28 MAY 2026
Detained by police in Malawi
While visiting Malawi in 1990, I was detailed by police in Blantyre and questioned about my apparent interest in the country’s then President Hastings Banda...
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27 MAY 2026
Prosciutto & bacon-wrapped dates
Prosciutto and bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed with goat's cream cheese and walnut, and glazed with honey are an absolute flavour bomb! I was looking for a simp...
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27 MAY 2026
Malawi tyre doctor
I enjoyed my visit to Malawi in 1990. I booked a 10-day fly-drive holiday from Harare, flew into Lilongwe and picked up a battered old car. I stayed the first...
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26 MAY 2026
Remember the cartridge pen
I miss many things about life in the 70s and the 80s, but the cartridge pen isn't one of them. Why they were still being given to children in 1975 is a myster...
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24 MAY 2026
Staying connected between the sheets
I brought out the winter bedding today and happily discovered that my new cotton sheet has phone pockets on both sides! I've never seen such a marvel before....
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23 MAY 2026
Car insurance premiums racing upwards
My comprehensive car insurance premium recently rose by 17 per cent, pushing it to $1025 for a vehicle valued at $13,000. This increase came even after I use...
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23 MAY 2026
Maternal DNA reveals Viking heritage
According to a maternal DNA test (mtDNA), I'm descended from a Viking woman. My haplogroup is J1c3f, who lived 4600 years ago. A haplogroup is a genetic co...
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22 MAY 2026
Alfred Deakin: Australia's second Prime Minister
Alfred Deakin was Australia's second Prime Minister after Federation and he could have been our greatest if his life hadn't been cut short. In writing this...
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21 MAY 2026
Building a custom CMS: The journey to Gorey Things
There is a distinct satisfaction in moving away from one-size-fits-all platforms to build your own space on the internet. For years, WordPress has been the de...
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21 MAY 2026
Northern Exposure
I have recently found myself immersed in the world of Cicely, Alaska, through the SBS airing of Northern Exposure . The series, which initially follows New Y...
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