This afternoon, I ran into Neil aka Ninglun near the bus stop on Cleveland Street. He’s a blogger who lives not far from me who also likes to take photographs of Surry Hills. “I’m taking a series on ‘waiting'”, he told me this afternoon, explaining why he was taking a photograph of the bus stop near the Surry Hills Shopping Mall.
I was also in the mood for a bit of “Surry Hills” photography this afternoon, I told him as we walked down the street together. I love taking photographs of the area in which I live, especially the little back streets which have a character of their own.
And today I discovered Little Young Street, just behind Young Street, Redfern. From the start of the street it’s nothing spectacular, just a back laneway in many ways. And while it doesn’t have the glamour or notoriety of somewhere like McElhone Place, you really get a sense the people whose homes back onto Little Young Street quite like the place. In common with McElhone Place, there are lots of plants in pots and tubs. But what I really like about what the people have done is use really strong, bright colours, to accentuate what they’ve done.
Little Young Street, RedfernLittle Young Street, RedfernLittle Young Street, RedfernLittle Young Street, RedfernLittle Young Street, Redfern
Bright reds, stripes, all sorts of colours, which help make it an unexpectedly interesting street to walk down.
“I don’t remember us wearing our pants THAT high in the 80s”, I said to my friends as the “glass boy” walked past us at the Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre (aka the Bob Hawke Brewery at Marrickville).
The bar is themed around the former Prime Minister, with lots of memorabilia, including signed photographs, the pair of broken glasses he was wearing when a cricket ball famously hit him, the Australia-themed jacket he wore for the 1983 America’s Cup victory, and even the Bob Hawke wine cask holder.
On the menu was 80s-style Chinese food, including the best prawn toast I’ve eaten since the 80s.And of course, every beer on tap was one of the Bob Hawke Brewery range.
When you go into the men’s toilets you’re serenaded by the sounds of Richie Benaud calling the cricket.
The unspoken rule about playing pub pool is “your game improves with every beer”. My friend, who speaks Japanese as a second language, and I agreed it applies equally to foreign languages. “The more you drink, the more confident you become”, we agreed. She is, however, originally from Victoria, and devastated the pub rules clearly stated NSW doesn’t run with the two-shots rule.
“I don’t think the John Howard Bar would be as much fun”, one of my friends commented.
We had just spent the late morning/early afternoon at Sydney Park where the annual Kate Bush Day had been held. And when I say, “annual”, it’s the first time they’ve held one in a couple of years, due to COVID.
An estimated 300 women (and men) dressed up in the red outfit Kate Bush famously wore in the video clip for “Wuthering Heights”. This happened in Sydney and lots of other places around the world.
Warm-ups for Wuthering Heights Day
Though not dressed up ourselves, we thought it was a wonderful experience. “It’s such a moment of pure joy” we all agreed to watch a bunch of people in a park just opening themselves up to such a gorgeous activity.
Wuthering Heights Day at Sydney Park
Kate Bush is back on the charts with “Running Up That Hill”, and it’s great to see a new generation discovering her music. When the organisers asked who of those attending knew the dance, almost everyone said they didn’t know the dance.
To help, the lyrics to “Wuthering Heights” were chalked up on the footpath.
There were, of course, a few who did, and in our group of friends, we joked about women of a “certain age” being the core of Kate’s fan base. As men and women of a “certain age” ourselves, we decided it was okay to joke the organisers might need to have some emergency HRT on the sidelines :):)
The pub across the road from Sydney Park had a special cocktail for the day.
And then on Thursday night, I took another trip back to the 80s by attending the Neighbours finale at the Dendy Cinema in Newtown.
The finale was a homage to the Neighbours of the 80s and 90s, with actors like Guy Pearce, Jason and Kylie all returning. Noticeable, Kylie hardly said a word, whereas Guy played an important role. Spin off?
Despite the 80s/90s homage, there was also a hat-tip to the more contemporary view of the show. These days, Neighbours has a number of people of colour, a trans actor, same-sex couples etc. https://thelimbshift.com/2021/09/gaybours/
It was only on a whim to go to see the finale at the movies. I went on the Dendy website to renew my membership and saw it advertised.
I get the feeling it must have been organised by or had a lot of people attending from a Neighbours fan club, as there was a trivia with some tough questions. There was also free popcorn, ice creams and bottled water. Bargain. But, with a more contemporary vibe, you could also take alcohol into the screening. That helped!
Though it wasn’t planned that way, the last few days have turned into a bit of a trip down memory lane.
As my friend commented over our beers at the Bob Hawke Brewery, “things were simpler then, not better, not worse, but simpler”.
It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m at work for a couple of hours doing some training. In between time I thought I’d take a moment or two to update my blog. Aside from work and dinner last night, I’ve been a home body since I last wrote.
First and foremost, I have a new nephew, Sammuel Bobbin. Although he’s only a few weeks old, he seems like quite the early developer as he looks quite big and has a a head full of hair.
I guess the emphasis on family is reflective of my stay at home status at the moment. The exception to the stay at home rule was last night when Damien and I went to dinner at RQ, a restaurant on Crown Street. According to Matthew Evans in the Sydney Morning Herald, RQ is part of the “modern Asian food movement”, epitomised by restaurants such as Wockpool, Longrain and Billy Kwong, which is now evident in Sydney. Evans says…. “The food is usually true to its roots. It’s not trying to do East murders West. Instead, it’s often food that has been cooked by the owner’s families for generations. In many ways, it is more authentic food but served with a Western aesthetic. Most of the new breed don’t drown everything in coconut cream. They’re lighter of hand, serving the kind of food you can eat every day. Vietnamese food is certainly making its mark. It’s yummy, fresh and fragrant.”
But aside from that I’ve been at home, spending most of my time watching Foxtel. I decided to get Foxtel shortly before arriving back from Perth. Although I’d wanted to have pay-tv for a number of years, it wasn’t possible due to the lack of cabling in my street. The decision by the Body Corporate, however, to install a dish and cable the block itself meant that it became an option late last year. And then, one night, watching television in Perth, I saw the advertisement for “free installation” and rang up straight away and ordered it.
In the months since it’s become all I watch and listen to. In addition to all of the Foxtel channels, it also has ABC, SBS, Nine and all of the ABC’s radio services, so I haven’t needed to wander back to free to air, even if I do miss out on Channels 7 and 10. I decided not to subscribe to the movie channels because, frankly, I probably don’t have the time, nor attention span to dedicate to watching what are usually third rate films. Sometimes, however, I’ve toyed with the idea of subscribing to World Movies…
My current favourite programs are “Graham Norton” and “Eurotrash” on the Comedy Channel and “Teachers” and “This Life” on UK-TV. I also regularly watch “The Simpsons”.
I really love “Graham Norton” and “Eurotrash” for their camp humour. I think Norton is a terrifically talented and extremely versatile performer and have only on one or two occasions been bored by his “let’s look up dirty websites” style of program. Those occasions have been when the guests haven’t play along or haven’t gotten the joke. I think my favourite was an episode when Sybill Shepherd appeared… she was very funny. “Eurotrash” is usually pretty funny too, especially when they dub silly English accents over the humour. They’re both programs which try hard, but not too hard, if you know what I mean. I also watch “The Man Show” and “Beyond The Belt” for similar reasons… just heaps of fun and no pretention.
I also watch “Teachers” and “This Life” because they’re both programs I genuinely love. It’s perhaps co-incidental that Andrew Lincoln appears in both… playing a similar character in both. When they first screened I loved both programs as they touched me with their humour and honesty. I guess that’s why I still enjoy them now… a nostalgia for times past… perhaps?
The next week, however, looks busier with a number of social events planned. On Tuesday, Mel and I are going to see “Il Divo” an “opera boy band” put together by Simon from American Idol. There’s also a farewell dinner for Christian from work. Tim Draxl on Friday night. And then on Saturday, two gallery openings and a CD launch of Kate’s son’s band, Combat Wombat. I’m looking forward to a holiday!
Oh… hang on… an SMS from Yvette has just arrived… drinks at her place tonight from 6pm… with the karaoke machine currently being warmed up! Oh dear!!!
Thanks to my schoolmate and friend, Louise, who sent me this photograph, here’s a brief flashback for you of a pimply-faced seventeen year old standing in front of something which no longer exists. And yes, I had hair!”
I went “over the bridge” AGAIN tonight. And AGAIN it was for a production at The Ensemble Theatre. On Friday night it was a Shakespearean-style drama called, Mary Stuart. Tonight it was a a one-man-show featuring Reg Livermore with a black-comedy edge.
On the way to the show I called in to The Kirribilli Hotel for a quiet glass of wine. There I ran into a long-term ABBA fan, her mother, step-father, and a good friend of hers. Her friend was a big fan of Livermore, who has seen him perform on many, many occasions. While I was was familiar with his work, however, including some of his iconic 70s work, I’d never actually seen him live before.
There were some great lines in this production, no doubt. I particularly rembered the classic, “You know, I almost quite like Melbourne” line (though you might imagine he’d use the same line, about Sydney, when it plays Melbourne).
But I suppose the most disappointing thing about this production is that I never really cared much for the character he plays. The character, a presumably bitter old queen who poisons a group of neighbours who fail to look after his animals while he’s away, is amusing enough. But in this play you never actually get to understand why he’s bitter. You never actually get to understand the humanity of the character.
Sure I understand there can’t be much of a human behind someone who would poison his neighbours, but it would have been nice to have been given at least an insight to go some way towards understanding the character.
Reg Livermore
But yes, it was pretty funny and I enjoyed it a fair bit. As I say, lots of great one liners. But not much more, unfortunately. What it missed was just a line here or there, which gave you the slightest insight into the humanity of the character he was playing.
I guess that’s what I remember most about the outrageous characters of his past. In the midst of the comedy, the bravado, the viciousness and the humour, there was a living breathing human with a fascinating, compelling story to tell. This character ain’t no Betty…
How frustrating must it be to be a flight attendant? In the front row of six, there were only two of us paying any attention to the flight attendant’s instructions for the emergency row. The woman to my right was engrossed in her book, the man next to her was going through photographs on his mobile phone. And to the left, there were two with their eyes closed, while only one other person was paying attention. In the event of an emergency, I guess it was just me and one other who would be saving the lives of others.
I was on a flight back to Sydney, having spent the last ten days in Lismore.
Six weeks on from the “biggest flood”, followed by another “big flood” Lismore remains in a desperate state. Though many would like to believe a flood can be easily cleaned up with a mop and bucket, the events that have occurred are beyond that of a flood. Locally, people are describing it not so much as a flood, but as a cyclone or a tsunami.
One of a number of houses knocked off its stilts. This needs more than a mop!
I went for a walk around the “main block” yesterday and there’s only a handful of shops that have resumed business. In the main CBD, there are only two clothing stores that are open (selling limited items), a couple of coffee shops, and a couple of bottle shops. The bottle shops are selling some beer that went through the flood. Not so much of an issue, but we made a purchase a few days which had residual mud under the ring pull. I don’t mind so much, though you might imagine others might feel quite strongly. In case you’re wondering, they refer to it upfront as “flood beer”.
Woodlark Street, Lismore
Molesworth Street, Lismore
I also went for a walk down by the riverside. Last year, while staying in Lismore, you might recall I would often go down by the riverside for some exercise/relaxation. Though you would often see people walking their dogs, there were very few people there yesterday. A couple of kids on their bikes stopped and said hello, along with a couple of women. Twelve months ago, they might not have said hello, but yesterday they were keen for a chat. Along the riverbank, the soil remains sodden, and the devastation of fast-moving river currents remains evident in the grasslands.
Nearby, the old RSL Club (more recently a childcare centre) was being demolished. The water in the nearby swimming pool was still brown. And the city bowling club remained a mess. I read the other day they’ve decided to close down the club and distribute funds amongst members.
On the radio this morning, I heard an academic from Southern Cross University talk about recommendations to relocate the “main functions” of the CBD to the land currently occupied by the East Lismore Golf Course. The land is above a 15-metre flood (the recent flood made it to 14 metres).
On the surface, that makes a lot of sense, though it’s going to take a lot of commitment (and dollars!) for that to occur. Too many “experts,” think it’s a simple case of moving the businesses and shops to a higher location, without thinking through who is going to pay for it to happen.
All throughout Lismore, there is public art, featuring hearts. The heart is part of the Lismore City Council logo and now appears on homes, shops, and in the street, more generally.
In locations like North and South Lismore, there are elderly residents on low incomes who either own or rent and who simply can’t afford to move.
And then there’s the “Vicar Of Dibley” factor. There was an episode of that wonderful British TV series, where the people of Dibley were offered incentives to move to a new location, in the midst of a proposal to flood Dibley. Despite the offerings, they decided Dibley was their home, and the connections were more important than a new house.
As I wrote about last year during the months I lived back in South Lismore, there’s a strong community connection too. Even though I knew South Lismore could flood, there’s part of me that’s still so strongly connected to this community, that makes me think I could possibly still buy a house and live there. But, of course, I’m dreamin’.
Nonetheless, Pat and Jack want to move home. Their house is uninhabitable right now, but they still feel more comfortable in a flood-impacted house in the middle of town than living on the outskirts of a Lismore suburb.
My niece and nephew (not a couple) have already moved back home. Their existence is more like “camping” than living, with limited power. They’re not the only ones who’ve done this. When the second flood came through, it’s estimated that 25% of people who lived through the first flood, were already back home.
It doesn’t make sense to anyone from anywhere else. “The town has got to move”, friends and colleagues from elsewhere have said to me. In reply, I’ve told them it’s not that simple. If like me and many others you’ve lived through previous floods, and you have a house on stilts (built above the 1973 flood level), you still have a feeling you can survive again.
During the 2017 flood, Nancy was insistent that she stayed at home in South Lismore. “I’ve lived through 54, 74 and others, and there’s no need to move out this time”, she said. We reminded her she was much younger then, and couldn’t afford the same luxuries in her 70s as she enjoyed in her 40s.
That’s likely something I’ll need to consider also. East Lismore has always been on my list of possible places to live in Lismore, and if that’s where the CBD moves to, maybe that will make sense for me too.
I feel sorry for the people who live in the house around the corner that burned down on Christmas Eve. Even though it was raining quite heavily, the house caught fire and was pretty much destroyed.
Apparently they were away on holidays, so it’s going to be a sad return home for them. A couple of days later and the house still has a strong smell about it, as we discovered when we went on another big afternoon drive around town.
Christmas Eve housefire in South Lismore
It’s Sunday night and raining quite heavily outside. Even though we had a reasonably fine day – a relative statement, since there was no sign of actual sun – it’s been raining fairly constantly for the last few hours. Earlier today, the Weather Bureau and the State Emergency Service advised people in lower areas to be prepared for evacuation, particularly around the Tweed.
Misty summer morning, Lismore Heights
It’s a stark contrast to conditions first thing this morning. In fact, when I finished work this morning at about 6 o’clock you’d have thought it was winter, not summer, as there was a lot of mist around the place.
While most recent summer holidays to Lismore have been characterised by hot, humid, sunny conditions, that’s not the case this year
It’s a bit of a relief actually, since I slept most of the day. By the time I’d woken up the Australian cricket team were bowled out, and there was renewed talk of flooding: a lot can happen in just a few hours.
It’s been a reasonably lazy day since, watching a bit of television, hanging out with the family, and catching up on some local newspaper reading.
About the only thing worth reading in the paper was a two-page spread about my friends Paul and Kerry and their cheese-making activities. As well as dairy cattle, they have goats which Kerry describes in the article as being more “emotionally needy”. Paul and I went to school together, and after spending some time away in Armidale and then in Japan, he returned home to Lismore. He keeps telling me I should return home to Lismore. As with my family, I keep saying “not yet”. A two-page article in The Echo is hopefully good publicity for their business.
Aside from that, there’s buggar-all to read in the local papers.
Still, there are things to keep me interested and busy, such as this Flood Watch issued a short while ago…
Note: This Flood Watch is a “heads up” for possible future flooding and is NOT a Flood Warning [see note below].
Further rain is forecast for Sunday and early Monday for the NSW northern rivers and mid north coast.
The above catchments are wet from recent rain so there is a higher than 70% of further flooding developing Sunday and Monday in the following:
1. Tweed Valley – moderate to major flooding including local flooding in several areas including Chillingham
2. Richmond and Wilsons Valleys – moderate to major flooding
3. Brunswick Valley – moderate to major flooding
This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop. Flood Warnings will be issued if Minor Flood Level is expected to be exceeded at key sites along the main rivers for which the Bureau of Meteorology provides a flood warning service. Across NSW, about 70% of Flood Watches are followed by flooding.
And the result is up: December theme: waiting – a four pic post.
Great pics. James. Love the colours and architectural details of our neck of the woods.