“$20 per tooth from the Tooth Fairy (C8) seems modest,” reckons Terry Funnell of Parramatta. “When interviewed in 1977, aged 93, the late Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, said that when she and her siblings lost their first teeth, their grandmother would give them a pound. She presented her grandmother, Queen Victoria, with three teeth to which the old queen replied, ‘Oh dear, that’s very expensive.’ I’ll let the readership convert that to today’s value.”
When Wendy Turner (C8) asked: “Why does Earth always win Miss Universe?” Jeffrey Mellefont of Coogee had the sad answer: “Because we’re the only life forms crass enough to run Miss anything contests.”
“As the kerfuffle about flight upgrades rolls on, I recall back in the early ’70s, sitting in an economy seat when Gough Whitlam walked down the aisle and sat at the back,” writes Craig Forbes of Lewisham. “Gough, a very tall man, made a point of always flying economy. Different times.”
Robyn Lewis of Raglan notes that “the 1963 Ashes Test at the SCG (C8) has caused much interest lately. Freddie Trueman had a very long run-up. As he was walking back to bowl, someone on The Hill called out, ‘Don’t go home Freddie!’.”
“I feel Granny’s gone past the stage of wearing a neck brace (C8),” says Dorothy Gliksman of Cedar Brush Creek. “Clearly, she has severe osteoporosis of the cervical spine, no teeth and poor posture. As a physio, I wouldn’t be treating her but letting her enjoy the rest of her time as the important figurehead she is … as she is.”
“What if it’s not a neck brace but a trophy wall mount?” asks Paul Keir of Strathfield. “That would raise more questions than answers.” “It’s a cone of shame,” adds Bruce Horsburgh of Robertson. “Time for a new vet!”
As an expat Sydneysider, John Loveridge of Tewantin (Qld) was curious about Janice Creenaune’s US missive (C8): “For a moment I thought she was describing Queensland. The similarities are amazing.”
“With the confluence of the Melbourne Cup and the US election (‘Remember, remember the fifth of November’), a dive into past Cup winners proved interesting,” says Alan Marel of North Curl Curl. “1925 produced Windbag, 1937 The Trump, 1960 Hi Jinx, 1985 What a Nuisance and 2009 Shocking. Now we just need a numerologist to make some sense of it all.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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