Ghosts help put city on tourist map
REFERENCE to Toowoomba being recognised as the paranormal capital of Australia (Kev McKay’s letter) is appreciated and the topic is something undervalued when putting our city on the tourism map.
Toowoomba has already received a visiting television crew from Japan which conducted interviews and the video was screened nationally in their country.
I acknowledge that some people do not want to know about paranormal experiences and whenever I visit a school, children ask if I believe in ghosts. My answer is: “I don’t disbelieve. There are many happenings which can’t be explained through normal channels.”
I wrote the best-selling book Ghostly Tales of Toowoomba, in response to a request from a high school English teacher in Toowoomba.
She wanted something to take students’ minds off their phones and computer games.
When Emeritus Professor Peter Swannell launched the first print-run of 1000 copies of the book at Harristown State High School in 2004 they sold out in seven days. The book, which includes local history, has just been reprinted for the eighth time.
A member of the City Library staff recently rang to ask if I could do a second book on ghosts? When I declined she asked if I could write a book about vampires in Toowoomba. “Ghosts and vampires are the sort of books young people want,” she said.
Are there any younger writers out there interested?
DON TALBOT, Toowoomba
DUG OUT TRUTH
A GENTLEMAN who lives in Rangeville has decorated his light truck with signs detailing his poor customer experience and his opinion of a certain big bank. He must have thoroughly enjoyed the progress of the Banking Royal Commission, now concluded.
Rowena Orr QC, counsel assisting the commission, forensically skewered every witness facing her and dug out the truth about the way these banking organisations behaved.
Her performance was the best reality television one could hope to see, as she reduced bank executives to grovel their way into accepting the truth about how they treated customers, or more correctly victims.
Ms Orr is no doubt destined to sit on the bench of the High Court, in years to come. But we will remember for a long time that her just concluded performance far excelled anything “Judge Judy” could portray on television.
PETER KNOBEL, Toowoomba
NATIONAL DEBT
SO THE Prime Minister visited Queensland and promised to put Australia in debt.
The interest on our national debt is some where in the order of $2,000,000,000.
Both major parties have promised to reduce the debt, but have continued to increase it.
The parties need to advertise a set plan for reducing this debt because it’s heading to bankruptcy steadily. JEFF JOHNSON, Toowoomba