Mister Brisbane: Valley Boy
Musings on inner-city life, ice-creams, streaming services, The Crown and Christmas
I went to the official opening of the wonderfully renovated and re-renamed Prince Consort Hotel (above) in Fortitude Valley last week. Apart from the chance to go out and experience some great hospitality after months of Covid-related confinement, it was an opportunity to revisit my old stomping ground.
When I was very young, the Valley was “CBD lite”. It had a bunch of big department stores — including Myer (formerly McWhirters), Coles and Waltons — but wasn’t as hectic as the inner city. It was a reasonably respectable place to be. At least it was during the daytime.
When I became a young adult, when I went to work on the late shift at the now-defunct Daily Sun newspaper, I discovered that the Valley had a seedy reputation. In the lead-up to the Fitzgerald Inquiry, I’d be out and about among the “colourful Valley identities” at midnight or 1 o’clock in the morning. The challenge back then, when licensing laws were not as relaxed as they are now, was where to go to get the obligatory knock-off beer in the wee hours. I’ll just say that my colleagues and I frequented some fairly dodgy places.
The thing is, I don’t remember ever feeling frightened or threatened. We saw or heard about the odd bit of violence, but we were sensible enough to stay away from it. (Well, most of us were, but that’s another story …) Even after the Fitzgerald revelations, and the subsequent closure of some of the illegal casinos and massage parlours that Police and Everything Else Minister Russ Hinze insisted didn’t exist, the Valley kept its bad name. But to me by then, it was more than just where I worked; it was also home to some great music venues and safe places for people who weren’t made to feel welcome elsewhere.
More recently, it’s been re-embraced by young people and there are a number of new music venues, and pubs like the Prince Consort have seen substantial investment. More power to them all, I say. But I am interested to know which places in Brisbane have a bad reputation now — and whether that perception is really justified.
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ICE-CREAM DREAMS
Over on Facebook, my friend Greg notes that Aldi stores are stocking what he calls “THE ice cream of the 70s” — Jelly Tips. Greg adds that these treats only “come in twice, maybe three times a year”. After a little googling, I discovered that the original Jelly Tips are made by the Tip Top company in New Zealand, but I certainly remember them from my childhood in Brisbane. Confusingly, the Bulla company makes a similar product called Jelly Top. Further research shows that the product sold at Aldi may actually be called a Jelly Pop. And then I discovered that there were two ice-creams called Jelly Pop (or the like-sounding Jelli Pop), one made by the Milfina and the other by the Natural Confectionary Company. Adding even further to the confusion, there are also Jelly Pop lollipops.
This got me thinking about imitation products and things that are similar but not the same. In the latter category come Violet Crumbles and Crunchies, which are both chocolate-coated honeycomb bars. In certain circles, you could start a fight by claiming one is superior to the other.
After last week’s item about fruit, I’ve also been thinking about other seasonal products that turn up in time for Christmas or some other significant occasion. The classic example used to be hot cross buns that emerged just before Easter but, to the annoyance of some people, are now available year-round. I suppose fruit cakes are available in some form all the time, but Christmas cakes and puddings are a November-December thing. For now.
SOMEPLACE ELSE
There’s been quite a kerfuffle about the latest series of The Crown. Among the many criticisms of the series is that another city entirely stood in for Brisbane. The scene from a rooftop (above) was particularly perplexing. Fair enough that the budget didn’t extend to coming to Queensland, but they could’ve made a bit more of an effort to represent the River City using green screen or other technology. Of course, it’s fiction and a little licence is allowed — and they’d hardly be the first to get it wrong when depicting Brisbane. I remember the short-lived 1995 Australian drama Fire that was set and filmed here, but some of the routes the appliances made to get from one part of the city to another were impossible in real life.
STREAM SCENE
How many streaming services does one need? Well, given the shocking state of free-to-air television over the summer (and, to be fair, most of the year) the answer may be “as many as possible”. So, last week, I stumped up $89 for a year’s subscription to Britbox, which has recently arrived in Australia with such offerings as Doctor Who (above), Sherlock Holmes, Spitting Image, The Young Ones, Rick Stein’s Long Weekends, Death In Paradise and other modern and classic BBC and ITV programs. That’s in addition to Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime. Of course I also access all of the free-to-air networks’ streaming services, for things I’ve missed or the occasional internet-only gem. I’ve yet to succumb to Binge and Stan, but I really think there is a plot to drive me towards them.
The thing is that I am now paying for things that I once got for “free” — or seemingly so, if you don’t count the tax I pay to support the national broadcaster and the products I buy because of the advertising. I don’t mind the direct-subscription model at all. I’m willing pay as long as I can get the content I want when I want it. But I know that a lot of people still pirate films and TV shows for several reasons, including that not everything is available. Sadly, for complex legal reasons a lot of content from the past won’t be available until it goes into the public domain.
P.S. I experienced a glitch with the Britbox app, where it took forever to load the menu, then told me (erroneously) that the service was not available in my country.
JUST THE TICKET
I found this in my suit pocket. I have followed the instruction to this point, but I can’t remember what it’s all about.
MEANWHILE
Shrek the Musical is coming to Brisbane from January 9 to February 7 under a special arrangement between the state government , QPAC and the producers. Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch says the show will bring in valuable arts-tourism dollars, and I certainly hope that’s the case. Details are, or soon will be, here.
Mister Brisbane’s good friend Natalie Bochenski and her good friend Amy Currie star in Love/Hate Actually at the Elements Collective in McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley on December 11. The show, which the duo have taken to the Edinburgh Fringe, is about why Love Actually is the best, or perhaps the worst, festive film ever. Details here.
The Spirit of Christmas concerts come but once a year. For a while, it looked like 2020 might be the exception. The good news is that the Covid threat has receded and this year’s gigs on December 18 and 19 will star Amy Lehpamer, Josh Piterman, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dane Lam, and the QPAC Chamber Choir, with a First Nations blessing and song from Aunty Ruth Ghee. Details here.
Channel Nine’s Christmas Live in Brisbane event will be screened on Saturday, December 5 from 7pm. Hosted by Melissa Downes, it will feature performers from the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols, including Dami Im, Ellen Reed and the group Sunflower. There’ll also be segments hosted by Triple M’s Margaux Parker, Charli Robinson, Michael Balk and Aislin Kriukelis.
ABC TV weather presenter Jenny Woodward is telling her own story on stage at the Brisbane Powerhouse in April. The show, Weathering Well, is said to comb hasine “comedy, live music, video projections and a killer script”. It been written by Woodward with Karen Berkman and Bridget Boyle, and will be directed by Boyle. Details here.
Lorelei, The Marriage of Figaro and Aida. That’s the line-up for Opera Queensland’s 2021 subscription season. The company will also be presenting studio productions of The Frog Prince and La bohème, plus a series of recitals starring a great line-up of singers and musicians. Details here.
FEEDBACK
Seems I’m not alone in lamenting the quality of seasonal fruit. Cathy writes: “No, you’re not mistaken about the disappointment that is modern stone fruit. I grew up on a stone fruit orchard in Stanthorpe, and sadly, the varieties of peaches, plums, apricots etc that we produced, and that were so gloriously succulent and juicy, no longer exist. In their place are the hybridised, plastic, last-for-ages-on-the-shelves substitutes that I don’t waste my money on. The peaches are the worst of all. Very pretty to look at, not worth eating. I mourn the Hale Haven, Wiggins and Blackburn that I never got tired of eating. And don’t get me started on the demise of the beautiful large, round, truly delicious Delicious apples. Replaced with the vile, pointy-ended rubbish that came from the southern states, that are anything but delicious. Sigh...”