Vale Fred Cook

[bornadog]

Fred Cook, the full forward who kicked goals galore for Port Melbourne in the old VFA and played league football for Footscray, has died peacefully at the age of 74.

RIP

[bornadog]

For those who never saw him, here is a write up about his career.

Read here (https://australianfootball.com/players/player/fred%2Bcook/9965)

[Mofra]

Absolute VFA legend

[bornadog]

Absolute VFA legend

Kicked over 1200 goals for Port

[Eastdog]

A Port Melbourne VFA legend. Kicked a ton of goals.

[Axe Man]

Anyone know what Fred did at Charlie Sutton's house that led to his exit from Footscray?

VFA and Port Melbourne legend Fred Cook dies at age 74 (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/vfl/vfa-and-port-melbourne-legend-fred-cook-dies-at-age-74/news-story/3188da7610acfd6976423e894f449062?fbclid=IwAR34J4yGsH-dEGtyNDHmZ6WQg1-kL0GNW53j2Cad6OFE72UMKiQpb_eXi-k)

AT its peak in the 1970s, the Victorian Football Association had a cluster of players who became household names, their deeds amplified by Sunday TV broadcasts that attracted large and devoted audiences.

But there was no more captivating or charismatic figure than Port Melbourne full-forward Fred Cook, who died today at a nursing home in Bendigo.

He was 74.

In football-mad Melbourne, Cook’s public profile was larger than most league players.

He had a column in the Sporting Globe, was a regular on radio, appeared on Channel 7’s World of Sport and was in demand on the speaking circuit, often accompanied by his great mate Sam Newman.

The hundreds of goals he kicked for Port Melbourne underpinned a popularity that opened many doors for him off the ground.

But he squandered whatever he made, descending into a drug habit in the 1980s and ultimately doing jail time.

Few sporting stars fell harder or deeper than the man his adoring supporters called “Fabulous Fred’’.

There was no redemptive element to his decline either; even as he faded into obscurity and his senior years he fought a battle with drugs.

He must have said it 1000 times: “I didn’t use yesterday, I haven’t used today and I probably won’t use tomorrow.’’

Cook played 33 games for Footscray from 1967-69 and had the potential to play many more. His teammates from the Dogs noted that he marked the ball as well as anyone in the game.

But Cook clashed with official Jack Collins over his attendance at a players’ gathering at the home of Bulldogs great Charlie Sutton.

Dropped to the reserves, he stewed. Hearing of his disenchantment, VFA club Yarraville came calling with a lucrative offer that he could not refuse.

Cook went to the VFA midway through the 1969 season and for the next 15 years was its most magnetic figure.

He jagged the 1970 JJ Liston Trophy at Yarraville, which, despite Cook’s dominance, was relegated.

Not wanting to play Division 2 football, he crossed to Port Melbourne.

A heart attack set him back early in his time at the Borough but when he moved to full forward nothing could stop him.

Wearing No 5, goals fairly gushed from his Puma boots and helped power Port Melbourne to a string of premierships.

Cook’s season tallies tell the tale: 67 goals in 1973, 58 in 1975, 108 in 1975, 125 in 1976, 125 in 1977, 115 in 1978, 79 in 1979 (when he shared the attack with another great spearhead in Peter McKenna), 112 in 1980, 106 in 1981, 139 in 1982 and 76 in 1983.

He played in the Norm Brown-coached 1974-76-77 flags and the Gary Brice-coached 1980-81-82 successes.

Cook finished up at Moorabbin after then-Port coach Warwick Irwin decided to move him on.

The great full forward was taken aback that the club where he played a record 253 games and booted 1236 goals no long wanted him. He got drunk that night at his Station Hotel.

Cook had taken over the Station Hotel towards the end of his career at Port Melbourne, and the bars that had been deserted suddenly filled.

The lunches he put on became legendary, attracting legal figures, bankers, businessmen, police, entertainers and sporting identities.

He also employed topless waitresses and strippers.

But the hotel also attracted a criminal element, including drug dealer Dennis Allen.

Cook always pinpointed the start of his slide to the night he complained to Allen how tired he felt.

He was down to do a sportsman’s night with the St Kilda Brownlow Medal champion Neil Roberts and English fast bowler John Snow but he was struggling with the flu.

Allen whipped out a bag of white powder and a pen knife, and tipped some amphetamines into Cook’s drink. He immediately felt a burst of energy and ready to meet his engagement.

But with a calendar crowded with commitments, he began to lean on speed and eventually his life fell apart.

He also admitted the drugs were a way of replacing the adrenaline rush football brought him, “the buzz in the belly’’.

Cook lost everything he owned and resorted to drug dealing and petty crime to get by.

Police eventually caught up with him and he went to jail, the advice of Newman ignored: “If only you would apply to your life the discipline you showed in his football career.’’

In 2016, by now living on the Mornington Peninsula, he was hit by a motorbike and was found unconscious in his home, close to death.

Taken to Frankston Hospital, his family was told to prepare for the worst.

But he recovered, his family at his side.

A year later he looked a sick man when Port Melbourne staged a tribute for him. He was in a wheelchair and some people were shocked at his appearance. One former teammate wept.

But again he came good, encouraged by his loyal wife, Sally, who was never far from his side and who in the past few days had been fretting over his declining health.

Fred Cook died this morning at Victoria Heights Aged Care in Bendigo.

[Eastdog]

Anyone know what Fred did at Charlie Sutton's house that led to his exit from Footscray?


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Cook_(Australian_footballer,_born_1947)

From Wiki:

After the sixth round of the 1969 season, Cook was dropped from Footscray senior side to the reserves, along with six other players, as a disciplinary action for attending a family BBQ at former coach Charlie Sutton's house, which club secretary Jack Collins had thought would be a drunken swill, and had discouraged players from attending.[4]

[Axe Man]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Cook_(Australian_footballer,_born_1947)

From Wiki:

After the sixth round of the 1969 season, Cook was dropped from Footscray senior side to the reserves, along with six other players, as a disciplinary action for attending a family BBQ at former coach Charlie Sutton's house, which club secretary Jack Collins had thought would be a drunken swill, and had discouraged players from attending.[4]

I thought he must have done something terrible. Seven players dropped for attending a BBQ at Charlie's house? Crazy.

[Jeanette54]

I saw Fred recently on an old recording of A Crime Australia episode on Kath Pettingill and her family. Kath was Dennis Allen's mother. As one who remembers Fred's performances for the 'Dogs it was pretty hard to watch. And to think we lost him for such a minor infraction. Just as well Jack Collins wasn't the Collingwood club secretary, they wouldn't have had a team for the last fifty years.

RIP Fred, from the kid in the Western Oval outer, back in the 60's.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

I last saw him at Port Melbourne the day Footscray won the Prelim in 2014. He was selling copies of his book (Fabulous Fred quite a good read) out of the boot of a car. He looked rough as

[jeemak]

Such a dramatic tale. RIP.

Bogan dust in those days was serious bogan dust from all accounts, and a lot of players of the day used to get into it.

[Eastdog]

I thought he must have done something terrible. Seven players dropped for attending a BBQ at Charlie's house? Crazy.

Yeah my thoughts as well. Quite a minor thing.

[Grantysghost]

Yeah my thoughts as well. Quite a minor thing.

Am I reading he was a drug dealer?

I'm not sure how I feel about that. User, I can tolerate; dealer not sure. Generally wouldn't consider them a good bloke under any circumstance.

[Eastdog]

Am I reading he was a drug dealer?

I'm not sure how I feel about that. User, I can tolerate; dealer not sure. Generally wouldn't consider them a good bloke under any circumstance.

Yeah he did get caught up with that crowd.

[bornadog]

Am I reading he was a drug dealer?

I'm not sure how I feel about that. User, I can tolerate; dealer not sure. Generally wouldn't consider them a good bloke under any circumstance.

Not good, but small time.

[Grantysghost]

Not good, but small time.

Probably a little like Wayne Carey's situation.

Good guy, it happens.

/s

[merantau]

Good interview of Fred by Phil Cleary.

https://youtu.be/OyeMCEZDu38

[merantau]

Fred was recruited from Footscray Tech School Old Boys, a club that joined the Ammos in 1932 and played until 1988. It then became FIT but only played for a further two seasons.

When Port no longer wanted Fred he went and played 2nd Div with Moorabbin for a year. He was 36 years old. He booted 72 goals in 18 games.
He was a very strong mark - one of the best ever - and he had tremendous speed over the first few metres so he was a nightmare for full backs. For those too young to have seen him play he was a champion player, a huge drawcard and a big media personality.

[bornadog]

Probably a little like Wayne Carey's situation.

Good guy, it happens.

/s

Very different Granty, Domestic Violence is the lowest of low.

I am not saying drug dealing is acceptable, but rather he wasn't a big time dealer, otherwise he would have spent alot longer in jail

[Twodogs]

I saw Fred recently on an old recording of A Crime Australia episode on Kath Pettingill and her family. Kath was Dennis Allen's mother. As one who remembers Fred's performances for the 'Dogs it was pretty hard to watch. And to think we lost him for such a minor infraction. Just as well Jack Collins wasn't the Collingwood club secretary, they wouldn't have had a team for the last fifty years.

RIP Fred, from the kid in the Western Oval outer, back in the 60's.


Fred got to know Dennis Allen through Dennis being a customer of the pub Fred owned in Port Melbourne. I was told a story about Fred ripping off Dennis with some gear he got on tic from him then cutting it, keeping some back and then returning the cut gear back to Dennis. Miraculously Fred got out of it without Dennis killing him, Fred must be the only one that tried something like that with Dennis without ending up inside a barrell floating in the Yarra.


Such a dramatic tale. RIP.

Bogan dust in those days was serious bogan dust from all accounts, and a lot of players of the day used to get into it.

I can attest to the fact that amphetamine was potent, plentiful and fairly cheap around Melbourne in the mid to late 80s and early '90s.

Dunno that you'd want to be playing footy under its affects though plenty did. You tended to be all over the shop and couldn't concentrate on any one thing for any amount of time.

[Grantysghost]

Very different Granty, Domestic Violence is the lowest of low.

I am not saying drug dealing is acceptable, but rather he wasn't a big time dealer, otherwise he would have spent alot longer in jail

Fair enough mate I get there are levels of extremity. Sounds like he mixed with the wrong crowd but was an incredible player.

[Grantysghost]

Fred got to know Dennis Allen through Dennis being a customer of the pub Fred owned in Port Melbourne. I was told a story about Fred ripping off Dennis with some gear he got on tic from him then cutting it, keeping some back and then returning the cut gear back to Dennis. Miraculously Fred got out of it without Dennis killing him, Fred must be the only one that tried something like that with Dennis without ending up inside a barrell floating in the Yarra.



I can attest to the fact that amphetamine was potent, plentiful and fairly cheap around Melbourne in the mid to late 80s and early '90s.

Dunno that you'd want to be playing footy under its affects though plenty did. You tended to be all over the shop and couldn't concentrate on any one thing for any amount of time.

I think I played against some of those guys in the FDFL haha.

Braybrook were pretty scary, the truck pulled up parallel to the ground with the side up full of couches and the locals on the turps giving you what for !

[Twodogs]

I think I played against some of those guys in the FDFL haha.

Braybrook were pretty scary, the truck pulled up parallel to the ground with the side up full of couches and the locals on the turps giving you what for !

Oh yeah for sure. Braybrook is like an island of old school "western suburbanness" that gentrification either never caught up with or took one look at and turned tail and fled. But give them their due, they stick fat with the Bulldogs. I know one AFLW player that grew up in Braybrook who even though she plays for another club in the AFLW is still a huge bulldog supporter. She plays for pay but her passion is the doggies!

[Bulldog4life]

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=s_t1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=was+fred+cook+related+to+ted+whitten&source=bl&ots=VoqJxmawRl&sig=ACfU3U3vMB35EkxOnH0b28BkhJpQE53rzg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMvJrdouL1AhV13jgGHVJZCtsQ6AF6BAgXEAM#v=onepage&q=was%20fred%20cook%20related%20to%20ted%20whitten&f=false

I always thought Fred and Ted were cousins. I was wrong. But in my search I discovered excerpts from his book including when he left the doggies. A good read.

[merantau]

Oh yeah for sure. Braybrook is like an island of old school "western suburbanness" that gentrification either never caught up with or took one look at and turned tail and fled. But give them their due, they stick fat with the Bulldogs. I know one AFLW player that grew up in Braybrook who even though she plays for another club in the AFLW is still a huge bulldog supporter. She plays for pay but her passion is the doggies!

The social history of parts of Braybrook was real struggle town. The area between Ballarat Rd in the north, the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line in the south, Ashley St in the east and Stony Creek in the west where it 'flowed' under Monash St was pretty much vacant land at the beginning of the 1950s.

The Victorian Railways purchased some of the land between South Rd and the Dept of Supply land that was at the bottom of Beachley St. They then built the Railway Estate there importing £10 Poms from the UK. That's how my family got here - boat people fleeing the ruins of post-War Europe.

When Melbourne won the Olympic Games bid, I suppose in 1951 or 52, it dawned on the organisers that there was a terrible eyesore that all the visitors would see on their way into Melbourne as they passed down Flemington Rd - Camp Pell in Royal Park.

In WW2 this was a base for US troops. They were housed in Nissen huts. These were empty so the authorities moved the people out of the shanty town that had arisen on the land between Dynon Rd and Footscray Rd during the Depression and re-located them to Camp Pell.

So the Housing Commission purchased the land between South Rd and Ballarat Rd and built the huge estate there. Braybrook people, like all Western Suburbs people, .have a special bond

[EasternWest]

Man I just love when merantau and twodogs starting waxing nostalgic.

[merantau]

Man I just love when merantau and twodogs starting waxing nostalgic.

Even though I left Braybrook a long time ago, it never leaves you. I had a the best childhood ever there. It was full of adventure. We had paddocks to play footy and cricket on and quarries to play in. There was also the "Black Arch", where Stony Creek went under the railway line at the bottom of Matthews Hill and Solomon's Ford on the Maribyrnong.
F
The land that the Railway Estate was on was sold to the Victorian Railways by two Maltese brothers, Joe and Sam Farrugia who came to Australia in the early 1930s. They established a poultry farm there and operated it until the early 60s when they sold up and moved to a site in Wright St Sunshine, at the bottom of Hampshire Rd

Sam Farrugia worked at the quarries in Market Rd later on. He rode an Aerial Square Four - a very powerful 1000cc bike.

My brother, Peter, had a fight with Mr. Farrugia's son, Joe, and came home crying. The old man told him to "go back and fight him again. He'll respect you for it but, more important, you'll respect yourself more." So he did and they ended up becoming friends.

Mary Farrugia was the first girl I ever went out with. It was to the "Learn to Dance" classes at the YCW Hall off Devonshire Rd. I think we were about 13 and both very embarrassed by the whole thing as it was something our parents organised for us. It didn't last long!

Nostalgia - I'm drowning in it!

[jeemak]

The social history of parts of Braybrook was real struggle town. The area between Ballarat Rd in the north, the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line in the south, Ashley St in the east and Stony Creek in the west where it 'flowed' under Monash St was pretty much vacant land at the beginning of the 1950s.

The Victorian Railways purchased some of the land between South Rd and the Dept of Supply land that was at the bottom of Beachley St. They then built the Railway Estate there importing £10 Poms from the UK. That's how my family got here - boat people fleeing the ruins of post-War Europe.

When Melbourne won the Olympic Games bid, I suppose in 1951 or 52, it dawned on the organisers that there was a terrible eyesore that all the visitors would see on their way into Melbourne as they passed down Flemington Rd - Camp Pell in Royal Park.

In WW2 this was a base for US troops. They were housed in Nissen huts. These were empty so the authorities moved the people out of the shanty town that had arisen on the land between Dynon Rd and Footscray Rd during the Depression and re-located them to Camp Pell.

So the Housing Commission purchased the land between South Rd and Ballarat Rd and built the huge estate there. Braybrook people, like all Western Suburbs people, .have a special bond

Boat people.......aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[jeemak]

Even though I left Braybrook a long time ago, it never leaves you. I had a the best childhood ever there. It was full of adventure. We had paddocks to play footy and cricket on and quarries to play in. There was also the "Black Arch", where Stony Creek went under the railway line at the bottom of Matthews Hill and Solomon's Ford on the Maribyrnong.
F
The land that the Railway Estate was on was sold to the Victorian Railways by two Maltese brothers, Joe and Sam Farrugia who came to Australia in the early 1930s. They established a poultry farm there and operated it until the early 60s when they sold up and moved to a site in Wright St Sunshine, at the bottom of Hampshire Rd

Sam Farrugia worked at the quarries in Market Rd later on. He rode an Aerial Square Four - a very powerful 1000cc bike.

My brother, Peter, had a fight with Mr. Farrugia's son, Joe, and came home crying. The old man told him to "go back and fight him again. He'll respect you for it but, more important, you'll respect yourself more." So he did and they ended up becoming friends.

Mary Farrugia was the first girl I ever went out with. It was to the "Learn to Dance" classes at the YCW Hall off Devonshire Rd. I think we were about 13 and both very embarrassed by the whole thing as it was something our parents organised for us. It didn't last long!

Nostalgia - I'm drowning in it!

I guess he and your father didn't have the option of cyber bullying and an online smear campaign then!

[Axe Man]

I guess he and your father didn't have the option of cyber bullying and an online smear campaign then!

I think the closest equivalent would have been writing some disparaging comments on toilet walls.

[jeemak]

I think the closest equivalent would have been writing some disparaging comments on toilet walls.

Call Joe Farrugia for a good time on - dial operator........

[merantau]

I guess he and your father didn't have the option of cyber bullying and an online smear campaign then!

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." L.P. Hartley, The Go Between

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

The social history of parts of Braybrook was real struggle town. The area between Ballarat Rd in the north, the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line in the south, Ashley St in the east and Stony Creek in the west where it 'flowed' under Monash St was pretty much vacant land at the beginning of the 1950s.

The Victorian Railways purchased some of the land between South Rd and the Dept of Supply land that was at the bottom of Beachley St. They then built the Railway Estate there importing £10 Poms from the UK. That's how my family got here - boat people fleeing the ruins of post-War Europe.

When Melbourne won the Olympic Games bid, I suppose in 1951 or 52, it dawned on the organisers that there was a terrible eyesore that all the visitors would see on their way into Melbourne as they passed down Flemington Rd - Camp Pell in Royal Park.

In WW2 this was a base for US troops. They were housed in Nissen huts. These were empty so the authorities moved the people out of the shanty town that had arisen on the land between Dynon Rd and Footscray Rd during the Depression and re-located them to Camp Pell.

So the Housing Commission purchased the land between South Rd and Ballarat Rd and built the huge estate there. Braybrook people, like all Western Suburbs people, .have a special bond

My Mum grew up in Brooklyn and used to tell me that the US Servicemen stationed there during WW2 named the suburb 'Brooklyn' as a joke, because back then it was all vacant land and as far from New York's Brooklyn as it could be.. I'm not sure of the veracity of that claim though.

Her Mum and Dad migrated from England right at the end of WW2 and built one of the first houses in Brooklyn in Stenhouse Avenue.
I always have vivid memories of the stench of air pollution in and around Brooklyn due to the petrochemical plants that were there during the 80's. I haven't been back there since then, but I presume with gentrification, those petrochemical plants have either moved, or have been modified to reduce the bad smell from the pollution.

****Apologies. I only just realised this was the Vale Fred Cook thread, I just saw merantau's post and didn't notice the thread title. Didn't mean to sidetrack the thread.

[Axe Man]

My Mum grew up in Brooklyn and used to tell me that the US Servicemen stationed there during WW2 named the suburb 'Brooklyn' as a joke, because back then it was all vacant land and as far from New York's Brooklyn as it could be.. I'm not sure of the veracity of that claim though.

I don't wish to contradict your mum but according to this the area was named Brooklyn long before WWII:


The original Brooklyn village reserve (1852) was where the Geelong Road (Princes Highway) crossed the Kororoit Creek. The name, however, does not appear to have arisen until the 1880s, by when a landholder, James Cherry, built Brooklyn Lodge.

Link (https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/brooklyn#:~:text=From%20its%20beginning%20Brooklyn%20was,the %20hotel%20in%20the%201890s.)

[Grantysghost]

I don't wish to contradict your mum but according to this the area was named Brooklyn long before WWII:



Link (https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/brooklyn#:~:text=From%20its%20beginning%20Brooklyn%20was,the %20hotel%20in%20the%201890s.)

I'm going with YHF. The art of the story will die very quickly if everyone keeps fact checking everything.

Someone tells me a story now, unless it's related to science, I'm letting myself get swept away in the narrative xD

Google has ruined folklore!

Imagine the Pagans.. This is our Goddess...

Barry with his iPhone.. Ah.. Guys...

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I don't wish to contradict your mum but according to this the area was named Brooklyn long before WWII:



Link (https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/brooklyn#:~:text=From%20its%20beginning%20Brooklyn%20was,the %20hotel%20in%20the%201890s.)

No mate that's fine. I never questioned it as a kid, but as an adult I had started to suspect it was a nice story that wasn't quite the truth. I wouldn't have thought US Serviceman would have any direct ability to name suburbs in Australia.

[Axe Man]

No mate that's fine. I never questioned it as a kid, but as an adult I had started to suspect it was a nice story that wasn't quite the truth. I wouldn't have thought US Serviceman would have any direct ability to name suburbs in Australia.

I actually didn't go in trying to disprove it. I thought that's a cool story, I wonder if there's something out there to confirm it. Unfortunately not.

[EasternWest]

Even though I left Braybrook a long time ago, it never leaves you. I had a the best childhood ever there. It was full of adventure. We had paddocks to play footy and cricket on and quarries to play in. There was also the "Black Arch", where Stony Creek went under the railway line at the bottom of Matthews Hill and Solomon's Ford on the Maribyrnong.
F
The land that the Railway Estate was on was sold to the Victorian Railways by two Maltese brothers, Joe and Sam Farrugia who came to Australia in the early 1930s. They established a poultry farm there and operated it until the early 60s when they sold up and moved to a site in Wright St Sunshine, at the bottom of Hampshire Rd

Sam Farrugia worked at the quarries in Market Rd later on. He rode an Aerial Square Four - a very powerful 1000cc bike.

My brother, Peter, had a fight with Mr. Farrugia's son, Joe, and came home crying. The old man told him to "go back and fight him again. He'll respect you for it but, more important, you'll respect yourself more." So he did and they ended up becoming friends.

Mary Farrugia was the first girl I ever went out with. It was to the "Learn to Dance" classes at the YCW Hall off Devonshire Rd. I think we were about 13 and both very embarrassed by the whole thing as it was something our parents organised for us. It didn't last long!

Nostalgia - I'm drowning in it!

https://i.postimg.cc/J0dCCxTy/more-beach.gif (https://postimages.org/)


Boat people.......aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

No it's ok, because these ones were the right colour.

/s in case it's necessary.

[bornadog]

I don't wish to contradict your mum but according to this the area was named Brooklyn long before WWII:


The original Brooklyn village reserve (1852) was where the Geelong Road (Princes Highway) crossed the Kororoit Creek. The name, however, does not appear to have arisen until the 1880s, by when a landholder, James Cherry, built Brooklyn Lodge.

Link (https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/brooklyn#:~:text=From%20its%20beginning%20Brooklyn%20was,the %20hotel%20in%20the%201890s.)

I guess the infamous Cherry Lane is named after him.

If anyone doesn't know about Cherry Lane, I can tell you. Built in the 70s as a new road where lots of industrial buildings were earmarked, however, the authorities didn't realise it was a perfect drag racing strip, as it was long and wide.

Soon it became big and guys would bring their hotted up cars there to race. Ended up with huge crowds on Friday/Saturday night. Police shut it down after awhile.

[Twodogs]

I guess the infamous Cherry Lane is named after him.

If anyone doesn't know about Cherry Lane, I can tell you. Built in the 70s as a new road where lots of industrial buildings were earmarked, however, the authorities didn't realise it was a perfect drag racing strip, as it was long and wide.

Soon it became big and guys would bring their hotted up cars there to race. Ended up with huge crowds on Friday/Saturday night. Police shut it down after awhile.

Yep I can remember the drags at Cherry Lane very well. I didn't care much about cars but watching the lunatics belting along at a million miles was a great Friday night. Right up until someone yelled "COPS!"

[Twodogs]

My Mum grew up in Brooklyn and used to tell me that the US Servicemen stationed there during WW2 named the suburb 'Brooklyn' as a joke, because back then it was all vacant land and as far from New York's Brooklyn as it could be.. I'm not sure of the veracity of that claim though.

Her Mum and Dad migrated from England right at the end of WW2 and built one of the first houses in Brooklyn in Stenhouse Avenue.
I always have vivid memories of the stench of air pollution in and around Brooklyn due to the petrochemical plants that were there during the 80's. I haven't been back there since then, but I presume with gentrification, those petrochemical plants have either moved, or have been modified to reduce the bad smell from the pollution.

****Apologies. I only just realised this was the Vale Fred Cook thread, I just saw merantau's post and didn't notice the thread title. Didn't mean to sidetrack the thread.

Oh yeah the Monsanto smell! I'd be staggering home at 3 or 4 in the morning and the stench would be chronic from Monsanto. Mix in some of the meat works blood and bone and it would make you dry retch as you got home. Especially with all the chemicals I'd ingested myself.