“Following on with the nicknames of dishes (C8). I spent some years in a boarding school on the Lane Cove River,” writes Lillian Hornby of Sans Souci. “One dessert was Chocolate Blancmange known by the boarders as Lane Cove Mud. Coincidentally, friends who attended boarding school in Melbourne had the same dessert, referred to as Yarra Mud.”
Another day, another BTC (C8), courtesy of Ingrid O’Neill of Chester Hill: “I volunteer at the costume department of Bankstown Theatre Company, also known as BTC, where we produce some delightful creations for our productions. We are currently promoting our next production for 2024, which is We Will Rock You, by Queen and Ben Elton, with the cast having just been announced.”
“Let it be known that Bathurst Teachers’ College had no propriety claim over the initials BTC,” declares Bob Phillips of Cabarita, a former attendee of Balmain Teachers’ College (1954-55).
“I, too, went to South Hurstville Public School (C8) and was posted to Tooleybuc Central in my second year of teaching in 1967,” recalls Valerie Little of Tathra. “What was it about the Hurstville area which equipped us for Tooleybuc? An amazing school and community it was, and still is.”
“At Pennant Hills Golf Club, the Saturday comp was under way,” reports Bill Leigh of West Pennant Hills. “Emulating the majors, a commentator was holding court at the first tee, a microphone introducing the players and generally making a nuisance of himself. The announcer noticed a male player on the ladies tee, addressing the ball. The speakers boomed, ‘The gentlemen player on the ladies tee is reminded that only the gentlemen’s tees are in use today.’ The player in question continued to address his ball. The speakers boomed out again, ‘The gentleman on the ladies tee is reminded the tee on which he is standing is not in use’. The player, purple with rage, turned to the announcer and bellowed, ‘Will the [insert appropriate swear word here] with the microphone, please allow this gentleman to play his second shot?’”
Jo Rainbow of Orange has first-hand experience of the name game (C8): “In my career in paediatrics, I’ve done baby checks on Jade Green, Indiana Jones (‘it will make or break him’), baby Lala with jaundice named after the yellow Teletubby and baby Judas so chosen as it was ‘biblical’. Fortunately, dad didn’t get an option on Beelzebub or Nebuchadnezzar.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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