include three events spaces accommodating up to 350 guests….

And that is about it, you are now totally up to date, wishing you a happy, healthy, successful and above all peaceful 2025. Have a terrific week ahead.