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A short book of verse
During a fortunate life in a spectacular country, faced
with the usual complications of everyday existence and
human behaviour, thought given to observations, memories,
personal opinions and various out of the blue ideas
finally led to the creation of this short book of verse.
Sitting quietly in a corner for an hour or two, the casual
reader may find a few items of interest as has the author
in similar situations over many years – often in the most
unexpected places.
Covering a journey from youth to old age adds variety to
the poetic stories to be found in this book perhaps best
described and discovered by simply taking a little time to
read it.
In April 1961 a young man left England with fifty pounds
in his pocket to try his luck in Australia. Relevant
memories of early years in Sydney and opportunities
received include walking into the Sydney Morning Herald
looking for the future he really wanted, being interviewed
that same day, then starting a proofreading job the next
week! Keen to learn about playwriting, he also took on
theatre classes before joining a drama group, which led to
a few months as a full-time student at the National
Institute of Dramatic Art. It took another fourteen years
and a three-year tertiary course before he finally made it
into journalism.
Born in 1942, he stayed with his grandparents during the
war, his father being in the army and his mother a nurse.
After attending three different schools by the time he was
eight, the stability and quality of the next four years at
a Boarding School are viewed as key years in his
education.
Glancing back, he is aware of how little he knew about
life as a young man arriving in Australia and how
fortunate he has been as a result of the help of so many
people along the way. Nearing the end of an interesting
journey, he decided to publish his book of verse composed
over many years, now tangible proof of his brief
existence.