Here is the very first copy of my latest book that I have called ‘Catching the Linville Train’.

You are already aware that I am a lousy photographer, but I have tried to take it in front of one of Helen’s pot plants just to emphasise that I am a boy from the bush.

Anyway, the first few boxes of this book will arrive at my home in 2 weeks and you can buy a signed copy from me for 35 dollars which includes 10 dollars postage and packaging.

THE NEWS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THAT THE LAUNCH FUNCTION FOR THE BOOK WILL BE AT ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH, CHERMSIDE, BRISBANE, ON THURSDAY, 16 MARCH, AT 6PM. (Drinks and savouries, 7.30pm finish)

Shortly, I will be emailing invitations. If you would like to attend, please send me a message and I will put you on the list.

Just be aware that it will cost you some moderate dollars as I am organising it as a fundraiser for ACTS, the community service arm of the Aspley Uniting Church. I am its Chair and we make direct cash grants to people in strife from floods, droughts, fires, domestic violence, elder abuse etc. All Saints Anglicans are our partners in caring for the community.

My contribution to the fundraising on the night is to ensure that all royalties from book sales at the event go to ACTS.

Now, let me tell you what’s in the book.

First of all it is not an autobiography. I wrote that 10 years ago. It was called ‘Tracks to Somewhere’ and was limited to 400 copies that I gave them to family and friends, free of charge.

This one is quite different and has 81 chapters of about 4 pages each and they are in several sections.

EVENTS – this has 30 chapters that cover my view of major national and international events that impacted on me over my 91 year lifespan.

PEOPLE – 20 chapters about influential and famous people with whom I have worked around the world.

PLACES – 2O historic places, all over the planet, that I visited that made a profound effect on my thinking.

NOSTALGIA – My memories of 5 things that have had a significant role in my life, ie, books, cinema, theatre, musicals, sport.

PERSONAL – Accounts of the 5 major achievements of my life.

LINVILLE – my return to Linville, the small village in the Brisbane River Valley from which I made my first train journey 85 years ago and which led me to a life of frequent travel around the globe.

I first serialised this book on Facebook in 2021 for 81 weeks under the title of YOU AND ME AND HISTORY. When I put them all together, they amounted to 35000 words. So I did lots of research and expanded them. There are now 99000 words in must more interesting style.

So it is now about to go on sale and join the 3 previous EVERALD BOOKS, ie, ‘The Man on the Twenty Dollar Notes, ‘Dinner with the Founding Fathers, ‘A Beautiful Sunset’.

I will give you a huge discount if you are brave enough to buy all four.

And there is another one underway that will be out in 2024, plus three more in my mind that you can enjoy before I reach the young age of 100 and complete my apprenticeship as a writer, so I can get really serious about my books.

Cheers

Everald

PS. Joining me onstage at the book launch will be my valued friends Rebecca Levingston, Greg Cary, Wayne Swan, Anthony Lynham, Paul Scarr and Shayne Neumann.

The book is dedicated to Helen without whom I would not have achieved anything.

My portrait on the front cover is the excellent work of another good friend, Noela Lowien, who lives at Kilcoy, not far from Linville. When you get to look at the back cover, you will find another splendid piece of art by Noela. It shows a little boy getting on a train at the Linville Railway Station.