Nov. 30th, 2011
Random visions of a future past
Nov. 30th, 2011 09:57 pmThis is wonderful. It's based on Launceston but, once you get past the first bit, I don't think that really matters. (A bit over ambitious with the newspaper editions, do you think?)
It is far more intriguing to gaze with prophetic eye into the future than ruminate retrospectively on the past or to reflect prosaicly on the present.
"A prophet hath no honour in his own country," postulated the good St. John. But he knew nothing about crystal sets, television, light aeroplanes or electric heating. He didn't even know anything about high audio frequency. Neither do you or 1; but that is beside the point. And so I must go on.
Come, take a ramble in your imagination with me through Launceston on this summer afternoon in this year of grace 1978. You are probably in your 90th year, but, having taken the advice of Professor Voronoff in your youth, you have all the vivacity and ebullience of a schoolboy. Therefore, your imagination should be correspondingly accommodating.
Mind your head! Those beastly air hogs fly too low these days in t heir light 'planes. 1 thought lie was going to hit that mechanical policeman. I must say he plies a pleasing 'plane. Do you remember a time--30 years ago--when the traffic used to be controlled by policemen? What were they? Six feet of humanity with blue uniforms and a bored smile. They used to write nasty things in small books when you did things with cars.
Yes, this is St. John Street. These were the old Public Buildings right up till 1938. There is the old Income Tax Office. Remember when taxes used to be a shilling and more in the pound? A bit different to 1/2d per cent, eh? Those were barbarous days, as Kipling used to say on his way from the races.
Let's stop here for a moment in Brisbane Street. What crowds there are now since Launceston has reached a population of 500,000! Can you put your mind into reverse and recollect the 50,000 League? A fine body of men. Even they were not optimistic enough to visualise half a million people. They are still in existence, only under another name, of course. The Five Million Club is their present designation.
I rather like the look of those 15-storey shops, though they do give you the feeling of a hemmed-in atom. Once Brisbane Street extended only 250 yards or so. But people have made so much money since Mr. Ockerby gave us 3 o'clock closing that they have been able to put their money into building investments--and this is the result. No, thanks. There's no time to have one now--it's just gone three. And since they have put those televisors into the bars they'd know it at the Police Station as soon as we approached the counter.
( Snippy for length )
It is far more intriguing to gaze with prophetic eye into the future than ruminate retrospectively on the past or to reflect prosaicly on the present.
"A prophet hath no honour in his own country," postulated the good St. John. But he knew nothing about crystal sets, television, light aeroplanes or electric heating. He didn't even know anything about high audio frequency. Neither do you or 1; but that is beside the point. And so I must go on.
Come, take a ramble in your imagination with me through Launceston on this summer afternoon in this year of grace 1978. You are probably in your 90th year, but, having taken the advice of Professor Voronoff in your youth, you have all the vivacity and ebullience of a schoolboy. Therefore, your imagination should be correspondingly accommodating.
Mind your head! Those beastly air hogs fly too low these days in t heir light 'planes. 1 thought lie was going to hit that mechanical policeman. I must say he plies a pleasing 'plane. Do you remember a time--30 years ago--when the traffic used to be controlled by policemen? What were they? Six feet of humanity with blue uniforms and a bored smile. They used to write nasty things in small books when you did things with cars.
Yes, this is St. John Street. These were the old Public Buildings right up till 1938. There is the old Income Tax Office. Remember when taxes used to be a shilling and more in the pound? A bit different to 1/2d per cent, eh? Those were barbarous days, as Kipling used to say on his way from the races.
Let's stop here for a moment in Brisbane Street. What crowds there are now since Launceston has reached a population of 500,000! Can you put your mind into reverse and recollect the 50,000 League? A fine body of men. Even they were not optimistic enough to visualise half a million people. They are still in existence, only under another name, of course. The Five Million Club is their present designation.
I rather like the look of those 15-storey shops, though they do give you the feeling of a hemmed-in atom. Once Brisbane Street extended only 250 yards or so. But people have made so much money since Mr. Ockerby gave us 3 o'clock closing that they have been able to put their money into building investments--and this is the result. No, thanks. There's no time to have one now--it's just gone three. And since they have put those televisors into the bars they'd know it at the Police Station as soon as we approached the counter.
( Snippy for length )