It takes a lot to shock me. After a lifetime as a journalist and a second lifetime dealing with student explanations for why an extension is warranted (my favourite being the call from a prison official explaining that a stretch at Her Majesty's pleasure for fraud would prevent submission) few things surprise me any more. But today it happened not once but twice in the space of one conversation. It started innocently enough. I was taking my elderly neighbour Margaret to the bank because a term deposit had fallen due. Mobility access to her normal branch is now an issue so after scouting around I worked out that the Commonwealth Bank branch at South Bank would be perfect. It is exactly 1.9 kilometres by car, less if you walk. And of course South Bank is a favourite destination of mine. So off we go. Now in the bank Margaret says "I haven't been here since Expo." Whaaaat? 1988? That's 27 years ago. Shock one. But it was the reply of the young bank teller that really got me. He said: "That's on again soon isn't it?" It took me a second to process before I replied. "No, Expo. Not Sexpo." I know you can't judge a book by its cover but the thought of my 87-year-old neighbour putting down her knitting and pushing her wheelie walker through the aisles of Sexpo is simply hilarious. Lordy. Banking business over we went off and had a toasted sandwich and a cup of tea, because that is more like what ladies do, and then I took her on a bit of a drive around the precinct. She was amazed at how big the Wheel of Brisbane is and astounded that chocolate restaurants were now a thing. And then I took her home and she thanked me for a lovely outing. I can genuinely say the pleasure was all mine. Gold. There is no picture to prove this happened but because some people go to South Bank more than once in a generation, I was back later in the day with the camera and the dog and took photos from the old Expo site.
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