12 | On your mind
Wet Blanket? Sorry to be a wet blanket (but not sorry to be a "proof reader") but so far I have picked up a couple of glaring errors in Issue 48, page 12: • Tony Roche was born in 1945 NOT 1966. Otherwise he would have played (and won) the Grand Final of the French Tennis Championship (pre the Open Era) when he was 2 weeks and 5 days old (Oops) :-) • When publishing an Obituary, the word to use is "VALE" - from the Latin valedicere meaning to say farewell, not VEIL being an item of clothing/headdress worn to cover the face. I might add that you are not the only one/s to bother me at this point in time. Whilst I am reading your wonderful mag, my hubby is watching a fishing programme on tv, where the presenter advised us all that Lord Howe Island is south-east of Sydney, on the same latitude as Port Macquarie. All I can say, is that I'm glad he is not navigating our travels!
We trust you are enjoying your time in the grand old US of A (you appear to be following, about three days behind, an Aussie friend of mine) and look forward, as always to more of your magazine. And like Les, we too are enjoying the 2-parter on 5th Wheelers, as this is our 'home on wheels' at the present point in time. Cheers, Gordon’n'Juanita Toad Hall Somewhere in Australia. Thanks Juanita, no apologies required as the Tony Roche birthdate was indeed a blooper that ‘slipped through to the keeper’ (whoops, wrong sport). Veil, on the other hand, was a deliberate usage because in this situation I believed the allusion to a garment covering a face in mourning to be more appropriate – if unconventional. It certainly reflected the way I, my wife and many who had known Sally felt after hearing such sad news.
Famous Birthdays! 1848 – P aul Gauguin (b Paris). Post-Impressionist artist, only became famous after his death in 1903. Most recognised for artwork picturing Tahitian Islanders. 1917 – Dean Martin (b Ohio). Crooner and member of the Rat Pack (d 1995). 1958 – Prince (b Minnesota). Singer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor. He has produced 10 platinum albums and 30 Top 40 singles during his career. 1974 – Bear Gryllis (b England). Adventurer and reality TV star, one of the youngest people to climb Mt Everest.