A Memoir

The Chelsea Porter is a hugely original, humorous and plaintive at times testament to a life led to the full – that of both legendary larrikin Stephen Bargwanna his cat, Eric.

In the 1970s Stephen eschewed the lure of the hippy trail to discover the beauty and delights of his own country as he went walkabout in Australia, but the lure of “the mother country” would eventually prove too strong for this peripatetic young man.

His journey of self-discovery to the UK wasn’t along the usual route of the fleshpots of Asia but by refrigerated meat ship from Sydney to Philadelphia and then on to New York, where he met his wife to be, Brigid. The pair then headed to the UK where Steve traced his family tree to a copper-mining community in Cornwall. He then struck gold when he landed a job the Porter at a swish mansion building in Chelsea, in the heart of swinging London.
While doffing his cap to royalty and the aristocracy, Steve also dipped into the ferment of left-wing politics while studying town planning at a nearby university. Throughout Steve’s adventures and misadventures with the madcap millionaires who lived over him in Chelsea, he was shadowed by his irascible London tomcat, Eric who morphed over many years from his apprentice to assistant Porter and little mate.

Eric’s personality and feats were legendary. He lived his nine lives to the fullest against the backdrop of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain, IRA violence and the boom in the consumerism for which we are still paying a heavy price.

The Chelsea Porter is an uplifting, interconnected story of adventure, naked opportunism, the follies of the rich and famous, careerism, making a family and enduring love, both human and feline.

About the Author

Stephen worked as an urban and environmental planner for over forty years consulting to industry and government around Australia and internationally. He now does occasional professional and pro bono work. His main interests are being around his six grandchildren, gardening, walking, reading and being a good husband.

Stephen has written an earlier book about his travels around Australia whilst battling to get a university degree - "An Apprenticeship in Australiana. My Education in Six Summers. Amazon Books, 2017. This highly entertaining tale can be found here.