Welcome to the first Column 8 of 2017 with two messages.
"May the quest for a gentler tomorrow, a worthier self and a better world inspire us all to lament and protest, praise and reproach, smile at life and above all not take ourselves too seriously in 2017," writes Meri Will, DY.
While from Ron Elphick of Buff Point. "Sir, So, now, like yeah, y'know? Stay well, all. Just keep that date with Column 8 and 'avagoodone." So kind.
Also words of caution for next Christmas from Heather Harman of Tuncurry. "At my friend's Xmas celebration there was more than just pork crackling. When pulling a stubborn bonbon she and her husband ended up on the floor resulting in two cracked ribs."
Too much history to print on Catalinas. From Malcolm McGregor of Balgowlah, member of The Catalina Memorial Club. "Capt P. G.Taylor obtained four Catalinas after WW2. A24-385 was presented to him by the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies. It became VH-ASA and named Frigate Bird II. It was the first plane to fly Sydney to Chile, in 1951, and carried official airmail. My cousin's husband was navigator on A24-59 bought by John Fairfax in 1947. I would love a small memento from the A24-59 as a memory of my cousin's war efforts."
Could this be some sort of a record? asks Col Shephard of Yamba. "On Friday my pay TV service went on the blink. I rang the provider and was told (after waiting for over an hour and listening to how important my call was) "We will have to send a technician." "And when will the technician come?" I asked. "Thursday, 2nd March." I replied: "Is this an attempt by the provider to get itself in the Guinness Book of Records?" The response: "I don't understand ... "
John Beaver of Sydney Olympic Park has a question for the police officer that pulled over Malcolm Gall (C8 too slow). "Does that mean that learner and P1 drivers that are restricted by law to 90km/h must either not travel on roads with 100km/h speed limits or have to break the law and travel at 100km/h?"
Is there something we are not being told by our weather forecasters asks Barry McDonald of Beecroft. Sighted in Botany Road, Alexandria a bendy bus showing in its destination window "OPERATING ON BEHALF OF SYDNEY FERRIES".
Twitter: @Column8SMH