Sir David_Attenborough (1926) is renown for his documentaries on the fauna and floral of the world. He has worked with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for much of his seven-decade career and resulted in the groundbreaking series which began in 1954 with Zoo Quest. Over the years, he made nine series including Life on Earth (1979), The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006) and became a global advocate for wildlife conservation.

In addition, Sir David was  a Senior Manager at the BBC, a controller of BBC Two and Director of Programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. In these positions, he was responsible for the making of a number of excellent series.

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Equus asinus

There are apparently between forty-two and forty-four million donkeys in the world today. In 2018, World Donkey Day was introduced to both celebrate this wonderful animal and also to draw attention to their poor treatment at times. The vast majority of which are working animals in poor countries. Such communities would not survive without them, as they help sustain them, as they offer cost-effective labour.

The donkey is the traditional beast of burden and has been carrying and pulling heavy loads for man including man/woman/child since Time Immemorial. It was the donkey who transported Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus into Jerusalem.

A Sicilian Donkey Cart

Mario Lanza (1921-1959) – Donkey Serenade (1937)
Music Composed by Rudolf Friml (1879-1872) & Herbert Stothart (1885-1949)
and Lyrics by Bubby Feyne (1913-1998) & George Forest (1915-1999)

Donkeys can carry approximately twenty to thirty percent of their body weight and can lose up to thirty percent of their body water without negative effects and are able to rehydrate rapidly.  They can also undertake long treks, eat vegetation that other animals can not eat, and can cover difficult terrain horses and camels can not.

Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn which is somewhat unfair as they are cautious, since they have a keen sense of preservation and will not go into areas of danger. They are not inherently defiant animals and learn from experience and it has been shown that they are capable of making independent decisions. Donkeys need time to assess and decide and then they will only go where it is safe.

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There is a legend that tells of the Donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem. This Donkey wanted to help Jesus carry the Cross, but was sent away. Although deeply upset by the Crucifixion, the Donkey remained close by, and as he did, the shadow of the Cross fell across his back and stayed.

The Jerusalem Donkey

Jerusalem Donkeys are not a distinct breed, by a name given to Nubian and Miniature Mediterranean animals that have a dark cross across their shoulders and down their spine. They are good-natured and make ideal pets (I would love sufficient garden space to keep two – I would like two so that they could keep each other company!)

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There is a number of organisations that are dedicated to seeing that Donkeys are treated well and also offer homes for old, ill and mistreated animals including:

Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue,

Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue,

The Donkey Sanctuary and

Naughty Donkey Farm Sanctuary.

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Mother’s Day is a day to honour one’s mother and is observed on the second Sunday in May. and occurred in 2026 occurred on the 10th of May.  The idea for such a day came from Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) and was celebrated with a church service at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia on the 10th May, 1908. Since 1914, the day has been celebrated in Canada and later at many countries around the world.

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The U.K. observes Mothering Sunday in March and not Mother’s Day.

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The singular Mother’s is used so that each person may honour their own mother and not the plural, Mothers‘ which would imply all mothers of the world.

The day is remembered with cards, presents, lunch in a favourite restaurant and family gatherings. Sadly, over the years, celebrations have been commercialised to a great extent.

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The Feast of the Ascension celebrates the completion of Christ’s mission on earth and his entry into heaven. It is celebrated on the 40th day of Eastertide, and is always a Thursday. In 2026, it was observed on May 14th. The Ascension of Jesus recalled when Jesus ascended to Heaven after his Resurrection, where he was exalted as Lord and Christ and sits at the right hand of G-d.

Christ’s Ascent to Heaven 
A stained-glass window at St. Aloysius Church, Great Neck, N.Y.

The Tabernacle Choir – Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise – Written by Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Ascensiontide refers to the ten-day period between The Feast of the Ascension and The Feast of Pentecost (Whit Sunday or Whitsun).

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St. John Paul II (1920-2025) was born Karol Józef Wojtyła in the town of Wadowice in Poland. He was ordained a Priest on All Saints’ Day, the 1st November, 1946 and on the 28th September, 1958, he was ordained a Bishop. In January 1964, he was appointed Archbishop of Kraków and on the 26th June 1967, he was promoted to the College of Cardinals. 

When Pope John Paul I (1912-1978) died after only thirty-three days as Pope, another Papal Conclave was convoked, which resulted in his election as the two hundred and sixty-fourth Pope. He chose to be known as John-Paul II in tribute to his immediate predecessor and also in honour of the late Popes Paul VI (1897-1978) and John XXIII (1881-1963).

Pope John Paul II died on 2nd April, 2005 after a long illness. He was much loved and respected by people from all walks of life around the world after having lived a life filled with many achievements.

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), began the Beatification Process and bypassed the normal process of waiting five years after a person’s death before proceeding. Following the acceptance of the two miracles required, The Canonisation Mass for Pope John Paul II (and also for Pope John XXIII), was celebrated by Pope Francis (1936-2025)  on 27 April 2014.

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May the 18th is also a day to remember in my life, as it is the birthdate of a very dear girl friend of mine of my younger days. It is also the anniversary date of when I moved to the U.S.A. in 1980 – time flies by!

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Veni Sancte Spiritus – A Baroque-style Hymn sung in Latin for Pentecost

Pentecost is a Christian Festival that is occurs on the forty-nineth day after Easter and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon The Apostles, Mary (The Mother of Jesus) and others who were present in Jerusalem where they were celebrating Shavuot (The Feast of Weeks), as described in The Acts of The Apostles (Acts 2:1-31).

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Pentecost is The Birthday of The Church and held a position second only to Easter. Its importance was considered to be even greater than that of Christmas, which has largely surpassed it in recent years thanks largely to commercialisation.

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In the U.K. and a number of other countries, Pentecost Sunday is referred to as Whit Sunday or Whitsun. The name comes from the white robes historically worn by newly baptised Christians. It was also the custom for people to dress their children in new clothes at this time. who then took part in a parade (Whit Walks). Such a custom continued well in the 20th Century.

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Whitsun marks the beginning of summer and has always been a favourite time for celebration. Such celebration includes fetes, fairs, parades and pageants with Whitsun Ales and Morris Dancing in the south of England and Whit Walks, Club Days and Wakes in the north.

Morris Dancers

Classic English Fiddling Music for Morris Dancers

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The following day, Whit Monday, was a holiday in U.K. until 1972 when it was replaced by a Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May.

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When I was a child and still living in London, each Whit Monday we would go to Regent’s Park in also to see the horses and carts.  We did not know that it was called The London Harness Horse Parade! The Parade brought many horses and wagons together that were still used for making deliveries around London. The horses were decked out in all of their finery as were the drivers who wore specially designed uniforms of their companies. It was a magnificent sight to see.

I remember the horses from the Mann, Crossman, Paulin Brewery especially as they were housed in stables just across from where we lived at Mile End Gate. Every morning I would hear them leaving the stables. I used to run to one of the windows facing the road and watch these wonderful giants walking along the cobbled road pulling their huge wagons loaded with huge wooden barrels of beer that would be soon delivered to the many Public Houses around the East End of London. They made for a magnificent sight to see!

Mann’s Draft Horses Team
(Awaiting Permission to reproduce this photograph from The London Harness Horse Parade)

My mother was very fond of horses ever since she drove a team of Belgian Draught Horses and wagon for British Railways making deliveries around The London Docks during The Second World War.

Belgian Draught Horses

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The original intention of the Parade was improve the general condition and treatment of the working horses of London and also to encourage drivers to take an interest in the horses’ health. Battersea Park was the site of the first parade with a hundred and two entries.

The first Parade was held in 1885 in Battersea Park and attracted 102 entries, and in the following year, there were three hundred and eighty-three teams present. The Parade gained great popularity and was soon limited to one thousand entries until 1914. Sadly, with the replacement of the horse with motorised vehicles, the numbers taking part decreased over the years.

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The London Van Horse Parade, which was founded in 1904, has been held every Easter Monday. In 1914, one thousand two hundred and fifty-nine teams. But again, sadly, thanks to more and more motorised vehicles taking over deliveries, the number of horse-and-cart taking part in the Parade diminished markedly.

As a result of the decreased number of entries to both Parades, they were amalgamated in 1966 to form The London Harness Horse Parade, which continues to be held on Easter Monday. The Parade still sees a variety of horse breeds present, including Donkeys, Dutch Friesians. Gelderlanders and Shires.

Top Left: Dutch Friesian; Bottom Right: Shire; & Right: Gelderlander 

Harrods Horses & Cart

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Today, the Parade is held at The South of England Showground, which is south of London at Haysward Heath, Sussex.

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The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Race took place every Whit Monday between 1836 until 1971 when it was moved to the Spring Bank Holiday (25th May, 2026). Here at Cooper’s Hill, in the village of Brockworth in the County of Gloucestershire, a Wheel of Double Gloucester Cheese weighing between seven and nine pounds is allowed to roll down the Hill and participants race after it down the Hill. The first to reach the bottom of the Hill, wins the Wheel.

The Hill is nine hundred and forty-two feet high with a Slope of ~50 percent. The course is of 200 yards with many of the participants tumbling down to the bottom. Once only villagers took part in the race, but now entries come from all over the world. The origin of the race is unknown, but it is thought to be a Pagan festival celebrating the arrival of summer etc.

The Hill

The Race is On & The Wheel is in The Lead!

Little Richard (1932-2020) – Slippin’ ‘n’ Sliding (1956)

Injuries are not uncommon during the race, as participants in their haste and wish to reach the bottom of the Hill first and so win the Wheel of Cheese, trip, stumble, slip, fall or miss-their-footing and tumble down the Hill and totally lose all dignity along the way down!

Suzy Quatro (1950) & Chris Norman (1950) – Stumblin’ In (1978)

The Winner

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Trinity Sunday falls on the following Sunday after Pentecost and nine weeks after Easter Sunday. This is the 31st May, 2026. It celebrates The Birth of The Church. The Trinity refers to The Three Persons of G-d, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

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The French Open Tennis Championship is held at Stade Rolland Garros located in Paris. The complex was constructed in 1928 to host The Davis Cup and named for the French Aviator.

The tournament was established in 1891 and became a Grand Slam tennis event in1925. It is the premier Clay Court tournament in the world and the only Grand Slam tournament currently held on this surface. The characteristics of Clay favours long rallies and high physical demand and is widely viewed as the most physically demanding tournament in tennis. In 2026, the tournament took place from the 18th May until the 7th June.

Maureen Connolly (Little Mo; 1934-1969) – Champion in 1953 & 1954

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This is a sad date for me, as it was on the 25th of May, 2024 that my dog, Casanova/Puppy passed away.  He was a wonderful dog and is still missed and will continue to be so.

Casanova/Puppy always seemed to enjoy the music of Fats Domino (1928-2017)

Wait and See (1957 – Written by Fats Domino & Dave Bartholomew (1928-2019) 

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