Subject: Re: Chris Hill

It sounds more like the Wild West than the Mild East End-- it always was such a law abiding place. At least Chris is OK. Give him my best when next you meet -- and belated birthday things.

If one takes clues from the cops on TV, it would seem impossible to commit a street crime in London because, at least according to The Bill, just about every square inch of the city is covered by closed circuit TV. Can this be true? Can't say that I've really noticed but then I haven't been looking.

My only encounter with such "security" was extremely oblique and some years ago. I was at Central Station waiting for a bloke on a train and recalled a news story a few days early about Central being a favoured stalking ground of paedophiles and other low life. Then it dawned on me that there was every chance some bod was checking me out on a screen to see if I looked like a said low life which, let's face it, is possible. I became distinctly uncomfortable and not a bit shitty about the possibility of my pervert quotient being weighed up by an unknown oik and went off for a nervous walk before some shocking injustice was perpetrated.

It's difficult to judge the state of crime in the state of NSW largely because, stoked by putrid shock jocks and media bilge, our useless politicians have turned this into a"hot" issue and engage in constant bickering about who is TOUGHER ON CRIME. The latest wheeze being floated is, in certain cases, the abolition of double jeopardy. While my initial hostility to that idea has waned somewhat I still find the prospect alarming. The great Aussie tradition of despising politicians and being willing to stump up billions to keep the bastards corralled in Canberra, even local institutions,is taking serious knocks.

On the domestic front we had Keith and family to stay for a few days. Absolute hoot. I was a bit nervous having got it into my head that we would be spending 24 hours a day in seedy dives getting ratted. None of it. We certainly had a few drinks but the whole thing was terrific fun.

As for the films, well I'm actually seeing one of the executive producers of the soccer flick today to see how things are going on the dough front. I keep getting vague hints that all is going well but little that is concrete and nothing that is cash. Is it going to happen? Unfortunately only time will tell.

The seriously unexpected development is a young -- apparently very trendy -- producer wants to make a flick based on my play of The Time Machine. I'm a bit baffled that anyone would bother but... what the hey! Much needs to be worked out. The bloody Time Machine just won't stay down and there's actually a very nice actor/director woman called Suzie Lindeman who, this very week,is talking to some London producer about doing the play in London next year with me mate Mark in the lead. Very early days yet but what a riot that could be!

The book seems to be going OK and I've had a couple of grand in checks. Not quite Dan Brown but everyone seems to be pretty happy and I never thought I'd make a sou out of the the bloody thing.

Needless to say, not everything is smooth running and I've had a huge row with a wannabe producer who, frankly, has had some kind of breakdown and is trying to diddle me out of a year's work. Mad he may be, but a sad, sick, spiteful little bastard he definitely is and I'm actually reduced to talking to lawyers about it. Pain in the arse!

Jenny soldiers on valiantly and the kids are bobbing around doing just the sort of tripe you'd expect teenagers to do. Actually they're great kids and JP, now 16, constantly delights and amazes me by being so much smarter than I was at his age. Kate is actually more of a handful but, most of the time, very cute and hard to stay angry with.

We're talking about the whole mob of us coming over at about this time next year. It's all dependent on money, of course, but both Jenny and I are feeling pretty itchy footed. More information will come on this.

I'm going to sod off now.

Have you given any more thought to Islands?

I must say I haven't all that much although I've listened to the CDs a few more times. Let me know your thoughts because, if I do have to chisel away at it, now is not a bad time.

I'm off. Talk soon. Frank