20 September 2007

In the Steps of Jack Leigh

Chapter 3: Grey Lynn, Western Springs

page 10

I suspect these have been the source of the tram line electricity standards

and the tin of paint seems about the right colour.

Across the way, graffiti covers the end of the performing arts centre.

Graffiti is a performing art in its own right? If it is, I think the majority of the audience would much rather watch them scrubbing it off. Give me a happy ending every time.....

I think, if you're going to allow graffiti to be an art form, you'd also need to give some consideration to including rape as well.

But I digress....

We pass the tram terminus

and the Spitfire.

Just think about guys you know in their twenties or thereabouts climbing into these and flying around trying to kill other twenty year olds in other planes — and pretty horribly, too — before they get a chance to drop bombs on you. My father's generation knew things we were spared. Kind of puts the graffiti in context.

A couple of rusting searchlights sit nearby on the lawn.

Here's the huge hangar that houses Motat's planes.

and now we're through onto Meola Rd, where Jack more or less left us to catch a bus back to town.

Across the road, he tells us, is the proposed site of the Maritime Museum. That was thirty years ago. Events have moved on and the Maritime Museum appears to be taking shape near the bottom of Queen St in the heart of the city.

It's local body election time and for once I locate a politician I can agree with about at least one thing. Is that Banksy's tag at the bottom?

More graffiti

and again

and more still

We round the corner into Garnet Rd and head back toward the van. There's a good walk yet, and some interesting houses, but maybe another day — we are already a bit beyond the track that Jack built.