Victoria Park is a popular park, popular with Canada geese. If you listen to my granddaughters, it's not as popular with people -- certainly not with them. Why? The geese, their droppings and their aggressive attitude. Canada geese, when fed in parks can congregate in large numbers, even into the hundreds, and can be downright pushy -- even frighteningly pushy if you are an easily frightened little girl.
Known as the Boer War monument in Victoria Park, The Soldiers' Monument is a tribute to those who fought in the South African War more than a hundred years ago. The monument was erected in 1912 at a cost at the time of $10,000.
Engraved deeply into one side of the base are the names of the local men, all privates, who died in the war.
Cities seem to love overflowing flower pots today. One sees them decorating islands in the middle of large streets and hanging from posts found just below the lamp on street lamps. In London, I believe, a lot of the flowers may be grown in the city greenhouse. Still, all these flowers cannot be cheap and keeping them all watered must take a lot of staff.
Hungry? If you are in downtown London and close to either Richmond Row or Victoria Park, Stobie's is the place to go if a giant slice of pizza and a juice box or can of pop will suffice.
Kids love Stobie's. The pizza is simple and delicious. Parents love Stobie's. The choices are limited making it easier for kids to make a decision as to what to eat. Students love Stobie's. The price is right. And downtown workers love Stobie's. It is quick.
Big cities have lots of places like Stobie's. London has a few but they are located well distanced from each other. They are not grouped together offering a rich mix of fast, inexpensive food for those in a hurry.
Both are known by the nickname "Jenga tower" in their respective cities. The building in London was praised in The London Free Press for its “decidedly un-London design.” Sounds right. The London tower appears to have a decidedly Etobicoke look.
I took my three granddaughters to Stobie's Pizza so each could have a piece of Stobie's excellent pizza for lunch. The plan was to grab some slices and then head over to Victoria Park and enjoy the park and our pizza.
I am so surprised at all the controversy surrounding masks. There is no question about mask wearing in London. Vaccinated? Good. But wear a mask anyway. Until this COVID-19 pandemic is under control, masks are going to be de rigueur in most public places.
Saying no to pictures is so today. When I started taking photos for publications in the late '60s, the risk one ran when taking pictures in public was being harassed by folk yelling, "Take my picture! Take my picture!" People thought it cool, even an honour, to be thought important enough to have their picture taken. Not today.
I saw a small group of young people in downtown London setting up for a shoot of some type. I thought they might be students from the community college or the local university. I asked and they said, "No pictures," and refused to say anymore. They turned their backs to the camera.
A young man insisted they did not have the time to answer any questions. I told him a one word answer would suffice. Are you students from Fanshawe? No reply. From Western? No reply. But they did have time to insist that I not take any pictures. Never tell a photojournalist not to take your picture. I have shots of police, military and criminal gang members all taken because of that order.
If you are up to something that you feel uncomfortable having photographed, that is worth a picture. At least, it might be worth a picture unless you are just going with the flow and turning your back on the camera because it is the in thing to do.
