Bookmarks have a rich social history. Along with books themselves they have survived the invention of electronic reading devices. I have gathered a lot over the years, and also managed to lose a fair few. The leather one below is quite special. My partner and I walked
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Did you, like me, have a relative who gave you a tin of Danish butter biscuits every Christmas for decades? Maybe you still do? 😎 There’s nothing really wrong with them, but they just don’t measure up to chocolate covered macadamia cookies, or a bottle of champagne…especially
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Football rivalry in Tasmania has led to some classic encounters. Top of the list has to be that unforgettable, 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership decider between Wynyard and North Hobart, held at West Park, Burnie. At the end of the fourth quarter the game was about to be
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A look at safe breaking in Australia back in the day. Picking a padlock or manipulating tumblers on a combination lock was generally confined to a few experts with sensitive fingers and acute hearing. It wasn’t easy, and of course the contents could be disappointing to say
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Revenge on ‘Bad Santa’ by Editor Des. Warning, there is a degree of violence depicted in this story. Every Christmas there is a confrontation at our Blue Mountains home between an elderly, battery powered walking Santa and my young associate Editor Des. Santa marches straight up to
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French knitting is sometimes called spool knitting. I wonder whether kids still do this? My sister and I loved it. Tasmanian winters are long and cold and this fireside occupation was perfect. Little boys enjoyed it too. My cousin Frank grew up in Deloraine and told me
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It is said that sandwiches were popularized by John Montagu, 4th earl of Sandwich (1718-1792). Well they were named in his honour, so presumably it’s true. It happened due to the fact that the British peer was addicted to gambling. A French travel book claimed he requested
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Vita-Weat biscuits were introduced in Australia in 1932, by the UK company Peek Frean’s. For many years the factory was located in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. The factory moved into its striking, art-deco building in 1937. A clock tower (shown in the above photo) was a
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Ironing is not the most romantic of occupations, although remember that old fold song? ‘Dashing away with the smoothing (steaming) iron she stole my heart away.’ The steam iron was born along with baby boomers like myself.. The following is from the Melbourne Argus, on June 30
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Hello, this is your Christmas correspondent, Editor Des. Have you heard of a Santa’s Nice List? Well a lovely lady called Amelia at our village laundromat put one up in her front window. It’s in Wentworth Street at Blackheath. That’s in the Blue Mountains in case you
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