In a letter to Column 8, Tony Hughes of Varsity Lakes describes witnessing a mass stranding of bluebottles on a Gold Coast beach, lamenting the lack of media coverage or public intervention to save the creatures. Meanwhile, Col Begg of Orange muses over a social pecking order determined by the type of handlebars on a rider’s bike, noting differences in interactions between flat bar and drop bar riders. Alison Stewart of Waitara reminisces about using sample bags from the Royal Easter Show to play ‘Shop’ as a child, enjoying the miniature products with family and friends.
Mickey Pragnell of Kiama shares a story from his wife’s family folklore about her brother getting his head stuck between steel rails at the Sydney Showground, becoming a spectacle until the fire brigade freed him. Josephine Piper of Miranda recalls her mother’s annual tradition of buying the Backhouse Gerbera of the Year from a nursery display at the show, only to have her efforts to help by pulling weeds from the garden mistaken for destroying prized plants. Kath Hollins of Northmead reflects on a childhood memory of learning to thread a needle and sew straight lines on a linen square in fourth grade, wondering if such skills are still taught to today’s youngsters.
Lynette Binns, the sister of a puzzler named Graham Steel, clarifies the veiled nature of his death notice in a cryptic puzzle, revealing that Graham was a rugby enthusiast who enjoyed solving the Herald cryptic crosswords with his siblings. Merilyn McClung of Forestville humorously suggests naming Winx’s new foal “Tiddlywinx” and speculates about potential names if the horse had twins. The letter concludes with a reminder to send submissions to Column 8 without attachments and include contact information.
