Is Jim Rogers of Byron Bay taking the Mick? “A few years ago, I emerged from the surf at Wategos Beach to find two young ladies in swimmers patting my border collie on the back of my old ute parked outside Raes on Wategos. A dishevelled gentleman dressed all in black, sitting on the rock wall smoking nearby who appeared to know them, then asked me a few monosyllabic questions about the dog, my surfboard and the weather. He then gave me a thumbs-up, muttered, ‘Lunch,’ and they wandered off towards the building. I had no idea who it was until a number of people rushed over and said I’d been talking to Keef (C8).”
“Is ‘Death’ the nickname of National Geographic’s (C8) Gary Knell?” wonders David Gordon of Cranebrook. “Especially since NG is about to cark it.”
Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook isn’t one for secret societies: “In all my years contributing to both C8 and Letters, I have only met three fellow correspondents, two being former Westpac colleagues: Max Carrick and Ray Witherby. The other is Chris Lockley, a retired man of the cloth. Many a handshake (C8) was shared in the past and there was nothing secretive about it. And when it comes to Granny, I confess handshakes have been exchanged with three custodians of this column. Who, you may well ask? Sorry, I am sworn to secrecy!”
“When my father underwent acuity testing (C8) during Malcolm Turnbull’s tenure as PM, he used our long-standing nickname that recalled a number of Alan Moir cartoon characterisations from this very journal,” says Greg Oehm of Western Creek (Tas). “Apparently, ‘Napoleon’ is not the correct answer.”
Vicky Marquis of Glebe can relate: “When my mother was in her 90s, she was given an acuity test and was asked who is the prime minister. Her response was: ‘who cares?’”
Time is money, reckons Judy Jones of Thornleigh: “I feel it is very misguided to accuse the people who can afford to ‘wear a house on their wrist’ (C8) and suggest they should be on a guilt trip when there are people struggling to make ends meet. Many well-to-do people are self-made. They started with nothing and, through risk, skill and recognition of opportunity, have done well. Many of them are also benefactors to charity and do their share for the community. What they do with the rest is their business.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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