The Old Dog takes a nostalgic trip recalling many of the footy grounds he played on during his 43 year footy career, unfortunately some of the grounds no longer exist but the memories remain.
Almanac Footy: Ovals Old Dog played (and trained) at that no longer exist
December 23, 2025 by 7 Comments
Almanac Poetry: Had a Better Offer
December 22, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Domestic cats have particular requirements when it comes to where they choose to live, according to this week’s previously unpublished poem from Kevin Densley.
Almanac Travel: Welcome to Johannesburg
December 21, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Ian Wilson reports on the ‘joys’ of a long-haul flight to Johannesburg
The Rambling Podcast: United Cricket Club – A Rambling Reunion
December 20, 2025 by 1 Comment
Scott Hunt and his ‘Rambling’ Podcast co-host Brian Hine take their podcast on the road back to where their friendship began at the United Cricket Club in Bendigo.
Almanac Squash: A Potted Memoir of Squashing Balls
December 19, 2025 by 6 Comments
Allan Barden recalls his introduction to squash and his developing interest in the exploits of the world’s great players including Aussies Geoff Hunt and Heather McKay. And the highlight: a fifteen minute master class with a member of the famous Khan family.
Almanac Music: ‘Carnivalesque’ – Songs Referencing Carnivals, Circuses, Parades and the Like
December 19, 2025 by 87 Comments
The latest installment in KD’s long-running series on popular song themes is songs involving carnivalesque material – in other words, songs referencing carnivals, circuses, parades and the like. As is always the case, readers’ song choices and comments are warmly welcomed.
Almanac Book (Plans): A tour of old western Sydney for an upcoming book
December 18, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Wayne Peake is hoping to re-create a fondly remembered tradition from his father’s time – a mystery car rally – around historic sites in western Sydney. Eventually, he hopes to turn it all into a publication.
Almanac Book Review: ‘Woke is Dead’ by Piers Morgan
December 17, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Daring to go where some may dread to tread, RagingBull offers his thoughts on Piers Morgan’s provocative book ‘Woke is Dead’.
Almanac Cricket: Cricket by the Sea
December 16, 2025 by 11 Comments
There’s a certain amount of delight watching a leisurely game of country cricket with the sea for a backdrop as Mickey Randall explains.
Almanac Reviews: British Film Festival 2025 – Finale: Hamnet and Saipan Reviews
December 16, 2025 by 1 Comment
The British Film Festival 2025 has reached its finale as Ian Wilson reviews two of the films screened, Hamnet’ and ‘Saipan’.
Almanac Music: The Best Australian Albums of 2025
December 15, 2025 by 4 Comments
Smokie returns with his annual list of the best Australian music of the year. In 2025, he listened to over 130 new albums, and here he presents the best.
red wheelbarrow in the manner of Paul Gauguin’s Vision after the Sermon
December 15, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This Monday’s poem, according to Kevin Densley is “what I see happening when William Carlos Williams often parodied modernist poem, ‘The Red Wheelbarrow’, meets a well-known painting by Gauguin.”
Almanac Life: When Summer was Different
December 15, 2025 by 15 Comments
Dips O’Donnell’s piece, first published in 2015, captures the essence of a kid’s summer. It is now included in ‘Jolly Nuisance’, an anthology of Dips’s writings.
‘Jolly Nuisance’: This O’Donnell Life – with an introduction by John Harms
December 13, 2025 by 1 Comment
Dips O’Donnell’s ‘Jolly Nuisance’ is a delightful collection of observational writing about everyday life. Read more about it in this post, which includes John Harms’s introduction to the book. A delightful Christmas gift for those who’ve followed Dips over the years on this site, and for those who appreciate insightful observational writing]
Almanac Cricket: Thirsty English Test Cricketers, a story told in ‘Touchstone’, a biography of Samuel Griffiths.
December 9, 2025 by 4 Comments
The story of the marvellous Samuel Griffiths – adventurer, entrepreneur, racetrack philosopher, raconteur and truth-seeker is told in ‘Touchstone’. The biography, by Richard Griffiths (his great grandson) and Murray Bird, has had such a terrific response it’s been reprinted and is available now. In this piece, we include an extract which involves a cricket match, a bet, a champagne dinner and some unlikely ring-ins. What were two English Test cricketers doing on the eve of the MCG Test in the 1894-95 series? [Classic – JTH]
Almanac Music and Memoir: Remembering December 8, 1980.
December 9, 2025 by 3 Comments
Paul Noonan recalls the time of John Lennon’s assassination. He was a member of the Dugites who were supporting Elton John on his Australian tour.
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