I've just been advised that I am a finalist nominee in the I.C.M.A. MOST FAVOURITE INDEPENDENT BALLADEERS category and I would appreciate your casting a vote for me. Please pass it on to others whom you consider might wish to do so. Nice to be be in such good company. http://www.icmaaustralia.com/contact-us.php

After the horrific Grantham floods in January 2011 one lady returned to her home to find it totally devastated and filled with mud and debris. The only thing to survive of any value was a white rose bush in her garden bearing white flowers and she was so moved by its survival that she called it her white rose of Hope. It inspired me to write the song. In October 2011 I was advised that the lyrics would be placed in the Garden of Hope and Courage that was to be established in the town of Helidon. On the 1st December 2012 I was invited to the opening ceremony and had the opportunity to play this song. This special garden has been designed to allow visitors and townsfolk, the opportunity for quiet contemplation. It is not a memorial but instead, somewhere to come and gather your thoughts. The garden was conceived by a lady named Elizabeth after she witnessed the courage displayed by the people of the Lockyer Valley during the devastating floods of January 2011. It has been made possible by generous donations of money, time and materials and with the special aid of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council. It is the purpose of this garden to ensure that the courage of the Community be recognised and that their Hope for the future never be lost or underestimated.

Not So Dusty II The search is over…the final tracks have been found! The Nulla Records search for the final track for inclusion on the long awaited sequel to the gold selling 1998 Not So Dusty album is over …and yesterday the album was sent off for mastering. Nulla recently had invited Slim fans to submit their Slim Dusty tributes in a search to hopefully find a suitable track to fill the final spot on the new Slim tribute album Not So Dusty II (The Bushies Tribute to Slim Dusty). It turned out to be a really tough decision for the Nulla Records judging panel (Joy McKean very cleverly abstained from being a part of this brave group!)as the label was totally overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the entries that turned up. It was a diverse mix of covers of Slim’s classics and song tributes to Slim which fans had written and recorded over the years i.e since Slim’s passing in 2003. A representative from Nulla said, “We were all a bit taken aback to be honest, we sort of expected to receive 10 or 20 tracks max.…not 50 or 60!!. It was a really nice surprise to receive so many but the large number of entries and the high standard of so many of them made it impossible for us to pick just one track. In fact we could have easily picked another 20 of them…we even discussed the possibility of doing a fan tribute album next…that is still a possibility sometime in the future ”. Consequently it was decided that 2 fan tracks could be squeezed onto the album rather than just the one track originally intended. One of the tracks selected would be a cover version and the second an original Slim tribute song. Nulla Records are thrilled to now officially announce that the two artists/ songs selected to be the special bonus inclusions on the Not So Dusty II album are : Merv Webster ‘I never cried for Elvis but I shed a tear for Slim’ Brade ‘When the Rain Tumbles Down in July’ Congratulations to both artists …Merv what a song title and what a special tribute song for Slim! Merv has spent quite a few hot days over the years busking on Peel Street as a part of Tamworth Festival but of late has been building quite a profile touring his bush poetry show. Congratulations also go to the young Queensland duo… Brade. Bre and Jade have combined to create a truly fresh version of the very first song Slim ever wrote. Nulla wish to thank all the artists that sent in their wonderful tributes to Slim…we wish we could have included all of them. NOT SO DUSTY II (The Bushie’s Tribute To Slim Dusty) To be released on CD & Digital Download January 13, 2012 ---------------- There will also be a special Not So Dusty II Show (A Bushies tribute to Slim) show happening on Friday, January 27 (starting at 7pm) at the Bush Balladeers Homestead as a part of the 2012 Tamworth Country Music Festival . Many of the guest artists who are featured on the new album will be performing on the night. Tickets are now available online: www.visittamworth.com or in person via the Tamworth Tourismoffice. For further information contact the Nulla Office 02 99883989 ..or call Leon on Mob# 0404075545 (between 3pm & 6pm Mon – Thurs)

7 TRACKS ORIGINAL BALLAD SONGS AND 6 TRACKS BUSH POETRY, 1. Son Play Another Coster Song 2. R.M. Williams - A Man Who Had Tried 3. Mulligan's Mob 4. A Loowd Conversation 5. The Bravest of the Brave [media] 6. I Never Cried For Elvis But I Shed A Tear For Slim 7. The Night I Caught the Rat 8. The Passing of Stumpy Shore 9. Granddad's Crusty Damper 10. Chasing Buttons 11. Blacklisted 12. The First Surveyor 13. The Maintop Balladeer

9 TRACKS ORIGINAL BALLAD SONGS AND 4 TRACKS BUSH POETRY, 1. It's Time to Stop the Rumours Lads 2. It's Nothing Short of Magic 3. An Old Man's Vows 4. Midst the Mulga 5. Sometimes I Forget 6. Robby 7. The Times Have Changed So Quickly 8. A True Blue Home Grown Love Song 9. Gran's Last Wish 10. How Two Boys Lived Their Dream 11. If the Memories Last 12. It's Tough To Be a Kelly 13. Down on Dogs and Ducks