Don’t shoot the opener!

Without trying to offend the “magician of the willow”, recent events have convinced Peter Komander of Five Dock that a name change for Trumper Park is necessary and wonders what title the prime minister would go for: “Some starters: Airbus Albo Airfield, Nation Building Authority Oval, Each-Way Albo Arena or Sit-Down-Boofhead Stadium.”

Speaking of Sydney’s east, it’s worth noting that Robert Hosking takes a waste-free approach to the tool pool (C8): “Here in Paddington I regularly use the Paddington Tool, Furniture and Toy Library. Whenever I need something for myself or the local church, I prowl the streets to find what I need, left out the front from renovations, Marie Kondo clean outs etc. Electric drills, whipper snippers, fans and heaters that only need a clean, IKEA furniture, more Mattel then you can poke a stick at, and the occasional fully operational high-end appliance! Of course, I put out anything that does not make me happy, for others.”

William Cameron of Newcastle adds: “At the beautiful Helsinki Public Library you can borrow power tools in the same way you would a book. You can also borrow or use a sewing machine, musical instruments, make a recording and arrange meetings. As a community resource, for young people the first date is in the library, second in the sauna.”

We’re not going to dine out on getting an interview in Friday’s Herald as part of the 195th birthday celebrations, except to offer heartfelt thanks to all the salutations that followed. One item, however, is challenging to unsee. Geoff Lindsay of Thurgoona noticed: “When looking at the original Granny from the 1940s, I’m reminded of the Looney Tunes character Miss Prissy, a spinster who was constantly looking for a husband, with Foghorn Leghorn being the centre of her attention.” She definitely has Granny’s (lateral) thinking cap.

The creative grandparent appellations (C8) appear endless. Margaret Wilkie of Peregian Beach (Qld) “had to convince husband that grandchild’s naming him as Ga-Ga was special” while Viv Munter of Tumbi Umbi notes that “on my husband’s side, the last set of grandchildren refer to Grandma as Gaga. Thankfully, she isn’t.”

“Given the flaming re-entry into the atmosphere of space junk, we can probably be confident that the Artemis II poo pellets (C8) won’t be a health hazard for the planet,” assures Seppo Ranki of Glenhaven. “They are unlikely to go splat in anyone’s backyard.”

Column8@smh.com.au

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