Spring is sprung

On 2 Sep, ie 8 days ago I showed you the dental hospital with London plane trees (Sydney's predominant street planting). I said they were just strating to come into leaf. Now a week later, look how far the plane trees have come! These aren't the same ones, but about 100m away along the same stretch of Elizabeth St. I took this photo this morning.

Smart in Surry Hills

Apparently the inner city suburb of Surry Hills has the highest proportion of Smart cars in Australia. A great idea as the streets are narrow, and parking not readily available. I wouldn't mind taking one for a spin - have you driven one?

Red stripe

Dental Hospital

The Dental hospital at 5.31 pm as I headed home from work. The setting sun reflected on the west facing facade caught my eye. (PS The trees are just starting to shimmer the merest hint of spring leaf growth...you can't see it here, and is barely discernible to the eye, but I'll try for a photo as soon as I can)

Dignity

These two ladies were taking it quite slowly. I fancy the woman on the left (a sister? daughter? friend?) is keeping a wary eye on her companion's progress.

Coffee shop, Surry Hills, or Pompei?

On 24 August, 79 AD - 1 929 years ago - Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompei and Herculaneum.

The counter of this coffee shop opening straight onto the street reminded me of similar shops in Ancient Roman sites like Pompei (below 1), Herculaneum (below 2) and Ostia Antica.

If catastrophe were visited upon our cities today, I wonder what archaeologists would deduce about us in years time? I sometimes ponder how much difference will there be between us, and our descendents 1 929 years hence - 3 937 AD? Visiting places like Pompei and Herculaneum and reading books about Ancient Rome make me think : "Not all that much!"

What do you think?

Azaleas and threatening sky

Mid winter azaleas at Centennial Plaza in Surry Hills

Is Felix Australian??

On another wall in Surry Hills, a Very Big Felix (and look at that bizarre small sticker in the bottom right hand corner. What's THAT about???)

Some claim that Felix was first by New Jersey cartoonist Otto Messmer. Others say that Felix was the brainchild of Australian cartoonist and film entrepreneur, Pat Sullivan.

Wikipedia says:

"...evidence seems to back up both claims. However, many historians, such as John Canemaker argue that Messmer ghosted for Sullivan. Other historians disagree. What is certain is that the cat emerged from Sullivan's studio. "

Here's a post I made about Felix in 2006

Felix The Cat 2

Felix is wedged in the corner between former warehouses, now renovated as apartments in inner city Surry Hills.

Felix The Cat

Where did I encounter this metal Felix? I'll show you tomorrow.

Scorched

Back to one of my favourite places in Sydney yesterday - Belvoir Theatre. This is a section of a series of panels showing the names of some of the theatre sponsors. There's some fairly famous names amongst this lot.

The play we saw was called Scorched. The playwright is Lebanese born Wajdi Mouawad , who moved to Paris and then Quebec. He writes in French. The play was extraordinarily powerful. It was based on ideas of love and hate, breaking cycles of revenge, set during the Lebanese Civil War (though the conflict was unstated - it is relevant to many such conflicts).

There is a review here and another here if you are interested in knowing more.

Spice I Am

Thai restaurant in Elizabeth St, Surry Hills. Say "Spice I Am" fast to understand the pun.

Later: There are many, many Thai restaurants in Sydney, and they are mostly very, very good. Some use the word "Thai" in their name to make a sort of pun: examples include Thai Foon, Thai Tanic, Thai the Knot. Thailand used to be called Siam. So "Spice I Am" becomes Spice Siam if you run the words together....

More Headless Barbies?

Many small fashion companies and designers have their headquarters and outlets in inner city Surry Hills, often in converted terrace houses. I loved the fabrics contrasting with the brick and wrought iron on the tiny front verandah of this place.

Where was Barbie?

I came across Headless Barbie stuck in the metal shutter-gate of the old Children's Court building in Surry Hills. You can see her stepping out from the left of the portico metal shutters. The building now houses the offices of several social welfare agencies. I thought it was rather poignant. Perhaps someone was making a statement?

Don't cry over spilt milk...

...but would you mind cleaning up your mess?

Saturday afternoon

Before the performance, the bar at Belvoir Street Theatre

Laneway

One of the less glamorous aspects of Sydney!

Gardening

Many people enjoy a spot of gardening on a sunny autumn day. This fellow was digging at Sopranos restaurant in Elizabeth St, Surry Hills.

Meanwhile, we've had a beautifully warm, sunny Sunday. When the shadows came over my garden, we all went out and pulled up weeds and did a bit of a tidy-up. Even the cat "helped"by pouncing on hands every so often.

Terraces, Surry Hills

Paramount Pictures

Now an upmarket restaurant, this art deco building from 1940 was the Sydney offices of Paramount. It wasn't a studio, but did have a screening room, and apparently luminaries like Bob Hope and Charlton Heston attended functions. I've been to the restaurant, Lo Studio (The Studio), and it's very good. Inside there's lovely woodwork and other deco features.