Welcome back for another week of bits and pieces, flotsam and jetsam, this and that, scuttlebutt, spiders, butterflies, general irritations and old stuff.
One of the interesting things about writing a column is seeing what really fires you all up. Sometimes I write something thinking it's a dead cert that I'll be swamped with feedback. And I get one or two replies. Often it is the other tidbits that get you going.
And there's something else interesting - should it be tidbit or titbit?
I'm still getting feedback about the history of the"Good Earth'' building opposite the University of Otago, sparked along by the plank of World War 2 wood in the Vanuatu museum that was signed by Jude Walcott's father and grocer, James.
Rosemary Magrath, nee Fyfe, who lives in Alexandra, was good enough to go hunting through boxes to find some old photos and tells her tale here:
"We had Fyfe's general store it was. We moved there from Duntroon. I'm 77 now and I think we moved into the shop when I was 9 or 10, maybe around 1949 - seems such a long time ago now.
"We bought it off the Walcotts and sold it to the Hands and were there until about 1955. I went to George St Normal, I suppose I was in standard 3 or 4, and my sister Betty went to the old Union St Normal School.
"Our bedroom was the corner room, with the big veranda in front of it. I remember mum and dad taught us how to get out of the windows and on to the veranda in case of fire.
"We had an old shop bike and I used to deliver to the residents around the place, just like Granville used to ride [in Open All Hours]. I remember standing outside the shop and waving to the Queen and Duke [of Edinburgh] in 1953.''
Grace Henderson, of Brockville, can go back a bit further.
"During the war years, I remember queuing up for a wee jar of Marmite. You had to queue up to buy anything. I was probably going to the normal school which was on Union St, but that was all pulled down.
"The store was called Sheriff's grocers. A mother and father ran it. I was just a little child myself but I remember that jar of Marmite - it was about three inches high, the tiniest one you could buy.
"We lived in Montgomery Ave, a nice house down there, all pulled down now to make room for a playcentre for people at the university with children. My friend was in Lambeth Rd and that's all gone now too. We used to meet up and walk to school together.''
Margaret Smith, nee McLoughlin, rang to say her father, Harry, was the grocer there in 1945-46.
"When my brother aged 3 almost drowned in the Leith across the road, dad sold up and started a grocery shop in Carroll St and we stayed there until 1974.''
Murray Davidson, of Waverley, has been doing some homework. He says the building was designed by R.A. Lawson and built in 1885.
He quotes from Norman Ledgerwood's book R.A. Lawson: ``The Timaru project was followed by a small two-storeyed building on the corner of St David and Cumberland Streets in Dunedin. It consisted of two shops with dwellings on the first floor and was built for Donald Malloch of Waikouaiti.
"It has a simple classical treatment with Doric pilasters and large arching windows on the ground floor. The main entrance is on the angled street corner and has a curved sprung pediment with the owner's initials `DM' raised in relief inside a spring crest.
"Some original features have been removed, but the building, now owned by the University of Otago with the ground floor leased to a cafe operator, survives in remarkably good condition.''
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this enjoyable discussion.
Barrie and Cheryl Mangan have got lots of monarch action at their place at Broad Bay.
"A few weeks ago we had a monarch visit our place for a few days but did not see a tag.
"However, the monarch laid some eggs on our swan plant which we grew from the New World ``little garden'' packet. We were delighted to see four baby caterpillars on the plant.
"Cheryl named them Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe, but sadly Moe died and we are left with three. As you can see by the picture they are doing very well.''
James Dignan says he is surprised to read about an apparent lack of monarch butterflies this year.
"There have been more of them around the Norfolk St, St Clair, area this year than I've ever seen before!''
Sharon Howson says she also saw one at St Clair while walking along the beach on Sunday a week ago.
"I hadn't seen one for a while but never at the beach! I was stunned to see it there and didn't see a tag as it was flitting along seeing the sights.''
And that's all we've got room for today.
- Paul Gorman