Happy 150th Canada!

Just wanting to wish my neighbor nation of Canada a warm 15th anniversary of the Confederation!

This was from a Victoria, BC Canada...which is our closest big city...favorite hotel of ours when in Victoria, the Hotel Grand Pacific. You can see it there across the Inner Harbour with the Coho, the ferry we take to get there, in front of it. 

Prince Charles and Camilla arrived on June 29th for the festivities and are carrying out a Royal visit to honour the anniversary....

 In September of 2016, Prince William and Catherine visited Canada for the second time, this time visiting the West Coast, staying in Victoria, BC, and accompanied by their children George and Charlotte....

Before that, you probably remember the visit in 2011 of Prince William and Catherine, newly married, for Canada Day followed by a tour of the East Coast mainly...

Over the years, most English kings and queens have visited Canada...here are a few examples of souvenirs of their visits...

This Wedgwood basalt pitcher has the Royal crest and is a souvenir of a visit of  Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince George... later King George V, and his wife...who became Queen Mary, the Duchess of Cornwall and York, who arrived in Canada in 1901 aboard RMS Ophir.  

This is a commemorative spoon from the visit in 1939 of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, parents of Queen Elizabeth II...

 So Happy 150th Canada and many more!

This week...a week for England

I know I have been very bad at my blogging on this blog...life has a way of intervening. But today....I just had too! Too many things about this day....

First of all...today is St. George's Day, and St. George is the symbol of England...not the Union Jack....

 Which is thy symbol of the United Kingdom, but this is the flag of England...it's the symbol on the National teams of England. St. George is the patron saint of England and believed to have dies on April 23rd. He is thought to have been a Roman soldier, and, of course...reputed to have killed a dragon.....

 This is a Dunoon, England bone china mug we have at Time Was Antiques with the ubiquitous image of the St. George Cross, symbol of England...so...

April 23rd is also famous in England because it is celebrated as Shakespeare's birthday...

 which is a big deal in parts of England...especially Stratford-upon-Avon where he lived...big celebrations there this weekend....this Shakespeare teapot is from our archives...

And April 23rd in the anniversary of the founding of the Coldstream Guards, a unit of the Queen' Own Guards brigade of 5 units, and special to us because it was my husband's old unit. For more on the guards, I have posted previously about it HERE

And April 21st is the actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth II...89 this year, and still out riding. For a great photos stream of her life, click on the photo or HERE for more photos from The Telegraph.co.uk....and of course, a new baby is due soon as well...

Jason Bell photo of Prince George, son of William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge, on his christening day....So a special day all around. Hope yours is brilliant, and that you celebrate with a nice cuppa!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Shamrock Items

Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's day...with an antique postcard!

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated today by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine, with the Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot...

Which is an annual tradition with the Royal family....the Irish Guards being one of the 5 brigades of the Queen's Guards...

And in honour of St. Patrick's Day...I looked out some shamrock themed items from Time Was Antiques....

Like this 1960s Irish Belleek creamer in the Shamrock pattern, or....

a Belleek Shamrock sugar bowl or sugar basin from the 1960s with a basket weave pattern...or...

 an Aynsley, England 1930-1940s Shamrock patterned teacup trio...or...

This Shelley Dainty Shamrock teacup and saucer.

 What ever you do this St. Patrick's Day...hopefully including a cup of Irish Breakfast tea...may it make your Irish Eyes smile...!