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Monty Python star's candid financial admission

Monty Python star Eric Idle has made a candid admission about the state of his finances, revealing why he still has to work at the age of 80. The comic legend admitted he receives only a fraction of the millions the Python team have made in the past because the finances are a “disaster”. In messages on X, formerly Twitter, Idle wrote: “I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded”. “I have to work for my living. I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously." “I have been working and earning for Pythons since 1995. And now no more.” Idle also took aim at TV lawyer Holly Gilliam, the daughter of fellow Python member Terry Gilliam, who took over the Python brand in 2013 as part of HDG Projects Ltd. He said, “I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised”. “One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.” Daughter Lily Idle backed him, writing online, “I’m so proud of my dad for finally finally finally starting to share the truth.” The Pythons, who also included John Cleese, 84, Michael Palin, 80, and the late Terry Jones — made a fortune thanks to their iconic cult films, including Life of Brian, hit stage show Spamalot, which Idle co-wrote, and the original Flying Circus BBC TV series. They were back in the limelight in 2014 with Monty Python Live (Mostly) — One Down, Five to Go: a reference to former member Graham Chapman who died in 1989 aged just 48. It featured interpretations of some of their famous sketches, and reportedly earned the surviving members at least £2 million ($3.87m AUD) each. Image credits: Getty Images

Retirement Income

Murderer and Eric Clapton drummer dies at 77

Jim Gordon, an infamous session drummer from the ‘60s and ‘70s, has passed away at the age of 77. Gordon, who in his prime played with the likes of the Beach Boys and George Harrison, died in a psychiatric prison in California’s Vacaville. He had been sentenced to 16 years to life after killing his mother during a psychotic episode in 1983, and it is reported that he never attended parole hearings, or ever left prison. His publicist Bob Merlis confirmed the news in a statement, where he also explained that Gordon had died of natural causes. Gordon was born and raised in Los Angeles, and opted to pursue a career as a drummer while a teenager, even turning down a scholarship to UCLA. At just 17, he toured the United Kingdom with the Everly Brothers. His professional resume only grew from there, with Gordon going on to become on the primary drummers for George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. Additionally, he contributed to songs by The Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Judy Collins, and Bobby Darin. In 1970, he formed a group - Derek and the Dominos - with Eric Clapton. Together they wrote the hit ‘Layla’, with Gordon playing both piano and drums. Gordon’s girlfriend at the time, Rita singer Coolidge, claimed she had written the piano section. Gordon’s relationship with Coolidge ended when he physically assaulted her. As the years went by, Gordon developed issues with addiction, telling Rolling Stone in 1985 that he considered himself to be an alcoholic, and admitted to using heroin. By the late ‘70s, after he had confessed to hearing voices in his head, his mother had requested he seek help. “He used to talk to me about hearing voices,” Bobby Whitlock informed Rolling Stone in 2013, “but I told him that it was his consciousness speaking to him. He said it was someone else. Evidently he never stopped or even lightened up on his drug and alcohol intake. “The end result was the destruction of his family.” As Gordon’s mental health deteriorated, so did his career. He claimed to often hear his mum’s voice, and despite a number of medical interventions, he never maintained a consistent treatment schedule. And in June 1983, his mother paid the price, when Gordon fatally struck the 71-year-old Osa Marie Gordon with a hammer and knife. In the wake of her murder, Gordon was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and sentenced to his 16-years-to-life in prison. In 2018, he was deemed to still pose “an unreasonable risk of threat to public safety.” However, those who had known and worked with Gordon before the dark period of his life wanted to pay tribute to the late drummer, taking to social media to write of his professional success, citing some of his greatest hits and collaboration. Gordon’s publicist, Eric Alper, did so while confirming the news, adding that he “will be missed.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jim Gordon, one of rock’s all-time greatest drummers, has died at the age of 77. Not only did he play in the Wrecking Crew, but also with Derek and the Dominos, Joe Cocker, Gordon Lightfoot, Merle Haggard, Joan Baez, Tom Petty, and hundreds of others, and will be missed. <a href="https://t.co/m3jP5LKaqB">pic.twitter.com/m3jP5LKaqB</a> — Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatEricAlper/status/1636133384853282818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> Eric Clapton’s ex-wife - Pattie Boyd - to whom he was married 10 years, paid her respects with a throwback picture of Gordon at a drum kit, writing that she was “sorry to hear of the passing of Jim Gordon.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Jim Gordon. Some of you will know that Jim co-wrote 'Layla' with Eric when they were both in Derek & The Dominoes. Jim also worked with George on the 'All Things Must Pass' album. RIP <a href="https://t.co/83YPA664yt">pic.twitter.com/83YPA664yt</a> — Pattie Boyd (@thepattieboyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/thepattieboyd/status/1636388726850072576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote> Images: Twitter, Getty

Music

What really happened when Eric Clapton's 4-year-old son died in 1991

A biography has shed light on the tragedy of the death of music legend Eric Clapton’s young son in 1991. It was supposed to be the start of a new beginning on the fateful day when music legend Eric Clapton’s young son sadly died in 1991 – he was only four years old. But the tragic moment instead became the inspiration for two of the artist’s iconic songs. Clapton, now 73 years old, had Conor with Italian actress Lory del Santo who had custody of their son, and only the day prior to Conor’s death had taken him on a special day out to the circus at Long Island. According to the biography Slowhand: The Life And Music Of Eric Clapton, by Philip Norman, an excerpt of which has been published in the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6324449/Biographer-PHILIP-NORMAN-reveals-Eric-Claptons-tortured-life.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>, it was the first time the acclaimed guitarist had taken his son out by himself. Clapton “intended to be a proper father,” writes Norman. The next morning, as Clapton was due to arrive to pick up Conor for another day out, this time to the Bronx Zoo and lunch at an Italian restaurant, tragedy struck. Conor was running around the 53rd apartment in the New York high-raise his mother shared with Italian film producer Silvio Sardi, excited to see his “papa.” A janitor had been working on the windows in the living room but one was still open recounts Norman. “He called out to the nanny to watch the child, but before she could react, Conor dashed past her, jumped up on to the low window-ledge where he’d normally press his nose against the glass to gaze out – and disappeared,” he wrote. The four-year-old tragically fell to his death. Clapton wrote his iconic chart-toppers Circus Left Town and Tears in Heaven in response to the devastating accident, the deeply emotional lyrics from the latter some of the most well-known in classic music: “Would you know my name/ If I saw you in heaven?/ Would it be the same / If I saw you in heaven? / I must be strong and carry on / 'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.” Two days before Clapton’s 46th birthday, he said goodbye to Conor at his son’s funeral. Clapton once descried his son as “the one thing in my life that good could come out of.”

Music

Straight to the pool room: a love letter to The Castle on its 25th anniversary

The phrases “Tell him he’s dreamin’”, “That’s going straight to the pool room”, “How’s the serenity?” and “It’s the vibe” have become Aussie staples. These now-classic quotes all come from The Castle - voted the <a href="https://10play.com.au/theproject/articles/australia-votes-the-castle-as-favourite-movie-of-all-time/tpa220123fkyho" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best Australian film ever</a> in a recent poll. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Castle</a> was released in Australia 25 years go. It charmed the socks off us on its release and its reputation and influence as the quintessential Australian film have grown since. Centred on an ordinary working class family, the Kerrigans, the film tells of their legal fight against greedy developers and the government when their house and land are threatened with a plan to extend an airport runway. When his neighbours’ properties are also targeted, Darryl Kerrigan, the father, organises a protest committee. It hires perhaps the most inept suburban solicitor, Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora), to dispute the case in court - and fails. Dennis’s main defence is that: It’s the constitution. It’s Mabo. It’s justice. It’s law. It’s the vibe … no, that’s it, it’s the vibe. It’s the vibe Reputedly <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-castle-star-michael-catons-tiny-salary-finally-revealed/news-story/470e84d6c6e933022878909c0cdde864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filmed over 11 days</a> on a very small budget, it <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stars mostly television actors</a>, or those who were at that time just emerging, such as Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Eric Bana and Wayne Hope. It’s true the production values are ordinary at best and the visuals are uninspiring, but who cares? This all adds to the feeling of the familiar and very real world of the Kerrigans. The best parts of the film are the characters, the exploration of family and most importantly, the naive and gentle humour expressed through the character’s dialogue. The film is full of dad jokes that you just know Darryl tells over and over. From telling opposing lawyers to “suffer in their jocks”, or saying every cheap knick-knack they find is “going straight to the pool-room”, the humour is comprised of bad puns, repetitive gags and parochial sayings. Darryl’s repetitive, good-natured bits, such as being amazed at every dinner that his wife makes, regardless of whether it’s just rissoles or chicken, is clearly meant to be humorous - but we don’t laugh at the Kerrigans, we laugh with them. This is because the humour is all expressed through their glass half full view of the world. All of the Kerrigans have this eternal positivity and optimism. After losing the court case and facing eviction, they look for the good in it. Most people would be happy not to live next to a busy airport but Dale Kerrigan only sees the benefits, “It will be very convenient if we ever have to fly one day”. Straight to the pool room The Kerrigan values are similar to many working class Australians: anti-authoritarianism, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/orright-you-spunkrats-heres-where-all-our-aussie-summertime-language-came-from-171113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aussie battler ethos</a>, a sense of political antipathy, and a belief in common sense and that natural justice will prevail. This is why this film has endured over so many years - Australians recognise themselves in the characters. The Kerrigans are just ordinary people who find delight in their ordinariness. Darryl works the tow-truck, they have little money, their house is built on a landfill site and their eldest son is in prison. They go on holiday - not to Bali or Hawaii, but to Bonnie Doon, a little country town with a small lake and a shack that Darryl built amongst towering electricity pylons. A place many people would run a mile from. Again, the family don’t see this as a negative. As Dale says wisely, “Dad, he reckons power-lines are a reminder of man’s ability to generate electricity”. The Castle embraces an A Current Affair mentality - that someone, somewhere in business or in government is always trying to rip-off the honest little guy. Darryl Kerrigan represents all the honest, hard working Australian battlers who have been done over by forces greater than them. We all want to see the tables turned and the little guy win - this is why underdog stories such as this are so popular. Dale has dug a hole But The Castle goes beyond such simple classifications. The events portrayed are just a sideline to the family dynamics - the bond of family and community in every situation, good and bad, is paramount to the film. Every Kerrigan supports each other and celebrates their achievements no matter how small, such as the pride they have in Dale having dug a hole. Even if the Kerrigans aren’t like your family, you secretly wish they were. How deeply embedded the characters and dialogue are in the Australian psyche can be demonstrated is one anecdote. The real Bonnie Doon shack was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-01-30/going-to-bonnie-doon-castle-shack-up-for-sale/1922894" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed for sale</a> in 2011. The estate agent was inundated with people calling asking for the price. When told, <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/the-castles-shack-goes-up-for-sale/news-story/612b5ddf386c481195ac7fd7796c3792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they universally replied</a>, “Tell him he’s dreamin’”. This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Image: YouTube

Movies

Activist arrested for planning party for Queen's Covid diagnosis

Extinction Rebellion activist Eric Serge Herbert has been arrested over allegedly organising an "anti-monarch street party" in honour of Queen Elizabeth's recent Covid-19 diagnosis. In a recent social media post, Eric called people to "rejoice by dancing" in Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown this Saturday. He also added that anyone who attended could "imagine the corpse of the oppressors being mangled beneath our feet." The Facebook event page for the party said, "It’s about time we overthrow the queen and the rule of the monarch." "We need sound systems, lots of glitter, tools to dig up the road, tires of barricades, fire and rage." Her Majesty tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, and is reportedly experiencing mild cold-like symptoms. Her positive diagnosis comes one week after her eldest son Prince Charles tested positive for a second time since March 2020. According to the Daily Mail, defence lawyer Mark Davis argued that the party was a joke and that the 23-year-old was not actually planning to go ahead with the bash. Police have alleged that in planning the party, Herbert breached the bail conditions granted to him when he appealed a 12-month prison sentence for blockading coal trains in the Hunter region of New South Wales last year. Mr Davis relayed that his client denied breaching his bail and that the social media post was intended in jest. "I’ll put this bluntly because I think it needs to be – this is a comedic post, it’s an ironic post," he said. Magistrate Joy Boulos granted Herbert bail, agreeing he clearly did not intend to go to the party, but told him to stay away from social media. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

‘Most mutative’ COVID variant now located

A US expert has told Karl Stefanovic on the Today show about a new COVID variant which is the ‘most mutative’ virus so far and he said “unless you are triple-vaxxed” you’re not protected.” US expert Dr Eric Feigl-Ding, warned two doses of vaccine may not be enough protection against the C.1.2 COVID strain, adding this virus is mutating “so much faster than we expected,” that three doses of vaccine will be required to protect against it. The strain was first identified by scientists in South Africa in May and has since been found in England, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, Portugal Switzerland and even New Zealand. The C.1.2-strain has almost double the mutation rate Scientists have reported the C.1.2 strain in South Africa has a mutation rate of 41.8 mutations per year, almost double the current global mutation rate seen in any other variant of concern so far. The C.1.2-strain has yet to make its way to Australia, but this new strain has experts on edge, including Dr Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington DC. “It's got lots of troubling mutations and it's the most mutative of all variants,” he told the Today show this week. “It's the most genetically distanced from the Wuhan 1.0 virus. Whether or not it's the next big thing, it's not necessarily that, it's the fact that the virus is mutating so much faster than we expected.” An elimination strategy is required Dr Feigl-Ding, who is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers program, a Soros Fellowship recipient and a former Democratic Party candidate, said he advocated a COVID elimination strategy. “We can't just keep boosting the vaccines,” he said. “We have to basically stop the transmission worldwide because the more bodies we give the virus, the more practice chances the virus will eventually adapt and become even more evasive or contagious.” He also warned two doses of the vaccine may not be enough with Israel already introducing third booster shots. “Unless you're triple vaxxed, you're not considered fully vaxxed. And that approach as much as it sucks, is the reality that we’re faced with – with these new variants,” Dr Feigl-Ding said. Image: Today Show

News

Tragedy strikes Sharon Stone’s family

Sharon Stone has revealed her 11-month old nephew and godson, River, has died only days after he was found in his crib with 'total organ failure' that left him clinging to life in a coma. The Basic Instinct star, whose video tribute is set to Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven, revealed the tragic news on Monday via her Instagram account. Stone took to her Instagram account, asking fans to pray for River saying he would need a ‘miracle’ to survive. He was the youngest child of Stone's brother, Patrick, and his wife, Tasha, who live in Ohio with their three children. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTNcofsJlLC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTNcofsJlLC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sharon Stone (@sharonstone)</a> </div> </blockquote> While sharing the news of his death, Stone posted a video of her nephew with the caption: 'River William Stone. Sept 8, 2020 - Aug 30, 2021' It is still unknown at this time exactly what happened to the child and Stone has not yet shared any other information about his passing. River’s mother posted a plea for prayers River's mother Tasha also wrote an impassioned plea for prayers on her Facebook page last week, revealing that her son had been airlifted to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh on Thursday, where he was fighting for his life in a coma. Tasha wrote: 'This is the HARDEST thing I have ever had to post but I am BEGGING everyone and anyone who prays please pray HARD for River,' the devastated mother wrote. 'Every single second of this is literally killing me. I just want my sweet sweet boy back.' She didn't share the cause of her son's condition but she said doctors had told her River would “never be the same” if he ever woke up from his coma. 'The doctor said if he does pull through he will never be the same,' Tasha wrote on her Facebook post: 'Please I am begging for prayers that my baby can be healed and come back with his family who love him so very much. I am beyond heartbroken.' Neither Tasha or Patrick have commented as yet on their son's tragic passing, and no details about the causes of his illness have been shared. Stone was in Venice when she heard about River Stone was in Venice, Italy, when news of River's condition was revealed and she returned to the US over the weekend. There are a number of severe medical conditions which can lead to multiple organ failure in children but the leading cause is sepsis, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Sepsis - which can be sparked by another infection in the body - is particularly dangerous for children, because the symptoms are more easily missed than they are in adult patients. Birth defects and other undiagnosed illness can also lead to paediatric organ failure but it is not yet known whether any of these conditions caused River's severe illness. Image: Instagram

Caring

Eric Bana’s new true crime TV series that fans can't get enough of

True crime thriller Dirty John has been receiving accolades from critics all around the globe. Starring Eric Bana and Connie Britton, the Netflix series is based on a true story, revolving around John Meehan – a con artist and sociopath. Britton plays Debra Newell, 59, an interior designer who hasn’t had much success when it comes to love. After a series of embarrassing dates, she crosses paths with 55-year-old John (Bana), a charming doctor. Set in California’s Newport Harbor, the story then slowly reveals Debra’s infatuation with John, but her entitled daughter Veronica (Juno Temple) gets a feeling that something isn’t quite right. While the first half of the series is predictable, with many choosing to opt out before reaching the end, the show's strength lies with the story-tellers' providing an insight into human nature. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuR25yWhp-C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuR25yWhp-C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Show Me The Podcast (@showmethepodcast)</a> on Feb 24, 2019 at 1:07pm PST </div> </blockquote> The way people deal with trauma, past relationships, their beliefs and their desires – and how all of this factor into their strange behaviour and decisions. On one end we have Debra rationalising John’s mistakes due to her unlucky history with love and men, and on the other we have her nephew Toby (Kevin Zegers) providing excuses for the murder of his own mother. The final result is a show that is intense and gripping, and one that will keep you hooked all the way through. If you enjoy true crime, then this TV show is one that cannot be missed, as Bana and Britton provide a valuable insight into the minds of their characters. All eight episodes of Dirty John can be streamed on Netflix. Have you been watching Dirty John? Let us know what you think of the show in the comments below.

The remarkable true story of WWII hero Eric Batchelor

The Ferret is the true story of a remarkable yet humble man, Eric Batchelor, from the South Canterbury town of Waimate who became one of New Zealand's highest decorated soldiers of World War II. Through his stealthy and deadly night time operations against the Germans he was secretly dubbed The Ferret by his commanding officers. It was a name he never heard until well after the war. I interviewed Eric several times during the years as I worked as a journalist in Timaru, usually in the lead up to Anzac Day or some other military commemoration. Sitting in his homely kitchen he shared stories of his exploits during World War II in his quietly spoken manner. He was always frank with detailed accounts of battles as well as his personal experiences and recollections away from the front lines. He went into details of combat, death and survival few other returned soldiers were willing or able to do. He joined, and eventually led, a platoon of young South Islanders with a similar background. Several were from the West Coast and had spent their teenage years stalking elusive red deer through some of the most rugged terrain in New Zealand or hunting tahr in the high grassland tops. They had become excellent marksmen with a rifle and self-reliant bushmen capable of living rough for extended periods. Moving soundlessly through rough country, finding their way in the dark and in wild, cold weather had become second nature to them long before the army turned them into soldiers. It had been the best possible training for infantrymen who were sent out at night after a much more dangerous quarry during the Italian Campaign of World War Two. By the end of the war in 1945 Eric had been awarded the prestigious Distinguished Conduct Medal twice for his actions on night patrols against enemy positions, the only soldier from the Southern Hemisphere to do so. He was also mention in dispatches for similar actions. His bravery decorations were second only to Captain Charles Upham who was twice awarded the Victoria Cross. I have drawn extensively on the outstanding official history of Eric’s 23 Battalion by Angus Ross to ensure the chronology of battles and the history of the war in North Africa and Italy, where Eric served, were accurate. However, this biography is not another history of 23 Battalion but the true story of one of the men who served in the battalion, who survived the war and returned to his hometown of Waimate in South Canterbury where he continued to serve his community both in the military, in business and in many volunteer organisations for the rest of his long life. Eric Batchelor died in July 2010 just a month shy of his 90th birthday. One of the sad threads running through his story was the transition from excitable young men in their late teens and early twenties at the start of the war into hardened old men in their mid-twenties when it was all over. At the beginning some of their pranks and adventures were typical of over exuberant school boys pushing the boundaries of discipline and acceptable behaviour as boys always have. Those still alive four years later had seen and done things beyond the comprehension of people who have never served in the front lines of a world war. Their personalities, attitudes and empathy had irreversibly changed. Nightmares disturbed their sleep, the sounds of gun fire, terrifying closeness of violent death and the screams of dying men never left their memories. Many had difficulty readjusting to a non-violent, non-aggressive role civilian life. Eric was one who made that adjustment, with initial difficulty, and spent the rest of his life in his beloved Waimate. He was, rightfully, considered to be a local hero, earning the title Waimate Warrior which became the title of a bagpipe tune composed in his honour. <img width="181" height="234" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817714/1_181x234.jpg" alt="1 (126)" style="float: right;"/> Read an excerpt of the book below: March 1944 in Cassino, Italy. Keeping the men fed was a continual and dangerous problem, sometimes more dangerous than the nightly patrols which were sent out to probe the enemy defences. “At night, runners would bring food up for us, but their jeeps could only go so far. I think they probably had a worse job than we did as they had to move through enemy-occupied territory. Sometimes the Germans would only be a few feet away in the next house, occasionally in the next room! Under the old hotel that we had got into was a German tank right underneath us and every night he’d start his motor to charge up his batteries.” To ease the boredom, and gather the ever-important information on enemy deployments, more patrols were sent out and occasionally ran into each other in the darkness. At this time Eric and five others had taken up lodgings in what had been a big bakers oven underneath a large hotel. From here they had a good view of enemy movements to and from their positions in the rubble. Eric often went out on his own relying on his stealth and hunting skills to avoid getting into trouble. It was dangerous activity and several men had been shot and killed by equally stealthy German snipers, but it was better than sitting around waiting for the next shell or mortar bomb to arrive. “I went out one day to see what I could find around the old post office and a German sniper had a go at me.” These marksmen, armed with a special rifle and telescopic sights, rarely missed, and had killed a lot of New Zealanders, but the bullet meant for Eric went wide and missed. "Then they put in what we called a stonk, a massed bombardment, down on me. They must have thought attack was on, or the German who fired at me got the wind and got a bit excited.” These close calls had become almost commonplace as the deadly cat and mouse games among the rubble saw many men from both sides killed or wounded, but Eric was fast becoming recognised as an expert with better survival skills than most. Some of the Germans had established mortar positions hidden away in the ruins, and could bring down bombs on advancing British infantry without their location being seen, but Eric managed to locate one. "They had been firing for a day or two and it was annoying me that I couldn’t see where it was coming from so I went poking around and saw some smoke coming up from a cellar about sixty yards away. As luck would have it, a tank commander came up at that time looking for a target, so I said ‘come with me and have a look.’ “He whipped his tank around the corner and put three or four shells into the cellar and headed off, and I got out of it pretty quickly.” Tom O’Connor is a semi-retired journalist, historian, political commentator, author of several books, a Councillor for the Waimate District Council and the chair person for NZ Grey Power Association. The Ferret can be purchased at some local book stores or online at <a href="http://www.tomoconnor.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.tomoconnor.co.nz</a>. Written by Kirsten Wilson.

Books

Couple find each other by chance after 62 years apart

Former sweethearts who were separated by war and circumstance have reunited after meeting by chance 62 years later. In 1939, Eric Tweedsdale, 96, and Enid Bradshaw, 94, first met at Merrylands RSL in Sydney, where they were both part of a youth group. The duo’s love blossomed, and the pair got engaged but during the war, Eric was sent away for four years to the navy and things cooled off. They each went their separate ways and went on to marry and have children. In 2004, Eric and Enid both received invitations to a youth group reunion by mutual friends held in the location where their love story first began, Merrylands RSL. “There were six of us left from the youth group and our friends organised for Enid to wait at the big clock at Central Station for someone to meet her to get the train into Merrylands RSL and I offered as I was travelling by train [from the Central Coast],” Eric told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/couple-find-each-other-by-chance-after-62-years-apart/news-story/9063db561e116ba807f00a371b8d1876" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph.</a> “We knew each other straight away even after 62 years. She was still a blonde — but a slightly different tone of blonde — and she still had those lovely big blue eyes. “She was a beautiful girl and I thought she looked even more beautiful at 80-odd years young.” “It was a complete surprise to see Eric after all those years of having no contact at all,” Enid said. “We had a cup of coffee, chatted about the time that had passed and ended up missing our train. “While we stayed in touch following the reunion, it was a few years down the track before we became close once again.” After years of staying in touch, their romance resurfaced when Enid moved to Cooinda Village retirement facility, not far from Eric’s home in Ettalong on the Central Coast of NSW. <img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7267329/1_500x375.jpg" alt="1 (80)"/> Image credit: Mark Scott Now, Eric and Enid are making amends for all their lost time and living only 40 footsteps from one another in self-care units at Peninsula Village in Umina. “We are very thankful that they accommodated us here at the village so close to each other,” Enid said. “We’ve been here for just over six months and enjoy the fantastic activities and social side of being in a residential village, close to family and friends." Enid added, “We decided to have our own units, with our own things, but spend lots of valuable time with one another, talking about our time apart and the times we had together when we were young. “Ours is a most unusual story with a happy ending. We not only spend time reminiscing, but look forward to the days ahead with keen anticipation.” Eric concluded, “We both believe it was just meant to be." Eric enjoyed a successful sports career, now being the oldest living Australian Wallabies rugby union player. Enid established for herself a career as a published author and an award-winning artist.

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