A trip to “Town” in the 1960s and 1970s was a big deal. Town was where everything happened and where all the important shops were. If it was a week day and my Dad was at work, Mum and I would walk to the bus stop and ride in, usually getting off down near The Store. We might walk up the street and go to the movies, if I was lucky, and if I was very lucky indeed we would go to one of the department store cafeterias – maybe Winns – where I would get…
I've long been fascinated by postcards - especially old ones. They speak of a time when communication was a more leisurely business than it is today, and yet they symbolise the desire of people for quick and snappy means of staying in touch. Printed in vast numbers in the early years of last century, postcards were a collecting craze too, and many families still have old albums full of these intriguing ambassadors from the past. Our 13th book, Postcards from the Past, is a collection of cards depicting Newcastle, NSW, and its Hunter Region hinterland. The…
Some dreams don't seem too hard to interpret. At first they might seem chaotic, novel or bizarre, but on reflection their meaning appears to become clear. Sometimes they seem like advice from the subconscious mind to the conscious workaday self. In my dream of the Yellow Clown Chorus I was a student attending some kind of live-in college. This college was a big organisation with many pupils of many ages and types. It was a carnival day with competitive sports and various other entertaining demonstrations. The atmosphere was busy and exciting. Everybody was participating in separate…