If Mr Macfie does not know who the 'cheerful man with a long grey beard and wearing nothing but shorts' is, he has obviously been wasting his time for 20 years or more in Hong Kong before moving to Singapore. And when Thomson Reuters makes him redundant, as he hopes, the ignorant scribe should not be allowed to settle in Lamma for displaying such ignorance. Nick was a known sub-editor with RTHK some 25 years ago.

Oh dear.. only been away a week, but obviously missed the 'thread'...

I'm assuming that the original poster is some 'prat' on the forum who has too much time on his hands, with nothing better to do than judge 'characters on Lamma Island.

And assuming that the long bearded fella is one of my neighbours,.. who has a heart of gold, bit mad sometimes, but still with a heart of gold who is a minefield of information regarding Lamma and Hong Kong.

Some people just can't handle the 'non robotic/treadmill lifestyle we have here. sigh.......

I know who Nick is, but who is Macfie and what is this in reference to?

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I bet the book portrays most Lammaites as losers, time wasters, drunks and ageing hippies. When in fact we all know there is a huge amount of creativity, goodwill and life enhancing enjoyment being engendered in a small, gritty but thoroughly charming place. Anyway this Macfie looks a miserable and dejected bloke on his photos.

Well said, Toad in the Hole!

But let's await the next excerpts from the book, promised in the next few weeks. As only a few authors have ever written about Lamma in their works, it'll be interesting whatever he comes up with.

Another view of Lammaites these days as bankers, high-profile jobs, a suburb of Central, a cheaper and nastier version of DBay, is being expressed in this Discussions forum and currently being active on my Facebook Wall as well, eliciting some great feedback already, but also Likes for the comments from Anonymous.

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Toad in the Hole, here's your reply from the author himself, who deemed you a worthy opponent to be included in this blog:

Lamma – this sceptical isle

Please continue your little literary feud to the amusement of many of the readers of this forum....

In the meantime, I'll continue reading ex-Senior Lammaite Doggy's recently published book with several chapters set on Lamma:
Wee Davy, by Andrew Doig

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Perhaps, unusually I have actually read Nick Macfie's Hadley book. And paid for it.

It has a weak thematic spine which elaborates on the fact that a HK sub-editor/reporter Hadley Arnold as a sideline is entrusted with the somewhat improbable task of preventing an English public school actor working in HK from assuming the role of the next James Bond. Quickly one tires of the plot. However, it has to be said that the author Macfie is able to capture the atmosphere of being a journalist and Wanchai drinker tolerably well and amusingly. Lamma gets a brief mention. His descriptive history of Maria the Filipina bar hostess is rather feeble suggesting lack of intimate knowledge with Manila and its citizens, male and female, Perhaps, he can do better with Korean air hostessess. He is married to one.

As regards future books in the Hadley series. He should sharpen the plot and bring more journalistic characters into it. Such as Scottish scribe Ian Watson who recently died on Lamma. And of course he should move to Lamma as soon as possible when he gets made redundant by Thomson Reuters and the new North American administration. But, as Boris Johnson, the flamboyant Lord mayor of London, is apt to say in his newspaper column, draw your own conclusions dear reader.

Well, he's just published his second book, as he threatened in this topic above. He's just emailed me:

"For all its faults, "Kiss Me, Hadley" was published last week. Should be in bookshops in Hong Kong by now."

Kiss Me, Hadley, already reviewed by the SCMP:

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1329284/book-review-kiss-me-hadley-nick-macfie

Nick writes about the review:
"Yes, please point to the review. It says "some characters seem to be preposterous."
Actually, all the characters are preposterous. That is the point."

More reviews:

"The book’s great pleasure is the dialogue, which is often hilarious and is spot on in catching people’s strangled inarticulacy: the chronic inability of so many to communicate adequately, even when sober." - by Jonathan Sharp

"Soon he is mixing with a strange assortment of gangsters, killers, cute women and drunken expats." - by SCMP's Guy Haydon

Here's the original Lamma-zine story that got this heated topic started last year:
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2012-08.html#Aug20

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Well in fairness to MacFie you have to read the book to pass judgement. Cliches, stereotypes and hopeless Wanchai characters abounded in the first book. Let's see if he can do better in the second. As long as he does not try to live on Lamma after finishing in Singapore.