Nov. 14 Prince Charles' Birthday, 1940 Anniversary of Bombing of Coventry, THANKFUL Sale

 Happy Birthday to Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall!

Born November 14, 1948

And also on November 14th...

 The nave at Coventry Cathedral, before and after November 14, 1940...

The 70th anniversary of the Nazi blitz on the town of Coventry, England was marked today. A horrible day during World War II for the family of my husband, living in Birmingham, England 20 miles away. Along with his younger sister, he was not evacuated to Wales for safety with his 2 older sisters. His oldest brother was serving in the Coldstream Guards.

The bombing was remembered as horrific and John often wonders how his parents coped with the terrors of war  and just trying to feed the family between times spent in the bomb shelter at the end of the garden.  Coventry was a strategic site for the bombers because of it's heavy industrial plants and rail interchanges. Over 1200 people were killed and most of the city was destroyed. John's father and brother who was on a short leave had walked to the bridge over the railroad bridge close to their home and watched the planes dropping their payloads and the subsequent explosions and fireballs.

As they stood there watching, John's father Sam thought he hear Annie his wife calling him so they left the railroad bridge and started quickly home. A few minutes later the railroad bridge went up in an explosion as it, too was bombed. Annie hadn't called, but if they had stayed they would have gone up in the explosion. 

story at the BBC of the anniversary of the Coventry bombing Nov. 14, 1940

Thousands were killed, much of the city was destroyed....
I can't imagine what living through it was like... but the BBC has an interesting webpage with recordings and accounts of what it was like...

BBC: What was it like living through the Coventry Blitz Timeline

From World War II era, this is a handmade silk... parachute silk, probably, embroidered RAF tea cozy from Time Was Antiques .

For more info, click on the photo.

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Happy Birthday Prince Harry

Today, September 15th, is Britain's Prince Harry's 33rd birthday, having been born in 1984

The younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, following older brother William...

Prince Harry has had a military career, serving in Afghanistan and is actively involved now in supporting the royal family as the Queen, his grandmother ages.

He is close to his father and is said to be about to be engaged...

He is a great supporter of the Invictus Games for wounded military personnel and the Sentebale Trust conservation activities in Africa.

Harry lives as Kensington Palace, London as does his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Happy Birthday Harry!

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!

Poppy Day, Tower Exhibit, Old Curiosity Shop Cup And Saucer, Royal Birthday

It's Remembrance day, Poppy Day or Veteren's Day depending on how you were raised..Brit or Yank.  The name Poppy Day came from this poem written during the Great War or World War I:

 On my last post I shared the progress on the Tower Of London installation commemorating Britain's entry into World War I. You can read about it HERE. It was finally finished...with 888,246 red ceramic poppies...the number of British casualties in the war...

The Times Online posted this photo of the Tower with the completed exhibit from the air, and a friend of mine is in London at the moment, visited the Tower and sent me this photo....

 Look at the way they poured from a window...the scope of it is truly amazing. Thank you, too, to all the veterans who have given so much for our freedom. Thank you. The poppies are in place until Nov. 11 when they will be sold for 25 pounds each to raise funds for charities, 11.2 million pounds.

And to my teacup for Tuesday...

 I want to share a teacup for Tuesday Cuppa Tea, so chose this English themed Rosina, England demitasse cup and saucer that was a souvenir of The Old Curiosity Shop in London England...

 The Old Curiosity Shop was immortalized by the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens....

 I can remember crying so hard over the plight of Little Nell when I was a child...

 The Old Curiosity Shop is still there, although it has been through several changes in the stock...from antiques & curios, to high fashion shoes, to carpets to an art gallery...but the outside remains unchanged...this is from one of our London visits...

Rosina, England, one of my favorite china makers, made fine bone china souvenirs for the shop in the 1940-1950s, most with this Cecil Forbes original engraving design of the shop...for more info on the teacup at Time Was Antiques click on the photos.

This is a circa 1900 early postcard and early photograph of the shop interior...I would have LOVED to have a wander around...wouldn't you?

And a Happy Birthday to HRH Prince Charles whose birthday is November 14th....who is 66.

Prince Charles at age 5 with sister Princess Anne...and below from a few months ago...both courtesy of Getty Images...

 Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful week. I am joining Tuesday Cuppa Tea.

Happy 200th Birthday Charles Dickens, Teacup Thursday, Win Trip To Downton Abbey

Today, Feb. 7th is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dicken's birth, and has been a day of celebration all over the world. I am late posting about this because of the Queen's Ascension Day yesterday which took precedence! I am joining Teacup Thursday with Miss Spenser and Vintage Thingie Thursday with Coloradolady as well.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla participated in a service at Westminster Abbey in London, England today honouring one of the most famous novelists of all time. A wreath was laid on the novelist's tomb in Poets' Corner. Prince Charles and Camilla then visited the Dicken's House Museum in London.

As part of the commemorative day, Dicken's novels are being read allowed in public places in nations all over the world, plays are staged and many TV reruns of plays are in progress or will be over the next few months. Many leading actors from Dicken's productions were at the Abbey for the service.

So I have chosen a Rosina, England teacup that was made in the 1950s to be sold at The Old Curiosity Shop in London, famed for the novel of the same name by Dickens.

I have had all sorts of pieces in the pattern. I just love it. And this is not the only Dicken's china there is:

A Lancaster & Sandland, England cheese dish from the 1920-1930s with Oliver Twist saying Oliver Twist Asks For More.

 A Sam Weller character jug from The Pickwick Papers by SylvaCeramics.

A Lancaster dish from the 1930s in purple luster that says Sairey Gamp Entertains Betsy Prig from Martin Chuzzlewitt.

Another rendering of Sairey Gamp from Martin Chuzzlewitt by New Hall pottery also from the 1930s.

And Mr. Pecksniff from Martin Chuzzlewitt also by New Hall in the 1930s. All of these and more are available at Time Was Antiques. Just click on the photos.

Charles Dickens had a dramatic effect not only as a writer but as a crusader for improved conditions in England, and laterally of the world. His depictions of poverty, child labor, child crime, the workhouse and the social ills of his time were a voice for change and improvement. He lives on as a writer of incredible depth, humor and pathos...the supreme storyteller...and as a man ahead of his time in working for those who were often preyed upon in English society.

Happy Birthday Sir! 

And for Downton Abbey fans...PBS has just announced the Masterpiece Classic Sweepstakes. Win a trip a personal VIP tour of Highclere Castle, the real Downton Abbey and afternoon tea wth Lady Caenarvon! The trip is Sept. 17-22, 2012! Airfare, transfers, Hotels stays...the lot! Also Leeds Castle. To enter daily, here is the link:

PBS Masterpiece Classic Sweepstakes Downton Abbey