Tag Archives: local history

Emily’s Victoria

Have you ever heard of the artist Emily Carr? If you live outside Canada, there is a good chance you haven’t. She was a painter from Victoria, known for capturing the landscapes and indigenous culture of British Columbia’s coast. Her style was bold and untraditional, influenced by the time she spent training abroad, and laterContinue reading “Emily’s Victoria”

Where Does the Food Come From?

You know I love that map of York from 1852. It has featured in, and often inspired, some previous posts on here. One day I’d like it in a big frame on my wall. Anyway, one of the things I kept noticing on the map, especially down around the Fishergate area, and just a littleContinue reading “Where Does the Food Come From?”

A Walk Through the Garden of Death

Above: a sarcophagus and a sphinx, both symbols of death, stand atop the pillars at either end of the cemetery’s western edge. My favourite place in York is the cemetery. It is not because I have a particular taphophilia – that is, an interest in cemeteries, grave markers, and the trappings of death and funeralsContinue reading “A Walk Through the Garden of Death”

A Visit to the Suburbs

This all started because I was spreading the word about a local food market I go to in Tang Hall, a suburb of York. The name prompted comments about how ‘Tang’ has an Asian sound to it. I figured an Asian connection to an English suburb wasn’t terribly likely, but this made me think thatContinue reading “A Visit to the Suburbs”

‘I Shall Find It On The Map’ – Part 2

In the previous post, we talked about the street names in York, particularly some of the more obscure names. These were, in many cases, streets which have been around, in generally the same place, for centuries, preserving a flavour of the layers of York’s history. Street names show the occupation of a place over time,Continue reading “‘I Shall Find It On The Map’ – Part 2”

‘I Shall Find It On The Map’ – Part I

One of the first things I bought when I moved to York was a street map. Never mind that we have google maps, or that I would eventually live here long enough to not really need a map – my soul needed the map, I suppose. The same goes for Victoria: one of my favouriteContinue reading “‘I Shall Find It On The Map’ – Part I”

Churches, Vanished and Decayed

I love to imagine how a place once looked. This is particularly the case for cities I know well: if I were to walk through York, for instance, x number of centuries ago, would I be able to find my way around? How different would it be? Thinking about all those layers of history isContinue reading “Churches, Vanished and Decayed”