Two good friends lived in the Big End of Town, and I’d rib them about it. “The trouble with Remuera and Herne Bay is the neighbours,” I’d say. “We like West Auckland, where the real people live — I’m a Real People.”

They doubted that, and so did I for different reasons, which led me to call this site Real People and Me. Also, Real People wasn’t available as a URL.

You’ve probably never heard of us, or the people I write about here, but we’ve lived interesting lives. Ordinary people. real people — people who barring car crashes and other happenstances don’t make the news — are at least as interesting as many of the people we gossip and read about. Like my father’s stories, I hope you’ll read mine as less about me than as insights into particular times, people and experiences. And if, despite everything, it isn’t interesting, I’m sorry. Blame me.