In a 1924 edition of the Stockton Times, 13-year-old Trevor Evans had a letter to the editor published.
Trevor noted that Stockton was known as the "Manly of the north".
"Stockton is known for its beautiful beach, which is familiar to people all over the state," Trevor wrote.
"It is an ideal place in summer because one can enjoy the cool breeze from the sea and indulge in surfing. Bathing is made safe here because of the splendid surf club and excellent lifeboat".
That comment about Stockton being a "beautiful beach" is a bit heart-wrenching to read, given the present situation.
Trevor's son Bruce Evans sent us the newspaper snippet. His dad's letter was republished in a 1967 edition of the Stockton Advocate.
So what about that "Manly of the north" nickname? Do people still call it that?
Bruce, who grew up at Stockton, says they do.
He said the nickname first emerged when people compared Stockton to Manly because it was "a pristine beach in Sydney".
"As far as the Stocktonites were concerned, Stockton was the best beach in Newcastle," said Bruce, who now lives at Valentine but is a life member of Stockton Surf Club.
Topics is wondering whether this nickname came before Manly was known as the most disliked footy club around.
Perhaps footy rivalry is why some people question the "Manly of the north" nickname.
"Some blokes say, 'What are you talking about, it's Stockton mate'. They say 'wake up to yourself'.
"They sort of say you can't compare it to Manly nowadays. But there's a lot of blow-ins in Stockton now.
"I was born and bred there. They probably wouldn't know what we're talking about. The locals know."
As for the situation with the beach, Bruce said: "When I was a kid, it was about 80 to 90 metres from the surf club to the water".
He was disappointed that "nothing has really been done" about the beach's erosion crisis.
A Non-Viral Joke
This from Merewether's Elaine Street: "I was recently given a postcard originally sent by my mother to her cousin, just after my brother was born in 1941".
"It has a cartoon-type drawing of two babies about eight months old in their own bassinet. One is whispering to the other: 'Marriage ole chap - it's not a word, it's a sentence'."
We stared at this joke for a bit, but the penny didn't drop.
So we googled the joke, "Marriage - it's not a word, it's a sentence."
It was a Rodney Dangerfield joke.
Ahh, now we get it.
Pub Talk
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked at a press conference on Friday when Aussies could get back to drinking at pubs.
Mr Morrison said if people wanted to "get back to the pub", they should download the COVIDSafe app.
He said the app was the "ticket to opening our economy back up".
"We can't keep Australia under the doona," he said.
Sports Minister Richard Colbeck used a bit of poetry in his comments about the much-anticipated return of community and elite sport, saying: "If you want to get out to play, download the app today".
- topics@newcastleherald.com.au
