HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-08-29, Page 2WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1973
'Serving Brussels and the surrounding community
published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean. Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn. Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association.
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others
$5.00 a year, Single Cdpies 10 cents each.
" Second class mail Registration No. 0562:
Telephone 8137-66.41. •
Accidents
"Accidents do happen". Almost
like an epidemic, every summer this
area has several very bad, often
fatal auto accidents, and they
usually involve young people.
Young drivers are not the only ,
fatalities we see of course, but,,
somehow they are the most tragic.
A kid 'who will not have a chance to
grow up, to love and to be happy,
becomes another accident statistic.
These horrifying accidents can't
jUst be shrugged off with a pat '
phrase. Why do they happen? Why
does every summer bring anguish and
suffering to the families that these
kids leave behind? What do ,we have
to do to achieve a fatality free ,
summer around here?
We canrt very, well take away the
car keys from every driver under 21.
But we can clamp down against those
who take chances. The joy rider
and speed freaks and those Wto think
their car is a powerful,-playful toy
should be cracked down upon. Parents
and police can.makesure that these
kids do not drive until the fact
that cars can kill is drummed into
them.
Every
.town poli
drivers a
be taken
selves or
take refu
happen to
We see
row, it c
people, a
should to
their hab
to try to
accident
neighbourhood and s
ce chief 'knows who
re. Their licences
away before they ki
others.. These kid
but are irresponsi
ge in the belief "I
me".
, however, much to
an happen to anyone
nd in fact all driv
ke a long serious 1
its behind the whee
make the rest of t
free.
mall
the wild
should
11 `them-
s aren't
ble and
t can't
our sor-
. Young
ers
bok at
1 and
he year
Well chaps, we haven't been to The
Tower yet, nor have we seen the Chang-
ing of the Guards, and my .wife was
looking out the wrong side, of the bus when.
we went past' Buckingham palace. But
we did have . breakfast in bed•-Ton Sunday
Morning and" watched a,. dandy American
western on TV, so you might say we're
have a swinging time in London town.
This still has :to. be, one of the most
exciting cities in the world, despite its
basic ugliness. I rather expected to be
disappointed. I remembered war-time
London; hub of the empire; streets alive
with, young men in the Uniforms of fifty
different' forces; pubs jammed; nights
electrifying ,. with „, promise deSpite
blackout and air raidS; great theatre
despite the bombing.
It's not the same, of, course, but it's
Still 'tremendously alive, at least in the
downtown core. I know there are thOu-
Sands of acres Of bleakness and ugliness
'and even squalor outside that, but the old
heart of the city is still thumping away,
as strong. as ever.
Despite all . her premonitions of
disaster, I think. Iiin going tO have to use
dynamite to get my wife out of here and
off on our travels.
Her first impression was one of
hotter 'aS we droVe in from 'the air-
port. never seen such ' a dirty
place!" And. it is,. pretty drab in the
Stibitrbs; rows and rows of grimy, grey
housing, interspersed by grubby
little MOOS and pizza jOinta.
I • couldn't blame her. NO woman is
ecstatic abOlit anything after 4,000 miles
Of 'travel and abOtit twenty-Six Ittaira
"WithOUt Sleep.'; I -*ain't exactly feeling
like Tartan yself, • •
But she's` alittOat' fallen in love with
London, She Wouldn't want: to live here.
Nobody in hiS right mind *Mild, But, I
could spend a month out of each year
in this ancient pile of stones and never
tire of it,
London has something for eVeryOne,
and perhaps that's why everyone and his
wife and kids seen tO be here, FrOtti
everywhere;• Walk 'Meng the street and
you'll hear ten different tongues, Go
into a restaurant and the only tfiglish
you'll hear is from the waiter, and you
won't understand him until the third try,
because he's speaking West indiair Eng-
lish.
If your kick is history, It's right
here, Whispering Old tales and Old
names. Hampton dourti where Henry'`
VIII pressured 8it ThothiS Moore to help him get a divorce so that Henry could
shack up, legally, with. Anne toleyni the, tower,. where the Sadie Thomas had his'
head Lipped of Of refusing' tohelp, And a
hundred others',
. ,Supposing you like Visiting !graveyards
and such.. Thera are nine -great:Museums.
There are the homes of people like Charles
Dickens and Samuel Jansen.. And there's
the greatest, of all, Westminster Abbey,
Where you can tread on the tombs of some
of greatest names in British history
and literature. I :couldn't be bothered,
myself, but every man to his own thing.
. Maybe you are a bird-watcher. Well,
I 'am here to tell you that there-is no
.greater bird-watching sanctuary in the
world than London. There are birds here
of every race,, colour and creed.
I 'think I know now -why Englishmen
refer to :young ladies as "birds". It's
because the 'girls chitter constantly, in a
very pleasing manner.
.If • you're a booZer, this is heaven...
There are, plibs of every Shape, size and
sound, and there are enough Of them to
keep every man, woman and child in Canada
drinking around the cloCk.
Speaking of th e clock and boozers,
keep an eye Otilt. If yOu decide you need
a snort at four and head for the pubs,
you'll find yOurSelf frantically rattling
locked doors. They Were open at noon,
are' now closed,' and won't be opal again
until 5,20, •
But all is not foal. Jitst go into' that
department store, go to the spirits depart-
ment, and the kindly lady, clerk will sell
you anything frOtn a cold three=paCk of
ale to an ,eXpenSiYe bottle of giggly; .while
extolling to-day's SpeCial on Beefeater. gin:
What a ore* CountrY,
It you happen to, be a theatre Miff, which
1 am, among other things, you have arrived
at the pearlY gates. FrordbUt hOtel, we
Can threW a stone in almost any direction
' and hit a live theatre.. We'vehit a different
one tout nights in a row. Last night Paul
Scofield in a satire, the night before Lauren
tiacali in Applause great musical), the
night before Kenneth More in a COMetly. We
are Nat now 'debating whether we ShOuld
go to see Wendy Hiller as Queen Mary, or
Sir Alec dulness in a new comedy,. HO.
Hum.
Then there are abed five big MittiCeisi
The theatre scene here makes NeW York
leek 'Sift, whichit IS, and makes Toronto
look like .11ayforit, Centre. •
., But perhaps, the best entertainment in
London is, plain people-Watching, The
plicA -is literally crawling With tourists
and they con* in every$hape, Size, colour
and accent..
There's too-•Mita in London for one
column, so brace yourself for itiOther, But
Yon •tilitat admit, gentle reader t that I hale
beediaithfill, Here I am, sitting in a hotel
room, pecking away on attinted typewriter
when I could be, out in that: lOvely rain.
flowever, the OAS are about to open,
and , there's. birdkWataitig to be dorioi so .
r11sde you next Week,
Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
••••••ar....p.
HOW 0,1(15 YOU, Neveg REA-fvmeg 7-Aixtr
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.7' LlicE A c.,44sAi oP 1-E-Afont 1 lr?"