Garden Visits

My Stratford is a place of beauty where local citizens take pride in their gardens. Today I went on the annual "Garden Tour" run by the local Horticultural Society.




It was indeed a treat to get a glimpse into the various havens that people have created: peaceful oases, interesting plants, rich combinations of colour and texture. I always have a sense of awe when experiencing the creativity of mankind, but it definitely adds to the pleasure to have it displayed under a sunlit blue canopy with a gentle breeze to occasionally cool the wanderer,





the trickle of fountains to soothe the soul, and the sweet scent of blossoms.









It was an opportunity to glimpse masterpieces formed in conjunction with the Creator himself.


Thank you, Stratford, for opening your private gardens for us to enjoy.

July 1 - A Time for Celebration

My Stratford is a place that loves to party.

Canada Day dawned bright and sunny with a cool crisp breeze. On Market Square, behind the City Hall, a tent city quickly took shape. A stage and sound system were set up, vendors arrived, banners were strung, the scent of delicious food filled the air, and hundreds of volunteers donned red T-shirts and took their places. As noon hour approached the square began to fill with people.










By the time we arrived at 12:15, the place was bustling and we were lucky to find a seat under one of the huge shade tents that had been set up.

Bronze stars were presented to the four citizens being honoured this year...Peter Mansbridge and Cynthia Dale by the city, Christopher Plummer and John Hirsch by the theatre. You will find the stars of former recipients embedded in the pavement on various streets around town. A spirit of communal festivity reigned as entertainment packages from Judy's Dancers, a Jazz trio, Emm Gryner and Steven Page were interspersed with greetings and a lively banter from CJCS radio host Ethan Rabidoux.



Shortly after 5:00 the crowd dispersed to get ready for the parade and evening festivities at the SERC site, culminating with another amazing fireworks show. The planning committee outdid themselves this year. Thank you for all the hours that went into the party!

Maureen Forrester (July 25, 1930 – June 16, 2010)

Today is a day of nostalgia. The news of Maureen Forrester's death brought back a wave of memories, taking me to the Festival Theatre on a Sunday afternoon, where I sat enthralled, listening to her soaring voice filling the auditorium. In those days, (1967, 1974) there were no microphones used to amplify the sound, just the singer and the piano. In searching the Festival Archives this morning, I discovered that in the 1967 concert, her accompanist was none other than Mario Bernardi, and in 1974, Raffi Armenian. She also starred in the Festival's 1984 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe.

Looking through the list of concerts in the archives, once again took me to that place in my youth where Stratford was filled with the sounds of classical music every Sunday afternoon during the Festival season. What a time we had as young people being exposed to so many great musicians. These music archives can be viewed at http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/about/history.aspx?id=9201

Thanks to the Stratford Summer Music Program, now in its 10th season, music will once again be filling our city from July 19 - August 22 this summer. Part of their anniversary program features a group of concerts honouring Maureen Forrester. It is called the "Next Generation of Canadian Artists" series. You can find out about all of this season's concerts by checking on line at www.stratfordsummermusic.ca

So, to Ms. Forrester, thanks for the memories. Thanks for enhancing the Canadian music scene for so many years. May you rest in peace.

Return to Glenwood

For me Stratford is a place of history...my history. I was born and raised here for my first 18 years before heading off to university. After traveling and working in various parts of Canada, my husband and I returned to Stratford to raise our children.











Yesterday I had the privilege of revisiting my family home, the Glenwood, now a B&B, for a reunion with my brother and sister and their spouses, and to meet the new owners, Bill and Christine.


Bill is very much a historian and has been gathering information about the house, in fact the entire neighbourhood.




Christine is an amazing cook, very adept at whipping up breakfasts and other delicacies.


In return for sharing our stories, we were treated to their warm hospitality.



What a pleasure it was to see our former home being cared for with such obvious joy and attention to detail. From the wonderful dinner on the "big lawn" (our childhood term for the property), to sharing a glass of wine along with old photos and memories,


to the wonderful home-made baking and made-from-scratch light-as-a-feather waffles with fresh fruit for breakfast, our return to the Glenwood is now a treasured memory.


If you are looking for a B&B getaway for yourself or your friends, do be sure to check out the Glenwood. I know you will enjoy the delightful hosts....and you just may have a history lesson along the way. See http://www.glenwoodbnb.com for more information.

My Neighbourhood in Spring

I went for a stroll last night, first of all to the river to see the baby mallards. They are little balls of fluff right now, but they already know how to swim.


With the sun bright in our eyes, we decided to meander back via Cobourg Street. Please share in my enjoyment of the local home gardens encountered along the way.

















As we headed for home, one final piece of beauty stopped our steps - first an auditory thrill and then a scarlet flash attracting the eye. Not at all shy, he posed for several pictures.

A Bittersweet Farewell

Last night was a farewell, a bitter-sweet farewell in some ways. The 1913 concert grand Steinway which had been a part of Stratford's cultural scene since 1954, was played for the final time in our fair city. A benefactor of Ms Kati Gleiser, currently completing a Doctorate in Piano Performance at Indiana University, recently purchased the piano for her from St. John's United Church. Kati had agreed to perform a concert for Stratford, before the piano set off to its new home.







Many of us here grew up under the spell of the Steinway, the piano played by such international musical greats as Glenn Gould, Ronald Turini, Rudolph Serkin, Claudio Arrau, Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington. It's history was tied in to the first twenty years of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival when a Music Festival ran alongside the dramatic playbill. I remember attending concerts many Sunday afternoons with full house attendance as people traveled from all over to hear not only pianists, but orchestras, chamber music and some of the great vocalists of the day. It was a privilege growing up in that era, when Stratford was so incredibly culturally rich and there was an enthusiasm and joy in hearing wonderful classical music performed by the masters.

Ms Gleiser's concert was beautiful. Although the Steinway needs a great deal of technical work to come back to her former glory, she still displayed hints of the rich timbre for which she was so famous. Kati handled her impeccably and with a very sensitive musical spirit.




So yes, it was bitter sweet...a sorrow to see the end of an era, but a joy in knowing that the Steinway, at 97 years of age, will be loved, cared for and used long into the future.

The Theatre Gardens in Spring

I took a stroll past the Festival Theatre today in order to spend time in the gardens there. This is one of the delightful gems of Stratford...natural artistry side by side with the dramatic arts.

A new pansy bed freshly planted holds promise of a lovely carpet of bloom to come.

The Arthur Meighan perennial garden displays her spring colours.




As the season progresses this garden area will provide a constant change of "scenery". With identifying labels on most plants it is a gardener's dream. I often come here to see what is in bloom at certain times, so I know what to buy to enhance my own little piece of God's creation.


A row of blossom trees I had never noticed before, just below the theatre, add their beauty to the baseball and soccer fields of lower Queens Park.










If you haven't been to Stratford in the Spring, why not consider it? The town is coming to life in so many ways, and the theatre tickets are less expensive. It's a win win!