Re-Assuring Mother
...“As a family, we weren’t very demonstrative,” I said.
I kissed my palm and blew the kiss at her...
Richard Harris pays a most memorable tribute to his mother.
Home | Western Walkabout
April 16, 2012
November 28, 2011
The New Bed
...The bed holds them firm in its bosom and they fall into a restful sleep, the cat purring and him – no, we won’t go there...
Richard Harris and his cat luxuriate in the embrace of a new bed.
October 03, 2011
The Dancer
...One dance I have learnt is the passo deena, a Spanish gypsy dance. I love it, feel it, and move with the music. Is there a Spanish gypsy somewhere in my background?...
Richard Harris, a mere 74-year-old, is leaning new dances.
September 19, 2011
Who I Am
...When I was born, even my mother didn’t like me. She wanted a girl. Her father said to her, “Nonsense. He’s fine. Congratulations. I’ve brought you a bottle of three star brandy.”...
Ace columnist Richard Harris looks back on his life, loves and losses.
August 29, 2011
Sad Rather Than Funny
“ may your unshriven soul shrivel and squirm on the hot hob of hell.” That’s one for those who like alliteration’’
In a solitary, imaginative mood, Richard Harris acknowledges an interest in insults.
August 22, 2011
The Witch, Evgenia
...She spoke into the ball, “I am from a long line of successful Russian witches. My mother has brought me up in the traditions of modern medicine. My grandmother taught me the old ways.
“I am beautiful, well educated. I have a good job, lovely friends, I live in two worlds but something is missing.”...
The missing ingredient in the witch's life is a man, as this intriguing tale from Richard Harris reveals.
August 15, 2011
A Beautiful Dream
Richard Harris tells of a great night’s sleep.
August 08, 2011
Come Run With Me
It’s great to run free, declares Richard Harris.
August 01, 2011
The Colour Of Hunger
“Living in metropolitan Western Australia, where about 40 per cent of the people are overweight and there’s a lot of obesity, I don’t see a lot of hunger, and if I did, I probably wouldn’t recognise it,’’ writes Richard Harris.
July 25, 2011
It Never Ceases To Amaze Me
Richard Harris's poem expresses an abundance of gratitude.
July 18, 2011
Caught In An Elevator
Richard Harris tells of embarrassing moments in an elevator.
July 11, 2011
70 To 75 Years
“Some questions in life never seem to change – it’s the answers that have to change as we develop new coping strategies,’’ says Richard Harris, bringing his autobiography up to day.
July 04, 2011
Words –
Richard Harris’s poem concerns those powerful tools and weapons – words.
June 27, 2011
The Bike Ride
Richard Harris’s poem concerns an invigorating friend-making bike ride.
June 20, 2011
The Lovers
Richard Harris brings us a deliciously naughty poem.
June 13, 2011
Thoughts On Happiness
Richard Harris’s poem muses on what is, perhaps, the most important of all subjects.
June 06, 2011
65-70 Years
…naked and dripping, I dragged myself out of the pool. The applause was for me. A fat lady said, “Richard, you’ve made my day.”…
Richard Harris continues his hugely entertaining and revealing autobiography.
To read earlier episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
May 30, 2011
Phil The Baptist
There’s no ticks or flies on those members of Pastor Phil’s flock in Perth, as Richard Harris’s poem reveals.
May 23, 2011
60 -65 Years
Richard Harris, continuing his absorbing autobiogrphy, tells of running competitively in Australia, the USA and the UK.
May 16, 2011
55 To 60 Years
…I stood in front of the burnt-out ruin of my house and couldn’t believe my evil luck.
I was left with only the clothes I wore and some spare items and running gear in my locker at work…
But better times lay ahead for Richard Harris, as he tells us in this continuation of his engaging autobiography.
May 09, 2011
50 To 55 Years
Continuing his life story, Richard Harris tells of a great loss.
May 02, 2011
45-50 years
Richard Harris, continuing his engaging life story, tells how he became a marathon runner.
To read earlier episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
April 25, 2011
40-45 years
…At work, at lunch times, I played darts with my friends in the social club amenities area. I was really unfit, and my clothes hung on me. I didn’t look good at all and many people at work told me so…
Continuing his autobiography, Richard Harris tells of facing up to the need for a mid-life epiphany.
April 18, 2011
35 – 40 Years
…I got girls from finance and records to model in the promotion of safety procedures. One girl posed in halter top and tiny shorts trying to pull Main Roads safety boots off a worker and he didn’t want to let them go. This campaign got the workforce out of thongs and into safety boots…
Richard Harris, continuing his autobiography, tells of adopting a different approach to work which paid rich dividends.
April 11, 2011
30 to 35 years
Richard Harris, continuing his brisk and entertaining autobiography, tells of the times of big changes in his life.
April 04, 2011
25-30 years
…We decided that to give our life together a sporting chance, we needed to get out of the Sydney-Canberra maelstrom, so we each applied for jobs in Perth…
Richard Harris, continuing his engaging autobiography, tells of getting married and seeking a new life in Western Australia.
March 28, 2011
20-25 Years
...I had done very well indeed – a ten pound Pom who blew in off the Pioneer bus...
Richard Harris, continuing his brisk, entertaining autobiography, tells how he left his native England to eventually become a daily newspaper journalist in Sydney, Australia.
March 21, 2011
15 - 20 years
...I soon graduated from being a cub reporter to district editor and was appointed in charge of the Thirsk office. It was quiet there and the big deal was the rural district council, the magistrates court and the parish council. Some weeks there would be no news at all and we’d have to make something out of nothing...
Richard Harris, continuing his entertaining life story, tells of the life of a weekly newspaper reporter.
March 14, 2011
10 to 15 years
“Some periods of your life are so unpleasant you blot them out,’’
Richard Harris, continuing his autobiography, tells of one such period in his life.
March 07, 2011
5 – 10 Years
…I learnt to read in the playground, taking my comic there, the Dandy, and another kid whose name escapes me read it to me as we sat against the wall in the playground during breaks from lessons. I was most impressed and was thus spurred to read…
Richard Harris brings another highly entertaining slice of autobiography.
February 28, 2011
0 to 5
...To celebrate my successful birth, my maternal grandfather, Robert Hughes, the licensee of the Coach and Horses Inn, on the Great North Road, Birtley, brought my mother a bottle of three star Hennessy’s brandy. He left it at her bedside and with it a gold sovereign to begin my road to riches. My mother kept that sovereign for years. But she had a large glass of brandy immediately in the belief that after all the drama of birth she had earned it...
Richard Harris presents the first slice of his autobiography. Great entertainment - and more to follow!
February 21, 2011
Penguin Island
Richard Harris presents a haiku on a Penguin Island scene.
February 14, 2011
The Strength Of Weakness
It’s the weak that often weather the storm, as Richard Harris’s poem reveals.
February 07, 2011
Precious Moments In A Day
In the precious moments of the day Richard Harris hears a remarkable life story.
January 31, 2011
Would I Do It Again?
...I have a friend who keeps her late husband’s ashes in a box under her bed. I stubbed my toe on it once. “Ow, what’s that?” I said.
“That’s Bert,” she said. “He’s been there five years...
Count on Richard Harris to bring you memorable thoughts in few words.
January 24, 2011
My Friend The Wind
Richard Harris welcomes the whispering wind as a friend.
January 17, 2011
House With Personality
"My house seems to like being where it sits and feels glad when I’m there,'' writes Richard Harris. " When I’m out, it sends the cat to sit at the front to watch for my return.''
January 10, 2011
Mother
...One day when nearly ninety
She turned in her bed to face the wall
And then she died.
Ten thousand miles away I cried.
Atlantis had sunk beneath the waves...
Richard Harris thanks the person who gave him the light of day.
January 03, 2011
Favourite Walk
Richard Harris introduces us to some of the friends - plants and animals - in backyard.
December 27, 2010
A Pet Fish
Richard Harris tells of a pet fish called Jaws.
December 20, 2010
Bird Watching
Richard Harris tells why he is bird-wary.
December 13, 2010
My Favorite Chair
Richard Harris reminds us that style is not about money.
December 06, 2010
In the Mirror
Richard Harris has a conversation with himnself.
To read more of Richard's top drawer columns and storiesplease click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
November 29, 2010
Gift From A Spirit
…I must have been asleep when I was visited by this spirit form of extra-sensory intelligence.
I felt the slightest kiss on my right eye – my dominant eye. My mind settled rapidly and I started to drift off into a deep sleep…
Richard Harris sees himself as he really is.
November 22, 2010
Saying No
Richard Harris, ruminating on the difficuly of saying "No''. concludes that life is one long compromise.
November 15, 2010
Bread And Butter
Richard Harris tells of the beneficial delight of munching bread.
November 08, 2010
Murder In The Waters
Richard Harris tells of a runner saved by the clack of a magpie's beak.
November 01, 2010
Speaking As A Flower
Richard Harris's poem reveals the thoughts of a flower.
October 25, 2010
Anger Monologue: The Woman Who Was Too Beautiful
Richard Harris tells a tale which highlights the burden of being beautiful.
Continue reading "Anger Monologue: The Woman Who Was Too Beautiful" »
October 18, 2010
The Watcher In The Forest
…to everyone’s astonishment, he transformed into a bright red dragon, gushing his hot bright breath into the wet wood...
Richard Harris tells the tale of a shape-shifter who lived alone in the forest.
October 11, 2010
About A Cat
Richard Harris tells of his cat Mehitabel, a most engaging creature.
October 04, 2010
The Slave - 7
Richard Harris continues his brilliant and moving story of a Viking island lord's love for his salve girl Aoife.
To read earlier episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 27, 2010
The Slave- 6
...That Easter, Aoife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, with wisps of red gold hair. It was a prolonged and difficult birth but Aoife managed with assistance from Rose, and Father Cuthbert, who had previous experience in such matters and made sure the babes were not choked on their birth cords.
The children were christened Brian and Rika. Brian had been Aoife’s father’s name. She named the girl for me, swearing she had a look of me about her...
Richard Harris continues his engrossing tale about a Viking island lord and the slave girl who became his wife.
To read earlier episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 20, 2010
The Slave - 5
...Some eight months later, Uncle Erik gave me a slave – Aoife.
It took all my courage to tell Erik that I had decided to take Aoife to wife.
I had expected the sternest reprimand. Erik just laughed. “Thine was a cold bed without a woman in it,” he said. “She’s a comely lass, though but a slave.”...
Richard Harris continues his satisfying tale of a Viking island chief and his wife Aoife.
For earlier episodes and other stories and articles by Richard please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 13, 2010
The Slave - 4
The Lord of the Isle and his former slave Aoife are married by a Christian priest.
Richard Harris continues his engrossing tale which is set in Nordic times. To read earlier episodes and more of Richard's words please visit http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 06, 2010
The Slave - 3
...“Beautiful Aoife, fair lady of Erin, would you honor me by becoming my wife, my consort, my love, and the Lady of the Isle?”
She threw back her hair and laughed. Then she placed her hands behind my head and softly kissed me on the lips. It was a sweet little kiss, a loving kiss. I inhaled her breath noting that she had recently eaten an apple...
A Viking lord of the isle enters into rapture.
Richard Harris continues his well-told tale.
To read the preceding episodes and other stories and articles by Richard please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 30, 2010
The Slave - 2
...I unfolded the shirt and almost cried with joy when I put it on. It had a beautiful feeling, a delight as it kissed my skin.
“See there at your heart,” she said.
She touched the shirt. I looked. There was a pocket, embossed with a cross.
“What is this?”
“A holy sign, a ward over your heart, lord, that Christ will keep it pure and well.”...
Richard Harris continues his story of a Viking island lord and his Christian slave girl.
To read the first episode along with many more articles, stories and poems by Richard please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 23, 2010
The Slave - 1
The Lord of the island is given a woman slave as a gift. She reveals that she is a servant of the risen Christ.
Richard Harris begins a six-part story set in Viking times.
August 09, 2010
Catastrophes
Richard Harris presents a dramatic monologue in which the Cat Man brings great wisdom.
To read more of Richard’s ever-varied articles, stories and poems please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 02, 2010
The Avenger
Some secrets are best hidden for awhile.
Richard Harris tells a tale of the Australian outback.
July 26, 2010
Indigenous Australians
…The children all sat at the back and sang together happily but softly.
“Girls! Will you stop that singing,” said the mother.
“Why?” asked Julie. “We’re happy.”…
Richard Harris goes on a bus journey which leaves him feeling a whole lot happier.
July 19, 2010
Kitchen Loyalties
Richard Harris’s fridge noisily reminds him of the aging process.
July 12, 2010
Significant Encounter With A Child
...The little boy moved forward. “Please don’t talk to us,” he said. “There’ll be big trouble.”
I looked at him, uncertainly.
“War, or worse,” he said...
Richard Harris is concerned by the restrictions we now place on children.
July 05, 2010
On Being Happy
Richard Harris is a contented man.
June 28, 2010
Meeting An Angel
Richard Harris makes use of his Turkish when he meets an angel.
June 21, 2010
Gypsy Walkers
Richard Harris tells of the delights of rambling around with like-minded folk.
June 14, 2010
The Door To Treeland
Richard Harris steps through a door marked Don’t Open and enters the wonderful world of Treeland.
June 07, 2010
Spiders
Richard Harris’s delicious poem highlights the dilemma facing lady spiders on their honeymoons.
May 31, 2010
Grog-Free Day
Richard Harris tells of his determination to avoid the doctor’s wrath.
May 24, 2010
The Perfect Sunset
Richard Harris enjoys sundown on another perfect Australian day.
May 17, 2010
The Cyclist
…These days, a year after my hip replacement, I’ve transferred my running training program to the bike and commit to an hour a day. Sometimes I have to miss a day but I always come back to the program and record it in my diary along with weight, share values, bank balances and whatever…
Richard Harris finds new freedom on a bike.
To read more of Richard's extra-special columns and stories please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
May 10, 2010
The New You
In less than 500 words Richard Harris gives sound advice on how to lead a happy life.
May 03, 2010
Making Toast With Love
...“What about diet?” they’d ask.
“Don’t like the first three letters of that word,” she’d say with a smile.
“Have breakfast. Try to eat less food from animal sources, including eggs and dairy. Eat more fruit and veggies. Eat water-rich foods and avoid toxic foods.”...
Richard Harris tells of a lady who gave the best advice on food and life.
April 26, 2010
Better With Grannies
...We drove into Rockingham and parked near the beach. The grand daughter held my hand to make sure I crossed the road safely, then we entered the ice cream shop.
“I’d like a double cone,” she told the girl at the counter. “One chocolate, one rum and raisin.”...
Following an afternoon at the beach Richard Harris decides he is better with grannies than he is with girls and grand daughters.
To read more of Richard's sparkling columns and stories please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
April 19, 2010
Telling The Truth
Richard Harris offers congratulations and encouragement to the guy in the mirror.
To read more of Richard’s wonderfully varied articles and stories please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
April 12, 2010
My Abiding Loves
Richard Harris lists the things he loves in life – concluding with his greatest love.
Do read on, then compile your own list and send it to us.
April 05, 2010
A fat man, a small woman, a child, a restaurant.
…“Can’t run now, mate. I’ve got a dickie knee.” Peter knew better than to ask further, being short staffed, so he nodded sympathetically and moved back to the counter.
“Perhaps your knee would improve, if you took some of that weight off it?” Doris suggested.
“Are you saying I’m fat?” he asked…
But there are delightful ways of fighting the flab as Richard Harris reveals.
Continue reading "A fat man, a small woman, a child, a restaurant." »
March 29, 2010
Messages From Bottles
Richard Harris savours the memories revived by glimpses of three bottles.
March 22, 2010
Fear, Then Acceptance
Richard Harris has the very best of advice for those who fear.
March 15, 2010
Interesting Neighbors
…Various ladies pursued Hank at Parkwood but for one reason or another he avoided their embrace. There was a controlling Dutch divorcee, Grace, whom he used to refer to as Attila the Hen,..
Richard Harris pays tribute to a good neighbor and friend.
March 08, 2010
A Little Act Of Good
A little act of good can preserve a small life, as Richard Harris reveals.
March 01, 2010
How Perth Has Changed
Richard Harris expresses affection for the friendly unassuming city in which he has lived since 1962.
February 22, 2010
How To Write Your Best
…I knew a competent writer who did some of his best reporting on the back of a cigarette packet, in shorthand, using a soft pencil, while smoking a pipe…
Richard Harris reflects upon writing habits, including his own.
February 15, 2010
The Wongi Storyteller
An ancient story reminds Richard Harris of our shared ancestry.
February 08, 2010
Thoughts On Today’s Children
Richard Harris is struck by the thought that today's children are bigger and brighter than their parents.
February 01, 2010
How I’d Like To Die
Richard Harris contemplates the topic which most of us shy away from.
January 25, 2010
Coping With The Heat
Richard Harris gives good advice on how best to cope with hot weather.
January 11, 2010
Grumpy?
Richard Harris is convinced that he’s not a grumpy man. And yet…
January 04, 2010
The Ghost Was So Cold
...Fred searched around for signs of a break-in. Clearly nobody had come through the ceiling. On the outside walls, the mullioned windows were high and closed. He looked at the bench beneath them and saw no marks, nothing of import. Then he noticed one of the floor slabs was slightly loose.
“How very interesting,” he said. “Do you have a small crowbar or jimmy I could borrow?”...
Richard Harris tells a ghostly tale well-suited to this chilly English winter.
December 28, 2009
Santa I'm Not
...The job interview, with a stern, humorless woman, started badly.
“Where’s your gut?” she asked. “You’re not fat enough to be Santa.”...
Despite the bad beginning Richard Harris became a Santa - but never again!
December 21, 2009
The Pig’s Teeth
Richard Harris tells of an old lady who has a rich storehouse of memories of wartime in Holland.
December 14, 2009
Song Of The Western Land
Richard Harris's poem celebrates the Eve who brought life to the Great South Land.
December 07, 2009
Kidnapped By Aliens
“We need your aid in a most deep action,” my captor said.
She turned to her twin, “Is that how you say it?”
The twin nodded. “Close.”
So there you are, strolling along Queen Street, Freemantle, when suddenly you are in the grip of an alien.
Richard Harris tells a tall tale.
November 30, 2009
The Magic Of The Movies
…Sometimes I think movies have replaced novels in directing our attention to basic but important issues, such as class distinction and the role of money…
Richard Harris is entranced by the magic of the movies.
To read more of Richard’s top-drawer articles and stories please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
November 24, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - Part 12
...Skye, Woodward, Sapphire and Bart dressed carefully and took presents for the meeting. Skye took a tiny, super-sharp knife, Excalibur, for the orc sergeant, Woodward took a jar of quandong jam for Lady, and Sapphire and Bart took her some dragon scales wrapped in a clear tissue. Whenever the scales caught the light they glistened with unusual beauty and gave those that saw them a feeling of great satisfaction and contentment...
Richard Harris concludes his love story for children over 40.
To read earlier episodes of this tale, and lots more stories and articles by Richard, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - Part 12" »
November 23, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 11
...“We need to do something about that sister of yours,” said Woodward.
Skye said,“Our father spoilt her rotten. I was placed with a witch and her family at York. Father said his new daughter would be a lady. He named her Lady and sent her to Egypt to learn her manners at the court of the Pharaoh...
Richard Harris continues his love story for the over 40s.
To read earlier chapters, along with more articles and stories written by Richard, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 11" »
November 19, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 10
…“Well, you realize I’ve conceived in my human form, so it won’t be a dragon,” said Sapphire.
“Won’t it?” said Skye. “This is March 2000. Your baby, if he goes full term, will be born in December, which will make him a golden dragon by the Chinese way of reckoning.”…
Richard Harris continues his entertaining love story for children over 40.
To read the preceding episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 10" »
November 18, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 9
Will Black Bart forsake his dragonhood and become human for the sake of Sapphire/Swanfire?
Richard Harris continues his love story for children over 40. To read earlier episodes, along with other stories and articles by Richard, please click on, http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 9" »
November 17, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 8
...The tone of her voice drew the dragon, in her Sapphire form. She came into the study “What’s the problem?”
Skye turned to her, admiring the magnificence of her new form. “Woody’s feeling a bit unloved.”
Sapphire moved behind Woodward, placed her hands on his shoulders, and gave him the gentlest kiss...
Richard Harris continues his love story for children over 40.
To read the preceding episodes, and more stories and articles by Richard, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 8" »
November 16, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 7
“Forgiveness, lady,” the orc sergeant said. “We are humble orcs in the service of the Lady of the Wood. We are missing a precious member of her household and all the orcs are out taking part in the search.”
“That precious member, wouldn’t happen to be a young, beautiful, female dragon, would it?”
Richard Harris continues his love story for children over 40.
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 7" »
November 15, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 6
...“Swanfire,” she said. “You have been living with Woodward and me for nearly a month now. It’s only a question of time before your presence is noted and that could lead to a lot of problems.”
The dragon held up a five inch talon glistening with Skye’s latest pink nail polish, and looked at it through narrowed eyes. It was razor sharp. “Nothing I can’t handle, darl,” she said...
Richard Harris continues his love story for children over 40.
To read earlier chapters, along with more stories and articles by Richard, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 6" »
November 14, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 5
Swanfire the dragon learns something about quandongs.
Richard Harris continues his highly original love story for children over 40.
To read earlier chapters, along with other stories and articles by Richard, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 5" »
November 13, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 4
...“What would you like for your breakfast, Swanfire?” said Skye.
“I’m a bit off my tucker these days,” said the dragon. “I’m thinking about going vegetarian.”...
Richard Harris continues his love story for children over 40
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 4" »
November 12, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 3
...However, the big goanna is vulnerable from the air. Whenever I see one, I usually give it a hot blast – seals the juices in – then a slow hot breath to crisp it. Like a sort of stir fry.”
“Any good?”
“Tastes like chicken, without that burnt feathers smell...
Continuing his highly original love story for children over 40 Richard Harris reveals what a dragon has for lunch.
To read earlier episodes please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 3" »
November 11, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 2
Richard Harris tells the second part of his love story for children over 40. In this episode Woodward the wood elf is captured by orcs.
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon - 2" »
November 10, 2009
The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 1
Richard Harris begins a love story for children over 40 with a question. Does age really matter?
Watch out for further episodes of this story.
Continue reading "The Witch, The Wood Elf And The Dragon – 1" »
November 09, 2009
Three Queens For Tea
...I asked Boadicea what she admired most in the men of her times and how important were things like clothes and body scent? And did she have any advice about men that might be useful to modern women.
The Briton was blunt and gave me a shocking reply. “My father used to say that if it doesn’t fart or eat hay, it will be of no interest to Boadicea...
The guests are Cleopatra, Boadicea and Hippolyta.
Richard Harris imagines the tea party to end all tea parties.
November 07, 2009
Kidnapped By Aliens
“We need your aid in a most deep action,” my captor said.
She turned to her twin, “Is that how you say it?”
The twin nodded. “Close.”
So there you are, strolling along Queen Street, Freemantle, when suddenly you are in the grip of an alien.
Richard Harris tells a tall tale.
November 02, 2009
Drifting Off
Richard Harris drifts away to share a conversation with an owl.
To read more of Richard's richly varied columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
October 26, 2009
The Qi Qong Class
...We sat on cushions on the floor while the teacher told us a story about the futility of worrying about things you can’t fix. He led us in meditation for 15 minutes and then taught us the 18 steps of Qi Qong...
Richard Harris joins a Qi Qong class, stepping into a different world just a few doors away from where he lives.
To read more of Richard's entertaining columns please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
October 19, 2009
Getting Started
Richard Harris offers sound advice to would-be writers.
To read more of Richard's varied and entertaining columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
October 12, 2009
Things Were Different Then
...During the 1940s, when our spirits were low, Mother would take us out to a farm for tea on a Sunday afternoon...
Richard Harris recalls days of delight.
To read more of Richard's entertaining words please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
October 05, 2009
A Story With A Moral
Richard Harris tells of the day he learned a lesson about canine behaviour while out running.
To read more of Richard's brilliant columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 28, 2009
A Decision That Changed My Life
...I had already asked my father if I could go to the university.
“I’ve got three boys,” my father said. “A tuppeny bun costs me tenpence. You’ll have to get a job.”...
Richard Harris tells of the decision that was to steer him into work that he enjoyed.
To read more of Richard's splendidly-varied columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 21, 2009
Pride
...a man should be able to take pride in himself and his work. That way he would always do his best and get some satisfaction out of his life.
In his view, when you are very poor, it’s only your pride that will keep you going...
Richard Harris tells of a man with sound advice on how to live a long and happy life.
To read more of Richard's columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 14, 2009
Who Do You Think You Are?
...He has a lot of color in his face, and a strong nose – good for warming cold air in northern lands, or poking into other people’s business to find stories, or for sniffing the wonderful wildflower scents in the great southland....
Columnist Richard Harris looks in the mirror in search of himself.
To read more of Richard's entertaining words please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
September 07, 2009
Deep Fried Mice
Richard Harris tells of a ghost who serves up a most unusual dish.
To read more of Richard’s entertaining words please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 31, 2009
The Landlubber
...We boarded a catamaran and set off into big seas. The whales were into private whale business and did not want to be watched. They’d dive deep as soon as we got within a cricket pitch of them.
Glassy-eyed, I sat rigid in my deck chair. A friend, Maria, lay face up on the floor, her breakfast already heaved overboard.
Sailors we weren’t....
Although there was sea-salt in the veins of his ancestors, Richard Harris, in this engaging column, confesses that a life on the ocean wave sea is not his thing.
To read more of Richard's sparkling prose please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 24, 2009
The Knock On The Door
Richard Harris tells an enchanting tale for children.
August 17, 2009
Pale Star, Distant Faces
Richard Harris's imaginative journey into ancient times reminds us of our common heritage.
For more of Richard's words please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 10, 2009
Tea With Attitude
A heavy cold? Or maybe ‘flu? Richard Harris suggests that drinking Indonesian tea may set you to rights.
For more of Richard’s tasty words please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
August 03, 2009
The Good Old Days?
...When Richard Harris's father left England to work on a wheat property in Saskatchewan he had to harness teams of horses to plough the land. He worked for a tiny salary and his sustenance. When he received his first month's pay, the farmer, Mr Joe Slattery, a soldier settler, had deducted his funeral expenses...
If you think these times are hard, read Richard Harris's story then realise things could be much worse.
To read more of Richard's columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/western_walkabout/
July 20, 2009
The Birthday Present
“Quick, after it. Follow that frog.”
Richard Harris tells of a hunting expidition to capture the best of all gifts for his son Leon.
Here’s a big welcome to Richard who will be regularly contributing to Open Writing.
July 12, 2009
Turning 60
…The course was a delight. The rocks in the background were full of wallabies and frill necked lizards. Wild figs grew in the fertile pockets, also wild oranges and a vine called the bush banana…
When he was 63 Richard Harris ran with success in a 6km cross country and was presented with a medal by Yvonne Goolagong.
Watch out for more of Richard’s lively words on ensuing Mondays.
Categories
- A Clutch Of Pearlies
- A Court Of Fowls
- A Diary of Innocence
- A Fistful Of Stars
- A Geordie All-Rounder
- A Life Less Lost
- A Lovely Shade Of Blue
- A Potter's Moll
- A Shout From The Attic
- A Spitfire Pilot Remembers
- A Tale Of The Unexpected
- A Writer On Writing
- About A Week
- About Our Words
- After Work
- Alaskan Range
- All That Was
- All This Jazz
- American Pie
- An Englishman In New York
- Ancient Feet
- And Another Thing...
- Animal Stories
- Anna And Rosie
- Arabian Autographs
- Arkell's Ark
- Around The Sun
- As Time Goes By
- Away With Worry
- Backwords
- Beijing 2008 Olympics
- Black Ice
- Blue, Green, Red and Purple
- Bonzer Words!
- Book Bounty
- Born With a Rusty Spoon
- Bradford Lad
- Christmas Every Week
- Classical Composers A-Z
- Clement's Corner
- Consequences
- Darkly Watching
- David Marsh Cartoons
- Day After Day
- Delanceyplace
- Denizens
- Diamonds And Dust
- Donkin's World
- Double Cream
- Down The Holler
- Dr Ron's Laughter Clinic
- Dusk To Dusk
- Ee By Gum Lord!
- Eric Shackle Writes
- Facets Of India
- Family Of Four
- Fast Fiction
- Feather's Miscellany
- Fishcake Words
- Flood
- Footprints
- Got The T-Shirt
- Harry's Tales
- Here Comes Treble
- Here In Africa
- Here's Alison
- Highlights In The Shadows
- I Didn't Belong
- I Only Came For The Music
- Illegal Entry
- Illingworth House
- In Good Company
- In The Small Hours
- Interludes
- It's A Great Life
- Jambo Paulo - Jambo Mykoli
- Jo'Burg Days
- Kiwi Konexions
- Lansdowne Crescent
- Laugh With Lisa
- Lest It Be Forgotten After I Am Gone
- Letter From America
- Letter From The Other Side
- Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
- Living On Three Continents
- London 2012 Olympics
- London Letter
- Luddite Spring
- Man Bites Talking Dog
- McCaffrey On Fishing
- Mullin' It Over
- My Week
- National Trust News
- North American Dreaming
- Olga's Daughter
- On The Gold Coast
- Open Features
- Opinion And World View
- Over Here
- Oz Musings
- Pamy's Place
- Pins And Needles
- Poetry Pleases
- Rainbow's End
- Ratcatcher
- Rodney's Ramblings
- Roses Aren't Everything
- Sam Pepys – His Diary
- Sandy's Say
- Shalom and Sheiks
- She's Back Again
- Shooting the Breeze
- Simply Sue
- Skidmore's Island
- Smallville
- Spanish Secrets
- Tales from Tawa
- Tasmanian Words
- Thai Girl Tattle
- The Day Before Yesterday
- The First Seventy Years
- The Fourth Wish
- The Great Cley Floods
- The Kingdom Of The Blind
- The Last Star Trek
- The Limit
- The Melody Lingers On
- The Museum Mystery
- The Reyrolle Story
- The Scrivener
- The Shepherdsville Times
- This and That
- Thoughts From The Coast
- Through Lattice Windows
- Time Witnesses
- To War With The Bays
- Two Rooms And A View
- U3A Writing
- Useful And Fantastic
- Views And Reviews
- Visions Of Hope
- Visions of Glory
- Walking the Tightrope
- Walnut Wisdom
- Western Oz Words
- Western Walkabout
- When The Crocodile Smiles
- Word Acts
- Words From Adelaide
- Words In History
- Yorkshire Dialect
- Yorkshire Lad
