escalator over the hill

Originally I had been very critical of a great many of the personal blogs I had read.

As an inactive bystander I thought I should have a go as I felt I had much to share and learn. It’s easy to criticise from the sidelines, which I had previously done and I was frankly quite narrow-minded about it as a form off alternative media.

However It appeared to me many blogs were and still are written for the sole purpose of enabling the writer to have their moment of fame which seems harmless enough. However to me they often appear when written without theme to be pure Nihilism in other words trivia and one in particular vilified me.

It would be correct for you to say my view was arrogant and on reflection I agree I think it was .

The challenge I faced originally was very personal as I saw how one person my ex was using the conduit of her  blog to denigrate me in public with  a litany of untruths and a for their “self aggrandisement” not only at my expense but also at the expense of others which included their IBM colleagues, family and her own children. I let this get a tad in the way of my initial view of “personal” blogging, but I got sick of the rubbish and my only recourse was to write “my truth here”.

In summary I came to this  space ORIGINALLY to put the record straight as my only recourse to publishing the truth and I suppose to let off steam.

I had found myself on the end of another’s blogging that was clearly intended to demean me to people also in my network or close enough to it who knew me and that it was me that was being written about.

After blogging and later twittering for a few weeks I can see that my harsh cynicism perhaps clouded my objectivity and view of all the fantastic contributions out here in the “great unwashed” the recent Alana Jones affair is an example

What I am trying to do with my blog is to tie anything I do write about the world, perhaps an  experimentally mad cooking recipe or  something that has happened in my life while attempting to put it to ‘a’ context to wider event or issue. In my current personal life that would be as an example in the context of Family Law or simply giving people a fair hearing.

(14.2 2011) I received some criticism about  my writing which was considered too personal.

I knew that but it was cathartic and part of my healing process.

The question posed; was  I being objective…could I even be? This was made in particular to my references to my then recent  personal relationship experiences (now ended 26 months ago but still a matter of a property settlement being heard as at Oct 2012 in the Federal Magistrates Court) My point was this was my way of stating my truths

The critique was made and I hope that I am able to write now in a way that exposes less hurt and my sense of personal injustice. If you knew my full story you perhaps would understand. Later in this introduction I do revisit the matter. It is something that will most likely after a long and protracted battle be decided by the courts. 28 Months on and resolution is still not in sight.

I too have an ego but  believe I am entitled to re discover my sense of worth and self-respect so will address those issues from time to time in this blog.

I want  to be informative without being heavy (I know I have failed in that).  I intend to be provocative.

Some of my Political statements will show there  is no faint heart here but you see I do not write anonymously. You know who I am so if I do single out an individual I am not hiding so you know I write the truth.

So…

Welcome to [an] escalator over the hill 🙂

Why [an] escalator over the hill .

You will better understand this after reading the final paragraphs to this introduction

Research shows (in the US) of all the blogs in existence the average readership is of just 3 people. If you consider that many blogs are read by at least hundreds and even thousands of people you will understand that many are of little interest. I’m no academic but I am happy that I do have a readership of 25 per day thought is has been

My Pets

Once known as “Dave the club” in London and Teddy in the children’s home I have always had a love of animals. I now have 4 Cats, a Norwegian Forest Cat called Roger who is my mate, a little lilac Burmese called Emma  Tommy and now Rosa (Luxemburg)….still the  kitten of now 18 months Rosa is another rescue cat; as all my cats are.

I also have a Rescued Golden Retriever called Lola

My Chickens

I also have 2 chickens both Well-Sommers  Hoppity and Brownie. Hoppity is so-called because she has a deformed foot but sadly I had to leave her behind when I was evicted 2 and half years ago from my home of the previous 3 and a half years. She is a gorgeous bird and I miss her very much…a real pet. I did have 6 but my then defacto partner Amanda Green at the time insisted we get rid of the 4 immediately we discovered they were boys. That was a bad day all lovely birds but they went to a good  Free Range Country Farm.

As at 18 October 2012 I have not been able to get a response from the other side how any of my chickens are . My solicitor has been trying to get an answer for as long as she has been on the case2 years.  We  still have no news of the chickens.

The Rabbits are Dead

I also kept Rabbits and again it took several solicitor’s letters to get a response about them. In May of this year 2102 we received a curt written answer from the other solicitors containing the statement  “my client denies the Rabbit were his…. and the Rabbits are dead”! No more no less!!!

I have been told a month back they were poisoned by a  Gardener friend  of my ex at her request.

It was all made all the worse because 1) I am a soppy bloke when it comes to animals (I am now an animal rescuer for WIRES) and 2) I had brought the birds up from chicks until the lay of their first eggs and the rabbits as youngsters as well as building their extensive  enclosures.

Weird

Yet  Green felt guiltless to claim in her blog the credit if that is what it was in her parallel (hidden) universe of  her twitter and blog friends.  Did I say parallel…wrong she has 5 on-line personalities of which subscribers to one maybe two don’t know the existence of the others. Only by an accident after 4 years did I discover this Parallel Universe.

So who is Davie Ewan Macdonald ?

Well to start  these are 3 of my cats (as said I now have 4)

I was brought up in the National Children’s home in Hertfordshire England until 5 and was known as Teddy.

Rising from these humble but lively beginnings, I moved to SE London . Fostered At 8, I earned “pocket money” selling newspapers outside the local Football Club and on  local council housing estates.

It now seems a million years since I was a youngster in Lewisham & Deptford. It was a tough, working man’s area where a man called a spade a shovel :).

You worked hard & man’s word was his bond. They were hard colourful days & they have held me in good stead for the challenges of then and today. My greatest role was as “Dave the Club” at Riverside on Pepys Estate. There I was the Senior Youth and Community Worker for a large Youth Centre run by the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA)

As a youngster I again had a short period of fostering at 8 years  11 and  13. I was into the usual “street scraps” lads in the area got into but I was not very good at it 🙂 but always stood my ground….just.  As a result a visit from the local constable and a clip round the ear was not so  unusual.

“Me ?”

“It wasn’t me Gov”

Though I left school officially at 16 I really just about stopped going when I was 14.

I has always thought I would either be  Fireman or join the Army All my family had had some association with the Military going back to my Grand Fathers.

The idea of the Fire Brigade collapsed when it was discovered I was colour blind. So that was that flame quickly extinguished.

So I got my first break in a Law firm who had acted for me when the local constabulary and I had a slight misunderstanding.

My brief was 18 months later to be a defence Counsel for the Kray Twins

The job was as a “tea boy”

I was persuaded  in the benefits of an education by my employer . I was press ganged by my him; Jack Gaster to  study Law as a Legal Executive and so qualified to give loads of cheek to Judges, Masters and Senior Registrars in Chambers and…… getting away with it.

In response to a booming voice from the Huge Oak Doors

“Yer ‘oner” I’d say smartly dressed as a Mod in my two-tone Tonic Mohair suit Brogue shoes Ben Sherman Shirts and the obligatory braces:

I entered his Chambers “shall I bring the *cat in” .The Cat ? Yes the cat

The Royal Courts of Justice a troop of mousers patrolling the corridors and one Judge had a particular favourite so it was you seek this Black Cat out white socks and all so you could gain a favour with his Worship. * The Royal Courts  had cats on the payroll as “mousers” that wondered the corridors of the Courts.

In winter us mods wore a Crombie Coat or Navy Blue Mac with a Prussian Collars.  This was the fashion of the day as we wondered the Court Corridors with our “Articled” Clerks in Tow.

Sometimes for a laugh us young ladidish Solicitors clerks would have a competition to see who would get away with exaggerating how we addressed a Judge while others would listen in.

They would hear the most extraordinary cockney boys speaking as if they had a lobster caught in the throat! …..MA LUDDDD or Your Hhhonour never sounded so ridiculous.

“My sporting life began as a youngster on the streets of (South) East End of London where I followed and became part of the fortunes of Millwall ( “every one hates us and we don’t care”) I had the gift I thought but my dreams came to an early end in 1969 due to injury and a mess up with my leg in Hospital.

In 1973 I became a youth worker at the Elephant & Castle at  a Youth Club called the Roundabout, at another in Wimbledon & after those stints went on to work as a Senior Youth & community worker for 8 yrs in several clubs finally running my own “Riverside” on Pepys Estate Deptford in 1974.

One of the greatest workers and my first youth work boss was a Janet Watson  who let me have my head and it was great supporting her in her ideas and ambitions. She was terrific to work for.

I coached soccer at several youth clubs and saw lads go off to play with Millwall Arsenal and Charlton Athletic. I studied Sociology and Economics and Political History but I am not an academic.

In 1980 I was chosen to chair the Safe Neighbourhood unit (SNU). The committee included a deputy Police Commissioner, Representatives of the Probation and After-care Service Local Councillors and the Local MPs and Deputy PM. This project was a study to produce solutions for all aspects of our community on one of Inner London’s Largest Housing Estates “The Pepys”

Had the active solutions been embraced fully the London Riots of 2011 may not have occurred.

From my Professional and personal experience  I have some Australian criminologists particularly one in my sights.

Their published and spoken views about crime, causes, effects and solutions are utter upper class nonsense and this was illustrated by two recently from the ANU. One claimed erudition on the London Riot The other My Damon Muller claimed expertise on Arson.

Coincidently It happens Muller indulged anonymously ( aka Damonism) in some personal twitter rubbishing of me in 2010/11. When it was thought (wrongly) I had put two and two together they were toldby my ex and they immediately slunk off and locked their tweets from Public view….They have continued to do so  since March 2011 to this day October 2012. This is a link to my post  “London Riot” a Map of the Underground

Motorcycles: my love affairs

I got my 1st motorcycle in 1967. It’s the gold an white one in my album on Facebook An Ariel Golden Arrow followed by a BSA Starfire, a Honda CB250 a CB500T and then my all time favourite a Kawasaki Z 900, followed by a Yamaha XS1100.I still ride today my Valkyrie and HONDA SC16. [Update Aug 2012 due to a progressive degenerative illness I am not able to ride …but I intend to one day again. They are in absolute tip-top condition.

In 1982 I used my entire life savings to buy an airline ticket and traveled to the antipodes and Sydney.

On arrival I had just $43 in my pocket.

So not to become too culture shocked, I worked in a Car Dealership just like the Old Kent Road and  just like Arthur Daley sold a few cars. I got married but wasn’t very good at it divorced in 1986 and so remained very single until 2005.  After a number of years in a range of sales marketing and  management roles I branched out on my own with a consulting business and focused on Internet Marketing, Sales and People development. This also gave me the opportunity to spend more time with my son who was growing up fast. A work life balance was crucial to us.

Sadly he has grown up to fast and my little boy is lost.

In 2000 I presented a study on War Crimes in Poland to the Holocaust Museum in Sydney having been an anti fascist in London and leading security in London  for the Anti Nazi League from 1977. My document in 2 volumes are available for all to see by special  appointment with the Holocaust Museum.  However I support  the 2 state solution for Israel and restoring the rights to Palestinian refugees.

I am active in my community and was chosen by my faction in the ALP to stand as the running mate with Kate Lundy in the last Federal Election. I was asked to stand aside however. Unfortunately while having the responsibility as Campaign Director for my Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP)  I became  homeless and for a short period shelter-less.

I was however still able to organise the venues for  campaign launch Press conferences and 2 public meeting.  Job well done I think considering.

Since relocating to Sydney 28 months ago I have become an activist in the Environment movement and a Convener for the Labor Environment Action Network.This is a link to the Environmental  Facebook page I manage. I have also galvanised my neighbours to participate in a street improvement plan supported by North Sydney Council and I am a member of a local area street precinct committee.

I have become an animal carer and have in the past 2 years have rescued a good half-dozen Ringtail and Brush tail Possums. Job well done

My Son

Today “I have a fantastic boy Robbie who is 28 and worked recently for free in a soup kitchen in New York playing “Pick up Soccer and  also coaching. He is in Amsterdam but we all hope especially his Nanna and I am sure his mum hope he will come  home this year.  From year 1 until he was 9 I was recognised as his primary care giver and in  1993 was the first person anywhere in the world, certainly in Australia to obtain a Court order restraining Adults from smoking with children in an enclosed space. The rest is history about smoking.

I still ride; well did and hope to again ride motorcycles and my love affair is with my SC16. My problem is my legs don’t work very well and 24 September 2012 I will have an MRI on my nut… I love fast cars but like to drive slow. Cooler don’t you think?

In 2009 I qualified as a Fitness Gym Personal Trainer & Conditioning Coach. Though in Jan 2009 I had an accident that caused the prolapsed of 2 disks that extruded into the spinal column which left me physically challenged. This was later to be further damaged when forced to move home in late 2010 and again has resulted in medical intervention.

I am recovering well but those who know me will know of my eye surgery in December 2010 when I had an eye socket implant removed. This had been a cause of much discomfort and vision problems since late 2009 This wasnt help by an accident in early 2011 when I was hit by a 5 tonne truck while waiting to cross the road.

Though I went to hospital I was given the all clear. 2 Weeks later due some small amount of discomfort I presented my self at RNS Emergency and it was found I had fractured my arm the Radius and Ulna. They took 6 months to heal.

My friends suggest I am lucky to be alive. I just laugh. I recently lost a car in the  Brisbane flood but I’m lucky…..update: The car was found. It had been stolen. How lucky is that.

My homeless situation came about after discovering my live together partner of 5 years was having an affair that she had been blogging and tweeting about for the preceding 3 months .  Another contributory  factor was finding out that though   having been told  by her in 2005 she had been divorced for 3 years when we met  she was actually still married in 2011!

The empty house we were to buy that she said she had bought and we moved into was actually being bought by her and her husband .

So though pouring all my financial and physical resources into the home, most of the furnishings, caring for their children, being the home keeper, the shopper , the Gardner, and car mechanic  because I was not on the title deeds I was in August 2010 given just 14 days to get out.  Most of the household items were mine too. So in the 14 days I had to organise the removals while at the same time trying to find a home as I was suddenly homeless.

I completed the exercise in just 20 days

I got out so quickly as covertly I was threatened bgy the other-side and being lined up with a Domestic Violence order.

But my resiliance didnt change though it was stretched to its limit …maybe just a little beyond

So…

I continue on and try to live by the saying …”some men see things that are & ask why? While others dream of things that aren’t & ask why not”?

So back to “why I blog” which reminds   me of a Penguin by George Orwell “Why I write”

So Why [an] escalator over the hill?

Its   something taken from American Native Culture.

Two people [you and me] are standing opposite sides of a hill It might be tall hill or it could be small it doesn’t matter. We can be of any origin looking skywards to see a cloud; the same cloud. Though it is the same cloud we see because of where we stand we see it differently. Yet it is the same.

The lesson is we all have our view and we have our truth but because we can see something that is the same it doesn’t follow we will  see it as the same.

[an] escalator over the hill is about a journey I have travelled and a one that continues on to this day.

The picture of the escalator over the hill is metaphoric. It has been created quite deliberately and passes through a dense over growth of the overhanging forest.

The hill can be an obstruction to seeing the other view and it maybe a ride one does not want to take. The density of the forest may stop us from seeing the light of other ideas. It is a tunnel. The escalator is intended to make the passage less challenging swifter and enjoyable

My hope is that [an] escalator over the hill will provide the ticket to quickly see another concept, and to be open to a richness of experience that may  lie over the other side of the hill.

I want [an] escalator over the hill to challenge and provoke thinking and I invite other views.

There is always more learning and unlearning to be done. There is much understanding and tolerance and compassion to be embraced if we are to indeed make the world a better place. I hope I am able to engage and not disengage.

At first [an] escalator over the hill will be essentially built around and about me and how I see the cloud at this time… in my time

Whether we aspire to alternative political thought or appreciate our music but not those of others, “like our stuff but not theirs” and believe we have all the answers we will find the tentacles of narcissism and self-importance slowly start to strangle all that can make this world a much better place.

I do not want write anything behind a veil of anonymity or anything that vilifies any individual unfairly or knowingly discredits them dishonestly.

This last point is something that is very important to me and one I have suffered egregiously several times very recently in someone else’s blog. I hope I have the strength of courage to give all views a right of reply. I want it to be democratic so anything I write is open for critique.

The only caveat I have is that I will not allow any racial or gender vilification.

What I want is: this blog to challenge

I want to share the music from my journey including the earliest times when I have my first recollection of my introduction to music on a 78 disk Davy Crocket which must have been in 1956. But my Facebook page has eveolved into the place for Music more often and my Facebook page is like a blog in any case Check it out

My personal Facebook page and this is the the link to it Davie Ewan Macdonald

I want  to share the music I like, what I don’t and why. But the upheavals in The Mid East and North Africa  hijacked that aim somewhat.

I want to share contemporary thinking and reading.

I want to give some political thought and some social commentary about those ills I see in our society and learn better of those I don’t even know of yet. I am not an academic so I hope that what I write will be tied to real life experiences.

I typically have in mind some economists, political leaders, sociologists and criminologists who I want to target them for their stupidity and their misogyny.

I will write personally about my stuff that I hope will make you smile from time to time. The things from my “happy box” sometimes about my son, my passion for the World game (especially Millwall, Celtic and Scottish Football), Motorcycle racing, old toys I have been collecting, books my CATS and “slow food 4 fast people”.

Happy Box

For some years and inspired by the ABC program Collectors I embarked on a project to locate items from my childhood that brought me much happiness which includes books, boys annuals, comics, toy cars a picture of my first and only dog, Bruin and much more. Some of the  memorabilia is from time spent in the NCH. In this part of the journey I am mindful of how it in part it was shaped by Terry Bedford recent Director of the BBC series Robin Hood with whom I shared a house in London and for whom I often baby sat.

From time to time I might even include Food and cooking which is something I have recently re discovered after almost 5 years of being discouraged from the stove. I may even post the odd pathetic picture of an attempted culinary (tongue in cheek) delight.While I am no Jamie Oliver, Maggie Bear or Rick Stein (whom I am told I sound quite like) I have re discovered I am quite good at it; cooking that is.

I am inspired to write by my son and “my” old lads in the UK from the youth centre I ran in London over 30 years ago. Many of these boys now well and truly men and had a very different taste in music to that of mine. They would be surprised at my diversity of taste today. We shall see. We are in contact via Face Book.

However at 16 I recall the influence of a boy at Eltham Green my senior school who introduced me to Tamla Motown, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson. As such he was probably the biggest single influence on my contemporary taste in music . The time also collided with James Browns first tour of the UK. I was indeed fortunate to be taken to see James Brown B in Sydney in 2006. That was a great night out…..though it did have a peculiar ending. On my Facebook and also twitter I think you will find some great Roots Reggae music

I am blessed with a great collection Contemporary and of Classical music and for the latter I have to thank my Father, my Grand Father and my dear sister.also my brother, who directed me to the first Eric Clapton Crossroads DVD which is mentioned in some of the following pages.

I have a great passion for motorcycles and this is something given to me again by my Father and my elder half-brother Douglas.     Those who know me well will know of my keen interest in Motor Sport mainly  the 60s and for this I believe stems from my first Motor Racing book The BP Book of Motor Racing received for my 8^th birthday. My Brother is looking after the tatty but charming original while I have replaced it with an almost mint copy of the same book.

An escalator over the hill will be a vehicle to develop and maintain news contact with those children some of the “forgotten ones” who were brought up with me in the NCH (National Childrens Home) Harpenden. (This is now called “action for children)

This experience gave me a sense of community and perhaps equipped me with the resilience to handle the challenges of life’s experiences.

Key was my house Mother Sister Eva Brooker who was a most lovely person and who picture I have with me always who sadly I was not able to find before her death…but I got close.

Having obtained my home records was an incredible part of my journey and though I was too late to find Sister Eva but I thank David Hill ex head of the ABC and CEO of Soccer Australia for pointing me in the right direction to finding the first book end of my life.

One of the most important influences on my life is my short time with my dog Bruin; a Labrador Retriever cross.

It’s a typical story of the boy and his dog and sometime I will post about him and our wonderful but very short time together of just 3 years. He was the only dog I have ever had. His picture always has pride of place alongside my son and Sister Eva.

One of my greatest loves is for poetry which again is something I let go for the past 5 years. In that time this social medium has come of age so this is perfect tool for me to share my thought in a more lively and I hope engaging way.

This Christmas after having been in a materialistic, unmusical and culture-less environment for the past few years I discovered something new while watching one of Eric Clapton Crossroads DVDs.

The second disc of which had remained unseen since bought it new in 2007. Here I found a blues artist amongst many of the greats; a person I consider to be a most remarkable talent “Johnny Lang” On seeing this musician and singer I was bursting to tell my friends and anyone who cared to listen about [my] find. This singularly was the key driver, the “tipping point” that brought me finally to blog.

                 At the same time I learned of the death of my comrade friend and outstanding trombonist Paul Rutherford who had died a couple of years back. Paul had introduced me to ISKRA and the Mike Westbrook band exponents the Avant-garde in music or “New Jazz”. The band recorded a 3 record box set of New Jazz. It was called Escalator over the Hill. I still have this set today

From time to time in the annuls of this log I will mention others who have inspired and continue to inspire me There will people from all walks of life include my boys from the East End, Riverside, Pepys Estate, The NCH, Friends from Kings Cross Sydney and some of my great friends in Canberra; Neil, Mark and my many friends in the ALP and my new coffee mates at Tobys Wooloomooloo.

So this is a medium including Face book and twitter where I hope to share my narrative and simple “ladish” stuff with you. I hope you can share your stuff with whoever drops by and takes a ticket to ride “an escalator over the hill”

About the picture: the escalator is a metaphor of a life opening with greater ease to new ideas that nestle just over the hill. The trees are representative of shadows cast that may keep our minds from light and in perpetual darkness.

As I wrote earlier a series of unfortunate  personal events also brought me to blog.

 

Another reason to blog ?  Defamation!

It is cathartic for me having gone through what has been one of the very worst episodes of my life.  Unfortunately this social medium and others including twitter have been used to write harmful  material about me for anybody including friends colleagues and all who know me in business or politics.

There are people who read Amanda Greens  blog which is written anonymously who know  me in “real life”.  They know whose blog it is and know it is me being written about. Some of these people have connections in social, political, community and professional areas that collide with  my everyday life.

In November 2010 some 4 months after I had long gone and left  Griffith Canberra  Ms Green or has she still was “Mrs Moore” aka 6 other on-line IDs  made a determined decision to  blog  more denigrating material about me.  In support of her, others also decided to post defamatory material comments about me in response. This  has continued  to as recently October 2012

Trolls

So who are these people who would never have to courage to stand up come forward with their real identity’s

1) One of these brave people is even an International Human Rights Lawyer called Clare Mahon and an author  of sorts based in Geneva. To her I draw attention to  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 1

” All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

and article  12

“No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy,family home or correspondence,nor attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attack.

This lawyer has  worked  for Amnesty International.  The International Service for Human Rights and ironically the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions. I wrote to her twice to cease and desist.

She has never had the courage to reply . However should she return to practice in Australia I will file a complaint with the Legal Services commission.

There are several others  who engaged in defamatory tweets:

2) Is a *University lecturer and criminologist…(how ironic), especially as I have named him in above and further in this blog.* now a Public Servant I understand.

3) Another is  a sociology lecturer now a business lecturer ,

4) Another has worked in various temporary posts within several of Minister Peter Garrett’s Departments DEEWR and has even tweeted using the hash tag #Garrettshouldgo. “There is no danger of my not spelling your name correctly”.

5) Is a person  who also commented about me I have spoken to directly to her and though she denied it to me and a mutual friend was her she  continued on with it later.

These are People who stand high and yet engage in action against a good person who did nothing to you who you had never met in person.

Make no mistake once my Family Law matter is done with I will be coming “legally” to seek remedy from you all. But an apology could  be the end of it…

A Tipping Point for me to start a Blog

So after 6 months of this off and on defamation about me I decided in February 2011 to reply via the same medium. So here I am with my blog.

To all those who chose freely to post their opinions, who decided they knew me, who believed my ex partner, I challenge you. “Bring it on” openly and step out from the mask of anonymity  and if what you say is  true  come out and re post your comments here.

Unfairness in Law

Sometime in the future I will write fully showing the unfairness of the law in relation to  property in a de-facto relationship.

Did you know though a party that may have contributed financially and physically to the fabric of a home since taking possession together, if said person is not listed on the title deeds, they can be locked out of the home!!!……seriously. How just is that?

This could happen to anybody so be aware.

When you become surplus to requirements and as it seems  in my case they have multiple affairs, you become a severe inconvenience.

They can arrange for a Lawyer to write alleging you have been  bullying and Harassment ” with a covert intention of setting you up for a Domestic Violence Order. This was done to me even though I had told the other party I was moving out the day previous to the letter. This was my on-line way using poetry and music answer to that accusation

You can be well cashed up as I was when I moved in. You can pack up everything to move to another City , leave network of friends and business . You can provide most of the furniture house and home wares. You can embark on clearing ,developing and maintaining [their] property. You can  look after their pets their children  loan cars, loan money but it counts for nothing if you don’t have good legal representation….At the  time mine was shit

This experience  has made me better understand why people; mainly women in circumstances beyond their control  are forced to remain in an environment that they know full well they should have left many times before. It takes a certain degree of courage and somewhere to go. 14,000 women and children are homeless every night in Australia I didn’t have that for some time.

So to this Blog Escalator Over The Hill

I want this blog to be a place where I can:

• Share all sorts of stuff. I am probably being far too ambitious with the scope, but I am greedy
• Write openly and honestly
• In form and entertain at the same time (do I have the talent I ask)?
• Improve my grammar and spelling I am embarrassed about the feedback today or when I re read like I have done here today (20.02)
• Work things out and tinker around the edges

So here we are [an] escalator over the hill.

My thanks to my friend Pamela with whom the challenges I have faced recently most likely would have been insurmountable and her input into the setting up of this blog.

I also have to thank my friends in Canberra without whom in the tough time just past I don’t know I would have made it. Most are members of Emilys list who all knew the truth about me …thank goodness

They are Eva C, D, Carolyn S, Sandi T for her kind offer, Patricia H again a very kind offer and others.

Some blokes including Mark H treating me to regular dinners, Nick M taking me to dinner. Mick G for offering to help, James making 3 trips to Canberra with his van because Dell who cut me a great deal for his removals and his huge Removal Van couldn’t fit everything in and finally Neil S.

Thanks to you You were  indeed life savers.

I am going to use a system of logos to represent various topics.

	politics
	in search of stupidity
	reading, books and poetry
	music
	food and cooking
	cars and motorcycles
	sport
	more sport – especially cricket
	things from my childhood, illustrated by my dog Bruin
	community and social comment
	my cats
	travel

Get on board. I do hope you will enjoy “an escalator over the hill”