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LIGHTERS’ London Reunion - August, 2004
Bulletin 培正光社倫敦重聚

"Fellowship and Fun"

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Keeping you up-to-date Final Issue 8 Aug 2004

Important! ACTION ITEMS: Check Your Passport

"HI" Tea Sunday (8/15)

Pub/Dinner (8/15)

Walking Tour (8/16)

Registration for Gala Dinner (8/16)

Cruise to Scandinavia and Russia (8/17)

Reunion Itinerary

August 9 (Monday) – August 15 (Sunday)

Pre-Reunion Tour "Best of Southern England"

x:00 a.m.(8/10) Boarding Globus coach at Ramada Hyde Park Hotel

x:00 p.m.(8/14) Return to Hotels in London

August 15 (Sunday)

Opening Day, Lighter’s 45^th. Reunion

9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Arrival Registration at Canterbury Suite, Thistle

Marble Arch Hotel

3:30 – 5:30 p.m. "Hi" Tea at Thistle Marble Arch Hotel

6:30 p.m. Pub/Dinner at The Three Tuns

August 16 (Monday)

Morning Tour

8:25 a.m. City Bus Tour

8:45 a.m. Walking Tour

Gala Dinner and Dancing

6:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. Thistle Marble Arch Hotel

August 17 (Tuesday) – August 29 (Sunday)

Post Reunion Cruise to Scandinavia and Russia

12 noon (8/17). Thistle Marble Arch Hotel to Dover for embarking

Norwegian Dream to sail at 4:00 p.m.

5:00 a.m.(8/29) Arrival at Dover and Transfer to Airports

Check Your Passport Action!

It is very common for most nations to insist that your passport is having at least 6 month time before it will expired, at the completion of your trip in that country. Please check yours.

It is also recommended that you should make copy of the picture/data page and keep it elsewhere, not with your passport in case you need to get a replacement at the local embassy if the original is lost or stolen.

Airport - Thistle Marble Arch Hotel Transfer

From Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Airbus: take Bus A2 (to London King’s Cross via Bayswater, Marble Arch and Russell Square), leaving every 35 minutes daily from 5:30 a.m. – 9:45 p.m. It takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes to reach the bus stop at Marble Arch; but you have to walk about 2-3 minutes from the bus stop to the hotel with your luggage. The bus is a long white coach called "National Express Airport" with a big red circle and a big blue circle marked on the rear as well as both sides of the coach. The cost is GBP8.00 (US$14-15) per person. Tickets are available either on the coach or in the office.

"Hotel Link": 7-8 passenger van takes you right to the hotel front door in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The cost is CA$34.00 (GBP14.00), a special rate through Gina Mok and pre-paid booking is necessary, per person.

Taxi: "Black Cabs" take up to 4 people. The cost is GBP40.00 and up. Please avoid to use the mini-cab which is similar to those we called "white license (白牌)" in Hong Kong, even up to 40% discount may be offered.

Underground: Take Piccadilly Line (blue color) to Holborn; then transfer to Central Line (red color) to Marble Arch with your luggage. The cost is GBP3.80.

Train: It services between Terminal 4 and Paddington Station and takes 25 minutes to reach London. It departs at 15 minute of the hour from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a different departure interval on weekend. The cost is GBP 13.00 (regular) and GBP21.00 (first class). If your flight lands on Terminal 3, please follow the sign of underground and walk all the way through the tunnel (about 30 minutes) to catch a transfer train to Terminal 4 to make you way to the "Heathrow Express" terminal. Taxi from Paddington station to hotel is about GBP4.

From Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Airbus: Take Bus A5 to Victoria Station for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The cost is GBP12.00 per person. Then take a taxi to the hotel, around GBP7 is recommended.

"Hotel Link": 7-8 passenger van takes you right to the hotel front door. The cost is CA$46.00 (GBP19.00), a special rate through Gina Mok and pre-paid booking is necessary, per person.

Taxi: "Black Cabs" takes up to 4 people. The cost is GBP70.00 and up. Please avoid to use the mini-cab which is similar to those we called "white license (白牌)" in Hong Kong, even up to 40% discount may be offered.

Train: take "Gatwick Express" train, runs every 15 minutes from 5:20 – 00:50 a.m. and hourly overnight, to Victoria Station for a 30 minute journey. The cost is GBP12.00 per person. Then take a taxi to the hotel, around GBP7 is recommended.

Public Transportation Ticket

One Day Card

If you are intending to explore London by yourself or with your classmates, you may consider to purchase a traveller ticket (Zone 1 & 2, Central London) at all ticket stations:

One Day – GBP5.30

One Day Off Peak – GBP4:30 (Not good before 9:30 a.m.)

There is also a 1-day pass for "BUS ONLY". It costs GBP2.50 and can be bought at most bus stops, valid for the day of purchase until small hour in the morning.

Three Day Card

If you stay at London longer, you may consider to get an "Unlimited London Travelcard" through Gina Mok. The cost is CAD29.00 for Central Zone (inside London), this card provides 3 consecutive days unlimited use of London’s buses and subways; and, it needs to be ordered at least 14 days prior to departure. Please contact Gina if you are interested.

One Week Card

Please bring a small photo (an inch or so) of you when the initial card is purchased. The price is GBP17.00.

Weekend Card

Good only for Saturday and Sunday for a price of GBP6.30.

London Taxi – "Black Cab"

Some cabs nowadays are very colorful; but, the shape is remained unchanged. It is confirmed that each cab is licensed to carry 5 persons and with a meter installed on the left hand side of the driver in adjacent to the dash board. All cabs are wheelchair accessible and no surcharge is allowed under any circumstance. You may give 5% tips provided you are happy with the services; and you may also pay the fare after step down the taxi on arrival.

For additional information, please visit http://londonblack-cab.com.

Important Phone Numbers

Please write down these numbers on a small piece of paper for your unexpected need during our stay at London:

Nai-Sum Leung (梁乃森): 0208 200 9515 (Home)

077 8530 2141 (Cellular)

Gina Mok (莫燕秋): 079 8112 5205 (Cellular)

Thistle Marble Arch Hotel: 0870 333 9116

Thistle Marble Arch Hotel

The hotel will be our home base during our reunion at London:

Bryanston Street, Marble Arch

London, England W1H 7EH

Tel: 0870 333 9116

Fax: 0870 333 9216

Web: www.thistlehotels.com/thistlemarble

Check-in: 3:00 p.m. or earlier if room available

Check-out: 11:00 a.m.

If you are in the cruise package, please present your "hotel voucher" (inside your cruise ticket booklet) at check in. The front desk will still take an imprint of your credit card for any incidental charges – a common practice nowadays.

"Changing of the Guard" at Buckingham Palace

This is one of the "Must-See" in London. If you arrive on the 14^th.(Saturday) or earlier, don’t miss out this one. This colorful ceremony is held on the ODD days from July 31 to September 20, 2004. It starts at 11:30 a.m. for a duration of 45 minutes in the Buckingham Palace’s forecourt. Go early and get a good place to stand.

Good news! LEUNG NAI SUM (A22) has agreed to be your local guide to take you to the site. Please meet 10:00 a.m. at the hotel lobby on the 15^th. (Sunday). We will take the underground Central Line (red) to Bond Street; then change to Jubilee Line (gray) to Green Park station. Follow the crowd (mostly tourist) and make your way to the forecourt area to watch the show. The subway ticket cost is GBP4.30. Afterward, we can take bus NO.14, 19, or 38 to Wardour Street stop for lunch at Chinatown, if you prefer.

For those who are not so lucky, you still be able to see Buckingham Palace inside between 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The ticket price is GBP12.95 (adult), GBP11.00 (over 60 and student), or GBP 6.50 (under 17). There is discount for a group of 15 persons or more, GBP11.50, 9.50 and 6.00 respectively. If you order ticket by telephone, there is a GBP1.00 surcharge per person.

"Best of Southern England" Tour

Please meet at 6:00 p.m., August 9 at Ramada Hyde Park Hotel’s lobby for a welcome "Happy Hour" among the Lighters.

Broadway Show in London

On the night of the 14^th. (Saturday), a group of the lighters has reserved tickets for "Les Miserables" at the Queen Theater. According to Patrick Wong (C15), there are still tickets (about GBP45) available at this time; and if you are interested, please call directly to the ticket office at +44 207 494 5040 and it may save you from paying commission.

"Hi" Tea Sunday (8/15) Action! Action!

To welcome all lighters and their family & friends to attend the 45^th. reunion at London, Lighters in the United kingdom will present the "Hi" tea get together at 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. in the Whistle Marble Arch Hotel. Please be sure to come and say "Hello" to everyone and meet our hosts. For preparation purpose, please email Leung Nai Sum (lsleung23@hotmail.com) with the number of people if you are planning to attend. Thank you for your cooperation.

Pub/Dinner (8/15) Action! Action!

Everyone (including spouse, relatives and friends) is welcome to come for the drinks at the pub. But, please let us know (email to Ben Chinbong at chinbong@pacbell.net ) by August 11 if you are planning to have dinner over there because the restaurant usually does not have too much food in stock on Sunday. Please meet 6:30 p.m. at the lobby. The place we will go is named "The Three Tuns" on 1 Portman Mews South, London W1H 6HP. It is only a 2 minute walk from the hotel.

Options for A.M. Monday’s (8/16)

There are a few options we can utilize the free time we have before our gala dinner:

city tour with Gray Line starts at 9:00 a.m., ends at noon, and picks up at Thistle Marble Arch at 8:25 a.m. The cost is GBP35.00. It can be booked through the hotel concierge 24 hours ahead, or do it on line at www.goldentours.co.uk,

guided London Walk (www.walks.com). The cost is GBP5.50,

individual adventure by hop-0n/hop-off open double-deck sightseeing bus (www.theoriginaltour.com or www.bigbus.co.uk) The cost is GBP16.00 for adult and GBP11.00 each for a group of 10

walk around town on your own.

Walking Tour (8/16) Action! Action!

Do you like to tour London for a couple of hours together with your fellow Lighters classmates? In the morning of Monday, August 16, you can join in a leisurely walk with a guide through the original "City of London", from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Tower of London. It covers the distance about one mile, over the old city center, and explores twisty little alleyways, nooks, crannies, and a secret stretch of shoreline that’ll give you a thrilling view across the river to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The tour will be from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.; but, we will meet at the hotel lobby no later than 8:45 a.m. so that we can have enough time to make it to St. Paul’s Underground Tube Stop, Exit 2 Street Level to meet our guide. The cost is only GBP5.00 per person, a real bargain. Since we have booked a private group of 25 with limited spaces available, first come first serve, please contact Chiu Chung Wo (D25) at chungwo_chiu@hotmail.com (or 408-910-2768) ASAP if you are interested.

Registration for Gala Dinner (8/16) Action! Action!

Please register with Gina Mok ASAP if you are going to attend the "Gala Dinner" at the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel on Monday evening. Since there is not much time left, the best method to pay for this event is by charging on your credit card for $130 (Canadian dollar) per person. The cost will include buffet dinner, wine, D.J. for dancing & karaoke, tax and service charge … etc. Please furnish your card number to her, thank you.

The dress code is SMART CASUAL, tie is not necessary.

Gala Dinner Schedule

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. No Host Cocktail/Reception

7:00 – 7:30 p.m. Programs

7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Dinner in Buffet Style

9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. Dancing and Karaoke

Dinner Menu

Breast of Chicken in Lemon and Mushroom Sauce

Lamb Kolta – Kebab Style

Fillets of Salmon with a Herb Crust and Parsley Sauce

Braised Rice

Vegetable and Pasta Bake

Selection of Cold Cut Meats, quiches and Salad

Black forest Gateau

Lemon Delice

Fresh fruit Platter

Coffee and Tea

Cruise to Scandinavia and Russia Action!

By now, you should have received the cruise package from Gina via FedEx. If you have not done the guest registration yet, please fill out the form "Advanced Guest Registration" inside the package and follow instruction as "If you are within 14 days of sailing, keep this form intact and bring it with you the day you board your cruise". Please be sure to do this before you embark for it is MANDATORY!

Pre-booking of shore excursions can also done via internet to insure what you would like to have. Also, you can purchase these tours when you are on board the ship.

A group dinning at the Four Seasons Dinning Room for 5:30 p.m. on the 17^th. has been arranged for our group, also on 20^th. and 27^th. as well. For all other nights are "free style" dinning.

Total Travel will have a courtesy desk on board to assist you with any question or request you might have at the beginning and the end of the cruise. The date will be on the 18^th. (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.) and the 28^th. (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) Desk location will be advised.

Transfer from hotel to pier at Dover on the 17^th. will be provided by the cruise line as part of the package. The departure time at the hotel will be posted on the hotel bulletin board by Norwegian Cruise Line.

Transfer from pier to airport will be provided by Total Travel at no cost to you on the 29^th.

Visa

If you are going to take the post reunion cruise, visa is not required for Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States of America passport holders. However, if you decide to tour Russia on your own (not taking any organized tour), you will need to get a visa from your local Russian Embassy.

Returning to London from Dover

If you need to go back to London after the Scandinavian cruise, there are two different method you can choose:

Option 1.

Take the "South Eastern Line" train to London’s Victoria, or Charming Cross station. The last train’s schedule is 9:09 p.m. The cost is GBP12.90.

Option 2.

Take the coach with most of the lighters to Heathrow Airport, and switch to bus, "Hotel Link", taxi, Underground, or train to central London as described in "Airport – Thistle Marble Arch Hotel Transfer" above.

Planning Committee

In alphabetical order on family names:

Stephen Chen (陳瑞祥)

Ben Chinbong (陳炳璋)

Chung-Wo Chiu (趙中和)

Fat Yau Lam (林發有)

Shirley Lam (林秀靈)

S.S. Lau (劉紹偉)

Nai-Sum Leung (梁乃森)

May Mei (梅韻韶)

Gina Mok (莫燕秋), chairperson

Peter Tong (唐上元)

Lawrence Wong (黃宇楷)

The Latest Numbers

We have had 43 classmates (total of 73 people, including spouses) signing up for the reunion, 13 classmates (total of 19 people) will be on the bus tour, and 35 classmates (total of 67 people) have booked the cruise. Wonderful!

Attendant List

Chan, Alec (陳達) ^ -------------------- Chan, Tak Ki

Chan, Pui Kin (陳培堅) ^

Chan, Yuk Keung (陳毓強) ^ ------------ Chan, Rebecca

Chen, Bob (陳澎) * ^

Chen, Mei (梅韻韶) *

Chen, Stephen S.C. (陳瑞祥) ^ -------- Chen, Heidi

Cheng, Gina (莫燕秋) * ^ ---------------- Cheng, Stephen

Chinbong, Benjamin (陳炳璋) ^ -------- Chinbong, Allison

Chiu, Chung Wo (趙中和) --------------- Chiu, Tina

Chiu, David (趙崇光) ^ ------------------- Chiu, Victoria

Chow, Ophelia (周坤維) ^ --------------- Wong, Chik Woon

Chu, Hung (朱鋐) ^

Ho, Michael (何家楠) ^ ------------------- Ho, Tipanee

Hsieh, Ted (謝天詒)

Ip, Kwok Ping (葉國平) ^ ---------------- Ip, Chan Ling Mee

Kwok, Gee Yin (郭子賢) ^ --------------- Kwok, Marion

Kwok, Tony (郭端) ^

Lam, Fat Yau (林發有) ^ ----------------- Lam, Sau Ying

Lam, Shirley S.L. (林秀靈) *

Lau, S.S. (劉紹偉) * ^ -------------------- Lau, Kwai Ling

Lee, Yuk Ming (李旭明) * ^ ------------- Lee, Selena

Leung, Daniel H.M. (梁康民) ^ -------- Leung, Wai Jing

Leung, Nai Sum (梁乃森) ^

Li, Ann (陳瑩) ^

Li, Alec (李銳芬) ^

Luk, C.C. (陸志中) ^ --------------------- Luk, Lau Shiu Lee & Luk, Sonya

Mark, Shik Lung (麥鍚龍) ^ ------------ Mark, Virginia

Ng, Kam Sik (吳錦鍚) ^ ----------------- Ng, Diane

Ong, Kwok Yung (鄧國勇) ^ ----------- Ong, Yuen Tat

Pang, Wah Fu (彭華富) ^ -------------- Yam, Chi Lai

Pang Woon Tong (彭煥棠) * ^ -------- Chan, Lai Shim

Su, Dennis (徐子敬) ^ ------------------- Su, Denise

Tong, Peter (唐上元) *

Tsang, Linda (曾慶璇) *

Wong, Alfonso (黃銘賢) ^ -------------- Wong, Alice

Wong, Douglas H.D. (黃瀚鐸) ^ ------ Wong, Frances

Wong, Lawrence Y.K. (黃宇楷) ^ ---- Tsang, Cornina Wing May

Wong, Pat (黃雄耀) ^ ------------------- Wong, Bonnie

Wu, Paul (胡汝源) * ^

Yang, Kong Ling (楊江) ^ ----------- Yang, Myrtle

Yeung, Danny (楊定渝) ^ -------------- Gaylord, Beverly

Yue, Shui Jane (余瑞珍) * ------------- Liu, Yiu Sing

Zai, David Y.F. (謝玉峰) ^ ------------- Chu, Judy

Notes: * taking the "Best of Southern England" tour

^ taking the "Scandinavia and Russia" cruise

Money Conversion

For your convenience, these are the approximate rate of exchange extracted from http://www.xe.com/ucc on August 7, 2004.

1 USD = 1.313 CAD (Canada Dollars) 1 CAD = 0.761 USD

1 USD = 0.544 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) 1 GBP = 1.840 USD

1 USD = 0.811 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 1.233 USD

1 USD = 12.695 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.079 USD

1 USD = 29.205 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.034 USD

1 USD = 7.479 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.134 USD

1 USD = 6.054 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.165 USD

1 CAD = 0.414 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) 1 GBP = 2.416 CAD

1 CAD = 0.618 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 1.619 CAD

1 CAD = 9.666 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.103 CAD

1 CAD = 22.236 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.045 CAD

1 CAD = 5.694 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.176 CAD

1 CAD = 4.610 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.217 CAD

1 HKD = 0.070 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) 1 GBP = 14.338 HKD

1 HKD = 0.104 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 9.605 HKD

1 HKD = 1.629 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.614 HKD

1 HKD = 3.747 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.267 HKD

1 HKD = 0.960 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 1.042 HKD

1 HKD = 0.777 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 1.287 HKD

1 AUD = 0.386 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) 1 GBP = 2.587 AUD

1 AUD = 0.577 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 1.733 AUD

1 AUD = 9.027 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.111 AUD

1 AUD = 20.766 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.048 AUD

1 AUD = 5.317 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.188 AUD

1 AUD = 4.305 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.232 AUD

1 SGD = 0.317 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) 1 GBP = 3.159 SGD

1 SGD = 0.472 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 2.117 SGD

1 SGD = 7.392 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.135 SGD

1 SGD = 17.003 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.059 SGD

1 SGD = 4.352 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.230 SGD

1 SGD = 3.525 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.284 SGD

1 GBP = 1.493 EUR (Euro) 1 EUR = 0.670 GBP

1 GBP = 23.356 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.043 GBP

1 GBP = 53.722 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.019 GBP

1 GBP = 13.750 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.073 GBP

1 GBP = 11.136 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.090 GBP

1 EUR = 15.647 EEK (Estonia Krooni) 1 EEK = 0.064 EUR

1 EUR = 35.989 RUR (Russia Rubles) 1 RUR = 0.028 EUR

1 EUR = 9.211 SEK (Sweden Kronor) 1 SEK = 0.109 EUR

1 EUR = 7.460 DKK (Demark Kroner) 1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Please discard the last issue of this bulletin, and it is recommended to print one out and bring it to the reunion!