Italians Archives - Laurie Smale Inspirational Speaker and Author

Where English Comes From Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute Where English Comes From

Achievement, Advice, Books, Cleverness, Co-operation, Communication, Conversation, Courage, Curiosity, Fear, Generosity, Goodwill, Hindsight, Humanity, Inspiration, Italians, Kindness, Laurie Smale, Learning, Life Principles, Listening, Love, Magic Minute, Mind Expanding, New Language, Podcasts, Respect, Self Acceptance, Self Confidence, Setbacks, Shame, Speaking, Teamwork, Temptation, Video, Wisdom / Laurie Smale / October 29, 2025

My quirky loveable mother was something else!

Widowed when she was 23 with three little boys under 4 in far away Donald, she battled through thick and thin to keep us together.

When I was around 3, something remarkable happened while my mum was boiling the washing in the copper in the back yard.

In the 1940s, most homes had a humble copper; a big fire-heated recepticle with a copper insert in which the washing would be boiled and moved around with a big stick.

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Magic Minute My Quirky Loveable Mum

My quirky loveable mother was something else!

Widowed when she was 23 with three little boys under 4 in far away Donald, she battled through thick and thin to keep us together.

When I was around 3, something remarkable happened while my mum was boiling the washing in the copper in the back yard.

In the 1940s, most homes had a humble copper; a big fire-heated recepticle with a copper insert in which the washing would be boiled and moved around with a big stick.

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From Terror to Wonder Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute From Terror to Wonder

Magic Minute From Terror to Wonder By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // “So there we were, comfortably chatting by the fire in the wilds of the Bogong High Plains, completely oblivious to what was about to happen … I do remember the comforting red glow of the fire reflecting on our faces; the pitch blackness

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A Universal Angel Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute A Universal Angel

Magic Minute A Universal Angel By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // “Ever been on the verge of your world crashing down around you when some Angel of The Universe appears and shields you from danger? That happened to me in the form of big, lovable,Pancho the Kiwi. We were on a rigorous training trip around

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A Good Listener Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute A Good Listener

Magic Minute A Good Listener By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // “Three thousand times a day we’d do it! My Italian boss Lino would be fed a blob of molten glass and press it into a pancake of mosaic tiles, then I would ‘paddle’ these cakes into the cooling oven over and over again. But

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Magic Minute Meaning of Words

Magic Minute Meaning of Words By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // A young German couple sat uneasily in their English class wondering why their teacher had asked them to write down all they know about a working bee. “What a strange question!” They thought, and began wracking their brains for all the things that came

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Quirky Aussie Custom Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute Quirky Aussie Custom

Magic Minute Quirky Aussie Custom By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // Just about every Australian newcomer I’ve met has been thrown by the perplexing Aussie request to ‘bring a plate’ when invited to an informal gathering among friends. Too polite to question why, these newcomers are left to navigate this quirky Australian custom as best

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The Beatles Southern Cross Hotel and Me Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute The Beatles, Southern Cross Hotel and Me

Achievement, Advice, Cleverness, Co-operation, Communication, Conversation, Courage, Curiosity, Fear, Generosity, Goodwill, Hindsight, Humanity, Inspiration, Italians, Kindness, Laurie Smale, Learning, Life Principles, Listening, Love, Magic Minute, Mind Expanding, New Language, Podcasts, Respect, Self Acceptance, Self Confidence, Setbacks, Shame, Speaking, Teamwork, Temptation, Video, Wisdom / Laurie Smale / September 10, 2025

Magic Minute The Beatles, Southern Cross Hotel and Me By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // So what did I as a young factory worker, have to do with the Beatles’ stay in Melbourne’s iconic Southern Cross Hotel during their legendary 1964 Australian tour? Well, I played a vital part in the actual hand-crafting of the

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Ticket to Nowhere Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute Ticket to Nowhere

Magic Minute Ticket to Nowhere By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // “Wow! Working on the remote sheep station of Copley in the South Australian Outback… This is the life for me!” So this 15-year-lad would be off to isolated Copley! A young girl who’d been living at Copley and now working in our Italian glassware

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Reluctant Stand In Laurie Smale Magic Minute

Magic Minute Reluctant Stand In

Achievement, Advice, Communication, Conversation, Goodwill, Hindsight, Inspiration, Italians, Kindness, Laurie Smale, Learning, Life Principles, Listening, Love, Magic Minute, Mind Expanding, New Language, Respect, Self Confidence, Setbacks, Speaking, Temptation, Video, Wisdom / Laurie Smale / June 25, 2025

Magic Minute Reluctant Stand In By Laurie Smale MAGIC MINUTE // Ever been dragooned into a short-term stand-in for something you weren’t that comfortable with? Well, this happened to me with a group of old guys as organizer of their monthly men’s dinner. But my mind soon changed for among these oldies were many interesting

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