Gee the old Tribune Newspaper ! I've not heard of it for 'yonks' ! Once upon the time if you were seen with a copy of 'The Tribune' hanging out of your back pocket, you'd hit the top ten of the ASIO Hit Parade.

Speaking of Hero's, heroines more specifically ? Does anybody remembers a 'lady' with interesting proclivities, by the name of Bea MILES ? When I was in uniform I'd always dread coping a job dealing with Bea ? I was stationed at Burwood, but sent to Strathfield cop shop (relief), which was on the corner of Concord & Parramatta Roads, Concord.

As it happened dear ol' Bea, decided to station herself on the corner there this day, a very busy intersection controlled by lights. As was her usual practice, she'd promptly jump into any car she fancied, that stopped at the lights, and demand to be taken wherever she wished to go ? Unaware of who she was, most drivers readily acquiesced to her 'very loud' demands, and the hapless driver who felt as if he were a hostage, would yield to her extraordinary demands ! Often police would intercede which would only serve to cause enormous distraction. No copper liked dealing with Bea, including myself she'd often accuse you of every offence in the book, and she was most plausible and highly competent in court.

In fact Bea was a very intelligent women, who'd received a thoroughly good university education. Yet somehow, something must have 'snapped' within her, and she became almost feral in her behaviour towards others. She positively loathed police, why so, nobody could ever work it out, because they always treated her very well indeed ?

Alas, another one of Sydney's truly colourful identities lost to time unfortunately ? Though extremely difficult to handle and control her, Bea meant no real harm to anybody really. Wherever Bea MILES is now, I truly hope she's contented and happy. I fear she's probably passed, as she would be at least 20 years my senior, and I'm 75.

Gee Beach, I feel terribly sorry for your friends. Obviously they didn't attend my catholic school where my total experience was wholesome and uplifting, truly a well rounded education, and I didn't have to horde a single copy of any old newspaper to learn history, a novel idea. Was that a thing'y they done at your school? Was it some kind of "Progressive" school with radical ideas,like saving your old newspapers? Could have your teachers been Fabians? Are you all receiving counselling together? I just enjoyed Souths winning the RL grand final. Goodnight.

Dear o sung wu,

paul1405 may indeed be made of sterner stuff than I.

What I am certain of my friend that the evidence abounds on this thread that he is made of far sterner stuff than yourself.

By the third post on this thread of yours you had labelled him a coward, a pretender, and a useless human being.

I set out to quite make the case that you were a coward for claiming to be prepared to murder an unarmed prisoner, a pretender for being a blowhard, and a useless old soak.

The truth is neither of you really deserve those labels but look at the way you have reacted compared to paul1405. You have been apoplectic, and the venom you have been spewing at me shows just how thin skinned and precious you really are. These are traits of a bully. Compare that to paul1405's response and it is obvious who is made of the elusive 'sterner stuff', and every increasingly shrill post in my direction makes that point rather forcefully.

Just for the record I did not address anything to OTB rather I quoted him when noting you had used the term 'baby killers' first on this thread and thus, according to OTB you “quite deliberately chose to repeat the groundless insult here” and that he “had never heard of that insult in Australia”. According to him “It is part of that rather obvious and clumsy name-calling and sledging you do, isn't it? Always trying to attach a label to poison the well.” I do get the sense he has you rather well sussed my friend.

Finally I am not doing this because I think paul1405 needs any help from me, he is perfectly capable of looking after himself, I'm doing it because I don't like bullying behaviour, never have and never will. If you don't like what is coming your way then how do you think others feel when you dish it out? Perhaps just stick to the war stories from here on in.

Wu, Bea Miles passed on some 40 years ago. I vaguely recall her being seen around Hyde Park. I can only relate what I was told by the old man who would be 102 if alive today. Bea was at one time a very wealthy woman, running a male gang in East Sydney during the 1930's, running prosecution, two-up schools and sly grog shops etc. Her war with another crimnal women Tilly Devine was legendary, Bea died a penniless eccentric. Those strange eccentrics which frequented the streets of inner Sydney have long gone. Do you recall the strange character with the cart, in Sydney he used to sharpen knives for butchers etc back in the 1960's. Had a very odd call as he pushed his barrow along the streets. The mystery bloke who for years chalked the word "ETERNITY" in a very nice hand on the footpaths of Sydney for years and years, they immortalized him some time back with the word "ETERNITY" in his handwriting in lights on the Harbour Bridge one New Years Eve.
My old man although rusted on Labor. always read the 'Tribune' as did many self respecting workers did. Had it in the back pocket.

Paul,

I used to read the Tribune, my father got it and he was mates with some of the top Commos, although politically opposed to them.
He was good friends with Lance Sharkey but he was also a friend of Cardinal Gilroy and was very involved in Catholic Action over the years.

One of my favorite tricks when I worked for the Dept. of Defence was to carry a folded copy of "The Connaught Tribune" ( a West of Ireland news paper) folded so that 'Tribune' was to the fore, people frequently bit, whereupon I'd unfold the paper; red faces!

PAUL1405...

Indeed you would've seen old Bea lurking around Hyde Park, as well as loitering near any of the Taxi ranks she choose. She terrified the poor ol' cabbies ! It may well be true, she may've been independently wealthy, though you'd never know by looking at her.

As far as her running with the notorious Tilly DEVINE and ors., perhaps you're confusing her with Tilly's fierce old sparring partner, Kate or Katie LEIGH ? I should add this was all before my time, though I've had several less than cordial run-ins with dear old Bea. Not a good look, a young uniformed copper trying to restrain an old, apparently destitute, lady !

To my knowledge she was never actually listed by the former Consorting Squad, as a 'POI' ? Heavens above, Bea would consider herself far too chic' to ever consort with the lowly criminal classes ! Hard enough for her to tolerate the dullard coppers ?

She knew her Shakespeare very well too, and if the stories were true, she'd recite some of it for a few bob ! When I had dealings with her, she was quite an old lady by then, therefore she'd probably mellowed somewhat, fortunately for me. She was quite averse to jumping into the tub also ? However that particularly task fell to policewomen, thankfully. An interesting lady. Sydney's loss, heaven's gain, I believe !

I 'think' I recall the guy that sharpened knives, often down near Macquarie Place ? Indeed that beautifully styled, cursive writing in yellow crayon, the word 'Eternity' I remember very well. Didn't one of the Newspapers actually identify the man ? A lot of blokes who did the city patrols reckon they'd seen him ? I'm not so sure myself, still ?

Another of the city's legends/mystery's, have you ever seen the old wooden Baton placed in the open jaws of the Lion, situated above the entrance to the old George Street North police station ? I've heard so many accounts of how it got there, and why it was so placed ? - who'd really know ?