On January 5, 1907, a woman called Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in London, England. At the time, King Edward VII was reported to have said that “. . . after my mother (Queen Victoria), she was the most remarkable woman in the kingdom.” So who was this woman? She […]
The Benevolent Baroness Read More »
During the past two years of living in a pandemic, I have often been reminded of a quote by Sir Winston Churchill which states: “I feel devoutly thankful to have been born fond of writing.” This is so true and I would respectively add to that “fond of reading too.” Over the past few
BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS! Read More »
February is the month when thousands of people around the world will send or receive sentimental or humorous greetings cards from their sweethearts, friends or family members. So, let’s take a step back in time and examine the history of this unique ‘giving-of-cards’ tradition which apparently all started with a man called Valentine. Some people
A HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY! Read More »
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Saehae bok mani badeuseyo! Chúc mừng năm mới! Today is the Lunar New Year, the first day of the 2 week Spring Festival. Visit your family (but only on the second day), wear red, avoid taking out the trash (which is akin to washing away your luck
Celebrate the Tiger Read More »
In January of 1901, the city of Victoria in British Columbia, was contemplating the New Year with optimism. A new year was welcomed by the ringing of bells and the explosion of fireworks. But on January 19th some disturbing news reached the city. The Colonist reported that Her Majesty Queen Victoria, who was highly esteemed
Each year we seem to become more jaded in outlook concerning the real meaning of Christmas. So, let’s for a moment, step back into the past and see how people of long ago celebrated this special time. It’s interesting to find that through their writings of Christmas past they appeared to live in a happier,
CHRISTMAS LONG AGO! Read More »
Perhaps because there has been so much horror in the world of late, it seems even more important every November 11th to remember why we honour all those who serve their countries. On November 11, 1919, when the first Remembrance Day was held throughout Commonwealth countries to mark the end of the First World War,
REMEMBERING WHY WE REMEMBER Read More »
Remember that day back in March 2020 when the world closed down? How could we ever forget!At the time we thought it would only be for a few weeks, but then things grew steadily worse and it became a pandemic around the world greater than we could ever have imagined.In British Columbia, Canada, we are
Today, Smugglers’ Cove in my home town of Victoria, British Columbia, is a peaceful place where families visit to picnic or just admire the scenery. Not so a few decades ago! The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria, is known for many things today—tea at the Empress Hotel, the world-famous Butchart Gardens, and all the
SMUGGLING IN THE DAYS OF YORE! Read More »
Christmas 2020 is going to be very different for us all. This year there will be no large family Christmas dinners and most of our pre-Christmas celebrations have already been cancelled—no parades, no Christmas parties, no magical trips walking through a wonderland of lights and no large gatherings anywhere. As we stagger along under mounting
