Writers
Susan Grimsdell
After retiring from audiology some years ago, Susan’s finding life’s pretty good with lots of time to do what she likes. That includes walking, reading, having coffee with friends, and a bit of activism thrown in. Also, day by day doing her best not to worry too much over the many threats to our gorgeous planet.
Read Susan’s Blog
Trevor Plumbly
Meet Trevor. He’s had quite a colourful career, from his early days as a pub manager in Tunbridge Wells he went on to become Dunedin’s leading auctioneer. Trevor is a published author and was something of a TV personality in the 1980s as a regular panellist on a show about antiques.
Read Trevor’s Blog
Emily Smart
Emily is very loud, and has really bad taste in cheesy pop music. When not at work flogging goods to the public via advertising and marketing campaigns, she can be found hiding from her partner and children at the local pub. If you’re easily offended or don’t appreciate the constant use of profanities, then you probably shouldn’t read Emily’s posts. You have been warned!
Read Emily’s Blog
Angela Caldin
Angela has had many roles in her life including: schoolgirl, student, daughter, friend, civil servant, wife, lover, mother, manager, magistrate, landlady, teacher, grandmother, blogger, editor and proofreader.
Read Angela’s Blog
The latest
The killing of women by Susan Grimsdell
There was a double-page spread in the Herald recently: 19 photos of women’s faces. Underneath, the article explained that they were women who had been killed in the past decade, 2011 – 2021. The actual total was 158, but that’s too many for the paper to print photos. Men get murdered too, but 75% of murder victims are female. Death by tiger Later I listened to a radio programme about tigers. There are about 3900 left in the wild in the world, all in Asia, including in parts of China, India and… Read More
Selfies by Trevor Plumbly
On reflection Looking in the mirror’s one thing, but when it comes to describing yourself it can get a bit tricky. Emily provoked this train of thought the other day after her second glass of Shiraz by blurting out, ‘We need to upgrade our bios; Christ I’m still 40 in mine.’ After a re-read, I had to agree. Those scanning that little puff-piece would think that I’m bloody spotless! It comes across like a eulogy in one of those new-age churches, delivered by a celebrant who had never met me. Who the… Read More
Life with a dog by Angela Caldin
I’m a bit late with my blog contribution this week because of circumstances beyond my control. It’s fair to say that not many people have noticed, apart from Trevor who has sent an email of admonishment this morning. The new year is now underway which seems a fitting time to correct the omission. The situation is as follows: our daughter and family have gone away for a short break at Lake Taupo and in a moment of extreme generosity I agreed that we would look after their dog. The dog in question… Read More
Under a pohutukawa tree by Susan Grimsdell
Auckland’s largest pohutukawa tree and perhaps the oldest, as it’s thought to be at least 170 years old, is in Dove Myer Robinson Park. It’s a wonderful sight to see, and I advise anyone reading this to go there and gaze up at it in awe because it’s not going to be there much longer. It lives on the edge of the footprint set aside for the memorial to the people who died in the Erebus air disaster in Antarctica in 1979. Lack of protection The roots of pohutukawa trees are vulnerable… Read More
The Writers
We’re four Brits who made the big move from the UK to the other side of the world. We love New Zealand, the English language having a good laugh and the occasional moan. Ah, just read our posts and you’ll get the gist.
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