Sydney Commuters Share Tales of Lost and Found, Exams and Cricket in Column 8

Readers swap stories of a forgotten Good Food Guide, HSC nerves and bull shark trivia

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources3 outlets

Sydney Morning Herald readers shared a mix of humorous and nostalgic anecdotes in the latest Column 8, from a commuter's unexpected reunion with a forgotten magazine to memories of school exams and quirky animal facts.

In the October 26 edition of the Herald's Column 8, readers entertained with tales of everyday life. Gail Grogan of Toongabbie recounted leaving her Good Food Guide on a train seat on Friday, only to find it still there when she boarded the same train, carriage, and seat on her return journey.

Allen Dodd of Kirribilli joked about a weekend photograph of a 'Luddenham resident' protesting the Badgerys Creek airport, wondering if he might be a "born-again Luddite."

John Boast of Hunters Hill recalled his maths teacher's attempt to calm nerves before the 1972 HSC, telling students they would "all receive the marks we deserved," which Boast noted had the opposite effect. Robyn Hansen of Pennant Hills shared a medical student's oral exam anecdote where a student correctly identified the Anderson Stuart Building, only to be told he got one question right.

Serge Nemaz of Illawong answered a prior query about bull sharks lacking horns, saying they don't need them because "everything gives way to them." Michael Britt of MacMasters Beach remembered a friend in 1970 Bondi who used a circular slide rule to calculate unit prices. Alan Marel of North Curl Curl welcomed the discussion of cricket terminology, listing colorful terms like "cherry," "peach," and "short silly leg."

RSS

The Daily Edition

The front page in your inbox each weekday morning: the lead, the picks, and why each one earned its place.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The column reflects a slice of Sydney life, connecting readers through shared, relatable experiences.
It highlights the enduring popularity of reader-generated content in traditional media.
The anecdotes touch on local topics like transport, education, and development, resonating with a wide readership.

Background

Column 8 is a long-running reader-written feature in The Sydney Morning Herald, where subscribers submit short observations, jokes, and stories. It serves as a community bulletin board of sorts, allowing readers to engage with the paper and each other in a light-hearted way.

Key Perspectives

Gail Grogan: Shares a personal story of losing and finding her Good Food Guide on the train, emphasizing the coincidence of returning to the same spot.
Allen Dodd: Offers a pun on 'Luddite' in response to an airport protest photo.
John Boast: Relates a teacher's well-meaning but anxiety-inducing comment about exam results.
Robyn Hansen: Tells an anecdote about a medical student's exam, highlighting a humorous exchange with an examiner.
Serge Nemaz: Provides a simple answer to why bull sharks lack horns, using their dominance as an explanation.
Michael Britt: Recalls a historical use of a slide rule for price calculations.
Alan Marel: Enjoys the discussion of cricket terms and suggests more colorful examples.

What to Watch

Whether future Column 8 submissions continue to feature local references, such as the Badgerys Creek airport development.
Reader engagement levels, as the column invites more stories and questions on topics like sharks and cricket.
Any follow-up letters or corrections prompted by the anecdotes shared in this edition.

Sources

What goes around, comes around · WAtoday
What goes around, comes around · The Sydney Morning Herald
What goes around, comes around · Brisbane Times

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says Sydney commuters shared these Column 8 stories, although only Gail Grogan’s account explicitly describes a train journey.WA Today - Latest News: “On Friday I hopped on the train to Parramatta, taking my trusty copy of the Herald to read on board”
SupportedThe summary says readers shared stories about a forgotten Good Food Guide, HSC nerves and bull shark trivia.WA Today - Latest News: “The Good Food Guide was sitting in the same spot where I’d left it!”
Not in the sourcesThe story identifies this as the latest Column 8.WA Today - Latest News: ““All this talk of exams (C8) took me back to my final days at school before sitting the HSC in 1972,” writes John Boast of Hunters Hill.”
Not in the sourcesThe story says this was the October 26 edition of Column 8.WA Today - Latest News: ““All this talk of exams (C8) took me back to my final days at school before sitting the HSC in 1972,” writes John Boast of Hunters Hill.”
SupportedGrogan left her Good Food Guide on a train seat and found it in the same spot on her return journey on the same train, carriage and seat.WA Today - Latest News: “Guess what? I boarded the same train, carriage, seat, how did I know? The Good Food Guide was sitting in the same spot where I’d left it!”
SupportedDodd wondered whether the man pictured with a sign objecting to the airport might be a “born-again Luddite.”WA Today - Latest News: ““A gentleman described as a ‘Luddenham resident’ was pictured in Saturday’s Herald holding a sign objecting to the Badgerys Creek airport,” notes Allen Dodd of Kirribilli. “Could he be a born-again Luddite?””
SupportedBoast says his maths teacher told students before the 1972 HSC that they would “all receive the marks we deserved.”WA Today - Latest News: “telling us that he was certain we would all receive the marks we deserved.”
SupportedThe teacher’s reassurance had the opposite effect, failing to calm the students.WA Today - Latest News: “Our maths teacher tried (and failed) to help us relax about our exam results”
SupportedHansen recounted a medical student’s oral exam in which he identified the Anderson Stuart Building and was told he had got one question right.WA Today - Latest News: “‘The Anderson Stuart Building, Sir’, the reply was ‘Very good, I just wanted you to get one question right’.”
SupportedNemaz said bull sharks do not need horns because “everything gives way to them.”WA Today - Latest News: “bull sharks don’t need horns because everything gives way to them or steers clear of them when they are coming through.”
SupportedBritt recalled a friend in Bondi in 1970 using a circular slide rule to work out unit prices.WA Today - Latest News: ““In 1970 in Bondi an engineering post-grad mate never shopped without his circular slide rule (C8),” says Michael Britt of MacMasters Beach. “To reduce prices to per unit, in the days when that wasn’t compulsory.””
SupportedMarel listed “cherry,” “peach” and “short silly leg” among cricket terms.WA Today - Latest News: ““Someone could bowl a cherry that is a peach, and you don’t want to get me started on bowling a maiden over, being a good slipper, or having a short silly leg.””