Picture Yourself There

Bush meets Brown at Camp David

World leaders have met here in years past; famous peace treaties have been signed, alliances forged, best laid plans set. George Bush’s famous presidential retreat, Camp David has now proudly hosted new UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Washington’s top notch press corps obviously thought long and hard about what defining image to release to the international media. Why not show Bush and Brown having fun in a golf buggy! At least its a zero-emissions vehicle….

Whether they had time for an 18 hole golf session remains to be seen, but the sport is certainly popular with the Yanks – approximately half of the world’s golf courses are in the US. Worthington Manor Golf Club is one of the top courses in the state of Maryland and within ‘driving range’ of Camp David too.

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Edinburgh Festival 2007

Edinburgh residents prepare to flee your homes, as the Festival 2007 (complete with approximately a million of the student population) descends upon the Scottish capital. For the month of August, venues across the city will be filled with anyone and everyone from the most accomplished stars of the international stage, to the slightly wooden amateur productions with their creaky sets and bungled exits. One of the highlights of the theatre calendar, this really is one of the most entertaining events you'll come across, in one of the UK's most vibrant and eclectic cities.

However, if you associate the Edinburgh Festival with another pretentious 21-year-old's self indulgent interpretation of Kafka's Metamorphosis, or irritatingly chirpy theatre kids high-kicking their way through Guys and Dolls for another year, don't forget that there are plenty of other things to do in the city.  From the City Observatory to the more bizarre Frankenstein Museum, you'll have no trouble finding sights to see - unless, that is, you're distracted by Cadenhead's Whisky Shop, a detour which may slow your progress somewhat...

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Malta, Queen’s diamond wedding anniversary

Rebellious, partying youngsters, beautiful but dramatic on-off couples, the comedy older guy who always puts his foot in it… no, it’s not the cast of Eastenders, but the jewel in our British crown, the Royal Family. And for a change, this week’s episode is not all about the enigmatic relationship between Wills and Kate – all eyes are on the Jack and Vera of the clan, The Queen and Prince Philip, who are preparing for their diamond wedding anniversary later this year. Yes, while the rest of the family goes through their shake-ups, break-ups and make-ups, the Queen and her husband are showing the rest of them how it’s done after clocking up 60 years of wedded bliss.

The royal couple will be celebrating with a trip to Malta, a place they visited in their youth. They danced in the ballroom of the opulent Hotel Meridien Phoenicia, which stands just outside the capital of Valletta – and with today’s NavPix, you could pay a visit there yourselves. Don’t forget your tiara.

Be a king for a day, and get the NavPix here…

Ben and Jerry’s Sundae on the Common

What’s better than a weekend full of buzzing crowds, live music and fairground attractions? This is: a weekend full of buzzing crowds, live music, fairground attractions and gallons of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. This weekend, the Sundae Festival kicks off in London’s Clapham Common, and we reckon the people who manage to bag themselves a ticket are going to be the happiest in the capital.

Maybe you’re thinking this all sounds too good to be true – after all, as delicious as a tub of Cookie Dough is, there’s a price to pay the next morning when you realise you’ve gained four pounds in an evening. But this carbon-neutral festival is as heavenly as low-fat Cherry Garcia, with proceeds from ticket sales supporting a solar-panel project in India. Surely you don’t need any more incentive to indulge?...

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Six Flags Theme Park, New Jersey

                                     

What’s the worst thing about having rubbish weather at summertime? No, it’s not the fact that you won’t get a nice tan. It’s the prospect of children – either yours or, worse, someone else’s – moping around all day complaining that they’re ‘soooo boooored’. And being stuck in the house with them. So, why not resort to the time-honoured classic family day out during the holidays, and take them out to a theme park? Yes, it’ll still be raining, but at least you’ll have something to do other than play on the X Box.

And today, we’ve got something pretty special up our sleeve for any adrenaline junkies out there… The tallest rollercoaster in the world, The Kingda Ka in Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, is just about the least boring thing you could possibly spend 50 seconds on. At more than 450 feet, we’re not sure if it’s entirely suitable for children, but it’ll certainly shut them up for a while.

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Red Bull Air Race 2007

There are those of us who like to keep our feet on the ground, and there are those whose heads are forever in the clouds. And then there are those who really go the extra mile, and insist on taking part in the infamous Red Bull air race, a competition in which pilots will slalom through the air just metres above the river Thames. At 400kph. Wacky Races this aint – this is a showcase for some serious skills. See above for some action at the Interlaken earlier this year...

Organisers of the race say that one of the best things about the competition is ‘the proximity of the contest to the crowds’. Frankly, we wouldn’t immediately think of this as being a plus, but perhaps this is an event where the spectators need to be as fearless as the competitors.

Chocs away. This is all happening at the O2 in London, and you can get the NavPix here…

Tsala treehouses

Given the weather, it seems appropriate that the song that has been at Number One for the past ten weeks in the UK is Umbrella by Rihanna. Approximately as annoying as the weather itself, the single literally couldn’t be more appropriate for this miserable Great British Summer. With kitchens covered two feet deep in water, cars poking out of road-rivers like rusty icebergs, and workers being evacuated from flooded offices (hmmm. Maybe not all bad then) people are resignedly swapping their shorts and sundresses for wellies and woollies.

Since all those rainy days have come at once, there’s only one thing for it: the only way you’re going to save yourself from soggy shoes and socks is by moving to a treehouse. Or, as they are officially called by Blueforest, eco-lodges. Visit www.blueforest.com, not just for some great suggestions of treetop getaways, but also if you’d like to create your own forest hideaway. We love the look of the Tsala retreats at http://tsala.co.za/tsala/. When we pack up and head for the trees, remember, we’re not being decadent – just practical.

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Dubai Tower

If you’re the kind of person who gets a nosebleed halfway up a stepladder, you’re probably not going to enjoy today’s NavPix very much. Sorry about that. But the incredible Burj Dubai Tower is so staggering that we simply can’t overlook it – standing at a nauseating 1,680 feet, it is now officially the tallest building in the world. And you’d be wrong if you thought that the creators have gone far enough, since plans show that construction will continue until the building is more than 2,000 feet high. We at Picture Yourself There thought you needed an oxygen canister (and a strong stomach) at that kind of altitude, but apparently the building is habitable.

With penthouses going for millions of dollars, this really is one of the most jaw-dropping locations in the world. Let’s just hope that, when you get home with all your bags of shopping, the lift isn’t on the blink.

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Mercury Music Prize nominees announced

It’s always embarrassing when you manage to show your ignorance of popular culture in front of your friends, especially when it comes to music. We’ve all done it: loudly singing the wrong lyrics on the dancefloor (‘Dancing queen, feel the beads on the tangerine’), getting the name of that hot new band completely wrong (‘Yeah, yeah, I really love the Kings of Neon’)… With new acts coming and going like there’s no tomorrow, it’s hard to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not.

Which is why everyone should love the Mercury Music Prize – because nobody has ever heard of half of the nominees. All of a sudden it’s a level playing field. True, this year’s list does include mainstream acts such as Amy Winehouse and the Arctic Monkeys, but the obligatory ‘who?’ space has been adequately filled by Basquiat Strings.

Hmmm. Perhaps you’d be more at home with Now 24 and Top Of The Pops 2. The nominees were announced at London's trendy Hospital club - and you can get the NavPix here…

Camilla's birthday party

For most people, a birthday usually consists of i) a few quiet drinks at the pub, perhaps followed by a night on the tiles, ii) an embarrassing and endless dinner with family members who thankfully only put face-time in twice a year, or iii) a night of denial, either not mentioning it at all / telling everyone that you’re 29 (again). But when you’re part of the Royal family – and getting ready for a very special birthday - celebrations are going to be a little different.

The Duchess of Cornwall will be celebrating the big six-0 tonight with a celebrity-filled, black-tie bash at Highgrove – an event that has been described by royal sources as ‘low key’. A different world, hey… Mind you, Camilla probably won’t have any trouble keeping out of the limelight – all eyes are likely to be on ‘are they, aren’t they’ couple of the moment, Wills and Kate. Whatever happens, there’s bound to be a right royal fuss.

Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to have a picture of Highgrove for today’s NavPix – looks like we’re not on the guest list, then. So in a regal theme, get the Buckingham Palace NavPix here, which is probably as close as any of us peasants will get to royalty…