“What do you own that you just can’t part with?”… This was the question that Clare Bowditch asked on her afternoon program on ABC Radio. I couldn’t help but send in a text declaring my inability to part with the 7,500 printed photos I had taken of Melbourne in the late 80’s for the first Melbourne Map Project.
Minutes later a call came through on the mobile from Clare’s producer Joanne Woods…. “Can you come in to talk to Clare on air about The Melbourne Map?” Yes, yes of course I can. Not long after that I became very nervous about making this decision and the thought of talking on radio became the source of anxiety for a whole week.
The moment came, head phones on, dry mouth and shaking hands. “How long do you think we will be talking Clare?” her response was, “I don’t know, maybe 5 – 10 minutes, lets see how it goes.”
Well actually, it went pretty bloody well and Clare and I chatted for nearly 20 minutes. Turns out she was a huge fan of The Melbourne Map, having grown up seeing and loving the map all those years ago. You can listen to the interview here, and read the ABC News Online story on their website.
What a thrill, firstly to actually be in the room with the gorgeous Clare Bowditch, and then to hear the messages from the listeners about their memories of the first Melbourne Map. A flood of stories were shared and it gave me a new realisation of the impact of the work we are doing to create the new Melbourne Map.
I never tire of hearing your stories, feel free to share here or on our social media pages over at Instagram or Facebook.
Cheers
Mel.