FUNNY HOW THINGS WORK OUT.

Yep, funny. On New Year’s Day, 2026, you promise yourself a one-way ticket (not sure if you’re allowed) mid-year sometime, to wherever – first stop, your good friend Hakan’s summerhouse in Sweden. There are two good reasons to book ahead – a winter-house, assuming he has one, has you shivering, also, wallet thickness/pocket depth (gotta book early, so they say). A fortnight later, when an email from Hawkeye Publishing pings your iPhone, dreams of bomb cars and buzzing around the continent (and camel-rides around Kufu’s pyramid) disappear along with vague thoughts of voluntary work somewhere (take your pick, the worlds not war-torn, it’s rent!)

So, that’s how it was, back then. The good news (twofold) is my memoir ‘Last Train to Menindee’ finally shunts away from the siding (don’t hold your breath – even though the pace is frenetic inside a publishing house, the wheels seem to turn slowly outside). And… my new boardgame – ‘Campdraft’ is almost at the play test stage (was gonna say ‘don’t laugh’ for that bit of news, but you’re welcome to do so since it’s all about fun and interaction). ‘Play-test stage’ (so I’m learning) is… artwork finished – a shout-out to Leith and Benita Walton’s ‘Nurtured Creations’ – and five boxes ready to ship to professional boardgame geeks for play testing (to brutalise for comment). Shouldn’t say ‘watch this space’, it’s corny, and I’ve said it twice on FB. But, you know, watch this space!

Meanwhile, I’m making new friends in my new life at Greendale (and growing actual fingernails for once – don’t ask, I don’t know why).

Take care, Steve