Under the Bottle Tree
I write an occasional column in the Western Times called “View from Under the Bottle Tree” - basically just whatever I feel like writing about, sometimes it’s about something going on in the community, sometimes it’s about nothing much at all.
Dog’s Bark!
You know there’s only one thing I don’t like about dogs - well, there are probably a few things - but one that really gets up my nose is - dogs bark.
This might sound funny coming from someone who has two dogs, but one of the many things that struck me when I first came out here was how many dogs there are. Indeed, having only two dogs may put me in the minority, but a lot of the dogs round here have a job - mine are on welfare.
Teacher for a day
“Me? You want me to talk to a room full of Year 8 students about newspapers? I’d probably know more about nuclear physics then I do about newspapers. Oh, they’re not doing nuclear physics this term - I see.”
No, I’m not kidding - and no, I know nothing at all about nuclear physics anyway. But last Thursday, I fronted up at the Charleville State High School to talk about newspapers to over 60 Year 8 students who are studying newspapers as part of their English unit this term.
Celebrating one year in Charleville
This weekend marks one year since my arrival in Charleville - and I will be celebrating - but I gotta say, 12 months ago I wouldn’t have believed it.
I remember well the first day I drove into town - it was Sunday March 9. I was turning up on my own with just a suitcase, an esky, a dictionary and a camera - no furniture and no house to live in. The boss, David, had booked a room for me in a motel - I had one month to organise my own accommodation.
So I pull into the motel only to find I’d pulled into the wrong entrance. The reception was actually around the corner. Ok, fine, I can live with that.
I find the reception only to discover there was no room booked in my name. Ok, not so fine.
On the rocks at the Railway
Ever wondered why the Railway Hotel on the corner of Wills and King Sts, Charleville is also known as “The Rocks”?
When I’d asked publican Clive Gentle some time ago, he wasn’t sure but said someone had told him it had something to do with a pile of rocks that had been in the area. ‘Fair enough’, I thought, but the origin is actually a little more interesting than that.
Let’s just go somewhere
You know what it’s like sometimes when you find yourself actually forced into taking holidays that you really didn’t want to take and had no plans for what you were going to do?
Yeah, ok, so maybe that’s not an entirely accurate scenario. I certainly needed a break and was kind of appreciative of the fact that the newspaper closed down for three weeks over the Christmas/New Year period. But it is true that I had no plans for what to do during this enforced break.
