This is for you Col
Travel and Taxis
I flew to Sydney for the day yesterday for two business meetings. This is the first travel since breaking my foot on Nov 24th last year. As things turned out the Virgin Blue jet down to Sydney used the parking bay farthest out - meaning I had the longest walk possible to get to the taxi rank. It did my foot good.
The business meetings went quite well - at the Hilton and then in Alexandria. However, I didn’t get to:
- Pick up Dad’s ashes from Northern Suburbs Crematorium;
- Get out to Bayview to see the house or meet the estate agent;
- See any family members.
I suspect we’ll be down in Sydney next week as well so hopefully will get a chance to do these things in the coming week.
And why oh why in this day and age, do most taxi companies continue to do entire fleet driver changeovers at 3:00pm? I remember this happening in my youth but that’s 35 years ago? It’s nigh on impossible to get a taxi from 2:30pm to 3:15pm anywhere in Sydney.
Moving On
The family home in Bayview has been up for sale now for a week or so, and is planned to be sold by auction in the 1st week of June. This is a big change for us. As a family our connections to the northern beaches extend back to the 1920’s when our great grandfather, Oswald Kennedy, had ‘weekenders’ at North Narrabeen, and later retired there in 1934.
Now John Jr is the remaining Sheehan living in the northern beaches, the rest of us have moved to other suburbs of Sydney and some to other States.
As I said to some friends of Dad’s a few weeks ago, I have a sense that an era filled with exciting and vibrant people is drawing to a close. Not only is it the people who made the times and places exciting and vibrant, its how and where we lived as well.
Playing in the fields at Collaroy that became the Darby and Joan Retirement Village. Riding grass sleds down the north eastern slopes of Long Reef, exploring Burnt Bridge Creek in North Balgowlah and Manly Vale - and swimming in the water fall it once had. The blinking light at French’s Forest, tracing the aboriginal drawings with chalk that are on the western side of Wakehurst Parkway; hunting for the crocodile that was supposed to live in Manly Dam. Surfing at Mid-Steyne without a board licence and getting caught. Sailing on Middle Harbour with Sunday picnics at Castle Rock, Chinamans, Forty Baskets, Store and Quarantine Beaches. On Saturday evenings, waiting at MHYC for our parents. Cracker night and hunting for unexploded crackers and sky rockets the next morning. Walking to school. Moving from Balgowlah to Newport, and then to Bayview.
Speaking of living in other States at the moment Fiona and I are toying with the idea of moving to north western Tasmania some time next year after Fi has fully recovered from her scheduled spine operation.
Yes, we are all moving on. Bayview, Newport, Balgowlah, Narrabeen - these are now only places where we used to live, go to school and play. Our connection with them is now and forever only in our memories.