En dis ook nie net by jaareindfunksies waar daar vreemde geskenke uitgedeel word nie ;-)

Native American honoured by Queen

The Queen is handed a copy of the original 18th century petitionThe Queen was given a peace pipe at a memorial to a Native American chieftain to symbolise the righting of a wrong.
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she paid her respects to Mahomet Weyonomon, of the Mohegan tribe, who died of smallpox in London in 1736.

Tribal leaders in traditional regalia blessed a memorial stone in his honour.

Mahomet had travelled from Connecticut to petition George II about the capture of his tribe's land by English settlers but died before he met the king.

Foreigners were barred from being buried in the City of London so his body was interred in an unmarked grave.

'Proper burial'

The Queen and the duke were joined by tribal spiritual leader Bruce "Two Dogs" Bozsum and other Mohegans wearing deerskin leggings and headdresses made with turkey and eagle feathers at the memorial ceremony at Southwark Cathedral on Wednesday.
She was presented with a scroll containing a copy of the original petition and a red stone peace pipe.

Mr Bozsum said: "We are glad that we have given him a proper burial now.
We cannot right past wrongs but we can remember them and transform them
Very Rev Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark"The Queen said she was very pleased , very honoured to see us and have us here. It meant a lot to us. This is the highlight of my life to meet the Queen."

The Very Rev Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark, gave an address about the significance of the events.

He said: "We are here to dedicate a memorial, to complete an unfinished commission, to remember we share with the people of the United States a story which, like all human conduct, is marked by good and bad.

"We cannot right past wrongs but we can remember them and transform them to inspire better conduct throughout humanity now and in years to come."

The Queen also unveiled a stone sculpture, carved by Peter Randall Page, which stands in the south churchyard.

The five-tonne piece of pink granite came from the tribal reserve in New England. It is customary to name a boulder after a chief who has died.

En dis nie net in SA waar name verander nie :-)

Tube map to get new station names

Wood Lane and Shepherd's Bush Market will join the Tube mapThe Tube map is to get two new names in west London, it has been announced.

A new station called Wood Lane is to be built on the Hammersmith and City Line and Shepherd's Bush, on the same Line, will be renamed Shepherd's Bush Market.

There are currently two Shepherd's Bush stops on the Hammersmith and City Line and the Central Line and it is hoped the changes will end any confusion.

Wood Lane station, which should open in 2008, will be built between Shepherd's Bush Market and Latimer Road.
It will be the first time in more than 70 years there has been a new addition to an existing route which has not been extended.

London mayor Ken Livingstone said: "The naming of the new Wood Lane station and the renaming of Shepherd's Bush is the latest step in the massive improvements of transport links for west London.

"These improvements will bring in regeneration to the area and give this part of the capital a world-class service for the first time."

Energy row over Christmas lights

Concerns have been raised about the amount of energy used by the Oxford Street Christmas lights.

On Thursday girl band All Saints switched on the lights on the shopping street. The 260,000 bulbs will be on 24-hours-a-day until 6 January.

Organisers said they were using low energy bulbs and consume 50% less power than four years ago.

But Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly have called for renewable energy to be used.

Carbon emissions

Mike Tuffrey, of the London Assembly Liberal Democrats, said: "It's great there are lights and it's great they are going to be low energy but this whole exercise of lighting up Oxford Street is going to put out 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

"We think they (the organisers) should go that bit further and make the thing carbon neutral by using renewable energy."

He also proposed organisers spend £4,000 to buy 400 trees to offset carbon emissions.

We have over 40 million visitors coming from London, the UK and overseas to come and see these lights

Jason Tyrrell, New West End Company

Jason Tyrrell, of the New West End Company, said they had done an "enormous" amount to cut energy usage by 50%.

"Let's remember the lights are a major draw for London. We have over 40 million visitors coming from London, the UK and overseas to come and see these lights."

He said the lights remained on 24 hours a day was because people came at "all sorts of times" to see the lights.

Olimpiese Spele 2012

Olympic Games face huge tax bill

VAT on construction work was not included in the original bidOrganisers of the 2012 London Olympic Games have discovered they may be facing a huge additional tax bill.
Tory Olympic spokesman Hugh Robertson said the government had assured him the £2.38bn cost of construction sites would not be subject to VAT.

But the Treasury is demanding the tax, and has said European regulations state it cannot be seen to be supporting the organisers of the event.

It is in discussions with the Olympic Delivery Authority over the matter.

When the London bid was submitted to the International Olympic Committee in 2004 it included an estimate for building various sites in east London.
'Specific undertakings'

It estimated the cost at £2.38bn, but that did not include VAT on construction work or other costs.

Mr Robertson said forcing the Olympic organisers to pay VAT at a rate of as much as 17.5% would be devastating.

He said: "The issue of VAT on the Olympic sites was raised by the Conservative Party during the passage of the London Olympics and Para-Olympics Bill, and we received specific undertakings from the government that the Treasury would waive these costs.

It would be wrong for there to be any further council tax increase
London mayor, Ken Livingstone

"It would be catastrophic if (Chancellor) Gordon Brown were to renege on that commitment now."

A Treasury spokesperson said: "We are in discussion with the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) issues and we are confident we can find a way forward.

"But it would not be helpful to give a running commentary on those discussions."
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said: "It would be wrong for there to be any further council tax increase, I will not be proposing or making one, so there will not be one."
Officials at the Olympic Delivery Authority declined to comment.

New hybrid bus

Hybrid double-decker bus unveiled

The bus will produce 40% less emissionsMayor Ken Livingstone has unveiled London's first hybrid double-decker bus in a bid to make commuting in the city a greener experience.
Built at a cost of £285,000, the bus runs on a combination of diesel and electricity and will produce 40% less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The mayor said the bus was the first of a fleet that will make London "one of the world's most sustainable cities".

The hybrid bus will be on the road by the end of November.

Six single-deck hybrid buses are currently operating in London.

Attractive prospect

A battery pack, which is run by a Euro IV complaint Diesel engine, powers the wheels of the new hybrid bus through an electric motor.

Unlike conventional buses, energy generated from braking is recycled and used to charge the batteries.

Mr Livingstone said: "Creating a low-carbon bus fleet is an important part of our work to cut the emissions which are causing climate change."

He said the vehicles still needed a manufacturer and needed to be "financially feasible".
But he said it was a good opportunity for such a company.

"The first off the mark will get to corner the bus market until the others catch up with them - that should be a really attractive prospect."

The bus will be exhibited at the Euro Bus Expo 2006 in Birmingham next month.

When it returns to London it will operate on the route between Wood Green and London Bridge.