ATOM feed
On the homefront, I have been very busy in the yard, it's almost ready to be called a 'garden' again. I have the new gazebo in place, well, not quite, it's facing the wrong way, minor detail but I am resisting the urge to try and move it by myself. I have been planting, over twenty new plants so far, the milk bottle idea seems to be working, and the scrub turkey hasn't dug up any of the new plants (yet!)
My car has been in for a service; only about 2 months late - bad news is, it has to go back on Monday for repairs to the air-conditioning (aaagh! over $500 worth) - knew I shouldn't have spent up big on plants and gazebos...
Got some new glasses too; only about 2 years late - I thought the old ones were okay, so I've been ignoring the Laubman's reminders - until a few weeks ago, when I realised I was straining to see and read - I need 'progressives' (tri-focals in my case), and of course the fancy-pants new transitions. I hate selecting frames, you cannot see what they look like, but I've made a big change this time - I've been wearing gold frames for as long as I can remember, this time I've gone for bronze.. hmmm - Noel hasn't noticed yet, so I guess they are not that much different. Vision is better though, now I can see how much cleaning I have to do.I'd rather work in the garden than in the house, so I don't qualify for any 'housewife of the year' awards. But my daughter will be here on Wednesday, and my son the week after that - SO - my next 3 days will be indoors - ugh! We live quite close to the highway, and under a flight path, so between the gasoline and the kerosine, the dust that finds its way into the house is not the sort that moves with a feather duster...
I have this pile of bits and pieces that I intend one day to blog - so many things, so little time - these 2 took my fancy, and I have added them to the memory-lane on the turningsixty website.I remember the tinkers, although I don't know if that's what they were called, but as a child I can recall they used to come and park on the corner of the block, I'd forgotten.
And the men-only bars, these persisted until I was well out of childhood, I can remember the brave 'ladies' who pioneered getting women into the pubs.
Click on either of the pics to see full size, and the attached stories, on the turningsixty memory lane page.
18 Comments
Hi Della...I was just about ready to send out a search party for you! ;)
Housework is a pain in the butt...a recurring pain as it never goes away!
You must be getting more excited as the days go by with the pending visits of your daughter and son.
It's amazing when you think back or read stories about women not being allowed into pubs. But it was never like that in Gympie from my own memory, as my mother and grandmother used to go into the pubs there at the end of a shopping trip before heading homewards (and there used to be a multitude of pubs in Gympie...still are quite a lot, really) and the pubs had 'lounges' where women could sit and sip. They would take my brother and I in with them and we would sit quietly behaving ourselves, as we were instructed to do, and we sipped on lemonade with raspberry cordial mixed through it or sarsaparillos. But I have heard about the times when women would sit out in the street or those rare few who had cars, the women waited in the cars while the husbands brought them out a lemonade or shandy!
I took my mother to the Carlton Hotel in Queen Street, Brisbane for a couple of drinks one afternoon after I'd finished work in the early seventies. We were both dressed well and she was dressed in a brand new pant-suit (which had come into vogue then)...it was one of the designs and makes of the company I was employed with and I had given it to her. We were sitting in the lounge of the Carlton when one of the bar lasses came up to us and said we had to leave because 'pants/slacks' weren't allowed to be worn in the lounge and she couldn't serve us!
I stood my ground (or sat it!)...and said we were not moving...that I had brought my mother out to have a quiet drink with me and as the Carlton and its lounge had a good reputation as a 'ladies'' lounge, this was why I chose to take my mother there. Mum made movements to go but I ordered her to remain where she was as we were not going anywhere! I pointed out to the bar lass (who was only doing what she was told to do) that my mother and I were both well-dressed, probably better than those in the bar and we refused to bow to the rules...and I ordered a scotch and soda for myself and a gin and tonic for my mother! From memory, we stayed there for about an hour or more enjoying our drinks. I think we probably had about three there at the Carlont and then we went to 'The National Hotel' which was a much more lively and fun place in those days. "Warren's Bar" at the Nation was always a great spot to congregate.
Funny when you look back on it all now!
Hi Della
I had an eye test last week and was told I had excellent vision and didn't need new glasses. I've had my current ones for about nine years so I was pleased about that.
How times have changed!
Do you recall Australian actress Sigrid Thornton’s mother Merle and her friend Rosalie Bogner chaining themselves to the public bar of the Regatta Regatta Hotel on Coronation Drive at Toowongin 1965 to protest against women not being allowed to drink in public bars.
Best wishes
I know, Lee... I really love the looking back, there are so many things I remember when I see them, or something about them. Like, I'd forgotten about when we weren't allowed to wear 'pants' to many places - funny thing, it was the same period as the really really mini mini's and the outfits we wore were very long jacket pants suits, and so could remove the trousers and be allowed in wearing the mini-dress. Very funny indeed, to look back!
We as kids did the lemonade in the car thing too, and the sit quietly in the lounge. By the time I had my own kids, women were allowed in, but kids were banned...
It's so nice to be missed, thank you!
Go YOU!
Hi Puss - Nine years is very good, how long have you had them altogether? I started wearing them at about age 41.. that's, wow, 20 years ago ..
Yes, Lindsay, yes... that is what I was remembering but I didn't have any details, thankyou.
Times certainly have changed.
The english law about pubs ! Was exactly the same in the UK. When I came first to London in 1992 because my son worked there, I loved to go in Londoner pubs sat down there and draw the people. In five years I managed to see more than 60 pubs ! I think I know a great lot of them. And what I loved was the bell at 11pm now apparently that is finished. Now they are allowed to stay open.
Hi Della, just dropping by to say HI and thanks for your birthday wishes.
Take care, Meow
Hi Della ~ You sure have been busy. I
hope the scrub turkeys do not dig out your plants. Sorry about your car, but glad your daughter will soon be with you and then your son. Have a wonderful time with them. I am glad your new glasses have helped your
eyesight. Take care, Love, Merle.
Hi Della..
Glad to hear that Turkey has been
quiet,great memory lane stories I
remember a lot of them"oop's thats
giving up my ageHa!Ha!
Yep...I remember the time, lindsay, when Sigrid Thornton's mother chained herself to the Regatta Hotel's public bar. I was living in Toowong at the time...the good old Regatta...lot has changed there now too, since those days!
And you're right, Della...it was a twisted philosophy/rule all right! We could wear the shortest of short mini-skirts (and did!) and 'hot pants' but pants suits were a no-no!
So many things were topsy-turvy. We produced and wore panti hose here in Aus a long time before the US...and our bikinis we much briefer! Still are, I think! (Not that I wear them now!) ;)
That's an interesting piece of trivia about the Regatta invasion being Sigrid Thornton's mother and friend being the invaders, I knew of the incident but not who was involved.
I also remember the publicity that "Warren's Bar"used to get when we first moved to Brisbane.
Hi Della
Its nice to know those turkeys are not scrathing up your garden.
Its a nice trip going down memory lane.
Love those pictures.
Once you're finished in your garden, mine could always do with a makeover :)
Peter...'Warren's Bar' was a great place to meet up with friends and make new ones. I had many good times there. Warren was a star in his own right. Camp as a row of tents...long fingernails, with polish, even a touch of make-up, I think...he was flamboyant and an excellent barman. He was the main reason the crowds flocked to the National. After we'd all finish up there we'd flock down to the 'DB' aka 'The DeBrazil'...Brisbane's only late night club in those days. It would kick off around 10pm. It was owned and operated by Johnny Morris, who used to perform at the National Hotel in the early part of the evening and then race up to the 'DB' to put on his show there until about 2am or so. I remember being there one Tuesday night and we were sharing a table with two guys and chatted amicably with them for quite a while when all of a sudden they got up on the 'stage' and started 'jamming' together. We discovered our drinking buddies were Doug Ashdown and Lee Conway! And what a show they put on! It was fabulous...spontaneous. I've never forgotten it. Lee Conway, by the way, lives up here on the mountain about 2ks from where I live. I've never seen him but that is what I've been led to believe.
Just stopped by doing my daily round ! no time for blogging ?
Yup, 60 is the new 40!
Hello everybody - just checking in, thanks Gattina, no, at the moment I am trying to get some photos from my daughter Carlena's mobile phone onto my computer so I can get a blog post together - we have been VERY busy and productive and are having a wonderful time. She leaves again tomorrow morning - not much time left!
Hi Della, enjoyed the memory lane, hope your bush turkey continues to leave your plants alone, A friend of moine has had all her Clivias dug up and eaten by the bush turkeys,they are also partial to passionfruit it seems, thanks for visit and comments to my site. Glad you had such an enjoyable visit with your lovely daughter.
Cheers Margaret
I'm trying to remember the neon chook sign along Coronation Drive in the 60's. can anyone say what it advertised?
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