Lesley Truffle - Writer

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Uptown Downtown

Rites of Spring

October 9, 2019 by Lesley Truffle

Rites of Spring The advent of spring initiates a whole new wave of city madness. At the very first glimmer of sunshine Melbourne folk tear off their puffa jackets, scarves and beanies and recklessly bare their skin. Melbourne’s denizens believe that first of September tells us that spring has arrived. And that the last few … [Read more…]

Posted in: Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: Botticelli, La Primavera, Melbourne, Melbourne Trams, Sandro Botticelli, Spring, trams

Easy Rider

April 11, 2019 by Lesley Truffle

  Easy Rider ‘You watch the white line and try to lean with it  . . . howling through a turn to the right, then to the left and down the long hill to Pacifica . . . letting off now watching for cops, but only until the next dark stretch and another few seconds … [Read more…]

Posted in: books, Mavericks & Renegades, Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown, writers & creatives Tagged: Bear Grylls, Bikies, BMW motorbikes, David Beckham, Ewen McGregor, Harley Davidson, Harleys, Hell's Angel's, Hunter S. Thompson, Kawasaki, Lesley Truffle, Motorbikes, Motorcycle gangs, Motorcyles, Steve McQueen

Melbourne Tram Devotees

March 14, 2019 by Lesley Truffle

      Melbourne Tram Devotees Melbourne’s denizens love to moan about public transport. It was recently noted in the press that currently we have the largest network of trams in the world – yet we still have no train line out to Melbourne airport. Whenever train and tram seating gets a makeover, there’s inevitably … [Read more…]

Posted in: Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: Duchess of Sussex, Duke of Sussex, Ladies who lunch, Meghan Markel, Melbourne, NUMTOT, NUMTOTs, Prince Harry, Public Transport, The Royals, trams

We all dress for Bill

January 24, 2019 by Lesley Truffle

We all dress for Bill   I never met the New York Times photographer William J. Cunningham but he was definitely one of my most favourite people. Wearing his trademark blue French workman’s jacket, Bill Cunningham peddled around New York on his bicycle, taking photographs of street fashion for his On the Street column. Bill’s … [Read more…]

Posted in: books, Fashion, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown, writers & creatives Tagged: Bill Cunningham, Evening Hours, Fashion Climbing, hat designer, mid-century, New York, New York Life, New York Times, On the Street, photography, street fashion, street photography, William J

The Bees Knees

July 15, 2018 by Lesley Truffle

  If you’ve ever been stung by a bee you probably got the impression that bees are quite hardy creatures.  I accidentally trod on an unsuspecting bee, in bare feet, when I was a kid and his sting was excruciatingly painful. The adults in charge couldn’t seem to decide how best to handle the situation. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: bees, Bonaparte, cocktails, golden bees, honey, Lesley Truffle, Mayfair Hotel, Napoleon Bonaparte, The Urban Beehive, VIcky Brown

Urban Cowboys

September 15, 2017 by Lesley Truffle

  Melbourne’s Deakin Edge is a strange venue. The whole construction slopes precariously down to the hardwood stage area. Vertigo was apparent on the faces of those pioneering their way down to the front rows during the 2017 Melbourne Writers Festival. Rock icon, Tex Perkins (born Gregory Stephen Perkins), was onstage being interviewed by radio … [Read more…]

Posted in: art/theatre event, Mavericks & Renegades, Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown, writers & creatives, Writers & Readers Events Tagged: Elizabeth McCarthy, Gin-ger Sea cocktail, Gregory Stephen Perkins, JimB's studio, Lava Lounge, lesleytruffle, Melbourne, Sergio Leone, TEX, Tex Perkins, The Deakin Edge, Thoreau, Urban Cowboys

Melbourne Trams in Autumn

June 23, 2017 by Lesley Truffle

    It’s been a particularly lovely Melbourne autumn this year but now the days are getting shorter and we are heading into winter. Taking the city bound tram and heading off early to work on golden autumn mornings has been fabulous. The late nineteenth century trees that line both sides of St Kilda Road … [Read more…]

Posted in: Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: Autumn, Elm trees, Environmental impact, Lesley Truffle, Melbourne, Melbourne Trams, Metro Tunnel Project, Plane trees, St Kilda Road

The Romance of the Fungus World

May 25, 2017 by Lesley Truffle

  Ever since I read, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I’ve had a thing for mushrooms. I was about six when I first came across the notorious Alice Liddell, disappearing down the rabbit hole into a fantastical world. The scene where she comes across the caterpillar sucking on a hookah – while seated on a sinister … [Read more…]

Posted in: books, cakes and cooking, Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown, writers & creatives Tagged: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Damien Pike, Lesley Truffle, Melbourne, Mycologists, Mycology, Pine Mushrooms, Prahran Market, The Romance of the Fungus World, Wild Mushroom Specialist

Putting on the Ritz

April 27, 2017 by Lesley Truffle

London’s fictitious Hotel du Barry is nine floors of wickedness, jealousies, aberrant desires and delectable sins. It’s a darkly humorous tale fuelled by gin and murderous intent. I had lot of fun writing the Hotel du Barry. I wanted to create a palace akin to the Vatican, a place of mystery and imagination. It would … [Read more…]

Posted in: books, Melbourne, Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: architecture, early twentieth century, Hotel du Barry, Labassa Mansion, Lesley Truffle, Ritz Hotel, Ritz London, Ritz Paris

Les Tambours de Feu

October 7, 2016 by Lesley Truffle

  The Devil’s soldier drummers are increasing the beats. Their faces sinister with heavy black brows, masks of white makeup and strange white horns. We’re all hoping something wicked is coming our way. The Devil is now amongst us. He towers over everyone in his huge headdress of ram’s horns, beaked snout and flaming slashed … [Read more…]

Posted in: art/theatre event, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: Cesar Arroyo, Deabru Beltzak, Garbitxu, Les Tambours de Feu, Lesley Truffle, Melbourne Festival, Oscar Castano, The Devil, Zuggarramurdi

FOTOGRAFIEN Sven Marquardt exhibition

May 21, 2016 by Lesley Truffle

When I saw Sven Marquardt’s Melbourne exhibition I wanted to run away to Berlin. Marquardt’s transgressive black and white photographs capture the dark gothic splendour of Berlin after dark. He grew up in East Berlin before the wall came down, and by his own admission, ‘I have always been a man who polarised people.’ (Kultur, Edition … [Read more…]

Posted in: Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: analogue camera, art photography, Berlin, emulsion film, exhibition, Lesley Truffle, photography, Substation Melbourne, Sven Marquardt

Melbourne Trams In Summer

March 28, 2016 by Lesley Truffle
HEAT

The tram lurches away from the tram stop at the top end of Swanston Street. We can hear the aircon but can’t feel it. All the windows are hermetically sealed. When the doors whisper open a blast of hot northerly wind enters and stirs up the city aroma of petrol fumes, stale perfumes, body odour … [Read more…]

Posted in: Observations, Social Comment, Uptown Downtown Tagged: Flinders Street Station, Heat, Lesley Truffle, Melbourne, Summer, Swanston Street, trams

More

      The Scandalous Life of Sasha Torte – in print by Harper Collins Australia & Bolinda Audio recording in English. read by Australian actor, Caroline Lee. I can confirm that being ensconced under a feather doona late at night – with rain pelting the tin roof – while listening to Caroline’s voice, was … [Read more…]

Recent Posts

  • Jack’s Story
  • She Purred Like a Tiger
  • Travelling with Casanova
  • Rites of Spring
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