Monday Forum - Open Thread

Today's Monday Forum provides a chance for anyone to raise whatever they like I am not even going to give hints!.

Update 1

With demolition underway in George Street, Sydney, the old side of the Peapes' building suddenly reappeared with its advertising.

Peapes was Sydney's leading men's wear store. It operated from Beneficial House from 1923 to the business's closure in 1970. Peapes was a posh store, an elegant place, in-keeping with the quality of Peapes’ goods, which were stressed to be of the highest degree.

Mum bought me my first sports coat at Peapes. I must have been in 5A, what we would now call year 9. She wanted me to get a nice Harris Tweed and was slightly surprised when I went for a slightly blue version with a degree of glitter. She was probably right you, I had no idea of fashion! Some of my older friends may actually remember the jacket, for I wore it for many years.

Back in Armidale, I wore it proudly to the local show on the Saturday. There, mixing.with the boarders, I got into a degree of trouble from a master because I wasn't in school uniform!

On Mirror Sydney, Vanessa Barry's A Peep at Peapes tells the story of the store. It's a nice piece on a very good blog.

Do you have clothing stores that you remember from your childhood?  

Update 2

kvd remembered Fletcher Jones. He pointed to this YouTube video on the firm's last days as it fought to stay alive in the face of falling tariffs and lower overseas wage rates.

kvd also found this UK blog, Ornamental Passions.Subtitled "Devoted to the unexpected details that help to make life in the city worth living", the blog looks at the statues and building decorations that are such a feature of London. It's really a very good blog. kvd asked me if there was a an Australian equivalent. I don't know of an exact one. Perhaps Helen Webberley (Art and Architecture, mainly) might know? As an aside, Helen's blog maintains its very high standard. It's a good read. .

Update 3 26 September 2017: Same Sex Marriage

I am keeping this thread open until next Monday as a way of recording updates.

I voted the same day the same sex marriage survey form arrived, primarily because I was concerned that some of the yes protagonists might put me off. In her lucid survey of the debate on Skepticslawyers, Why I am voting Yes in the SSM postal survey (but won’t be telling anyone else how to vote), Legal Eagle  called this response reactance. I am certainly prone to it. When sporting codes such as the Australian Rugby Union or firms such as Qantas come out officially in favour of a yes vote, I find myself moving into the no camp because I regard this as inappropriate behaviour for those organisations, given their roles.  .

Reporting of opinion poll results since the survey began suggest a decline in the yes vote, a rise in the no vote. I still think (and hope) that the yes vote will get up. Here Dr Kevin Bonham's Recent Polling On The Same-Sex Marriage Postal Survey provides a very useful analysis of the poll results.