Stewart Martin of Mangerton recalls that “a few years ago, we borrowed a friend’s antique punch set for our Christmas dinner. Afterwards, we found two glass cups with their hooks were missing. Mortified and bewildered we sought replacements. An antique dealer had the exact match but as a whole set for $300. We purchased the set and later confessed to our friend. His reply? ‘They were missing in the first place’.”
Another marking room (C8) tale from Frans Boot of Gregory Hills: “The School Certificate science test included ten questions that required a one-word answer. One year, one required answer was the word ‘ureter’ (as opposed to ‘urethra’). It seemed like a good idea at the time for a simple question, until the markers were met with countless feasible, almost-correct spellings, submitted by students hedging their bets: uretera, urether and urethera among them. The groans of frustrated markers were many!”
Time to lay off the students, sometimes the fault lies with administration, as explained by Roger Bowie of Seaforth: “Discovered in an Ancient History trial HSC exam paper, a printing error, ‘Explain the cause and outcome of the Second Pubic War’. Western civilisation, it seems, still hasn’t resolved that one.”
Warwick Sherman of Huntleys Point was boating on the harbour recently “when we encountered motor issues when dropping the anchor near other boats. Two men swam to our boat whilst another two arrived in a dingy to assist and were able to attach a rope from their boat to ours. It could have been bad if these guys hadn’t assisted. There are many good people out there, especially in the boating community. If they read this, a colossal thank you!”
While Alison Wilson of Winston Hills thinks there was an NRMA Pilot zone on Parramatta Road, almost opposite Ashfield Park, Rob Woof of South Hurstville says that the “last time I looked (fairly recently), the NRMA Pilot signpost was still in place at Banksia (near Rockdale) beside the Princes Highway.” This brings us to Warren Menteith of Bali who remembers one next to the weighbridge at the start/finish of the northern freeway at Berowra. He also recalls “a question from my Sydney-bound mother: ‘But how will I find it?’”
With the Yuletide upon us, Granny hopes that all of our wonderful readers have a safe and happy December 25. Merry Christmas and start affecting your resting Grinch face now. Cheers!
Column8@smh.com.au
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