The name of the game?

Presenting Fine Music Drive yesterday evening I was struck again by the lugubriousness of the so-called 'signature tune'. I hated this when it was introduced, but it fitted the old programme, Keeping you Company perhaps lightly more; but to associated it with the word 'drive' is to associated boiled cabbage with hamburger. Shall I raise it again in committee? But I know some people think it's fine, just as some people (well, one in particular, thinks that 16th century madrigals are just what people want to hear when they're stuck in a traffic jam in Military Road. Ah, me. But you can't really argue about personal preference, and after all variety must be the name of the game, or one of them.

What must you think of me!!!

Hi well yes - this is my second piece within about half an hour,and I suddenly felt grotty, because I didn't wish everyone a happy and  successful Valentine's Day!  Have fun, work out who sent what to whom and enjoy what could turn out to be some delightful and perhaps memorable moments.With masses of love  from us two long-lasting lovers, Julia and Derek!   So glad you like our anthologies too!

my cyclamen

Hello Julia here!   A few months ago my friend Di brought me a pretty cyclamen plant, and it was at its best.   This made me think about ages ago when we were still in the UK why it was that people who had these plants were wondering why so many of them were dying off far too soon, whereas other friends with cyclamens didn't have the problem   It seemed that, especially very elderly ladies, who when given them, put their plants in the 'front room' which wasn't used regularly and all was well.   It emerged that the plants do not like warm- especially centrally heated  - rooms.  Alas, mine faded all too quickly since it was Sydney winter at the time, and I must admit we are 'hot house plants' and the heating was going full blast,  So this prompted my memory.    I cut the poor creature right back to virtually nothing above the compost and  now the good news is I have a much bigger and healthier plant growing energetically away in the shade on my patio - heaven knows, when winter comes, where I'll keep it once it's once it's flower!

Holding Hands

Just a little story for Valentine's Day.
The actor Sir John Martin Harvey and his wife took James Agate on a drive in the country, he in the back of the car with Lady Martin Harvey while Sir John sat next to the driver. A desolate Essex village came into view, and Sir John said: 'My dear Agate, do you mind sitting in the front? We are about to pass through the village where I proposed to my dear wife, and I should like to hold her hand.'

It's almost St Valentine's day -prepare NOW!

Hi gals and guys Julia here! Yes it'll be lovely St Valentine's day next Friday and with the Moon in big-hearted  Leo we'll be  in a generous mood and wanting to do the best for our special partners -and most importantly - those who we would like to be our special guy or gal! Quite a few of you will know about or heard mention of The Zodiac Anthologies.   These Derek and I edited, came out a year ago.    There is a separate anthology for each sign of the Zodiac and called  Poems of love and life for Aries. . . Taurus  and so on. . .  twelve books in all., and each has at least 80 poems - all of them out of copyright and no poem is repeated.   They are available online, each under its individual sign title, and are in hard copy too, published by Random House Australia, but bookshops will provide them anywhere.  In each there s a good collection of love poems and we are particularly pleased with their lovely covers specially designed for us by the award winning illustrator Rhain Nest James.   So while there's still time, you  might like to think of one of these as an alternative to a mushy Valentine's card - Choosing, of course, the right volume for your beloved's Sun Sign.   Incidentally, those of you in Australia who hear my work on radio will recognise the announcement to each day, which mentions I'm the editor of the series.   Incidentally,  I have just sent off the radio scripts for March and April and Robyn at Grace Gibson Productions tells me that they are going to be recorded on Thursday.

Murder, a Ring, a Book and a Day Off.

Sunday. Day of rest, yes? Decided really to take the day off and sit around and have a bit of a read and generally relax. So wrote a script for the programme I'm presenting tomorrow on FineMusic.fm, then roughed out an article I'm writing on Dashiell Hammett for Slightly Foxed, then transcribed twenty pages or so of Roman Murder Mystery, my book about Pompilia - the heroine of Browning's The Ring and the Book; this came out in 2001 and got the best critical notices of any book I have ever published. And sold about four copies (well, maybe 600 or so, but not enough). The rights having reverted to me, I'm revising it and putting it on Amazon for admirers to download and enjoy. The question is, was that really a day off?

Hi Julia here!  it's Sunday afternoon in Sydney and it's a good 29 Celsius and the usual clear blue sky.   We all know of  the superb work of the large international charities and a lot of us either donate reguarly, have done so in the past, or do what we can when we can like supporting the volunteers who  are now risking life and limb controlling the dreadful bush fires in Victoria and South Australia.  However, another high on my list is one I support which is based in England and  was inaugurated exactly 80 years ago by a remarkable woman, Dorothy Brooke, who was in Cairo in 1931and became aware of the ghastly neglect and treatment of the very brave war horses left abandoned. She raised money  and founded a hospital which opened in1934 to end their suffering, and at the time was unaware that decades later that The Brooke Foundation  would be transforming the lives of working animals world wide.   Thousands of working animals suffer mostly because of the ignorance of their owners.  Donkeys, mules as well as horses are made to work dreadfully long hours in searing heat without water and without rest, carrying  for instance,loads of bricks which are far too heavy, over greater distances than is reasonable.  Often their owners think they are just lazy but they are always  more than simply exhausted.or, worse still will treat them with totally unsuitable medication which does more harm than good.  Because of the Brooke the owners are given training, and the animals treatments by vets.   They get good shade, water and the right kind of food - especially when foals are born.   Soon the owners realise that their businesses thrive because the animals are being well looked after  and therefore  work better.   This wonderful work is being carried out in Egypt and Jordan, India, Africa Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.Nepal and Nicaragua.   Even if you can't afford a donation do look up their website -  they really are remarkable people doing much needed work, and I know you'll be more than just impressed Web site: www.thebrooke.org  or if you'd like more information info@thebrooke.org    I know you'll be very impressed.   Over to you -'bye for now - Yours Julia