Almanac Life: The Things I Miss (and some I don’t)

December 23, 2023 by 23 Comments

 

I miss Saturdays

I miss waiting for Saturdays, starting each Monday

I miss Tony Casserly

I miss having a ping at the big sticks, regardless of where the goals and my teammates were

I miss morning recess

I don’t miss the free school milk

I miss lunch order day

I miss Mr Willy

I don’t miss Mr Greening

I miss playing for the school footy team

I miss playing for the school cricket team

I miss playing for the school baseball team

I don’t miss the school choir

I miss Don Dunstan

I miss Bob Hawke

I miss Paul Keating

I don’t miss Tim Wilson

I miss the Saturday night replay, regardless of the channel it was on

I miss the live Seconds telecast

I miss Max Hall

I miss Wally May

I miss Peter Marker

I miss the Sunday SAFA match of the day from Adelaide Oval

I miss the supporters’ bus to away games

I miss the Currie Street bus to Football Park

I miss the large rubbery iron-on transfers of team logos

I miss the stop off at Darrell Lea before the train home

I miss the Royal Adelaide Show

I miss the plastic toys found in cereal packets

I miss Apollo Stadium

I miss Thebby

I miss Globe Derby on a Saturday night

I miss my grandparents CP and Elva

I miss the Schwerdt reunions

I miss picking up the 5KA Top 40 chart each week

I miss John Vincent

I miss Bill Page

I miss Rock Arena

I miss Student Radio on 5UV

I guess I miss Countdown

I miss the Friday night mens’ softball comp at Walkerville Oval

I don’t miss working five days a week

I miss some of the people that I worked with five days a week

I miss the Sussex

I don’t miss JD Fergusson, who wouldn’t let me do Honours, the bastard

I miss Adelaide

I don’t miss Adelaide duststorms

I miss the smell of the Pooraka abattoir

I miss Solyptol soap

I don’t miss the itchy-powder street trees in Underdown Road

I miss playing for the Blacks

I miss Sty

I miss the soreness that hung around until Tuesdays

I don’t miss the mindless Saturday nights spent at the Old Lion, crippled by shyness

I miss the British comics of the sixties, especially Fantastic and Terrific

I miss the reassuring clunk of a Red Hen door

I miss the anticipation of entering an import record shop

I miss Roadrunner

I miss Bowie

I miss RAM

I miss TV Radio Guide, especially the recipes

I don’t miss Gudinski

I miss my 76 TD Cortina with the red duco and the light brown vinyl roof and the three-on-the-floor

I don’t miss my 63 XP Falcon, full of rust with a dodgy fuel pump and leaky welsh plugs

I miss video shops

I miss five weekly videos for five dollars

I miss going to the Elizabeth Motel pool whenever I wanted to in the school holidays

I don’t miss sunburn so bad that the tops of my feet blistered up like an open toasted cheese sandwich

I miss ham and cheese toasties for Sunday night dinner, the pointy bits dipped in PMU tomato soup

I miss custard and bananas, topped with shredded coconut

I don’t miss camp pie

I miss fritz

I miss Mum’s apricot crumble

I miss racing home on a July Friday night after work and a quick bite to eat at the Asian food court in the Central Market, then jumping straight into bed (both of us)

I miss Chocka

I miss going to the drive-in

I miss all-day netball on Saturday

I miss all-day netball carnivals on Sunday

I don’t miss Tuesday night committee meetings

I miss Elizabeth Oval

I miss the feeling when Centrals cracked an away win after two months without one

I miss a bag full of Ponderosa doughnuts at half-time

I miss my prostate

I miss the Mini-League

I miss the Wednesday night baseball at Norwood

I miss card nights with schoolmates, then later, workmates

I miss that Drag Strip marble game

I miss Murfett’s Aussie Footy game

I miss Saturday shops shutting at noon

I miss a month of tour matches against the states before the First Test

I miss not knowing what I’m getting for Christmas

I don’t miss Parabanks

I miss Amscol Footy Colours, even the Port ones

I miss Benny Hill

I miss Please Sir

I miss Drew Morphett on Sportsnight

I miss having cameras only at one end

I miss the ABC calling Shield games from Adelaide Oval, especially Eric Freeman on stats

I miss the around the groundsmen in winter, especially Nipper and Horrie and Mick Clingly

I miss Humbug Scrub picnics

I miss driving on the beach at Lady Gowrie Drive

I miss Rowley Park (the place where the champions gather), especially the aromas of speedway mud and fuel

I miss Mofflin Road, but not the changerooms because there weren’t any

I miss discovering the suburbs south of Junction Road at baseball away games

I miss waiting to see which Centrals player was sent out to umpire our Friday afternoon school games

I miss being allowed to run out onto the ground with the players, trying to keep up on the slow warmup laps

I miss having a pool table in the family room

I miss Mum’s rissoles

I miss Zapata’s

I don’t miss having to do without

I miss reading encyclopedias for fun

I miss my Matchbox car collection

I miss househunting

I don’t miss househunting

I miss The Night Stalker

I miss Lost In Space

I miss Time Tunnel

I miss The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

I miss how thrilled Skyhooks and Split Enz made me

I miss Joey Ramone

I miss the Phoenix and the Kestrels

I miss the time that JB Hi-Fi had a decent CD selection

I miss listening to The Smiths new one on the bus

I miss having a cassette player in the car

I miss Saturday afternoons at Cheltenham followed by a barbie at the in-laws

I miss the Adelaide Film Festival

I miss going to all five days of the Test

I miss Big Sars

I miss Y-Jeans

I miss Golden Breed

I’ll miss Ian Chappell

I’ll never miss Tim Wilson

 

 

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About Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt

Saw my first SANFL game in 1967 - Dogs v Peckers. Have only ever seen the Dogs win 1 final in the flesh (1972 1st Semi) Mediocre forward pocket for the AUFC Blacks (1982-89) Life member - Ormond Netball Club -That's me on the right

Comments

  1. Daryl Schramm says
    December 23, 2023 at 10:01 pm

    Good one Swish.
    I miss the pie carts.
    A lot of seconds footballers became household names before the live telecast was pulled.
    At least I still have fritz.

  2. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says
    December 23, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    Thanks DS – I’m sure I’ll think of some things that I miss that I’ve missed.

    Sturt always seemed to be on the dewkickers, I knew more about John Kalleske and Romeo Zoanetti than I should have.

  3. Peter Crossing says
    December 24, 2023 at 8:47 am

    Excellent Swish. Busy life. I can relate to much of this. Chocka was a great man. And it brought back memories of the school excursion to said abattoir. I returned to EHS only to discover that my mother had packed corned beef sandwiches for lunch. In the long run, did JD Fergusson actually do you a favour?

  4. Smokie says
    December 24, 2023 at 8:56 am

    Superb, Swish.
    A most comprehensive list.

    Although there are a few references which are foreign to me.
    You really do miss Adelaide, don’t you?

  5. Luke Reynolds says
    December 24, 2023 at 9:42 am

    Wonderful list Swish, a snapshot of a bygone era.

  6. Peter_B says
    December 24, 2023 at 9:50 am

    Brilliant Swish.
    I miss home made pasties under hessian bags.
    I miss 20 cents of mixed lollies at the Blue and Gold Cafe on Henley Beach Road after a loss (no wonder I have back teeth full of amalgam).
    I miss standing on the mound in the outer in the rain at any SANFL ground.
    I miss barracking that was funny and not abusive.
    I miss red sugar coated peanuts from Ditters.
    I miss the smell of the Central Market.
    I miss Rumbelow’s crays if you still had money after the last.
    I miss spending half my week’s pay in import record shops.
    I don’t miss spending half my week’s pay at Globe Derby and Cheltenham.

  7. Ian Hauser Ian Hauser says
    December 24, 2023 at 9:53 am

    Swish, if this is another way of counting your blessings, then I’d have to say you’ve had a bloody good life !

    I lived in Adelaide for 14 years from 1970, so I can identify with much of this. Wonderful memories. I’d add Woody’s lemonade, Balfour pies and custard tarts, Coopers Stout, The Buttery at Flinders Uni, West Beach, golf at The Pat, 30 cents of chips from Chris and Con on Glen Osmond Road, the Cremorne Hotel, the Unley Lutheran Cricket Club, 1 Winchester Street, Peter Endersbee, Baz and Pilko with Peter Plus, the young Leon Byner, Rob and Ern at the Shell service station, Bob Bower on the ABC, Bennett’s deli on Fullerton Road, and 101 more. Make that 1001!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

  8. Bucko says
    December 24, 2023 at 9:55 am

    I miss John Vincent the most. Closely followed by R. F. Ebert. Then many of the list, thanks.

  9. John Harms says
    December 24, 2023 at 10:57 am

    Social history at its finest.

    I miss momentary boredom, before you thought of something to do.

    Like read the newspaper.

    So…

    I miss newspapers (as they once were).

  10. Nank says
    December 24, 2023 at 10:58 am

    Straight up the guts Swish. All the best to you and yours for the festivities.
    Here’s a few
    I miss the Sturt Schoolboys and the January comp
    I miss playing turf cricket with Lenny Lapthorne, Colin Webb and Doc Beard
    I miss getting in trouble at the Swinsteads
    I miss Mitcham Saturday morning footy
    I miss dobs with Peter Endersbee in Holme Avenue
    I miss the Teenage Ball and the preceding girls school socials
    I miss Barry Bowden playing Ray Orbison in music class (he thought Roy was Ray)
    I miss the ford consul
    I miss Friday nights at the British
    I dont miss playing the Kilburn chickies and being belted with umbrellas by their supporters
    I miss John Scollins prematch revups in the A3s
    I miss the Sturt glory years 1966-70 and the goings on on mound in front of the scoreboard
    I miss Adelaide Oval No 2
    I miss 3 5s State Express rollies
    I miss Dave Thomas sitting for an exam in the Wayville Hall out of it on hallucinogens and sliding off his seat
    I miss the Budget
    I miss Jim Slade as he made the grade
    I miss Friday nights at Wayville trots earning living monies under direction of Bill Smallacombe
    I miss Bachelors and Spinsters ball at Narracoorte and chainsaw Monfries’ work
    I miss Jack Richards
    Many more.

  11. Colin Ritchie says
    December 24, 2023 at 11:21 am

    Cracking read Swish, made me also think about all the things I miss.

  12. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says
    December 24, 2023 at 3:26 pm

    Shouldn’t you people be out shopping? Thanks all for your responses.

    PC – Fergusson’s decision was certainly a fork in the road moment, I probably wouldn’t have met Mrs Swish for a start, but it was the callous way the decision was made for me that still irks me.

    Smokie – I miss my younger days, which happened to be in Adelaide.

    Luke – Usually a left foot snapshot

    PB – You can still get those nuts at Ditters, but they don’t taste the same. How did I leave out those pasties?

    Ian – The young Leon Byner was very good, especially GG Dobbin

    Bucko – I treasure Vinnie’s last few years on the ABC

    JTH – When did newspapers start doing puff pieces for turds like Wilson?

    Nank – I haven’t finished Endersbee’s book yet, but I will

    Col – I wish I could keep looking ahead, like yourself

  13. Rick Kane says
    December 24, 2023 at 5:08 pm

    Excellent Swish, came across like a Tom T Hall list song. And I’m a sucker for that.

    He also has a non list song called, (I Sleep Good and) I Miss a Lot of Trains which is about not missing the relationship he left behind.

    All the best to you and yours and stay forever you(ng).

  14. Rulebook says
    December 25, 2023 at 7:30 am

    Superb Swish – I miss Chocka xxx

  15. Mickey Randall says
    December 25, 2023 at 7:56 am

    Great list Swish. You’ve reminded me of many things from my past too. There were many compelling aspects to Lost in Space and I recall being utterly immersed in it. For me the best episodes featured the robot at the centre of the plot. He was like the anti-HAL 9000.

    Merry Christmas to you and the family, Swish.

  16. Glen! says
    December 25, 2023 at 8:55 am

    Good onya Swish.

    Matchbox Cars, Countdown, Benny Hill, all good memories, miss them all.

    I notice Tim Wilson is someone you don’t miss: twice. If this is the Tim Wilson, former IPA operative, former LNP Federal parliamentarian, he’s the sort of person only his husband would miss: maybe.

    Frohle Weinachten.

    Glen!

  17. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says
    December 25, 2023 at 3:28 pm

    Thanks again ‘nackers, about to put on the pud. Hope your commemorations are suitably warm and festive. Looks like my Day 2 tickets will be virtual Day 1-ers

    Rick – it started off in my head as a rant. I’m mellowing

    ‘Book – we will do so for a long long time

    Mickey – thanks from this bubbled headed booby

    Glen – yes, that Wilson, my erstwhile local member

  18. Bucko says
    December 26, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    Repechage. I miss The Goon Show, too. And Rex Hunt on the radio when I lived in Alice and couldn’t care which game was on, as long as he was on commentary.

  19. Barry Nicholls says
    December 31, 2023 at 8:59 am

    A great way to tell a story. Fine work.
    Deadly Earnest?
    For me, it was picking up a Tiger and Scorcher comic from the Tusmore newsagent on Friday arvo on my ride to Dad’s as part of the weekly ‘handover’ from Mum.

  20. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says
    December 31, 2023 at 9:23 am

    There’s not enough repechages in life Bucko

    Thanks indeed Barry – good old Hedley Cullen – I think he visited Elizabeth Town Centre once, not sure if he bunged in his googly glass eyes.

  21. [email protected] says
    December 31, 2023 at 11:32 am

    Fantastic Swish. I’m not familiar with many of the SA references but they are instantly transferrable to those growing up in WA. Love it.

  22. Peter_B says
    December 31, 2023 at 11:56 am

    When did “repechage” become the “lucky loser”? We have so much to thank Americans for in the dumbing down of culture.

  23. Ian Wilson says
    September 17, 2024 at 9:52 am

    Love it Swish thanks for the memories

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