Get a selfie with a piece of rolling history as John Lennon’s iconic 1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Touring Limousine goes on display in the lobby of the Royal B.C. Museum, now until March 15.
The limousine, the largest model made by Rolls-Royce at that time, was delivered to Lennon in June 1965.
It’s the same car that carried The Beatles to Buckingham Palace to receive their Member of the British Empire medals from the Queen later that year.
After driving the black car for a few years, Lennon decided to customize it, sending it to J.P. Fallon of Chertsey, Surrey, where commercial artist Steve Weaver designed custom paintwork in a Romany style, with elements of the psychedelic era.
The newly decorated yellow car was delivered to Lennon just before the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album was released.
Along with all the factory options, the car has a number of unique modifications, such as a rear seat that converts into a bed.
The car has been in the Royal B.C. Museum collection for more than 20 years, but is usually in storage and rarely on public display. It was last in the lobby in 2016, and outside for one day only in 2017.
It was flown to Britain in July 2017 to be part of The Great Eight Phantoms, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition at Bonhams on New Bond Street, London.
According to the museum, Lennon and Yoko Ono had the Rolls shipped to the U.S. in 1970, then donated it to a New York City museum seven years later.
It was eventually acquired at auction by B.C. businessman Jim Pattison, who had served as chairman of Expo 86, whose theme was transportation.
Pattison donated the Rolls to the province in 1992.
The car is free to view (and to photograph). It can be seen from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the lobby of the museum at 675 Belleville St.
For more information, go to royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Lighthouses gain new roles with automation
Learn how the role of the lighthouse is evolving at The Shifting Role of B.C. Lighthouses, the featured exhibit at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, continuing until May 14.
The original role of lighthouses — and their keepers — was to warn mariners travelling along the coast of a dangerous shoreline, but over the years, they took on different tasks. During the
Second World War, for example, they formed the backbone of a coastal defence system.
At one time, automation looked as if it would sound the death knell for the traditional role of the lighthouse and its keepers.
But lighthouses in B.C. have escaped extinction by turning into ecological reserves or gaining an environmentally related protected status. Their keepers have become the guardians of their stations’ landscapes and the surrounding wildlife.
The Shifting Role of B.C. Lighthouses exhibit explores this cultural shift, asking what it means to protect our coast, and how that has changed.
The exhibit is included in the price of admission to the museum, $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for youth ages 12 to 17 and free for children 12 and under. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday until the Victoria Day Weekend in May.
It is located at 634 Humboldt St. For more information, go to mmbc.bc.ca
Black History Month starts Saturday at library
February is Black History Month. Learn about events that will be held throughout the month to showcase the community’s history and contributions at the Black History Month Library Kick Off on Saturday at the central branch of the library.
Members of the B.C. Black History Awareness Society will be in attendance to showcase their displays, talk about upcoming events and answer questions.
Planned events in the weeks ahead include a service at Central Saanich United Church Feb. 9, the same day as a Heritage Day event at the Church of Truth Centre; a guided tour of the graves of black pioneers dating back to 1858 at Ross Bay cemetery on Feb. 16; and a jazz, blues, gospel and soul concert Feb. 17 at the Belfry Theatre, featuring Five Shadez of Blue and Maureen Washington and her trio.
The library kick-off event is free to attend. It runs noon to 2 p.m. at the central branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library, 735 Broughton St. For more information, go to bcblackhistory.ca
Alternative realities of Judaism revealed
Join biblical scholar Francis Landy at a talk about Jewish Shamanism, Sunday at Congregation Emanu-El.
Shamanism is a term for a cross-cultural religious orientation that seeks to access alternative states of consciousness.
Landy will discuss aspects of the tradition, from the prophets through medieval and post-medieval Kabbalah to the present day.
The shamanic tradition in Judaism extends from the biblical prophets to contemporary Hasidism. It may involve trance, dance, psychotropic substances and rituals such as nefilat apayim — “falling on one’s face” — and yihudim, when one seeks to unite the soul with that of a departed saint.
Francis Landy is a biblical scholar who has published a number of books and articles. He is a specialist in the poetry of the Hebrew Bible.
This is the fourth presentation in the Alternative Realities in Judaism series by the synagogue.
Light refreshments will be served.
Admission is by donation. The event runs 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Congregation Emanu-El, 1461 Blanshard St. For more information, go to congregationemanuel.ca
See for yourself: mosses are best during cool, rainy winter months
Discover the wonderful world of mosses — a holdover from before the last ice age — at Magnificent Mosses, a guided walk on Saturday at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich.
Winter is a good time to view mosses, since they’re well-hydrated and at their colourful best.
British Columbia boasts a rich diversity of mosses, due in part to the province’s varied terrain.
Our mosses are all epiphytes, which means they do not harm the trees they are growing on.
In the summer, mosses typically dry out. They survive by lowering their metabolism to wait until the rains come again in the fall.
Spend your morning in the forest with a CRD Regional Parks naturalist to learn more.
The program is free to join and is suitable for children five years and older. It runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich. Meet at the Francis/King Nature Centre off Munn Road.
Please wear sturdy footwear and dress for the weather, as programs take place rain or shine. Try to arrive 10 minutes before the start of the program. Please leave pets at home.
For more information, go to crd.bc.ca/parks
Classes in Shirley pair goats and yoga
Do the Downward Dog with a goat on your back at the Shirley Community Hall.
Goat yoga classes begin on Feb. 15, with students going about their yoga poses as curious Nigerian dwarf goats roam around.
“It’s a great, if goofy, pairing,” said Dana Haydon, 36, who co-founded Vancouver Island Goat Yoga with Mat McTaggart. The two are both farmers and yogis — Haydon is a registered yoga teacher, while McTaggart calls himself the “goat boy.”
“It’s almost impossible to say ‘goat yoga’ and not get a smile on your face,” said Haydon.
The new business will offer classes for adults as well as children 10 and older.
Participants are advised to bring a towel to use as a yoga mat, as the goats are not potty-trained and accidents may occur. Attendants will be on hand to promptly clean up, however.
While yoga instruction will be given, Haydon won’t reprimand practitioners if their concentration isn’t on the pose.
“While it is about yoga, I won’t fault anybody who just wants to take the time just to be there for the moment with the goats,” she said.
Two of the goats — Shirley and Victoria — are particularly friendly and will climb on a person’s back in a heartbeat, she said.
Classes are $30 and last an hour. There will be two indoor classes, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. every Saturday in February and March, starting Feb. 15 at the Shirley Community Hall, 2795 Sheringham Pt. Rd., Shirley.
For more information, go to vancouverislandgoatyoga.ca
Victoria scavenger hunt could lead to prizes
Be prepared to engage with royalty, encounter goddesses and explore Victoria at Scavenger Hunt The Great, Saturday to Feb. 14 at various locations throughout the city.
Participants can complete the hunt in just a few days or spread the adventure over two weeks.
Instead of solving riddles to get the next clue to find the treasure, as you would in a treasure hunt, scavenger hunters can look for items on their list in any order.
Scavenger Hunt The Great offers a grand prize, along with prizes for second and third place, based on points earned and locations found during the hunt.
The event costs $20 to join. It runs from 8 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Feb. 14.
The breakdown of quests, clues and bonus encounters will be sent out on the morning of Feb. 1.
To register and get a breakdown on the rules, send an email kaskata.key@gmail.com
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