Des Ryan’s enchanting columns have been enjoyed by virtually every household in Adelaide for more than a decade. As editor of News Ltd’s group of free suburban papers, he has unlimited licence to roam through our homes, city and universe, portraying our quirks and foibles, with a chuckle never far away.

‘My first thought was to stick in just the pieces that had Adelaide as a theme; then I thought, well, some people liked The Duke years; others liked to read about my failing health; or the soft little parables; or the edgy social commentary; and almost everyone seemed to like seeing me embarrass myself. What the hell, you never can tell with readers.’ - Des Ryan