| Commentary and Philosophy Non-Fiction posted February 20, 2021 | Chapters: |
...21 22 -23- 24... 
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Into Our City, Some Firsts for Louise
A chapter in the book Geoff's Ramblings
Geoff's Ramble No 2, 2021
by Sankey
| Background My "addendum" if you like, to my autobiography. It is said if we keep adding stuff to our life story it will never get finished. |
We got all ready and had a photo of us taken. On our way down to the bus in Bennett Road, we stopped to get a photo of myself with the sign I had laced on the bridge in Coonawarra Drive, letting folks know the new bus stops near that bridge was coming soon.
In our more than 30 years in St Clair, I have been successful in lobbying for various improvements. I got a new "roundabout" in a couple of places - one more than 20 years ago for a major "T" intersection that was always a problem for side street traffic getting out onto the main road. The other one I got us, is a more recent achievement. Since I no longer drive I was finding it most difficult getting across the main road to and from the bus service.
Since I have been doing more walking and prior to my new walker you see in the photo, I needed a place to rest in a local reserve. For some years there was a sandstone "Maze" of rocks at one end of this reserve. A chap in a wheelchair wanted it removed as he could not get around it. So I lost my spot for my mid-walk rest. I more recent times I also achieved the placement of a seat in the reserve. Needless to say, the graffiti gangs did not take long to "tag" the new seat. I told our local council they may as well not bother cleaning it up as the graffiti gangs would just "re-tag" it again! I wish I had room for a photo of the seat in here.
Our day out, on Thursday 11th February to the city was, for my wife, Louise a very first check out of the Queen Victoria Building. I worked in that building prior to its renovation, my very first full-time job in a music store and was always thankful it was never torn down as the Government proposed back in the '60s. Jack Mundy the leader of the Builder's Labourer's Federation was the main force behind the preservation of this dear old building.
We had staff help in guiding us around to the Light Rail from the Randwick tram we had taken from Town Hall to Chalmers Street, up from Central station to the other Light Rail to Dulwich Hill. due to the major renovations being done for the Metro Driverless trains coming to Central. I wish I had turned Strava* on as it was quite a walk for me. After that, we did the Light Rail trip to Dulwich Hill and return.
With the "bouquets" there are always "buckets."
It was just as well we did not want to alight at Dulwich Hill. As is the case with most of the stops on the Dulwich Hill Light Rail line, planning has fallen short as to levels of platforms with tram entry and there were some large gaps between the trams and the platforms. There was a bit of a panic at Dulwich Hill when the Light Rail staff thought Louise wanted to get off there, as the platform was most un-obliging. I just got off and tapped her Opal Card off and on for her fare - being the carer I did not have to pay.
Manual wheelchairs would be fine but either the Government must raise the platforms and correct gaps OR provide ramps as they do on Heavy Rail (main train services.)
On the Dulwich Hill journey, we were "invaded" by crowds of schoolboys on their way home from Sydney Grammar College. No "distancing" but most wore masks and all of them were very well behaved.
After the return from Dulwich Hill, we both agreed it was a better idea to get the much faster country train to Penrith, a few stations past ours and bus back home from there, avoiding a repeat of the necessary long walk back around to the suburban platforms.
Louise, our "intrepid" cinematographer, did most of the video due to her being able to maintain a steadiness in the recording I cannot do, holding the camera and walking.! (You can see that in the other video if you care to watch that as well.)
In our more than 30 years in St Clair, I have been successful in lobbying for various improvements. I got a new "roundabout" in a couple of places - one more than 20 years ago for a major "T" intersection that was always a problem for side street traffic getting out onto the main road. The other one I got us, is a more recent achievement. Since I no longer drive I was finding it most difficult getting across the main road to and from the bus service.
Since I have been doing more walking and prior to my new walker you see in the photo, I needed a place to rest in a local reserve. For some years there was a sandstone "Maze" of rocks at one end of this reserve. A chap in a wheelchair wanted it removed as he could not get around it. So I lost my spot for my mid-walk rest. I more recent times I also achieved the placement of a seat in the reserve. Needless to say, the graffiti gangs did not take long to "tag" the new seat. I told our local council they may as well not bother cleaning it up as the graffiti gangs would just "re-tag" it again! I wish I had room for a photo of the seat in here.
Our day out, on Thursday 11th February to the city was, for my wife, Louise a very first check out of the Queen Victoria Building. I worked in that building prior to its renovation, my very first full-time job in a music store and was always thankful it was never torn down as the Government proposed back in the '60s. Jack Mundy the leader of the Builder's Labourer's Federation was the main force behind the preservation of this dear old building.
We had staff help in guiding us around to the Light Rail from the Randwick tram we had taken from Town Hall to Chalmers Street, up from Central station to the other Light Rail to Dulwich Hill. due to the major renovations being done for the Metro Driverless trains coming to Central. I wish I had turned Strava* on as it was quite a walk for me. After that, we did the Light Rail trip to Dulwich Hill and return.
With the "bouquets" there are always "buckets."
It was just as well we did not want to alight at Dulwich Hill. As is the case with most of the stops on the Dulwich Hill Light Rail line, planning has fallen short as to levels of platforms with tram entry and there were some large gaps between the trams and the platforms. There was a bit of a panic at Dulwich Hill when the Light Rail staff thought Louise wanted to get off there, as the platform was most un-obliging. I just got off and tapped her Opal Card off and on for her fare - being the carer I did not have to pay.
Manual wheelchairs would be fine but either the Government must raise the platforms and correct gaps OR provide ramps as they do on Heavy Rail (main train services.)
On the Dulwich Hill journey, we were "invaded" by crowds of schoolboys on their way home from Sydney Grammar College. No "distancing" but most wore masks and all of them were very well behaved.
After the return from Dulwich Hill, we both agreed it was a better idea to get the much faster country train to Penrith, a few stations past ours and bus back home from there, avoiding a repeat of the necessary long walk back around to the suburban platforms.
Louise, our "intrepid" cinematographer, did most of the video due to her being able to maintain a steadiness in the recording I cannot do, holding the camera and walking.! (You can see that in the other video if you care to watch that as well.)
 Recognized |
Strava is a great app on my Smartphone I use to measure the distances of my walks.
Pictures: Top Left: Us about to leave on our day out.
Top Right: Me with the sign I placed on the bridger some weeks before, letting folks know of the new bus stop coming soon.
Second Left:The "Masked Moores" on Mt Druitt Station.
Second Right: Queen Victoria Building, York St side.
Third Left: QVB interior me walking in the distance.
Third Right: Randwick Tram in George St.
Fourth Left: Rail Staffer guide (l) me(r)
Fourth right: building scenery as we walked around to the
main Central Concourse.
Fifth left: Main Central station Concourse.
Fifth Right: heading to the Dulwich Hill Light Rail.
Some of these photos have been clipped from the video Louise made. A link to the video on my Facebook is available on request...you don't have to be friends on facebook to view stuff on my pages. See if the following link works for you.
Here's another Facebook album I did of us going out before I knew I could do the videos and stuff outside the Albums. IN this one click on each photo and video as you like. We are heading to the bus stop I hope to get replaced down the bottom of the hill real soon.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Pictures: Top Left: Us about to leave on our day out.
Top Right: Me with the sign I placed on the bridger some weeks before, letting folks know of the new bus stop coming soon.
Second Left:The "Masked Moores" on Mt Druitt Station.
Second Right: Queen Victoria Building, York St side.
Third Left: QVB interior me walking in the distance.
Third Right: Randwick Tram in George St.
Fourth Left: Rail Staffer guide (l) me(r)
Fourth right: building scenery as we walked around to the
main Central Concourse.
Fifth left: Main Central station Concourse.
Fifth Right: heading to the Dulwich Hill Light Rail.
Some of these photos have been clipped from the video Louise made. A link to the video on my Facebook is available on request...you don't have to be friends on facebook to view stuff on my pages. See if the following link works for you.
Town Visit Video-February 2021.
Here's another Facebook album I did of us going out before I knew I could do the videos and stuff outside the Albums. IN this one click on each photo and video as you like. We are heading to the bus stop I hope to get replaced down the bottom of the hill real soon.
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