Lady in the van

In 1989 the story, The lady in the van, by Alan Bennett was first published. Alan Bennett's play based on the story was first produced in 1999 while the film starring Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd was released in 2015. The Melbourne Theatre Company is putting on a production of the play early 2019 with Miriam Margolyes in the lead role.

Gloucester Crescent written by William Miller frequently mentions the playwright, Alan Bennett, who lived across the road and frequently spent time at William's home. He also makes reference in passing to the van that appeared in Gloucester Crescent and was parked outside different residences for periods of time.

The story in the book consists of a record about fifteen year stay of the Lady in the Van in Gloucester Crescent and in the later years in the driveway of Alan Bennett's house.The first account is dated October 1969 when the Lady in the Van took up residence in Gloucester Crescent though she had been in the neighbourhood since 1965. The accounts cover the twenty years that Miss Shepherd lived in various locations in the street including  fifteen years in Mr Bennett's driveway.

Who was the Lady in the Van? An eccentric old woman? A former nun? A former ambulance driver? The residents of Gloucester Crescent did not really know her and after her death additional information about her life was being discovered. Whatever her story Miss Shepherd, as she called herself, certainly made an impact on the lives of many of the residents of Gloucester Crescent.

Arcadia

When Jessica's marriage collapses she retreats to the area of Tasmania where she grew up to spend some time with her childhood friend on their property Arcadia. Sally's mother, Mollie, and her four year daughter also live on the property. The property has diversified from general farming to one specialising in producing truffles and saffron.

Jessica soon readapts to life in the country and she persuades Sally to spend some time exploring the places that were special in their childhood. It is on one of these expeditions that they uncover a tin of papers that hint at a family mystery.

Running parallel with Jess and Sally's adventures is the story of Stella, Sally's grandmother. Eventually the links between the two stories are revealed.

The setting and environmental issues are important in the books written by Di Morrissey and this one is no exception. Part of Arcadia contains an old growth forest which the family has preserved for generations.Care for environment and concerns about the effects of global warming are themes in the book. We also learn about studies into the many benefits of species of cultivated mushrooms and fungi.

Like most Di Morrissey books this one was enjoyable and often interesting to read, however at times the plot was a little predictable.

The Lost Man

This is the third novel by Australian author, Jane Harper. This time the story is set on a property, Burley Downs, in south western Queensland. Cameron and Bub are brothers living on the property with their mother (Liz), Cameron's wife (Ilse), and Harry who has worked on the property for years. The eldest brother, Nathan, lives on the neighbouring property and, as it is school holidays, Xander, his son, is staying with him.

One day Cameron is found dead near the grave of a stockman who died long ago. His car loaded with survival supplies is located nine kilometres from where the body was found. How could someone who has lived his life in the outback die in this fashion?

As the characters in the book try to unravel the mystery of Cameron's death the reader learns of events that have happened in the past which are still impacting on the lives of this family in present times. Many family secrets are gradually revealed or explained. As with Jane Harper's other novels, the environment in which the story is set is a major feature. Another excellent Australian novel.

Eleanor's Secret

Part of Caroline Beecham's second novel is set in wartime London. Eleanor Roy's role at the Ministry of Food was to locate artists to paint works for the various buildings. One such artist was Jack Valente but before the conclusion of the interview he was whisked away by two man in suits.

Eleanor is later seconded to work with the War Artists Advisory Committee. Eleanor is a trained artist in a time when female artists are not valued as much as their male counterparts. The book is particularly interesting with its descriptions of this aspect of life in wartime London which has had little publicity.

In 2010 Eleanor contacts her grandaughter, Kathryn living in Australia, requesting that she return to England to locate Jack Valente. It is then that Kathryn learns of the secret that Eleanor has withheld from the family for so long.

Spotted Dog

It has been seven years since the last installment in the Corrina Chapman series by Kerry Greenwood. Corrina runs a bakery, Earthly Delights, in inner Melbourne. The bakery is situated in a building named Insula, containing small shops at ground level plus a series of apartments in which an unusual assortment of people live. The building that inspired Insula in the book is actually the Majorca Building on the corner of Flinders Lane and Centre Way between Swanston and Elizabeth streets.

In this seventh volume in the series Corrina and Daniel have several mysteries to solve. Who stole Geordie, a dog belonging to ex-serviceman, Alastair Sinlair? Who has been breaking into apartments at Insula and why? How did the malware get on the Cafe Delicious' computer? What is the mystery about Philomela, a new arrival at Insula, who is unable to walk or talk? Are these random events or are they related?

The first priority is to rescue the kidnapped dog and let the police investigate the other events, however the inhabitants of Insula manage to become involved in the bigger picture of events as well. I enjoy this books primarily for the portrayal of inner Melbourne and environs. The characters in the books are generally quirky and there are many reference to food throughout the book. The constant references to the relationship between Corrina and Daniel annoys me a little but I am sure that many other readers will enjoy this aspect of the book as well.

The Colony: a history of early Sydney

This book by Grace Karskens was published in 2009. The book provides a detailed account of the the development of the small settlement of 1788 into a town. The development of the surrounding areas is also described.

Chapter five - Seeding and Feeding - describes the development of private farming to encourage the convicts and former convicts to become self sufficient as well as providing food for general stores. The area around the Hawkesbury was a prime settlement for such a project. Karskens describes the challenges faced by the early European settlers as they struggled to make a new life in a strange land.

The river initially was the major road from Sydney to the new settlements though a track between Sydney and Windsor, later becoming a road, was constructed. A major challenge for the settlers in this area was the arrival of major floods which occurred regularly. The region was still part of a convict settlement which determined, to a large extent, what they could and could not do. The land farmed by the settlers had been aboriginal land and for many years the two groups struggled to co-exist. As eight of my convicts settled in this area, this chapter provides excellent background information of what it may have been like living in this region.

Copious notes for each chapter are recorded at the end of the book along with a useful bibliography. This is a book that I will certainly be referring to again for my family history research.

Roadies: the secret history of Australian rock 'n' roll

One of our mates at the gym is a roadie and he often entertains Robin with stories of some of his experiences. Consequently when he mentioned that his story was to be part of a book on roadies I reserved a copy from the library.

Stuart Coupe has written this book after interviewing Australian roadies about their experiences working in the music industry. Forty-one chapters describe not only the general work of the roadies who are an essential element in ensuring that the show is successful, but also provides accounts of touring with individual entertainers.

Chapter five entitled How Weird is devoted to the experiences and antics of Howard Freeman. Howard's family has been involved with show business for four generations so it was logical for him to continue the connection. He has toured with many of the major Australian bands over the years including Sherbert, Dragon and Jimmy Barnes as well as overseas acts. After reading this chapter of the book all I can say is that it is a miracle that Howard has survived.

All in all this book is an interesting account of the music industry from the perspective of those who work behind the scenes.