This photograph is of the conning tower of a decommissioned submarine, which is sited in a park along Rockingham foreshore, by the beach. I was hoping that the sky would “pink up” a bit to add some more colour as the sub looms up out of the Earth but, there you go… There is a (missing) plaque which I assume had all sorts of salient information about what the sub was called and when it was retired etc – if it is ever recovered I will update you all! The sub is sited next to a set of guns which were preserved from HMAS Derwent, which was sunk West of Rottnest Island in 1994 (as you can probably tell – this plaque was still in place).
I’m worried about the amount of nostalgia that’s creeping into this blog but I couldn’t let the inaugural Colne Chopper Dash cycle race pass without a mention. Enthusiasts of the crazily-designed 70′s kids bikes gathered to race around the Town Centre on Wednesday night, with all proceeds going to the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Trust.
According to the Lancashire Telegraph, chopper enthusiast Carl Pawson stated “if you’re a closet chopper rider, then it’s time to come out”. No such bashfulness from him though – he commutes to work on his.
For the un-initiated, the chopper was a bicycle produced by the firm Raleigh in the 1970′s. It was a slightly bizaare attempt to bring American motorcycle cool (big news at the time what with the Easy Rider movie and the exploits of the stuntman Evel Knievel) to the British school playground. I never owned one but I do remember riding a chopper and finding it’s steering wildly unpredictable and the trademark “stickshift” gear lever a bit tricky. Maybe I should buy one and really get to grips with this beast…and I see there is a nice example on eBay for 60 quid….
I thought about adding a new tab to the blog just to accomodate this video “weird shit I remember seeing on Top of the Pops in the 70′s”. I still just might. Anyhoo – content this good needs no justification so sit back and enjoy French, proto-futurist band Space and their 1977 mega-hit “Magic Fly”.
And if I had just 50% of the high-octane enthusiasm that their drummer is clearly feeling I would be a happy man indeed.
I recently got put on a mild dose of thyroxine due to having an inactive thyroid. I posted about the first three weeks – thought it was about time for an update.
The first month was all pretty much as I posted back then – a mild but welcome improvement in energy levels – but the second month the benefits just seemed to fade away and I felt pretty much the same as before. Round about that time a project we had been labouring away on at work went live and did not go particularly well. This resulted in extra work and stress and just when I could have used some extra energy it seemed like my puny 50 mg daily dose of thyroxine had given up the ghost. Continue reading 'Three months on Thyroxine'»
We are into Autumn-going-along-winter or whatever season it is we are into here in Australia… and one thing that has always puzzled me in the 9 years I have been here is the way that the Aussies dress in the colder months. There are basically three different approaches to “rugging up” during the Australian winter… Continue reading 'The Aussies in Winter'»
To make a bit more sense of the tags on this blog, I have added a new one to lump together all the sports-related posts. Its called “Sport Billy” as a homage to the early ’80′s cartoon which, I seem to remember, made no sense at all…
Just got back from a rain-lashed NIB Stadium in Perth where South Sydney Rabbitohs edged out Darren Lockyer’s Brisbane Broncos 16 – 12. The Rabbits played the conditions perfectly and Sandow’s kick into the duck-pond like in-goal area and Rhys Wessers flamboyant dive onto it will live long in the memory. A few points I’d like to make… Continue reading 'The end of King Lockyer’s rain'»
I have flirted with the horrible realization of middle age in this blog before, what with my concerns about cholesterol, getting nostalgic about 1970′s TV and thinking mid 90′s music is still “current” – but now its official and there can be no meaningful doubt. The last taboo has been broken…
I have bought a cardigan.
Whilst I am having this “mea culpa” moment I may as well come clean and confess to now owning TWO cardigans – purchased last Saturday at Harbour Town in a too-good-to-miss buy one get one free deal. And – do you know what? I REGRET NOTHING – cardigans rock!
If you discount the uncomfortable moments when you feel like a freeze-dried version of a 1960′s Hugh Hefner I can whole-heartedly recommend cardigan wearing for todays swinging bachelor (and married men alike). I was prompted to get a cardy by the Australian winter and the variable heating regime in the office I work in. The cardigan can easily be slipped on and off as temperature dictates and also -in some strange way – does have a perverse element of style that eludes the sweater or zip-up tracky / hoody. It will do for me.
Comments (0) 
Like
Themocracy