Category Archives: Non-Fiction

Donata Galluccio: Leaving Italy

I am so excited! Papa’ is leaving for America this morning. My older sister, Cristina, and I race ahead to the fountain intersection where the bus will take him and two other men to Naples to board their ship. At the fountain we look back at them walking abreast, each carrying a small suitcase. IContinue reading “Donata Galluccio: Leaving Italy”

Robert Schmidt: Moon Landing – Truth or Myth

My father, Johannes Carl Schmidt—yes, that was his full name—was head patent attorney at Collison and Co in the 1960s and 1970s.             With his scientific background it seemed only natural that he would become focussed on the television and saw all the moon landings between1969 and 1971. He was particularly riveted watching Neil ArmstrongContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: Moon Landing – Truth or Myth”

Don Sinnott: The Best of Times: The Worst of Times

Is it the good times or the bad times that stay with us? Is the mental glue stronger for joy or for sorrow? For me, Grade 4 is doubly anchored by that glue. My teacher that year was a disciplinarian with an emphasis on rote learning. Memory has never been my strong point; I developedContinue reading “Don Sinnott: The Best of Times: The Worst of Times”

Jean Stewart: Doing What Comes Naturally

Doing What Comes Naturally I turned into Gulf Parade, driving well below the stipulated 50kmh.  I was used to keeping the speed down, as Saturdays were always frenetic around the oval and community barbeque area. A still, sunny day. Dogs on leads, wet and panting from their beach romp. Children sprinting across the oval, returningContinue reading “Jean Stewart: Doing What Comes Naturally”

Anne McKenzie: Kangaroo Island

We’d planned a 3 day ‘plonk’ holiday on Kangaroo Island. You know, the kind of holiday where you book into some pleasant accommodation with great views and spend most of your time reading and gazing at the natural beauty of the spot. After a tranquil ferry trip to Penneshaw and a 45-minute drive to Kingscote,Continue reading “Anne McKenzie: Kangaroo Island”

Nell Holland: We Are One Aren’t We?

In Australia, we are bombarded by folk telling us about all the wrongs committed by previous generations, for which we must apologise. Well, I haven’t heard any apologies from the people of Rome about their invasion and take-over of my homeland in AD 43, when they took some Britons as slaves. Or even from theContinue reading “Nell Holland: We Are One Aren’t We?”

Robert Schmidt: Is That a Blueberry Flan?

Is that a blueberry flan? After an appointment, my wife and I decided to have a light lunch at Utzi Café at the Burnside Village. We both ordered rolls. Jane also ordered a skinny mugachino. I ordered a pot of English Breakfast tea. You are given a number for the food; and a buzzer forContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: Is That a Blueberry Flan?”

Jean Stewart: A Search for Night Tranquility

Those fortunate enough to have nights of deep uninterrupted sleep are a select group I have envied for a long time. There was a time when I could be counted among such a group. My childhood and adolescent years brought nights of feather-quilt comfort and the security of knowing my parents and boxer dogs wouldContinue reading “Jean Stewart: A Search for Night Tranquility”

David Hope: E-Book or Hard Copy

Many of my friends and, I suspect, some among you, express a marked antipathy towards eBooks. Their most frequent expressions in the discussion are: ‘I like the touch and feel of a physical book.’ ‘I like to turn the pages.’ ‘I like the smell of a book, especially a new one.’ ‘I love to beContinue reading “David Hope: E-Book or Hard Copy”

Edie Eicas: Shopping Adelaide Arcade

I like to think my humour comes from my parents, particularly my mum who had a wicked, sarcastic, confrontational sense of humour. When the kids were little, I played a lot of jokes on them, that part of me contained an element of my family’s wickedness. When the kids were in primary school, I wasContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Shopping Adelaide Arcade”

Don Sinnott: A Holiday with a Difference: Part 1

October 2004. With funding for me to attend a three-day conference in Toulouse, in the south of France, my wife and I opted to build this into a shared four-week French holiday, including a week cycling. Cycling? What were we thinking? Neither of us was more than a very occasional cyclist but we committed toContinue reading “Don Sinnott: A Holiday with a Difference: Part 1”

Anne McKenzie: Lemon Meringue Pie

Guests for dinner, no worries. Barbecue followed by my go-to favourite dessert – lemon meringue pie. It’s a bit fiddly to make, involving three stages: pastry crust, lemon curd filling and meringue top — but it’s never let me down. Marie offers to help but I say I have it all under control. First, youContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: Lemon Meringue Pie”

Lawrie Stanford: The Apple Story

On an aimless stroll down Rundle Mall one Sunday, I come across it—the Apple Store. Yes! I thought, I can sort out that confounded iCloud issue on my phone! So I enter. Looking around, I see a crowded hall and cheerful Apple consultants chatting to customers. In the crowd, there was a consultant waving atContinue reading “Lawrie Stanford: The Apple Story”

Don Sinnott: The Birdsville Track: 1978. What Could Possibly Go Wrong

The bitumen stopped at Maree. We had driven our Holden Kingswood sedan, towing our camper trailer, to the only fuel outlet in town. Our friends, in their borrowed much-travelled Land Cruiser, waited behind us for their turn at the pump. We drew some comfort from travelling in company with a four-wheel drive vehicle as weContinue reading “Don Sinnott: The Birdsville Track: 1978. What Could Possibly Go Wrong”

Humble Pie: Jean Stewart

     I hobbled to the pounding at the front door. ‘Elsa from the agency!’ A portly, pony-tailed woman breathed heavily. ‘I use all me own equipment and cleaning materials. Don’t worry showing me around. Bath and vac mainly is it?’     ‘Pardon? Oh, yes,’ I replied meekly. Already I was regretting this request for help.Continue reading “Humble Pie: Jean Stewart”

David Hope: Memory and Loss

‘Hi, David, it’s Karl. Sadly, I have bad news. Ian Willis died last night, probably from complications from serious surgery.’ There is a little moment when things seem to stop, and belief is suspended. Then reality is back. ’I just spoke to him three of four weeks ago, Karl, and was organising to catch upContinue reading “David Hope: Memory and Loss”

Edie Eicas: Ticket to Ride

When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. They lied. There’ve been many times when I wished the floor would open up and I would disappear, preferably to some beach in Hawaii. When I was younger,Continue reading “Edie Eicas: Ticket to Ride”

Jean Stewart: Luck of a Green-Eyed Cat

Who could be thoughtless enough to knock on her door at 7 am? The entire street knew she worked early shifts. Billy next door, holding a black cat with green eyes, glared. ‘Judy’s died and it’ll be put down if no-one takes it. You’re the only one in the street without any dogs or cats.’Continue reading “Jean Stewart: Luck of a Green-Eyed Cat”

Nell Holland: Time Travelling

I see me with Dad, both of us squinting into sunlight, as Mum pushed the button on the Brownie. I was five years old and on my first seaside holiday. He sits on the beach wearing his weekend trousers and a sleeveless vest; I wear knickers and a hair bow. We just had clothes.  No-oneContinue reading “Nell Holland: Time Travelling”

Fran Collins: Obsession

It’s interesting how a singular activity can become an obsession. Sometimes with good outcomes. Sometimes not. My particular obsession provided all things positive. It was born in 1988 and was a personal challenge to reduce the time it took me to reach the top waterfall of Edith Falls, south of Darwin. After four years ofContinue reading “Fran Collins: Obsession”

Lawrie Stanford: News From Home

(Day 4 of COVID isolation in a caravan, July 2022) Being confined to a caravan 24/7 gives you time to reflect. Receiving a piece of news from home during this time certainly gave me cause.  The news came from Melody, my daughter. She said in an email… Last Friday, I was picking up Rory fromContinue reading “Lawrie Stanford: News From Home”

Edie Eicas: Armchair Traveller

I’m an armchair traveller. I once did a great deal of travelling on my own, but found that without the company of another, some pleasures were denied. I’m also not good on water, I get seasick. I suffer with vertigo and tinnitus and a moving ship that rolls from side to side or up andContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Armchair Traveller”

Robert Schmidt: What Happened to The Kia

I had agreed with Allianz to return my free Commodore car to Budget Car Rentals on Marion Road by 10am. After this date, I would pay for my own rental. On Wednesday afternoon, I contacted Alliance. They were going to contact Budget to get a cheap rental. “No worries” they say. Within minutes Budget ringsContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: What Happened to The Kia”

Rossana Mora: The Shack

The family trip started late in the morning. It was going to be a long drive before arriving at a waterfall that promised to be just spectacular. Excitement was in the air; the whole family was singing, playing games while sharing snacks. Landscape after landscape—it seemed that mother nature had just more and more toContinue reading “Rossana Mora: The Shack”

Robert Schmidt: UFO’s Humbug

Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have fascinated me all my life. We often would talk about them around the dinner table. We talked about life on billions of planets, numerous sightings through to the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, ‘flying saucer’ claims and conspiracy theories.My Dad was a brilliant patent attorney with the full name Johannes CarlContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: UFO’s Humbug”

Rossana Mora: Darkness

‘You must walk one hundred steps now, don’t do anything stupid like turn around, run, or scream,’ he said. ‘Or, a bullet would perforate the back of your head.’ As he spoke, he gave me back my briefcase by pushing it against my chest while pointing in the direction of the darkest street anyone canContinue reading “Rossana Mora: Darkness”

Robert Schmitt: The Guest of Honour

My birthday on the 24th March 2022 was planned to be low key. It was to be in the Honeypot Café at Fullarton Lutheran Homes. Only my two elderly aunties, Wilma and Lotte, cousin, Karen, sister Pauline and my wife Jane were invited. The party was set for 2.30pm. It’s only a few minute driveContinue reading “Robert Schmitt: The Guest of Honour”

Don Sinnott: Houseboat Holiday

It ticked all our boxes: an indulgent few days on a luxury Murray River houseboat, with guided walks each day over sections of the cliffs and floodplain, restaurant-quality meals and a comfortable bed. We found ourselves a generation removed from the other seven guests (and two generations from the two guides and the boat manager)Continue reading “Don Sinnott: Houseboat Holiday”

Anne McKenzie: Scooter

Denise and I had been finger training our young pet budgerigar, Scooter, for several weeks. Now he stepped onto the proffered fingers quickly and confidently. Such is trust. And it was a thrill to feel his little warm feet gripping our outstretched fingers. But now the time had come to take him out of theContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: Scooter”

Nell Holland: Patient 41

2022 The nurse changed my bed linen at lunchtime. It should have happened hours before, but a patient had demanded to be discharged and then changed his mind. This had doubled her paperwork and she found herself hopelessly behind schedule.  She’d sighed an explanation, ’Paperwork is the worst thing, ever, for a nurse.’ Paperwork? Really?Continue reading “Nell Holland: Patient 41”

Robert Schmidt: Poor Robert

I rang the Fullarton Lutheran Homes for a follow-up visit with my sister Pauline. ‘That will be fine,’ the secretary says to me over the phone. ‘No RATS or appointment. Just put a mask on and then a visor when you get here.’ Half an hour later I cheerfully arrive at the front door. ThereContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: Poor Robert”

Edie Eicas: The Coils of the Serpent

It was just after Christmas twenty years ago and one of my friends was extolling the benefits of a small handheld electrical device that denuded the body of hair. Listening to her praise the virtues of the machine, and caught by her enthusiasm, I decided an investment might prove an advantage. Excited with my purchase,Continue reading “Edie Eicas: The Coils of the Serpent”

Rossana Mora: Roots

Memories of some chats I had with my father revolve in my head from time to time. Back when I was little, moving houses seemed to be our lifestyle. My parents were teachers and they were sent to a remote rural town at the beginning of their careers. Their wish was to move back toContinue reading “Rossana Mora: Roots”

Anne McKenzie: A Few Drinks

‘I think I’ll just walk down to the local pub for a few drinks,’ he says, smiling and looking directly at me. We’ve just got back from the airport and we’re having a cup of tea at my home.  It’s the first time I’ve seen them face to face for seven years, as they’ve beenContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: A Few Drinks”

Don Sinnott: Amateur car repairs, 1970s

Just a minor collision. A lady shopper reversing in the car park didn’t notice my wife, Wendy, driving past behind her. There was a crunch of deforming metal as her car’s rear end embedded itself in the passenger-side door of our car. The post-collision discussions lacked any heat—it was clear who was at fault andContinue reading “Don Sinnott: Amateur car repairs, 1970s”

Edie Eicas: Shared Memories

The 11th of February is my mother’s birth-day, and I realise there are memories that only she and I shared, and while I can still tell stories of our lives together, her input is no-longer available to me. In 1987 I was pregnant, and my eldest was crawling. Busy getting dinner ready for a party,Continue reading “Edie Eicas: Shared Memories”

Nell Holland: The Bargain

Chocolates and sticky cakes usually hold little temptation for me. But once one is sampled, although the brain says ‘stop’ my mouth takes no heed. Unfortunately, I must confess I’ve got pitiful willpower. On a recent shopping trip I saw a bag of chocolate caramels on sale for five dollars instead of the usual ten.Continue reading “Nell Holland: The Bargain”

Anne McKenzie: Skin Cancer

‘I’ve got the results of your biopsy and it’s an unusual result,’ he tells us. Marie and I look at one another, faces grim. I’ve been on this skin cancer journey long enough to know that ‘unusual’ is not good. It’s going to be as bad as ‘medically interesting’ was the last time. ‘So it’sContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: Skin Cancer”

Fran Collins: Then I Fixed It

What a scorcher was that Melbourne summer of December, 1967. The Bureau of Meteorology had predicted bush fires for the Dandenong Ranges and fire bans were in place in early October. Residents perched on ladders were zealously clearing their guttering of dried leaves and other combustibles. Blinds drawn, windows closed, and where no blinds protectedContinue reading “Fran Collins: Then I Fixed It”

Robert Schmidt: The long, long, long weekend

Last Friday afternoon I needed to contact Helping Hand to stop a contractor coming on Wednesday afternoon 6th October to deliver tall boys and tables and collecting our old ones. I wanted to reschedule. Wednesdays I go on my Heart Foundation walk and once a month to an important lunch at the Glynde Hotel withContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: The long, long, long weekend”

Edie Eicas: AI, Artificial Intelligence

I wasn’t sure why they asked me to do a psychology test before I bought that new fangled high-end, super-dooper fridge with voice activation, and the ability to predict what I needed. But, I was impressed by the salesman who sold the thing to me. Well, more than impressed. He was good. He worked meContinue reading “Edie Eicas: AI, Artificial Intelligence”

Don Sinnott: Recollections of the Heysen Trail, South Australia

We’re loggers. Not the timber-cutting kind, but the kind who log their notable events in a journal. For years we’ve recorded recollections of journeys that bring a warm inner glow, peaks of joy and depths of gloom. We don’t intend to have others read our journals—although perhaps a later generation might skim them after we’veContinue reading “Don Sinnott: Recollections of the Heysen Trail, South Australia”

Rossana Mora: Stevens-Johnson

The baby girls were born into a lovely family after a hard pregnancy for their mum, who had a massive belly that looked like it was going to be torn apart at any time. The baby born first is always claimed to be the strongest. The second one was born half an hour after theContinue reading “Rossana Mora: Stevens-Johnson”

Robert Schmidt: My Mask Day Blues

Jane and I drove to South Terrace to pick up an admission form for St Andrews hospital where Jane was to have a medical procedure. After hastily parking my Suzuki, I walk towards the entrance of the hospital. While walking, I fiddle in my jacket pocket for my mask. My mobile phone must have wrappedContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: My Mask Day Blues”

Sharon Apold: The Wine Dinner

The Duke and the Baroness I enjoy these evenings of food and wine pairing. Hearing a wine maker lead me into their work of art. Sure, you can teach a human to make wine, in a similar way you can teach them to cook, but it’s an art to curate raw fruits of the earthContinue reading “Sharon Apold: The Wine Dinner”

Fran Collins: An Adventure into Nature

An impulse to bend rules and indulge in some ‘risky business’, along with a big injection of hormonal lust, saw me accompany the sexy, blond-haired Sven on a trip to Banias Falls. Nineteen seventy-three. We were volunteers on Kibbutz[i] Amiad, in the Golan Heights, a stone’s throw from the Sea of Galilee and 40 kilometresContinue reading “Fran Collins: An Adventure into Nature”

Nell Holland: Iolaire-The Gaelic Eagle

The most venerated date for all Scots is Hogmanay, the last day of December. It’s the night to feast the old year out and welcome in the new one, and in no place is it more celebrated than the Outer Hebrides. By the end of the Great War, the Isle of Lewis had lost overContinue reading “Nell Holland: Iolaire-The Gaelic Eagle”

Lawrie Stanford: Saintly Deeds

It was a long time ago, back in university days. There were long hours in the Barr Smith Library and frequent attempts to break the drudgery of study. It was time for another coffee. I left the library passing Mary, my steady friend who had a more disciplined approach to study. I knew she wouldn’tContinue reading “Lawrie Stanford: Saintly Deeds”

David Hope: Travels in Queensland

Ian and I arrived in Croydon after a very pleasant five-hour train journey on the weekly Gulflander service from Normanton. It runs every Wednesday, returning to Normanton on Thursday. The line, 151 kilometres long, is not connected to any other line. It was built to cater for the gold finds in the Croydon area inContinue reading “David Hope: Travels in Queensland”

Fran Collins: After The Storm

Nineteen seventy-three. Another missing person. Close to home. Home was the Al Akbar Apartment House, West Bank, Jerusalem. It was a thirty-minute walk along a dusty goat track to the Jaffa Gate in the Old City, where I worked. Sitting here in Adelaide, in my kitchen in 2021, I celebrate the forty-eighth anniversary of ourContinue reading “Fran Collins: After The Storm”

Edie Eicas: Through The Wire

The flush of excitement about the army had long lost its appeal and been replaced with familiarity and security. The group had seen parts of Australia none would have experienced had they not joined, and now they had friends. Mates they believed were solid, with whom they hoped they would step through life, who wouldContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Through The Wire”

Rossana Mora: José

Life is a journey they say, but I guess you only realise that it is an actual journey when the friends that used to be sitting next to you, watching your back, are no longer there. I have been fortunate enough to find good and honest people along my path. Today, I want to rememberContinue reading “Rossana Mora: José”

Anne McKenzie: Just a Small Garden Project

‘I think we should’ve started this when we were 10 bloody years younger!’ she says, brandishing the sledgehammer and chisel she’s been using for hours to chip away at the bricked wall of the in-ground fishpond in the back yard. ‘You’re not wrong there,’ I say. ‘Clearly we built it to last. We’d have noContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: Just a Small Garden Project”

Lawrie Stanford: Fire Alarm

‘No, you won’t!’ Mary’s outburst was angry and insistent. ‘You’ve spent so little time with me and the kids because of your bloody devotion to work. The kids are on holidays and I’ve hired this beach shack, so you’ll damn-well stay with us.’ That was it, Mary’s outburst was compelling and there was no wayContinue reading “Lawrie Stanford: Fire Alarm”

Anne McKenzie: Unbelievable

It’s a balmy evening the first night of our week in Port Elliott and it’s time for a beach walk. Denise and I cross the road from the unit where we are staying and head down the cliff. To reach the beach we have to first follow a narrow sloping dirt path, then go downContinue reading “Anne McKenzie: Unbelievable”

Rossana Mora: Numbers

The Fields is the name of the nursing home that lies in the middle of the one of the nicest suburbs in Adelaide. Almost 80 percent of the residents are women, the oldest being 103 years old. They live within the four areas that are named after grains: oats, rice, barley and rye. Rye isContinue reading “Rossana Mora: Numbers”

Fran Collins: Lost In Translation

‘I promise you it won’t be difficult or dangerous, really Fran.’ A simple request of deep friendship from my friend, Sinead. Belfast, 1973, a city besieged, with search checkpoints located strategically at turnstiles at the entrances to the CBD. Skeletal remains of buildings partially blown away, walls plastered with graffiti, evidence of a city atContinue reading “Fran Collins: Lost In Translation”

Don Sinnott: Memories of Mongolia

‘Let’s go somewhere different this year.’ Back in 2013, with international travel an expectation of our retirement plan, and a border-closing pandemic unthinkable, I had set my wife a challenge. An hour spent surfing travel sites and she emerged from the office triumphant. ‘How does a yak trek in Mongolia sound?’ Mongolia? My blank stareContinue reading “Don Sinnott: Memories of Mongolia”

Sharon Apold: The First Walk Home

The small girl walked along the long dusty track. Newspaper clutched to her chest and small brown school case held by her side. To a stranger, it would have appeared to be something she did daily. The determination on her face was deliberate. Fear and doubt were welling but she did not want to letContinue reading “Sharon Apold: The First Walk Home”

Georgette Gerdes: I’ve A Bone To Pick With You

It lies on the grass grisly and grainy; fat pokes out between the brittle maze of calcium castles, tufts of red flesh glistening, beckon a salivating dude, the main man. Sammy. He waits, alert, primed for action. ‘Sit, stay.’ He sits. He stays. The seconds are like minutes, are like hours, like an eternity. ‘GoContinue reading “Georgette Gerdes: I’ve A Bone To Pick With You”

Robert Schmidt: The COVID-19 Adventure – Part 2

On Monday evening arrive home from the Royal Adelaide Hospital by taxi with our masks on. Take mine off in a hurry. ‘Going to be a long seventy-two hours Jane,’ I sigh. Suspend walking with my friends and social activities. No one can actually come inside our home. Self isolation you know. Fortunately we haveContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: The COVID-19 Adventure – Part 2”

Robert Schmidt: The COVID-19 Adventure – Part 1

My wife Jane has been feeling unwell for a few weeks. Her symptoms became flu-like in recent days. We both have had our vaccinations. Her doctor yesterday suggested she have a COVID-19 test. ‘I’ll get the results almost instantly,’ she says to me. We decide to get a taxi to the Royal Adelaide Hospital straightaway.Continue reading “Robert Schmidt: The COVID-19 Adventure – Part 1”

Robert Schmidt: Your Call Is Important To Us

Recently I was required to have a blood test. I have several questions to ask over the phone before having it. There is a 1300 number you can ring. I dial the number. It rings a while, and then a recorded message cuts in, ‘Your call is important to us. We will be with youContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: Your Call Is Important To Us”

Roger Monk: Kitchen Kaper

It may come as a surprise to you that I have been known to pay the odd visit to our kitchen. Usually, it’s with a tea towel in my hands, but now and then I venture in because I rather fancy myself, unwisely, as a master of pastry. For some very basic, challenging echo ofContinue reading “Roger Monk: Kitchen Kaper”

Robert Schmidt: The Flow Test

Two weeks ago I had a flow study and a bladder scan. The tests identify how well you empty your bladder. A few weeks earlier a CT scan of my bladder and only kidney, had identified a problem down below. On the day of the flow I drink a litre of water in the hourContinue reading “Robert Schmidt: The Flow Test”

Georgette Gerdes: The Culprit (Plumbers’ Dream cont.)

He stands proudly, gnarled, twisted, whispering in the breeze. He’s been here for one hundred years or more. He’s steadfast, strong and rather unattractive. My late mother would say how much she hated him. His red needles would drop all over her grass and the brick patio. Annoying sweepings required. He extends and thrives. HisContinue reading “Georgette Gerdes: The Culprit (Plumbers’ Dream cont.)”

David Hope: Dubrovnik

It’s a lovely June day, warm and welcoming. After entering through the Pile Gate and ascending the stairs, we begin a circuit of the walls of the Old Town of Dubrovnik. The walls, largely intact, present a bird’s eye view of the old town as well as some insight into the mind of the cityContinue reading “David Hope: Dubrovnik”

David Hope: What is it About Deserts

The desert passes by the car window.  People seem to think a desert is a sterile, barren place; an unending vista of not much, stretching to infinity. Yet, what is passing by, is an everchanging scene.   There is a straggle of undersized trees meandering across the land, marking a watercourse. Strangely, there is a sandContinue reading “David Hope: What is it About Deserts”

Don Sinnott: Walkers Follow Ridge

Today’s start point for our walk is near Woolshed Flat, a whistle stop on the Pichi Richi rail line, halfway along the pass between Quorn and Port Augusta. A road, now badged the southern section of the Flinders Ranges Way, shares the pass with the rail line and crosses it at several points. Whether youContinue reading “Don Sinnott: Walkers Follow Ridge”

Edie Eicas: Temptation

I know I shouldn’t have, but it was too much temptation. Maybe it was boredom, or maybe it was my personality that looked for excitement and a laugh. I put the need for a laugh down to my parents known for telling jokes sourced from everyone who came into the shops. My mother and fatherContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Temptation”

Nell Holland: Double-Decker Day

The double decker buses of my childhood were the only mode of transport my family used on a regular basis as we didn’t own a car, and neither did anyone else I knew My favourite position on those red Midland buses, was upstairs, sitting right at the front where the wide windows gave an elevatedContinue reading “Nell Holland: Double-Decker Day”

Edie Eicas: Free Range

Free range kids not tethered by the fear of a parent explored the back blocks. School holidays found the group of seven to ten year old boys roving the hills of Glen Osmond. In a pack, it was safety in numbers. Anyone who thought they could abduct one of them was dreaming. They were loudContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Free Range”

Nell Holland: Dee Time

She wasn’t the best nurse in our student year, but she was the one we all wanted to copy for style. Dee would have been more at home on Carnaby Street than the world of a hospital training school. It was 1962 and with her geometric hairstyle fitting under her nurse’s cap like a polishedContinue reading “Nell Holland: Dee Time”

David Hope: Clichés

We are counselled to avoid the use of clichés in our writing, mainly because clichés are overused pieces of language that have lost any freshness of meaning, sometimes to the point of futility; they detract rather than add to the written word. That injunction led me to muse on why we use clichés in ourContinue reading “David Hope: Clichés”

Don Sinnott: House Hunting

They were rosellas. No doubt about it—dead ringers of those on the sauce bottle. The brilliant birds appeared in our yard a few weeks ago, paired off for the breeding season. But surely it’s still winter, the sap has yet to rise, avian ardour must lie dormant. Yet there they were, a devoted couple, clearlyContinue reading “Don Sinnott: House Hunting”

Sharon Apold: She Left Alone

My Grandmother looked at me. Her eyes shone in her pale face, searching for the comfort of recognition. I know she saw the silhouetted figure and heard the voice of a woman holding her hand. My hand. I could tell I was still familiar to her, but somehow difficult for her to trust between theContinue reading “Sharon Apold: She Left Alone”

Edie Eicas: Gardening Tales – Part 5

I have a philosophy when it comes to trees and global warming. My position is that if you drive a car, you plant trees to offset your carbon miles. As a result, I proselytize; annoying a number of people but feel I have a responsibility, no matter what. My friends will tell you I’m tangential;Continue reading “Edie Eicas: Gardening Tales – Part 5”

Don Sinnott: Dirac’s Lecture

Lectures—I’ve had a few. I recall some as soporific, mechanically delivered verbal sludge. Others had me hanging on every word from a skilled communicator. Yet one lecture I recall most vividly, although delivered in a droning style, had me on the edge of my seat. A group of theoretical physicists emerged in the early decadesContinue reading “Don Sinnott: Dirac’s Lecture”

Edie Eicas: Gardening Tales – Parts 3 and 4

Murder Another year and I still hadn’t learnt about scraps composting through the garden. The pumpkin seeds had generated again, and another group of vines spread through the front. At first it was water conservation and I ignored them but, with finding the first Butternut, a new plan emerged. I began watering in earnest. TheContinue reading “Edie Eicas: Gardening Tales – Parts 3 and 4”

Lawrie Stanford: Stranger Danger

The officer was polite but firm while her male companion had a look that was more firm than polite.  The female officer was the first to speak.  ‘Sir, you’ve heard of stranger-danger, haven’t you?’ Earlier, I arrived home late from work, a little before 7pm.  As I walked through the front door, I could hearContinue reading “Lawrie Stanford: Stranger Danger”

Nell Holland: Remember

I was born in England in a small Derbyshire town not far from a place called Eyam. It’s a beautiful area and I’ve always respected Eyam’s history, but now the world is gripped by a pandemic I applaud the forward thinking of its 17th century inhabitants. In 1665 the villagers isolated themselves so outsiders wouldn’tContinue reading “Nell Holland: Remember”