Ronald Beswick Blogspot

 I cannot recall ever writing poetry before I wrote this. We were broadcasting live at the Cafe Au Lait in Macksville. Tony Bennett, Tracy Orm and Ian Newcombe were involved and it was a new challenge for myself. I remember borrowing a guitar and singing original songs on the 2NVR. If we didn't have a story of song we'd read the menu! Paris's First Boyfriend was written during a broadcast sometime possibly before 2012. I took the title from a newspaper article and actually wrote 3 poems in that hour. There's another 2 poems somewhere that begin with Paris's first boyfriend.                                                                   Paris's first Boyfriend Paris's first boyfriend ate at the Cafe Au Lait An expert like Escofier I watched him lick the plate He once ordered a Hamburger and ate it in an hour ...

 I did a recording of I'll Make You Better before 2008 at Taylor's Arm. I share the ownership of the recording with Terry Simpson who sang on the recording. I was not a confident singer and Terry was also a Music Teacher I met in 2004. He taught me Bar Chords before I had a Eureka moment! Originally I wrote the words and we had a debate over the word Purse. I would only take about half an hour to record the song. This was not the first song I recorded at Terry's studio. Eventually I did sing a recording and I performed it once on stage at the Nambucca Heads Bowling Club. It is registered with APRA  and I only used 3 chords. I'LL MAKE YOU BETTER I'm not just an ordinary doc'. Fancy Medicine is the bulk of my stock. So come and see me when you take ill, and I'll find you a salubrious pill. I have a cure for the ...

 Bass Strait Cowboy was a derogative label given to merchant seamen who only crossed Bass Strait. I wrote these lyrics in July 2021 and entered them in the Australian songwriters Association's competition and was shortlisted. I have never put music to this. BASS STRAIT COWBOY In Northwest Tasmania there's a man called Stan That worked on a fishing trawler He quit the job after a sleepless night When Roaring winds aided the torture With no wages to buy booze, or take his girlfriend on a cruise Stan just tuned his old guitar Went down to the street, with sea boots on his feet Aiming to be a star He is a Bass Strait Cowboy with a voice to ahoy Stan is a Joy Bass Strait Cowboy Stan’s girlfriend was impressed by his talent So she went and bought him a hat He stuck it on his head to impress the folks Who would rather Burt Bacharach But Stan didn't care, put money on a mare To buy a Maton Guitar Loving Wales, sub sonic scales Aiming to be a star ...

 I wrote these lyrics in 2010 but I've never produced music for it. I don't recall any changes made. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE GULARGAMBONE (When It's Wet) The river's full of life and the crops are green The main street is filled with birds singing When the dirt is damp in this outback town The publican starts celebrating He's hired a band that plays country music Folks arrive and the bistro is near full With a flannelet shirt and Akubra hat Big Al reckons he's going to eat a bull With boots on your feet You'll look good in the street In the town of Gulargambone It's a rage when there's a shower And the birds squawk on the hour There is no town like Gulargambone When the women get together they dress up smart I'm impressed when all dance in a line You can hear them chattering in the background With only a moderate amount of wine They too like their country music They too like the sound of rain drops And when ever ...

 I wrote this verse and chorus many years ago. I originally misspelled the title, and I've now corrected it because the place does exist! I also made some other small changes. This could change again if I go into production. DONDINGALONG Dirt tracks ahead, and a picnic table for two Bush filled with birds, they can sing too Streams fit for a splash, I'm wearing my swimmers Water is too cold, my body has caught the shivers Sun starting to set, I can hear a beast I pause for a minute, only Kempsey is East I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere Some people would say a prayer But I'd rather sing a song Because I'm in Dondingalong Torch out of batteries, car will not start I know not to panic, I've watched Maxwell Smart A house is nearby, about a hungry mile Sidestep the roadkill, this may take a while The house is a shack, Where old Joe resides He's a good bloke, with a guitar and he jives. I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere Some pe...

  Back in May 1999 I was in Sydney and attended a union rally. It was after NATO bombed Yugoslavia and it was a topic being discussed. John Maitland spoke and he was very impressive. Many years later he was exposed in a corruption scandal. It was the last time I went to any union event. I hardly knew anyone and there was plenty of division. I was disappointed in certain actions but I did support the amalgamations. John Howard was the PM at the time and he remained there until 2007. I wasn’t feeling the best on that day. I left this rally and walked back to the YWCA where I was staying. When I got to Martin Place I run into a large group of angry Yugoslavs who were protesting. Someone gave me a pamphlet and I followed them to Macquarie Street. The Police had a barricade and they looked serious. I had to give the Yugoslavs some support before I wondered up to Hyde Park. I found a quiet seat and began reading this pamphlet when I felt up to it. A man with an accent approached me t...

  The 2023 MUA quadrennial election results are now published. As a former member, I've got not much to say about what is really going on. I resigned in 1999 when I left the Maritime Industry. The commonwealth doctor approved my application for a DSP and this allowed me to be paid. My father died that year and life was falling apart. I wasn't sleeping and I was putting on weight. I was keeping Surgeon's, Psychologists, Physicians, Psychiatrists, Practitioners and Solicitors employed! Rumours were circulating in the union about money going missing and we no longer had the Seamen’s Engagement system. Members were disillusioned and some were listening to Pauline Hanson. That's when I left the Maritime Industry. Among the candidates over 20 years later I recognised a few names still hanging around. I did come across a Facebook page created by dissident members to manipulate fragile voters. I may have once heard something about the connection between Facebook and Harva...