Toy Train

Last night I was watching Bargain Hunt and I saw a memory from my childhood.  It was a Hornby (or maybe not) Tin Clockwork Train set.  I have searched the internet for a photo, but can't find one exactly the same.  Mine (although if the truth be told it probably belonged to my brother John) had a black steam engine, a coal tender (also black?) and a red and a green carriage with silver /grey roofs.  It might have also had a smaller guardsvan, I'm not sure.  I loved that train - to the extent that I feel extremely nostalgic every time I see one similar on television!  Wonder what happened to it?  This image is the closest I can find to what 'our' train looked like.  From memory though the cabin of our engine was higher, and the engine and tender were both black.  How I wish it was still around.

My Baby is 35!

How can that be? 35 years ago, yesterday (14th September), I spent a considerable number of hours in labour while my daughter made her appearance. She took her time about it, because I had felt the first stirrings the night before while her father, Reg, and our friend and boarder Lance, and I played one of our usual games of Canasta.  On Tuesday 14th I had an appointment with my doctor - Dr Roger Johnson, a GP, but also a gynacologist and obstetrician - who greeted me with "Are you still here?" because he'd been away on leave for nearly a month (I think) and had expected I would have long been delivered of my bundle. (As it was, I was technically 6 weeks overdue by this time.)  On examining me he decided that I had been in labour, but things had come to a halt so he was going to admit me to the Dandenong Hospital later that afternoon. (The hospital looked a little different in those days.)
Once admitted I was prepped and put to bed.  I slept for a while, and was then given a sleeping draft because nothing was happening, and I was to be induced in the morning.  But about 2 a.m. I woke because I had gone into active labour again.  When  nothing remarkable had happened by the morning Dr. Johnston still induced me and everyone was telling me I'd have my baby by lunch time.  Well, she finally made her appearance at about 8 p.m. that night!  She was late arriving, and has been known to be late ever since!
I can still remember as if it was yesterday the moment she slipped from me!  It was a wonderous moment - although it also resulted in a number of stitches.  These were apparently so finely done that the nurses had to show each other what a good job had been done by my doctor!  I felt like a specimen in the zoo.
I spent a week in hospital, as was common practice in those days, and was facing another week because I was anaemic.  The alternative was to have a daily iron injection for a week.  That was what I chose as my Mum was coming down to spend the first week at home with us.

Victor Borge

When I was a kid I remember dad playing Victor Borge records.  I loved them.  He was so clever and so funny.
Later, when I was working as a Curriculum Consultant someone somewhere played Borge's Inflationary Language as an example of Maths in everyday life!  It was brilliant.  I searched everywhere for a CD version of Borge but couldn't find one.
While we were in Merimbula last time we went into a little second-hand shop in Tura Beach and lo and behold there was a video of Victor Borge, including Inflationary Language.  I had to have it - especially at $2!  When we came home Jim transferred it to DVD for me.  It is so funny.
Here's a video of Inflationary Language.

I've added this video of Phonetic Punctuation which is equally funny.

I could keep adding lots more, because it is all funny, but these will do, even though they don't exhibit his piano playing skills.  If you want to see more check out the other videos listed in YouTube.
Can't help it - I just had to add The Minute Waltz as well.
Enjoy!