Peter Miniutti of Ashbury reminisces about the cycling snobbery he experienced as a child in the 1960s, where the type of card pegged to your bike wheels determined superiority. Donald Hawes of Peel recalls the different handlebars girls and boys had on their bikes, and how it took him years to realize how they were designed to be used. Peter Pocock of Hornsby fondly remembers his mother teaching him needlework skills and wonders if anyone still darns socks today. Llieda Wild of Eastwood shares her pride in a small cross stitch napkin she made, despite her mother failing to teach her how to knit.
Coral Button of North Epping humorously compares a past Latin teacher’s criticism of her work to a current situation and wonders how it would sound in Latin. John Lees of Castlecrag offers Anthony Clark words of wisdom from Spike Milligan’s mother, emphasizing the value of licorice. Chris Hornsby of Bayview poses a question about a comment he heard on the radio regarding views being at a “right-angle tangent” to a discussion, seeking an explanation for this concept.
Alastair Wilson of Balmain and Fee MacGregor of Randwick provide humorous interpretations of airline acronyms, including QANTAS standing for “Quick And Nasty Tours A Specialty” and TAP meaning “Take Another Plane.” Lyn Langtry of East Ryde shares how her grandchildren play with a toy shopping set, predicting that the future equivalent of playing shop will involve a phone and a van for delivery. The column ends with an invitation for readers to submit their own anecdotes and questions to be featured in future editions of Column 8.
