Southern Sonoma Country Life

Marvelous Montecito — Read my Story on Weekending Like a Royal in Coastal Californa

Photo: Frances Rivetti 

I'm back in California and dipping my toes in the water to get back to my writing. Here's a super fun clip from an article I wrote for The Royal List prior to leaving for the UK. Please do click here and read the full story . . . 

 

Montecito, the peaceful, super-private, panoramic enclave of a not-so-secret roster of ultra-elite residents, is home-sweet-multi-million-dollar-home to Harry and Meghan’s family of four. And if it’s good enough for the Sussexes, it’s good enough for us.

A winding, two-hour drive north of Los Angeles brings you to Montecito. We soak in its subtle Southern California vibe and pleasant, Mediterranean climate with a drive-by of its upper-village gates of gorgeously-landscaped, lavish, hillside estates of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their star-studded neighbours, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Orlando 

History and Sybmolism of King Charles III’s Coronation Clothing — Sacred Robes & Glittering Regalia

(image credits Royal.uk)

Preparations for the historic occasion of King Charles III's May 6th Coronation are in full swing here in the UK where I am currently back in my home country. It's looking a little more restrained than celebrations for the Queen in recent years, however there is still over a week to go. As a history buff and a fashion lover, one key element that I'm most interested in with regards to the Westminster Abbey service will be the monarch’s outfits, including the Coronation robes, which I've read are to carry potent, personal and national symbolic meaning.

Celebrated designer Sir Jony Ive KBE has created a circular coronation emblem featuring a floral design, in honor of the King’s ‘love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world’

The king is anticipated to arrive at the service in military uniform, his initial attire for the ceremony. Although formal and official, it’s widely considered that the outfit will be more suitable for today's modern age than the flamboyant silk stockings and breeches of past male monarchs. Charles' mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, wore a Norman Hartnell gown embroidered with emblems that represented the dominions over which she was monarch. 

 

King Charles is backing British craftsmen, according to the Daily Mail, having reportedly chosen artisan tailors to make his Coronation outfits, including a Savile Row tailoring of his Royal Navy military trousers. For the anointing, he will reportedly be wearing a silk undershirt made by Turnbull & Asser, the collars and cuffs hand-embroidered with acorns and oak leaf detail. I like the look of the company's James Bond Collection, so I'm looking forward to seeing detals of the King's collars and cuffs. 

 

The garment is believed to have been made in Gloucestershire using English homespun silk.

 

Savile Row shoe shop Gaziano & Girling is likely responsible for creating  luxurious slippers – ‘opera pumps’ made by hand and crafted in Northampton using Swiss calf leather that the King is said to be wearing on his Coronation day. The sole leather of the slippers is sourced from a tannery in Devon that uses ancient methods. These sound gorgeous, I'm keen to see pictures afterwards. 

The Telegraph has reported that the Coronation robes will play a key role, as dictated by the 14th century Liber Regalis, or Royal Book, setting out the order in which the sacred garments should be worn. 

 

Although elements of the Coronation ceremony – from the smaller number of attendees to the welcoming of different faiths – have been updated to be more in keeping with the times, Buckingham Palace is making it clear that the occasion remains a most ‘solemn religious service’ and will be ‘rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.’

The sumptuous clothes that Charles will wear for his Coronation certainly promise history and symbolism woven into each and every thread. This rich and ancient history is as important now as ever, maybe even more so as many question the concept of royalty. There's no denying that Charles has worked closely and tirelessly with many organisations, publicly supporting a wide variety of causes relating to the environment, rural communities, the built environment, the arts, healthcare and education.

Apparently, new robes are traditionally made for each Coronation, with the exception of the Supertunica and the Robe Royal, which date back to the 1821 Coronation of King George IV. Both will be worn during the investiture, with the Robe Royal donned at the moment of crowning, bearing enormous symbolic weight in evoking the divine nature (or, in plain speech, the point) of monarchy. This coronation is expected to be shorter than those in the past and Charles may don a few less robes during the ceremony than his mother did. He's also asked attendees to leave their own titled regalia at home in favor of a more streamlined, business formal attire. 

According to Tatler: "Buckingham Palace has also now released details of the Coronation Regalia that will appear at the event: the ‘sacred and secular objects which symbolise the service and responsibilities of the monarch’, which ‘have played a central role in Coronation Services for hundreds of years’. Part of the Crown Jewels, these exquisite artefacts are typically on public display in the Tower of London. The Regalia belongs to the Royal Collection and is held in trust by the reigning monarch on behalf of the nation."

"The key components include two Maces, made of silver gilt over oak, which date from between 1660 and 1695. The Palace explains that these pieces are the ceremonial emblems of authority which are carried before the Sovereign at events such as the State Opening of Parliament.

Several more swords, sceptres, orbs and and staffs will be carried in the Coronation procession. One sword is much like another to me, I'm more intrigued by the embroidery that has been painstakingly undertaken for the Coronation emblem. 

 St Edward’s Crown will be used to crown King Charles III in keeping with centuries of tradition. It was created for King Charles II in 1661 by Vyner to replace the previous medieval crown, which was melted down in 1649. Although today’s crown is not an exact replica, it nods to the medieval design, with its four crosses-pattée, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches and is crafted from a solid gold frameset with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, with a velvet cap and an ermine band. The crown is topped with an orb and a cross, ‘symbolising the Christian world’. The same crown was worn by Charles' mother at her Coronation in 1953.  

The Coronation Emblem - which will feature throughout May's historic celebrations - pays tribute to The King’s love of the natural world, depicting the flora of the four nations in the shape of St Edward’s Crown.

 

 

Ice Cream For All — Walls "Stop Me, Buy One" Pre-War History from the Home Front.

Hearing a story from the family trove for the first time is always a treat. I'm spending time with my Dad in the UK while my Mum is in the hospital and in between visiting hours we've been reminiscing.

My parents still live in the small market town of Crowland, Lincolnshire on the border of Cambridgeshire in the Fenland region of England, where my Dad was raised, as were several generations before him. Mum and Dad will have been married 60 years this September and they live in the same house in which they started their married life together, which is rare these days.

Last night, over dinner we talked about some of the older buildings in town and the various shops and businesses that my Dad remembers from his childhood during and after WWII.

There was a shop (Mrs. Taylors) on the corner of North Street and East Street in which the proprietress made homemade ice cream on occasion. "When word spread that there was a fresh batch, once a week or so, my mother would send me out on my roller skates with a bowl," said Dad.

"But didn't it melt before you made it home?" I asked. 

"Either it wasn't very warm those summers or I was a fast roller skater," Dad replied. I can picture him sitting down to a bowl of ice cream with locally grown, sliced strawberries, small, red and summer-sweet. 

Well, I never knew my Dad had ever roller skated for one and I hadn't ever given any thought as to the availability of ice cream in the provinces during WWII.

That set me to thinking about an old photo I have in my collection of my Dad's auntie Margaret as a girl, selling Walls Ice Cream in Crowland on a Walls Tricycle. 

Ice cream, on further research, became popular in England in the mid 1880s when Swiss emigre Carlo Gatti set up the first ice cream stand selling scoops for one penny outside of bustling Charing Cross Station in London. 

Before this, ice cream was reserved for the privileged who had access to a brick ice house (with ice gathered from frozen lake or pond water). 

Ice Cream manufacturer Walls of London issued tricycles in London around 1923. When the Second World War started in 1939, the cycles were requisitioned for use at military installations. Ice Cream became a rare comodity. 

After the war, Walls introduced ice cream freezers for shops. 

Now I know the story behind Auntie Irene's ice cream selling enterprise, part of her parents' business as small business owners/shopkeepers. My grandmother, her sister, married a local businessman and small town enterpreneur who also went on to open several shops in town. My Dad and my Uncle continued the family business for many years. 

 

 

The King's Breakfast & Buckingham Palace — Two Classic Poems by A. A. Milne & My Current Mindset

With the fast approach of the May 6th Coronation of King Charles, I've been reminicing quite a bit about my childhood in England and the classic stories and poems that populated my early years. The poems The King's Breakfast and Buckingham Palace by A.A. Milne keep popping in a timely fashion into my head. As they're in the public domaine, I thought it would be fun to share them. 

Alan Alexander Milne (1882 - 1956) was an English author, most famously known for his books about Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne, who was educated at Cambridge University and graduated in 1903, wrote 18 plays, early screenplays, three novels and collections of childrens stories before the enormous success of Pooh overshadowed his previous work.

I'm headed over to the UK and will be posting a little of my (predominantly family) visit here and there on this site and my other social media. The concept of royalty amidst the gravity of current global concerns gives me much to ponder. While a large part of it appears ridiculous these days, there's a lot more than meets the eye to think about when we look at the merits of history and heritage, tradition and change. Especially for an ex-pat like me. So I will bring you my honest thoughts and feelings in my posts along the way. 

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

The King's Breakfast

 

The King's Breakfast
The King asked
The Queen, and
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
"Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?"
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, "Certainly,
I'll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed."

The Dairymaid
She curtsied,
And went and told
The Alderney:
"Don't forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread."
The Alderney
Said sleepily:
"You'd better tell
His Majesty
That many people nowadays
Like marmalade
Instead."

The Dairymaid
Said, "Fancy!"
And went to
Her Majesty.
She curtsied to the Queen, and
She turned a little red:
"Excuse me,
Your Majesty,
For taking of
The liberty,
But marmalade is tasty, if
It's very
Thickly
Spread."

The Queen said
"Oh!:
And went to
His Majesty:
"Talking of the butter for
The royal slice of bread,
Many people
Think that
Marmalade
Is nicer.
Would you like to try a little
Marmalade
Instead?"

The King said,
"Bother!"
And then he said,
"Oh, deary me!"
The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"
And went back to bed.
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"

The Queen said,
"There, there!"
And went to
The Dairymaid.
The Dairymaid
Said, "There, there!"
And went to the shed.
The cow said,
"There, there!
I didn't really
Mean it;
Here's milk for his porringer,
And butter for his bread."

The Queen took
The butter
And brought it to
His Majesty;
The King said,
"Butter, eh?"
And bounced out of bed.
"Nobody," he said,
As he kissed her
Tenderly,
"Nobody," he said,
As he slid down the banisters,
"Nobody,
My darling,
Could call me
A fussy man -
BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"

 

Photo: roberto-catarinicchia-unsplash.jpg

 

Buckingham Palace

 

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We saw a guard in a sentry-box.
"One of the sergeants looks after their socks,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We looked for the King, but he never came.
"Well, God take care of him, all the same,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
They've great big parties inside the grounds.
"I wouldn't be King for a hundred pounds,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
A face looked out, but it wasn't the King's.
"He's much too busy a-signing things,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
"Do you think the King knows all about me?"
"Sure to, dear, but it's time for tea,"
                                     Says Alice.

Join Illustrator of The House on Liberty Street Gail Foulkes and Myself, Author of This Local Best Selling Novel for Supper, Conversation & a Reading at Aqus Cafe, Petaluma, Thurs Evening, March 16th, 2023

Please join Gail Foulkes and myself at our favorite neighborhood gathering spot, Aqus Cafe at Foundry Wharf on Thursday evening March 16th. We'll be hanging out at Aqus during the Art Alive monthly walk-about, eating supper, chatting about our collaboration on this latest novel of mine and enjoying a glass of wine prior to my reading at 7pm. 

The House on Liberty Street continues to make its way out into the world and has been the best selling book at Copperfield's Books in Petaluma this past month. Apologies to Prince Harry for knocking him off his best seller perch locally, but somehow I don't think he'll notice. There's only room for two British Americans in that lofty position in Petaluma right now and I get to share these 15 minutes of fame with fellow Brit, Gail! 

We'll be at Aqus on the 16th from 5.45 pm, so please do mark it on your calendar and join us for a (no-host) libation or two and/or an appetizer or light meal and conversation. We're grateful to Lesley, John and team at Aqus for their support of us and opening their inviting space to so many local creatives over the years and so it's important for us to be reciprocal and encourage additional custom prior to and during the March 16th reading. 

Here's a link to view Gail's gorgeous slideshow of the many images she made around historic West Petaluma during the months we were talking about the cover illustration for The House on Liberty Street.

Framed images are now on show at Aqus Cafe — do stop in for coffee and a bite to eat next time you are in the area and also on the evening of  March 16th. We'd love to see you!  

Thank you to the Petaluma Argus Courier and P360 for the great article on me and my books this February. Click here to view/read. 

If you've read The House on Liberty Street and enjoyed it, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd leave a brief review on Amazon. It doesn't matter if you didn't buy it on Amazon as long as it's a genuine review. And that's the place where number of reviews help to elevate a book out into the world at large.