MULLET A STAYER
Watching footy on TV
Just feed me more VB
Just pour my beer
And get my smokes
And go away”
AS you can tell by the Bloke lyrics, Mr Franklin is a bloke with a deep, community conscience. On April 7 this year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic and in order to get people to heed the Government’s warnings about social distancing, he released the aptly titled, Stay the (f-bomb deleted) at Home. Suffice to say it would be prudent not to play this song to your dear old granny. Here’s a sample of a few lines that might t make it past the censor: “But I feel fine, I don’t feel sick k
I’ll go out on my own
How thick are you? You selfish (crude word deleted),
Please just stay the (f-bomb deleted) at home.”
Pure poetry, it isn’t. But, the target demographic got the message.
Milestone man
HAND CLAP, please. Townsville Picnic Bay Surf Lifesaving Club’s George Clarke – the beachside announcer with the golden microphone – has just been recognised for giving 50 years of sterling service to the club. The pandemic means ns that George ( pictured) won’t t be able to take to the microphone e at the club’s annual awards night this year. AU AUSTRALIA’S oldest, The club’s night t co continuously operating of nights has Majestic M in Malanda picture survived theatre the Mi due been to cancelled the Gr Great Depression, pandemic. George ge was awarded his ca category five cyclones bronze medallion back in 1969. Onya su such as Larry and Yasi George. No doubt ‘Clarkie’ and a few an and WWII. There were of the lads from Picnic Bay will find a 100,000 American and Australian way to have a suitable celebration to troops based near Malanda during mark the milestone.
WWII. Most of them took in an old
Well W we did in Queensland, Qu but not so much mu in Victoria.
Show Sh goes on
black and white film such as Double Indemnity and Gaslight at the Majestic while they were there.
But, the theatre has not survived coronavirus. The Majestic closed in March this year for the first time since its construction in 1929.
Owner Bernie Rayner said there are older cinemas in Australia, but they have either closed or have been redeveloped. The Majestic with its timber exterior, tin roof and canvas seats is still as it was in 1929. It will reopen on July 16.
GARY at the Warrina Cinema tells me he will be opening on July 16. Reading Cinemas, which reopened on June 13, were first cab off the rank in Townsville. Annette from Readings tells me that under social distancing rules viewers are seated in a ‘bubble’ with three seats vacant each side and front and back. Friends who book under the one name can sit together. Annette said that with only 20 people allowed into one cinema at a time, people are doing bulk bookings. New releases are being withheld worldwide until middish July.
Bush tales lot of fun
MANY northerners will remember the dulcet tones and droll humour of former Cairns-based ABC radio rural roundsman and nature’s gentleman, David Howard. He has just published a book titled Back
Country Rivers. It’s filled with stories gleaned from his travels into the inland and just to prove he’s a dab hand at just about anything he turns his hand to, he’s included a collection of bush verse. It’s a great read for those who enjoy stories about the bush. It costs $19.99 plus postage and is available at www.jabirupublishing.com.auletting.
Cancel culture
HOW are you coping with this new age of cancel culture? My guess is that it has hit you with the force of a 10kg bunya bunya on the noggin. I don’t know about you, but I was letting most of it fly by – trying to pretend it wasn’t happening - until Nestle announced it was changing the t name of its Allen’s brands, Redskins and Chicos. That got everyone’s attention. It’s all because Redskins, one of the best lollies ever invented, could be offensive to native American Indians. Chicos, the best lolly in the sweet machine in the Bulletin’s newsroom, will also be renamed. The word, ‘chico’ is c considered offensive to America’s Latino people. Eskimo Pie ice cream, another favourite, is also being re rebadged because the Inuit people co could be offended.
AND let’s not get started on Google removing the egg from its salad emoji just because vegans might be offended. As Leslie Bricusse once wrote, “stop the world, I want to get off”.
OUTSIDE Cairns Courthouse yesterday, Margaret Clark’s daughter, Colleen Clark, said her mother was a special woman.
“We all loved her. Wherever she went, she always made new friends,” Colleen said. “She was really outgoing, cracking jokes and coming up with some wild ideas.”
Colleen, who was supported by her daughter, Stacey Crinok, said that while she wanted to see the outcome of the inquest, the tragic incident was still difficult to come to terms with.
Nicole Nyholt’s father, Hans Nyholt, previously told a court: “Every day is a struggle to get out of bed.”
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t miss that beautiful smile and her quick wit. Our hearts go out to anyone who has lost a son or daughter. You cannot describe the hole it leaves in your life,” he said.
In mid-2019, Mr Scutt tragically died before the inquest was set to start. Following police investigations after the crash, he was charged with criminal offences; however, in 2018 a mental health hearing ruled he was mentally unfit to stand trial.
Kenneth Connolly, who was also listed to give evidence in the inquest, also died in 2019.
During the inquest, issues explored included whether a duty should be imposed on a medical practitioner to notify the transport department of medical issues that could impact driving.