Interesting Facts

That hat - the "unique sculptural celebratory headpiece" (not my words) as worn by Princess Beatrice to last month's royal wedding, is for sale on eBay. (Now, one would think that people of taste would avoid this particular auction like the plague, but of course it takes all sorts, and one person has bid £75,000!)

Panama hats originated in Ecuador.  (When I first heard this I did wonder if   it was one of those regional fights like Cornish Pasties, but a quick Wiki told me that straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe. For some products, the name of their point of international sale rather than their place of domestic origin stuck, hence “Panama hats.”)

A 10-gallon hat barely holds 6 pints.  (I'm really disappointed!)