Guy Fawkes night? Frank is dragged away from the Diggers and Dealers event in W.A. For ‘Inappropriate torching’.

Dear reader, 

Another one from our irascible scribe from the North West frontier who writes to us about fireworks.

We love fireworks and can thrill to the reminiscence in days gone by when we used to celebrate ‘Guy Fawkes Night’, before that era of May-pole dancing was closed down by those custodians of public virtue, the ‘wowsers’. Now we thrill to the tradition of being arrested, tasered and stomped on for jay-walking.

For attempting to blow up parliament? Frank’s next installment is rejected as being subversive. It possessed the taint of ‘imagination’.

If only Guido and his mates had possession of a time machine, they might impress upon our finest a few tips for less intimidating uniforms just for starters. Great to see they still have a sense of humour in the the NT. Fireworks and repressive fines for fireworks let off during nonprescribed hours. Only in Australia could simple fun be re- contextualised, codified and converted to punishment.  Read on for a compelling insight

Frank writes……

Hola,

Two full pages in the Volume 2 of My Yuendumu Story draft are devoted to fireworks, so I’ll just confine myself to fireworks related stuff which happened the last few days.

Whereas the Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia where unlicensed individuals can indulge in pyrotechnics, such licentious behaviour is only legal on Territory Self Government Day, the 1st of July. Any unfired fireworks have to be handed in at a police station within three working days.
This year for various reasons there was no Yuendumu Sports Weekend, and my concurrent birthday party was therefore much subdued. All the same a few fireworks are alleged to have been let off. “What fireworks officer?”
Any excuse- Louis Armstrong and I share our birthdays:

Jay walkers and other n’er do-wells determined to get a copy of Frank’s upcoming book.

Aw, what the hell- one more:

A couple of days later someone’s car caught fire in a back yard. The Yuendumu police attended the fire. Loud explosions emanated from the burning car. I haven’t enquired but I do wonder if the car owner has been charged with possession of fireworks! Probably not, the evidence has been incinerated.

Chau,
Frank

More often than not you can blow yourself up inside parliament!

Advertisement:
The second edition of Volume one is choofing along quite nicely. Our favourite book shop, Red Kangaroo Books in Alice Springs has now got it back in stock.
It is also available online, but the margins applied by some of the book sellers are eye watering.
They are printed in Dandenong and also UK and US.
If ordered from me ($40) I can get them printed in days (they’re “print-on-demand”) and consigned to your postal address in Australia at no extra cost.

For overseas and the eBook I need to make some enquiries how that works.
I also have a few copies of Kate Thompson’s ‘Provenance’ here in Yuendumu ($30) and can get Kate to mail them to you as her books are also print-on-demand and available on line.
Bank details on request for either.

As almost 400 copies of the first print run were sold to recipients of these Dispatches, I’m asking for your help. I’ve yet to decide on a title. Which of the following do you prefer or can you suggest another?

More of My Yuendumu Story

My Yuendumu Story… continued

My Yuendumu Story- Volume 2

As for the cover- animal, plant or mineral?

Frank’s first installment written under the nom de plume of ‘Neville’. It failed and went ‘ Down the shute”

Ta