five years ago

Five years ago I took Ferdie and Barry out for a walk at the Jacana wetlands. The photos suggest we had a really good time. Unfortunately neither of them is with us any longer, all I can ever say about the death of pets is - as long as they had a good life that's what matters, and I know they both really did. 

Nancy is still around (this is her on 1 November 2021) and thriving I would say, I mean she sleeps about 95% of the time but that's what cats do. I am looking forward to many more quality years with the cat I still claim to be the best in Australia, possibly the world. She still sits like this too. 

welcome to november

Prologue to November: yesterday Perry and I went to Albert Park because I was being interviewed by a student about a new development there. It rained ridiculously on the way (and as I had been told it was only going to rain in the morning, I was completely unprepared). So a lot of the time out yesterday afternoon was that kind of nonsense. But what was nice was seeing all these swans/cygnets in the park. The children were of different ages which was unexpected. Or at least some were much bigger than others. I had to keep telling Perry that swans were no pushovers. He didn't learn the hard way, in fact he didn't learn at all, he just had to be restrained. 

Anyway that was October, long ago and far away. This morning we went for a rubbish-collection walk but the only rubbish Perry got was this ball, is it a basketball? I don't know, no idea. Something like that. He menaced it on the futsal court. Neither he nor I know what futsal is, or whether it's a game you play or a sauce you have on your noodles. 

So we did get up to 100 pieces of rubbish by the time we go to the dog park. Not hard because it was halloween yesterday and kids had just thrown small lolly packets everywhere. Little shits. They obviously haven't heard that children are our future. Or they think they'll pick all that stuff up later i.e. in the future. Anyway, it wasn't hard. Quite a few McDonalds drink cups as well. McDonalds sucks. 

more on bushell's instant tea

 'Racing, racing and moron racing', remember that from Punter to Punter? Lol. Well unrelatedly here's more on Bushell's instant tea. It dates from 1970. 

The above is from R. R. Walker's Age 1 April 1970 (p. 16) column on 'Advertising', investigating the promotion phenomenon that is Bushell's Instant Tea. Walker says it is 'Interesting to note... the introduction of Bushells new Instant Tea to the Victorian market. It is said to have a backing of $100, 000 for the market launch.

'Bushell's claim to have about half the existing "leaf-tea" market already and they hope to push that percentage up further.

"Inevitably, they will lose some of their existing sales, but that is a calculated risk and worthwhile if their total share of instant and leaf combined can be increased.

"They also claim that the average tea drinker won't be able to tell the difference, but the convenience factor will hold strong appeal for office folk and busy housewives.

"Are they spending too much or too little?

"Time - and the greatest variable of all, public acceptance - will decide."

Since I can find nothing in the newspapers about Bushells Instant Tea after November 1970 I'm going to guess the decision was pretty swift and not in Instant Tea's favour. 

north melbourne to north carlton

Perry and I had an errand to run this morning so we walked to North Carlton via the cemetery. We also picked up rubbish along the way, achieving over 100 items. It was ridiculously clean in North Melbourne and we had almost nothing, and Royal Park had very little too, but North Carlton delivered the goods, including a stash of glass bottles - were they soda water bottles? - hidden in the grass at the front of the Greek Orthodox church. 

It was a stupidly hot morning by the time we were coming back and Perry I think got really pissed off about it, even though I made sure to favour shady spots. I didn't like it either much, to be honest. But we got in 15 000 steps so we can feel adequately exercised, if that's a consolation. Now here is a question for you:

What went round the boardroom table at Bushells when they decided to market something called instant tea, and similarly, what went round when they decided they were going to stop marketing something called instant tea? Also, what the hell is instant tea? I think of tea as being more or less instant, I suppose you have to leave it a short while to 'draw', but who wants their tea right now? 

Third question: is there no requirement of advertisers to remove painted 'billboards' like this? So in fact the only way it ever goes, is if someone else buys/rents the space and reuses it? 

kew and ivanhoe walks

I must have really enjoyed the walks I had with Perry last Wednesday and Thursday as I barely took any pictures (you'll be upset to hear). Well, I did feel the need to record the above, just for future analysis.  

There are really nice places to walk along the Yarra there even if you're constantly confronted by stupid things like freeway bridges and big pipes that might have oil in them or something? Christ knows what they have in them, they seem important. 

This house either got a bit burnt or someone just started smashing it up, don't know. Or is it 'burned'? I can never remember, and the unrememberingness is getting worse. 

Then yesterday we walked in Ivanhoe, looking for Albert Genser houses, I might tell you about that sometime, particularly if I ever get around to it. This isn't one of those it's just a block of flats that took my fancy, I can't remember why. The only other thing I photographed is a block of units but I can't remember why and don't know how to care. I like Ivanhoe though. Going to go back soon. Hold your breath. 

let the two grow together

I've spent a lot of today going through old photographs looking for bits and pieces that might be relevant to this chapter I'm writing. I've photographed a lot of material in my time and not necessarily been that great at cataloguing it, but text is searchable, so, you know. Anyway I found these odd letters in the Frank Heath collection which are talking about different kinds of garden villages that could be established. Then this... 

The pen portrait of Susie is not included by the way which is a shame. I assume by Order they mean a religious order? or just an Order of Susies? Anyway I hope they got what they wanted. 

According to Sands and McDougall for 1940, 9 Park St was occupied by J. V. Reilly. I don't understand any of this but I am a bit dazed by all the things I've seen today. 
 

hundred items of rubbish a day

Perry and I have a new activity called picking up 100 items of rubbish a day. How long do you think we'll stick at it? Thanks for your support. Anyway, the idea is any bit of rubbish, as small as a cigarette butt or as big as a detergent bottle. Or bigger. You'll laugh when I tell you about the big wodge of sticky tape I picked up all tangled up in twigs. Hilarious. There's a lot of rubbish out there, but don't go picking it up please, we want to do it.