For those who love secondhand books (including rare and hard to find editions), vinyl records/ music and audio cassettes, comics, or other entertainment memorabilia including limited edition items, but above all books, and who are in need of a bit of retail therapy, it is impossible to go past the Argyle Emporium – housed in the Goulburn’s former courthouse and police station. Continue reading “Argyle Emporium (Bookshop) – Former Court and Police Station”
Belmore Park War Memorials
Belmore Park, in the centre of Goulburn, has not one but three War Memorials none of which relate to the most commemorated war of all, World War I. The most impressive of the memorials here is the one commemorating those who served and died in the Second Boer War. The others are an Honour Roll, honouring those who served in World War II and subsequent wars up to and including Vietnam, and a National Servicemen’s Memorial remembering all the National Servicemen from Australia who served between 1951 and 1972. Continue reading “Belmore Park War Memorials”
Drink Water! – Temperance Fountain
Temperance societies first appeared in the United States in the early 1800s though they became more active in the late 1880s and early 1900s. Their aim varied from trying to get people to cut down on the consumption of alcohol, to asking people to abstain (teetotalism), right through to demanding the total prohibition of alcohol. The societies had varying degrees of success in the US but still spread to the United Kingdom and Australia, among other places. Continue reading “Drink Water! – Temperance Fountain”
Belmore Park – The Living Heart of Goulburn
The centrepiece or living heart of Goulburn is the beautiful Belmore Park, a peaceful green oasis in the centre of one of the cleanest and tidiest cities (while officially a city it only has a population of 24,000) that I have visited. The Park is full of interesting things in itself, it has a few good cafes around about it and all of the city’s central attractions are within an easy walk. Continue reading “Belmore Park – The Living Heart of Goulburn”
Goulburn – Chilled Out Country Living, With City Benefits
Goulburn is a thriving regional Australian city in New South Wales’ Southern Tablelands, well situated on the main travel routes between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. It is about two hours drive from Sydney and an hour from Canberra. Continue reading “Goulburn – Chilled Out Country Living, With City Benefits”
Does Anyone Read my Blog Entries?
Well, surprisingly, yes they do and the purpose of this short entry is to thank everyone who is following my blog and reading entries as I post them and also those who just pop in every now and then and read an entry, or a dozen. Every visit is a greatly appreciated. Continue reading “Does Anyone Read my Blog Entries?”
Overland from Pyongyang to Hamhung via the Ullim Falls
With the military and other celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea’s foundation, on the 9th of September, over it was time for us to head east for the first of two forays which would let us see a large part of this, much less frequently visited and scenically beautiful, side of the country. For this trip we started with a bus ride, 300 kms across the country giving us a wonderful introduction to this beautiful scenery and an insight into country life more generally. This review is a photo journal of my trip from Pyongyang to Hamhung, on the east coast of North Korea. Continue reading “Overland from Pyongyang to Hamhung via the Ullim Falls”
National Gifts Exhibition House
Nearly everywhere in the world it is courteous and common practice to bestow gifts upon leaders and dignitaries on official visits. Also, gifts are commonly given and received on important national days, birthdays and such like.
While the North Korean Leaders (here I mean Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un and, oddly perhaps, Kim Jong-suk (wife of Kim Il-sung and mother to Kim Jong-il)) have travelled very little outside of North Korea and few leaders or high officials visit them from overseas they have managed to amass ‘hundreds of thousands’ of gifts since 1945. These have come from all corners of the world as well as from within North Korea – where the Leaders have travelled somewhat more, dispensing their trademark on-the-spot guidance on this, that and everything. Continue reading “National Gifts Exhibition House”
Taean ‘Friendship’ Glass Factory
In 2018 our route to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on the border with South Korea took us via Nampo, North Korea’s west coast industrial city and home to the West Sea Barrage. En route to Nampo we stopped at the Taean ‘Friendship’ Glass Factory. No, we were not stopping there to see a glass blowing display or view their offering of cut glass or crystal in a gift shop. They don’t have a gift shop and we where there to see them making large sheets of plate glass for use in glazing windows. Who doesn’t enjoy a good old factory visit while on holidays? Continue reading “Taean ‘Friendship’ Glass Factory”
Taedongmun Cinema House
We passed this building on a number of occasions but didn’t actually stop or get to go inside. While suspecting a theatre, I didn’t know what the building was so, as I was really taken by the look of the exterior, I decided to investigate further. My investigations tell me that this is the Taedongmun Cinema House. Continue reading “Taedongmun Cinema House”
The Rambling Wombat 