London's Bicentennial (Snippet 15)

 Guy Lombardo

   It is a cold and rainy day in London, but that was not the case forty-two years ago when The New York Times published a story about the Guy Lombardo Ball at Wonderland Gardens on the eve of the opening of the Guy Lombardo Museum. The title of the article may not be accurate and the Museum did not last, but it is worth remembering sunnier days on this gloomy one. Here is a portion from: "IN HOMETOWN, GUY LOMBARDO WON'T BE FORGOT," By Douglas Martin, The New York Times, May 21, 1984.

LONDON, Ontario, May 20 -- It had been a day of warm breezes and spring blossoms. But Saturday night at Wonderland Gardens, where thousands of colored lights twinkled and three shimmering silver balls hung from the ceiling, it was New Year's Eve.

 ''I want you to imagine it's winter out there and the snow is blowing and it's Dec. 31,'' the master of ceremonies said. Then, precisely at midnight, the dance band struck up ''Auld Lang Syne,'' couples kissed and everyone said happy new year.

  It was the first annual Guy Lombardo Ball at Wonderland Gardens, the now-fading dance palace where the bandleader and His Royal Canadians first played over a half-century ago. And even if London's most illustrious native son was only on stage as a cardboard cutout with a balloon taped to its hand, Mr. Lombardo was on hand in such tunes as ''A Sailboat in the Moonlight,'' ''Boo Hoo'' and ''My Gal Sal,' all made famous by the band.

   London, a town of 270,000 about 125 miles west of Toronto, was honoring ''The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven'' with the ball, a reunion of people including Mr. Lombardo's first piano player and his drummer for 56 years, and, most important, the opening of the new Guy Lombardo Museum next door to the dance hall.

   Indeed, the residents were doing the somewhat un-Canadian thing of crowning a hero. Unlike the United States, where heroes' faces are carved on mountainsides and Babe Ruth became a candy bar, Canada seems a bit suspicious of the heroic. Perhaps only Terry Fox, the young cancer victim whose 4,305-mile run across Canada on a route directly passing the new museum here, has been accorded unabashed hero status in recent years.

  Mr. Lombardo is made more difficult to categorize because it is tough to decide whether his success is Canadian or American. In his autobiography he said that he and his original nine Canadians were like ''characters out of Horatio Alger, seeking our fortune.'' All became American citizens.

  A sort of cultural schizophrenia was apparent in a short sketch prepared for the museum's opening. At one point it says Mr. Lombardo is ''the American Dream personified,'' while later it calls the Royal Canadians ''true Canadian heroes.''

  It is nonetheless a truism that many ambitious Canadians are naturally going to follow their dreams to a richer next-door neighbor 10 times larger in population. America's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, was Canadian. So was Raymond Massey, everyone's vision of Abraham Lincoln.

   And today, restless (or maybe just cold) citizens of this northern nation have made Los Angeles the third biggest Canadian city, behind Toronto and Montreal. From the television anchorman Peter Jennings to the singer Neal Young, Canadians are peppered through American life. A Part of New Year's Eve By any definition, however, Mr. Lombardo's success was huge. His was one of the the most famous big bands from 1930 to 1950; no one else came close to selling 300 million records, as did the Royal Canadians. The band played every Presidential inaugural from Roosevelt's in 1933 to Jimmy Carter's in 1976.

   Most important, from the time they began their New Year's Eve broadcasts from New York's Roosevelt Hotel in 1929 until Mr. Lombardo's death in 1977, they were as much the world's New Year's Eve as Times Square, funny hats and too much champagne....
   The 1,400-square-foot museum, built at a cost of about $100,000, is dominated by Mr. Lombardo's last big boat, Tempo VII, winner of a number of big races. Other exhibits are more meager, with Mr. Lombardo's violin, a trumpet and original Royal Canadian red jacket arriving only the morning of the opening. Most of the items are posters, photographs and press clippings, with an antique radio playing any of some 600 Guy Lombardo tunes. The museum's sponsor, the London Rowing Club, is still eagerly seeking contributions of more objects to display.

   But on opening day everyone's main object seemed to be to have a good time. The crowd was colorful, like a big party.

  Members of the rowing club favored tuxedos with different colored cummerbunds and ties; as the night air chilled a scattering of minks provided matronly warmth, and one local politician strutted about in a bright yellow suit with matching shoes. Col. Tom Lawson of the locally based Royal Canadian Regiment graced the occasion with his dress reds. All Want to Remember

   And everybody seemed to want to remember, particularly about Mr. Lombardo's generosity to the town even after he had traveled far enough not to have to look back. There was the 1937 benefit concert for flood victims here and a special concert at London's 1955 centennial.

  Students from Catholic Central High School played ''Powder Your Face With Sunshine'' on instruments given to the school by Mr. Lombardo. Most years, folks said, the Canadians were able to make it back for one concert.

   Elaine Gardner, Mr. Lombardo's sister and Mr. Gardner's wife, remembered that the name Royal Canadians resulted from the prodding of a Cleveland promoter. Lebert Lombardo, Guy's brother and the band's trumpeter, recalled that the band picked up ''Auld Lang Syne'' as a theme song when they were doing the Robert Burns Panatella radio show. (Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, wrote the song.) Stories were also told about Mr. Lombardo's legendary sense of discipline and decorum. Trousers had to have knife creases; drinking before or during a show was taboo, and a fresh carnation was expected to adorn the lapel of each red jacket.....
   At the dance, more than 1,000 guests, paying $10 each, glided across the floor like the old days. To at least one observer, the collective impression was that of a gracefulness such that everyone seemed at times to be gliding on wheels."

   On this bleak day, during a rather bad time, it is worth revisiting such an event and to remember that forty years ago Guy Lombardo was probably more popular than  the Canadian singer, Aubrey Graham, is today.

Sources: 
   The Wikipedia entry is a solid one and it even has a section related to the "Guy Lombardo Museum".
   "London, Ont., To Vote on Closing Guy Lombardo Museum," CBC Arts, Jan. 14, 2008:

   " It could be the swan song for a London, Ont., museum dedicated to native son and musical legend Guy Lombardo.

   London's city councillors will vote Monday on a staff recommendation to close the 1,000-square-foot museum.

   Called the Guy Lombardo Music Centre, it has been dogged by poor attendance, with only 400 visitors in 2007.Lombardo, a violinist and bandleader of The Royal Canadians famous throughout the world, was born in the city. The Royal Canadians were noted for playing the traditional Auld Lang Syne as part of New Year's celebrations in New York.

   Local heritage advocates said they're ready to fight the recommendation to close the museum.

   The closure would be a "slap in the face to Lombardo's legacy," said Barry Wells, an advocate for heritage preservation.

  The recommendation to close has not received public input or scrutiny, he told CBC News.

  The current facility needs to be expanded, run professionally and better marketed, rather than shut down, he said.

  The museum opened in 1983 and displays photographs, posters, video recordings, song sheets and the Tempo VII, an award-winning racing boat owned by Lombardo, who was a racing enthusiast.

   The museum was run by a volunteer board until 2001, when the city took over after infighting and resignations at the board.

   However, it costs taxpayers $27,500 annually to run the museum, according to Ross Fair, general manager of community services in London.

A city report recommends closing the museum permanently and turning artifacts over to Museum London.

  It says Lombardo's birthplace should be marked by naming a pavilion and walking trail in a London park after him."

   "A Bright Note: Guy Lombardo - A Series on Forgotten Canadian Legends, Patrick Maloney, The London Free Press, Oct. 2013.

   "Talk about an old acquaintance who's been forgot and never brought to mind.

   Those are essentially the lyrics immortalized by Guy Lombardo, who may be the most commercially successful musician in Canadian history -- and they serve as a mournful tune for his frayed legacy, a long note, fading into silence.

  "He represents music and the fulfillment of dreams," Nick Panaseiko of the Royal Canadian Big Band Music Festival, said a decade ago. "He is an all-around icon."

   Or, at least, he was.

   Born Gaetano Lombardo Jr in London, Ontario in 1902, Guy Lombardo and some of his brothers formed a big band that drifted from their Canadian roots to U.S. stages -- sparking a stunning run of success that's arguably unmatched among other Canadian performers (take that Celine Dion and Justin Bieber).

   It's believed Lombardo and The Royal Canadians sold at least 100 million records, though the group's boosters will argue sales were three times that.

   Whatever the exact figure, the dance band's popularity was stunning: From 1929 to 1952, there wasn't a single year the band didn't produce a record that hit the charts, many of them going to No. 1.

   But rock 'n' roll took root in the mid- 1950s, and a 1954 single that hit No. 24 on the pop charts was the last time Lombardo and his band enjoyed such a level of chart success.

   That, though, didn't spell the end of Lombardo's fame. He's perhaps most famous for having performed for nearly 50 years on New Year's Eve broadcasts enjoyed by millions across North America -- first on radio, then on television, until the tradition ended in 1976.

   They made the performance of the song Auld Lang Syne a New Year's tradition that still stands.

   Alas, more than 35 years after Lombardo's death at age 75, his name likely draws little recognition from Canadians.

   Even in his hometown of London, legal wrangling marred a 2002 attempt to mark the centennial of his birth, and poor attendance led to the shuttering of the city's Guy Lombardo Museum."

Traffic Cameras

Photos Are Not On Ontario's Radar 

   I was in Vancouver last month and noticed an article that contained this map which showed some of the more "popular" cameras in that city.

   Here is the reference to the article which indicates that the introduction of traffic cameras is a positive thing to do if one is interested in promoting public safety.

   "These Metro Vancouver Intersections Caught the Most Speeders, Red Light Violators, Last Year," Nathan Griffiths, Vancouver Sun, April 23, 2026.
   "More than 128,000 B.C. drivers were ticketed for speeding or running red lights last year under a traffic camera program that a local medical health officer says should be expanded because it saves lives.

   Research from Canada, the U.S., Australia and Europe all show that traffic camera programs reduce crashes that result in injuries and fatalities, according to Brandon Yau, a medical health officer at Vancouver Coastal Health.

   "They've been pretty well-studied internationally, and so the evidence is relatively conclusive," Yau said.

   He said programs, such as the installation of traffic cameras, that aim to reduce speeding and running red lights led to a roughly 40 per cent reduction in fatalities, and a 20 to 50 per cent reduction in injuries.

   "Most importantly, we have really good evidence that it impacts driver behaviour," he said. "If people know that there's a red light camera or a camera to watch their speeding, they're adjusting their behaviour...."

   Over the past three years, the impact of adding speed enforcement at 35 locations "led to a 52 per cent decrease in drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 25 km/h," the ministry wrote.

   Red-light infractions decreased by 13 per cent and the number of repeat red-light offenders declined 29 per cent in the past five years, according to the ministry."

   Apparently those living in B.C. do not object to this visual surveillance since a poll in 2024 found that  "seven-out-of-10 British Columbians supported automated speed cameras."
   Back in 2024, I noted that London added fifteen new red light cameras to its photo arsenal. If you want to know where they were placed, see "Candid Cameras."  Although it was argued that the cameras would likely be effective in reducing speeding and accidents, while generating revenue, it was also mentioned that over thirty years ago the Ontario Progressive Conservatives decided to stop using photo radar. 
   Premier Doug Ford is also opposed to the use of cameras and wants to protect taxpayers from this "cash grab". The Ontario government introduced legislation to ban the use of cameras by municipalities and Bill 56 ("Building a More Competitive Economy Act") was passed and the use of such cameras banned. The bill sped through the legislature, but I am not sure how Ontario voters felt about such a measure. (See: "Ford Government Passes Bill Banning Municipal Speed Cameras in Ontario," Joshua Freeman, CTV News, Oct. 30, 2025.)
   I do speed on occasion and could be caught on one of these cameras, but I think it reasonable to have them and install even more. The fine levied is sent to the owner of the car and demerit points are not added to a driving record. I could also blame my wife. The city gains some revenue and the driver learns a lesson.

   While I am at it, perhaps the sound of cars could be recorded as well as the speed. That is already happening in France and even in Edmonton where very noisy cars are fined. For more about lowering the level of "acoustic aggression" see "Advance Noise Alert" in this post on MM. 
The Bonus:

   While I am on the subject of motor vehicles and Premier Ford's many interesting initiatives, don't forget to renew your LICENSE PLATES. 

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 14)

   Usually these snippets are about old news relating to London. Here are a few minor snippets that are more current. 

One Small Slice For Mankind
   A while back, I noted the closing of London's cricket plant, (see, "Olde Posts Addenda (5)). More recently there was better news on the food front:
  "London-based Company Using A.I. Pizza Machine to Serve Up Fresh Slices," Lauren Stallone, CTV News, April 29, 2026.
   "Appetronix, an automation company in London, is using AI driven dispensing technology to create the ultimate comfort food.“What we have behind us is our fully autonomous robotic pizza making machine,” said Ray Schott, co-founder of Appetronix.The first of its kind, the unique machine was designed to bring freshly made food to places where it is not always available."
   More importantly, it is nice to have some news about A.I. that is benign rather than threatening. For a good example of the latter see this piece which relates to the potential harm that A.I. may do to the children, before it gets around to destroying the rest of us: 
   "What Will It Take to Get A.I. Out of Schools?:The tech world assumes that A.I.-aided education is necessary and inevitable. A growing number of parents, educators, and cognitive scientists say the opposite, Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, April 23, 2026. It begins this way:
   "I don’t like A.I., and I am raising my children not to like it. I’ve been telling them for years now that chatbots are manipulative and dangerous, that A.I. image generators are loosening our collective grip on reality, that large language models are built atop industrial-scale intellectual-property theft. At times, I find myself speaking with my kids about A.I. in the same terms that we might discuss a creepy neighbor who lives down the block: avoid eye contact, cross the street when you walk past his house, and, when in doubt, call on a trusted adult....Somehow, I was not prepared for the creepy neighbor to start hanging around my kids’ schools; somehow, I thought we had until high school."

More London Tidbits

Forest City Facts
   Local citizens will be able to get London information from sources more creditable than Mulcahy's Miscellany. According to the article above, "The project will feature 200 short historical facts displayed along the Thames Valley Parkway, in green spaces, community centres and at events throughout the city during the bicentennial year." The complete article is found in the London Free Press, May 14, 2026.
   Many of the facts and placards have already been produced and about 200 are expected by the end of the bicentennial year. So far, MM has provided fourteen snippets and more are planned. I will continue to search for some and hope they supplement, rather than duplicate the ones found on the Forest City placards. 

  The London & Middlesex Historical Society is one of the groups involved in this project and a member of the Society, Dan Brock, is publishing a new book with the title: Chronological Saga of The London and Middlesex Historical Society: 125 Amazing Years. For more information, see the website of the LMHS.

May May Be The Cruellest Month

 More Weather Drama 
  Happy Victoria Day! We had a cool and cloudy April and just finally experienced a warm and sunny day, and another one is predicted. The forecast also calls for complaints with which we will be deluged. They have already begun, even though it is warm, not hot. 

Try to make it through another excruciating day if you can. That's it. I have said enough about this subject. See, for example, The Human Suffering Index. 

Post Script:
   For those of you south of our border, 22°Celsius is about 72°Fahrenheit, but up here it feels like  it's 90 F. 

Beautiful Campuses

    The news related to colleges and universities is mostly of the bad kind these days. It is spring, however,  in some parts of the world (but not yet in Ontario), where blossoms are in bloom and commencement speeches are sprouting on campuses which are often attractive oases. So, let's focus on them.
   Take a break from the bad news and enjoy visiting these institutions of higher education which are described as some of the "most stunning college campuses in the world." Two are located in Canada.

39 Beautiful Campuses

1.Flagler College, Florida
2. Trinity College, Dublin
3. The University of the South, Tennessee
4. Queen’s University, Ireland
5. Princeton University, New Jersey
6. Cornell University, New York
7. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
8. University of Colorado at Boulder
9. Royal Roads University, British Columbia
10. University of San Diego, California
11. University of London, England
12. Furman University, South Carolina
13. University of Cambridge, England
14. Kenyon College, Ohio
15. Harvard University, Massachusetts
16. University of Edinburgh, Scotland
17. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
18. Notre Dame University, Indiana
19. University of Oxford, England
20. Pepperdine University, California
21. University of Bologna, Italy
22. University of British Columbia, Vancouver
23. University of Capetown, South Africa
24. University of Chicago, Illinois
25. University of Glasgow, Scotland
26. University of Hawaii at Manoa
27. University of Otago, New Zealand
28. University of Virginia, Virginia
29. Stanford University, California
30. University of Sydney, Australia
31. Yale University, Connecticut
32. The College of William & Mary, Virginia
33. University of Queensland, Australia
34. Villanova University, Pennsylvania
35. University of Cincinnati, Ohio
36. University of Coimbra, Portugal
37. College of Charleston, South Carolina
38. Tsinghua University, China
39. University of Washington, Washington

Sources:
   This list is from: "The 39 Most Stunning College Campuses in the World: If We Had to do Undergrad Over Again, We'd Enroll Here," Korin Miller, House Beautiful, April 1, 2026. Both pictures are from the article and there are more. The top one is of Royal Roads and the bottom is of the library at Trinity College, Dublin.
   I was led to that article by this one: "Two Canadian Universities Ranked Most Beautiful College Campuses in the World," Daniel Chai, Daily Hive. Apr 11 2026.
   "Studying at university is hard work, which is why it’s important to schedule in breaks from the books while you’re on campus. For those attending two Canadian universities on a new list of the most stunning college campuses in the world, you’ll find plenty of beautiful spaces to recharge....
   "The ranking, recently published by interior decorating magazine House Beautiful, named Royal Roads University in Victoria and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the top 25.
   According to House Beautiful, the campuses on the list are remarkable in every sense.
   “They offer far more than academic spaces—they foster creativity, inspiration, and a rich cultural atmosphere that enhances student life,” said author Korin Miller.
   “We’ve searched far and wide, even reaching destinations like Australia, to showcase some of the most visually striking universities worldwide.”
   Royal Roads University cracked the top 10 in ninth spot, with the Hatley Park National Historic Site described as “pretty incredible.”
“The rest of campus does not disappoint, with 642 acres of vibrant greenery and spectacular views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the exotic Japanese Garden.”  
   UBC landed in 22nd place on the list of the most stunning college campuses in the world, with its access to both mountains and beaches being a top reason."

   If you are impressed that Royal Roads occupies 642 acres, you will be more impressed by the 27,000 acres in Georgia that contain Berry College. If you go to the bottom of that post you will learn that Sewanee (No.3, The University of the South) sits in "The Domain" which consists of 13,000 acres. Since you are unlikely to do that, I will provide the two additional references you would have found there: "America's Most Beautiful College Campuses," Travel + Leisure, June 24, 2021.  See also: "South's Most Beautiful Colleges 2020," by Jennifer Chappell Smith, Southern Living, Sept. 11, 2020.

   If you think retiring and relocating to be near such places would be a good thing see, "University Retirement Communities."   There is a new retirement community for old people at Berry College - The Spires at Berry College - and here is their description:
"Celebrated as “America’s most beautiful college campus” and nestled alongside pristine Eagle Lake at the foot of Lavender Mountain, our location at Berry College is without question a picturesque place to retire. Even better, this incredible lakeside sanctuary serves as the setting for senior living that feels every bit as good as it looks."
   Western University is still a beautiful place, but not quite as beautiful as UWO was. I just hope the Pawpaw Trees planted there, survive our very cold spring. 

The Bonus: UBC (No.22) is also known as, The University of Beautiful Cars. 

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 13)

    I have been away for a bit and slow to resume blogging. I am lacking in the creative energy required for even the most mundane of posts and am not lacking in other things that I should be doing instead. Still the resumption will be attempted and I will begin with another London item and you will now have been given a baker's dozen of them. 

  This one occurred just over one hundred years ago when two men were hanged in London on the same day in 1924 and the report is found in the Casper Daily Tribune (Wyoming). Mr. Murrell killed someone while robbing a bank in Melbourne. Mr. Topping murdered his girlfriend.

The Bonus:
   Since I don't feel like doing those other things mentioned, I will offer here an editorial comment since it is a "reactionary" one that I would prefer go unnoticed. Perhaps we should bring back hanging as a punishment. That sounds harsh, but I am not advocating hanging all criminals, just those who are guilty of crimes, such as stealing from public institutions, as opposed to private corporations, where more leniency could be justified. 
  Given that this is a London snippet, here is an example from London:
"Alleged fraud worth $60M uncovered at London Health Sciences Centre,".
   "An audit has uncovered a decade-long fraud at the region's largest hospital network with the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) filing two separate lawsuits implicating five former executives, a contractor and companies hired to do work.
   The lawsuits total more than $60 million and allege that some executives knew about the scheme and did nothing to stop it. One of the lawsuits also links more than 60 "suspicious properties" worth almost $20M to three people involved in the alleged scheme, purchased after multi-million dollar contracts were awarded by the hospital....
"The Fraudulent Scheme was a calculated, multi-year campaign of deceit and theft, deliberately engineered to misappropriate public funds for personal and unlawful gain," the lawsuit that was filed Wednesday alleges."

  It was announced more recently that 288 Registered Nurses at the LHSC were going to be laid off, a not unrelated development. 

  Admittedly, hanging is a bit harsh for our time, but perhaps we could at least bring back the pillory and erect a few of them at the intersection of Wellington and Commissioners where the guilty could be displayed for a very long time and even in the winter. 
Sources:
  The article quoted above is by Kate Dubinski, CBC News, July 9, 2025.
  For more about hangings in London see "Hanging Days" by the late Christopher Doty. 
  For more about hanging generally, see "The Gibbet".

Blake Whiting - The Author - Does Not Exist

   I am still in the Comox Valley which is why I have not been doing much blogging. There are many better things to do, but it is cloudy this morning so I will produce something for those who are eagerly awaiting more prose from me, and for a few others who may be mildly curious about whether I still exist. I will finally get back to the subject of books.
   If the title has prompted you to search for "Blake Whiting", you will have found a baseball player and a lawyer and likely an obituary-or-two. You will not have found anything about the prolific author of the many books found on Amazon and elsewhere which appear under that name. Here are some samples from goodreads and more can be found on Amazon.

   I also have not been doing much reading while roaming around Vancouver Island, but I did notice an article and it is worth calling to your attention. If you are not interested in books, I will mention Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is the actual author of the books supposedly written by Blake Whiting. Who is behind Blake Whiting directing AI queries is not known at this point. Basically if one chooses a subject and a few books and articles related to it, AI can absorb the material and produce something which is not exactly plagiarism, nor is the resulting book actually  a 'new' one about the topic. It is best not to buy these books which are compiled from the work of real authors. Regard them as coal mine canaries since many more by other 'authors' will soon be available.

Source:
  "Who Is Blake Whiting?: The Most Astonishingly Productive Historian in Recent Times is Someone You’ll Never Meet," by Andrew Lawler, The American Scholar, April 16, 2026.
   "No living American historian is as prolific as Blake Whiting. In one week alone last fall, he published 13 books on a host of complex archaeological and historical subjects, ranging from the collapse of Near Eastern civilizations in 1177 BCE to the recent discovery of a huge Silk Road–era city in Central Asia.
   Amazon sells his hardbacks for $28.99, the paperbacks for $20.99, and the Kindle versions for a bargain $7.99. What you can’t buy from Amazon at any price, however, is Blake Whiting’s CV. Though the books claim to be copyrighted in his name, you won’t find an author picture or bio, nor will you find his website or Instagram. He does not belong to the faculty of any college or university, and he is unknown to those academics he cites in his books—which are not actually copyrighted.
   Whiting, as you have guessed, is neither historian nor human. His fake persona is harbinger of an alarming trend threatening disaster to academics and journalists alike.
   I know this all too well; I am a science and history author who has published extensively on many of the subjects covered in Whiting’s books. I have written magazine features that have been clearly reshuffled, reorganized, and supplemented with other freely available material to masquerade as the unique work of “Blake Whiting.” This is not plagiarism in the old-fashioned sense, in which a few sentences or paragraphs are lifted from a previously published work. This is word-laundering on a truly industrial scale, aided and abetted by one of the world’s largest corporations. Using AI tools and a pseudonym, unknown culprits are now profiting from my work and that of my colleagues."