June 24, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Hey everyone. Today I visited one of the little jewels tucked away in Steveston that not many people really know about: The London Heritage Farm.
This is a beautiful 4 acre piece of farmland that encapsulates a piece of Richmond’s history from around the 1880-1930’s era. Overlooking the south arm of the Fraser River, the site is comprised of a restored 1880’s farmhouse, several herb and flower gardens, a restored barn, old farming equipment, a small hand tool museum, a lovely pond, gazebo, and a picnic area all in a welcoming park-like atmosphere.
The centrepiece of it all is the restored farmhouse. With six rooms displaying furniture, old pictures, clothing, quilts, and everyday articles of the era you’ll truly get a glimpse into Richmond’s history as well as one of the pioneering farming families from that time. So now you’re wondering, who did live there?
The London Family of course!
“Charles E. London, aged 16, and his brother William, aged 17, arrived in British Columbia in 1879 from Ontario. They purchased 200 acres of land in 1881 for $2,000, erected a small farm house and began clearing and draining the land in preparation for farming. The London Family, loyalists from the American Revolution, went on to be one of Richmond’s most prominent families.” (excerpt from London Heritage Farm pamphlet)
The farm and 4 acres of its original land were purchased in 1978 by the city of Richmond and registered as a heritage site under the BC Heritage Act.
London Heritage Farm is a beautiful spot that’s worth checking out for an afternoon if you’re in the area! The botanical gardens are gorgeous, there are plenty of spots for relaxing, having a picnic, or if you’re there on a weekend, you can enjoy afternoon tea with homemade scones or biscuits! Next time you’re walking along the dyke, stop and check it out! It’s an important part of Richmond’s history and a beautiful example of what life was like during the 1880’s!
- VideoChris
June 13, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Festivals & Events
Don’t forget to click either 720P or 1080P in the YouTube box! =)
The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally happened! The tall ships went head to head in a giant SEA BATTLE on day two of Ships to Shore in Steveston! The Lady Washington (Interceptor from the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie) vs The Hawaiian Chieftain! Who wins? Well, both are still floating so I’d say technically it was a draw. However if I had to choose a winner for the most decisive shot, I’d say The Hawaiian Chieftain stole victory. She scored an amazing kill shot in a dramatic broadside in the wind in the final moments of the conflict! (watch the video!) What a great show! Who doesn’t like a good sea battle?!!
Stay tuned for the final coverage of Ships to Shore 2011 soon!
- VideoChris
June 07, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Festivals & Events
Hello everyone! Well it’s finally here! Ships To Shore 2011 in Steveston! For those of you who aren’t familiar, this is a massive event held at Garry Point Park in which a handful of tall ships come from around the world, give tours, sail around, engage in mock sea battles, and dazzle audiences for several days! As if that weren’t enough, there’s also live music, food, performances, an artisan market, outdoor movie screenings, and just a whole lot of fun stuff to do for the entire family! This is one of the best times of the year to be down in Steveston, and I wasted no time getting down there to experience it for myself!
Enter the beautiful Lady Washington, an 112 foot tall ship from Washington state, USA. Does it look familiar? It should! This ship was featured in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie as the ‘HMS Interceptor.’ It played a brig in the fleet of the British Royal Navy, and was renowned as the fastest ship in the Caribbean. While under the command of James Norrington (the evil dude), it was stationed at Port Royal, until Jack Sparrow and Will Turner commandeered it. I managed to get onboard with my camera and sail with it for the official ‘grand entrance’ of the tall ships for the festival. What an experience!
I was talking with Captain (Tommy) Cook, her master, and he joked with me about the reality of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. In the film, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner commandeer and sail the ship entirely by themselves. Cook laughed. With a full crew of 12 people onboard it’s a full time job to keep the thing afloat! The first Pirates movie was utter Hollywood- as beautiful as these tall ships are they require A LOT of work and manpower to maintain and run properly!
There is no arguing that the tall ships have a certain majestic and romantic allure to them. While onboard you can’t help but think what it would be like to sail on one back in the 1700/1800’s. Ahh piracy. Thanks Hollywood for making it so cool. Sailing with the Lady Washington was an absolute pleasure! To top it off they even shot a few cannon balls at the onlookers at Garry Point. Excellent! I can’t wait to check out the rest of the 2011 Ships to Shore Festival! There is so much going on this weekend! Stay tuned for more video, photos, and blog posts!
Now get off yer arse and swab the poop deck! :)
June 02, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Parks
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So I’ve shot a lot of crazy, weird, and interesting things in my life… But I have to say that today probably takes the cake. Wow! Today I went out to the Richmond Nature Park (located on Westminster Hwy) and filmed my very first ever SLUG RACE! Yes, you read that right. All day today the park was celebrating ‘Slug Fest’, an educational celebration of all things slug. The event, geared towards families and youngsters (and ME), teaches kids about the little garden critters and gets them involved in various fun games, climatically finishing in the annual slug race. I had to see this with my own eyes…
Before I delve into the slug race though, some quick background information about the Richmond Nature Park: The park consists of 200 acres of raised peat bog habitat, lined with 5km of walking trails and a boardwalk for scenic nature viewing. Open all year around, you can find a wide variety of flora, fauna, and critters. Examples include humming birds, owls, migratory birds, turtles, frogs, deer, and spectacularly coloured foliage depending on the season. If you ever wondered what natural untouched Richmond looked like, look no further than the Richmond Nature Park. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? (though they do accept donations)
The slug race. Oh my… This was a fun little event that pitted dozens of the slimy little guys against each other in an epic race for the finish. Tensions ran high as the slugs barreled down the raceway, in a mad beeline for the glory of winning Slug Fest 2011. It was a heated, intense battle and at the end of the day, two slugs (two weight class categories) took the gold medals. It was a great day. I witnessed two slugs live out their dreams of competing in the major leagues of competitive slug racing. Sometimes I film the weirdest things.
I had a great experience at The Richmond Nature Park today. If you’re looking for a nice nature hike in your own backyard, this is definitely the place to be. They have a beautiful facility with lots of informative displays, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and a gorgeous series of trails and boardwalks that really show off what natural untouched Richmond looks like. Slug Fest 2011 is over now, but be ready for next year when the tracks are once again lined with the fastest slugs in Richmond. In the meantime, go take a nice stroll through the park and escape into the wilds of Richmond!