A Trip Down Memory Lane

[Richie]

the book thief

I'd like to watch that. See if I can find it online.

 

[grazorblade]

I'd like to watch that. See if I can find it online.

probably the most accurate I've seen of what it was like (compare to that awful movie jo jo rabbit)

 

[Richie]

Graz, or Grazor, do impart more of your growing years. The early posts offer plenty of substance for a response.

 

[grazorblade]

While almost all of you were having a normal childhood of playing with mates after school or on the weekend then going home to the family, I was stuck in a strict boarding school from age 7 to 16. It was only when school holidays came and I finally went home that I was given the opportunity of catching up on the childhood I was being deprived of.

In England I heard of so many giving real mixed memories of boarding school saying it was a terrible idea with the silver lining you trauma bond!
Some had corporal punishment carried out by prefects rather than teachers! Like a harry potter movie!

 

[Richie]

with the silver lining you trauma bond

Please explain.

I found, firstly no longer having a father then no mother when she took me to the school and left me at just 7yrs, traumatizing. I think I cried for a week.

 

[LFC]

One thing that struck me was just how tight nit the family is compared to mainstream australia. In the usa families get split over politics and religion but the family always stuck together no matter what. I think that is pretty typical of most cultures though, with aussies americand and brits being the outliers?

I do understand your take on this - putting aside the English went through massive bombings back in WW11 - the Blitz you'd think that would have enriched the tight nit fam perspective whereas rest of europe many stick by each other through thick and thin due to those tough war periods and depressions.
I hear you, whereas USA only war wise suffered the indiginity of Pearl - mainland has never suffered an invasion such as the wars but their own internal hardships like North vs South for eg.
Us Aussies well - barring the Jap sub/s entering Syd harbour, Nth Q Japs comign down from New Guinea,Darwin something I can't recall we've been farfar away and the anglo background chalk and cheese to euro tightness.
Sorry rambling on not on topic.

 

[Richie]

Some had corporal punishment carried out by prefects

The Masons carried out the corporal punishment at my school, caning on hands, back of legs even the bum with only underpants for protection, depending on the perceived severity of the offense. The punishment I hated the most was missing the monthly movie nite and not only what was showing but no chance to see my older brother who had moved to the senior college.

 

[grazorblade]

mentioning british bulldog, playing forcings back - only time I learnt using to kick a eggball.
Used luv getting that spiralling ball fly making up lots of ground.

Good ol pushy's, too right rode everywhere miles away without a worry.
Imagine Mums today how they react where's Johnny gone for like 4/5/6hrs.
Dragsters when they first came out.

used to play mugby at scouts

what you do is kick the ball in the air and the person who catches it has to run as long as they can without getting tackled. If they get tackled it is a pile on

wasn't very fun in hindsight

 

[grazorblade]

By the way
There was no night clubbing back in the day.
That was a new phenomenon to us ol blokes as D using that expression.
Pubs pubs and pubs but with Live bands every weekend wherever you went.
The icon Aussie bands of the 70/80’s epic nights !
Rocking times !

Aussie music went through a golden age that seemed to come crashing to a halt. Barely anything produced by australia the last 20 years by comparison

apparently back then there was a law that 25% of radio songs had to be aussie. Radio stations these days are lazy and don't give aussies a fair go and just play the uk/american stuff

Tripple J's net 50 was great for finding new stuff

 

[grazorblade]

Please explain.

I found, firstly no longer having a father then no mother when she took me to the school and left me at just 7yrs, traumatizing. I think I cried for a week.

well a lot of people I met who went through boarding school were on the one hand traumatised, but on the other hand made the best friends of their life going through the trauma of boarding school together!

 

[LFC]

Guys were the 70s the worst for male fashion. Or what. I called it the tasteless decade.
View attachment 2299View attachment 2300View attachment 2301View attachment 2303

YUK!!!

lol christ the Osmond bros, omg, just as bad as those Bay City Rollers yuk as well.
Yes the general fashion was woeful but the above was the models and artists types, 70's I recall was flanno shirts < damn yuk and hot, you recall lumber jackets ?
Thankfully being a surfer we got into the first days of Ocean and Earth - started down in Ulladulla from memory, then Quicksilver - Billibong - Rip Curl ! All before they sold themsleves out to US companies.

 

[Richie]

what you do is kick the ball in the air and the person who catches it has to run as long as they can without getting tackled. If they get tackled it is a pile on

We played that at the school. I hated being at the bottom of the pile.

 

[grazorblade]

We played that at the school. I hated being at the bottom of the pile.

yeah kinda seemed an excuse to bully the smallest kid

 

[Richie]

Quicksilver - Billibong - Rip Curl

Hearing Quicksilver and Rip Curl will soon be back in Aussie hands LFC. I was more a Surfie than a Rocker and we Surfies carved a small balsa wood surfboard to tie round our necks.

Who had a crystal set? Listened to my first St George Dragons matches on one plus the hit songs of the day.

 

[Richie]

yeah kinda seemed an excuse to bully the smallest kid

Yeah I was a shrimp but fairly strong for my size and managed to partly shift the kid lying on me and then find a way to stand. I was bullied for being small and a so called 'mummies boy' until one day I challenged the ring leader to fisticuffs with gloves. I whipped him as my brother had shown me how to box and I was never bullied after that.

 

[LFC]

Aussie music went through a golden age that seemed to come crashing to a halt. Barely anything produced by australia the last 20 years by comparison

apparently back then there was a law that 25% of radio songs had to be aussie. Radio stations these days are lazy and don't give aussies a fair go and just play the uk/american stuff

Tripple J's net 50 was great for finding new stuff

Mate- our wonderful red tape/OH&S,noise laws you name it ruined Live venues.
Sad as mind you we are frequenting smaller boutique ones the last few years enjoying it like mad.
Did you know good ol Countdown would never allow/play Midnight Oil ?!
Commercial stations wouldn't play it until they got forced due to hits coming through thanks to yer origianlly DoubleJ and the massive wave of packe dout venues.
Richie talking memory lane being northside and the beachs.
We used to surf and then hit the narrabeen antler pub for a luunch feed that at times went the rest of the day.
Who comes on stage their pioneering days weekend to weekend, Oils, Angels, Clapton, INXS - Mentals to name a few and at varied venues actually up and down the beachs there.
Graz your right it was a friggin golden age, damn I saw Skyhooks for the first time in a pub on George St nearly opposite where the theatres were.
Scared the life out of me seeing Rose Tattoo near Richie's area Bondi Lifesaver, why scared, it was full of bikeys !
There I am a skinny looking fair haired surfie kid maybe 17/18.
There you go another memory lane, the strip clubs at Kings Cross !
Talking bikeys they lined up parked down the main drag, you see that doco of the Saffrons/Ibrahims < Last King of the Cross on netflix.
There we are stupid young idiots none the wiser and so much crime around those back streets you wouldn't venture.

 

[LFC]

Hearing Quicksilver and Rip Curl will soon be back in Aussie hands LFC. I was more a Surfie than a Rocker and remember carving a small balsa wood surfboard to tie round my neck.

Who had a crystal set? Listened to my first St George Dragons matches on one plus the hit songs of the day.

yes I had noticed somewhere a while ago reading the brands are suffering a bit nowadays.
Good hope they get back into our hands, don't blame the fellas selling out made a motza but like everything money talks.
Nah never had a crystal set, you must have enjoyed the dragons ride back in those days.
I even recall some key players.
My grandparents I mentioned were in Blakehurst, I recall they jumped on the drgaons wagon, even used to go to the leagues club in those heydays for my Nonna luved the pokeys and had some very luck at times haha
Hey your the cricket junkie, Kerry OKeefe - my Uncle/Zio as we call them knows him.

Good thread Richie, hope some others chime in.

 

[Richie]

well a lot of people I met who went through boarding school were on the one hand traumatised, but on the other hand made the best friends of their life going through the trauma of boarding school together!

I did attend a 20 yr reunion but nothing came of that as two decades is a long time between drinks. Besides, I did have trouble making friends back then. A failing that today I regret.

 

[Richie]

Nah never had a crystal set, you must have enjoyed the dragons ride back in those days.
I even recall some key players.
My grandparents I mentioned were in Blakehurst, I recall they jumped on the drgaons wagon, even used to go to the leagues club in those heydays for my Nonna luved the pokeys and had some very luck at times haha

Oh yes one of the things that kept me sane. Made a thick scrap book as unable to attend games unless only rarely during school hols. Took my s/b to Norm Provan electrical shop in Kogarah for autographs and the big man obliged, returning it a week later chocka with all the Dragons signatures. Never forgot big Sticks for that gesture. Also met and interviewed the great Johnny Raper and Billy Smith some years later when I worked as a journo. Changa Langlands too later on.
Your grandparents had style then LFC.

 

[Richie]

Good thread Richie, hope some others chime in.

Glad you are enjoying it mate. One or two have already chimed in.