© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

Newcastle Herald

Read more about the article Vale Peter Mitchell, cartoonist and more

Vale Peter Mitchell, cartoonist and more

Former cartoonist, songwriter, folk singer, bookseller and latter-day recluse, Peter Mitchell, died last December. I knew him, but not well. I remember him mostly for his quirky cartoon contributions to The Newcastle Herald. But as with most people, there was more to him than met the eye. It was somewhere about the mid-1980s when Peter Mitchell's cartoons suddenly began appearing in The Newcastle Herald. In those days, the Herald's Saturday Magazine was still quite substantial, full of fine reading material and a bevy of regular features that made it a staple for many Newcastle people. To…

Continue ReadingVale Peter Mitchell, cartoonist and more
Read more about the article Twist of fate for the old man of the street
A 2009 photo of Alwyn, before we knew his name. Photo by Phil Voysey.

Twist of fate for the old man of the street

For years I watched him wander the streets of Newcastle. He was old, small and stooped. He was unshaven, unkempt, grimy and ragged. He wore dark trousers and a dark hooded jacket that covered his head. As days and weeks passed his trousers seemed to practically erode from his body, becoming more and more tattered until eventually they were nothing but strips of rag hanging from a waistband. Every now and then he would vanish from the streets for a day or two before re-appearing in a new outfit when the process would begin again. Most…

Continue ReadingTwist of fate for the old man of the street
Read more about the article Mike Scanlon: history without cobwebs

Mike Scanlon: history without cobwebs

It's disconcerting, but not really surprising, that very often as I sit down to write about some aspect of Hunter Valley history, I discover that Mike Scanlon has already been there and done that. Not surprising, because Mike has been working on Newcastle newspapers for more than 60 years with barely a break. Despite officially retiring 20 years ago, Mike keeps producing a weekly history column of remarkable verve and interest. By his own count he's produced about 1200 columns in his post-retirement career and he shows no sign of wanting to slow down. In conversation…

Continue ReadingMike Scanlon: history without cobwebs
×
×

Cart