GOING TO GAOL/JAIL

Brisbane Gaol opened in 1883. It became known as Boggo Road gaol due to the boggy quagmire of the road leading up to the Gaol. It has a colourful history and wasn't closed until 1992 after riots and hunger strikes to demand better conditions. Much of the old gaol has been demolished but the original red brick cell blocks have now become a historic site and tourist attraction. Bill and I went  on a guided tour. The stories and conditions made you gasp. We also heard stories about famous prisoners like Halladay who managed to escape twice.

The entrance

The visitor area

One of the cell blocks and a high security cell with a cat flap in the barred door.

The toilet bucket with a rim so as a head couldn't fit inside.
 Sometimes there were three men to a cell to share one bed and one bucket.

The exercise yard and through the door is where they cleaned the toilet buckets.

BIRTHDAY BEAR LOVES RAINBOW BAY

It was Birthday Bear celebration time again. This time it was Ann's Birthday. Birthday Bear came dressed ready to go to Rainbow Bay on the Gold Coast for a School Reunion. Every year Ann and George hire an apartment on the 14th floor overlooking the beach. While there, Ann organises a reunion for the Staff of Kuraby School where we all used to work in the 90's. We have a delicious seafood spread for lunch. See bear is holding his plate of seafood. The Teddies in the apartment represent us having a feast. Helen dressed Bear this time.

  Happy Birthday Ann

Here are the real Teddies in the real apartment. Staff and spouses of Kuraby School from the 90's.

 The seafood spread

 dessert too

The view from the apartment looking south.

 Whale watching

The view looking north to Surfer's paradise.

 We had a nice lunch at the Glen Hotel. I didn't take many photos. It was very crowded. Helen took this for me. I didn't get one of Helen with the bear she dressed for Ann. So here is one from when it was her birthday.

Bear is going home with Chris so she can dress her for next time.

THE MELBOURNE CUP

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous annual horse race. It is a 3200m/ 2miles race for 3 year olds and over. It is held in Melbourne on the first Tuesday in November. It is the richest two-mile race in the world. This year prize money totalled $8 million. It is one of the most popular spectator events in Australia with over 110,000 people attend dressed in both traditional 'raceday' wear and all manner of amusing and exotic costumes. This year there was the lowest attendance (81,400) since 1995. It has been speculated that this could be due to the record drought and the scandal about how race horses are badly treated after their career is over.
Besides many people attending the track in Melbourne, people all over Australia and New Zealand have lunchtime functions and stop to watch the race at 3:00pm. It's called "The race that stops the nation." The staff at our village organised a Melbourne Cup Luncheon and one of our residents made hats from recycled stuff for us to wear. She hired them out and the proceeds she donated to the RSPCA. (animal welfare).

 Dressed up ready for the luncheon. Village friends Julie and Roy.

The lunch was simply chicken, prawns and bread rolls.

  But you could eat as much as you liked. 

 Our fabulous staff and partners.

Annie on the left is the lady who made 80 hats.

 Just one of the tables of happy villagers. When I met Brian in the blue shirt, we were surprised to find out we were in the same year at high school in Sydney in 1959.

The best dressed won a prize.

 Bill and his friend Eddie who came straight from England into our village. His stepson and family live nearby.

Bill won one of the raffles, a box of chocolates and a bunny rabbit.

He enjoyed pulling the rabbit out of his hat. We have lots of fun in our village.

JACARANDA PARTY TIME

We went to New Farm Park in Brisbane to celebrate our son in law's nephew's third birthday. It was fun catching up with SIL's family and seeing the beautiful Jacaranda trees in flower.

 We haven't had rain for ages but it decided to sprinkle before the party but it cleared up in time for us to celebrate.

 It was very pleasant looking over the river.

 

Billie is the only child of all these siblings. He is the only child in his father's family too. So he is pretty special. 

 I sneaked away from the party to take some photos of the beautiful park. New Farm Park was opened in 1916. It was a remarkable reshaping of an unsightly ill drained grazing reserve.

An elegant rotunda and kiosk were designed by Albert Foster in the Federation style. The rotunda has been used for concerts, weddings, family reunions  and recreational activities for over 100 years. Unfortunately the kiosk burnt down in 2000.