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On this day, 30 June – Yosemite Valley Grant Act

Yosemite Valley

On this day, 30 June, in 1864, American President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act.  The Act gave the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the state of California, ‘upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation’.   Today, more than 4 million people visit the site every year, which has become both a national park and World Heritage Site.  We have rambled through the pages of The British Newspaper

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Gardening in June

Flowers in Britannia and Eve

“Flowers seem to be intended for the solace of humanity”, wrote John Ruskin: “children love them; tender, cultivated people love them as they grow”. ‘Treasury of Summer’ | Britannia and Eve | 1 July 1950 Gardening can prove a useful and enjoyable distraction during challenging times. In June 1940, during the midst of the Second World War, the beauty of local gardens inspired mixed emotions. The spring of 1940 and the early summer have been far more beautiful than usual,

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