Mere days after the reward of $125 from the federal government to help with electricity prices was announced, Kay Grainger of Fullerton Cove opened her mail and "there it was, a notice from our energy supplier advising our electricity costs were to increase as of 15th April".

During the several years she owned a red car Lorna MacKellar of Bensville would more often than not return to a car park to find it surrounded by other red cars. "I now have a blue car. It’s attracting other blue cars. Is this a common phenomenon? Does it happen with other colours?"

The acronym says it all, according to Bob Buchanan of Goulburn. "According to an SBS report, board members of the North Australian Infrastructure Fund have been using private emails for commercially sensitive discussions."

For the first time in many years, Antony and Cleopatra is being studied by senior students of Rowena Penniment of Earlwood. "Some of the books are a little worn and shabby, as they first did the rounds back in the early '70s. The second student to borrow one particular copy? None other than regular Column 8 correspondent, Con Vaitsas."

Carole Dawes of Randwick has found a reason to be grateful for the calling of the federal election. "Those smiling pesky placards for the state election attached to telegraph poles will now be removed – oh no, only to be replaced by smiling federal election placards. Will we have to wait for the next election for someone to remove the federal faces? Just as well they don’t put up placards for leadership spills."