Thanks Graham, it makes me feel good that my stories can bring back wonderful memories for my readers. Yes, typing out memories does you good: as one woman reader once told me "there's an awful lot of power in writing things down".
I too remember being int he cdets and getting the cuts -- plenty that in "Over the Top with Jim"!
where are the cranky old subs to save us from our sins?!
Anglicans ARE protestants young feller.
We all PROTEST about popery. Geddit?
ooroo George Williams Perth
PS Hope you've added to Phillip Adams's columns lately about slang, vernacular, lingua franca etc
This week he's on about rhyming slang.
I like " He's butcher's in the comics."
Translated from "He's butcher's hook in the comic cuts."
or "He's crook in the guts."
...
1970 in a Holden taxi going to Mascot airport.
We stop at a crosswalk and a stunning 17-year-old blonde sashays in high heels from right to left across the road right in front of us.
Witty young reporter: "Wow. I'd rather see her naked than you in your best suit."
World-worn cab driver glides his rollie with the tip of his tongue from his right cheek across his lips to the left and mutters," Yair, and I bet she's had more pricks than a secondhand Primus."
George, my Anglican girlfriend's mother -- who convinced her to stop going out with me at school because I was Catholic -- insisted that Anglicans were not Protestant, but Catholic.
I'm in Sydney presenting my research on West Papua and caught up with David Bradbury. He gave me a copy of his short doco interviewing you regarding the 1969 Act. Brilliant material detailing the UN reps failure to act regarding the sham vote! I will now include your quotes in my thesis!
Hugh, you have a remarkable memory and a great way of articulating your stories with humor. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.
It is a well-timed re-run in this 80th Year since WWII finished 15/8/25.
Interesting fact the National Memorial to the 50th year is sitting in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. Named the National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall, with 15,600 Plaques, designed by Robin Gibson.
Beautiful story Hugh. How simple life was back then when politicians were part of the community instead of our current mob who hide from the public and scrutiny.
Yes, back in the 1970s every politician had his or her phone number in the phone book! Never happen now. My journalist mate Adrian McGregor rang Prime Minister Billy McMahon late one night in 1971 for a comment on a story and he complained: “I’m in bed with Sonja!”. Every Qld journalist could imitate Joh Bjelke-Petersen answering his Kingaroy home phone: “Ha Ha Ha Hello Joh Bjelke-Petersen speaking”.
It was really good of all the Lunn family to provide a place where these men felt welcome and were able to get a good feed. Mr Stewart sounds like a very knowledgeable man, a real mine of information!
G'Day Hugh. Here's one for you. House to house milk delivery in Annerley, mid 40's . The chap's name, Tom McGrath. We moved from Annerley in '48 to Geebung. Then, 18 months later, to Tennyson. Our neighbors? Tom on one side and the Bentley's (Austral Plywood) on the other.
In Annerley, we were renting the Hollyoak (spelling?) house on Marquis. So for me, State schools, Junction Park, Zillmere, Tennyson - which was a one-teacher school a the time. Then BSHS - and the Army Cadet Corps. That was another education that helped in later life. How to take orders, and give orders.
Just typing the above brings back a flood of memories. Mostly good, except for the times I "got the cuts", six of the best.
People always ask me how I remember all this stuff -- but your "flood of memories" is precisely what happens when I sit down to write an article -- and the more I remember, the more I remember!
Remember? Yes. 'Live in' the past? Things have changed so much over the past 80+ years - no way. Roneo machines for duplicating, manual typewriters, calculators with an arm that had to be pulled. Today? Put a vehicle into reverse and a camera displays what's back there.
The US mints have been ordered to cease minting one cent coins. Seems it costs two cents each to produce them. My memory? Touring the Australian mint in Perth in the mid-60's. They produced pennies. Not running that day and I was given a personal escorted tour. The last stop, a locked room. The chap went in and came out with a bar of gold. They did some refining of ore from Kalgoorlie. "Put out both hands." £7,000's worth. At the time I was making 7/- an hour. Work 440 hours straight (10 hours a day) and get the rest of the two months off. Oil exploration. Memories.....
As you'd know Andrea headache tablet were HUGE in the 1950s. BEX is Better; Take Sitruc of Suffer -- some people could open a Bex powder with one hand, which you would think was impossible. But I saw them do it in our shop. Did you notice the whole of our shop window was full of ads for headache tablet. G'day David,
My cousin, Sister Ursula (Jan Hartigan) coached the rugby league sides at Catholic Schools in regional New South Wales and most famously, in Blacktown, Sydney in the 1960s, when the school fielded a truly multi-cultural side.
Our two grandsons - (aged 6 and 8) - signed with Norths Devils on Sunday, for geographical reasons, otherwise they would have been at Brothers. My first game of schoolboy rugby league was for Mt St Patrick (Murwillumbah) against the Convent side from Tumbulgum. Our hooker was John Dowling, who would go on to play State of Origin for Queensland, in 1982.
Of course neither group knew anything about the other, only that we went to different schools which we had to walk past. We all became good mates after we joined the Scouts.
Talk about mixed messages, the Vicar of St Paul's Anglican Church in Geelong is a lovely black Pom (Englishman) named Fr Nigel Pope!
Isn't it annoying when you're old, and you remember all the mistakes you made in the past, but the same circumstances never occur again, so you may as well not have bothered to learn from them? Vince Gair was a proper Catholic, not like our Daniel Andrews in Victoria.
Gee that took me back Hugh. My Dad was a Baker and I worked with him in the 60s. Fondly remember stopping for a cuppa at4am when The Goons were in the radio. Bob
Thanks Graham, it makes me feel good that my stories can bring back wonderful memories for my readers. Yes, typing out memories does you good: as one woman reader once told me "there's an awful lot of power in writing things down".
I too remember being int he cdets and getting the cuts -- plenty that in "Over the Top with Jim"!
best
Hugh
Gday Hugh,
where are the cranky old subs to save us from our sins?!
Anglicans ARE protestants young feller.
We all PROTEST about popery. Geddit?
ooroo George Williams Perth
PS Hope you've added to Phillip Adams's columns lately about slang, vernacular, lingua franca etc
This week he's on about rhyming slang.
I like " He's butcher's in the comics."
Translated from "He's butcher's hook in the comic cuts."
or "He's crook in the guts."
...
1970 in a Holden taxi going to Mascot airport.
We stop at a crosswalk and a stunning 17-year-old blonde sashays in high heels from right to left across the road right in front of us.
Witty young reporter: "Wow. I'd rather see her naked than you in your best suit."
World-worn cab driver glides his rollie with the tip of his tongue from his right cheek across his lips to the left and mutters," Yair, and I bet she's had more pricks than a secondhand Primus."
You have to be a certain age.
George, my Anglican girlfriend's mother -- who convinced her to stop going out with me at school because I was Catholic -- insisted that Anglicans were not Protestant, but Catholic.
I've heard others say this as well.
Not that I care one way or the other.
You may well be right -- you usually are.
best
Hugh
Great story Hugh, my parents went with the QLP & then the DLP during that split.
Thanks Hoges: most Australians wouldn’t remember the QLP or the DLP now. We’re showing our age.
Hugh
Haha!! Quite amazing Hugh. If only today...
I'm in Sydney presenting my research on West Papua and caught up with David Bradbury. He gave me a copy of his short doco interviewing you regarding the 1969 Act. Brilliant material detailing the UN reps failure to act regarding the sham vote! I will now include your quotes in my thesis!
And now ou have a bit more for your West Papua thesis Julian,
Hugh
Hugh, you have a remarkable memory and a great way of articulating your stories with humor. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.
You have brightened my morning.
Regards, Andrew McKay (have forgotten my handle)
"For this stolid old earth has no need of your mirth, It has troubles enough of its own"
Hugh
Well, Timed comment in this 80th year of the ending of WWII. 15/8/25
Interesting fact the National Memorial to the 50th Anniversary designed by Robin Gibson,
sits in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. 15,600 plaques tell a heart-rendering story.
It is a well-timed re-run in this 80th Year since WWII finished 15/8/25.
Interesting fact the National Memorial to the 50th year is sitting in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. Named the National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall, with 15,600 Plaques, designed by Robin Gibson.
The 80th anniversary — I didn’t know that when I posted the story — but peter you;re the expert on Brisbane memorials. Well done (again).
Beautiful story Hugh. How simple life was back then when politicians were part of the community instead of our current mob who hide from the public and scrutiny.
Thanks Julian — your favourite too, obviously.
Yes, back in the 1970s every politician had his or her phone number in the phone book! Never happen now. My journalist mate Adrian McGregor rang Prime Minister Billy McMahon late one night in 1971 for a comment on a story and he complained: “I’m in bed with Sonja!”. Every Qld journalist could imitate Joh Bjelke-Petersen answering his Kingaroy home phone: “Ha Ha Ha Hello Joh Bjelke-Petersen speaking”.
It was really good of all the Lunn family to provide a place where these men felt welcome and were able to get a good feed. Mr Stewart sounds like a very knowledgeable man, a real mine of information!
Well, Mr Stewart knew a lot -- but he painted railway carriages for a living at Salisbury. He new much more than me -- but I was only 12! Hugh
Great tale. Beautifully told. I was transported back to a better day. Would have loved to have sampled Fred's Pie n Peas!
Thanks John, that's my aim -- to transport people to nother place, another time.
Hugh
G'Day Hugh. Here's one for you. House to house milk delivery in Annerley, mid 40's . The chap's name, Tom McGrath. We moved from Annerley in '48 to Geebung. Then, 18 months later, to Tennyson. Our neighbors? Tom on one side and the Bentley's (Austral Plywood) on the other.
In Annerley, we were renting the Hollyoak (spelling?) house on Marquis. So for me, State schools, Junction Park, Zillmere, Tennyson - which was a one-teacher school a the time. Then BSHS - and the Army Cadet Corps. That was another education that helped in later life. How to take orders, and give orders.
Just typing the above brings back a flood of memories. Mostly good, except for the times I "got the cuts", six of the best.
People always ask me how I remember all this stuff -- but your "flood of memories" is precisely what happens when I sit down to write an article -- and the more I remember, the more I remember!
Hugh
Remember? Yes. 'Live in' the past? Things have changed so much over the past 80+ years - no way. Roneo machines for duplicating, manual typewriters, calculators with an arm that had to be pulled. Today? Put a vehicle into reverse and a camera displays what's back there.
The US mints have been ordered to cease minting one cent coins. Seems it costs two cents each to produce them. My memory? Touring the Australian mint in Perth in the mid-60's. They produced pennies. Not running that day and I was given a personal escorted tour. The last stop, a locked room. The chap went in and came out with a bar of gold. They did some refining of ore from Kalgoorlie. "Put out both hands." £7,000's worth. At the time I was making 7/- an hour. Work 440 hours straight (10 hours a day) and get the rest of the two months off. Oil exploration. Memories.....
Keep them coming , Hugh. Just fabulous!
Adrienne its comments like yours that keep me going: other wise I'd put donw my pen and retire aged 84!
Great history lesson. I’m glad Fred had an Aspro sign in his window as my dad was State Manager.
I wonder if they knew each other. Brisbane was small then.
As you'd know Andrea headache tablet were HUGE in the 1950s. BEX is Better; Take Sitruc of Suffer -- some people could open a Bex powder with one hand, which you would think was impossible. But I saw them do it in our shop. Did you notice the whole of our shop window was full of ads for headache tablet. G'day David,
Hugh
My cousin, Sister Ursula (Jan Hartigan) coached the rugby league sides at Catholic Schools in regional New South Wales and most famously, in Blacktown, Sydney in the 1960s, when the school fielded a truly multi-cultural side.
Our two grandsons - (aged 6 and 8) - signed with Norths Devils on Sunday, for geographical reasons, otherwise they would have been at Brothers. My first game of schoolboy rugby league was for Mt St Patrick (Murwillumbah) against the Convent side from Tumbulgum. Our hooker was John Dowling, who would go on to play State of Origin for Queensland, in 1982.
Steve Ricketts.
Hughie, our version of the insult was:
"Proddo (or Catholic) dogs
sit on logs,
eating maggots out of frogs".
Of course neither group knew anything about the other, only that we went to different schools which we had to walk past. We all became good mates after we joined the Scouts.
Talk about mixed messages, the Vicar of St Paul's Anglican Church in Geelong is a lovely black Pom (Englishman) named Fr Nigel Pope!
Isn't it annoying when you're old, and you remember all the mistakes you made in the past, but the same circumstances never occur again, so you may as well not have bothered to learn from them? Vince Gair was a proper Catholic, not like our Daniel Andrews in Victoria.
Gee that took me back Hugh. My Dad was a Baker and I worked with him in the 60s. Fondly remember stopping for a cuppa at4am when The Goons were in the radio. Bob