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Beautifully said Oztalgian. I grew up in Radford on Faraday Road and then Ainslie estate. Left England on December 20th 1964 to settle in Adelaide and met and married an Aussie girl in1973 When I asked her to marry me she said that she would one one condition - that I change my allegiance to the Australian Cricket Team. Having made the momentous decision to do so, I then became an Australian Citizen. A decision that I have never regretted. Australia has been very good to me. Lived in Adelaide until 1983 when I was transferred to Melbourne and have been there ever since.

Loppy, I don't think that religion is a 'taboo' subject on NS. I certainly have no objection to anyone expressing their faith here. The only religions/religious people I take issue with, are those who feel they have the right to impose their faith on others, especially those, such as ISIS, who believe they have the right to demand acquiescence and obedience from everyone... but I'd extend that to those who insist on indoctrination of innocent children. For me, religion, by definition, can only exist where there is Faith... and Faith can only truly exist within an indi

I'm with you Brew, and I'm what some would call a "fundamentalist' . Unfortunately that word has come to have such negative connotations. Mostly from the actions of some who use the term whether Islamic, or Westboro Baptist. In it's original use back in the twenties, I believe, it was simply a term meant to describe one who was not a religious liberal, but believes in a literal understanding of their faith. Unfortunately it seems to be almost impossible for some to discuss it without accusations of proseletization and 'ramming your religion down my throat' accusations. Bit like

Just sitting reading messages when my daughter , who is sitting outside, called me to come and look. On passing the window looking outside I saw what I thought was a blackbird. As I got outside it flew away, but it wasn't a blackbird it was a swift. They had grouped and were flying everywhere, swooping down to almost touching us. It's the first time this year that we've seen them. In the summer they congregate on the telephone wires under the eves of the house and the noise they make is unbelievable. They also swoop at us when we are in the pool, they are thirsty and take every opportunity to

In the last few weeks I've had quite a few conversations using FaceTime and/or Messenger. It's ok for 2 or 3 people, but it would be a bit chaotic with bigger numbers.

That’s Elon Musk’s chain of satellites, getting ready to take over the world. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/04/01/elon-musks-starlink-satellites-light-skies-uk/

When I first read that, I thought you were telling us the dogs were inside the dishwasher.

Sometimes special people emerge in times of adversity and he is one of them, a knighthood would be a perfect end to a long life. 22 million and counting...This is not a trivial amount of money now. Not only that, he has given us a motto "The sun will shine on you again, and the clouds will go away." My wife is stranded in Russia and she will be for some months (She is at her home with her son so she is OK) but it is still tough. I said those words to her yesterday and she cried. So did I. In its way it is as inspirational as the Queen's speech not long ago

What a strange question. I have no knowledge or awareness of time before my birth and as far as I know it would be difficult to be phobic about a past event.

They're all down the pub drinking Fosters.

What a huge topic this could turn into! Religion is easily the most complex subject discussed by ordinary people. It's extraordinary how, without any demonstrable evidence, participants are so convinced they are willing to lay down their lives for an abstract concept. Religion ranges from the strictest of fundamentalist and zealots to the free love churches of the 70's and letting it all 'hang out'. In the middle are the mainstream who conveniently cherry pick those parts of the scriptures they can live with and turn a blind eye to those bits they can't or find uncomfortable.

Nice idea though

Not sure how that would work with a dozen or more participants. Then again what do I know? I've not videoed, facetimed, skyped, zoomed or anything else before. I might manage with two bean tins and a long string though...

They probably don't Jill.x

Wouldn't it be funny if they didn't mean anything to 'God' either?

Just like that pesky, misnamed species, homo sapiens, Oz. It's amazing how far they can throw their unwanted litter because the idle s*ds can't be bothered to take it home or find a bin! Far too many of em!

Bl**dy Blackbirds, they spend most of their time in my garden throwing the pine park mulch around. It is amazing how far the little bu**ers can throw pieces of bark. It is a full time job putting it back on the garden.

Just imagine if in 2010 you had met up with Doctor Who just after he had travelled in the Tardis to the year 2020 and back. You ask him what it is going to be like in 2020. Doctor Who explained it thus :- I don’t have much time to explain – I have an appointment in 1836 so I will give you a potted version The year 2020 is going to be nothing short of an absolute shit show. You know Donald Trump, the star of the Apprentice TV show – well, he’s the President of the USA running the Country via Twitter and spouting rabble rousing bluff and bluster. He gets into a Twitter beef with I

As someone who is extremely non-religious (not anti-religious) I find that statement fascinating and baffling. Those distinctions mean absolutely nothing to me; I wouldn't know any difference between an Anglican and a Pentecostal etc etc.

Good idea - I might pick up on the conversation for a change

I take it you won't be joining the Westboro Baptist Church any time soon then...

Perhaps you can continue the semaphore lessons you started in Sam Hall Margie...

You get nothing for a pair... not in this game...

Thanks for you kind words, Brew which I agree with. The problem for me is that my words would be seen in the category of religion, a tabboo topic here. I have no wish to muddy the waters of the political thread so I'l shurrup. I will only go as far as to say that I see the various problems of this sad old world as essentially unsolvable by any mere human or political party. The issues have been with us in various forms throughout human history.

Trouble is Den, it's probably not they're car!!, Just do what they do over here, give them a bit of a 'bamboo massage ', they then toe the line, i can assure you!!

I live down one of the picturesque lanes of the Trent valley with views of the wooded hills on both sides. I can be in the hills and dales of Derbyshire within an hour and we regularly visit Bakewell. Like you I love the fens of Lincolnshire, again easily accessible. I especially like this area on a bleak winter’s day.

MargieH The Britain of the first verse is the one I remember too, the country lanes along the Trent valley, and in north Nottinghamshire, the hills and dales of Derbyshire and the windswept lonely fens of Lincolnshire were all part of my childhood and still evoke memories today. Having spent most of my life down under the rest resonates inside me too.

I have taught many children whose parents or, more often, parent spent every spare minute at work so that they were able to take their offspring to Disneyland for a holiday every year. This necessitated the child being farmed out to after school clubs, relatives, friends...anyone who would look after them. So many of those children expressed the opinion to me that they weren't loved, nor wanted. Money was more important. As children, my sister and I never had foreign holidays and, most years, no holiday at all. Our mother didn't work but she was always there at the school gate, lun

Thinking of ourselves as having been poor is an odd notion. My parents didn't have a phone, car, bathroom or a holiday other than a caravan week in Skeggy. I didn't think of us as poor. Mam and Dad got a tv in 1960, a phone and bathroom in about 1965. They never aspired to a car. Nobody on Peveril St., Lake St., Gadd St., or Bovil St., had a car. Was it a 'poor' area? Not as far as we were concerned. Poorness and wealth are relative terms.

I'm told that I speak French with an English accent and that I speak English with a French accent. Listening to myself on recordings, I still detect a slight Hucknall 'twang' in both my French and English but I'm sure that one would have to be Hucknal born and bred (and of my era) to notice it.

I sometimes wonder how my accent has altered, almost five years in North Yorks, ten years down under and thirty years in the US.

I find the Yanks really like my accent. Some have told they like to come when I preach because of it. I don't think it would matter if I read Mary had a little lamb. Makes me feel accepted anyway. Mrs L was once told (jokingly) by a co worker she only married me for my accent. A lot of Nottingham has come back since I've been on here. Always refer to my dogs as Meducks.

A FB friend is a Geordie, I asked his wife, an American, how she manages the accent, she said she's used to it now. They live in Birmingham, Alabama.

I worked for Renison Bell when I first arrived in Oz, in Tasmania. There was one of the other electricians who hated Poms, irony was, his Dad was a Pom!!! Anyway, he was determined to get me to bite and for the first few weeks whenever I was in the workshop same time as him, he was in my face telling me how bad Poms were, I just nodded my head and agreed with him, problem was, the more I agreed with him, the more angry he became, until he flew into a rage and spat the dummy, much to the amusement of the other leckos on the staff. One of the other younger leckos had curly hair and let

That's right Oz. Somebody warned me before I left the UK. "Don't tell 'em, this is how we do it in England, you'll get told, so go back there, then." I never did. I always wanted to try to fit in and be accepted. They're like most folks. Meet them halfway and you are soon accepted. Sense of humor and ability to laugh at yourself is a big help too.

I'd do it all over again too Loppy Australia has given us a good life but as with anyone who has emigrated it is more about the attitude of the people that left the UK and most have done well in many countries and would probably done well if they had stayed in the UK too.

Hi All, Thanks for your postings.I still have images of my Dad riding his bike to work wrapped up against the cold,worked for Avro aviation in Nottingham.We had little money as was the case with many at that time. Things had to change for him and us after the war, Australia was the answer. It changed his whole life around,job with Qantas,able to buy a car,etc. Sadly he died aged 63, a result of smoking as many did during the war. Sydney was where I worked but now live on the Mid North Coast near Forster,a most beautiful place to be,lakes, beaches,unspoiled countryside, and great golf!!!. When

I wanted to go to Oz in the late 60s. I had an old pal there who did well and loved it. My late wife would not go. She thought she'd never see her folks again. She was a smart woman at compromise, though, and said she would consider Canada. I'd never given it a thought. I thought only Eskimos and Peguins lived there. I did a bit of research and was pleasantly surprised. Long story short. Off we went and never looked back. She could fly home to see mum and dad if she wanted, and I adapted to the winters ok. Nowt against Oz. I often wonder how it would have gone if we'd emigrated the

kj 792, are you still in Sydney? I am a ten pound pom and in my opinion it was one of the best 10 quid that Australia ever spent. Came out in the mid seventies to Sydney and have to admit if I had have gone to one of those hostels in East Hills or in Wollongong then I would have been on the first flight out. We too left the UK in winter and the first full day in OZ was 100 deg F. The light meter in my camera went to places it had never seen before. Went to the beach VC10 legs and all except that it was a 747 My wish was to have a house with a sea view and a pool in the gar