Just over a year ago when chilling in a hostel in Pula, Croatia, a friend lent me a book:  Longitude.  Cool, I thought, seeing it simply as something that would help me pass the time as I laid around on the beach.  A literary dork, I don’t often read nonfiction, so I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying this story of sea clocks that I read through as quickly as I would have a novel.  If you have the slightest interest in British history, seafaring, navigation, clocks, or astronomy, I cannot recommend it enough.

To get on with it, the book chronicles John Harrison’s journey toward solving the problem of longitude.  We take for granted the globes we’ve grown up with that are stratified by their degrees in both longitude and latitude, never really thinking about what mankind had to undergo to come up with this.  How on Earth did they figure this out way back before today’s technology?  The problem was so dire that, in the 1714, the British Parliament offered a monetary prize of £20,000 (worth millions in today’s terms) to whomever could solve it.

As Harrison (a self-taught clockmaker by trade) determined that being able to accurately track time was at the crux of the matter (such that the local time of a destination could be compared with a basis such as Greenwich Mean Time), what was needed was an accurate clock.  Sounds easier to us than what the issue really was at the time.  In the 18th century, clocks didn’t exist that could keep ticking with accuracy for a long duration of time, and certainly not against conditions at sea of varying temperature, moisture, and pressure.  And so, Harrison proceeded to build his clock, refining it through 5 different versions for over 4 decades of his life, all the while running neck and neck with competing clocks and the other dominant school of thought, astronomy (which relied on the stars as a measure of time…which works great until it gets cloudy!).  It’s a fascinating story of dedication and precision and such a testament to man’s perseverance and innovation.

The sea clocks (technically referred to as “chronometers”) are on display and still tickin’ in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, where time begins

This is just an update on our London Living social networking site.  Our membership continues to grow and as of today consists of 142 Londonistas standing proud

London Relocation Ltd. created London Living as an interactive resource for you if you’re relocating to London or have already moved here and are looking to network with fellow expats.  It’s a one-stop shop that houses feeds from our blog and Twitter profile, as well as connects you to the London blogs authored by our Londonistas for further resources on living in London.  Our discussion forums are open to any London-related topic you wish to chat about, from things to do to essential moving advice.  Going forward, we’re adding a feature in which Londonistas can share what upcoming plans they have that others are welcome to join in on to supplement the socials we organize and London events we post, and we’re adding to our offering of apps for fun schtuff like chatting with other members and playing online games.

If you join us at London Living, you will also get your own profile page to pimp out with apps, photos, texts/feeds, and a comments section where other Londonistas can post messages to you.

As a growing network, we’re happy to evolve to meet your needs as a current and future London expat.  There’s a lot of possibility within this friendly community, and you and your ideas are very welcome here

This guest post comes to us compliments of one of our fabulous London Living Londonistas, Jessica.

When my husband and I moved from our corporate flat to our own place just a 25 minute walk north to Hackney, I didn’t know what to expect and oddly enough my main concern was “Where am I going to go grocery shopping?” Our last place was in walking distance to a Waitrose, a Tesco and most importantly, Borough Market where we had become familiar faces on Saturday mornings to our favorite vendors. Walking back from these places without a full backpack is not an option.

One Google search later and wouldn’t you know it these are our local markets:

Broadway Market.
Open Saturdays 9am – 5pm. Lots of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, clothes and hot lunch options.
The street is lined with shops and cafes to poke in and out of as you shop. Grab lunch and take a walk through London Fields or along the canal.

London Fields Market
Open Sundays 10am – 2pm. Lots of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, pasta and more.

Columbia Road Flower Market
Open Sundays 8am – 3pm (ish). Flowers, flowers and more flowers. Oh and plants, herbs, cafes and pubs too! Go at the end of the day for great deals.
The street is lined with shops and cafes to poke in and out of as you shop.

Back Yard / Up Market
Back Yard Market is open Saturday 11am – 6pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm
Up Market is open Sunday 10am – 5pm

You name it, they sell it. There are food stalls inside and out, a beer garden, vintage warehouse, art galleries, produce, music and that doesn’t even include the shops along the street!

Spitalfields Market
Thu: Antiques & vintage 10am – 4pm
Fri: Fashion & art 10am – 4pm
Sun: Busiest day – all shops & all stalls 9am – 5pm

You name it, they sell it. Sometimes there is music or an outdoor beer garden happening.

Hoxton Street Market
Open Monday through Saturday 7:30am – 6pm. Go on Saturday, it has the most stalls open.

You name it, they sell it and it is good and cheap!

Check out the individual website for events happening in and around the markets. Up Market and Spitalfields Market specifically have various free events happening all the time. Enjoy!

For those relocating to London, the first aspect of the city that you’ll need to familiarize yourself with straightaway is the public transport.  More specifically:  The London Underground, or the “Tube,” as we all endearingly like to call it.   (I think it is very cute when my Chicago friends visit me here and continue to call it the “L” when it is the opposite of elevated )  Those of you who have visited London already know that the Underground is what Londoners call their subway system, and make note that the term “subway” here only refers to pedestrian crossings beneath the street level (i.e., foot traffic, not train).

At any rate, you can consult the Transport for London website for a larger, more comprehensive Tube map, which looks like the one above on the left.  This is a schematic rendering, not a geographical one, so bear in mind that while the locations of Tube stations indicates their general relation to one another, it is not a measure of precise direction or distance.

In more recent years, depictions of the “real” Tube map (above on the right) have surfaced to provide a better bearing on where you are in the city—it is, you see, a bit difficult to determine by looking out the train windows when you’re, uh…well…underground.  Even better, at TubeJP (London Tube Journey Planner), you can see the color-coded Tube lines overlaying a Google map where you can zoom in at street level.

Adding to the Tube’s “real”-ness is the new “live map” tracing the actual movements of the trains—this feature is temporarily unavailable on the site at present, but you can follow this link to see a video of what it normally looks like in motion.

The Underground map has obviously evolved over the course of the last century+, as illustrated in A History of the London Tube Maps, which offers links to great high-resolution images of map archives.  Trying to achieve the optimal design for millions of commuters to follow with ease is a tricky feat, and there has been a lot of critique over the map’s aesthetics and readability (if you’re into maps/graphics, perhaps you’ll be interested in the two pence offered here and here in ‘07/ ‘08).  I can recall last year’s big controversy surrounding the River Thames’s removal from the map—in response to public outcry that the river be returned to the official Tube map, it was reinstated.  I find that to be very cute as well .

Lucky for you, London Relocation Ltd. prioritizes finding you a flat close to public transportation and will help you get oriented with how to get around in your neighborhood and commute to work/school.  Safe journeys to you, dear commuters, and may you always find your way!

I will be addressing this topic, yes, but hopefully I haven’t just gotten hopes up that I hold the key to your future   I raise the subject as it’s a question that often floats to us over cyberspace because, obviously, relocating to London requires having a job or program of study over here in the first place.  No employer/school, no need to search for those flats to begin with.

First of all, my most dished-out advice on the employment issue is considering a Tier 1 visa that would allow you to move to London without having first procured a job.  The drawbacks are that it’s more costly and you must satisfy requirements pursuant to a points-based system that gauges your education/professional level.  If you meet the minimum criteria (which has just been raised as of the 19th this month), you are considered a “highly skilled migrant” and allowed to come on over on the condition that you do actively seek employment and contribute; renewal of your visa will be contingent upon it.

Otherwise, to attain the Tier 2 visa, you will have to be sponsored by an employer, which is not so easy these days.  The new UK coalition government has recently announced limitations to be placed on visa sponsorship (caps will apply to Tier 1 as well); as it is, corporations already must obey guidelines that ensure their positions have been made available to UK/EU citizens and are only filled by non-UK/EU candidates when no local applicants are as capable of fulfilling the roles.  With the added expense of registering and issuing certificates of sponsorship, the prospect of recruiting/transferring employees from abroad becomes less and less attractive.  In any case, a register of sponsors for Tiers 2 and 5 (and sub-tiers) is available at this link.

I have no rabbit to pull out of the hat here.  To find work, you will need to research it, apply for it, and network for it.  You cannot be proactive enough in this endeavor, as it is critical to distinguish yourself from the masses that are also clamoring for that advertised role.  I recall from my own experience how my CV accompanied 1000s of others in cyberspace when I registered and applied on sites like londonjobs.co.uk, justlondonjobs.co.uk,  londoncareers.net, totaljobs.com, and TwitJobs.net—with that kind of competition, it’s not enough to look great on paper.  Now, I personally was able to land my role through a search on London’s Craigslist; it just so happened to work in my favor that I was an American expat given the nature of our services, but that is not always going to be the case across industries.

This is where networking is going to kick in.  Hit your Google search and investigate the possibilities for connecting with like-minded individuals, if not recruiters themselves, and get leads or at least good advice for creating your CV, interviewing, etc.  LinkedIn,  Meetup.com, Facebook, and so forth are the most obviously popular networking sites, so don’t underestimate their range of forums on professional networking/job-hunting; keep running through the key words to cast a wide net, and remember that each contact you establish on one of these will be able to proffer advice on yet another resource to tap.  That’s what networking is all about, after all, so you’ve to start somewhere in spinning that web!

It truly is all about who you know.  And now you us, so once you’ve lined up that job and visa, we’ll hook you up with the property, yo, and offer you our own social network of lovely London expats at London Living.

Walking home from the Tube last night, my eyes fell upon brand new and shiny bike docking stations a couple blocks from my flat.  AWESOME!!!

For those of you moving to London who might not yet be aware, the city is introducing a new cycle hire scheme (sponsored by Barclays, London Relocation Ltd.’s bank of choice through which we set our clients up with their accounts in one day to make relocating to London that much easier!).

The Transport for London website outlines the scheme, but, basically, London residents will now be able to rent bicycles for commuting or recreation.  It’s similar to the Zipcar concept in which you can rent a car that is parked somewhere in your local area, picking it up and dropping it off back in its designated street space independent of having to actually walk into a rental office.

You can start renting bikes as of now if you sign up for a membership, whereby you’ll get a “key” to the terminal that will release the bike from its lock; you will also be able to manage your account online.  This is the way to go if you’ll be a frequent user, as it will save money and add convenience.

Alternatively, if you prefer to wait a little longer, coming soon is an option for “Casual Use” for only the occasional rental, like if you simply want to pedal through one of London’s many beautiful gardens.  This is open to non-UK residents, so even if you’re just visiting London as a tourist, you can take tourism to a fun new level—there are even guided cycle rides!  Access is obtained either directly at the docking station, online, or by phone.

I’ve embedded the helpful how-to video above for your reference (hey Americans, no giggling at the way they spell “tires”) and am positively psyched for London to become the next cycle-friendly Amsterdam.  Let’s get rollin’!

Today finds me feeling a little more at peace with the trees .  I’m still not happy about it, but I can accept it.  Evidently, my husband and I are the only ones who find it to be a big deal, reinforcing the fact that this is a typical occurance in London.  Fine.

Speaking of my husband, I know I’ve mentioned before that our London relocation was the result of his new employment.  I happened to read a blog post today on the A Diplomat’s Wife site about the term “trailing spouse” applied to those spouses who move on the other’s behalf.  I agree with the author’s sentiment that the term bears a negative connotation that makes me think ick.  As I just commented on her post:

“‘Trailing spouse’ makes me feel like my husband just clubbed me over the head and dragged me to London by my hair, as my passive carcass leaves a trail in the dirt.”

Personally, I prefer the term “accompanying spouse,” which I’ve started seeing in equal frequency.  Maybe it’s still not ideal, but it captures more of the essence that a spouse has made the move as a willing participant in support of the person he or she loves.  As A Diplomat’s Wife says:

“I did not give up my life, my career and my family to blindly follow a man around the world. [...] I chose to live my life with [my husband].”

I believe that it’s not only important for others to perceive that this is the reality of an accompanying spouse (i.e., not that you’re just a passive puppy following someone all around the world—unless, of course, you are…to each his/her own, ay?), but even more vital that you yourself wrap your mind around it.  Otherwise, it can lead to feelings of insecurity that spiral into resentment toward—guess who—your spouse.  That’s when the partnership breaks down, and for relocations, it is critical to sustain that team effort.  You’re in it together, so you need to work through it together and make sure both spouses’ best interests are taken into account.

I’m sure you’re thinking that this is just a basic lesson in marriage—yes, quite true.  But a relocation amplifies all that is already challenging in a marriage (see my referral to Robin Pascoe’s books on this topic in “5 Recommendations for Families Moving to London“).  The main reasons why this is so (at least from my perspective) are:  1) the “It’s the principle of the matter” mindset (in which one might resent that his/her priorities came secondary to the spouse’s reason for moving), and, 2) transitioning into what role one will assume in the new location.

Tackling the first issue is primarily psychological—mind over matter, as they say.  It’s not to say that your concerns aren’t legitimate and you shouldn’t assert your viewpoints to ensure your side is understood and that your spouse will similarly make concessions to maintain the balance of power in the relationship.  However, it’s also imperative to recognize when maybe your side is understood and your spouse will and does make concessions, in which case the problem may rest largely in your mind, so requires a shift in outlook.

As for the second issue, well, if you have left a job behind and have the ability to be a lady of leisure/man of means, that’s not too shabby a circumstance to embrace, at least for a little while—enjoy yourself, for goodness’ sake!  If you’re moving to London, no one will dispute the limitless options of things to do to stimulate your intellect and fuel your soul.  And if you’re raising a family, it goes without saying that that’s plenty enough.  I myself seized the chance to channel my inner Domestic Goddess and finally learned how to cook!  I went from zero to hero .  On the other hand, if you need/want to work, I can’t promise that it will be simple to reenter what occupation/salary you left behind in this market, yet there are many resources to tap to establish the network you need to get your “in”—see my previous posts, “London Job Opportunities for Women” and “AmProWoLo…Huh? Wha?” as examples of resources for women (unfortunately, similar resources for men are fewer and further between as they represent probably less than 20% of accompanying spouses; however, their increasing number commands these support systems to be put in place.  I’ll keep researching and share them with you!).

Whatever the terminology, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” so just remain confident in your decision to support your spouse, remembering that it was your choice, too, to make this awesome journey together.

Today’s post is written with a heavy heart indeed…I dreaded going home today to behold the dismal fruits of the tree surgeon’s labors:  tree pruning, or lopping, as I’ve come to learn.

I’m no tree-hugger, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I literally wept this morning at the sound of the tree surgeon revving his saw.  I looked out my 2nd floor flat at the branches that were always eye-level—indeed filling our entire view out the giant sash windows with vibrant green leaves.  As those leaves rustled in the cool morning breeze, it looked as though they were waving goodbye.

24 plane trees, reduced “to point of last reduction,” per the borough council website.

Last night as my husband and I roamed to the opposite side of our square to lament the sheer ugliness of the stumpy trees (they look just like a horrid winter scene painting I made in 5th grade when I couldn’t quite grasp that branches should taper) a neighbor in the square informed us that this occurs every 7 years on this particular site.  Over those 7 years, a lovely growth of young branches had emerged, which we’ve enjoyed over the last 2 years; what leaves (pun intended) me sad right now is simply the thought of not getting to see them turn this autumn .  The leaves also soaked up a lot of street noise, as we noticed during the winters when their bareness created no buffer.

Thanks for listening to me whimper.  I’m an aesthetics-oriented gal and have enjoyed those trees and the songbirds that serenaded from their fine branches by mere virtue of dwelling in our flat.  My pensive moments writing at the computer that send me looking out the window for the right words to come might meet with a little less inspiration now…I just don’t know.

In any case, this phenomenon is something that I’ve first really come to notice to this drastic extent here in London and elsewhere in Europe.  In many-a neighborhood, you’ll encounter this shorn vegetation, which must be approved by borough councils pursuant to Tree Protection Orders (TPO); trees located in historic conservation areas are likewise protected.

I suppose these English gardeners know what they’re doing for the better of the trees, and sometimes it’s necessary to protect the buildings in close proximity—in our case, a Victorian church (which is luckily so pretty in itself), not that I’m sure that’s the reason.  I’m devastated that it’s happening in the middle of summer when they’re so lush, but I guess with all the trees in this beautifully green city, the workload has to be spread around all year, and the season of pruning is supposedly irrelevant to what’s best for the tree itself.  All we can do is cross our fingers that the trees persevere through the trauma, healing over to shield themselves from disease so that residents can enjoy them for generations to come.

I reckon when life gives us a good lopping, we grow stronger for it, too .

Never fear—we here at London Relocation Ltd. will help even the most demanding of clients

We understand that our clients are quality people with quality expectations (but of course, that’s why they choose to work with our quality company!), so we set the bar high for the properties we will show.  In our collaborations with area lettings agents, we emphasize that flats must be located in safe neighborhoods, close to public transportation and necessities (grocery stores, etc.), and be of a high standard from both practical and aesthetic standpoints.

Granted, a part of our job is also managing those high expectations.  As I’ve touched on often in this blog (including my brief series on “What to Expect in a London Flat“), London is not going to be the exact replica of where one is relocating from, nor should it be.  Money does not go as far, and spaces do not stretch as vast; lifestyles must be adapted on varying levels, no question.  That being said, with our own experience as expats of what lifestyle and housing can be like elsewhere, we do our best to match client preferences to the closest London has to offer for a given area and budget, and we’ll persist until the client is satisfied.

Newly refurbished kitchen and bath?  All wooden floors?  Done—that’s what we like too!  And sure, as in the photo, demands such as accommodation of pets can throw a curve ball into the mix, simply because not all buildings or landlords allow them.  Yet in a case like this, though moving without a pet will certainly open more doors (literally) to you, it is not to say that pet owners will not still find a living space ideal for both man and beast.  This is where having a relocation specialist on your side makes all the difference—increasing your odds by increasing your options.

Relocating to London means embracing a new life abroad with a diversity of cultural experiences, yet it doesn’t have to mean entirely checking who you already are at the door.

You might want to reconsider that hat, though

RRRRRRRING!!!  RRRRRRRING!!!!

“London Relocation—this is Colleen.”

“Yeah, hi.  I’ve got your London Relocation blog on the other line.”

“Our blog?”

“Yes.  It’s our understanding that you just flew in this morning from Chicago on an overnight flight and are operating on little to no sleep, so it called and said it wants its remotely useful content  back.”

“Ah!  Yes, yes that’s good of you to ring.  But unfortunately I cannot accommodate that request at this time.  Please hold…”

It’s my day to truly PHONE IT IN, after all.

But a word of advice if you’re relocating to London from a timezone several hours behind:  Overnight flights into London will get you over the jet-lag faster if you can limit yourself to a short nap and power through until a normal bedtime that first night.  Such is what I’m presently doing, which is putting my five functioning brain cells  into overdrive, but will encourage them to prosper all the better by tomorrow, when I will hopefully have some semblance of an informative blog post to share, derrr…   In any case, if you’re making the flight from a time zone several hours ahead instead, schedule a late-afternoon/early-evening flight that will get you here in the evening so you only have a few hours to wait before getting to tuck yourself into bed for the night.  Either way, any naps that you find necessary during the subsequent day should be limited to no more than 2 hours; otherwise, you’ll sabotage your overnight sleep and require more days to acclimate to the local time.

In the meantime, I’m off to get that nap in so my brain will no longer be left off the hook…Happy Monday!