What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Endless streaming options make me happy, but take me back to old drive-in days

Here’s an example from a few nights ago of how easily pleased I am. I had fed the dogs, had a shower, watched my favourite 6pm edition of the nightly news, reheated my crumbed steak and pasta and sat down in front of the telly to watch Netflix’s latest season of The Crown. As you can see, it doesn’t take much to make me happy. Remembering I have an extra day off, finding some extra change in my car console or even discovering leftovers of my favourite meal in the fridge. It’s the little things that can be the most pleasing. So, you can imagine the satisfaction I get from having access to a smart TV, with hundreds of free-to-air offerings along with on-demand streaming services. I am truly amazed at what we can do in respect to viewing in the 21st century. It is mind boggling when you consider someone in Drummond Cove can switch on and watch the premiere of a new TV show or movie at the very same time as another person anywhere in the world. And in the comfort of their own home too. It made me think, though, about times gone by. As a kid of the 1980s, seeing the latest Hollywood blockbuster was a huge event. You see, at that time Geraldton didn’t have a cinema. It was all about going to the drive-in. The drive-in consisted of a huge screen erected at the back of a big, cleared block, where you could drive your car in, park up at a little speaker, put it inside one of the back windows and “Bob’s your uncle”. When you were younger, you’d pile into mum and dad’s vehicle with all the family on a Friday or Saturday night. There would usually be an interval, where you would head up to the canteen for a frozen orange juice and a packet of Maltesers. Often, you’d fall asleep before the end, to be woken by the noise of car motors and the glean of headlights, as everyone headed for the exit at the same time. And sometimes, in all the chaos, dad would forget to put the speaker back, and we’d accidently take it with us, ripping the cord from the stand. In Gero, there were three drive-ins at one period. These included the Ozone in Rangeway, the Oasis in Wonthella (now the Bunnings site) and the Geraldton Drive-in on Mitchell Street. We grew up right behind the Mitchell Street location, with our street cul-de-sac almost under the big screen. Often, especially during summer, we’d join other kids in the neighbourhood, grab a blanket and some food and all sit at the end of the street watching the latest Star Wars, Disney animation or Rocky film. And we’d wait, sometimes, months to see them. Things have certainly changed. But I reckon if I had a choice between watching Netflix on-demand or waiting for that special summer’s evening, I’d head for the end of the cul-de-sac without hesitation. Wouldn’t you? Peter Fiorenza is a Greater Geraldton councillor and hosts Fiorenza on Sunday between 10am and noon on Radio MAMA