Chapter 47: Lots more stories

My appearance in court, a BBC World Service broadcast, a birthday battle, pop music news and lots more.

Extracts from a letter dated November 23 1976:

LEGAL VICTORY

I had my first taste of British justice today. The long drawn-out haggle resulting from my car accident in January last year finally went to court. I'm delighted to report that not only did I win the case and get costs awarded in my favour, but the judge added a rider that I "had not in any way contributed to the accident". This means that I will get all my “no claims” bonuses refunded. The only annoying thing about the whole affair is that it ever had to go to court. Everything was stacked against the other driver because I had tape recorded a telephone conversation in which he quite cheerfully admitted (twice) that the traffic lights were green and in my favour. He compounded his idiocy by making several admissions in the witness box which made it abundantly clear that I had no hope of avoiding him when he suddenly cut across my path. The judge didn't even bother to hear my counsel's summing up. The net result for the other driver is that he now has a bill twice its original size because in addition to having to pay for the damage to my vehicle, he also has massive legal costs.

RADIO CONTRACT CANCELLED

Radio 3DB Melbourne and I have parted ways. Things have been getting increasingly difficult ever since a cretin called John Boland took over as news editor. I think the nearest he has ever come to working overseas was to visit Phillip Island! He had no understanding whatever of the operations of a foreign correspondent - nor did he seem to care. Finally, I wrote to the station manager explaining Boland's idiot behaviour and informing him that I no longer considered the money worth the aggro. The manager agreed that the situation had got beyond salvaging, so our agreement was terminated. It is a pity such a long association, dating back to my days when I worked in Charlton, Victoria, had to end, but I have better things to do with my time than try to humour chronic morons. I still have more than enough freelance work. Radio New Zealand will take as much stuff as I can supply them, and there is also “TV Week” and the hysterical “Spunky”.

EAR DEAFENING SHERBET

And on the subject of Spunky, in my role as ace rock reporter Buk Ramsay, I took Rosemary to see “Sherbet's” London concert (оr "gig", as it's known in the trade!). It was entertaining, but the sound was shattering. The volume of the instruments was such that we felt at times as though we were being beaten around the head with a rubber hose. Still, “Sherbet” are a very good band and will no doubt continue to do well here. In return for some favours I did them, the boys gave me an autographed LP for a raffle at the Christmas bazaar staged by the boys’ school.

The band’s single, “Howzat” topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand and was Number 5 in the UK charts. I had enough material for stories in several Aussie outlets. Here is “The Australian” one, wearing my “Bruce Conway” hat:

NZ POP GROUP

Next Saturday Rosemary and I are going to another pop concert -- this one given by the New Zealand band “Split Enz”. On stage they are extremely way out, but in private — they came to our house to be interviewed — they're very quiet, intelligent and articulate. Rosemary reckons that after Saturday she will retire from her brief run as a pop music fan. She likes the music but feels that if her hearing is to remain unimpaired, she should in future listen to it in the privacy of her home where she can at least have some control over the volume.

I wrote several features about them. Here is the one that got published in New Zealand:

FREELANCE ROSEMARY

As you know, Rosemary had to give up her job September. For a long time she has nurtured ambitions to set herself up as a freelance typesetter, and her hopes are now becoming a reality. She has got two firms on her list and all she has to do is phone up whenever she has some time available and arrange the work. She looks like averaging 15-25 hours a week, which is about all she can handle at the moment, Rosemary is very pleased. She even has her own posh letterheads.

GUNSTON ON BBC

The BBC has finally broadcast the show by Australian comedian Garry McDonald (aka Norman Gunston). As in Australia, people either loved it or hated it. I think he’s fantastic but Rosemary was pretty disappointed.

From Rosemary’s letter to the family, dated December 4 1976:

PART-TIME TEACHER

One morning a week I spend at West Acton First School, teaching the seven-year-old boys to sew. I find this very rewarding. One little boy, who had no concentration at the start — couldn't thread a darning needle -- has come оп tremendously and gets such a thrill from creating something himself. The most proficient are the three Indian or Pakistani children, who produce very neat work, I also spend a few hours per week, if possible, hearing the backward readers, or talking with the immigrant or backward children. The teachers seem to appreciate the assistance, though the headmistress is very anti. Hope she changes her mind eventually.

From a letter dated December 18 1976:

SOFTLY SOFTLY INTERVIEW

The other evening I did an interview with actor Frank Windsor (Det Chief Supt Watt) about the end, after 11 years, of the police series “Softly Softly”. He is one person I have always wanted to meet. He gave me a very good, solid interview -- filling me up with Scotch in the process. He was not at all theatrical (which is a very boring fault of many actors) and we got on very well. He has plans to visit Australia next year if it can be arranged.

It's amazing how many members of the “Softly Softly” team we have been connected with in varying degrees. Apart from Frank Windsor, I have also interviewed Stratford Johns; Rosemary and I were on the same Monte Carlo holiday as Norman Bowler (Harry Hawkins); David Lloyd Meredith (Serg Evans) lived near us in South Ealing; and Terrence Rigby (P.C. Snow) was in the same Indoor Bowling Club as Val and Jim Batson when they were here. Shame the series has ended, but it was getting a bit tired.

RADIO FAME?

I got a thrill the other day when I was asked to be the guest on a regular BBC World Service programme called "Му Kind of Мusic" in which I will be asked to present a selection of my favourite music and to talk about my work in the newsroom. I hope they're prepared for a musical taste that ranges from Bill Haley to Rachmaninoff. It should be fun -- and nice, too, to have an audience counted in the tens of millions rather than the tens of thousands. Perhaps Rosemary should throw a bucket of cold water over my ego before I go on air!

From a letter dated January 19 1977:

Harley turned six today and his party is next Sunday. He has got rather over-excited by it and we’ll be glad when it is over. The guest list has changed countless times as friendships are broken and repaired. However, I’m sure it will all be good harmless fun when the day arrives. Friends of ours have loaned us their 8mm projector and we’re going to hire some cartoons to help fill in the time. While we had the projector we ran through some of our own films and it was fascinating to see the kids when they were younger. And the kids were absolutely amazed that they were once babies and unable to do such basic things as walking.

Harley initially presented Rosemary with a very lengthy birthday guest list, and she had to point out to him that we couldn’t possible afford to feed so many people. So Harley, being the logical person he is, went through the list and crossed off all the fat kids.

Harley insists to everyone that he is an Australian (well, he’s partly correct). The other day Rosemary picked him up for saying “yeah” and he retorted: “That's all right, all Australian kids say ‘yeah’.” End of argument.

THE SWEENEY UPDATE

I understand the police series “The Sweeney” is very popular in Australia. The star of the show, John Thaw, is married to Sheila Hancock who used to be in “The Rag Trade” and they’re off to Sydney and Melbourne shortly. I did features on John the other day for “TV Week” and the “Sydney Daily Telegraph”, and although I wasn’t able to spend much time with him (or to be more accurate, he wasn’t able to spend much time with me) it was interesting to observe the vast difference between him and the very aggressive copper he plays in the TV series.

Here’s the article I did for “TV Week”:

From a letter dated April 27 1977:

MY MUSIC BROADCAST

“My Kind Of Music” went out and attracted favourable comment from a number of people in the BBC. I even got my first fan letter — after more than 15 years in broadcasting. It came from some guy in Geneva. (Actually, I did once have one other fan letter. It came from my old landlady in Shepparton who also took the opportunity to offer to send some food parcels). Our Moscow correspondent said the program was heard loud and clear in Russia and Rosemary’s parents, Val and Jim Batson, heard it in Bendigo on a friend’s shortwave radio set. For those of you who had the misfortune to miss this great (and never to be repeated) broadcasting event, a recording can be heard HERE. I hope you enjoy a recording of “Trumpet Voluntary” from our wedding, “Miranda’s Theme” from “Picnic at Hanging Rock”, a Joan Armatrading song and “Time for a Change” by “Split Enz”.

From a letter dated May 26 1977:

ANOTHER GIG

I went to another pop concert last Sunday. It was put on by “Split Enz”, which I think are a terrific band. They look like being the most successful Down Under pop band in this country, although the dreaded “AC/DC” have done well and “Little River Band” have good prospects.

POPULAR MICE

We had an invasion of mice a few weeks back, Niall was very cross with us for trying to kill them. He much preferred to see them charging around the loungeroom. I caught one of them and put it in a bottle for him. He thought this was marvellous fun. The mouse's views can only be guessed at. Eventually, to prevent myself coming under the scrutiny of the RSPCA, the mouse mysteriously disappeared while Niall's attention was temporarily on other things.

From a letter dated July 27 1977:

FINANCIAL OFFER

Since Rosemary’s parents have returned home to Bendigo, Jim has been unable to find work, so is a bit financially stretched. I have just heard Harley recording a tape to Val and Jim, and he is offering his sympathy. He says he is sending Jim a penny to help tide him over. “If you don’t need it,” says Harley, “you can send it back to me.”

On that very generous note, I will end this chapter.

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Other chapters can be found HERE