Monday Morning Photo. 20/4/09.

G'day all, going away for a few days so I'm a day early.....this is certainly an improvement on three weeks late or not at all.

I havn't got a clue which order these photos are going to appear in but lets assume that the shot of the Central Arrivals board pops up first.

A quiet spell at Sydney's Central Railway Station, after the a.m rush and during the week between Christmas 1962 and New Year 1963. Summer dresses for the ladies and not a pair of jeans to be seen. No backpacks, only ports.

Central was the hub of the State of New South Wales back then and you could stretch the point and call it the hub of the nation.

This almost somnolent scene really doesn't do it justice, typically I would have had trouble getting a clear shot like this, typically it was thronged.... bustling and rowdy and raucous with the shuffle of hundreds of feet, locomotive din and amplified announcements.

3390 is arriving at Wollongong mid-morningish. I had been up the street for a small mountain of bacon and eggs, bought the paper and spent a little time in the bar on the other platform with a pint of Old and The Sydney Morning Herald. I'd never had a pint before let alone heard of Old.......Resch's, Toohey's or Tooth's, I can't remember.

Thirroul, an up train. The fireman is taking a spell, the Station Master has wandered out of the office to close the barrier gate and collect tickets and the bloke in shorts on the down platform is taking a mild interest in something that is utterly commonplace.

Best regards and more on the Illawarra next week,

Peter Bruce