Another two part story from or about the “upstairs lot”,from when I lived “on” the Brooker avenue..thats a main throughfare going down into Hobart from the north. However! A refugee family moved in..1991 maybe. They had walked out of Iraq, when they heard that Sadam Hussein was about to target them, on account of Gailan was a journalist ..who must have annoyed a Someone in government. A Protestant lot had sponsored them..or whatever the term was..and got them out of the refugee camp they were in. So, tenants moved in and out frequently, but never introduced themselves as … did Gailan… a knock on the door, and here was a funny little man, with a plate of..middle eastern cupcakes. Tradition, he said. Oh!
Well. In Iraq, to survive, you had to get to know, and keep in regular touch with, all the neighbours for seven houses..in all directions. That was the mans job..the wife looked after the family and house..all the work, as far as I could tell. So, this was how Gailan had learnt that Sadam was about to target them..those neighbours kept in touch with all the surrounding neighbours, and so did they..etc etc. Gailan reckoned that here in Hobart, he wasnt going to bother with seven in all directions…only three, Bill. Ah! Gailan didnt have much money, but did like going to the pub..so..he’d “borrow” all the time, so he could do his Shout, in true aussie style…