I have collaborated with Copywriter Paul Kennedy and Designed and Published two books over the last couple of years. The 2nd book just printed locally was completed during the current pandemic…The Moonee Ponds Club have survived two of them!
Keilor St. Bernard’s Athletic Club – The First Half Century 50th Book
Over the decades Keilor St Bernard’s has regularly won premierships in both track and field and cross-country divisions and our athletes frequently go to State and National championships. They have had State and National champions, Commonwealth Games competitors, and two world records. A Club history was published for its fiftieth anniversary.
The Moonee Ponds Club – Celebrating 125 Years Book. 3 year project.
Three centuries, four names, one club. The Moonee Ponds Club began life in 1895 as the North Suburban Cycling Club, with a unique licence which allowed it to operate as a licensed premises. This book traces the Moonee Ponds Club’s evolution through nationhood, two depressions, two pandemics, two world wars, the baby boom era, flower power, countless beer strikes, rock’n roll … and disco. There is the appearance by the English Test cricket team in the Club, an ex-prime minister’s drunken visit, the TV comedian who refused to leave, the almost-disastrous fishing trips, the legendary billiards and darts tournaments, the phantom Melbourne Cup calls … and the ghosts of the Club’s two founders. While times have changed, some things about the Moonee Ponds Club have held firm, such as its role in the community in which it aided innumerable schools, hospitals, charitable bodies and sports clubs. Then there’s the Club bistro: an evergreen of the Moonee Ponds dining scene, and still one of its best-kept secrets. Paul Kennedy has brought alive the history of the Moonee Ponds Club as it might have been witnessed by a member sitting at the bar. If you’ve got an appetite for history with a smile, this engaging account of the Moonee Ponds Club is for you.
The D-Train – A personal story of lived experience with Dementia for family, friends and caregivers
During 2022 I designed this book, managed print production and published/ebook by it’s Perth WA author Doug Purser.
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By their mid-50s, Doug and Merrelee had been happily married for decades and were looking forward to sharing their dream of an active and fulfilling retirement together. With plans to travel, downsize their home, get into some hobbies and generally enjoy themselves, they were excited about their future. However, things didn’t quite go to plan when Merrelee was diagnosed with younger onset
Dementia at the age of 57.
The D-Train covers Doug’s deeply personal and courageous account of the journey he and Merrelee took as her illness progressed. As Merrelee’s devoted carer and loving
husband, he witnessed his wife’s rapid decline with this
debilitating disease, first-hand. As a result, the book is filled with some challenging, humourous and often profoundly inspiring stories as well as a few of the harsh realities of life with dementia; both for the person with the disease and their loved ones.
Undoubtedly, the power of this book lies in Doug’s
unflinching willingness to reveal the intimate details of his life and the story behind the progression of Merrelee’s illness. Yet, it is in the retelling of his and Merrelee’s experience that Doug hopes to bring some support, insight and practical help to others who are walking this difficult path. The D-Train is a testament to the power of love and the importance of family, friends and seeking help during
life’s challenges.
As Doug says, “Life and relationships can change in unexpected ways and coping with these can be tough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”