We love showing off our city

Our favourite English visitors were in town last week. They're favourite because they loved everything we showed them, did what they were told, and ate everything that was put in front of them.

We showed them The Opera House, with its Sydney Symphony Orchestra and its best view in Australia. We showed them the Westleigh mountain men's mountain bike circuit, and the Westleigh wildlife (cockatoos, lorikeets, and leeches by the dozen). Then we showed them Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and its wildlife (several semi-wild kangaroos, and the odd crab in the mangroves).

We showed them the Parramatta rivercat and they showed themselves Bondi Beach, Watsons Bay, and the bus system. We scouted out the Spit to Manly walk, but rain drove us back to Balmoral Beach and its Boathouse restaurant. We explored North Head and the Quarantine Station, and we met up with our mutual schoolfriend from way back when, Collaroy John.

Then there was the day in the Blue Mountains. We showed them the Charles Darwin walk - a few years ago they'd shown us Darwin's grandfather's garden in Lichfield, England - and Wentworth Falls. On then to Katoomba and Echo Point, and then the once scary rides on the Scenic Railway and the glass-bottomed cable car (the glass is too scratched and opaque now to scare anyone).

One other cultural highlight was the Hornsby RSL. The reaction was priceless when we led them into the shiny pokie palace and its rather swish new tapas bar for rather fine dining. They had somehow assumed that RSL clubs were dingy sheds with broken glass all around.

We had a great time in fact. It's good to have an excuse like this to do a big hometown sightseeing stint now and again.

N

I've known these blokes for nearly 50 years!

And I'm very privileged.

Hairy, John and I got together on Manly beach the other day, for an 'almost-50th' reunion. We were all in class 2R in 1963/64 at Redditch County High School.

What a school! What classy alumni!

N

Reunion 2 - High school high jinks

OK, not so much the high jinks, more a very pleasant evening with some terrific old friends that I'd known for nearly 50 years - old buddies from Redditch County High School (as it was called when it was a real school), and their partners.

We met at that most faithful of old faithful country pubs, the Coach and Horses at Weatheroak Hill, and wined and dined through a very agreeable evening, trading stories from way back when.

Just before leaving we got to chat with the pub's proprietor of 43 years, who calls in for a drink every night. He was delighted to meet some of his most loyal customers, two of whom had crossed the world to meet again in his pub. Photos were taken and stories traded of 43 years ago, when some of his (possibly) under age customers first met there. "We won't talk about that" he said, with the wisdom of an experienced publican.

Hairy, JJ, Doctor Dave, Thea, and Jane, we thank you for a lovely evening.

N                                                                                                                                 (Photo credit : Thea)

Reunion 1: London calling

It's nearly 40 years since I last saw some of these people. They were some of my very best mates for three years at London Uni. These days they are successful practising or retired accountants, transport economists, psychological therapists, software educators, chief financial officers - and me.

See if you can match the current versions with the 40 years ago ones! Some are present in both photos.

The 40 year reunion experience goes like this. 1.You contact someone who knows one or two others, to let it be known you'll be in town. 2.There's a flurry of emails while people juggle their calendars and finally arrive at a mutually acceptable date.

3.Someone knowledgeable sets a time and place (in this case the cocktail bar of the Charing Cross Hotel). 4.EVERYONE TURNS UP ON TIME. 5.Unfortunately, half the group turns up in one part of the bar, the other half in the other, and it's a while before they twig.

6.When you first set eyes on the old friend, there's a moment of shock at the unexpected ancientness of the old bugger. 7.A minute or two later the image has transmogrified back into that of the same old young man you knew all that time ago, and the difference has vanished.

8.You're happily discussing the events of 40 years ago, and the years since, pretty well as naturally and comfortably as you did with these fine people all that time ago. 9. You're having to say your good byes because of other urgent commitments, and making sincere promises to do it again much more often.

I think we'd really better do that. It was great to see them all!

N                                     (Photo credits to Phil & to Charing Cross Hotel bar staff, & an unknown photographer from way back)