My installation at the Sydney Road Street Party

Inspired by the Yoko Ono wall of wishes and comments (visited by me and Rosario in Sydney in December), I thought the Greens stall at this year’s Sydney Road Street Party should have one also. Despite scepticism from a number of quarters, that the set up was “jerry built” (well, it was mounted on a paint spattered vintage ladder which had originally come from ETSA) and “hippy”, it became a talking point. Tim even tweeted a photo of him and Greg attaching their contributions to “What do you want for Victoria’s future?”

Men’s Hairdresser Ghost Sign

I love this sign in one of the old shops along Sydney Road in Coburg. Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk to one of the owners of the neighbouring shop, Al Nada Sweets. She told me that the Men’s Middle Eastern Hairdressing Salon had opened in 1978, run by a gentleman from Tripoli, who passed away just recently. He had run the shop for about seven or eight years. The shop was in the front but he had lived out the back.

The Number 96 from East Brunswick to Costa da Caparica

Yesterday I farewelled my Portuguese friend. She had come out to visit me, braving a 35 hour journey from Lisbon via Paris and Guangzhou to Sydney, then Melbourne. Intrepid Portuguese traveller, in the spirit of her forebears who explored the known and unknown worlds.

From the thoughts of Bobby Gatto of Brunswick

“I find it annoying that the female staff member spends so much time in front of the small screen instead of attending to me. Whenever I attempt to press the buttons in admiring emulation of her (well, really only to capture her attention), she gets very agitated and pushes me off the table. OFF the table! How dare she! Therefore, I take every opportunity to sit ON the table. She also gets annoyed when I sit on the lovely white, warm, smooth paper that she spreads out and makes strange markings on. She is slowly learning that I will stay away from her for a while if she gives me a handful of crunchies in my bowl.

Textile industry ghost signs

 

Here are a few signs from buildings that are standing empty in Brunswick. This old factory on Albion Street just past the corner of Holmes Street must have been a hive of activity once. I wonder why it was called Yorkshire Textile Mills. I would love to be able to see inside it now.

Not ghost signs but living, shouting signs

Many of you know of my interest in ghost signs. Even more of you know of my passion for the environment and a sustainable future.

So I thought I would post some pictures that I took at the Climate Action Rally in the Treasury Gardens in Melbourne this morning. It was not only a demonstration of public concern and anger, it was a festival of protest, a carnival of expression. The abundance of home-made signs and banners was a delight to behold. They really are signs that shout....

An evening at the Prom

It was a perfect day in Melbourne. Not everyone was at the races. Thousands of people converged at Tidal River on Wilsons Promontory, to take part in the Hands Off Parks action. I travelled down on the bus organised by the VNPA, and immediately found people I knew. We arrived in time for a picnic lunch on the beach at Norman Bay and then we all went for various walks.