Random Visual Memory.

[Swift]

What moment from the distant past has stuck in your memory?
Keep it brief and no context is necessary. I was cleaning the house the other day and I had this one.
Water flowing through a fluorescent light fitting during a very heavy downpour at Top Ryde Shopping Square about 1980.

[Centralian]

Many years ago I'd have this dream / flashback a few times of looking up at a chicken/rooster that was higher than me, staring at me.
And then some time later I found a photo in my late parents collection of me as a baby in a pram with a chicken sitting on the handle.

[385BUZ]

Oh gosh, I have so many

I just post one off the top of my head from about 26? 25? years ago when I was about 3.

I remember my parents pulled into a carpark and I noticed some car had a new rego sticker (like the coloured ones they used to have on windscreens) and then we went in a bot/ferry and then I was on an island and went on a lake in a green kayak. VERY random memory of a holiday!!!

[Swift]

Good ones so far.
This one is slightly like Centralian's. I vaguely recall looking up at the sky being carried in an open area (a car park perhaps) and seeing the tops of trees/shrubs against the sky. I feel this is my earliest memory.

[ScaniaGrenda]

Don't know if this counts but sometimes I have flashbacks back to when I was in primary school and every Friday after recess we'd get to have "free time" so that meant pulling out whatever toys were in the classroom and playing on what would now be very "old school" computers, I still remember those funny off brand "connector" blocks things.

Speaking of computers, I still have this memory of where I put a chair in front of a computer desk (at school in the classroom) to act as a barrier when I tried to fix a broken computer, no idea how my Teacher let me get away with that.

Another is when I was doing the school swimming scheme where we'd go to a local pool, I remember lining up outside the old hall during our lunch break to be first in line and hope my name would be at the top of the roll list so that meant once it was checked off I was allowed to get the bus & board the back seat of the bus.

And one more, I think it was Year two, we were doing an archival session and it involved introducing ourselves on an audio tape and saying where we were from, I may have said I was an American (no idea what popped into my head). If that tape was ever found I hope they got a laugh out of my childish self.

[TA3001]

I recall seeing what was possibly an ex STA AEC Swift motor home conversion sometime in about 1993-1994, that would sometimes turn up at a former residence of a family member.

It was unmistakable, and was always parked in the same spot.

[Swift]

An old single decker bus with typical rounded rear like the 40s and 50s on a property aiong the 89 route at Eastwood Avenue Epping, near Midson Rd when I was little roughly 1979 period.

[385BUZ]

Don't know if this counts but sometimes I have flashbacks back to when I was in primary school and every Friday after recess we'd get to have "free time" so that meant pulling out whatever toys were in the classroom and playing on what would now be very "old school" computers, I still remember those funny off brand "connector" blocks things.

Speaking of computers, I still have this memory of where I put a chair in front of a computer desk (at school in the classroom) to act as a barrier when I tried to fix a broken computer, no idea how my Teacher let me get away with that.

Primary School and computers (Gosh this was like 16 years ago!) - so many memories! I was playing with a desktop one day and accidentally loosened the power supply!! I put a peice of blavk plastic ober the top to simulate the side panel and it worked!

Also remember the IT fude giving me all thus old ram just so I could flex with all my RAM!!!

And of course giving the old machines a good wack to get 'em fired up!

[ScaniaGrenda]

Well speaking of school computers again, I remember the older Dell Optiplexes in the school computer lab in the library that was complete with those big boxy CRT monitors, someone had set the windows taskbar theme to be a pink hue of some sort. (This was Windows XP Era)

I have a memory of going on the Katoomba Trolley tour bus when I was younger with my mother, like the actual tram looking one, it had wooden bench seats I think?

Going on the Sydney Motorway with my parents to visit my Uncle & Aunt, I think I recall either Western Motorway being under construction so you had to get off at the exit that took you onto Mamre road. Could be a false memory but I definitely recall construction on that particular motorway. I'll also never forget my parents having to deal with the Tollbooths at the time either.

Back to when I was a younger child, I think 6 years old, I was at my Nan's house & the place is freaky to be at alone I always got "off feeling" vibes. I recall being in the bathroom doing something and the door would keep opening itself and I'd say "Nan is that you?" - No response. I eventually was so freaked out I ran out and found her out in the backyard.

I recall going with my Nan to Video Ezy that was just up the road and there being a line of people all the way out the door of the store.

[Fleet Lists]

Computes at school? They did not have those when I left school 65 years ago.

L guess I would nominate my memory about the Maarse & Kroon buses which I used to catch to school until I was 12 years old before I came to Australia. I guess those buses started my interest in bus transport.

[Swift]

East Pde, Eastwood on the north side of Rutledge St during major road works in the late 70s for the new road bridge over the railway. I really noticed how they made a much steeper sudden slope leading up to the intersection. It was a dramatic change to witness to my 5 year old mind. I now realise they had added the other half of the new wider bridge, necessitating a dramatic rise from the lower level of the road.
It really stuck in my memory that one.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I can vaguely remember going on regular family drives to Parramatta to look around Westfield and walk down Church street in the early to mid 90s and getting stuck in traffic jams trying to exit the Westfield carpark during the major centre wide works that happened in the early to mid 90s witch included the construction of the Campbell street carpark

[Swift]

It was a great bus scene at Parramatta then with the sights and sounds of various Leylands and Volvos and the odd Westbus Mercedes 0405.
Hubodometer watching heaven for me. Speaking of,I have tonnes of moments with those!

[mcmuttley]

I remember my Dad pulling up at Mangrove Mountain Public school picking me up in a old GMC bonneted bus owned by Hawkins at Somerby canvas door and all. How proud i was that my dad was the driver then years later my son travelling on me now my bus and now my son driving me and my grandkids on his bus that's priceless history.

[Campbelltown busboy]

It was a great bus scene at Parramatta then with the sights and sounds of various Leylands and Volvos and the odd Westbus Mercedes 0405.
Hubodometer watching heaven for me. Speaking of,I have tonnes of moments with those!

Buses popping out from under the Darcy street/Church street rail underpass exiting the old Station street bus interchange at Parramatta was a common site until the current Argyle interchange opened in 2006. I can remember seeing buses from Baxters Westbus North & Western Parramatta Ryde Bus service and Harris Park Transport popping out from under that rail underpass back in the 90s and early 2000s

These days the old Parramatta bus interchange is used as a layover bay for buses that use stands B1,B2 and B4 in the current bus interchange

[Swift]

Seeing the Channel Seven helicopter at their Mobbs Lane Epping studios through the fence with the rotors spinning. I'd seen the well known Bell 206 in the sky and on TV shows many times before but to see one mere metres away on the other side of a chain link fence was something else. It was incredibly loud and strikingly large at close proximity like that.

[Swift]

The 1980 Moscow Olympics being screened on Seven and hearing this song regularly throughout.
https://youtu.be/NvS351QKFV4

[ScaniaGrenda]

Happy to see this thread make a comeback.

On topic, going to BI-LO supermarket as a child and despite being in a popular shopping complex, this BI-LO was always dead in terms of shopper numbers. You could go there and be one of the few people shopping at this BI-LO, I guess it was great because you could shop in peace, not have to deal with people blocking isles with their carts. The space that occupies said BI-LO now is a Best & Less and ALDI supermarket. I do miss the old BI-LO layout, was a really cozy supermarket for sure.

Seeing Hunter Valley Buses MAN 12.220's going down the local highway with their original grey bumper bar and original strut destination board advertising CHARTER & INFORMATION ENQUIRES.

[Swift]

There was an IGA like that in Woy Woy in that it got only a relative trickle compared to Coles at the other end of the shopping centre which was the busy part nearest to parking. It was a very large supermarket with an excellent range better than Coles and price competitive with some great specials.
The locals are often a thick bunch set in their ways and didn't know what they were missing. I miss it now.

Latest random memory is First and Last Milk Bar in Eastwood across the road from the public school where you ordered lunch and they delivered it into the school for the pupils to collect at lunch time. It must have been a good business generator for the owner. I used to get cheese and tomato sandwiches while everyone else got meat pies or sausage rolls. So many got sausage rolls. They must have been good (our really cheap) back then as I have never liked the few I've tried.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Seeing Busways buses back in 2001/2002 getting their roller destos replaced with the newer Mobitec flip dot destos witch there where a few Camden based O405s that still had their rollers in use as late as 2005

Seeing a newly acquired King Bros Custom 510 Mercedes Benz O405 at Campbelltown station in late 2003 operating for Busways

Watching the development of the stage two or Big W extension of Macarthur Square in the mid 1990s as it happened

[ScaniaGrenda]

Speaking of Roller destos, I remember the older Westbus B10M(?)'s we had at the Thornton Depot in their last years of service, still had their Westbus livery on them (which is rare) Some of them even spent the remainder of their time with the Westbus / Hillsbus logo on them despite not being at a WB / HB depot. They even still all had their roller blinds, no electronic desto signage to be seen. Except for some older ABM / Austral Pacific bodied buses, the rest of the Thornton depot uses electronic signage.

The first bus I rode to High school would have to be one of the Mercedes-Benz OH1421's with Volgren NZ Bodywork, what I would do to ride those again. Sadly they don't even see rail replacement :/ .

Going to Newcastle as a child and seeing the STA Mercedes O405's roaming about, I remember being on the way to a doctors appointment with my mother and seeing one of the O405 PMC MK V's getting towed back to the Hamilton depot (Or it could've been a B12BLE CB60, it was a very very long time ago)

[Campbelltown busboy]

Interline operating former ACTION Renaults 691 and 695 in service as buses 34 and 37 in their final Canberra liveries 34 in full ACTION livery including it's 691 fleet number the ads it was carrying at the time of it's withdrawal from ACTION and 37 Fyshwick markets AOA with 695 visible

Seeing a mix of Busways Volvo B58s and B10Ms,MAN 16.240s and Mercedes Benz O405s running around Campbelltown

Busways running ex King Bros Custom 510 Mercedes Benz O405 661 in a promotional AOA for Go Transit bus advertising

[ScaniaGrenda]

OT: The early late 90's / early 2000's were a blast for Transport Enthusiasts, mix of old buses, we're talking about Leylands, L series Scania's, OH14xx Mercedes etc on route service, don't forget a lot of the MK III up to MK V PMC buses were still with STA at the time as well.

The Sydney Olympics really showed the best of buses from around the country, never again will we see such a huge amount of buses from all over the country in one place. I do miss when bus companies had the freedom to do their own livery. I've always said I've liked King Bros livery and the original MK red stripe & yellow livery on the MAN 12.220's Westbus had in the 2000's.

[Swift]

Walking a to my cousin's house on a large property in Fagans Rd Lisarow from Lisarow station in 1979 when they had just bought the place. It was a sunny day and it felt like an adventure walking with my dad on this rural road though bushland.

[Swift]

This little b##ch in my childhood when I was five who took an instant dislike to me for no reason and I confess I found her cute at the time (she had striking blue eyes I have never forgotten). My first and very early experience of a stuck up girl!!