3.54 more on the Tour (92)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Mon, 22 May 89 21:41:47 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 54. Monday, 22 May 1989.
(1) Date: 21 May 1989 (33 lines)
From: Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: more on the Walking Tour
(2) Date: Mon, 22 May 89 10:37:00 EDT (38 lines)
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 3.51 walking tour
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 21 May 1989
From: Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: more on the Walking Tour
A few of you have written asking if it would be possible to participate
in the walking tour and make a 12 noon or 2 p.m. plane. The answer is
no. My guess is that we will not return from the tour until mid to late
afternoon, perhaps later, depending on the wishes of the group.
My wife has suggested that we have a picnic on the Island. Indeed,
the Market is a very good place to load up on supplies for a picnic. The
counter-cultural cafe I mentioned on the Island can still be visited for
a cup of espresso, but a picnic would be much better all around. There
are very fine sites for such things on the Island.
The success of this tour depends, of course, on the weather.
Today I made an exploratory trip to the Island, just to refresh a memory
dimmed by time. It was splendid, as always. I should say, for the
benefit of those who know Toronto Island, that I am certainly not
referring to the amusement park that occupies one portion of the place
(this I avoid like the plague that it is), rather to the relatively
deserted western portion (Hanlan's Point) and to the eastern portion
(Ward's Island), where an interesting community of people have held out
against developers and their political allies for several years.
So, I urge those of you who are interested to arrange your schedules
accordingly. All day Saturday should be allotted to the tour. The total
cost should be no more than $10 to $15 (CAN) each, and that's mostly
for the food.
Willard McCarty
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 10:37:00 EDT
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 3.51 walking tour; supercomputing (133)
As a near native of Oxford I spring to the defence of Oxford market,
where I have spent (and still occasionally spend) many a happy hour
shopping. To be sure, the market is not as it was; however it still retains
much of the atmosphere of a traditional indoor market hall, which it would
take more than a few denim or designer boutiques to destroy. And after
all such stalls only reflect a natural shift in retail habits - remember the
process of the past is change.
Oxford market is a fine place to purchase foodstuffs, particularly (for those
with a carnivorous disposition) sausages from the many very traditional
butchers' stalls. At a time when many town and city market halls dating
from the nineteenth century are being destroyed throughout England by
neglect, design, or act of God (and here I think all three apply to
Lancaster's fire damaged and speculator-threatened hall, home of
possibly the finest cheese in England) we should actually cherish what we
have, whether it be at Oxford, Halifax, Stafford, Stoke or Bath (to name but
a few that I am familiar with).
Recant McCarty !!!!!!!
Nicholas Morgan
Department of Scottish History
University of Glasgow
[Perhaps a debate between N.M. and the person who filled my head
with nostalgia for the Oxford Market That Once Was would solve the
problem. If I have unjustly slandered Oxford's Market I do indeed
readily recant! Perhaps local pride has influenced me. In any case,
those of you who take the Tour will see for yourselves how fine a
Market we have. Actually there are two on Saturdays, one for the
farmers (where carnivores will delight in wonderful sausages and
other meats with no preservatives, and everyone in the vegetables and
breads), the other for those who have permanent food stalls. -- W.M.]