Hi Andrew.
Steve's post was accurate and suitably intellectual in his typical laconic style.
The lunch wasn't our first catch up, and we have found sharing memories and life experiences very easy and enjoyable.
On my walk home to Waterloo, I noticed the Anderson Stuart building was open, so felt compelled to explore its depths for the first time in fifty years. It is as stark and forbidding as ever. When walking past the Vesalian dissection room, I'm sure my hands began reeking of formalin - and I had memories of Philomena McGrath thundering about "respect for the dead". It was vaguely like walking through a Harry Potter movie - the notable change being that the portraits of stern looking Professors adorning the walls, looking menacingly down, now include OUR professors. Blunt, Cleland, Young, M G Taylor and many others.
Then the walk to Redfern station, past the Chemistry school (unchanged), the Carslaw building - still there, but dwarfed and surrounded by new, bigger buildings. Symbolic of much of Sydney. And a new bridge over City Rd to a revamped Wentworth. Similar, but not similar, at the same time...
I am now a South Sydney resident. We live in Pitt St, opposite Waterloo Park. Andy’s old ‘hood! The whole district has changed so much. I used to walk through Erko from the train station on my way to Bosch. Unrecognisable now from how it used to be!
Already looking
forward to our next lunch!
I hope you are well,
and continuing to enjoy life!
Cheers, Jeff
