My Tribe

The disco ball on the top floor of the former Albury Hotel caught my eye, as I caught a bus along Oxford Street the other day.

Immediately my mind flashed back to the late 1990s when the Albury was (probably) Sydney’s most popular gay bar.… Read the rest

Mixed Bag

“There were so many podcasts I’ve never heard of”, I told quite a few people at last night’s Australian Podcast Awards. Though I knew a lot of people attending, including quite a few finalists and winners, there was a distinct “knowledge gap” for me about many of the commercial sector podcasts.… Read the rest

Aldi Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding

“Make sure Jack gets some of the puddings from Aldi before they sell out. They’re so good”, I sent Michelle in a text message the other day.

Now in his 80s, Jack has a routine of heading into town in Lismore every few days and buying groceries.… Read the rest

Inland Tsunami

“What happened on the twenty-eighth of February was not a flood. I’ve lived through over 40 years of floods, all of us have in Lismore and the Northern Rivers. This was like an inland tsunami.… Read the rest

Jack Bobbin outside his house in South Lismore. Flood waters reached to his top windows. © 2022 Sophie McNeill/Human Rights Watch

Telling Stories

“Do you have any advice, any tips for people here in Lismore for when the reporters and camera operators come knocking on doors at the end of February”, I asked Melissa Doyle, the former “Sunrise” co-host who was in Lismore on a tour promoting her new book, “Fifteen Seconds Of Brave”.… Read the rest

Peak Byron

Don’t get me wrong, because Pablo was an excellent performer, I really enjoyed him playing. But when I saw him playing at the Beach Hotel at Byron Bay Beach Hotel yesterday, I giggled a little.… Read the rest