Welcome to Forest Leaves

A symbolic picture: Beatrice Shilling, long after the war – aged in her 60s – astride a 100 mph motorcycle and with a Spitfire in the background.   Beatrice Shilling (or “Tilly Shilling” as she is now often known) is a great hero of mine. Some of you will be nodding, and saying “Ah yes, what a champion she was”. Others may be asking who Beatrice Shilling is, and why is she a hero? This is the story. My interest in it began with a mundane little domestic incident, but I think

The ‘Trumpet Volunteer’ in about 1958. The black and white photograph does not do justice to my vivid yellow socks.   During the mid to late-1950s I was a member of a unique and enterprising little musical group, known unpretentiously as The Havelock Street Jazz Band. There were four of us: Richard "Ðicky" Bird, Barry "Leb" Levinson, Richard "Kelly" Kelsall and me.   In 1956 we were Year 10 students at Hale School, then located on Havelock Street in West Perth. We were old fr

The southern end of Lake Mears, a small gem of the WA wheatbelt … and a place of mystery   Before I get started on Lake Mears and its...

Donald Bradman (“The Don”) at the end of his career, aged 40, still relaxed, confident and scoring Test match centuries     I wonder if...