“I actually dislike the public, especially in a vintage shop. It attracts some strange ones. They treat it like an op shop. If one more person walks in and says my Grandmother had one of those! Everybody’s bloody Grandma had one of those. I had a great time, made some great friends but I crossed the line one day and a thought bubble came out of my mouth to a lady. I realised it was time to shut the door.
As I was shutting for good two beautiful young women knocked at the door….’We are opening an antique centre in Wooloongabba, do you want to come in? Hell yeah I do! So I moved there. I didn’t have to be there all the time and could come and go. I was there for 7 years.
Billy called it on our relationship so I quickly found this old house in Lismore. I love it so much and it’s going to kill me to leave. I love the 50’s kitchen. I hate new. I moved down here a year ago. We had a radio show called Dead People’s Stuff on 2NCR but then I was diagnosed with breast cancer, Sarah’s Dad died, everything was in a state of flux.
Vintage has been bit of a black hole for me as I spend way more than I make. There’s a lot of women my age who never married and have got nothing. It’s impossible to buy a home but the rents are so high. Another friend of mine is sharing a house at this age. I’m sorry I’m not psychologically good at sharing a house. I just couldn’t.
You have to feed them don’t you? ‘mm NO!’
Well, do you have to talk to them? …’Yes, I would think so.’
Oh well I’m not doing that. I don’t want to talk to anybody. This is the most talking I’ve done for a month. It will take me a month to get over it. (laughs).
Once I advertised a room to rent in Brisbane and this mother turns up with her son. He was so out of it on heroin, he kept falling into the wall. She must have wanted to get rid of him. No way lady I don’t want him.
I’d had lumpectomy in early 2000 and had the radiation. I had the standard mammogram and they sent me a letter to come back. There was a little tumour that had escaped so it was all very quick. They whipped it off. I wish they’d take the other one too. They asked if I wanted a prosthetic. Why bother at my age of having a fake boob. It served its purpose. It fed my child. It can go now. It’s the most painless operation. Don’t be afraid of it. They pack it with anaesthetic. I have never had a moments pain. They were handing out the Oxycontin and I was sitting up..here I am..with my hand out but seriously nothing. I’ve had 2 infections and still no pain. It may have been different for others so I’m sorry if that is the case. That was my experience and I have a very low tolerance to pain.
The worst part was I missed my 50 year school reunion. I was looking forward to it because at that age we’ve all become what we are. There’s no, I’m doing Law and I’m doing Medicine and I’m going to be a.. We are it! I went to school with some interesting ones. Robyn Davidson who wrote Tracks, the camel story. She lived with Salman Rushdie. Geraldine Turner who is an amazing singer. She was my best friend at school.
I got all ready to go. I stayed in a little BnB in Brisbane across the road from my hairdresser so I could get it done in the morning. I had a fabulous Sass and Bide jacket to wear and my knee high biker boots. I ended up with the infection so I missed it. I saw the photos though and I wouldn’t have like it. Very Country Road.
I’ve been in Lismore 18 months. Lismore was not a place we went to from over there. We would go to Byron and in those days Byron was lovely. I went New Years early morning New Year’s Day to see the sun rise at the lighthouse and that’s the first time I’ve been to Byron since I moved here. I just can’t stand it now. I remember when there was 2 pubs, Ferros Milk Bar, a fish and chip shop and a grocery store. That was it. Now it’s so crazy, no where to park. I went for a swim at Clarke’s Beach, $4 to park for one hour.
The other reason I am here was before the flood Sarah had been negotiating with the owners of the old sawmill across the river. She had spent a year and so much money getting a DA, compliance, first aid courses, food handling courses. Putting in disabled toilets and ramps, so much work. The owners had been lovely and lined the shed with timber. We were going to open up a fabulous antique centre with a friend who was going to come into the shed next door with great Cantina style food and a bar all by the river. The council were yes, yes and then the flood came. It all fell apart. It was going to be like Shanghai in the 30’s, with chandeliers and beautiful things. It was all Sarah’s concept. It was devastating.
I just remembered the shop in Sydney had a flat under it and I met a homeless guy with 2 big Mamalutes. I offered the him flat to live in with his dogs. He was the most honest man I ever met. He would spend his days dumpster diving and would find unbelievable vintage treasures. He was crazy and talked in an archaic language. At night I would go out to see bands and it wasn’t unusual to go past the shop at 3am and he would have opened to catch the nightclub trade. There would be every Kings Cross drunk, junkie and drag queen trying dresses on the footpath. That shop was legendary. Everything was covered in dog fur.
Finally I have a couple of bits of advice I say to people – Never wash your make up off at night…Never! I have spent my life in the sun but I think the makeup keeps the moisture in and wear makeup to the beach. It protects your face. My sun-screened body got burnt but my face was safe. The other thing is give your kids sugar because if you don’t they end up sugar addicts when they are older.”
As I was shutting for good two beautiful young women knocked at the door….’We are opening an antique centre in Wooloongabba, do you want to come in? Hell yeah I do! So I moved there. I didn’t have to be there all the time and could come and go. I was there for 7 years.
Billy called it on our relationship so I quickly found this old house in Lismore. I love it so much and it’s going to kill me to leave. I love the 50’s kitchen. I hate new. I moved down here a year ago. We had a radio show called Dead People’s Stuff on 2NCR but then I was diagnosed with breast cancer, Sarah’s Dad died, everything was in a state of flux.
Vintage has been bit of a black hole for me as I spend way more than I make. There’s a lot of women my age who never married and have got nothing. It’s impossible to buy a home but the rents are so high. Another friend of mine is sharing a house at this age. I’m sorry I’m not psychologically good at sharing a house. I just couldn’t.
You have to feed them don’t you? ‘mm NO!’
Well, do you have to talk to them? …’Yes, I would think so.’
Oh well I’m not doing that. I don’t want to talk to anybody. This is the most talking I’ve done for a month. It will take me a month to get over it. (laughs).
Once I advertised a room to rent in Brisbane and this mother turns up with her son. He was so out of it on heroin, he kept falling into the wall. She must have wanted to get rid of him. No way lady I don’t want him.
I’d had lumpectomy in early 2000 and had the radiation. I had the standard mammogram and they sent me a letter to come back. There was a little tumour that had escaped so it was all very quick. They whipped it off. I wish they’d take the other one too. They asked if I wanted a prosthetic. Why bother at my age of having a fake boob. It served its purpose. It fed my child. It can go now. It’s the most painless operation. Don’t be afraid of it. They pack it with anaesthetic. I have never had a moments pain. They were handing out the Oxycontin and I was sitting up..here I am..with my hand out but seriously nothing. I’ve had 2 infections and still no pain. It may have been different for others so I’m sorry if that is the case. That was my experience and I have a very low tolerance to pain.
The worst part was I missed my 50 year school reunion. I was looking forward to it because at that age we’ve all become what we are. There’s no, I’m doing Law and I’m doing Medicine and I’m going to be a.. We are it! I went to school with some interesting ones. Robyn Davidson who wrote Tracks, the camel story. She lived with Salman Rushdie. Geraldine Turner who is an amazing singer. She was my best friend at school.
I got all ready to go. I stayed in a little BnB in Brisbane across the road from my hairdresser so I could get it done in the morning. I had a fabulous Sass and Bide jacket to wear and my knee high biker boots. I ended up with the infection so I missed it. I saw the photos though and I wouldn’t have like it. Very Country Road.
I’ve been in Lismore 18 months. Lismore was not a place we went to from over there. We would go to Byron and in those days Byron was lovely. I went New Years early morning New Year’s Day to see the sun rise at the lighthouse and that’s the first time I’ve been to Byron since I moved here. I just can’t stand it now. I remember when there was 2 pubs, Ferros Milk Bar, a fish and chip shop and a grocery store. That was it. Now it’s so crazy, no where to park. I went for a swim at Clarke’s Beach, $4 to park for one hour.
The other reason I am here was before the flood Sarah had been negotiating with the owners of the old sawmill across the river. She had spent a year and so much money getting a DA, compliance, first aid courses, food handling courses. Putting in disabled toilets and ramps, so much work. The owners had been lovely and lined the shed with timber. We were going to open up a fabulous antique centre with a friend who was going to come into the shed next door with great Cantina style food and a bar all by the river. The council were yes, yes and then the flood came. It all fell apart. It was going to be like Shanghai in the 30’s, with chandeliers and beautiful things. It was all Sarah’s concept. It was devastating.
I just remembered the shop in Sydney had a flat under it and I met a homeless guy with 2 big Mamalutes. I offered the him flat to live in with his dogs. He was the most honest man I ever met. He would spend his days dumpster diving and would find unbelievable vintage treasures. He was crazy and talked in an archaic language. At night I would go out to see bands and it wasn’t unusual to go past the shop at 3am and he would have opened to catch the nightclub trade. There would be every Kings Cross drunk, junkie and drag queen trying dresses on the footpath. That shop was legendary. Everything was covered in dog fur.
Finally I have a couple of bits of advice I say to people – Never wash your make up off at night…Never! I have spent my life in the sun but I think the makeup keeps the moisture in and wear makeup to the beach. It protects your face. My sun-screened body got burnt but my face was safe. The other thing is give your kids sugar because if you don’t they end up sugar addicts when they are older.”