"Fun" News from Home!

[ashenflowers 5]

Guelph hosted it's 11th annual Hillside Festival and for the 11th straight year I guess it rained. Not that I've ever been to it or reconize a single band that's ever played, but it's always fun looking the day after the festival to see how bad everyone got soaked...

I have some friends from London who regularly attend that festival. I had meant to go last year and the year before, but could never afford the tickets.

Anyways, yes, they got soaked, and apparently my friend's husband actually nearly drowned. Seriously. Paramedics, oxygen, and a stretcher and all that were involved. Turned out to be not so fun for them this time around.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Okay, another Fun event from back home . .

http://www.cktimes.ca/article/12693.html

RIDGETOWN’S SECOND ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF PORCHES & VENANDAHS ENTERTAINS TOURISTS AND LOCALS

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Jim Gilbert welcomes Queen Victoria (Liz Brown) to the Festival of Porches and Verandahs.... The MCE Vintage Brass Band entertained..... JenniferCofell & Pauline Todd Chalk artist, Melanie Stimmell Art in Mickle Park Lots of new chalk artists Preparing quilt display

Her Royal Highness The Queen Victoria was amused with her weekend visit to Ridgetown’s second annual Festival of Porches and Verandahs. Sheltered in the gazebo at Kiwanis Part, Councillor Steve Pinsonneault warmly welcomed her Royal Highness (aka Liz Brown) to the town. Laurence Grant of the recreated Michigan Central Employees’ vintage brass Band accompanied by “Rudyard Kipling” visiting from London was also presented to The Queen by Chair of Art in the Park, Marlee Robinson.

Her Majesty, accompanied by her Gentleman-in-Waiting William Farnell, graciously agreed to do a walk-about through Mickle Park to see the displays of Elaine Holditch’s quilts, Jeff Coco’s stained glass, Val and Bob West’s photography as well as jewellery, fibre art, paintings, prints and photographs by five members of the CKEtsy Team of artists and artisans. President of the CKEtsy Team, Brenda Braun confirmed “all the participants sold work during the day and we look forward to taking part in Art in the Park next year.”

The Queen continued her journey with a visit to the Rotary Pavilion in Watson Grove where California street chalk artist Melanie Stimmell was creating a painting while Jim Gilbert and his team from Faire Tyme Toys demonstrated vintage toys to wide-eyed youngsters – and adults.

Once again Ridgetown’s Festival of Porches & Verandahs drew out-of-town visitors to dine in elegance on private verandahs. Festival Chair John Taylor said, “Windsor, Iona, Wingham, Toronto and London were all represented as was Chatham, Blenheim and Ridgetown.” Queen Victoria visited each verandah, explaining that since Prime Minister Disraeli refused to increase her government subsidy, she was forced to make public appearances in order to accumulate suitable dowries for her five daughters.

Local poet “Archibald Lampman” (Tom Button) regaled diners with recitations of his writings celebrating Canada’s rural life. Lampman, who was born in Morpeth in 1861, is commemorated with a cairn at Trinity Church. Troubadour Ron Fleming provided musical interludes at each porch, with diners joining the chorus of such songs as “I am my own Grandpa”.

Sunday saw over 100 people settle on lawn chairs in Watson Grove to enjoy the inaugural public performance by the recreated Michigan Central Employees’ Band. The original brass band of railway employees, formed in 1919 in St. Thomas, played throughout Southwestern Ontario including stops in Ridgetown. The modern version of the Band included Handel, Mendelssohn and Gluck in their growing repertoire.

The lead sponsor for this year’s Festival of Porches & Verandahs is the Community Futures Development Corporation of Chatham-Kent with additional support from the Department of Economic Development & Tourism, Ridgetown Chamber of Commerce and “New to You”, Ridgetown’s clothing consignment shop.

Marlee Robinson

[ashenflowers 5]

LOL Ridgetown!! Omg. Thanks for sharing that Kathryn I have relatives in Ridgetown and surrounding area (my grandparents lived in Thamesville until my grandmother passed away)!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I would so love to be there right now! There were always these fun activities to do like the Verandahs and Porches event this one discusses. I was also remembering that this is the Civic Holiday weekend and I always had a great time-line re-enactment at Fort Malden in Amherstburg, and then on Monday I would volunteer at the Uncle Tom's Cabin National Historic Site doing living history. There's just nothing like that here and I really miss it.

That's cool that you know Thamesville and Ridgetown ! Robertson Davies was from Thamesville and many of his stories take place there - although renamed, of course.