Vintage Shops in Leeds

London Conclusion...

I think I have enough research and visuals to support my view that London is 'good'. It's worldwide popularity is a massive support to this as well. It is a fantastic city bursting with history and culture, and there is something to do for every age, gender...
And the fact that it is the location for the 2012 Olympics is an added bonus.

Skittles...Taste The Rainbow

Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavored candies, currently produced and marketed by the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a division of Mars, Inc.. They have hard sugar shells which carry the letter S. The inside is mainly sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil along with fruit juice, citric acid and natural and artificial flavours.

Skittles were first made commercially in 1974 by a British company.[1] They were first introduced in North America in 1979 as an import candy.[2] In 1982, domestic production of Skittles began in the United States. On March 2, 2009, Skittles launched a web-based marketing campaign where their official website became a small overlay with options to view different social media sites in the main area, including its official YouTube channel, a Facebook profile, and a Twitter account.[3] The move was debated by people interested in social media.[4][5]

Different Areas...

This is how London is divided up in terms of directions, as it is such a big city, people use the compass directions for example, they may be in Camden which is in North London, it is also easier for the postal system too.

East London: 'A vibrant and culturally interesting area which is the fastest growing destination in London' - http://visiteastlondon.com/
'... known for its high immigrant population...- ' http://eleflat.co.uk/londonAreas.htm

I have never really spent any time in this area before, so I am unable to comment. Although I may visit when the London Olympics 2012 is taking place.

South London: In the West there is Knightsbridge, well known for it's upmarket shopping places for example, Harrods.

I have been to this are a few times and visited Harrods, the Saatchi Gallery and the V&A, this area is much wealthier than some of the other areas, like the East End for example.

West London: 'Notting Hill can seem like a fantasy of London: film-set pretty with well-kept stucco townhouses, the chicest of boutiques and eateries and London's most picturesque street market, which runs along Portobello Road.' - London- Wallpaper City Guide

North London: 'The leafy villages of north London are a refreshing change from the hectic hustle of The City but it’s by no means boring so why not explore what the area has to offer.' - http://www.gosomewhere.co.uk/northlondon/glance.html

I have family in this area of London, and I really enjoy it, it can be really contrasting, for example there are some areas with leafy suburbs, and lovely parks, like Finsbury Park, and there are the busy 'city' areas like Camden, totally different, but just as enjoyable as one another.

Central: 'Sit back, relax, and take in the sights of London by bus.' - http://www.visitlondon.com/
'The City of London is a strange place. To a Brit, the 'City' doesn't mean the whole of London but simply the 'Square Mile' (actually 1.08 square miles) as it is colloquially known. Its boundaries encompass the financial heart of London: an area where 30% of the high-tech office buildings were built within the last ten years; an area which houses the London exchange market where a staggering $637 billion worth of trading (32% of global business) takes place every day' -http://www.virtual-london.com/sightseeing/london-areas/

Where it's at. Soho can be described as a nocturnal playground, and Mayfair is home to some of London's finest hotels. The 'West End' is a popular area with tourists and theatre lovers. The tour buses are a great way of covering a lot of distance without all the walking and crowds. I enjoy this area of London everytime I go!


These are the thirty two boroughs of London:

From Wikipedia:

London's vast urban area is often described using a set of district names, such as Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Wembley and Whitechapel. These are either informal designations, reflect the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units such as parishes or former boroughs.
Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without current official boundaries. Since 1965 Greater London has been divided into 32 London boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London.[96][97] The City of London is the main financial district[98] and Canary Wharf has recently developed into a new financial and commercial hub, in the Docklands to the east.
The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping district, attracting tourists.[99] West London includes expensive residential areas where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds.[100] The average price for properties in Kensington and Chelsea is £894,000 with similar average outlay in most of Central London.[101]
The East End is the area closest to the original Port of London, known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London.[102] The surrounding East London area saw much of London's early industrial development; now, brownfield sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea Valley, which is being developed into the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics.[102]

Attractions...

Another reason that London is good... its home to some fantastic attractions, whether they are educational or purely for fun.


One of my top favourites has to be Madame Tussauds waxworks museum, it can be enjoyed by all the family. You can meet your favourite sports stars, actors, political figures and even have your photo taken with them!




There is a Chamber of Horrors area, and within that an attraction they used to call Chamber Live, now aptly named Scream, where you walk in the dark through a high seurity prison where the psycho killer inmates are running loose. Absolutely terrifying, but brilliant.






The London Eye is another great attraction, its a great view if the weather is good, which it was luckily when I went on! It takes about half an hour which I think was just the right amount of time, enough time to take things in without being bored.



The Science Museum is great I have been as a child, and I have been much older, and it is still just as interesting and entertaining. My favourite parts have to be the children's section which is all hands on and interactive, the IMAX 3D cinema, the motion simulator (the bigger one). the space section and psychology section.

Sleep...

Sleep is a naturally recurring altered state of consciousness with relatively suspended sensory and motor activity, characterized by the inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles.[1] It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, but it is more easily reversible than hibernation or coma. Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
The purposes and mechanisms of sleep are only partially clear and are the subject of intense research.

In mammals and birds, sleep is divided into two broad types: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM or non-REM) sleep. Each type has a distinct set of associated physiological, neurological, and psychological features. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) further divides NREM into three stages: N1, N2, and N3, the last of which is also called delta sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS).[3

Stage N1 refers to the transition of the brain from alpha waves having a frequency of 8 to 13 Hz (common in the awake state) to theta waves having a frequency of 4 to 7 Hz. This stage is sometimes referred to as somnolence or drowsy sleep. Sudden twitches and hypnic jerks, also known as positive myoclonus, may be associated with the onset of sleep during N1. Some people may also experience hypnagogic hallucinations during this stage, which can be troublesome to them. During N1, the subject loses some muscle tone and most conscious awareness of the external environment.
Stage N2 is characterized by sleep spindles ranging from 11 to 16 Hz (most commonly 12–14 Hz) and K-complexes. During this stage, muscular activity as measured by EMG decreases, and conscious awareness of the external environment disappears. This stage occupies 45% to 55% of total sleep in adults.
Stage N3 (deep or slow-wave sleep) is characterized by the presence of a minimum of 20% delta waves ranging from 0.5 to 2 Hz and having a peak-to-peak amplitude >75 μV. (EEG standards define delta waves to be from 0 – 4 Hz, but sleep standards in both the original R&K, as well as the new 2007 AASM guidelines have a range of 0.5 – 2 Hz.) This is the stage in which parasomnias such as night terrors, nocturnal enuresis, sleepwalking, and somniloquy occur. Many illustrations and descriptions still show a stage N3 with 20%-50% delta waves and a stage N4 with greater than 50% delta waves; these have been combined as stage N3.
[edit] REM sleep
Main article: Rapid eye movement sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep, accounts for 20%–25% of total sleep time in most human adults. The criteria for REM sleep include rapid eye movements as well as a rapid low-voltage EEG. Most memorable dreaming occurs in this stage. At least in mammals, a descending muscular atonia is seen. Such paralysis may be necessary to protect organisms from self-damage through physically acting out scenes from the often-vivid dreams that occur during this stage.

Sleep timing is controlled by the circadian clock, sleep-wake homeostasis, and in humans, within certain bounds, willed behavior. The circadian clock—an inner timekeeping, temperature-fluctuating, enzyme-controlling device—works in tandem with adenosine, a neurotransmitter that inhibits many of the bodily processes associated with wakefulness. Adenosine is created over the course of the day; high levels of adenosine lead to sleepiness. In diurnal animals, sleepiness occurs as the circadian element causes the release of the hormone melatonin and a gradual decrease in core body temperature. The timing is affected by one's chronotype. It is the circadian rhythm that determines the ideal timing of a correctly structured and restorative sleep episode.[11]

Optimal amount in humans
[edit] Adult
The optimal amount of sleep is not a meaningful concept unless the timing of that sleep is seen in relation to an individual's circadian rhythms. A person's major sleep episode is relatively inefficient and inadequate when it occurs at the "wrong" time of day; one should be asleep at least six hours before the lowest body temperature.[16] The timing is correct when the following two circadian markers occur after the middle of the sleep episode and before awakening:[17]
maximum concentration of the hormone melatonin, and
minimum core body temperature.
Human sleep need can vary by age and among individuals, and sleep is considered to be adequate when there is no daytime sleepiness or dysfunction. Moreover, self-reported sleep duration is only moderately correlated with actual sleep time as measured by actigraphy,[18] and those affected with sleep state misperception may typically report having slept only four hours despite having slept a full eight hours.[19]

Age and condition vs Average amount of sleep per day
Newborn: up to 18 hours
1–12 months: 14–18 hours
1–3 years: 12–15 hours
3–5 years: 11–13 hours
5–12 years: 9–11 hours
Adolescents: 9–10 hours[29]
Adults, including elderly: 7–8(+) hours
Pregnant women: 8(+) hours

Sleep debt is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep; a large debt causes mental, emotional, and physical fatigue.
Sleep debt results in diminished abilities to perform high-level cognitive functions. Neurophysiological and functional imaging studies have demonstrated that frontal regions of the brain are particularly responsive to homeostatic sleep pressure.[30]
Scientists do not agree on how much sleep debt it is possible to accumulate; whether it is accumulated against an individual's average sleep or some other benchmark; nor on whether the prevalence of sleep debt among adults has changed appreciably in the industrialized world in recent decades. It is likely that children are sleeping less than previously in Western societies.[31]

In the 1950s, a radio disc jockey by the name of Peter Tripp engaged on what was (and still is), a popular radio amusement, the "stunt." (Nowadays, it's just about the norm for wacky antics to pervade radio stations across the nation.)
In Peter's case, his objective was to break the world's record for staying awake. He didn't sleep for days and days while he played records and bantered with his audience from a glass booth in Times Square. He was on the air for about 3 hours per day. The rest of the time, he was kept awake by nurses who nudged him when he began to drop off. Doctors and scientists who were studying him also played games with him, asked him questions continually, and did everything they could to keep his attention.
In all, he was able to stay awake for a total of 201 hours before he simply passed out. That's over eight days! But it came with a price.
During the wake-a-thon, and after only a couple of days, Peter Tripp began to hallucinate. He saw cobwebs on his shoes. He saw mice and kittens that weren't there. He rummaged through drawers looking for money that never existed. He also accused a technician of dropping a hot electrode into his shoe. Basically, he had totally "flipped out."
When he finally ended the ordeal, he went to sleep for over 13 hours.

Scientists have shown numerous ways in which sleep is related to memory. In a study conducted by Turner, Drummond, Salamat, and Brown,[42] working memory was shown to be affected by sleep deprivation. Working memory is important because it keeps information active for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision making, reasoning, and episodic memory. The study allowed 18 women and 22 men to sleep only 26 minutes per night over a four-day period. Subjects were given initial cognitive tests while well-rested, and then were tested again twice a day during the four days of sleep deprivation. On the final test, the average working memory span of the sleep-deprived group had dropped by 38% in comparison to the control group.

Vintage.

Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g. "vintage clothing store." It can also be used as an adjective: "This dress is vintage."
The word vintage is copied from its use in wine terminology, as a more elegant-seeming euphemism for "old" clothes.

I quite like the idea of how old the clothes are, as there may be stories and interesting anecdotes behind the items, which makes them even more special. Its sometimes a pain going through the items too, but when you find that special scarf or bag hidden at the bag, its like a sense of achievement.