Interests

It's 9:30 on a Monday morning and I am sitting in the sunroom of the new Chez Dick, high on South Hill in Oamaru. Below me, wearing a garment of light early morning mist and smoke, the town stretches to the north.

It's been a very busy year for Allan Dick. Catch up with him here.

I went to Argentina last week - now that's something I never thought I would write.

Here we go again on another round of dumbing down New Zealand motorists until the gorse bushes at the side of the roads will have more skill than us.

Let me tell you something about myself, which will give you more understanding has to why I wrote my book 'Grandchildren, our Hopes & Dreams: A Modern & Practical Guide to Raising Grandchildren'.

This is being written just hours before the wrappers come off the plan that will amalgamate the various councils in greater Auckland into a single unit - the so-called "Super-City".

I say the following, not to aggravate, but because it is something I am a firm believer in - I support the so-called anti-smacking legislation.

The second instalment of Kay Rayner's five part short story: "La Località Italiana"

The stunning new novel from Costa-Novel-Award-winning novelist Maggie O'Farrell is a portrait of an Irish family in crisis in the legendary heatwave of 1976.

You can't always judge a film by its title .That's true of the three I saw recently. If you don't want to be taken by surprise do read some reviews beforehand. But bear in mind that each movie critic will have their own opinion which may not match yours.