Australian Gen-Z golf sensation Elvis Smylie has been getting a few headlines of late and, according to George Manojlovic of Mangerton, it’s now or never – although, “I watched Elvis play in the Australian Open golf tournament over the weekend and he was caught in a trap”.
“Talking of border crossings (C8), as a scruffy group of four young travellers in a grotty old Ford Transit we were held up at the Bulgarian border in the late ’70s by some ferocious-looking guards. With the theme from Midnight Express ringing in our ears, we feared we were about to be detained, or worse,” recalls Tony “the Mule” Hunt of Gordon. “In the middle of our cross-language pleas to continue, one guard mentioned ‘girlie magazine?’ – luckily we had some on board and off we went.”
Mike Fogarty of Weston (ACT) is reminded by Col Burns (C8) of a tale that involves a passenger “monstering a Qantas check-in staffer. The passenger behind him asked him to show more respect. ‘Who are you? Pull your head in!’ he replied. The answer? ‘I’m Sir Lenox Hewitt, chairman of this airline. You will not be flying with me today.’”
“While we are consulting those in the medical profession (C8), I recall the name of the band Duran Duran was inspired by a character from the movie Barbarella, Dr Durand Durand,” says Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook. Not only that but the actor, Milo O’Shea, reprised the role for the band’s concept concert video (whatever that is) Arena (An Absurd Notion).
“Further to stories of titles (C8), I have never quite understood how they’ve evolved and why doesn’t everyone have one?” queries Ann Babington of Thornton. “Doctor, Sister, Butcher, Trucker. Better than plain old Mr, Master, Mrs, Miss.”
“Given the eye-watering property prices in Sydney’s east, maybe it’s time to rename Bronte as Bronte Carlo,” ponders John Swanton of Coogee. “Just down the road from Glamarama and Alan Bondi Beach.”
“The Herald newsletter The Booklist has a standing item on successful writing habits,” notes Julian Neylan of Dulwich Hill. “Sixty years ago this month, Charmian Clift, a columnist of this masthead, had a marvellous piece in which she bemoaned writer’s block, listing all the reasons why she couldn’t think of what to write and all the more pressing and interesting tasks she should be getting on with. By which time, voila! She’d written the article.”
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