No time for drawing

from w
I'm too busy researching, writing, scanning, for a local history project, to do any fresh drawings since Wednesday. On Thursday I took the train to Melbourne, a second train to Elsternwick to find the Uniting Church Archives. Told to find an old church south of a certain road. I found a really deserted church without a noticeboard, went into the building next door to ask is that it? 'No,' says a woman, 'but we get asked all the time.' This was a Jewish school! Anyway I walked 'north' or so I thought, and found it quickly and the archivist and helpers were really cool people, mostly retired and I knew a couple of them.

What a pleasure to read through the 1950 and 1960s archival material in a very cool air-conditioned room when outside it was about 35 degrees! Every Thursday there are about eight volunteers at the Uniting Church Archives busy sorting material and I was the only 'researcher' for the day. Reading the minute books was like seeing the social history of the time. The names of people were familiar but today's elderly were just young people in the stories. I wasn't on the Australian scene those days - I was in my adventurous years in the South Pacific, developing a love of world music, and in an environment of living with missionaries and high schools. I wanted the students, especially girls to 'have a life'!

Anyway the story is coming together nicely though it's turning into 'Ben Hur' instead of a casual Sunday afternoon gig about 50 year memorials and memorabilia displays! December 14th is the special day so I don't have long to write a booklet and get it published, and scan and print out hundreds of beaut photos. I have several helpers coming and going to give me their stories and photos also. We ought to have a band playing 50s music. I'll put the idea to some of the guys tomorrow.