1. What is the London Lantern?

London Lantern is the e-zine for our Virtual London website (http://www.virtual-london.com). Its editor, Richard, Earl of Bradford, sends it out on a monthly basis to everyone who has subscribed to our email list.

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2. If it is sent via email why have this website?

This website is here to allow people to view, read and comment on every issue of the London Lantern. It also allows subscribers to the e-zine, as well as non-subscribers, to add their comments and share their stories with everyone.

As the e-mail is purely a text document, we are unable to include photographs; the website allows us to add photographs to illustrate the articles.

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3. I would like write a story for the London Lantern, would you include it?

It is a cause for great personal satisfaction that the London Lantern has become so interactive now, thanks to the massive number of e-mails that I have received from readers.

Perhaps you could tell us about your experiences in Britain's capital city, comment on some of the contents of this London Lantern, send us any queries that you feel need answering, even consider doing a review of Porters English Restaurant, or possibly provide some tips for Lantern readers visiting London in the near future.

Just e-mail your contribution by clicking here or to lantresp@virtual-london.com, and we'll see you on screens around the world, very soon.

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4. Who is the editor, The Earl of Bradford?

Richard, 7th Earl of Bradford, is not exactly most people’s idea of a typical Belted Earl.

Now 53, he inherited the title from his father in 1981. He also inherited a tax bill of £8m where his business acumen and natural flair for matters catering were heavily invoked as he successfully resolved that problem.

This involved handing over his family home, Weston Park, to a Foundation partially funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

In addition to running the family estates in Shropshire and Devon he is a very hands-on Chairman of his catering Group, including the renowned Porters English Restaurant in Covent Garden. More recently his VIP Group of Companies has increasingly claimed his time.

He is also President of the Master Chefs of Great Britain and a Committee member of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain.

Richard married Joanne Miller in 1979. They live with their family of four children in a converted farmhouse, close to Weston Park and divide their time between London and Shropshire.

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5. How can I get my email address added (subscribed) to the London Lantern ezine?

To subscribe to the London Lantern e-zine click here, or send a blank email to lantern-add@virtual-london.com. You will receive 2 emails in return; the first one will inform you that you are successfully subscribed to the e-zine, the second is a copy of the most recent London Lantern.

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6. How do I remove my email address (unsubscribe) from the London Lantern ezine?

To unsubscribe click here, or send a blank email from the address that you are subscribed to lantern-remove@virtual-london.com. If you find that you are having problems getting yourself removed, send an email to lantern-owner@virtual-london.com with your email addresses and we will remove your email address as soon as possible.

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7. What do I see when I first go to the site?

The front page of the London Lantern site shows the most recent issue of the London Lantern. Initially on the front page you can only view the first paragraph of each story. Simply click on the "Read More" link or the image to see the full article.

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8. How do I read older issues?

On the left hand side of the page there is a drop down box. Simply select the month and year of the issue you are interested in and click the "go" button to view that issue.

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9. Is it possible to read all the stories on a certain topic?

Again, on the left-hand side, there is a box call "Areas", simply click on the category of interest and you will see all the different stories.

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10. I have been reading about Robert Rickman's adventures in London, is there a way to read it in day order?

We have created a special area for the stories that Robert Rickman has contributed to the London Lantern – The Rickman Chronicles. It can be found on the left hand "Area" box. The stories are listed in the order they occurred so you can follow Robert's trip from Day 1 onwards.

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11. How can I comment on something that I have read?

When the idea for this website was originally on the drawing board we wanted to make it very easy for our readers to be able to comment on stories in the London Lantern. We therefore put in a 'Comment' system. It is simply a matter of clicking on the “Have Your Say” link at the bottom of each article, filling in a form and your comment will be added.

If you would prefer to make your opinion known without writing anything then it is possible for you to rate each article from 1 to 5, again this can be found at the bottom.

These features do not only apply to the London Lantern editorials, but to any article or comment that you may find on the site.

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12. What is the poll for?

Every month we try and put up a poll that is pertinent to the current issue of the London Lantern? It is another way that you can voice your opinion on the issues raised within the London Lantern.

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13. How do I use the poll?

Simply click on the answer that is most appropriate to your opinion and your vote will be added. To view the results of the poll click "Results". It is also possible to view previous polls by clicking on "Other Polls".

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14. What is "Your Top 5"?

On the right hand side of the page you will notice the box with the title "Your Top 5", this contains the top 5 stories throughout the site voted for by yourselves, the visitors to the site. You can rate each one out of 5 by clicking on the appropriate link at the bottom of each story.

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15. What are the guides in the "Our Guides" section?
What are the "Book Online" items?

We decided that it would be a good idea to bring certain features from our Virtual London website through to the London Lantern website to make it simpler for you to find things. In the "Our Guides" section you will find our London databases for Restaurants, Hotels and Stately Homes.

By clicking on the particular guide that is of interest to you, you will then be able to navigate through London areas to find places of interest.

We have put in links to some extremely useful items that you can buy from us. The London Pass is very handy for the visitor to London as it provides cheaper access to attraction, and also includes public transport for Zones 1 – 6, however we are unable to sell the passes to people living within London.

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16. The font is too small. How do I make it readable?

If you are finding the the font is too small to read in your browser, there are a few different ways to increase the size to make the pages readable.

• If you are using 'Internet Explorer' (denoted with a blue 'e' icon), go to view, text size, and adjust accordingly.
• If you are using 'Netscape' (denoted with an 'N' icon), go to view, text-zoom, and adjust to suit.
• If you are using 'Opera' (denoted with a red 'O' icon), go to view, zoom, and change the font size there.
• For Mozilla/Firebird/Camino users, go to view, increase font size or press CTRL and + to enlarge the text onscreen.

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