MEMORIES OF ‘CHANG’ IN LYON
TRAVEL The first time I knew of the French city of Lyon was November 11, 1972 when Australia and Great Britain met in the final of the rugby league World […]
Category Archives: Travel
IT’S NOT THAT BAD, LADS (AND LASSES)
TRAVEL A week in Leeds! The 44 people who had signed up for my 1994 Kangaroo rugby league supporters’ tour were horrified, when I first raised the prospect. ‘Leeds? It’s […]
A GRAND PUB CRAWL
TRAVEL “It sounds like a glorified pub crawl to me,” said my mate, Andrew Varley as I contemplated the 234km Grand Union Canal, tow path walk in England – from […]
LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER
TRAVEL VALENTINE LAMB looked me in the eye and said: “I can probably spare time for one Guinness. I have a paper to get out”. Val was editor of the […]
SPA TOWN TO A SPANKING
TRAVEL CELEBRATED spa town, Harrogate one night; former coal mining borough, Leigh in Greater Manchester the next. Such is the lot of rugby league writer based in northern England. It […]
NOT SO MERRY IN DERRY
TRAVEL “Please don’t sneeze, mate,” I said to myself, as the young British soldier pointed his revolver at my head. It was Derry (or Londonderry, depending on your preference), November […]
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
TRAVEL Noted sports trainer, Jack Hartigan was keen to prepare Jon Ricketts for the 1949 Stawell Gift. Now, I should point out that Jack was my uncle, and Jon my […]
SACRE ‘BLUE’ IN BORDEAUX
Travel Twice my waiter asked if I really wanted my steak blue. It was Bordeaux, October 2011, and the reputation of Australians/Kiwis/Englanders had preceded me. Most, it seemed, liked their […]
LET’S GO TO PUB, LUV
Travel “What could be more romantic?”, I said to my wife, Marie, as she contemplated a wedding anniversary lunch with me; a fellow rugby league writer; a rugby league fan/war […]
IS IT RICKETY GATE OR RICKETY KATE?
Travel My wife’s maiden name is Donnelly, so it seemed only right that we should visit the Donnelly River region during our motoring trip around South West Australia in January, […]
