Ellen Kassel of Collaroy thinks that “front-row theatre seats (C8) can provide an intimate connection with the cast. Seeing The Miracle Worker in ’60s, I was deluged during the famous water scene. Soaked through. Maybe ponchos along with the program?”

Another coincident meeting (C8), this time from Ted Richards of Bateman’s Bay: “My wife mentioned in passing that she must call in and say ‘hello’ to a friend sometime. Then, one evening, my son borrowed our car which was promptly stolen. At about 3am we received a call from the police saying the car had been recovered and could be collected from the front yard of the house where it had been abandoned which, as it turned out, was where my wife’s friend lived. We went to collect it with the bonus that my wife was able to say ‘hello’ to her, albeit at three o’clock in the morning rather than the more convenient meeting time of three o’clock in the afternoon.”

“While perusing C8 and the letters for January 1, having my late-night cuppa and watching the possums raiding the bird feeder, it was pleasing to note that two occasional correspondents, James and Kent, both former schoolmates of mine, are still alive and, apparently, of sound mind,” observes Judy Burge of Kelso. “Also noticed that these previous residents of Katoomba have retired to mountain homes, as I have.”

“I agree with Daniel Low that parfait glasses (C8) are perfect for spiders,” declares Robyn Hansen of Pennant Hills. “My grandkids hadn’t heard of them. Fizzy lime spiders, popular in the 1960s, a ginger beer spider, even better. Called spiders because when ice cream is added, the overflow forms spidery webs over the glass.”

Now that Rob Woof (C8) has set the record straight, Jim Dewar of Davistown reckons we should curb the chat, in verse, of course.
Sure, Woof is an unusual name,
But taking the mickey’s a shame;
At school they’d have copped it,
Let’s hope teachers stopped it
And Granny should now do the same.

“For Nola Tucker (C8). The reason that sporting winners spray the champagne is so they don’t have to drink it out of their shoe,” advises John Maher of Tweed Heads.

Gerhard Engleitner of Hurstville has noticed a variation: “At the Formula 1 races in Bahrain they don’t spray champagne. They use a local non-alcoholic sparkling date juice. Which is actually quite nice.”

Column8@smh.com.au

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