Mister Brisbane: It's showtime!
Enduring Ekka | School ties | Child's play | Deco delights
This week we should be celebrating the Ekka. But we’re not. The pandemic has put paid to that. The grounds may be empty (above, on Sunday), but organisers of the Royal Queensland Show have found ways to keep its spirit alive. Parts of the show have moved online. We’ve also had a big fireworks display that nobody could attend, and they are selling strawberry ice-creams and dagwood dogs at selected Brisbane locations. None of them are near me, sadly. Anyway, it got me thinking about the Ekka and its role in our lives. As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of it. We’d go as a school group — I met the poet Judith Wright at the Ekka, but I was far too young to appreciate the significance of that — and then we’d go again with the family or, as we got older, with our friends. For some, it was the scene of a first date. But, for me and my peers, there came a time when the Ekka was no longer cool. “It’s always the same,” came the refrain. And, despite some cosmetic changes over the years, it was the same. And it would have been more or less the same again had it happened this year. Despite attempts to market the Ekka as something new and exciting — “bigger and better than ever” is the perennial slogan — its sameness is its strength. And for every jaded adult like me, there is a child for whom it’s all shiny and new. The next time I go, I might grab my Bertie Beetle showbag and slouch off to the Cattleman’s Bar, but I promise I won’t poke fun at the other adults who’ve retained their sense of wonder and will take their kids to Sideshow Alley.
P.S. As I write this, the “Ekka Westerlies” are blowing leaves and bits of tree branches across the backyard. I’m trying to think of another weather event that we associate with a particular date or time of the year. Is there one?
OLD SCHOOL WHY
It’s an issue that’s been on my mind quite a lot over the years, and it came up again on social media this past week. A former newspaper colleague noted on Twitter that his editor once berated him because he hadn’t asked the person he interviewed which school they had attended as a child. Once you become an adult does this really matter? Given that the same newspaper still makes a point of naming,old schools — especially when they’re private schools — I guess it does. To some people. As for me, I’m not ashamed of my state-school education, but I don’t want to be defined by it. I won’t hold my breath for the paper to run a feature article listing all the great achievers who went to my humble school, as they did recently for one of the posh places. And, yes, there were quite a few, myself not included.
PS: Can you spot me in the picture above?
UP THE CREEK
As I write, Google Maps still hasn’t corrected an error that led to the Brisbane River renamed Ithaca Creek. (How it happened is explained here by Channel 7 News.) No hurry, Google, it’s not like we’re relying on you for accurate information or anything …
THEATRE REVIVAL
QPAC is giving potential audience members the chance to join its “QPAC Unlocked” email list to be alerted to its new Covid-careful schedule of smaller shows. As CEO John Kotzas says, without giving too much away: “We’ve reimagined the use of our theatres and other spaces in ways that will ensure a unique and safe experience for our audiences. This will be QPAC like you’ve never seen us. Small audiences and different formats.” Join here.
WORMS’ TURN
I was watching an episode of Great Asian Railway Journeys on SBS last week in which Michael Portillo (or “the man with the book”, as my mother calls him) went to silk factory. While they were showing how the product is made, it occurred to me: Do kids raise silkworms any more? I remember we once had some in a shoebox stuffed with mulberry leaves. We also used to set off fire crackers in the back yard on Guy Fawkes’ Night, but that’s now illegal. And we caught tadpoles down at the local creek, but I suppose that isn’t a thing now either. What else do you miss?
BEAUT BUILDINGS
In my latest article for InQueensland, I write about our relationship with the built environment and our love affair with great architecture.I note that “some buildings are both beautiful and functional, and that some of them appeal to us on a visceral level. Structures that are attached to a particular event, a period or event in history, or a fond personal memory hold a special place in our hearts and minds.” What buildings inspire or excite you, and why?
FEEDBACK
A fan letter from Jonathan: “Look forward to Mister Brisbane each release. Live in Clifton Hill (known as a part of Moorooka). Real Estate agents use the Clifton Hill identifier and it is a shame the old suburb name is not better recognised as this was the name of (apparently) the only remaining WW1 Soldiers Settlements on the East Coast. And my only complaint re Golden Roughs is that they have got much smaller and more expensive over the years 😩. Keep up the great work Mister Brisbane - we need something to smile at and reminisce about in these uncertain and scary times.”
Dean didn’t appreciate my take on fireworks, noting: “In normal precovid times - firework shows actually generate more money than they cost FYI.”
Meanwhile, the item about Golden Roughs inspired fans to name other favourite snack foods, including Mint Patties, Freckles, Turkish Delight, Violet Crumble, Chokito, Choo Choo bar, Crazy Maze and Crunchie.
STAY TUNED
A big announcement is coming very soon regarding this newsletter. The headline and photo (above) are hints.