Rain. Persistent, relentless rain. Combined with the warmth, I fear if I sit still for too long I will start to develop mildew. As a consequence, damp clothes remain damp and I am generally feeling permanently claggy.
I realised yesterday that although I am in Sydney, Australia, I am not a tourist. There is just no time to go wander the landmarks, so full of purpose am I. Yesterday was spent at the State Library, reading a book I have previously been unable to source - Andrew Cowan's account of winning the Marathon in 1968, entitled Why Finish Last? Very interesting and many pages of notes were taken. I liked the following quote: "It is a well-known fact that the moment competition numbers are put on the side of the car, things like alternators, flashers and horns stop working. You are there to beat the gremlins". I also found Paddy Hopkirk's children's book about the Marathon (Paddy's car came second), which was a treat. Incredibly, I also discovered that the library held a cinefilm recording of a British film the event, entitled Operation Marathon. Narrated by British stalwart Raymond Baxter, and in flickering, grainy colour, it was yet another fascinating insight. Very hip and jazzy production, very of its time. I have subsequently disovered that London's Imperial War Museum also has a copy, so may try and see if I can view it again. Finally, I spent the remainder of the day trawling scans of Sydney's Daily Telegraph from November and December 1968. The Telegraph co-sponsored the Marathon with the British Daily Express, and while I was expecting a fair amount of coverage, I was quite astonished by how much the Marathon featured everyday. Like the Express, the Telegraph published a colour 32 page 'souvenir' booklet, which people could obtain by sending in a small payment. This sold out almost immediately, and repeated print runs were required, such was the enthusiasm and excitement amongst the Australian public. Furthermore, while at Sid's in Maryland, I got to see the '1968 London to Sydney Marathon Board Game'! We none of us knew how and where this had been produced, but I have now discovered this was created and made available via the pages of the newspaper in Australia. Whomever put the game together knew a thing or two about rallying, timed stages and penalty points, but I suspect it was way too complicated for the average child - reading the instructions took a couple of hours to digest!
Now, me? I like a plan. To achieve all I have set out to do on this trip means I need to have a plan. Currently I don't have plan, and this is making me nervous. On Saturday I will drive 3.5 hours north of Sydney and visit one of the Aussie marathoniers, which is great, and he has brokered a potential number of interviews with other folks along the coast. However, I won't have contact details for these folks until Saturday, plus although I am currently planning to fly up to Gold Coast on Sunday, nothing has been confirmed. To fit in all with whom I wish to meet will mean a slow and long meander back down the coast, but nothing is locked in. And I want to see someone here in Sydney before I leave for Melbourne. Seems silly now to have a rented an apartment here, but had no idea before I came away what would be happening. We shall see...
The shoe saga continues... either men's shoes are incredibly expensive here, or I just can't find a suitable store. Ridiculous! As my boots are showing signs of harbouring some kind of aquatic life forms, I am off to try again shortly, but really am not prepared to pay upwards of £100 for a pair of 'needs must' water-proof boots. That said, Sydney is horrendously expensive in general.
Last evening I had a reunion with someone I first met when I was 18 years old, and who I last saw in 1992. It was so very good to see him but also extremely sad as he is facing huge grief and loss in his life. I believe my sudden appearance in Sydney allowed a little, happy respite, and on of the themes of my trip continued as we recalled events and memories from the early 1980s with much hilarity. It was a strange thing to somehow be closely reconnected with my 18 year old self, not least because he played a hugely significant part in my life back then.
Ah, the rain appears to have ceased and there is even a hint of sun. Must dash to buy boots, obtain mobile broadband for the remainder of my trip and check out of this rather lovely hotel. Next stop, albeit intermittently - Bondi!
No comments:
Post a Comment