“I have friends planning one of those popular European river cruises, so I’m suggesting a playlist for them to sing along the way,” writes George Manojlovic of Mangerton. “The Long and Winding Rhone, Like a Rhine-Stained Cowboy, Loire the Sunshine of My Life, Old Long Seine, River Dnieper Mountain High. Guaranteed to endear them to fellow passengers, particularly the Volga ones.”
“Joy Cooksey (C8) is right,” declares Phil Edwards of Denistone East: “MAGA stands for My Acolytes Gain Advantage!”
It’s been grand but “it’s time” to give the Whitlam/Trueman partnership (C8) a spell. Over to you, Toni Lorentzen of Fennell Bay: “I was at a function where Gough Whitlam (the subject) launched Barry Cohen’s new tome. Gough was signing copies of Barry’s book for a long line of patient enthusiasts. I had taken a copy of Gough’s own book The Truth of the Matter for him to sign, rather than Barry’s book. When it was finally my turn, he looked up and me and said in an imperious voice: ‘This is the best book I have signed all day!’”
Brian Bowman of Springwood recalls “Fred Trueman (C8) forcing an edge that flew towards Raman Subba Row at first slip. Subba Row failed to catch it and the ball went through his legs to the boundary. Subba Row: ‘Sorry, Fred. I should’ve kept my legs together.’ Trueman: ‘Nay, lad, yer mother should’ve.’”
“Am I the only one who noticed, on a recent news story about social media, that the address for the Meta head office is 1 Hacker Place?” asks Tony Bennett of Broke.
Brianna Wilson of Condell Park wonders about the item from Stephen Knox (C8) on the Thoroughbred Sports Car Club: “What on earth is a thoroughbred sports car? Is membership limited to models that have a horse in the logo? Or does it relate to the pedigree of the horsepower?”
“All this talk of tempered glass shattering (C8) has me worried,” says Stephanie Edwards of Leichhardt. “I have a new oven which needs a clean, but after reading Column 8 I’m reluctant to use the self-cleaning function. Should I call the fire brigade for backup?”
Kate van de Wall of Collaroy Plateau writes: “My mother-in-law’s emails hit the inbox not with her name but with her initials, BS (C8). It never inspires me to feel positive about what I’m about to read.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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