In these COVID times, it was a relief to receive a new season of The Crown on Netflix (ten episodes ).
Watching the first two episodes, one was reminded of the definition of crown lands in Great Britain. There were images of deer hunting, shooting grouse in the Scottish Highlands around Balmoral. It is the playground of the privileged. Seeing ‘Prince Charles’ one remembers his time at Gordonstoun.
How much of this colonial past are we bringing to Nova Scotia ? Is this a culture of monied privilege that we are importing into the Annapolis Valley ?
The good news is The Crown series, an excellent product from the BBC, reminds us both of the class system in Great Britain and acts as a vivid reminder of the term ‘crown lands’. At a time when we need to revisit the concept in Nova Scotia.
Driving down Highway #1 from Bridgetown to Annapolis Royal, just past The Broken Wheel B&B, Heather remarked on the invasion of multiflora rose (see earlier blog post) on the south side of the road towards the Annapolis River. Clearly, it does not take much neglect before these species colonize abandoned fields and take them out of production.
We noted, too, the new pavement on Highway #1. Unlike Highway #201, there seems to be little truck traffic, either logs or aggregate.
Is this because the Premier has a home on Highway #1? Is it because different highways have different codes? Or perhaps the residents on Highway #201 are less vocal in their opposition to logging and aggregate trucks? Or the logs and aggregate are coming off South Mountain? Incognito? Who knows.
Regardless, I am content that I am able to watch Netflix at home on a dark Winter evening.
Acknowledgements
Heather is my observant travel companion. Edward is my blog graphic designer.
Ernest Blair Experiment 