Life & Experiences
“I’ll go there for an hour or two, right at the beginning of the night, before the crowds have arrived and I’ll be home by ten”, I thought to myself as walked to the Lismore Showground.
I have no idea how many times I’ve done that walk. Memorably though, there was an occasion when I was about seven or eight, and I walked three kilometres from the showground to home, all by myself. Quite a feat for such a young child.… Read the rest “Tropical Fruits NYE”
“Is that it? Is that all there is?”, I overhead some visitors say, a bit surprised at how “short” this year’s Tropical Fruits Street Parade was. I was a little inclined to agree, as I remembered the last parade I attended seemed to be a little larger, and there were more people on the streets watching.
https://jamesobrien.id.au/2016/12/29/tropical-fruits-parade-and-launch/ 2016
I felt like a double-agent as I sat and quietly had a beer at one of the local pubs in Lismore this afternoon. It’s a pub which has been traditionally a very “working man’s pub”, but which seems to have embraced the LBTIQ+ Tropical Fruits celebration this year, with lots of rainbow flags. They also seem to be running regular LBTIQ+ drinks on Fridays, at other times of the year.
As I walked in, I could seen in the eyes of the barman he wasn’t sure if I was here for Tropical Fruits, or if I was there, because it’s a pub I regularly visit when I’m home for Christmas.… Read the rest “Tropical Fruits Or Not?”
If I think about all of the things which have happened in terms of gay life in Lismore during my lifetime, there’s a lot to reflect upon.
