Remember the self-sufficiency movement of the '80s? That was my teenage dream, one that sadly never materialised, so the chance to meet a modern-day guru of sustainability got me super-excited. You may have heard or even watched River Cottage UK, with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, but did you know there was a highly successful Australian version of… Continue reading Meeting a TV Hero and Simple Sustainability in the Garden
Scandi crime fiction I have a lot of favourite side characters in film and television, particularly Scandinavian crime series, but do I have a favourite side character in a novel? I really like the brash, but family-minded and a bit impulsive, Martinsson, who often goes off half-cocked, in the Kurt Wallander (Henning Mankell's) novels, but… Continue reading Side Characters in a Novel
In the 1950s the British military detonated a total of 21 nuclear weapons in various sites in Australia. Maralinga is the most infamous of these sites. British soldiers were told it was a secret assignment and despite the displacement of the local Aboriginal people, many were still exposed to high levels of radiation and became sick or died.
In the 1800's in Victorian England, scores of children under the age of 20, roamed the streets in a Dickensian world, eeking out an existence made famous in the 1968 movie, Oliver. In the day, Britain feared a French revolution might erupt within the lower classes and so wished to contain this potential political menace… Continue reading Children of Victorian England
Summer in Australia, means that many of us can use the excuse of the heat, to relax inside the air-con with a good book, guilt free. And if you are anything like me, it would usually be a good crime novel that you reach for. As my summer is now over, I thought I'd share… Continue reading Summer Reading
Dear Marie, My husband, (aka MOTH), is not happy. Because of you, our house will never be the same. Because of you, my house is tidier. But the MOTH - The 'Man About the House' - is frustrated! If you haven't heard of Marie Kondo, it may be that you don't have a TV set… Continue reading Marie Kondo – Because of you
Something to Ponder About 