When the world wearies ...

"When the world wearies and society does not satisfy, there is always the garden." For decades, this charming aphorism (by one Minnie Aumonier, whose fame would appear to rest on little else than this fine aphorism) was on a large sign outside a plant nursery beside the Pacific Highway at Taree, New South Wales. I read it, I suppose, several hundred times, but have no photo. Nor can I find one on Google Images. Does anyone have a photo of this famous sign, which was probably read by millions? Do you remember this apothegm? Did it mean anything to you, as it did to me?

Alternative versions, found by googling:
"When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden."
"When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden."


Categories: gardening

Gold rushes historical

For a play I'm writing, I'm trying to find slang from the San Francisco gold rush (digger and gang slang), and from Australia's gold rush, both circa 1850s. Also a street map of San Francisco, 1851. Any ideas? Thanks, guys.

Shelton Lea

I seem to have mislaid my copy of a Shelton Lea book of verse, and I would be very grateful if anyone could provide me with a copy of one of my favourite poems, 'The Woman With the Peach Melba Hat' (or a similar title), which I heard Shelton read at the Harris Park Hotel in (I think) the late-1980s or early 1990s. I would like to read it at the poetry night I attend each month. Thank you.

Squidoo bedoobydoo

Hey mate! Will you please rate my Squidoo?

Tagged: squidoo

Do you want to have content for your podcast?

I've recorded 366 daily Wilson's Almanac Book of Days daily 5-minute audio programs. At present I don't have time to podcast them -- I intend to do it myself by January 1, 2007 -- but if you or some enterprising person you know is interested in doing so for their benefit as well as the listeners' and mine, let's talk turkey.

Tagged: podcast, rss, feed, xml

Would you like to help the Almanac?

If you would like to support the Almanac in a non-financial way, and have some time to spare, there are a couple of things that would be very useful. They will improve the Book of Days, and help new readers to find it.

One of the things is some Google searches and information gathering. The other requires someone with basic skills at putting info on Wikipedia.

Please let me know if you can spare some time, by sending me an email (the address is in FAQ in the menu bar at the top of this page). Maybe put something in the subject header like "Pip, I would like to help the Almanac". I really look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks.

Update: Nix the Wikipedia project. But the other still stands.

A Flash problem

Dear reader, I have a minor problem with the Flash animation on my homepage. Although I made it myself, I can't change one of the linked buttons (the spinning star that says AHA). I feel that this must have a very simple solution, but I can't find the answer, have forgotten how to do it, and I really would appreciate it if someone could spare the time to go over the problem with me. Many thanks.

Tagged: flash+animation