I began in Geelong in the coronation year. Elizabeth took reign over the Empire, Pius XII was reigning over my Church and "Pig Iron" Bob was PM.We got two GGs that year, both called William to help with journos poor memory skills.

Perry Como recorded the hit "Keep It Gay' and my parents missed the connection.

We lived in a house with Desi Arnez, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters constantly singing about Rum and Coca Cola.Luckily discovered Grahame Kennedy and Mavis Brampston. I kept falling in love with the boys in Swallows Juniors with Brian Naylor. At ten yeasr of age I was amazed to discover that Happy Hammond wore a purple jacket on the Tarax Show which never showed up on our tellie.I thought Zig and Zag were a bit off so didn't invite them to any of my birthday parties.

Every year we went to the Gala Parade and watched minor celebrities from Melbourne parade through the street for our adulation.

In 1963, my grandmother let me stay up late to listen to a live broadcast of the funeral of John XIII on the ABC. It was the year I remember headlines for the deaths of JFK, JXXIII and Dan Mannix. Other people died but you had to find them on page two of the Geelong Advertiser.It was also the year the Geelong beat Hawthorn for the flag and I thought Polly Farmer was the best looking footballer in the world.

As a teenager I covered my bedroom walls with my music heroes and good looking guys like Hermans Hermits, The Easybeats, Russell Morris and never even thought I needed a girl anywhere on my wall.