I think it is probably twenty-five years or so since I first read a novel by John Grisham and I remember particularly enjoying The Pelican Brief and The Client amongst others. He was one of my favourite authors.
A couple of weeks ago I found his 2017 novel, The Rooster Bar in our bookshelves so I decided to read it. It’s a story about three final year law students in America, each of whom have racked up a $200,000 loan for their university fees. They’ve been conned into attending a second rate law college and are unlikely to ever be able to repay the loan as they have no hope of getting a job in a law firm.
They decide to practice law illegally without the qualifications and that is where the trouble starts.
I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t one of my favourites. I wouldn’t want to read it again and I wouldn’t recommend it to you.
Charles Brooke BURGESS was born in Werribee Victoria Australia around August 1893. His parents were Brooke BURGESS and Elizabeth HEATH and Brooke was the brother of my great grandfather, Joseph BURGESS. So Charles was my first cousin twice removed.
In 1914 Charles was working as a signwriter at Buckle Bros in Melbourne, having served a three-year apprenticeship. When war broke out in August 1914, the Naval and Expeditionary Forces were formed to assist the country in seizing or neutralising German territories in the Pacific and Charles joined this volunteer group on 14 August .
Charles in his naval uniform
On 1 July 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Infantry Forces 30th Battalion. At that time he was 5ft 5in tall (166cm) tall and weighed 10st 5lbs (54kg) so he was quite a small man. He had a fair complexion, fair hair, blue eyes and tattoos on both arms. His regimental number was 1047. He listed his religion as church of England. The 30th Battalion was formed in Liverpool NSW and was made up almost entirely of men from Newcastle and country NSW but one whole unit was almost entirely made up of former RAN ratings from Victoria.
On 9 November 2015 Charles was on the HMAT Beltana leaving Sydney and heading for Suez where he disembarked on 11 December 1915. On 18 March he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Whilst in Egypt the Battalion underwent training – it seems there was insufficient accommodation for them in France at this time. He left Alexandria on the HMAT Honorata on 16 June and disembarked in Marseille France on 23 June, having been promoted to Corporal on the 18.
A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be able to tour the Somme with Myriam of Walkabout Digger Tours and she took us to all the relevant places and told us the story of his war. I’d like to share it with you.
The battalion was moved to the front and its first major battle took place at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. Initially, they were involved in providing carrying parties for supplies and ammunition but were soon involved in the heavy fighting. This was the worst 24 hours in Australia’s military history with 5533 casualties on one night. Brigadier General, H.E. “Pompey” Elliot stated that it was a “tactical abortion”. The 30th lost 54 men, Killed in Action (KIA), 224 wounded and 68 missing in action. What must have that been like for Charles and all the others? I can’t imagine!
During the rest of 1916 the battalion was rotated in and out of the front but took no part in any major action. Charles suffered from trench feet which must have been horrible. He was hospitalised and on 7 December 1916 he was on the hospital ship Newhaven at Calais being transferred to the 3rd London General Hospital. He stayed there until 30 March when he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital. Trench foot is a medical condition caused by long exposure of the feet to damp, cold and unsanitary conditions. It wasn’t until 4 May that he was released from hospital and given a furlough. On 21 May he was required to report to Perham Downs which was a command depot for men who had been wounded or were ill and had been discharged from hospital. He remained in England and on 17 January 1918 he marched into the overseas training brigade of the 30th Battalion at Longbridge Deverill in Wiltshire.
He left Longbridge on 7 February for Southampton and then onto Le Havre in the Normandy region of France and then to rejoin the 30th Battalion on 15 February. During this month the battalion was mainly engaged in improving the trenches in the area near Messines in West Flanders in Belgium.
In March, they were involved in raiding parties & training at Wulvergham Camp and were moved to Neuve Eglise then to Hazebrouck and then to Douleens by train and then by bus to Bus les Artois, Authie and Vauchelle in Northern France.
At the beginning of April 1918 the battalion was in Vauchelle and were training. They then moved to Bois de Gentelles (Genteel Wood) via Daours on 5 April where they were reinforcing the lines at Bois de Gentelles.
Bois de Gentelles in the distance where Charles was killed
On 7 April, Charles was behind the lines having a shave and a man called Medhurst was having a wash when an enemy plane flew overhead and dropped a bomb which killed them both and another man.
On the afternoon of the 7th they was buried in the local community cemetery at Boves by the Church of England Chaplain. Padre Hicks.
Charles’ headstone in the cemetery at Boves
The Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry bureau Files, 1914-18 War for 1047 Corporal Charles Brooke Burgess contain these eye witness accounts of his death.:
Burgess and Medhurst were out on a pack guard some time in April, they were killed outright by a bomb from an aeroplane sometime in April. There was every opportunity for burial. It happened in a wood between Blancy-Trombelle and Boves (near Villers-Bretonneux). Cpl Burgess shaving at the time and Medhurst was having a wash. (Informant was Dvr. H.L.Kay 2372, 30th AIF Transport, University Hospital, Southampton on 18 July 1918.)
Burgess and Methurst were together in the transport lines at Gentile Wood between Villers-Bretonneux and Boves when I saw them killed by an aerial torpedo about 11am on April 7th. They were buried that afternoon in two graves side by side. The service was taken by the Padre of the Battalion. A small cross was put over each grave but as far as I know not a battalion cross. I was quite close at the time and attended the funeral. Description: Corporal A Coy 1 Platoon. Came from Melbourne and been in Naval Reserve out there. Always called “Charlie”. (Informant was Pte Charles Edward Ellis, 2nd Platoon A Coy 30 AIF, Tapsbury St Albans. July 22nd 1918.)
In his will, Charles left his worldly goods to his mother. His effects were sent home to her,
Details of his effects from his war service record.
Wouldn’t I love to see those diaries! I wonder if Elizabeth kept them. Could they still exist in someone’s collection? I have so many questions. Who were the photos of? Did he have a girlfriend somewhere? Did he meet someone in the 14 months he was in England being treated for his trench feet and recuperating? I wonder did he use his signwriting skills to do directional signs for troop movements in France?
Searching on Trove, I found the following entries in the family notices of the Argus under the heading: DIED ON SERVICE
BURGESS.- Killed in action April 7, 1918, Corpl. Charles Brooke, dearly beloved eldest son of Brooke and Elizabeth Burgess, and brother of Clara, Mary, Harry, Jack, Jim, Maggie, and Annie, aged 24 years, after 3 years and 7 months active service. (Inserted by his loving father, mother, brothers, and sisters, 164 Melbourne road,North Williamstown.)
BURGESS.– In memory of our dearly loved nephew and cousin, Corporal Charles Burgess, killed in action, April 7, 1918.There is a link death cannot sever;Love and remembrance live forever.–(Inserted by Mr. and Mrs. J. Burgess, Tib, and May.)
BURGESS.- In loving remembrance of Cpl. Charles Brook Burgess, killed in action 7th April, 1918.”Underneath are the everlasting arms.”–(Inserted by George S., Lydia, and Amy S. Wilkinson, 36 Alma terrace, Newport.)
Thus, he was mourned by his family who received the following medals on his behalf after the war: 1914/1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Star.
A poor substitution for a loved son, brother and cousin!
I can see why the people of Barcelona are protesting about the number of tourists taking over their city. This morning about 8am we went to La Boqueria, the market thinking we’d have breakfast there. We noticed some locals obviously having their Saturday morning breakfast before they did their shopping but honestly we could hardly move for tourists. We gave up and went back out to the street to find a cafe.
I’m glad we came here in 2014 for a week and thoroughly enjoyed the city. Now I feel that we are just adding to the problem by being two more tourists. There is an interesting article in The Australian this weekend about the plight of places that can’t cope with the number of visitors; especially those that come for a day and don’t spend any money – as those of us on cruise ships are won’t to do. Five percent of the world’s jobs are in tourism though, so it’s a bit of a dilemma. Tourism creates jobs but tourists create problems. Venice is certainly a case in point.
Anyway, after breakfast we hopped on the Hop-on Hop-off bus and did a two hour tour of the city. We were surprised to see that the Marina is still in port. It’s sunny today but quite cool and we needed our coats. The Sagrada Familia is still not finished. Barcelona has five kilometres of lovely sandy beaches, all easily accessible by tram and bus. The people were out early today soaking up the sunshine.
Here’s a view of the city from up high at the Jardins del Doctor Pia:
I was on the wrong side of the bus to get a good photo of the people on the beaches. This is the best I could do:
And here is the Sagrada Familia: It’s much to elaborate for my tastes but I can appreciate the amount of work in it.
When we were in Lima, Peru in 2010 we were amazed at the enclosed wooden balconies which many buildings have. They can do this because the climate there is so dry and the timber doesn’t rot. The average annual rainfall is 16mm per year – that’s right 1.6cm.
Today we saw a balcony which reminded us of Lima. Barcelona’s average rainfall is 64cm.
Tonight we are on a quest to find a restaurant where the locals eat. Wish us luck!
Last night we cruised through the Straits of Gibraltar and the cruise director made an announcement that we would be able to see it between 7 and 8. So we went on deck to catch a glimpse of the famous Rock of Gibraltar. Only trouble was, no one seemed to know which side was the rock and there was no further announcement from the bridge.
So either this is The Rock
Or this is:
The first photo looks more like a Rock. The second one is prettier. One of them includes The Rock but which one? Your guess is as good as mine.
Today in Tangier Morocco, we boarded the Hop-on Hop-Off bus for a tour of the city.
Our view from beside the ship.
The port shuttle took us to the car park of the Intercontinental Hotel from where we could cross the road and catch the red bus. The juxtaposition of the old wall and the flash hotel was typical of what we saw here.
We were impressed with the skill of our driver who manoeuvred the bus through some extremely narrow streets and around tight corners.
We drove by a long, narrow cemetery which was filled with grasses and flowers.
We weren’t sure where to hop off and we chose the city centre which turned out to be a mistake. It was a large new shopping centre with no customers, bored shop assistants and only American chain restaurants such as Burger King and Pizza Hut. By this stage, we were ready for coffee but we wanted a legitimate Moroccan coffee so we left here and caught a taxi back to the Souq that the bus had taken us through.
As well as fresh fruit and vegetables the souq contained many long narrow aisles filled with fake handbags, shoes, t-shirts etc. There must have been thousands of bags! Who would buy them all?
We wandered around for a while, still searching for our hit of caffeine and then walked down the steep hill to the waterfront where we found many cafés and were able to get our coffee. It was very strong, delicious and cost €1 each. The currency here is the dirham which is worth US$0.10.
We then wandered back to the shuttle and back to the ship for lunch and our afternoon rest.
We’ve really enjoyed our few hours in Lisbon which began with a full circuit on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. It is a beautiful sunny warm day and the northern hemisphere people are complaining that it’s too hot at 26*C but for me, it is just becoming warm enough. Perfect!
My memories of Lisbon will be all about the blues and the greens. We drove along many avenues lined with trees and past many parks filled with people enjoying the weather; many of them locals as it is Sunday. What really grabbed me was the beautiful sky white-washed with wispy clouds. I loved the blend of the blues and the greens.
The blues are also found in the tiles on the buildings illustrating The Moorish influence from times past.
As you drive around Lisbon you can’t help but notice the proliferation of statues. Of course, I can’t remember who they all are but I think this could be the mayor who rebuilt the city after the massive earthquake in 1755. But then, it could be someone else entirely!
Many people take tours in these Tuk-Tuks. A bit scary for me in the traffic!
There seemed to be hundreds of eateries gathered in eat streets and we found one where we could enjoy seafood paella and a Portuguese custard tart.
Junky souvenir shops were everywhere and we avoided them but I did buy myself a very nice shirt to remember Lisbon by.
So, a very pleasant day all round but undoubtedly it was the amazing colours of the sky that I will remember most.
We are now in Portugal for the first time. We docked here at the industrial port near Matosinhos this morning and caught the shuttle bus into Porto proper, about a thirty minute drive along the beautiful coastline and beaches. This was my favourite part of the day.
The surfers were out on this lovely sunny day but the breeze by the water was cool still.
Once we passed the mouth of the Douro River, there were many fishermen and small boats with outboard motors. It reminded me of the years of my childhood that I spent at Donnybrook on Pumicestone Passage just north of Brisbane. There my parents had a multifaceted small business: a corner store, boats for hire, an unofficial post office and, as well, we sold petrol (with an old hand operated petrol pump). At the same time, Dad was a professional fishermen and crabber. Of course, our boats were inboards as there were no outboard motors at that stage.
I found the town of Porto itself to be quaint and so steep. Not good for the knees. We had a frustrating time here as we had booked tickets on the yellow vintage hop on hop off bus. We waited 50 minutes for it to come and then the driver’s reader wouldn’t read my e ticket which had assured me that I didn’t need a printed ticket. So he wouldn’t let us on. Very frustrating. Then we climbed some very steep steps to the market which wasn’t open and didn’t open until midday. More frustration! We did find a coffee and two excellent Portuguese custard tarts. We enjoyed them. Two coffees and two tarts for a total of €4. Amazing!
I do love to use a nice pen that feels good in my hand and there is a great pen shop here that we lingered in. They also stocked beautiful sets of coloured pencils for serious artwork. I have a lovely set of pencils that I haven’t touched in a few years. I think I’m getting the urge to get them out again. All very tempting but I resisted. The other shop which severely tempted me was quite a large hat shop. I very nearly bought a stylish black and white hat but David convinced me that I wouldn’t get it home in immaculate condition and I should buy one at home. So I will.
The streets are very interesting, so steep and narrow and the buildings are several stories high. Shops occupy the ground floor of many.
We wandered around until our knees were done (mine anyway) and then went to catch the shuttle back to the ship. Another 45 minute wait!
Now I’m waiting for a turn in the laundry. At least David brought me a lovely coffee!
After our tasty breakfast, we caught an Uber to the Museé D’Orsay, arriving about 9:10 for a 9:30 opening. Our plan to avoid the crowds worked well and we had easy access to the display of Impressionist art on the 5th floor. This museum has an extensive & amazing collection. I think I love it more than any other. Until this week, my favourite artist has been Camille Pissarro but I think now he has to move to second place.
Monet’s range of work and the quantity that he produced blows me away. Here’s some of my favourite pieces from this museum with the first one being my pick of all the art we have seen in these three days. I’d love to have it hanging on my wall at home.
My family gave me a print of the Japanese bridge at Giverny for my birthday last year.
We learnt at Giverny that Monet loved trains and railway stations as is evidenced by his paintings of Saint-Lazare Station. Apparently he was painting there one day and wanted a certain effect so he caused the trains to be held in the station with their engines stoked so he could paint it. Pity the passengers who arrived home late!
Here’s a Pissarro painting that I really liked & one by Renoir of two beautiful girls playing piano. This made us think of our two beautiful, pianist granddaughters back in Brisbane.
We then went for a leisurely stroll across to the Musée de L’Orangerie in the Tuileries Garden, walking over the top of runners participating in the Paris Marathon.
This museum was designed and built by Monet in 1905 to house his beautiful large circular paintings representing his beloved water lilies in the four seasons. It is fabulous. He built it so that Parisians would have somewhere quiet to sit and relax. It is still very soothing today. The paintings cover the rounded walls of the circular rooms and are stunning. I don’t think my photography does them justice.
We wandered off and found lunch at a restaurant called ‘Flottes’. The staff were so friendly and were having so much fun, laughing and joking with each other, that it made it a very pleasant experience. It was obviously an old restaurant and was very busy. David ate moules et frites and I had a salmon, mango and avocado salad. For dessert David went for a little drama with crepes Suzette while I had my old favourite, rice pudding.
Walking off our lunch, we came to Galleries Lafayette. What a huge shop in an amazing building! There must be a playground in the roof as there seemed to be children jumping on some sort of jumping castle.
We couldn’t get over the queues of people lined up outside the Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores waiting to go in to spend their cash. Not us, though, it was time for home. we had had a morning filled with beauty. How lucky are we?
We’ve had another fun day in our lovely Paris home which is in the attic of this beautiful old building behind which you can probably spot an iconic Paris landmark.
The Marché President Wilson are held just around the corner from our building on Wednesday & Saturday mornings and we have been hanging out to stock up on fruit, vegetables and, of course, French bread. So early this morning, in spite of a temperature around 1*, we went down and it was amazing.
So much fresh produce: meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, breads etc. All so very tempting! We can now have a delicious dinner at home of an evening and we are looking forward to it tonight. A veal steak for David and, for me, a big plate of fresh vegetables: white asparagus, zucchini, carrots, beans; all to be followed by sweet strawberries.
After we packed our goodies away, we caught an Uber to go to the Foundation of Louis Vuitton which is an amazing piece of architecture housing a collection of art works.
It is currently housing the Courtauld Collection on loan from Somerset House in London which is undergoing renovation.
The Impressionists are our favourites so we really enjoyed this exhibition of works by Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh as well as others. We then went to the Museé Marmottan-Monet to see the largest collection of Monet anywhere in the world. It was wonderful.
Enjoying this beautiful art work in such an amazing city is a privilege. We are so very lucky.
When I go out of a morning to walk beside Moreton Bay I walk mindfully, enjoying the sights and sounds along the way and I feel so lucky to be here.
This morning I took some photos so I could share my pleasure with you. I hope you enjoy it too.
We’ve had some beautiful rainy days but this morning it was so lovely to see the sun
In the distance, the structures at Brisbane Port resemble huge creature.
The ripples make such lovely patterns. (It was high tide this morning.)
Can you see the little Willy Wagtail in the two picture above? Usually there’s a whole family playing in that spot but this morning I saw only one.
I’m not the only one out enjoying the freshness of the morning.
And lastly I saw and smelt my favourite coffee shop. I was good, though, and resisted the temptation to go in. But will I be able to do that tomorrow? I’m not sure but I do know that I will once again feel very lucky to live in such a lovely place.
Our view from beside the ship.
My family gave me a print of the Japanese bridge at Giverny for my birthday last year.
So much fresh produce: meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, breads etc. All so very tempting! We can now have a delicious dinner at home of an evening and we are looking forward to it tonight. A veal steak for David and, for me, a big plate of fresh vegetables: white asparagus, zucchini, carrots, beans; all to be followed by sweet strawberries.
In the distance, the structures at Brisbane Port resemble huge creature.
Dapper Dave and Dinky Di 