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    Starting Cycling

    We have two services designed to give people the confidence and knowledge to cycle successfully.

    Lessons

    All our instructors have been trained to National Standards level of “Bike-ability”. This means you will be trained to a standard consistent across the whole country.

    There are 3 levels of skills to progress through. Children would start with levels 1 & 2, progressing from the playground or park to cycle on less busy local roads. Teenager and adult beginners can also learn levels 1 & 2 in an off-road and quiet environment.

    Confident teenagers and adults can broaden their skills by learning level 3, using multi-lane roads and larger roundabouts. We provide both a complete package of lessons for the beginner or individual lessons tailored to the client. Whatever the need we can address and practice until perfect!

    Cost is ￡30 per hour.

    Guided Ride

    We know that riding on the roads in London can be scary, and if you have to navigate (确定行车路线) as well it can become a real hard task! The Guided Ride service takes all the stress out of it for you by providing the following:

    Route planned in advance to suit your skill level. Route map provided to you.

    Cycle and equipment checked. We will teach you a simple method to check basic roadworthiness (车辆性能) of your bike that you can perform on a weekly basis.

    Route discussed and focus given to any areas requiring special attention.

Cycle along with the instructor close behind. Here the traffic can be controlled by the instructor and rider observed.

    We currently cover London Zones 1 & 2. Please contact us if your requirements are outside of these areas.

    Cost ￡30 per hour.

    Interesting Exhibitions Held in Four Different Museums

    Name: The British Museum

    Phone: 020-7323-8000

    Website: www.britishmuseum.org

    Opening hours: daily 10 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

    Price: Free

    This exhibition aims to show the mysteries of mummification（干尸化）. From a king's daughter to a temple doorkeeper, the displays explore the identities of eight people, using their bodies to discover clues about how they lived. By using new methods, such as CT scanning and 3D visualization, the British Museum has been able to build up a picture of life in the Nile valley over 4,000 years.

    Name: The Fashion and Textile Museum

    Phone: 020-7407-8664

    Website: www.ftmlondon.org

    Opening hours: daily 11 a.m.—5:30p.m.

    Price: £8.80 adults, £5.50 students

    This Fashion and Textile Museum is housing the first-ever exhibition on classic Mexican shawl(披肩), which became famous in the 20th century. Mexican artists, photographers and fashion and textile designers will be exhibiting their colorful works there.

    Name: The Victoria and Albert Museum

    Phone: 020-7907-7073

    Website: www.vam.ac.uk

    Opening hours: Mon, Thur., Sat, Sun, 10 a.m.—5:30 p.m.; Fri. 10 a.m.—10 p.m.

    Price: Free

    The Victoria and Albert Museum has dug out some of their most charming wedding dresses to record their history during the past two centuries. White wedding dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century. See beautiful wedding dresses made by famous designers.

    Name: The Science Museum

    Phone: 0870-870-4868

    Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

    Opening hours: daily 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

    Price: Free

    This four-day festival displays the latest exciting gadgets(小机械) and introduces their inventors. Visitors can explore electronics(电子产品), build robots, get hands-on with new technologies and have a go at 3D printing. There will be displays taking place throughout the festival, which is suitable for anyone aged ten and over.

    Christmas is a time for eating great food, giving and receiving presents, and most importantly spending time with your family watching some classic Christmas movies.

    The Grinch (2000)

    This is a Christmas must­watch and one of Jim Carrey's best performances. It was also originally a nursery tale book written by Dr Seuss. It's the story of a green monster who wants to ruin Christmas but who in the end discovers the power of love and generosity. I promise it's a great film with plenty of laughs along the way.

    Love Actually (2003)

    While this is not a personal favourite of mine, people in the UK absolutely love this film. It has many featuring actors and actresses. It might be a little difficult to follow as there are complex plots, so I recommend watching a translated version or enabling subtitles (字幕) in your native language. However, the heart­warming elements of the film make it worth watching.

    Home Alone (1990)

    This amusing masterwork is one of my favourite films of all time. It tells the story of a boy, Kevin, who is left alone in his house when his large family forgets to take him on vacation with them. While the families are away, burglars try to rob the house and Kevin must protect his home by setting traps. The trips, falls and traps will have you laughing out loud as you watch a 10­year­old boy beat two grown men.

    Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

You can't have Christmas in an English­speaking country without watching this movie. It's not funny like Home Alone or The Grinch, but it is incredibly touching. It's about a man who claims to be Santa, but nobody believes him except a lawyer and a little girl. The story­line may seem a little childish but you can enjoy it at any age.

The Best American Cities for Live Music (Besides Nashville)

Nashville isn't the only city in the country with an amazing live -music site. Read on to discover other hot spots that should top your live -music bucket list.

Austin, Texas

With an official motto of "Live Music Capital of the World," it is easy to find more than 100 spots showcasing a wide variety of free live music performances. So make your way to Texas. Hang your cowboy hat and check out The Parish, The Elephant Room,etc. for a truly unforgettable Austin experience.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Prince, Bob Dylan, Lizzo and Husker Du are just some of the great musicians who have called Minnesota their home. One of Prince's favorite clubs to visit was the Dakota Jazz Club. If your budget is tight, you'll be happy to know that Minneapolis is one of 11 affordable U. S. cities to add to your bucket list.

Asbury Park, New Jersey

Asbury Park has seen a major musical rebirth over the last decade. The Stone Pony has been one of the most popular rock sites in the world since opening its doors in 1974, with Jon Bon Jovi helping to put i ton the map.

Raleigh, North Carolina

With more than 80 live music spots, Raleigh is sure to satisfy any musical desire you have. If dinner and a show is your style, the Irregardless Cafe has been hosting live jazz, not to mention fresh-from-the- farm meals- nightly since 1975. But before you book your ticket, learn how to say "Raleigh" like a local.

Your 2019 Reading List, Provided by Bill Gates

Do you want to be a billionnaire? Most of us can't live like billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, but we can read like him. Gates recommended four books in 2019—though some were published earlier.

Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson (2018)

The bestselling biographer of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein researched deeply into da Vinci's contributions beyond art, highlighting the breadth of his scientific, technological, and creative output. "Leonardo nearly understood almost all of what was known on the planet at the time. That's mostly because of his curiosity about every area of natural science and the human experience," said Gates.
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, by Thi Bui (2018)

Gates calls this graphic novel "really impressive". Bui is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who came to America after the fall of Saigon, and becoming a parent inspired her to look into her own parents' miserable history. "I was struck by how the experiences Bui describes manage to be both universal and specific to their circumstances," said Gates.

Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders (2018)

Saunders, a long-time short story writer, won high praise for this novel. The book imagines the ghosts that haunt (萦绕) the basement of Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, who died at 11 in real life. "Willie's death after the Civil War made the president have a new understanding of the grief he's creating in other families by sending their sons off to die in battle," said Gates.

Origin Story: A Big History of Everything, by David Christian (2018)

This new book is by the creator of Big History, a free, online social studies course. It traces history in wide, sweeping movements, starting with the Big Bang, and it provides, in effect, a short course in modern science. This is a brief history of the universe. "David gets a little stuck on the current economic and political problems in the West, and I wish he talked more about the role technology will play in preventing the worst effects of climate change," said Gates.