Post box in Long Elmes, London, with knitted hat - where else, what else?

Who likes the hats on post boxes all over the UK?  They brighten the day of the postie, we used to say postman, then along came postwomen, then confusion.  the hats brighten the day of people posting letters. they brighten my day as we drive along unfamiliar streets. Spotting one is like dicvering buried treasure.

A picture from the past which I saved in drafts  because there was no internet on an H14 London bus. I dont know how we communicate in an accident, but London underground train service is better for bloggers like me. 

This knitted hat is on a postbox in Long Elmes in Harrow, North-west London, England UK. These knitted hats are on the circular red post boxes all over London. 

One has to admire the ingenuity of the knitters. The hats are not designs you could find in catalogues. I take that back.  I did a further search for mail box, post box, letter box, knitted cover, crochet cover. You can get patterns for knitted toys.  Once you have mastered or discovered patterns for animals, Santas, dice shapes for transport, doll shapes for humans, letters of the alphabet, you can get creative. 

Photo by Angela Lansbury Copyright.

They are in crochet as well as knitting. The locations are as far north as Scotland and as far south as Cornwall.

Other designs have included one for Charles III.

If you want to see more, here are some links.

Useful websites

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/graywolf_23462/crochet-post-box-toppers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_box_topper

https://www.letsknit.co.uk/free-knitting-patterns/knitted-postbox-topper

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Happy New Year, Shona Tova, to Jewish Readers and Friends

 I just received a greeting from a Jewish friend in the UK. Shona Tova, literally year good. In Hebrew,  the adjective is second, after the noun. 

The festival is Rosh Hashonanah, literally head (of) the year, meaning start of the year. Of is understood. The Jewish New Year starts in autumn, like the school and university years.

This is a jolly time, celebrated with food, apples, from the harvest, and honey for a sweet new year.   

The next day in synagogue, the reading of the bible starts at te beginning. The event includes the drama of blowing of a ram's horn.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Judaism

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Safety Signs and Pets & People In Cars & Hot Cars

What are the questions you need to ask a babysitter? What should you check? Or provide?

Fire alarm. fire extinguisher.

Clear exits.

Cars

Sign on cars warning not to leave pets or children inside when you exit.

You can buy these signs. Every car should have one.

sometimes it is better to have a call to action. A positive wording to encourage a positive action.

Useful Websites

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12518223/Virginia-toddler-dog-die-hot-car.html#comments

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mall-fires-will-activate-shutters-to-close-look-for-the-green-exit-sign-to-escape-scdf?dicbo=v2-N2ml2md

https://www.wikihow.com/Escape-From-the-Trunk-of-a-Car

https://www.wikihow.com/Escape-from-a-Sinking-Car

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12520403/Molly-Krebs-mom-Cincinnati-dead-funeral-guilty.html

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Where's Where In Australia and how to remember Australian States

Up on Facebook pops a picture or a wonderful winery with an intriguing maze. The name of the place is Bago Winery, but where is it? In Australia. Where in Australia? New South Wales.

I'm sure all Australians know where that is. I don't, although I have been to Perth on the west coast, and Sydney on the East and Melbourne in the South and Canberra on a day trip, somewhere inland, as well as up the east coast to Brisbane, which is a cross between New York with skyscrapers and Blackpool with tourist attractions, along the beach strip.

Now, back to New South Wales. I google it and up comes a map. The main city is Sydney. That gives me a handy alliteration. Initial letter S. Sydney is in New South Wales.

I take a look at Australia in Wiki but don't get given the States which I would expect to be first. Finally, another search brings up the states. Two are easy to identify and remember. Western Austrlia is in the West. Southern Australia is in the south, in the centre of the South.  

The two others are Queensland and Victoria. Fortunately they are in that order, reading noth to south. Queensland is north of New South Wales. Victoria is south of New South Wales.

Now I can look at a blank map and work out which state is which.

The island is Tasmania. Its capital is Hobart.

Map in Wiki from 

User:Lokal_Profil

v t e Largest populated areas in Australia 2021 data from Australian Bureau of Statistics[307]
Rank	Name	State	Pop.	Rank	Name	State	Pop.
1	Sydney	NSW	5,259,764	11	Geelong	Vic	289,400
2	Melbourne	Vic	4,976,157	12	Hobart	Tas	251,047
3	Brisbane	Qld	2,568,927	13	Townsville	Qld	181,665
4	Perth	WA	2,192,229	14	Cairns	Qld	155,638
5	Adelaide	SA	1,402,393	15	Darwin	NT	148,801
6	Gold Coast–Tweed Heads	Qld/NSW	706,673	16	Toowoomba	Qld	143,994
7	Newcastle–Maitland	NSW	509,894	17	Ballarat	Vic	111,702
8	Canberra–Queanbeyan	ACT/NSW	482,250	18	Bendigo	Vic	102,899
9	Sunshine Coast	Qld	355,631	19	Albury-Wodonga	NSW/Vic	97,676
10	Wollongong	NSW

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are eight capital cities in Australia, each of which functions as the seat of government for the state or territory in which it is located. One of these, Canberra, is also the national capital. Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia specified that the seat of the national government, that is, the national capital, would be in its own territory within New South Wales, at least 100 miles (161 km) from Sydney. The Constitution specified that until this national capital was ready, the Parliament would sit in Melbourne. In 1927, the national capital was finally ready and the national government relocated from its former seat in Melbourne to Canberra within the Australian Capital Territory (or the Federal Capital Territory as it was known at the time).

In each state and internal territory, the capital is also the jurisdiction's most populous city. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island has its official capital at Kingston, although this acts merely as the administrative centre of government; its de facto capital is Burnt Pine.^[1]

WESTERN AUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERRITORY SOUTH AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA TASMANIA ●Perth ●Adelaide ●Melbourne ★Canberra (ACT) ●Sydney ●Brisbane ●Hobart ●Darwin

State and territory capitals of Australia

State/territory	Capital	City population[2]	State/territory population[3]	Percentage of state/territory population in capital city	Established	Capital since	Image
New South Wales	Sydney	5,029,768	7,759,274	64.82%	1788	1788
Victoria	Melbourne	4,725,316	6,179,249	76.47%	1835	1851
Queensland	Brisbane	2,360,241	4,848,877	48.68%	1825	1860
Western Australia	Perth	2,022,044	2,558,951	79.02%	1829	1829
South Australia	Adelaide	1,324,279	1,713,054	77.31%	1836	1836
Tasmania	Hobart	224,462	517,588	43.37%	1804	1826
Australian Capital Territory	Canberra	403,468	403,468	100.00%	1913	1913
Northern Territory	Darwin	145,916	245,740	59.38%	1869	1911

References[edit]

1. ^ Norfolk Island - Kingston http://www.pitcairners.org/vt_kingston.html Norfolk Island's Home on the Web
2. ^ Statistics, c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of (28 July 2017). "Main Features - Main Features". www.abs.gov.au.
3. ^ Statistics, c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of (28 July 2017). "Details - Main Features". www.abs.gov.au.

So, to sum up

Capital - State

Sydney - New South Wales

Melbourne - Victoria

Brisbane - QLD

Adelaide - SA

Perth - WA

Capital of Australia - Canberra

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_capital_cities#:

For pictures of Bago Winery go to the previous post.

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Wonderful Bago Winery and Amazing Maze, north of Hunter Valley, Australia

Maze at Bago Winery, NSW. The maze uses a local plant, Lilly Pilly.

A new place on my wishlist. This winery is family run and offers family fun. Wine for the adults. An amazing maze for the children. Souvenir glasses and tea-towels. I like the tee-shirt, but don't see it in the shop. The shop sells chocolates made on the premises. The chcolate area keeps different hours.

You are not allowed to take pets, I suppose they might eat or pee or damage the vines. But for animal lovers the name of the place is memorable, Lambs Road and Herons Creek.

The bottles have attractive labels showing birds. The online shop shows four teatowels, with designs of a green frog, a koala, or birds. The teatowel price is about 24 Australian dollars, about half that in British pounds, just over twelve pounds sterling shown in conversion tables in September 2023.

Maze tickets cost Australian $12 for adults, 8 for children, under fives free.

The place is open 9-5 daily except Xmas Day. Last maze entry at 4pm. It take about 20 minutes to walk around the maze. 

The lunchtime music once a month is free. You can buy meat or cheese platters. They recommend ordering as there is a limited supply each day.

Where To Go

Bago Winery

The winery is north of Sydney, over 300 kms/miles. See Google maps, a mornin'g s drive, if you keep to the speed limit.

197 Lambs Road, Herons Creek, NSW, Australia 2439

When To To

Once a month they have music days. Free entry for father last Father's day so maybe the same next year, if you want to bag a bargain and are looking for something new to do.

You might spot the bottles with bird labels in nearby hotels and shops.

Useful Websites

bago.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/bagomazeandwinery/

https://www.bago.com.au/blog/the-road-to-bago-maze-and-wine?

https://www.bago.com.au/stockists

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See The English House In Singapore, food from Marco Pierre White

 

Photos by Faith.

 Jasmine Faith Vahdati IP5:  Faith. Credentials: holds Master’s Degree, holds ABRSM Grade 8 Piano with Distinction, 2nd place winner of piano competition in USA. Past President of Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club and winner of speech contests in multiple categories.

 Jasmine Faith Vahdati IP5: Currently teaching piano and studying piano under a world-renowned pianist who won the Russian National Piano Competition three times.

Faith’s dream is to perform piano at Carnegie Hall in New York City, USA.

The English House restaurant in Singapore. As you can see, you have a choice of round of oblong tables. tables for two or big tables. Dining chairs or stools.  The decor includes books and models of cars and animals such as horses. 

Singaporean local food includes fish head curry on bamboo leaves, dishes with unfamiliar names such as kway teow. If you are craving English food here in Singapore, says Faith, check out the English House!

It's a super quaint restaurant.

It's in Mohamed Sultan Road.

Faith ate Eton mess. It's a traditional dessert, usually consisting of stawberries and crushed hard white meringue with thick whipped double cream hiding strawberries. The fresh strawberries help to comensate for the sugariness of meringue, which is made from egg whites and what the British call caster sugar, not to be confused with icing sugar which is a powdered sugar which the Americans call confectioner's sugar.

The food is by renowned chef Marco Pierre White.

The restaurant has rooms. (Bedrooms.)

Photo from Wikipedia article on the chef.

I had Eton mess in the UK in Windsor. You can walk across the bridge to Eton. Like Buda and Pest in Hungary, two places either side of the river. 

If you want to make the dish at home, if you don't have strawberries you can use another red fruit or even bananas. To making it less sickly and cloying you can add yogurt.

Useful Websites

theenglishhouse.com

The history of the food Eton mess and variations on ingredients

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eton_mess

Recipe for Eton mess

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Eton_Mess

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Van Gogh Exhibition Photos - see yourself surrounded by sunflowers, and Van Gogh's Bedroom

 

Surrounded by a riot of yellow sunflowers. Photo of and by Trevor Sharot. 

Contrasting with the crowde of flowers, is Van Gogh's simple, spartan room. It has four hooks, three hooks for hanging clothes and one hook for his hat. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Reproduction of Van Gogh's bedroom. The backdrop of the window and and door are painted. Trompe l'oeuil. But the furniture is real. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Van Gogh Exhibition in Jakarta. Photos by Trevor Sharot.

The exhibition is in a beautiful, spacious shopping mall in Jakarta. Jakarta is the current capital, on the island of Java. a complete contrast to the ultra modern Van Gogh Exhibition is the National Museum.

trevor spent a long weekend in Indonesia, climbing a dormant volcano. The last day was in Jakarta with a flight out at night. He planned his museums trips in the city in a line so he ended up near the airport in the evening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh_immersive_experience

https://www.vangoghmuseumshop.com/en/shop

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