Jolly balloons in green, white and orange, outside Wetherspoons pub in Hatch End, near Hatch End railway station, in NW London, England.
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Monday, March 16, 2026
St Patrick's Day balloons outside Wetherspoons Pub in London
How To Remember The past In Spanish
Spanish - English
estaban - it was (b for back then, in the past)
fue - it was (forever, permanently, such as - was Spanish)
Useful Websites
translate google
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Sunday, March 15, 2026
St Patrick's Day - Irish sites and celebrations worldwide
St Patrick's Day is an annual celebration of all things Irish. St Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th, treated as the nniversary of the day of his death, the end of his life converting the Pagan Irish to Christianity. But he is also credited with removing the snakes from Irelandd, but there were no records of any snakes before his arrival.
If you are a devotee of St Patrick or Irish religion and culture and travel and tourism, consider a trip to the capital of Eire, Dublin, where you can visit St Patrick's cathedral. Other places are associated with St Patrick.
For writers, several places are memorable. Famous Irish authors. The Blarney stone. Limerick.
Visiting Limerick - what to see
Limerick is on the coast, on the river, and dominated by the massive castle walls and twin towers of St John's Castle.
Expect celebrations near and far in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and all over the UK. In pubs such as Wetherspoons, green hats to be bought or given to patrons.
Customers wear green clothes and items with Irish words and jokes.
London
Trafalgar Square in the centre of London has music, dancing, and food to buy.
You can buy Irish items from supermarkets and party shops.
Expect celebrations in pubs and major cities in the UK, USA, Australia and Singapore. Check your local newspapers, TV stations, the internet and YouTube and Wikipedia. In previous years cities in the USA have sold green drinks and Chicago even turned the river green. Expect worldwide jollity, and people singing in public and on public transport in London in the evening.
If you are entertaining, you can download suitable green borders and symbols for invitations and menus.
You can look for the tunes and words of popular Irish songs to play as background music at the start o meetings and meals and celebrations.
Travel
For travellers, in addition to celebrations on the day, visits of interest include
1 churches associated with St Patrick, and
2 Guinness tours in Dublin, Eire, and London, England.
In Northern Ireland you can visit sites connected with the Game of Thrones. Must see, major museum, Titanic Belfast.
Celebrate St Patrick's Day
by Angela Lansbury
St Patrick's Day the Colour green
Is on the pubs in every scene
The brightest green you've every seen
In drinks, on chairs, balloons and hair
The colours green, orange and white
Are sure to bring all great delight
Drinking by day, singing by night
And smiling all night til daylight
In some cities you see parades
New Yorker smile and wave all day
Singapore - hats given away
At pubs which wanted all to stay
Chicago turns its river green
And green drinks make the weirdest scheme
Different things in different places
Green on spectacles and faces
Ireland has a lucky shamrock day
Montserrat has a holiday
Each country celebrates its way
With bagpipes, harps, or dance all day
I see that opportunity knocks
Although I do not dye my locks
That would give all my friends a shock
I'll wear green ties, or frocks and socks
Afterward I'll store them away
And send emails in which I say
My box of Irish goods will stay
Locked in box rooms til Patrick's Day.
Green four leaf clover sandals. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
You can learn or refresh Irish Gaelic on Duolingo and other online language courses. The Duolingo starter lesson, which is free, teaches you to say, hear and recognise, and read the words, tea, coffee, sugar, and, please.
Language
Bilingual Irish and English sign in Wikipedia article on language. Photo by Darren J Prior
Useful websites on St Patrick's Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Great_Day_for_the_Irish
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_cream
https://opengatelondon.guinness.com/en/tours
https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/events/home-of-st-patrick-festival/
Details of Northern Ireland, St Patrick's grave, and visitor centre, Giants' Causeway, Spring Equinox walks on Saturday March 21st
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland?
https://www.titanicbelfast.com/
https://visitbelfast.com/blog/post/glass-of-thrones-trail-map/
Irish Language
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Irish_phrasebook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingui-Sticks-Language-Learning-Stickers-Educational/
-ends-
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Limerick - sights to see, Learning Irish and Comical Limerick Poem by Angela Lansbury.
Travel to Limerick
Limerick is supposedly where the limerick was invented.
Limerick for Limerick by Angela Lansbury
The limerick came from Limerick
Easy to write and read, it's quick
Where it started we can't be sure
Let's write, sing and drink some some
You'll laugh, and hic and never be sick
Of the laughs which come from Limerick.
You can learn or refresh Irish Gaelic on Duolingo and other online language courses. The Duolingo starter lesson, which is free, teaches you to say, hear and recognise, and read the words, tea, coffee, sugar, and, please.
Language
Bilingual Irish and English sign in Wikipedia article on language. Street sign in Dublin. Photo by Darren J Prior
To get you started, here are some easy words which are the same or almost the same:
Irish - English
banana - banana
bus - bus
cat - cat
camp - camp
fork - fork
lion - lion
mug - mug
English - Irish
banana - banana
bus - bus
camp - camp
cat - cat
fork - forc
lion - lion
mug - mug
Useful websites on Irish Language
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Irish_phrasebook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingui-Sticks-Language-Learning-Stickers-Educational/
translate google English-Irish Irish-English
Pronunciation in 3 Dialects, from Munster in the South to Ulster in the North
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X75ZGEytOJs
www.focloir.ie free dictionary English-Irish and Irish-English with pronunciation you can listen to
-ends-
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Mother's Day Card From M&S
Three dimensional card from Marks & Spencer.
The awning lifts so you can write a message in the text box.
If you missed Mother's Day in the UK, it is celebrated on other days worldwide.
Useful Websites
"Las Mañanitas" is a Mexican Mother's Day song, sung in Spanish speaking countries, to wake mother on mother's day, by playing a recording or singing it.
Roses for mother sad song, hit song from the 1970s, about a trucker who goes to send his mother birthday roses, pays for roses for a little boy, whose mother turns out to be in a cemetery, so the trucker doesn't send the roses but delivers them to his own mother in person.
Roses for mama song by Red Sovine
Another similar version by McCall
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Bonoo Indian Restaurant, Hampstead
The Restaurant Name
Bonoo is the owner's nickname. I had trouble remembering the restaurant name, until I thought, it starts like bonus and bon-bon. It ends with oo.
The decor has changed from last year. still very elaborate. Lots of hanging flowery parts, like an overhead vine. Very romantic. Lit by electric candles.
The Menu
Read with your phone torch. or read online in advance. One of our family is a regular here. She always has salmon. They remember her.
As a starter, I ordered a naan stuffed with coconut. This proved popular. My husband said next time we must order three. Two to eat in the restaurant. One to take home.
Our main courses included a chicken tandoori. And a lamb dish. And plain boiled rice. And spinach with potato.
We had two desserts. Gulub jamun. And ras mulai.
Booking
We booked. You can have small tables for two and large tables for four or more, on the ground floor and downstairs.
Toilets Downstairs
Toilets are downstairs, down a well lit staircase with a good handrail on both sides.
The ladies single toilet cubicle is elegant, with a gold framed mirror.
At the end of our meal the adults were offered a free Baileys (chocolate liqueur) or cognac.
I saved some food, just a little, in a take away box, but no bag and it leaked in my shoulder bag. I should have put it inside a plastic bag.
I had told them it was my birthday on the way in. They wished me happy birthday, but didn't do anything like a candle on a cake. I suppose Indian desserts aren't really geared for that kind of dessert. All the same, the atmosphere was lovely. A very satisfying evening. Reasonably priced, said the one who paid.
Parking
We were able to park nearby for free on a Saturday night, February 2024
Useful Websites
Friday, March 13, 2026
Spanish Words - 10 Memory Aids
Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Spanish English
accidente - accident
camara - camera
catedral - cathedral
diploma - diploma
fuerte (as in the island in the Canary islands called Fuerteventura) - strong (pianoforte, fortify)
idea - idea
jugador - player (like juggling, and stevedore who is a dockhand unloading ships)
par - pair
la radio - the radio
rugby (pronounced roo) - rugby
la television - the television
English - Spanish
accident - accidente
cathedral - catedral
idea - idea
the radio - la radio
Rugby - Rugby
pair - par
player - jugador
strong - fuerte
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