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I have written about growing up, crossing on
the Channel Ferry to Europe (who does that nowadays?),
starting a career, getting myself into trouble with motor
cars, living in a boat on the river Thames, and the mayor
who made us take down our garden fence, so that he could
take his dog for a poo on our lawn. And, of course, our
move to Australia.
Then I have taken the trouble to regale you with a bit of
Australian history. You are not likely to have learned any of
this in school. Which is a pity. At the time of writing, a statue
of Captain James Cook has been taken down in Brisbane, in
deference to the indigenous people, who are fed up with
Australia Day being celebrated as a conquest. Fair enough,
they have plenty to complain about, but Captain Cook was
not a conquering hero. He bumped into Australia quite
by chance, and very accurately charted the whole East
Coast, including Botany Bay, where he only went ashore
for a few days (while Joseph Banks was collecting botanical
specimens). Later, he went aground on the Great Barrier
Reef, but miraculously came home to tell the tale and put
Australia well and truly on the world map. Somebody was
bound to discover Australia sooner or later.
This is a story of possums and pussy cats; being stuck on
the beach in wet bathers on a cold winter morning (because
the dog has buried my car keys somewhere in the sand and
forgotten about it); a pine tree falling through our roof;
a strange encounter with a sea eagle; an explosion in the
pantry and lots more.
Do please download and read and review! Thank you,