Canuk

Will annoys me so much I couldn't vote for him even if the alternative was Wades mother! But then, it says something about how good an author we have that a character can piss me off that much (as opposed to the effect of Grainger <sigh> has on me )

somehow I moved the other way prior to 16 - conservative, 18-35 radical lefty 35 + slow drift to the centre-ish. I see this particularly in my reaction to the antics of some of the characters,,,,,,

glad to see te return of Caroline to the story. the political twists make australian politics positivly mundane. why do i get thatnthe relationship between the good doctor and the unscrupulous knight something to do with a cucumber? another episode in a compelling stor y congratulations

with sincere apologies to Sharon (see, I know where the power lies), I have never really bought into the Calvert hagiography. He's too much like chocolate; bloody delicious, unputdownable and definately something to go back to, but as a staple, it's just not that good for you....

if they got rid of the women and the blood it would make great viewing!

while this is slightly off topic, we do need to be careful in agreeing to knocking down buildings because we "don't like" them. The Victorians hated the plainess of Georgian buildings, the Modernists hated Art Nouveau & Edwardian buildings, in turn the 1970's butalists are not flavour of the decade now. So it is almost expected that we hate the architecture of the recent past but love that of earlier eras. all this to say that we need to be careful in what we pull down - the number of treasure lost because they were "out of date" (Penn station NY, Euston Station London to give two instant examples)

I'll admit that I had no idea that the first satellite was called "Telstar". In Oz Telstar was the name of a mid sized Ford sedan/hatch.

at last! something to get "the hag"! but I can see tears before bedtime on this next expotition (see Winnie-the-Pooh)

I "liked" this and then realised that "liking" it probably gave the wrong impression. The Pat thing seemed to come so out of left field I thought I had missed something. Ok, so the fat lady hasn't yet done her thing, so anything's possible...... as far as the drugs thing either it was different in Australia or somehow I was past it ("too old" ha! as if that has ever happened!) and my kids were too young (almost as unlikley), but somehow it never affected me/us. I never felt I lived in a bubble, but the way some people comment here, I am beginning to think that naievity kept me and mine a hell of a lot safer than I would have imagined.....

Mr Arbour! A Doctor in a molly house with a cucumber!! good god, man, what on earth will we have next! great chapter. tho' I sense complexities with Calvert on board.....

ok if we are going to pick a gen that's being screwed, try the youngest boomers - we are reaching the top of our careers, with all the stresses that involves we have ageing parents who want to remain in their own homes but need constant care and we have kids who hang about because they can't find a job that fullfills them. Oh yes and our gen X nieces and nephews say we're hogging the good jobs. no wonder we drink more than other generations combined!

yet again reviving a dead topic, but I have just read quite a well written story, in fact a very well written story, except - and this is my peeve - "PROLLY" once or twice to help add to a character, ok, but every single time any character in any scene would have otherwise said probably? No, grating, annoying.very bloody annoying. and why?

when are you Americans going to join the rest of the world and use celcius?

i remeber when we sold my grandmother's house. it had been in the family for four generations. when the solicitor asked for the keys to the house, we all looked at eachother and realised that no one had keys for a least two if not three generations! itwas quite funny at the time.

yes, but Darwin is a bloody long way from every where else!

crush is so completely the wrong word, but Methodwriter you do intrigue me; one who despite their comparatively tender years seems to be both intelligent and interesting.

methinks our boy has a new toy! something to play with in the bath! just when he needs it. On a more mundane point - it seems that the midset of a British Tar was something only the most extraordinary psychologist could get any sort of a grip on.

Frankly , Methodwriter85, I'd give up on this argument if I was you. The Tim-created image of you in "poopy diapers" has probably ruined what was left of Mark's holiday, and I sincerely doubt you can do or say anything that will wipe that image

I realise this has NOTHING to do with Mark's (bloody long) vacation , but this hankering for a recently passed decade was brought home to be by my two boys - born '83 & '87 - they have this desire to know what it was like for me in the '70s. I'll admit is seems a lot more fun the way they talk about it that what I actually lived!!

I think John would have a girlfriend that could afford more clothes - she seems to have had to stretch a pillow case an awfully long way.....

that seems a fairly simple EXCEL calculation: 7 Dec 85 - 31 Dec 89 = 1485 1 jan 90 - 31 dec 99 = 3651 = 29% "80's" =71% "90's" tho' I am not sure that tells me any more about you than the wealth of info I already knew! and it certainly doesn't bring Mark back from his revelries any faster! I feel like a kid whose next door neighbour has gone away "is he back yet?, is he back yet?, is he back yet?,......"

fascinating range of responses - (actually the range is limited, but the reasons for the response are widespread!) for me, no, nope, never. even assuming I am not in a relationship at the point of time where the option is put to me, I have enough of my own bagage without assuming or being part of someone else's half resolved relationship issues. life is just too bloody short for that sort of drama. I reread that response and realise how old I am - my response is that of an old(er) bloke - at 16 my answer would have been a lot simpler :

i know this topic is virtually defunct, but I had to add my bit. I find it interesting. As an Australian AND a Canadian QEII is my "sovereign" twice over. While I can't say I am an ardent royalist, I will admit that I see no reason whatsoever for removing QEII or her descendants from their position as head of state. Firstly the current monarch has done a bloody good job over times that have changed dramatically. Secondly what on earth would either Canada or Australia replace the current system with? Would anyone in their right mind really want the circus of the US or French Presidential elections? Ireland and India seem to do better, but still could anyone name either head of state? and isnt the aim of the head of state to be the personification of the state? so as far as I can see the current system as archaic as it is, works. and frankly that, to me, is the first test!

despite Freddie and Davina being "with child", it will still depend on the sex of the child whether the line continues, so I feel there is plenty more opportunities for vitriol chaos and plotting should the heir fail to produce his own heir, let alone a spare! great writing - it must be hard to keep it all within historical reality!

i get the feeling we are close, very close..... but of course that mesns nothing to our intrepid author - :-) while I am grateful for all your postings.... the lag between posts only adds to my stress!!! thoroughly enjoyable - keep on keeping on!