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seandcToday was the big collectables fair known as "Nexus". I'd last been to one several years ago, but lost track of the whole thing until a couple of weeks ago when I found a flier in the comic shop.
Bright and early I set off on my trip (bright and early on a Saturday - it can happen ;)). The fair is held at the Park Recreation Centre, which funnily enough is in the area I grew up in - as in three minutes walk away, even for child-me. There isn't a bus that goes right from here to Park Centre (the shopping centre across the... well, carpark now, used to be a road) anymore, so I caught an early circlebus that puts me down about 1 1/2km away, so I could have a little walk through memory lane. Well, highway, given the road I walked down.
Along the bus route Bentley seems to have hit a time of renewal - a lot of new double-storey houses in an area that used to seem a bit run down. That might have something to do with being fairly handy to Curtin University and Bentley Tafe both. I'm not familiar with the history of Bentley Tafe, but it does look rather shiny and new. Curtin are also doing up their biosciences buildings along the northern edge of the campus. Rowethorpe Retirement Village still looks the same along the bus route, though I'm glad the bus doesn't go past the part where Grandpa and Grandma used to live - they were planning to knock down that part years ago.
The park between Hillview Terrace and Playfield Street - happens to be across the road from the primary school I started at 20 years ago (eep!). Same grassy slope just right for rolling down (it never used to seem so close to the road), just doesn't seem quite so huge now (I can see across it now, although it's still big thanks to the strange shape of the land). The line of trees between ovals and tennis court has been drastically cut back to almost-stumps, though. When I was a kid, that was almost solid, the spaces were only big enough for kids to get through, and hide in.
After getting to Albany Highway and off the bus *insert "Mr Sandman" here*, I was stunned to realise I recognised one of the first business buildings I came to. I'm pretty sure we delivered local papers to this tri-fronted building in the weeks we needed to cover someone else's run. To child-me it was a long way away for the highway. Some other buildings I remembered, although long since changing hands (no bookstore anymore, oops!), and I think some zoning changes might be going through, given the number of abandoned houses along the road. Some of these houses, judging by the plants, had been left for years. Probably over 50-60 years old, some of them two-storey homes on large blocks, just left there. Just seems strange to see, in the old neighbourhood, along one of the older established highways.
I was rather shocked how soon I spotted the Park Centre - I still remember that walk as being rather long. Being rather early some of the stores weren't open yet, so I couldn't see if the old cake store was still in business, or if the highway-newsagent still had some things from when I was a kid. There's a lot of restaurants opening up along that stretch of the highway now. Good to see the Park Centre has made things a bit more pedestrian-friendly, though.
Anyone who's witnessed mydecrying of the Australian sporting psyche quiet desperation at the status of science fiction in this country might not be surprised to know the Nexus fair was rather crowded (we need to pounce on what we gets). The usual - tables set up, try to get close enough to get a look in. Did have some luck, though. Mostly Excalibur and New Mutants (skirting the time around when Cable appeared, just before and just after, since I knew you were going to ask, Ray) with a few extras, like a good run of "Marvel Presents" focusing on the Cross-Time era Excalibur.
Anyway, only spent about an hour there; left to catch a bus back to the city, but the most notable thing there was trying out a new form of apple/watermelon/strawberry from one of the juice bars (perfect placement that store!) since the new comics weren't in yet. Back to the normal shops, and by this time the early morning chill had faded away, leaving a glorious cool day, just right for zipping along the river with the slightest breeze.
Bright and early I set off on my trip (bright and early on a Saturday - it can happen ;)). The fair is held at the Park Recreation Centre, which funnily enough is in the area I grew up in - as in three minutes walk away, even for child-me. There isn't a bus that goes right from here to Park Centre (the shopping centre across the... well, carpark now, used to be a road) anymore, so I caught an early circlebus that puts me down about 1 1/2km away, so I could have a little walk through memory lane. Well, highway, given the road I walked down.
Along the bus route Bentley seems to have hit a time of renewal - a lot of new double-storey houses in an area that used to seem a bit run down. That might have something to do with being fairly handy to Curtin University and Bentley Tafe both. I'm not familiar with the history of Bentley Tafe, but it does look rather shiny and new. Curtin are also doing up their biosciences buildings along the northern edge of the campus. Rowethorpe Retirement Village still looks the same along the bus route, though I'm glad the bus doesn't go past the part where Grandpa and Grandma used to live - they were planning to knock down that part years ago.
The park between Hillview Terrace and Playfield Street - happens to be across the road from the primary school I started at 20 years ago (eep!). Same grassy slope just right for rolling down (it never used to seem so close to the road), just doesn't seem quite so huge now (I can see across it now, although it's still big thanks to the strange shape of the land). The line of trees between ovals and tennis court has been drastically cut back to almost-stumps, though. When I was a kid, that was almost solid, the spaces were only big enough for kids to get through, and hide in.
After getting to Albany Highway and off the bus *insert "Mr Sandman" here*, I was stunned to realise I recognised one of the first business buildings I came to. I'm pretty sure we delivered local papers to this tri-fronted building in the weeks we needed to cover someone else's run. To child-me it was a long way away for the highway. Some other buildings I remembered, although long since changing hands (no bookstore anymore, oops!), and I think some zoning changes might be going through, given the number of abandoned houses along the road. Some of these houses, judging by the plants, had been left for years. Probably over 50-60 years old, some of them two-storey homes on large blocks, just left there. Just seems strange to see, in the old neighbourhood, along one of the older established highways.
I was rather shocked how soon I spotted the Park Centre - I still remember that walk as being rather long. Being rather early some of the stores weren't open yet, so I couldn't see if the old cake store was still in business, or if the highway-newsagent still had some things from when I was a kid. There's a lot of restaurants opening up along that stretch of the highway now. Good to see the Park Centre has made things a bit more pedestrian-friendly, though.
Anyone who's witnessed my
Anyway, only spent about an hour there; left to catch a bus back to the city, but the most notable thing there was trying out a new form of apple/watermelon/strawberry from one of the juice bars (perfect placement that store!) since the new comics weren't in yet. Back to the normal shops, and by this time the early morning chill had faded away, leaving a glorious cool day, just right for zipping along the river with the slightest breeze.
