After more than two weeks in Sydney I met up with an old friend today. It was as if we hadn’t seen each other for a few weeks. It was in fact half a lifetime ago!

Meeting an old friend

His name is also Chris – there are a lot of us about – and he spent quite a few years in Singapore before moving to Australia. We first knew each other back in our days working in Manchester. Originally through a mutual friend. The legend that is John Marshman. I trust you are reading this John.

It really was half a lifetime ago when we last saw each other. Wow! It sounds a long time when you say it like that. Neither of us could quite remember exactly when we had last seen each other. My best guess would be in the mid to late nineties. But the exact year escapes me.

Despite that Chris looked pretty much as I remember. He didn’t sound quite right though. During a decade or two in Australia he seems to have developed some kind of speech impediment. That’ll be that hint of an Aussie accent he has picked up.

It was a short meeting during Chris’ lunch break, but we talked non-stop. It was great to catch up and cheered me up no end. We will meet again but agreed we will only leave it a week or so this time.

Quick Wander in the CBD…

When I left Chris to get back to work, I took a quick walk around part of the central business district (or CBD as they say here). I saw the old Sydney Hospital and original Mint where the first Australian money was made. Oddly it is now some kind of conference centre. Then I had to get the train back to meet Dani from school. But near the train station I found a place to visit on my next trip into the centre. The Reserve bank of Australia Museum. More on that to come. There’s something I find interesting about banknotes in other countries. I can’t quite say why but I am sure I will enjoy that visit.

And of course, I visited a couple of old pubs. One of which, in keeping with the bank theme, was an old ‘Bank of Australian South’ building. It’s not just in the UK they do that to od banks then. A great building though. Old Sydney architecture with a new twist – above the door. This is The Three Wise Monkeys.