I retired a couple of years ago from a career that started as a police constable and then progressed through police information systems to information technology more generally. This was followed by policy advice and management roles in the public service and in management consultancy. In the course of it all I married Wendy and we had two daughters and a son, all the time living in Melbourne. My regular readership of the Guardian Weekly dates from some years ago, when a few days before her birthday, Wendy made sure I saw an advertisement for subscriptions. We’ve been renewing it in her name ever since.
When I retired I set out to acquire the skills for restoring classic motorbikes, an interest that had long been dormant. Motorcycles are like malaria, once they are in your blood you can never eradicate the bug. I was infected from an early age.
The hope is that by getting me out of the shed for a while each week, writing to Notes & Queries helps to keep some of my more cerebral skills intact. The first N&Q question that caught my eye was to do with war crimes. I recalled the adage about one side’s war criminals being the other side’s patriots and was delighted to see my answer published. I was even more chuffed to get one in the next week. Since then, I seem to have been on a roll. I should though warn other readers that it is addictive. Don’t get hooked.
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