Wednesday 17 September 2008

goodbye sky streak elevator

Ever since the New York World's Fair closed on October 21, 1965, the Sky Streak Elevator from the observation towers from the New York State Pavilion has been suspended as if time stood still. Until now. In the last few months the elevator has been removed for "safety issues". Sure the towers are rusting away and are probably unsafe but I really liked the idea of the elevator being there. The NYC Parks have said the elevator is safely stored away so if at anytime the towers are restored (please don’t laugh) they have a blueprint to work from. I’d love to see them restored, since nobody has seen the view since 1965 it would make a wonderful reason to head to the park today and soak it in.

Saturday 6 September 2008

royal show memories




The Royal Adelaide Show is here again. Always a good sign that the warmer weather is on it’s way. I don’t go to the show much anymore. But when I was a kid, it was a different story. My father always had to man his companies stand in the Motor Pavilion. Due to the Royal Show being held in school holidays I got to go whenever he was working. It didn’t take long for my father to get sick of me moaning how bored I was, so he’d dive his hand into his pocket, pull out some cash and tell me to go find something to do.

Not many kids would be allowed to roam the showgrounds on their own – I was a lucky one. I think I spent most of my time in the Show bag Pavilion. I was never one for the rides. They were for the older kids. I’d walk around seeing how much things cost – trying not to impulse buy – and then return to get what I wanted. If I was tired I wander to sit and watch the fashion parades or back to my fathers stand only to unload my purchases before heading out again on another shopping spree.

When my father wasn’t working he’d have his Standard 8 movie camera with him, he filmed some things at the show, (these screen captures from the mid 1970’s) without his films I doubt I’d remember The Wombles helping the Kesab (Keep South Australia Beautiful) campaign.

The showground’s have seen many changes over the years. Who remembers the Rothman’s Theatre, Hamilton Hall, The Alpine Chair Lift, the original Motor Pavilion (demolished to make way for the Jubilee Pavilion), Centennial Hall, The Savings Bank of South Australia with the giant Humphrey Bear sign?