This Tuesday’s poem from Kevin Densley, ‘Brother and Sister’, can be seen as a postscript to his Anzac Day piece about eight Australian soldiers, ‘The Great War – AIF suite’– this time the poem involves a Victorian country town, a great-grandmother he can’t remember meeting, and her brother who died as a German POW in France in 1916.
Almanac Poetry: Forget the Metaphor
April 20, 2021 by Leave a Comment
In this Tuesday’s poem, Kevin Densley points out the basic ‘error’ in Aesop’s famous fable involving the tortoise and the hare.
Almanac Poetry: Platinum Blonde
April 13, 2021 by Leave a Comment
This week’s intriguing poem from Kevin Densley is about 1930s Hollywood glamour icon, Jean Harlow, who died tragically young.
Almanac Comedy: ‘Mo Goes to the Dogs’
April 9, 2021 by 6 Comments
Kevin Densley introduces an episode of the classic Australian radio comedy series, McCackie Mansion, from just after WW2, starring the legendary actor/comedian Mo. In this episode, Mo McCackie, his son, Young Harry, Uncle Horrible and Spencer the Garbageman go to the Harold Park dogs – KD describes it as “seven and a half minutes of hilarious, nostalgic joy”.
Almanac Poetry: Morrisons, Victoria
April 6, 2021 by 2 Comments
This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is about Morrisons, a Victorian locality near the small town of Meredith. Some of KD’s relatives farmed there is the past.
Almanac Memoir (and Music): ‘Maybe’ by Split Enz
April 2, 2021 by 2 Comments
This Friday’s piece from KD, although quite brief, covers a great deal of territory, including mid-1970s Sydney, the Opera House, King’s Cross, a family holiday, and an encounter with early Split Enz.
Almanac Poetry: Uncle Bert and the 1909 Warrnambool to Melbourne Cycling Race
March 30, 2021 by 6 Comments
This week, Kevin Densley’s poem is about two relatives, Fardie and Bert, who rode in the 1909 Warrnambool to Melbourne – yes, for some time, the famous cycling event went in the opposite direction to what is the case today.
Almanac History: Yahl – South Australia
March 26, 2021 by 17 Comments
Ever heard of Yahl, South Australia? In this Friday’s column, KD writes about the place and its close connection to the German branch of his family history.
Almanac Poetry: Kate Kelly (1863-1898)
March 23, 2021 by 10 Comments
Kate Kelly, Ned’s sister, is the subject of this week’s poem by Kevin Densley.
Almanac Music (Jazz): ‘St James Infirmary’ by Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five (1928)
March 19, 2021 by 4 Comments
In this Friday’s column, KD looks at a jazz standard recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Savoy Ballroom Five in 1928, ‘St James Infirmary’. Since then, there have been hundreds of recordings of this song.
Almanac Poetry: Near Drowning at St Leonards Beach, Victoria, 1967
March 16, 2021 by 2 Comments
A father saves his young son from drowning. Kevin Densley describes this week’s poem as ‘particularly close to home’.
Almanac Life: The Art of Indian Head Massage
March 12, 2021 by 1 Comment
In this Friday’s column, KD writes about his most unusual qualification, and invites Almanackers to comment and/or share theirs.
Almanac Poetry: Bert Watts’s Pies
March 9, 2021 by 12 Comments
His grandfather blamed café owner Bert Watts; his father, a butcher – but what really happened? In this week’s poem, Kevin Densley uncovers the truth.
Almanac Poetry: Bob Craig’s Funeral
March 2, 2021 by 2 Comments
In this Tuesday’s poem, Kevin Densley recalls a small, particularly sad funeral he attended (the real name of the deceased has been changed), many years ago, where a notable local sportsman gave a memorable eulogy.
Almanac Music: Romantic Guy
February 26, 2021 by 3 Comments
This week’s Friday offering from Kevin Densley concerns a song he wrote, sung, played and recorded in the bedroom of a Geelong mate about thirty-five years ago. The song itself is included with the story behind it. One mate told KD it reminded him of Paul McCartney, another said John Lennon. Almanac listeners – you be the judge!
Almanac Poetry: Mister Vernacular
February 16, 2021 by 11 Comments
In this week’s poem, Kevin Densley deals with a range of colourful expressions, many of Australian origin.
Almanac Life: Two blokes walk into a pub (Part 1)
February 12, 2021 by 10 Comments
In comradely spirit, Kevin Densley and Roger Lowrey joined forces to write a two-part piece about their recent lunch at the Petrel Hotel in Geelong West. Here’s Part 1 from Kevin Densley.
Almanac Poetry: Goodbye Georgie
February 9, 2021 by 4 Comments
Legendary footballer, the late George Best, famously said: “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.” This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is an “In Memoriam” piece about the man fellow Almanacker and World Game expert, Roy Hay, called “the Irish wizard”.
Almanac Poetry: Fake Ned
February 2, 2021 by 4 Comments
Kevin Densley’s poem concerns a photograph which was at one time verified as being of Ned Kelly, but later proved not to be so.
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