One Mile Jetty was a landmark on journey

Piece of history: One Mile Jetty at Carnarvon, Western Australia,
as it was in June 1988. I dubbed it the "Stand by Me" bridge.

In a remote corner of the Australian outback it had stood for 124 years, until a few weeks ago when a cyclone thundered through and ripped it apart. 

One Mile Jetty, at Carnarvon in Western Australia, was close to a mile long and was built to allow the transfer of goods, such as livestock and wool, from the mainland to ships anchored in deeper water at the far end. It had long become obsolete and suffered periods of dereliction and abandonment - including the time when I paid my one visit, in the late 1980s. 

However, the jetty underwent a renaissance starting in 1998 as a local organisation helped to restore and re-open it to the public as an attraction. It wasn't all plain sailing as a fire damaged part of the jetty in 2007 and, ten years later, the structure was deemed unsafe and was closed once more.

The devastation left in the wake of Cyclone Seroja this month may have ended the jetty's days for good. It is estimated many millions of dollars would be needed to repair the structure. It has been suggested that a short portion of the jetty could be salvaged and reopened.

It was in June 1988 when I visited Carnarvon. I was hitchhiking from Perth to the north-western corner of the state, through the remote Pilbara and Gascoyne regions, and ended up at the jetty as I scouted for an out of the way spot to pitch my tent for the night. 

I dubbed the jetty "Stand by Me" bridge, after the famous railway bridge scene in the 1986 film. It was in a state of abandonment at that time and was closed off as being unsafe. Nevertheless, I explored it. That day I later met a fellow backpacking traveller from the UK. His name was Yorath, and he was from Wales. He'd decided to visit the remote Australian town as it bore the same name as a major Welsh town.

We two travelling strangers struck up a friendship and shared stories at the wild camping site in the scrubland off to the side of the jetty, away from the township. We shared an evening meal of tined potatoes and beans, and tea. Yorath had to leave at some ungodly hour during the night to catch the coach that was heading back to Perth. When I got up the next morning there was only the empty cans to remind me of the meal and conversation the evening before.

I packed up my tent and walked back along "Stand by Me" bridge to continue my trek.

That was 33 years ago, but the jetty has stayed in my memory. It was an unusual landmark on my journey, and also brought a fleeting moment of friendship with another outback traveller who, like me, had decided that a far-flung adventure while still young was the way to go.

When I heard of the destruction of the jetty I was saddened. But I hope some of the jetty remains and can be made safe for visitors to walk along again. I for one would like to reacquaint with it.

Cinema slips away without fanfare

Once a place of imagination: Southside Cinema has been closed
 for more than seven years, and appears unlikely to ever reopen

It stands empty and forlorn, ravaged by climate and weather. There has been no audience for more than seven years, and in all likelihood the final curtain has fallen at the derelict Southside Cinema in Bermuda.

For many decades cinemas have been reducing in numbers, the result of changing tastes. That trend is evident at Southside Cinema.

When it was open, I occasionally went along to watch a movie or two. Films I saw included Pride and Prejudice, She's the Man and Superman Returns. It was convenient and out of the way at the eastern end of the island, far less visited than the two main cinemas in the city of Hamilton. 

Located in the former US baselands, the cinema was constructed by the Americans for personnel stationed at what was once the Kindley Air Force Base, on St David's Island, from 1948 to 1970, and which became the US Naval Air Station Bermuda from 1970 to 1995.

The cinema was operated by the Army and Air Force Motion Picture Service, and was reputed to have access to the latest movies weeks in advance of the civilian cinemas elsewhere in Bermuda.

Once the US military departed Bermuda in 1995, the theatre became a local enterprise.

With a 425-seating capacity it was the largest cinema on the island, which was another reason why I favoured it. It was rarely busy. However, I do remember in April 2006, during the Bermuda International Film Festival, when it was famously packed to the max, with a queue outside that included the island's Premier at the time, Alex Scott. Kudos to Mr Scott for not pushing in (he was behind me in the queue). However, he did not stay for the second feature that day, Neil Young's Prairie Wind concert film.

That spike in popularity was an anomaly. Most of the time the cinema barely attracted a few dozen customers. It was dated, and the once impressive interior was fading with age. The main auditorium lights were always dimmed, perhaps to disguise the dilapidation. Admission was cash-only - no debit or credit cards.

In 2009, there was a double shooting outside the cinema shortly after a late movie showing. 

The cinema closed in 2013. There was talk of it being reopened, but it has remained shuttered.

Now it stands empty, its exterior showing increasing damage from the elements. Who knows how much longer the building will be there? Its days appear numbered.

Southside Cinema served its purpose and brought many hours of joy to countless audiences for more than 50 years, and I can attest to its success in immersing audiences in entertaining "other worlds" - if only for an hour or two at a time.

As Southside Cinema slips away without fanfare, the happy memories of the movies it once showed live on.