Yearly Archives: 2014

In 1904 leading Sydney retailer Mark Foy established the fabulous Hydro-Majestic Hotel as a health resort built upon reputed natural springs in the Blue Mountains. He even convinced the government to change the locality name from Medlow, to Medlow Bath. Unfortunately it appears that he was misinformed, because there were […]

Hydro-Majestic Hotel, Medlow Bath

June 13, 2014 in Blue Mountains / Della Sotheby / Wally Sotheby by francis

Are you loving the music in Annette’s story? Lots of readers are bringing the rich musical repertoire of A Distant Prospect gloriously to life, by enjoying performances they find online. Here, for instance, Leonard Rose (cello) and Glenn Gould (piano) play the first movement of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in A […]

Enjoying Beethoven cello and violin sonatas with Lucy and Della

June 5, 2014 in Beethoven / Cello / Della Sotheby / Lucy Straughan / Mrs Epstein / Music / Violin by francis

Here’s what Al Jolson was like on a live stage, as filmed in 1926 on a set at the New York City Opera. Below, read the incredible story from Ron Hutchinson about how this film and its sound were recovered. Couldn’t let Al Jolson’s birthday go by without posting his […]

Al Jolson on stage in 1926

May 27, 2014 in Al Jolson / Music by francis

With a tree planted for each soldier from Ballarat who enlisted in the Great War, the Avenue of Honour was planted from 1917 to 1919 and stretches 22 km along the Western Highway, consisting of 3,771 trees. The completed Avenue was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1920, and […]

Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour and Phoebe’s father

May 25, 2014 in Ballarat / Phoebe Raye / Roderick Raye / War by francis

Balmoral Beach 1929, Samuel Wood. Public domain. — Picturesque Balmoral Beach is one of Annette Young’s special places. Balmoral was a friendly alcove with waves that delighted in whispering secrets to the sand. Benny greeted his lady friend on the promenade and left us to set up our own picnic which we chose to do on the beach. […]

Balmoral Beach picnic, 1928

May 10, 2014 in Annette / Balmoral / Polio / Sydney by francis

Annette found this bit of nonsense while researching Austria for her sequel to A Distant Prospect. We may never know how many Austrian cyclists lost their tuned bicycle horns to make this clip, but it was worth it! More clues about the sequel will be revealed here in due course, […]

Austrian bicycle horns – A little nonsense!

May 4, 2014 in Fun / Music / Sequel / Vienna by francis

Waler horse — Discovering a secret stash of illustrated letters provides Phoebe Raye with a dramatic narrative of trench life from her father, Roderick, including comical tales of his beloved war horse on the Western Front. Phoebe leant over to look at the letter Pim was reading. Again it was illustrated with a […]

Gregory Allegri, the hardy Australian war horse

April 28, 2014 in Gregory Allegri / Phoebe Raye / Roderick Raye / War by francis

Oh, to get inside that tabernacle!

April 19, 2014 in Prayers / Suffering by francis

When Sue-Ellen Paulsen, Principal Cello of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, launched A Distant Prospect in Hobart, it was always going to be her cello performance of “The Swan”, from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, to make the crowd swoon! “The Swan” was also Della Sotheby’s first request, upon discovering […]

Everyone’s cello favourite – Saint-Saens’ “The Swan”

April 10, 2014 in Cello / Della Sotheby / Lucy Straughan by francis

Bert Hinkler’s Avro Avian left England on 7 February and arrived in Darwin on 22 February 1928, fewer than 16 days later. Newspapers and the public became increasingly excited after he passed India, and tumultuous crowds would greet him in his home town of Bundaberg and several other cities. After […]

Hustling Hinkler – Bert Hinkler’s solo 1928 England-Australia flight

April 9, 2014 in Aviators / Bert Hinkler / Della Sotheby by francis

100 Facebook likes is a great start, so Annette is thanking her fans with a 48-hour Kindle special for just $3.99 (60% off the list price of $9.99) Even if you already have the book, get the Kindle edition for the price of a cappuccino, to enjoy in the Kindle […]

100 Facebook likes means a $3.99 Kindle special for 48 ...

April 4, 2014 in Promotion by francis

Harvest Time c. 1897, Irish Life Series, National Library of Ireland — Author Annette Young hears robins and cuckoos calling in Haydn’s “Fifths” String Quartet. She has cellist Lucy recalling her Irish childhood and the passing seasons while playing A Distant Prospect‘s climactic Chapter 50 concert: Autumn is celebrated with the races and the harvest; and the harvest months at home were […]

Autumn Harvest Time in Haydn’s Fifths String Quartet

April 2, 2014 in Haydn / Irish / Music by francis

Anthony English wants to tell everyone about a book he loved, and why:

Anthony English video review of A Distant Prospect

March 31, 2014 in Reviews by francis

Lucy here describes her home in County Galway, which she fled aged 8 in 1921, and how it compares to the house which her da found for them in Sydney’s Newtown. ‘It was a little four room cottage with a thatched roof and a hearth. A kitchen there was in […]

An Irish girl in a strange land

March 16, 2014 in Irish / Lucy Straughan / Newtown / Sydney by francis

Lucy would approve! In honour of St Patrick’s Day, snap up A Distant Prospect Kindle edition for just US$7.00, saving 30% off the usual price of $9.99. It makes a grand instant gift for someone back home, too. Just click the “Give as a Gift” button on the Kindle page, […]

St Patrick’s Day 30% Kindle Special

March 14, 2014 in Irish / Promotion by francis

St Patrick’s Day vs Empire Week – Erin go braugh!

March 13, 2014 in Della Sotheby / Irish / Lucy Straughan / Newtown by francis

Shelfie!

January 28, 2014 in Annette / Sequel / Writing by francis

Promotion time! For just a few days, buy or gift Annette Young’s A Distant Prospect Kindle edition at the promotional back-to-school price of just US$5.00 (50% off) for a BIG, inspirational read! UPDATE 21 Jan: $5 special extended to Kobo edition! Get it for Kindle now at Amazon.com. Not buying […]

Back-to-school special, half-price on Kindle and Kobo for a few ...

January 16, 2014 in Promotion by francis

A Distant Prospect – ISBN 9780987435101