London's Bicentennial (Snippet 18)

  I searched for additional stories related to this one and found none. Although it is rather vague, one would think that such a large number ($$$) would have attracted a lot of attention and more articles. My search strategy may have been faulty and a local historian may be able to find additional details, or already know them.

 This is found in The Milan Exchange, Oct. 16, 1879. The Milan Exchange was published in the Milan in Tennessee, not the one in Italy. It is in Western Tennessee and is pronounced, "MY-lunn", as you would have expected.

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 17)

 The Loyal Parishioner

That is from the Kenosha Telegraph, Aug. 21,1879. I am not sure whether it appears around that date in the London paper, but assume it did. The adjective, "Primitive", apparently refers to a more evangelical branch of Methodism. We can assume the robin made it up to Heaven.

The Bicentennial Website for London: Celebrating 200 Years. 

ODDMENTS (3)

    My life is not generating much in the way of interesting material, so I will offer some bits about others who have far more to offer.

Xan Fielding

   I know about Fielding because he was a good friend of Patrick Fermor, of whom I am a big fan. Now that I am telling you about him, I will confess that I wondered how "Xan" was pronounced and learned that apparently Fermor would have called him "Zan." That Fielding is rather more adventurous and accomplished than I, is easily revealed in this personal ad he placed when in need of money:
It is found in The Times on July 31, 1950:

   Tough but sensitive ex-classical scholar, ex-secret agent, ex-guerrilla leader, 31, recently reduced to penury through incompatibility with the post-war world: Mediterranean lover, gambler, and general dabbler: fluent French and Greek speaker, some German, inevitable Italian: would do anything unreasonable and unexpected if sufficiently rewarding and legitimate. 

  He was among other things, a newspaper editor in Cyprus and ran a bar. He first met Fermor in "1942 as members of the Special Operations Executive, they were introduced in a vintner's hut in Yerakari in the Amari Valley in Crete. Over three years they developed a guerrilla force among the native Cretans and helped build an intelligence network on the island." 

Wait, there is more exciting stuff.

   "The theatre of war moved away from Crete towards the West. Believing he could do no more, Fielding applied for a transfer to the French section of the SOE. He was sent to an airfield camp twenty miles outside Algiers....
   Fielding parachuted into the Vercors in the South of France. However, in the guise of a clerk in the Electric Company of Nîmes, he was quickly arrested and imprisoned and was saved from the firing squad by a member of the Resistance in a remarkable rescue. At the end of the war he returned for two months to Crete and was then sent to Indo-China."

  For additional interesting material, read more about Fielding, or these books by him:
Hide and Seek (1954, wartime memoirs)
Corsair Country (1959, a history of the pirates of the Barbary Coast)
Money Spinner: Monte Carlo and Its Fabled Casino (1977)
Aeolus Displayed (1991)
Images of Spain (1991)
Hideous Disguise (1994)
  His name is also found in relation to these books (as translator): The Bridge Over the River Kwai and The Cretan Runner: His Story of the German Occupation. 

Somerset Maugham

   Fielding is often encountered in the writing produced by Fermor. That is also where I ran across this next bit which allows me to balance out this post during what is known as "Gay Pride Month".  Admittedly, the Maugham material is less flattering then the Fielding offering, but that is not my fault. When Maugham's wife died, he reportedly sang "Tra-la-la, no more alimony, tra-la-la," which makes some sense I suppose since he was queer. Rebecca West called him "an obscene little toad."

   Fermor walked across Europe as a young man and later travelled extensively before settling in Greece. On this occasion he thought he might be able to mingle a bit in Maugham's circle on Cap Ferret. His stay was shorter than he thought, but from it, one does get a description of Maugham.

   ‘Paddy[Fermor] was invited [to Somerset Maugham’s house in the South of France] for lunch and arrived with five cabin trunks, parcels of books and the manuscript of his unfinished work on Greece strapped in a bursting attaché case,’ she writes. ‘Despite this inauspicious start, luncheon went like a marriage bell... so when coffee was finished I was not entirely surprised to hear Willie [Maugham] invite Paddy to stay and the minions carried in the trunks to a magnificent suite..." 

  But, Fermor did not charm Maugham, who characterized Fermor as "a middle-class gigolo for upper-crust women." You might want to tuck away this strategy if you tire of your house guests.

   ‘But, alas, that evening Mr and Mrs Frere of Heinemann came to dinner and Paddy, who never travels without a bottle of calvados, appeared more exuberant than one small martini could explain. The Freres left at ten o’clock. Willie saw them to the door, returned to the living room and said to Paddy, “Goodbye. You will have left before I am up in the morning.”

Admittedly this description is harsh, but it is at least a parenthetical one found in a private letter. 

(Do you know Somerset Maugham? He is 84, and his face is the wickedest tangle of cruel wrinkles I have ever seen and so discoloured and green that it looks as though he has been rotting in the Bastille, or chained to the bench of a galley or inside an iron mask for half a century. Alligator's eyes peer from folds of pleated hide and below them an agonzing snarl is beset with discoloured and truncated fangs, but the thing to remember is that he has a very pronounced and noticeable stutter that can seize up a sentence for 30 seconds on end.")
From: In Tearing Haste" Letters Between Deborah Devonshire & Patrick Leigh Fermor, ed. by Charlotte Mosley, pp.20-21.

The Bonus: Peter Fleming
   Xan Fielding placed the ad in The Times. Peter Fleming answered one found in The Times and it is also a source for additional interesting reading.

    Exploring and sporting expedition, under experienced guidance, leaving England June, to explore rivers Central Brazil, if possible ascertain fate Colonel Fawcett; abundance game, big and small; exceptional fishing: ROOM TWO MORE GUNS: highest references expected and given - Write Box S.1150
14 and 15 April 1932.

   Peter Fleming, the brother of Ian, is more interesting than James Bond. He supplies one of the guns and goes on the journey as a correspondent for The Times. The book, Brazilian Adventure, is the result and it is far better than the newer one about the search for Colonel Fawcett, The Lost City of Z by David Grann. If you would rather read about other places on the globe, Fleming can supply you with more books. See the Wikipedia entry, the source of the photo.

It is also the case that Fleming was the anonymous author of many "Fourth Leaders" for The Times. I also can be considered an anonymous author of "Fourth Leaders", in the sense that no one has ever read what I wrote about them almost ten years ago.
   Although there are books consisting of compilations of "Fourth Leaders", there has not been much written about them and, as a subject, information was difficult to research. There is still no Wikipedia entry and apparently AI doesn't troll deep enough to uncover MM. If you happen to work for The Times, or are a journalist looking for a topic, here is a good place to start for Fourth Leaders. 

Alberta and Secession

 Careful What You Wish For

   I generally try to avoid "BREAKING NEWS", about which there is too much, and most of it is bad. The topic for today is at least not about the bad news which is always breaking south of here.
  The issue for this post relates to one of the consequences for Albertans, if they choose to become tourists and, when visiting Canada, happen to get sick. Health care costs for Canadians travelling in Canada are generally covered and having a heart attack in Vancouver will cost much less for them than one experienced in Orlando. Thinking about that is enough to give you one.
  Although there are reasons to complain about "long waits" for procedures such as knee replacements, there are also reasons to feel grateful when we are asked for our health card rather than our cash, lots of it.

Health Care Costs
   We rarely think about them unless we are leaving Canada and wondering about how much travel insurance we need to purchase. Recently some dollar figures were attached to typical health care costs, along with the suggestion that Albertans might want to consider them. The retired doctor who provided them will probably not mind that I share them since he has published them in a few different articles which will be sourced below. 
   This article is from the Vancouver Sun, June 5, 2026:

"Independence From Canada Means a loss of Portable Health Benefits; Getting Sick While Visiting Home After Separation Would Prove Very Costly, Writes Dr. Charles S. Shaver."
    "Citizens of an independent province would no longer be under the Canada Health Act. 
   They would be by definition "non-residents of Canada" when seeking urgent hospital or medical/surgical care in a Canadian province..."

   Consider the following examples of rates set by health ministries for non-residents of Canada: St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver charges $1,355 for an emergency department visit, $4,690 daily for a standard room and $13,110 for an ICU bed. Vancouver General has a rate of $18,105 daily for the ICU.

   An urgent care visit at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg is $1,452; a stay in a standard four bed room costs $3,066 per day.

   At Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, a standard room is $4,100 to $4,400 and an ICU bed is $6,400 to $6,600 per day.

   The Ottawa Hospital charges $1,249 for an emergency visit. A standard room is $4,323; an ICU bed is $9,594 daily. The Queensway-Carleton Hospital, also in Ottawa, bills $1,242 for an emergency or outpatient clinic visit, $4,005 for a standard room and $15,642 for the ICU...."

   After pointing out how difficult to get, and costly travel health insurance is, Dr. Shaver indicates that those from Alberta who need visit to a doctor in the province next door should note that:
   "B.C. physicians frequently charge foreigners 11/2 to two times the B.C. Medical Services Plan rates. Alberta doctors often charge foreigners two to five times the provincial schedule of benefits fee. MDs in other provinces do much the same."

    As I mentioned, variations of this article are found in some other papers and there may be one nearer to you that does not have a paywall. For example:

"Opinion: Provincial Independence and the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 6, 2026.
  "Separatists Risk the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Hamilton Spectator, June 6, 2026

The Bonus:
  Curious about Dr. Shaver, I searched for more and found this piece which does not appear to be behind a paywall. It is an interesting one and he earlier provided some figures for the Quebec separatists to consider: "Dr. Charles Shaver: My Journey From U.S. Race Riots to a Fraught Quebec Referendum," The Chronicle Herald, June 9, 2020.

  The picture is from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. It is of Tommy Douglas who was campaigning here in London in 1965. "In October 1966, Tommy Douglas defined portability of health benefits across Canada as one of four major principles. These were enshrined in the Canada Health Act of 1984." 

Biking & Blogging

   It has been far too nice to be blogging, so again I went out biking. Along the way, I figured I could combine the two AND provide a public service.
    At this time, getting around London is problematic, particularly by car. There are people who have not left their neighbourhood in months. For them I present some new developments.

Towers of Spite
  Even on a bike, construction was an issue as I headed north. My efforts paid off since I was able to spot the "Towers of Spite", which are undergoing expansion near the University. The spiteful erections were erected around 2006/07 and they have now been altered to provide additional satisfaction and profits for the owner. 

   Those in the area who objected originally and provided the label, "Towers of Spite", are probably irritated again, but the winds have changed, as has the neighbourhood.

Towers of Hope

   If you have not travelled north on Richmond lately, you will be surprised to see that the dorms now stretch from the gates of Western to the river Thames. The new eight story building will house almost 800 students and include a dining hall, as well as a 4,500 square-foot fitness centre. Even better, it is closer to Broughdale Ave than the stadium, which means the students will not even have to cross the Thames to enjoy homecoming. Incoming students hope to get into this facility and Western hopes to be able to pay for it.

The Towers of SOHO
   Those who have not journeyed into the southern interior of London (this London, not the SOHO in the other one), will find that the old hospital buildings have mostly been removed and a new high-rise has risen along with some other attractive buildings along Hill Street. 

   The bridge across the Thames nearby is almost completed, but it may still be a while before you attempt a trip down Wellington Road.

Horizontal Towers of Rolling Stock

  Apart from the infrastructure construction that makes travel in London difficult, there are also the trains. I had to wait for this one for a very long time. It was also very long and consisted mainly of cars carrying what I assumed were various petroleum products which are in high demand right now because of events far from SOHO.

Sources:

  My photos are of the same quality as my prose. Good ones for the SOHO area are easily found. For a better one about the new dorms see: "University Drive Residence to Open Fall 2027," Finn Toporowski, Western Gazette, Jan. 7, 2026.

  The Towers of Spite are just off Richmond along Huron. Stories about them have been carried by the LFP over the years. For example, "More Units Proposed for Spite Site," Norman De Bono, Sept. 10, 2024.

The Bonus: 
  Just advice. Philip Aziz Avenue on the other side of Western is closed. It is wise to avoid going anywhere in London by car.

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 16)

 Prince Arthur's Tour -  He Visits London in 1869
   Apparently the "Blue Noses" were a bit rambunctious at this reception.

From: 

A Bonus:
   Also in 1869 one finds this Personal Ad in the New York Herald from a gentleman who wishes to resume a conversation. For another example of a personal ad placed by a Londoner see: "Lonely in London c. 1920."

Source: For more details see this book, Home to Canada: Royal Tours 1786-2010, by Arthur Bousfield & Gary Toffoli.

University of Ottawa Press

 Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa
   Although this is the eleventh post about university presses, nine of them were about those located south of our border. The tenth was about Wilfred Laurier Press (the links to the others are provided there). Readers should not overlook these book outlets since they often publish works of interest for those who are not members of any academy. 
   The UOP/PUO has been around since the early 1930s and has published hundreds of books in both English and French. Their mission " is to enrich intellectual and cultural life through the publication and dissemination of award-winning high-end trade and scholarly works in the humanities and social sciences..."
  As well, works of fiction are published as are biographies and autobiographies. In the latter categories, one finds a biography of the journalist Fulgence Charpentier. But, to illustrate that university presses can be surprising book stores, they also have published one about Bob Sliverman.

   "Few unknown figures have left such a lasting mark on the world as Robert "Bicycle Bob" Silverman.

   A true nonconformist, this tireless advocate for urban cycling lived an extraordinary life. Poet, bookseller, restaurateur, traveler, educator, gallery owner—but above all, a passionate cycling activist—Bob led his vélorution (a term he was the first to popularize in Canada) with authenticity, ingenuity, and boundless creativity.

  With his small but dedicated group, Le Monde à Bicyclette (MàB), and a handful of allies, Bob Silverman achieved the impossible. Over three decades, Montreal transformed from one of the least bike-friendly cities in North America into its cycling capital—thanks in part to MàB’s colorful cyclodramas, street theatre protests where members donned costumes to make their point.

  Silverman’s story reads like a film script. A poet and independent bookseller in the 1960s, he drew in a vibrant circle of artists, intellectuals, and musicians, including Leonard Cohen and Armand Vaillancourt. In 1962, he traveled to Cuba to join Fidel Castro’s revolution, meeting none other than Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Later, he worked on an Israeli kibbutz, becoming one of the rare Jewish activists to shake hands with Yasser Arafat. He studied in France and Spain, pioneered outdoor volleyball, and never shied away from challenging the status quo."

   Books about nature are not excluded, nor are sports.

  

   Another imprint from UOP/PUO - The Mercury Series - contains over 500 titles:

      "Strikingly Canadian and highly specialized, the Mercury Series presents works in the research domain of the Canadian Museum of History and benefits from the publishing expertise of the University of Ottawa Press. Created in 1972, the series is in line with the Canadian Museum of History’s strategic directions. The Mercury Series consists of peer-reviewed academic research, and includes numerous landmark contributions in the disciplines of Canadian history, archaeology, culture and ethnology. Books in the series are published in at least one of Canada’s official languages, and may appear in other languages.

The best resource on the history, archaeology, and culture of Canada is proudly published by the Canadian Museum of History and the University of Ottawa Press."

   The first publication produced by UOP/PUO was a journal and they still publish a few. One example will demonstrate again that interesting reading can be found at university presses.

For more information and to shop or donate go to their website: UOP/PUO. 
The Bonus: Those playing sports at the University of Ottawa are known as the "Gee-Gees."