TIMES ARE A’ CHANGING AT THE SHOW As I wandered around Sydney’s Royal Easter Show on my last visit I was struck by how accurately this iconic event reflects changes in our society. The cookery section is a classic case in point. Bakery entries have dwindled alarmingly
Read more →
THE LITTLE WEBSITE THAT GREW! Recently this website clicked over to 550,000 visits. Maybe not a great deal by some standards, but amazing to me. When I began in late 2012 I had no idea about SEO (search engine optimization), effective tags or stop words. It must
Read more →
A CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF EDWARD RIDLEY In May 1933, police were called to a crime scene at a damp hovel below what had once been Ridley and Sons Department Store complex, on the Lower East Side of New York. The Ridley family had disposed of the property when the giant
Read more →
Hello from Editor Des, MY MUSHROOMS Well my guardian Pauline Conolly wrote a story about fungi the other day called Fungi: Flowers of the Fall . So I thought I would do a better one. Mine is about very special, magic mushrooms. I think you will love it
Read more →
The following photos were all taken at Blackheath, mostly in my garden or on the walk up to the village via Memorial Park or Robertson Lane. The scene that follows appeared in the Blue Mountains Gazette, when Blackheath had a bumper season a few years back. It
Read more →
WARNING – THERE ARE PICTURES OF SNAKES IN THIS ARTICLE. ALSO, I MUST POINT OUT THAT SNAKES ARE VERY INOFFENSIVE. THEY NORMALLY ONLY BITE WHEN CORNERED, OR WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL THEM. THEY ARE NOW PROTECTED IN AUSTRALIA, AS THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD BE. A BLIGHTED CHILDHOOD Being
Read more →
I grew up on a farm on the north west coast of Tasmania. In the late 1950’s a man came to see my father on some business or other. While he was there he produced a sugar bag which he carefully opened to show us what appeared to be the most
Read more →
WHAT’S IN A NAME? I recently expressed some disquiet over a book title chosen by a fellow member of a writers’ group. He was actually seeking advice on whether to include a blurb on the back cover of his memoir. Perhaps rightly, he was not impressed when
Read more →
It takes a particular personality to thrive in the Antarctic. It is harsh, yet breathtakingly beautiful. It is isolated, yet lacking in privacy for those who live and work there. David Barringhaus fits the bill; a tough, knock about Aussie who is also reflective and creative. It’s
Read more →
We writers are often rather introverted people. How cruel that after we write our books in our quiet little nests, we have to expose ourselves to the big wide world. Oh dear, giving talks and speaking on radio etc will always terrify me, no matter how
Read more →