Start with ‘ fun’ and see where our art takes us

WE are passionate. No no, I don’t mean Saturday night at Kissing Point, I mean passionate about our city, and certainly about its future.

So as all the headlines and secret discussions in taxis and barber shops are about politics, there are other much more important things to discuss …. Like Fun. More so, the fun ideas to make us a “Metropadise”, yes a new word found in the Giru Precise Dictionary, meaning a huge liveable paradise!

A couple of beauties for our Strand, first by the award- winning Paul Victory ( The Richard Power Best Individual Award in tourism) with the Underwater Art, well, Underwater sometimes Art, otherwise we wouldn’t see it eh. I love it, the idea is, when the tide’s out, so is the art, sorta like the mangroves of Rowes Bay, and the mozzies of the Town Common. Which brings me to the question, what should we have as the subject of these artworks.

I guess we could have a giant mozzie or crocodile, but we already have both down there, and alive. Not statues of Cook or Towns, plenty of those, and Bobby Towns never liked the place, and Jimmy called us the most barren he’d seen. Obviously, they were on Level Four water restrictions then, too.

What about depicting the arrival of the survivors from the Peruvian, coming ashore as they did on the other side of Cape Cleveland, Jimmy Morrill and others, amazing story. What’s perfect is the relationship Morrill had with our local First Australians, living 17 years with them. I don’t think we have enough for Morrill and Mabo, but maybe that’s just me.

We have extraordinary stories along our coast and this is a chance to show them to the world. One character suggested to me a Russian sub, but I think he was calling from Cairns. While talking of great ideas, here’s another from a wonderful lady who suggested a Strand Christmas Light Ephemera!

This is sorta how it works, I’m sure she’ll call if I have it wrong, but schools, businesses, or even individuals sponsor one of our Strand trees, and its their tree to decorate with Christmas lights.

We have a prize to the Santa Castle in Lapland or the Santanthill at Saunders Beach, wherever, I love it. Now this could be up there with the Harbin Ice Castles in China, the New York Macy’s Parade, the Toronto Santa parade, even the Barra on the bar at the Giru Pub, it could really be huge.

I’ve been suggesting in your little column of calamity here, about lights in The Strand trees and Gregory St, for years, this is our chance.

All ideas should be listened to, I reckon, no matter how silly they may be, as just maybe, there is a spark, and one day our kids kids kids kids, walk along The Strand and enjoy the magical lights at Christmas, and perhaps wonder who on Earth thought of this.

Happy Days.