Hello, Berko!
The evenings are getting longer, the sun's been putting in a few appearances and there are early signs that spring might actually be on its way.
Speaking of the sun, did you know there's one carved into Berko's most recognisable landmark? Along with a child-stealing forest woman, a two-headed sea serpent and a trickster who brought light to the world?
Here’s what we’ve carved out this week:
Down a rabbit hole on the totem pole
What’s happenin’ this week
Music, dogs and sport
Let’s get into it.
We’ve all seen it.
The totem pole is one of Berko's most recognisable landmarks and yet I'd bet there’s still a lot of us that couldn't explain what it's doing there.
I certainly couldn't until recently and I’ve been here 20+ years. A nine-metre Canadian totem pole, carved from red cedar by one of the most respected First Nations artists of the twentieth century, standing watch over the Grand Union Canal.
It turns out the story behind it, which involves a stranded lumberjack and a Canadian timber strike, is one of the best local history stories I've come across.
Here’s a potted version you can share down the pub.