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When my cricket career finished midway through the 1981/82 season, the structure of my life changed dramatically. So much so that today, no longer am I an architect or a professional cricketer, in fact it's difficult to get into two words an appropriate title. Whatever the title, one thing is certain I lead a great, erratic and at times fascinating existence, and I really do enjoy sharing views and ideas and experiences.
Today my commitments involve TV and radio, an enormous amount of travelling to various speaking engagements writing and the occasional corporate video and the odd TV commercial. And quite a few other things as well too... like this book!
I love people and I'm lucky enough to be able to meet a huge cross- section of the community, most of whom have shown so much wonderful hospitality to me that it would be impossible to reciprocate. I thank them very much for letting me share some of their time and their thoughts
Even as a kid I seemed to be surrounded by lots of different people. I only have to look back to my early days in Tassie, when I lived in the Empire Hotel, North Hobart, a good industrial beer drinking pub. There seemed to be an endless supply of my dad's mates and his stories, always rich in color and chock full of incredible characters. We used to be spellbound by the never ending exaggeration and humour.
All those colourful characters parading through the pub gave me a different insight into some of the pleasant and not so pleasant aspects of life. It was certainly different to the formal education gained at school. I think above all it allowed me to laugh a lot... even today I still laugh a lot because laughter is a beautiful tonic.
Also the customers of the Empire Hotel provided the most unusual and endless supply of backyard bowlers that any young man with aspirations to Test match greatness could possibly want. By 6 o'clock most afternoons, none of them lacked any confidence at all. A bit like Bay 13 or The Hill in Sydney, eh?
My dad, known as 'Big Max' - who always told a good story, continually encouraged me to see the lighter side of life; it's been a great philosophy He almost certainly must be responsible for my joy of practical jokes.
And that's the theme of this book, lots of tales, lots of jokes, all drawn from 39 wonderful years, and guaranteed to provoke a giggle or two.
Today my commitments involve TV and radio, an enormous amount of travelling to various speaking engagements writing and the occasional corporate video and the odd TV commercial. And quite a few other things as well too... like this book!
I love people and I'm lucky enough to be able to meet a huge cross- section of the community, most of whom have shown so much wonderful hospitality to me that it would be impossible to reciprocate. I thank them very much for letting me share some of their time and their thoughts
Even as a kid I seemed to be surrounded by lots of different people. I only have to look back to my early days in Tassie, when I lived in the Empire Hotel, North Hobart, a good industrial beer drinking pub. There seemed to be an endless supply of my dad's mates and his stories, always rich in color and chock full of incredible characters. We used to be spellbound by the never ending exaggeration and humour.
All those colourful characters parading through the pub gave me a different insight into some of the pleasant and not so pleasant aspects of life. It was certainly different to the formal education gained at school. I think above all it allowed me to laugh a lot... even today I still laugh a lot because laughter is a beautiful tonic.
Also the customers of the Empire Hotel provided the most unusual and endless supply of backyard bowlers that any young man with aspirations to Test match greatness could possibly want. By 6 o'clock most afternoons, none of them lacked any confidence at all. A bit like Bay 13 or The Hill in Sydney, eh?
My dad, known as 'Big Max' - who always told a good story, continually encouraged me to see the lighter side of life; it's been a great philosophy He almost certainly must be responsible for my joy of practical jokes.
And that's the theme of this book, lots of tales, lots of jokes, all drawn from 39 wonderful years, and guaranteed to provoke a giggle or two.