John Simm (right) as Sam Tyler in Life On Mars

Mike's Pith & Wind - Talking Trees
Young Kate looked sympathetic as she told me that they were closing the Post Shop (I wanted to say Post Office) half an hour earlier today because they were installing a new computer program. So I bought ten #2 post-bags (and got the $1.80 discount), trudged the four blocks back home and bagged the four CD orders for the morning.
By this stage I was getting weary of sitting at the computer, so I determined to go out and get a take-away and hang the expense. I drove up to the junction of Warrigal and Toorak roads and walked down to the Easy East Chinese on Burwood Highway. There was only the one table occupied, so I thought I probably wouldn’t have to wait as long as the last couple of times when the joint was jumping. The rather chubby Asian woman asked if I wanted take away and said to go to the counter while she made sure the door closed properly. I ordered Singapore Noodles, (like the last two times), and she said it would be ten or fifteen minutes, (same), and I could sit down and wait. I said I’d rather go for a walk, and she looked a bit surprised and said something I didn’t quite hear.
I tarried at the door and made sure it shut and headed of down the hill towards McDonalds. Even above the roar of the traffic I could hear them – the talking trees. It’s always intrigued me - there are certain trees that birds gravitate to en masse at dusk and then proceed to yell at each other about something or other until suddenly they fall silent and, well, I’m not quite sure what happens then. Do they stay there and roost for the night? Or do they fly off in pairs to their home trees.. read more

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Dick's Toolbox - Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield, the British actor died last month at the age of 86. I saw him in London in 1980 playing the role of Salieri in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. The most indelible impression was not of the play and cast, who were beyond being just very good, but of the curtain call, when Scofield, who had been playing a dark embittered, hunched and whining figure for the whole performance, stood up to his full 6’2” height, drew back the black cloak of his character and seemed to bathe the audience in some charismatic searchlight. A remarkable experience and one that I’ve never had before or since .
Perhaps he was he last of the Great British actors – succeeding and outlasting the majestic triumvirate of Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. All had unique voices and delivery, but, unlike them, he seemed to possess some personal quality.. read more