Public Address | Cafe | Southerly: Bubbles Over Blockhouse Bay

Bart Janssen

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:45:38 +1200

Actually, would donate real money to get and edit button.

Bart Janssen

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:43:17 +1200

thought ---> though

Must. Get. Edit. Button. Soon.

Bart Janssen

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:41:15 +1200

I'm willing to sign an affidavit to the effect that Bob is not the result of a cloning experiment on my part.

Well duh! It's not as thought you are a molecular biologist. Notice folks he didn't say Bob wasn't the result of amazing science, just that David didn't do…

Christopher Dempsey

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:58:29 +1200

What everyone said – about the lovely writing, the sublime evocation of Auckland...

Thanks. Another reason to fall in love with Auckland... bubbles over Blockhouse Bay....

Jackie Clark

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:31:12 +1200

Wonderful writing, as per usual, David. And the others are very right – your son and you are definitely twins of some sort. You know, there is very little I regret in my life, but one thing I do wish for from time to time, is that I had documented…

Sacha

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:15:26 +1200

I didn't know that. So what seems to be the current common practice of keeping our birthname may actually be a swing towards parental authority?

Tim Michie

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:54:43 +1200

Whenever I encounter these family names, whether relevant or not, I often remember: "Sally, or rather Sarah (for what young lady of common gentility will reach the age of sixteen without altering her name as far as she can?)" Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey.

Anita Easton

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:31:14 +1200

My grandmother and her brothers and sisters got to choose their "name" about the age they started high school. This replaced all nicknames and was their name for life. Only one of them picked their legal name.

Sacha

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:10:15 +1200

Who got to give the nicknames?

Anita Easton

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:41:58 +1200

My grandmother's family was also originally Brethren, and also had a lot of less than obvious nicknames (Evelyn became Sally, for example). I've always assumed it was a sign of the times, but I now wonder if it was a Brethen tradition.

Kiwiiano

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:04:40 +1200

ChrisW wrote:
So you'll be encouraging your grandfather to work on volume 2?

....Doing my best — but my grandfather isn't too keen right at the moment. Says he needs a good long break from writing.

So grab a recorder and sit down to chew the fat and talk over…

David Haywood

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:50:22 +1200

You also made me think about my Grandpa story again.

Yep, that particular essay of yours is a favourite of mine. And, by the way, I reckon it'd make a good opening piece for your book.

Russell Brown

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:36:36 +1200

You also made me think about my Grandpa story again.

Emma Hart

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:16:55 +1200

although, unlike me, Bob will hopefully retain his good looks into adulthood (a kind-hearted comment, though, Emma).
Self-criticism is always the best sort.

Hey, you should see (snerk) how much better looking I've got since my eyesight started going.

Russell Brown

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:06:23 +1200

although, unlike me, Bob will hopefully retain his good looks into adulthood (a kind-hearted comment, though, Emma).

Self-criticism is always the best sort.

David Haywood

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:01:35 +1200

Very glad that people have enjoyed this piece. And it's great to hear about other families and grandparents.

I'm willing to sign an affidavit to the effect that Bob is not the result of a cloning experiment on my part. But, I admit, there is a resemblance — although, unlike…

Elizabeth Sivakumar

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:15:46 +1200

I really enjoyed reading your post, I personally think Bob takes after his Aunty.

Ian MacKay

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:52:07 +1200

David's writing is at once serious and full of warmth. Sigh.
We kept saying we should write the things that our mum and dad told us about their lives, but little was ever done. Mum died last year at the age of 97 and the age that she and dad…

Paul Rowe

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:15:51 +1200

And here's me thinking your title was particularly prescient in light of the Jacko news this morning – I had visions of a chimpanzee in a hot air balloon

ChrisW

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:04:31 +1200

Indeed, the photos and the writing beautiful evocations of the best bits of family through generations. And your grandfather seems a blend of my father and grandfather; his writing will be precious.

My father died last year aged 90 having written many stories and memoirs, mostly on a Commodore 64.…

Emma Hart

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:41:34 +1200

It's more that Bob is 'specially handsome.

And, we have established, looks like David. I'm just sayin'

Michael Gschwendtner

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:35:04 +1200

David, what a talent to write so beautifully about something ordinary.

I also support dc_red's theory on the mad scientist. Apart from cloning, your stories make time stand still.

Russell Brown

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:30:25 +1200

Dear lord! I hope they keep a thesaurus handy to help with complimenting all these children in suitably different ways.

It's more that Bob is 'specially handsome.

giovanni tiso

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:26:20 +1200

My sister calls me Sebastian but I actually know why (it's not impossible to work out).

Danielle

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:23:00 +1200

The identical photos are freaking me out!

You have to be fully inducted into their secret society to understand how 'Cecilia' could be shortened to 'Mickey', or 'Robert' could be abbreviated as 'Meggs'.

My family also suffers from this... affliction? Idiosyncrasy? My grandmother's name was Mira, yet she was called…

Emma Hart

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:20:55 +1200

Another thing: you and Bob are identical!

Word. At first glance I thought that top photo was an aged shot of Bob.

dc_red

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:58:34 +1200

Indeed, is anyone else increasingly suspicious that David is in fact a mad scientist who somehow cloned himself, and this so-called "Bob-the-Baby" is actually "David 2.0"?

Worse still, I fear David 2.0's mother may be an entirely unsuspecting collaborator in all this malarkey...

Liked the bit about the Brethren, too.

giovanni tiso

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:49:48 +1200

Another thing: you and Bob are identical! Those photos are quite priceless.

giovanni tiso

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:42:08 +1200

Yeah, what Jono said. What a lovely way to delaying starting one's working day. And...

They both made a pleasing fuss of Bob-the-baby; declaring that their ninth great-grandchild (of ten) was even handsomer than they'd remembered.

Dear lord! I hope they keep a thesaurus handy to help with complimenting all…

Jono

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:38:33 +1200

Ah thats just lovely David. Three of my grandparents were dead before I knew them, and the fourth died before I was ten. My memories of him are of his bachelor pad at Pahi and strong smell of his wee in an unflushed toilet. That, and a ocean liner-shaped shot…

David Haywood

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:59 +1200

'Discuss' button now fixed — sorry about that...

Public Address

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:59 +1200

Discussion from blog post.