Who recalls the numbers racket? Irish Sweepstakes?

When I was a boy we often heard talk of the numbers racket. It was mob run we were told. According to the New York Times: About half of the wagered money was returned as prize money to the lucky players who “hit the number.”

When it came to lotteries, the big one was the Irish Sweepstakes. The state run lottery was played around the world but it derived more revenue from the United States than from any other country, and this despite all the tickets sold being illegally.

I haven't heard of the numbers racket in years. Perhaps it is still played in big cities, I don't know. The Irish Sweepstakes is gone. It was replaced decades ago by a lottery. I believe it was also replaced by legal competition. 

Governments around the world have made lotteries, once illegal, big money makers for the governments. I read that the mafia was more generous when it came to returning money to the players than the governments. From what I could determine online, this is often not true. Governments are fairly generous with their ill-gotten gains.

The Lotto 649 in Ontario starts at 5 Million. If there is no winner, the price grows with the unrewarded funds being returned to the pot. There are two draws a week. With the prize now at $25 million, it is clear there has not been a winner for sometime. Depending on how you feel like the big pots, you might have preferred the mob's game of chance. The numbers game had smaller prizes and far more winners.

Memories of the past and hope for the future

In previous years London has had two Santa Claus parades. A big one in the core held at night oddly enough and a smaller, somewhat more community-oriented one in a northwest suburb. We never took the grandkids downtown but we never missed the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade. Never. Well, not until this year.

Both parades were canceled: Covid-19. Our grandkids missed the small, suburban parade just a short walk from their home. Area kids were welcome to participate and many did. I had no idea that so many kids would join a marching bank if given a chance.

Banting Broncos is the name under which the students from the area high school, Banting Secondary School, complete. And the teens out marching most likely play their instruments at various sporting events held during the year at the school. I understand the students enjoy being given the chance to play at an event attended by more than just other students. The kids missed the opportunity this year.

The Christmas festival is but a memory this year

The annual seasonal celebration at my granddaughters' public school is but a memory this year. All too sad. The celebration was arranged in such a manner that every child could take part and they all did. It was a fun celebration that brought the school community together. The year Covid-19 has pushed the celebration off the calendar.

Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario

 

Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario. In the '50s and into the '70s, these English roadsters were sold by a dealer in Windsor, Ontario, two hours from London. Then the government banned the little cars. The little sports cars did not meet the automobile regulations of the time and they still do meet the regulations today. Buying a new Morgan has been an impossible dream for the many decades now.

Car manufacturing has been important to Ontario and it put a lot of folk in the ranks of the middle class. With extra money to spend, it is not all that surprising that a car like the Morgan would find lots of buyers. Morgans were not cheap but they were affordable.

It was said that there were Morgans in Windsor on a per capita basis than in London, England. And the cars spilled out of Windsor into other communities in southern Ontario. London had its fair share. Even today there are a half dozen or so Morgans running about town each summer.

The green Morgan roadster shown was mine. I drove it for 45 years. It was a fine car. My wife and I drove it across the States twice, the last time in 2010. One often reads that English sports cars were unreliable. Not true. The cars were persnickety. With the right mechanic, a mechanic who understood the car's needs, these cars were very dependable. Heck, when I sold mine, it still had its original transmission, rear suspension, twin S.U. carburetors and more. It was a car that simply wouldn't die -- damn the regulations.

Waiting for the snow

Warm days and wet nights spells green grass. We are now waiting for the snow. Simple Christmas decorations can get lost in the visual clutter when the blanket of white snow is missing.

Salvation Army Village

It's called the Salvation Army Village. Once it had residents. Today it has offices.

The Salvation Army is a Christian church famous for its charity work. Its motto is "Giving Hope Today." Formed in 1865 in London, England, it came to Canada in 1882 and is still a going concern today.

According the the Salvation Army Internet page the Salvation Army London Village has a history going back to 1954. Originally it was a Children’s Village with six cottages providing accommodation for orphaned children. With the increasing use of foster care, the Village slowly changed its purpose.

With the closure of institutional facilities for people with developmental disabilities, in 1973 the Village began operating services dedicated to helping such children. This led to a Community Living program which was operated by the Village throughout London starting in 1989 and running for more than a decade.

Today the residents are gone. In the summer there may be day camps held on the grounds. The cottages on the circle are now offices used by various charitable organizations.

The wooden nativity scene on display at The Village today looks as if it has a long history. One doesn't see many like it in the city today. Although one gets the feeling that displays like this were quite common at one time. This display is a trip into the past.

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive?

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive? I wonder. When I was a boy we had two and three floor walk-ups here and there about the neighbourhood. These structures blended easily into the urban fabric. Plus, sometimes the apartments inside had floor plans reminiscent of a small home with large kitchens and two and three bedrooms.

In Paris most of the older apartment blocks are, I believe, no more than six floors. I understand that some city planners argue phenomenal urban density can be obtained by building rows of six floor apartment blocks similar to the ones in Paris rather that staggering tall apartment towers about the subdivision.

Personally, I am not against massive apartment buildings but I do wish the units inside offered floor space in keeping with the apparent size of the building.