innovate-issue-005

4th July 1854American Independence Day passed off peacefully. There was an American merchantmen in theharbour, but her captain had organised on-ship celebrations, buying in meats, booze and it is rumouredwhores to please. For once there were no Americans striding the docksides struttingtheir stuff, as one says.I have returned to a tiny kingdom that seems big of heart. The king is ailing, but he has enactedpension reforms and unemployment benefits to keep his people fed and well, even in the worst oftimes. The factories have grown and out of town manufacturing areas have begun to spring up onevery side.Perhaps there is less hope here of a return to Europe, though it never goes away. Many of thearistocratic families are now led by the sons or nephews of those who first fled here. Some of thesewere adults or youths back then, others though were children and there is a definite drift away from thebelief that one day the court will return in triumph to Brussels. Counter to this, and I think the kingnow epitomises it, there is a growing acceptance that Belgium is Boma and that making the one good,makes the other powerful with it.14th February 1855Another Saint Valentine's Festival, but this one with the best that mechanised works on the dockside,and on the outskirts of the city, can produce. It is almost a relief to be this removed from events in therest of the world, to not hear of them day in and day out, but to wait for the ships to come in with thenews.The Danes have attacked Bremen over the issue of debts. We no longer get any merchantmen fromBremen, but many say the beer now coming from Copenhagen is as good a quality as Bremen's everwas.21st June 1855It has been four days of wonder since Hermione stepped ashore from the merchantman Longstrider ! Ihad given up expecting her when the year ran out, but she had never given up her plans to come, andcome she had done.We have danced, and partied, seen the sights, met with Ryland's deputies and the manufacturingbosses, and today we met with the king. Yes, I took my seventeen year old niece into the palace andwe had a private audience with the king! In my position, I had never had that honour, but Hermionemarched in with papers from Lord Caithness and we had our private audience.25th December 1855Hermione was the guest of honour at the Christmas Party. I was going to say I hosted it, but to be fairshe hosted it, under my auspices. The artists, the authors, the manufacturing bosses, the railroadowners, and Ryland's deputies, they were all there, they were all wooed by my niece, and they all leftunder her spell.