A Health Tip !

I could not resist this when I saw it on Facebook. London has a shortage of family doctors at this time. That when the medical school is located in this city at the University of Western Ontario. So what are the alternatives ?

Wordless Wednesday- Queen's Avenue

c.1875 Ivey Family London Room, London Public Library, London, Ontario, Canada

I have added three photos to catch the length of Queen's shown in the c.1875 picture. This photo is on the corner of Queen's and Richmond looking east. One London Place is in the background.

Looking in the opposite direction from the corner of Clarence and Queen's toward Richmond.

From the corner of Waterloo and Queen's looking toward Richmond. First St. Andrew's United (in 1875 Presbyterian) Church is out of site just to the right. The trees are on a corner of the church property. Quite a lot of changes for Queen's Avenue over the years.

The Summer Of 1914

Historians have long maintained that before August 1914 Canadians largely remained innocent or perhaps not interested in events in Europe. I thought that I would have a look at the London newspapers to see if this was true. The answer is - yep.

It is really two or three days before England’s declaration of war that either the “London Free Press” or the “London Advertiser” gave front page coverage to the unfolding of events in Europe. So what interested Londoners in July 1914.

The biggest stories were about the tragic events surrounding the sinking of the liner (May 1914) "The Empress of Ireland" in the St. Laurence river. It had everything - tragedy, loss of life, and scandal. Londoners had been on the liner, and it was a rare day that names of those who survived, and those who did not (funerals get front page coverage) , appeared in the papers. A titillating scandal was reported when it was found that a Mrs. Charles Cheu had fled from her marriage, and boarded the liner as Amelia Mott. She was not one of those who survived.

There was a provincial election in the offing. “The Advertiser” was convinced that with this election the Liberals would reign supreme, and Temperance would finally be enacted in Ontario. Take that you barroom loafers! “The Free Press” was cool to that idea.

What was not cool was the weather. In June temperatures reached 94.5 degrees F. Stories advising people on how to keep themselves cool ran in both papers for several weeks. That included advice (for women of course) on the proper maintanence of the refigerator (read ice box).

Keeping cool in Victoria Park, "The London Adversiser", June 9, 1914.

The Ringling Brothers’ Circus was in town. There was a procession down Dundas St. of wagons containing lions, panthers, leopards, and of course the elephants.
“Keep back, Mickey, or they’ll getcha,” shouted a small child. “Naw, day won’t nudder, if je ain’t got no tobacy widja,” was the scornful reply (an attempt at humour by the Advertiser).

Another attempt at humour by the Adversiser cartoonist. "The London Adversiser", June 15, 1914.

For women the colours of choice for the summer were black and yellow.

"The London Adversiser", June 12, 1914.

All topped off with a stylish cape. No mention of how that would fly in 94 F. degree weather. Perhaps a feathered white hat would help ? Apparently it goes with anything.

"The London Adversiser", June 14, 1814.

No mention of what was to come in August. Armageddon !

Television Memories

Naturally the kid on crutches gets front page in his father's employee newsletter.

Lorine McGinnis Schultz’s post “Sharing Memories” from July 17 reminded me of when my family acquired their first T.V. in 1953.

As a background in 1953 I had what is called “perthes “ - I leave it to you to look this up in your dictionary ! It meant that for a year I was in a harness preventing me from using my leg. What do you do with a five year old who spends his days getting around on crutches ?

The answer seems to have been to get him a television set. As close as I can remember it was a 12" black and white in a cabinet. Wish I still had that cabinet ! It also meant purchasing a rather large aerial to receive signals as London at that time did not have a local T.V. station. That came the following year.
The whole package must have set my parents back a months salary.  The channels available were from Detroit, and Kitchener.

So what did I watch ? As far as I remember it was mostly westerns, and Howdy Doody.

I do not think I missed a program.

I was glued to the T.V. That hasn't changed much in 60 years.

Loved the program. The actors also showed up for a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey game. A plus in my books.

Wordless Wednesday - St. Paul's

St. Paul’s was first erected as a frame building on Dundas St. in 1830. The building burned down in 1844. The brick building was erected on it’s present site, and opened in 1846. Originally there was a cemetery on the church grounds which except for a few tombstones was moved to Woodland Cemetery.

The tombstones lie on their side just to the north and west of the church. They are weathered, and hard to read; but I have taken photos of a few of them.

To The Memory Of
JOHN DEPKINS
Colonel in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
died at London C.W.
on the 10 December 1843
Aged 41 years

Elizabeth Showers
daughter
Laurence & Abigail
Lawrason
died May 10, 1838

ANN
Wife of
Bert Wils
died Sept 19 184?
Aged 24 years

Canada Day 2011

Canada Day at Harris Park.

reinactors of the Royal Scots Light Infantry from the War of 1812.

It was a beautiful day. Sunny. warm, and not muggy.

The military, and veterans, were out to dedicate a mural to the young men and women who lost their lives in Afganistan.

A powow featuring native veterans od the Canadian Forces.

London’s Mystery Man

"The London Free Press", 1 July, 1941.

London’s mystery man died at Westminster Hospital on 29 June, 1941. He was variously called Oliver Jordan or Jordan X.X. Smith. He had been a patient at Westminster Hospital for 20 years.

During that time there were attempts to find out his identity. Jordan X.X. walked into the Ripon, England, reparation camp in 1919 with a group of prisoners of war wearing a German uniform. His speech was clouded, and he had no memory of who he was. His finger prints were sent out to bureau’s throughout Canada, and the United States, with no success. Various people claimed a relationship to Jordan X.X.; however, nothing was proved. (1)

It would have been interesting to see what today’s science would have found.


(1) “The London Free Press”, 1 July, 1941.