the ’sham

Vanessa and I have been chuckling about the idea of a ’sham time capsule for a while now. So why not do it?

Thus we hereby invite anyone to contribute in the following ways:

• suggestions for stuff to put into the capsule
• ideas of how to make the capsule
• where we should bury the capsule
• how long it should be buried for
• etc

We’re pretty keen on the idea that the capsule should be buried somewhere, under the real earth, in Petersham. We shall use picks and shovels and work up a sweat.

Fun, huh?!

Tully and I spotted this poster on the street. Then today, this came thru from the bowlo:

Dear Friends, Neighbours and Members,

A quick reminder that the Petersham Bowling and Community Club is hosting an open forum for the public and members this Sunday 23rd July from 2pm. (meeting to start at 2:30pm)

The Board has called this meeting to allow all local residents to inform themselves about the current circumstances of the Club and the various strategies being investigated to sustain us (the Club) into the future.

Current strategies under review include:

* Amalgamation with another bowling club.
* Leasing of the lower green for development of a childcare centre, and subsequent upgrading of the upper green and clubhouse.
* Possible affiliation with Marrickville Council. (Only in preliminary discussions at the moment)

All are welcome, so please forward this invitation to anyone who may have an interest in the future of our Club and our neighbourhood.

Sausage Sizzle from 2pm!

Petersham Bowling Club
77 Brighton Street Petersham NSW 2049 P: 9569 4639

On Tuesday I was trudging home from Circular Quay, sigh, and I bumped into Tully and Georgia. Tully invited me around for a glass of wine. We sat on the balcony at the front of his place, listening to the traffic thunder by on New Canterbury Road. Tully said, “I can’t believe it, I checked your blog the other day, and it’s actually finished.”

Yep, it feels odd, that’s for sure. Since “finishing” The Sham, I’ve been to Melbourne, Perth, and Kellerberrin, and now I’m back. My life has “returned to normal”.

So what’s going on now?

I’m just starting to chat with the Petersham Bowling Club about making a website for them. By the looks of their latest newsletter, optimism is on the rise. Plenty of movie nights, special dinners, and a new friday morning brunch…

Here’s the next 2 things happening at the PBC: weekly tai chi classes, and cabaret on the green.

There’s still time to book for the second tour of Parramatta Road 1976. Sat 3rd June, 11am. Book on 0423745736
Tour costs $2 and you get freebies.

For pictures of the first tour, which was a thundering success, look here.

[ps: slowlearner has put up some more great pix of the tour, here.]

[pps: you can download a PODCAST of Vanessa’s tour, here:
http://squatspace.com/petersham/documents/vanessa/vanessa_berry_parramatta_road.mp3 [about 5 mb]

Whack it on yer i-pod thingy, head down to the corner of Petersham St and Parramatta Road, press play, and away you go: your very own self-guided tour! For extra value, print out this map]…

Yes that’s right, Vanessa’s special time-travel tour takes you back to Parramatta Road 1976. You’ve heard it described in these pages, now’s your chance to come along and see it for yourself! Numbers are strictly limited, bookings essential. Only $2.00, with a free CD that’s yours to keep.

key details:
*Meet at the corner of Petersham Street and Parramatta Road.
*Dress 1976.

Thursday 1st June, 11am
-or-
Saturday 3rd June, 11am.

*Bring $2.00 for tickets.
*Digital cameras permitted, but Polaroid preferred.

Book by leaving a comment here, or phone 0423745736
–

[ps: you can download a PODCAST of Vanessa’s tour, here:
http://squatspace.com/petersham/documents/vanessa/vanessa_berry_parramatta_road.mp3 [about 5 mb]

Whack it on yer i-pod thingy, head down to the corner of Petersham St and Parramatta Road, press play, and away you go: your very own self-guided tour! For extra value, print out this map]…

This message came through from Fiona at the Big Bowl Bistro:

The Big Bowl Bistro at the Petersham Bowling Club is seeking an assistant for dinner service and functions. Duties include ordering, collecting plates, dishwashing, preparation, cleaning, moral support for cook and encouraging customers to buy dessert. Bistro operates Thursday and Friday nights and Sunday brunch with functions on most weekends. Shifts between 3 - 5 hours each and paid at $17.50 a hour. Experience not necessary but enthusiasm, initiative and proximity to the Club would be favourably considered. Call Fiona on 0434 813 926 or drop into the Club on Thursday or Friday afternoons.

(The club is at the corner of The Avenue and Brighton Street (on the northern side of the tracks)…

Come one, come all, to the North-vs-South Bowling Match this Friday night at the Petersham Bowlo!

Vanessa (a seasoned op shopper) found this pearler of a dish, which she has donated to the cause.

All are welcome to bowl, you don’t need to be from Petersham. All you have to do is align yourself to “North” or “South”, depending on which end of the compass you feel represents you best. The triumphant side will carry off the Bowler’s Ten Commandments Dish!

This event is running concurrently with the dinner and slide show on Friday night. Kick off at six. Full details over here.

Yep, this looks to be great. I’d like to invite all those former Fort Street Students who read the ’sham to come along. I want guided tours, trips down memory lane, where you got up to mischief, etc etc. Looking forward to it!

Yep, I know it’s crazy, but the ’sham is soon coming to a close. On Saturday the 27th of May, I’ll be hosting a launch at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery. And yes, you’re right, it’s not in Petersham. It’s in Camperdown. Here’s my rationale. Camperdown used to be the easternmost limit of the Municipality of Petersham. The banner image you see at the top of this page was photographed (thanks Lisa) from the pavement on Parramatta Road, at the former boundary of the ’sham, Johnston’s Creek. So the trip to Camperdown will give us all a chance to find out exactly where that line used to be drawn. A final border walk.

Here’s the lowdown. There are two options. A dinner on Friday night at the Petersham Bowlo, and an exhibition on Saturday arvo at Chrissie Cotter.

EXHIBITION
SATURDAY 27 May, from 2.30pm to 6pm
Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Pidcock Street Camperdown (off Mallett Street, and not far from Parramatta Road).
with afternoon tea, a little excursion to Johnston’s Creek, and, if we’re lucky, a ribbon-cutting by the Mayor Himself, Sam Byrne.

NB: the exhibition continues Wed May 31-Sunday June 4, 11am-4pm or by appointment. And if you plan to come Thurs or Sat morning, note I will be late to the gallery cos of the Parramatta Road tour (details here). Best give me a call if so. 0423 745 736

It’ll be your chance to get a hard copy printout of the blog to put next to your toilet…

DINNER
FRIDAY 26 May, 6pm
Petersham Bowling Club, cnr The Avenue and Brighton Street.
with delicious dinner cooked by Fiona, bowling shenanigans,
and a slide show by some amazing visiting Filipino artists who are here for the Biennale, Alfredo Juan Aquilizan &
Maria Isabel Gaudinez-Aquilizan. There’ll also be a powerpoint presentation by yours truly, which hopefully will satisfy the likes of Tully and his household.
Dinner available at the cheap Big Bowl prices. RSVP to Fiona on 0434813926

If ya wanna download a PDF flyer for all this stuff (about a megabyte), right click here and choose “save target as”…

A message from Lisa del Nord, for anyone who has been following the plans for another visit to the Oxford Tavern for Jelly Wrestling this Wednesday night…

She writes:

there will be a spot about this Sydney Ladies Artists Club/Bilateral Petersham excursion on community radio 2SER’s Overdrive program today, Monday the 8th of May around 4pm, with a special playing of interviews with the Sex Bomb jelly wrestlers from a radio documentary on the topic made by host Daz Chandler… tune on in!

For those outside Sydney, you can listen to 2ser online. To stream the radio through your internet, visit
http://www.2ser.com/radio2ser/stream