All the talk of bank tellers packing heat (C8), reminded Ray Witherby of Kings Langley of his time as an Agency Officer at Turvey Tops shopping centre around 1970: “My Agency Escort, (Vince, the most junior employee on staff), was spinning the revolver, cowboy style, and dropped it heavily onto the concrete floor. No holes anywhere, and no damage to customers or staff, but probably a breach of A Guide to Good Telling. Sorry, Allan Gibson.”
“At least the Bank of NSW had the use of a pistol range,” says Susan Hunt of St Ives. “When my husband worked for the Commonwealth Bank in the mid ’70s, shooting practice for tellers was at the Kurnell sand dunes. The safety briefing consisted of being told not to point the gun at anyone. Then the young staff took turns shooting, (using live ammunition) at the outline of a criminal.” Charles Chauvel would’ve been proud.
Graham Tucker of Kiama explains: “After close of business on June 30th each year, the banks had to ‘balance the books’ for the year. The bank staff had to ‘stay back’ at work until everything balanced. Banks did not pay overtime. Hence, bank holiday (C8).”
Looks like Claire Stephens of Pomona (Qld) was ahead of the game: “For around forty years, I’ve added a modicum of Vegemite to my baked beans (C8), to add a more savoury touch (half a teaspoon to a 130g can). It works, mate. It works. And don’t forget vegemite soldiers with soft-boiled eggs either.”
“A Rose Bay pâtisserie has vegemite lamingtons on Australia Day,” adds Bruce Thom of Vaucluse. “Delicious, a great umami taste.”
Margaret Rose warned us that clan Bourn will be “wriggling out of the worm-holes en masse.” Introducing Joanna Copeland of Lane Cove: “Like Margaret Rose and John Hepworth I’m a descendant of Bourn Russell. I’m a great-great-granddaughter of Henry Chamberlain Russell - the NSW Meteorologist and Astronomer and the first Australian-born child of Bourn. I’ve even been to the State Library to obtain a copy of the log mentioned by Margaret, so I can discover the course taken by the Lady Rowena on the 1829-1831 voyage that took her to Japan, mentioned by John. Furthermore, I plan to sail the same route in 2030. Are there any other sailors among the many Russell descendants who might like to sail where our ancestor sailed nearly 200 years ago?”
Column8@smh.com.au
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