More further adventures of the Three Wise Men

Many years ago — almost certainly before I was born — my paternal grandmother, Nana Chick, took some decorative wood-turned curtain-rod ends and some rather bold paint colours and created a set of Three Wise Men as Christmas decorations. Somehow they ended up in our family where they have gained folkloric notoriety, with their kitsch brashness and resulting undesirability meaning that they have been useful as “threat” Christmas gifts (e.g., “If you don’t tell me what you’d like for Christmas you’ll get the TWM”). Ironically, this has taken their status beyond anathema and into the realms of mocking affection, to the extent that they are now part of family legend and their safety is paramount.

A couple of years ago my Adelaide brother stole them and took them back to South Australia; on Christmas day this year they were returned to my parents and we all received copies of a calendar of family photos of the Adelaide mob … but it was entitled “The Further Travels of the Three Wise Men” and the Three Wise Men appeared amongst the family members and landmarks in every single photo!

Well, we have now embraced the Three Wise Men and their thirst for adventure, and at today’s Boxing Day picnic (which, for a variety of reasons, was attended only by those of my Mum’s generation and me) I took the TWM kayaking under the Snug bridge and helped them undertake some rockclimbing on a nearby small sandstone sea-stack.

There may be further further adventures in future.