David M. Green: Purveyor of fine humour

Tag: rat catching

  • Les Lawlor – Catching rats during The Depression

    Hey check out this interview I found recently:

    Bryce Radford interviews Les Lawlor on ABC Radio in 1985 for a series called “Voices from a Vanishing Australia”.

    Leslie William Lawlor (1901-1994) is my great grandfather (my Mum’s Mum’s Dad). He founded Lawlor’s Pest Control in Adelaide (“Lawlor’s – the white ant people”) after catching rats during The Depression. In this chat, he talks about what life and employment was like at the time, selling Bryant & May matches, the pest control business, salt damp and termite issues in Adelaide and Australia, as well as a fascinating method of how he caught rats in butcher shops.

    I recall spending time with him when I was very young. He lived in the Adelaide suburb of Cowandilla, which is right under the flight path of the main runway at Adelaide Airport. This interview was obviously recorded at his home because at one point you can hear a plane coming in to land. I found this interview absolutely fascinating and I really wish there was more.

    -DMG

  • Tastes in Jackets Shared with Crispin Glover

    Hey slackers! (it’s a “Back to the Future” reference – No offence intended)

    Wow! I can cross another thing of my rapidly fulfilled “list of things to do before I die” because last night I met Crispin Glover! Crispin Glover is of course best known for his brilliant performance as George McFly in the 1985 motion picture “Back to the Future.” However, he was in Australia on a lecture tour of sorts. He first read from some of his books, and then we watched his experimental film “It is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE!” before a lengthy and fascinating Q&A session. Amongst other things Crispin recounted the details of his memorable 1987 Late Night with David Letterman appearance. As my good friend Nick Godfrey said, it was worth the $40 ticket just to hear him talk about that!

    As for this “list of things to do before I die” I keep referring to, allow me to explain my thinking here because sure, “meeting Crispin Glover” is a little obscure. It’s more like a blank list that’s gradually being added to, as opposed to a list where things are being crossed off as I complete them. I was sitting at home on my computer, and I discovered Crispin Glover was coming to Adelaide, and I thought “See Crispin Glover in real life? …Hmm, yeah, that’s something I’d like to do with my life and limited monetary resources.” And it was great being able to talk to him afterwards and tell him in person how much I enjoyed his performance in “Back to the Future” because it’s one of my favourite movies and I spent many many schoolyard lunch hours quoting that trilogy with my friends (namely John Timoney). He replied with “Thank you. Yeah, I’m proud of that.” Another treasured memory. Well worth it.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    One “Creepy Thin Man” to another