As 2005 draws to a close we can reflect
on another successful year for our Association. It was unfortunate
that we had to cancel the coach trip to Fontainebleau due to lack
of adequate support. However a trip is planned for September 2006
and bookings have almost reached the required minimum.
It was a delight to see so many happy faces at the
Reunion and Dinner at Warwick in October. We shall meet again on 6
and 7 October 2006. (Details follow later in this newsletter)
Mike Capon sent a collection of his Fontainebleau
photographs to our Webmaster, Dave Bloomfield. Some 67 photographs
have been scanned and prepared for publishing on our website. Although
time consuming I think you will agree that the time and effort was
worth while. You can view these photographs by clicking on the 'Gallery
Logo' on the 'Home' page or click HERE
WELCOME ABOARD
Cpl Stuart MacGregor (Royal Signals)
spent 6 months at ALFCE following his training at Catterick, from
April 1958. Prior to his National service Stuart trained as a journalist
with the Scotsman and he returned to this newspaper after demob as
one of two Deputy Picture Editors and later as sub-editor. Made redundant
in 1996 Stuart continued writing freelance and moved to Donegal where
he now lives surrounded by beautiful countryside.
April 1958 ~ The Comet IV makes its maiden flight.
FROM THE POSTBAG
Thank you for the book “Gunner Strikes
Back”. I have not had a chance to look inside yet but I do remember
Gunner. If it was not for him waiting at the bus stop we airmen would
never had ridden back to camp – he saved many of us walking back to
camp. We cooks gave his some things the airmen turned up their noses
at but he enjoyed it. I will write again when I have finished reading
the book.
Gilbert Wilkins (Yeovil)
Your usual high standard. The American site is very
interesting I’ve recognised four names so far who were working on
my shift in the Commcentre, a pity they don’t give more info like
you do.
Bill Garland (Perth, Scotland)
Both Gail and I are fine, we suffered no structure
damage to our home although we lost a few trees, it was nothing compared
to our neighbors to the South of Florida that were flooded by the
Hurricane or those in the Gulf States that were crushed, an area the
same size as the U.K.
It was heart warming this morning to see on our TV
two 747 aircraft coming in from England loaded with supplies such
as 500,000 ready meals and other badly needed items from our friends.
No Country can go it alone with such a disaster, so it is very much
appreciated when friends come to your help in a time of need.
Our local Fire Dept. were kept busy with clearing
the Highways right after the Hurricane and later days supplying drinking
water to the farms that had lost their electricity and had no way
of supplying water to their farm animals.
You might recognize the old boy in the picture taken during one of
these days.
Dick Christensen (Cooper City, Florida)
I have just come home from the National commemoration
parade in Edinburgh along with Princess Anne HRH. We had a good parade
and a Fly-Past not as big as the one in London but a good modern one
with a Nimrod and Four Tornadoes. I have received Newsletter No 34
so I am just going to have a rumble though it for now.
Johnny Hanlon (Falkirk)
Managed to get into our website OK. Found notes from
Ron and Christine Fraser very interesting and informative as I am
cruising out to Aussie Land in November this year ,once I arrive in
Fremantle catching "Gold Kangaroo train to Sydney where I will
shall be staying for three months,spending a short time in Brisbane
sometime,Depart Australia in March 2006, arriving back in UK end of
April.
Should you wish to contact me from end of December, my e.mail address
will be"bill-josie@dodo.com.au.
Ron (Pole),Brian (Gibbons)and I had a really great day at the Annual
Veterans Parade here in Weymouth, All three of us had the honour to
lead the RAF contingent.
Les Hills (Weymouth)
It was grand to be with you and our colleagues last
month - we really did enjoy it. Keith Adams and I were at the London
Cenotaph last Sunday parading as part of the RAFP association contingent
and I met up with a Marty Uden (not ex-AAFCE). He was in the Kent
CID Police when he left the RAF and I just happened to mention that
I had a friend from AAFCE days called Alan Amos. Imagine my surprise
when it turned out to a friend of Marty's and, sad to say, Alan died
some years ago of a brain tumour. Whilst Alan wasn't a member of our
Association perhaps there maybe some of our members who might remember
him. I will be getting in touch with his wife Thora after I have written
to you to let you have more details. Alan was one of the few true
gentlemen of his time and became an inspector with the Kent Police
and was held in very high esteem by his colleagues. He leaves a widow
Thora and two daughters.
Colin Hogg (Warwick)
We have only used about 1% of our web space. I could
do with a lot more photos and any other items of interest to make
the site more appealing. I wonder if the membership have any ideas
that they might like to put forward for inclusion - Time is on my
hands at present, so keep me busy!
Dave Bloomfield (Gwynedd, Wales)
Received Newsletter No 34 this morning, though seemed
to fall apart a bit at the end, unless I chopped it off before it
was fully downloaded. Are you sure members really want to read my
domestic drivel to you from down under, even I find it boring.....
Surely there must be other talents in the group that could contribute
more, the lazy swine, or have all their memories faded into oblivion?
I'm busy busy busy at the moment, but will trawl through my old stuff
and see if I can do something for the next mag. - Did I send you a
CD of all the photographs I have from Fontainebleau? I think I did
- not that many anyway, but remind me if I didn't, just to fill up
blank gaps in the pages. Keep the faith, regards
Christine and Ronald Fraser (Queensland)
Many thanks for the latest newsletter - its great
and extremely interesting. Unfortunately Val and I will be away at
the time of the annual reunion but we hope it will be a big success.
Looking back at my time in Fontainebleau I wonder if anyone still
remembers the Christmas show of 1959 at Quartier Chataux put on by
all the units and detachments stationed there, including the military
police, also a French soldier named 'Guy' (Gee) from the barracks
next door, he was a brilliant guitarist and often entertained in the
NAAFI canteen.
Brian Samways (Poole)
Have any of our members a copy of a photo taken
in Borneo '65 -'68 of a Navy chopper lifting a Citroen 2cv van out
of an upcountry strip (Bario)? My cousin was flying the chopper and
never saw the picture, but I did, but can't remember where! Can anyone
help - email me at clairinsh@cqnet.com.au
or advise the editor, David Rogerson. Many thanks.
Jock Fraser (Queensland)
Please could you email the obituary for Charley Collyer,
also any photos if possible. Could you mention in your next news letter
that Charley’s cousin Laurence Bennett age 85 would like any other
information or photographs from the last 6 years since losing contact
in the 1990s
Gill and Nigel Weaver, (Bromsgrove, Worcs.)
MEMBERS
SNIPPETS
Dave Bennett is recovering well after his recent spell
in hospital. A few members have visited him at home in Portishead.
Brian Gibbons having sold his property in Dorset is
now resettled in Fontainebleau.
John and Gwenda Day have moved to new home in Berkshire.
Bill Frindall (pictured in the centre),
the most famous scorer in cricket, is quitting one-day internationals
at the end of the season to concentrate on the five-day game for Test
Match Special. The 66-year-old 'Bearded Wonder', in his 40th season
filling in the Beeb scorebook, feels he will prolong his Test career
by reducing his commitments.
PARADE AT THE ARC ~ SEPTEMBER 2005
Mike & Ann Capon, Kevin & Abbe Price together
with Ron Pole and Brian Gibbons met up in Paris to attend the Parade
at the Arc de Triomphe to rekindle the flame on the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier on 15 September. It is hoped that a larger contingent of Fontainebleau
Veterans will participate in September next year.
THE COMBINED ARMED FORCES FEDERATION ~ PENSION
INJUSTICE
Inaugurated in 2004 The Combined Armed Forces Federation,
modeled on the Police Federation, has a remit to provide representation
on financial and legal issues arising from conditions of service for
past and present members of the Armed Forces. Application has been
submitted for the Federation to become a 'Not for Profit" Charitable
Company Limited by Guarantee' Our Membership is steadily expanding
with applications from all over the world.
At present, our immediate concern is for those serving
in the Armed Forces prior to 1975, who now find themselves without
a pro-rata pension. Research to date has revealed that Government
policy, pre 1975, on Pay and Pensions for the Armed Forces amounts
to deliberate, continuous, systematic, financial benefit cheating.
The military were short changed for the purpose of Pension Benefits
during service and now we are being short changed in retirement. This
is why your support is vitally important in order to challenge this
injustice. And this is not the only anomaly and injustice coming to
light regarding Pensions pre 1975.
Research is now well advanced and several MPs have
offered and provided their support. One is actively helping to trace
the reports on the biennial Pay Reviews commenced supposedly after
the Sir James Grigg's report on Recruitment in 1958. His report recommended
that Pay and Pensions , should be reviewed together. There appears
to be some doubt these reviews ever took place!
With your support we can challenge this Government
on all these injustices and insist it meets its financial commitments
and responsibilities, but it all takes time and money.
Anyone wishing to join the Federation should contact Mr David Robson,
Secretary General, The Combined Armed Forces Federation, 34 Raynes
Road, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO 13 9AL
Reginald Wheeler brought this issue to my attention.
After this I saw the following article in a newsletter :
The Combined Armed Forces Federation UK is in the
process of challenging the Government over the fact that many members
of the Armed Forces, who left before qualifying for a full pension
prior to 1975, should be entitled to a pro-rata pension, based on
the number of years served, because salary levels were reduced below
the civilian equivalent in order to provide them. If this applies
to you write to:
A provisional booking has been made at the IBIS in
Fontainebleau for September 2006. Below are full details of the trip.
Five days (4 nights) in Fontainebleau and Paris -Departing
Tuesday 12 September 2006 Staying at the Ibis hotel Fontainebleau
, all rooms are air-conditioned and have en-suite facilities, colour
television and telephone.
COST:- £270 per person sharing twin/double room.
Single room supplement £110
4 nights bed and unlimited buffet breakfast accommodation
All executive coaching, 49 seats with on board toilet & beverage
bar.
Short sea crossing
Tour of Paris on 15 Sept to attend Parade at the Arc
Use of the coach for excursions while in France.
Free car parking is available at the rear of Tour Operator’s office.
Deposit £30 payable by 31 January (cheques will not be presented
until the deposits are due) with the balance payable by 31 may 2006
Travel insurance is required for this trip and is
available through the Tour Operator at a cost of £19 per person,
payable with the deposit. (I shall argue that the premium should be
payable with final balance as the risk is insignificant until the
full amount is paid.)
For those not wishing to join the coach in England,
2 days coach travel and of course the ferry charge has been deducted
to produce a cost £230 per person (for a couple sharing a room)
It is proposed that we spend one day at Yevres where
the crew of the Lancaster bomber crash- landed in a field. During
our time at AAFCE the RAF attended the Annual Remembrance service
there and the town was regularly included in our football fixture
list. If we agree to this I shall write to the mayor to inform him
of our visit ~ maybe some hospitality will be laid on.
It is hoped that we shall be able to look round Camp
Guynemer and Le Quartier Chataux.
If you have not booked and are interested please complete
and return quickly the booking form (click
here) with your deposit.
EIGHTH ANNUAL REUNION AND DINNER
70 of us gathered at the Corus Hotel in Warwick in
October to enjoy a weekend of friendship, renewing contact with our
erstwhile colleagues from those idyllic days at Fontainebleau.
After the dinner on Saturday evening Colin Hogg entertained
us with a selection of his music and many of us crammed on to the
dance floor. At great time was had by all. (See Photo Gallery for
pics)
NINTH ANNUAL REUNION ~ OCTOBER 2006
The contract with the Corus Hotel, Warwick for our
next UK Reunion has been signed. We shall meet on the Friday 6 and
Saturday 7 October. We have brought this event forward by one week
to avoid clashing with another group that also meets on the second
Saturday in October. Moreover there is a wedding booked for our usual
weekend. The hotel has allocated 30 rooms for the Friday and 45 rooms
for the Saturday night. As previously the Warwick room is at our disposal
on both days. The cost is £59 per person per night for Dinner
Bed and Breakfast. A deposit of £10 per person (refundable)
is required. Colin Hogg has agreed to provide the music for after
dinner dancing on Saturday. We hope to supply a selection of French
wines that will be imported from our trip. To avoid disappointment
you are advised to book early by completing and returning the on line
form (click here)
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Of the 22,500 Supermarine Spit¬fires made by Vickers
before and during World War II, fewer than 250 were painted pink for
any part of their operational career. These planes belonged to the
RAF's Photo Reconnaissance Units (PRUs) which at great risk flew,
often unarmed (for reduced weight to increase speed) and alone, over
occupied Europe to record the strength of enemy forces with their
cameras.
They usually operated at dawn or before dusk when the pink colour
merged more easily with the rose-¬tinted clouds as the sun rose
or fell, making them less visible to the enemy. One such 'Pink Spit'
squadron flew from Hendon, North London, in 1943. Throughout the war,
most Spit¬fires over the UK and Europe had brown and green camouflage
on their upper surfaces to make them less visible against the ground.
At the start of the war, their undersides were painted a variety of
colours. At first, their left-hand wings and left-lower fuselage were
black, with the right-hand ones white, making it easier for the British
anti-aircraft gun crews to identify them overhead. But at the start
of the Battle of Britain, it was found that the German Me109 fighters
were less visible in action because their undersides were painted
a light greenish-blue. So the Spits were repainted aqua¬marine
blue over the black and white to reduce their visibility, too.
From D-Day in 1944, Spitfires ¬like all Allied warplanes -had
black and white bands painted round their wings and central fuse¬lages
to avoid mistaken identity.
WHEELBARROWS AND WISHING WELLS.
In his leisure hours Dickie Rogers makes ornamental
wooden garden plant holders and always brings a couple along to our
Reunions as raffle prizes. They are usually the most sought after
items on the raffle table. In October he took three orders for wheelbarrows.
They are reasonably prices and if anybody is interested they can always
contact him and he will add their name to the list for next year’s
Reunion. Alternatively if anybody is in the vicinity of Gloucester
and they have a need they are welcome to call in.
MERCHANDISE
We rely to a small extent from the small profit we
make on the sale of merchandise to swell the Association’s funds.
Although we have run out of ties there is good stock of blazer badges,
table mats, coasters and mousemats. You may also purchase a CD ROM
of the complete set of Newsletters Numbers 1– 35 for £4.00.
MEMBERSHIP
About 300 Veterans have been traced most of whom joined
the Association. Unfortunately over the years a number have passed
away. There are 2 or 3 prospective new members in the pipeline.
We need more of you to send your brief biographies
to include on our website.
OLD FONTAINEBLEAU
Mike Capon acquired this postcard recently at a fair.
THE CATON COLLECTION – PART 2
Second in the occasional series of anecdotes contained
in correspondence received by Ted Caton since the publication of his
“An Erk’s-Eye View” (which is now sold out).
From T of Sheffield:
“I drew the short straw and was on guard (at RAF Hednesford)
from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. It was real brass monkey weather and the only
way to get any warmth in your body was to slope arms and march the
prescribed 10 paces to the left, about turn and march 10 paces back
plus another 10 paces to the right and then do the aforementioned
left about turn. Of course before you started on this manœuvre you
were supposed to take one step forward before sloping arms. I didn’t
and as we had fixed bayonets, I stuck my rifle into the sentry box
roof. Good job it was in the dark and all good folk were in bed asleep.
Careful examination of the sentry box showed that there had been many
more “stabbings” before mine! …
… I was down for security patrol [at RAF Dishforth]
… it fell to my lot to be doing my tour of the hangars when I heard
some banging going on near the fire doors of the hangar. I had half
a mind to pretend I hadn’t heard it and go away. However, I dismissed
the idea as I knew full well that if anyone had got in and done damage,
I would be for the high jump. With trepidation I approached the fire
doors with truncheon drawn and torch in the other hand. Creeping up
to the doors, banging still going on I switched on the torch to reveal
a Pilot Officer and a WAAF officer (pay officer at that) with clothing
in disarray making amorous advances. I quickly switched off the torch,
saluted and said sorry sir and left. … I did have the satisfaction
of having a quiet smirk to myself every time I went to collect my
pay. …”
FAMOUS FRENCH HIGHWAY DEMOTED TO A SERIES OF
BYWAYS
The French equivalent of America's Route 66, the Nationale
Sept (N7), which carried armies of sunseekers to the Cote d'Azur until
the arrival of the Autoroute du Soleil, is being downgraded to a series
of departmental roads.
Large sections of the road, which stretches more than 600 miles from
Paris, through Burgundy and Provence, to Menton, near the Italian
border, will cease to be classified as a route nationale when the
government completes a 12,000mile programme of decentralisation by
the end of 2007.
The N7 has its origins in the road-building
Romans. It has been glorified in popular culture, with songs in French
and English, and in food and travel books. In common with Route 66,
the N7 has a website devoted to its history (www.nationale7.com).
Along with the N6, it was one of two trunk roads linking the capital
and Lyons. One newspaper, France ,Soir, described it as "our
fathers' holiday route, with its long jams and its gastronomic stop-offs".
With the roads no longer part of the national network, France Soir
said, the French would have to forget "those picnics after Avallon,
the bottlenecks at Cosnesur-Loire, the heroic effort of crossing Poitiers".
The owner of an auberge south of the forest of Fontainebleau said
the N7 had retained its charm for many travellers. "There's nothing
to see on the motorway; drivers fall asleep and cause crashes,"
she said. "On the N7, there is the countryside, villages and
people."
LETTER FROM DOWN UNDER ~ October 2005
No apologies are made for including
Jock and Christine Fraser’s latest news. They have so many friends
in the UK who are sure to enjoy his epistle.
Now that spring has sprung it’s too
hot to work outdoors during the middle part of the day, so it is time
to sit under the fan and bring you the latest of life in Queensland.
In my last letter June/July I said we had had a wee bittie rain and
the temperatures had dropped down to single figures overnight. Ha!
That was the last time they did, it’s been a ridiculously warm winter
and hardly any rain since then and we’re really into drought with,
according to the weather forecast “High to Extreme Fire Danger”. In
the last week the temperatures have climbed to the mid 30s already
and it’s not even summer yet – doesn’t augur well for Christmas! The
dam’s bone dry again and future meteorological prospects look grim.
Still got a fair amount of water in my tanks, but if we don’t get
some good rains in the Wet Season (Jan- Mar) it’s going to be a real
problem for those not on Town water – and there’s hosepipe bans and
problems even there. And every time we turn on the news somebody else
is having flooding in other parts of the world. The icecaps may be
shrinking, but the released water isn’t getting here!
To put things in chronological order,
again in my last letter, I mentioned we were having a group of U3A
people around for lunch with a “Scottish” feel. It went very successfully
indeed, we had eight guests and had everything laid out on the patio,
even to Christines heated hostess trolley, and turned out haggis,
neeps and tatties, with juniper pork and lemon chicken for those that
might not face haggis. To my surprise they all went for the haggis
and scoffed the lot (leaving no leftovers for me) before they started
on the other stuff. Dutch maatjes herrings, cold sliced venison sausages,
oatcakes – all went at a great rate – maybe somebody should take over
from the Indian, Thai, Italian restaurants and sushi bars and bring
in a taste of Scotland to the rest of the world and make a fortune*?
After liberal doses of Glenmorangie for the non-drivers, it was amazing
how they all dragged Scots ancestors (?) out of their pasts, and while
only I wore the kilt, most of the ladies had tartan suits or skirts,
so it all went off excellently.
* (Inserted later, have just been reading in my Scottish Snippets
– a weekly email of Scottish news circulated round the globe, that
someone has got two restaurants going in Glasgow and Edinburgh called
“Bangers and Mash” which is doing just that – what it is to be an
undiscovered trendsetter and why can’t I make some money at it?)
After that we continued with our pursuits,
Christine with her Rem Veg and Conservation Council, me with my U3A
Secretary and Newsletter, and both pounded computer keys like fury
– nothing growing outside and beyond watering so there was nothing
we could do in the drouth, except count the plants that were keeling
over and snuffing it.
.
Then in August Alasdair, Corri and our granddaughter Caitlin arrived
from UK for their “every two year” visit. This time they flew by Emirates,
which was excellent, with direct from Glasgow – Dubai – Singapore
– Brisbane with only 1 hour stopovers. Last time they came Royal Brunei
via Heathrow with long stopovers and “dry”! We flew down to Brisbane
to meet them, and sister Diane and her daughters had done a great
job in arranging the first part of the holiday. Diane’s daughter Anne
and her husband Bruce were friends with a high powered lawyer and
his lawyer wife (who therefore aren’t short a bob or two) who said
– “oh, you can have our country house on Stradbroke Island for a few
days, and you can borrow my (new!) Toyota Prado, it’s got 7 seats….
“ So we all met up at Brisbane airport with the weary UK travellers,
climbed into the Prado and Bruce’s Ute for the baggage and headed
of to the ferry to Stradbroke.
The house, “Cabarita”, which had once
been a restaurant, was huge and beautiful, big enough for the eight
of us to get lost in, right on the coast at Amity Point, and we had
a magnificent three days there, eating out every night in local hostelries,
the “boys” went fishing, we explored lots of the island and in general
had a lovely relaxing time, eating and drinking too much… Appears
the owner “lent out” his holiday home to friends four times a year
and can therefore claim it as a tax loss – told you he was a lawyer!
The fishing wasn’t all that brilliant – Alasdair and Bruce seemed
to spend most of the time putting prawns on their hooks and feeding
the fish with them, but only actually catching rocks. Finally and
regretfully we caught the ferry back to the mainland and then spent
10 days going round the various nieces and scrounging bed and board
with them and they all went down to the Gold Coast and Sea World.
(I opted out, after Florida Sea World it could have been an anti climax)
Christine and I stayed with Linda in her newly bought house, Diane,
AC & C stayed with Anne and we commuted back and forwards (only
ten minutes) and spent a number of evenings dining out and of course
“the girls” had to go shopping in Brisbane!
After that Alasdair, Corri and Caitlin
flew back with us here to Clairinsh for another 10 days of relaxing,
down to the beaches, swimming, and had a lunch at Ferns Hideaway up
in Byfield Forest where we met up with Dale (once of the Mill Gallery,
now freelancing as an art consultant) and AC & C went canoeing
on Waterpark Creek (which supplies all Yeppoons water)
Caitlin had her ritual paddle in the
Coral Sea at Yeppoon and Emu Park, where Alasdair tried to fly a ten-dollar
stunt kite from “Silly Sollys cheapie sell everything” store, to the
grave danger of everyone on the beach….some of the oldies out for
their daily constitutional had a fair turn of speed when he did the
celebrated involuntary “dive to the ground like a guided missile”
stunt with the kite. They spent a lot of time in the pool which was
not a place I will venture into until the water is over 80F, but they
are I suppose hardy Northern Hemisphere types. We ate too much, drank
too much, talked too much and generally had a delightful interlude.
Finally we all went down to Brisbane to see Alasdair Corri and Caitlin
off back to UK from Brisbane Airport, and then Diane and niece Linda
flew back here with us for another 10 days of R & R. And now we
two old fogeys are again left alone hunched in our shawls over the
fire mumbling our toothless gums… or something. Gee but it’s quiet!
And as far as bushfires are concerned let’s hope it stays that way,
I’ve had all the excitement I need for a bit.
Just before the family arrived from
UK I had to go and get a series of blood tests prior to a consultation
with the cardiologist who did my stent a year ago – routine follow
up when he does a trip up to Rockhampton to see which of his operatees
have keeled over in the interim so there’s no point sending them letters
for contributions to the Wesley Private Hospital… There were three
pages of results from the blood tests, complete with comparisons with
previous ones, all of which proved that as far as that goes I’m disgustingly
healthy. Cholesterol 2.7 etc.etc. Went along for my consultation and
was pleased that he took me off a lot of my medication – unfortunately
not the most expensive ones, but let’s not look a gift horse in the
mouth! Actually, I moaned in the past of the cost of things the private
health insurance cover doesn’t pay – dentists, specs, medications
(prescription or not) and the “gap” between consultants and doctors
fees and what the fund will actually pay. However, this year adding
up my income tax return, I’ve actually been able to claim tax back
on “medical expenses over $1500” which has cut my tax bill down a
bit, can’t be bad. They’re still ignoring the thing I write on my
tax return which says “Dear Sir, do not wish to join your club”.
Meanwhile all around us development proceeds apace
on the coast, despite the fact there’s no water for any more people.
Now a pipeline from the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton is being touted
as the long term solution, and water meters are installed everywhere
so people are learning how much it costs to water their lawns, etc.
No effect on us as we’re self sufficient (assuming it rains now and
then!) One pleasing consequence of the dryness all around is that
the grass where the field drain runs under from the septic tank is
all green and lush, and every evening about five or six wallabies
have returned to crop it and demand slices of bread with menaces.
Between them and the mass of lorikeets, cockatoos, magpies, butcher
birds, masked plovers, kookaburras, etc which come to drink at the
basin of water we leave out, quiet it’s not. The butcherbirds sit
on the kitchen windowsill singing for their supper most ear-splittingly
– especially when one is on the phone. We’re going through three loaves
a week, 35kg of “small parrot mix” every six weeks and 2 kg of best
steak mince every fortnight – and I can’t even claim them as dependants…..
Nice to see them all back, though.
We had a bit of a panic just before
AC & C arrived when water started backing up in the toilet and
bath, etc. Normally septic tanks don’t really need cleaned out – the
bugs in ‘em do the job, but we got the “honey wagon” in to empty the
septic (honey wagon – RAF slang for the vehicle that empties aircraft
toilets). They reckoned our drainage ditch was clogged up (the trench
that takes the processed water from the septic away). New ditch dug
and filled with various grades of gravel and covered over again –
about $3000, which we needed like a hole in the head. I couldn’t see
that that was the problem, called in another drain specialist who
showed me a tiny inspection hatch at the side of the tank where all
the inflow from toilets, sinks, washing machine, dishwasher etc. goes
in – two minutes with a crowbar cleaning what appeared to be a toilet
paper clog and all was well, he said now I could do it myself next
time it happened, $3000 saved and he only charged us for the mileage
out. What a lovely chap! Yet another Specialist Technician Qualification
I can add to my CV in my next reincarnation and looking for a job
– “Septic Tank UnBungerUpper”.
Meanwhile the latest hullabaloo is
of course the price of petrol which has doubled in the last few months,
and presumably will affect the price of everything in due course.
OK it is still half the UK price, but as it is such a big country
transport costs are a major factor. Interesting figures in a letter
to the local paper state that Australia exports 523,000 barrels of
high quality low sulphur oil a day from its oilfields, which, because
we signed the OPEC agreement is sold under contract at $10 a barrel.
We then import 530,000 barrels a day of OPEC lower quality crude oil
at $60 each, net import of 7,000 barrels a day (which is all that
Australia needs to make lubricating oils and greases), and have to
refine the remainder to make fuel. If this is accurate, is somebody
around here crackers or does Shell/Exxon/BP run the world? – Don’t
answer that…. A number of companies are now adding ethanol of which
there’s a plentiful supply using the residue from the Queensland sugar
cane processing, most fuels now contain 10% ethanol, but the price
hasn’t come down any, though I suppose the cane farmers are making
additional income from it, good luck to them. I did suggest that Christine
could fix a carrier basket to a bicycle and pedal into Rocky each
week for the shopping but the response was quite short, sharp and
Anglo-Saxon.
We do about 250km a week in our trips to Rocky shopping and on meetings,
etc., so a doubling of price does not help one little bit, though
luckily both cars are fairly economical.
As for life here at Tungamull Desert,
all is quiet – we meet up with Sandra and Grant, and Les and Jeanette,
but don’t have a lot to do with any others in the street as most of
them are working. Still a backwater, and with house prices to match,
unfortunately, none of us are going to get rich by selling up and
moving on – we’re in the limbo between the city and the beach – mind
you, at the rate the coast is expanding in 10 years we’ll be on Yeppoon
outskirts! Friends in U3A who have lived on a block on a hill overlooking
the sea in Yeppoon are selling up at last as they own an old Queenslander
house and the block covers three “house allocation” modern building
plots. They’re getting past looking after it all, and have had developers
sniffing round and are talking about getting 1.5 million for the piece
of land on which the developers want to put 22 housing “units”. Now
that’s a nice little windfall to buy somewhere smaller in town and
have enough left over for a Ferrari. Trouble is, many people are taking
this option and moving into Retirement Villages (some of which are
really nice) and of course the developers are hovering like hawks
to build another concrete monstrosity.
I started writing this letter in mid
October and had got this far when my computer’s hard drive decided
that it had had enough, went mad with all my records and then sighed
its last. Just what I needed. Luckily I had been good with my backups
and keeping program discs, etc., and a lot of the stuff was on Christine’s
computer as well so it wasn’t as drastic as it might have been. However,
it did mean a new computer, so we’re now both using Windows XP Home?,
which helps a little, and as my new one has a 40GB hard drive it works
a lot faster and with twice the storage space. Which of course meant
getting this finished was on hold till I got
the new one in and set up and all the programs and backups installed,
which took a week of cussing and swearing but it all seems to work
satisfactorily. I could have taken over Christine’s one, but I’d have
had to make a hospital appointment to have her surgically removed
from the keyboard….
At the same time, all of a sudden
we got a week of unexpected rain and storms which gave us about 2.5
inches of very welcome rain which topped up the tanks a bit, put a
muddy puddle in the bottom of the dam and hopefully has saved some
plants which were on the brink of expiring (of course the lightning
occurred when I was trying to set up my new computer and had to switch
everything off!) No more in the immediate future forecast, and they
had a lot more rain than we did inland – just as they were just starting
the wheat harvest. Who would be a farmer? Cooled things off a little
but its now very steamy and the mosquitoes will be thriving!
I was in the swimming pool t’other day repairing the light in the
deep end – which meant pushing the light fitting in with one hand
and doing up the screws with the other, whereupon I either pushed
myself away from the wall or rotated round the screwdriver. At the
fifth try the phone rang just as I got the first screw to bite, so
I went dripping and cussing to answer it, to be told by Leise and
Barbara at the Council and Rem Veg Plant Nursery that Christine was
on her way home with steam pouring out of her ears and to keep a very
low profile. They had being growing some plants round the Remnant
Vegetation hut (their HQ) which were extremely hard to get seeds from
in the wild. Apparently someone in the Council in another Department
decided that they were a fire hazard and without telling anyone, had
them all ripped out and destroyed. Leise and Barbara had just found
it, Christine went spare when she got there and Barbara went round
to the Council Admin Officer who’d ordered it, they both ended up
in tears shrieking at each other, the Officer went home distraught,
the Boss man Council Chief Engineer of her Department came down to
the hut and started tearing off Barbara a strip, she being a Council
employee though in another Department. Christine tried to separate
them and it went downhill from there. At one stage the C.E. said to
Christine “Don’t point your finger at me and get back in the hut…”
not realizing how close he came to sudden death, and everything went
pear shaped while everyone else ducked for cover.. Christine let fly
with “Well Bugger you, bugger Rem Veg, Bugger the Council and Bugger
the Environment” and stormed off home!
The usual Council story anywhere,
one hand not consulting the other before doing something, as I know
to my cost in the past, but Christine went incandescent as she is
a volunteer doing the Councils work for it, and not an employee, and
wasn’t being talked to like that by any official, however high powered
in his own milieu. She calmed down at home and we sniggered about
it and went off to do some retail therapy the next day, bought a new
camera for me (5.1MP 10xOptical zoom and a proper through the lens
viewfinder – the LCD screens on digitals are no use in the bright
sunlight here for pics of animals, flowers, macros, etc) and we were
wandering round the store when we saw a fantastic little Thermos Brand
Barbecue (gas) with all sorts of gadgets including a chiller box for
the wine and beer. Last in shop, display model, no box. The manager
confirmed that it was the last one, and said “OK, yours for $300 and
since you’re buying the camera as well, I’ll drop that to $500” The
BBQ was listed at $495 and the camera $549 at Sale prices! Overcome
with the serendipity of that we had a nice lunch out, did a bit of
shopping and came home for Christine NOT to spend hours on the computer
on Rem Veg and Seed Bank work.
In fear and trepidation, Barbara and
Leise rang her up yesterday, and all has calmed down a bit, but apparently
the furore has reached the Chief Executives ears, so some good may
come of it in future interdepartmental communications. (Another pig
just flew past the window). However, Christine has served notice that
both Rem Veg and the Conservation Council can look for replacements
for her by the end of the year because she’s had enough and with the
cost of petrol, etc. attending meetings, taking minutes is getting
too much. Last week she did two trips to Rocky, two to Yeppoon, hours
at meetings there, 20 hours on the computer here doing stock records
and minutes, studying briefing papers from State and Government Departments,
emails going in and out about 15 per day, and she’s had enough of
it now. I had no objection to her doing it as long as she enjoyed
it, but it’s now got beyond a joke, the Developers are winning in
all Council planning decisions, and I need me and the estate looking
after……….!
So it’s been an interesting few months and never a dull moment. There’s
always a bright side though, I got my new computer when we were still
having the need for two to do our own things - a few weeks later and
the necessity wouldn’t have been as important! Tomorrow we go off
to a “Melbourne Cup” party in the afternoon – the big race where all
Australia comes to a halt to watch a horse race on TV, ladies wear
high fashion hats (blokes in shorts and flip flops as usual) and have
parties. If Indonesia ever decides to invade, come in from the south
on Melbourne Cup day, there will be nobody to stop them.
Which would be a good time to stop this letter, as
it’s getting to rival “War and Peace” – I was going to stick some
piccies in, but weight/postage precludes it, and you’ve been bored
enough with this session of Tales from the Bush so I’ll leave that
imposition till later.
Thank you Jock for such an interesting
account of your life in the Outback.
THE SIMPSON DIARIES
Extracts from Brian Simpson’s Diaries
make a welcome return to our pages.
SETTLING DOWN ~ Arriving at AAFCE on 9 October 1953. I spent the week-end
in search of signatures for my “Arrival Card.” The Americans proved
very helpful, the French quite the opposite. It was very noticeable
that the British NCOs and Officers were, on the whole, more approachable
than at home. All arrival formalities were completed early on the
Monday morning and I reported to Flight Sergeant Wright (RAF) in the
Logistics Directorate of the Headquarters. I started work in the typing
pool along with two Dutchmen and two Americans. I picked up the threads
of life at Camp Guynemer during the first week. I soon discovered
that it would prove expensive and the RAF Local Overseas Allowance
of 2/9d per day was very useful. Most things in the NAAFI canteens
and shop were slightly more expensive than in the UK, while dealings
on the French market were ruinous.
My second week-end in France brought
my first excursion - a trip with the hockey team to Paris. Passing
Orly Airport and the Cite Universitaire we entered- the city at the
Porte d'Italie. After some trouble we found our destination in the
back streets of the Montrouge district - the Montrouge Athletic Club.
The game that followed never reached great heights but provided a
fair amount of enjoyment all round. There was no score. On the return
.journey we stopped at the Cafe des Aviateurs opposite Orly Airport.
Here I was introduced to the French version of Ham sandwiches -six
inches of bread roll split down the middle to allow the entry of a
large slice of ham.
Before I left the pool at the end
of the year I enjoyed the simultaneous company of representatives
of all the AAFCE. nations -Dutch, Belgians, Canadians, French and
Americans.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following titles written by members
of the Association are available.
Winners in Action
~ The definitive history of Dunlop Slazenger ~ 320 pages with colour
and black and white photographs throughout.
In Winners in Action, Brian Simpson,
who has been associated with the Dunlop and Slazenger companies for
50 years, entertainingly describes how, over a period of nearly 200
years, the original companies of Slazengers Ltd and the sports division
of Dunlop Rubber Company became Dunlop Slazenger International and
one of the largest and most influential of all the international sports
businesses. And how the founders and managers of these companies,
who saw the opportunities offered by the 19th century explosion of
interest in sports of all kinds, made the development of exciting
new products their priority.
Those who enjoy playing and watching the great players will all find
a great deal to interest them in this definitive history of a company
~ themselves a major player in the world of sport.
Available in hardback (£25.)
and paperback (£12.95) available from Brian Simpson 0118 940
3504.
The Gold Bidet ~
by Peter Kinsley who served in the Army at NATO HQ in Fontainebleau
during his National Service latest book dissects a French village
that was collaborationist during the war, where a neighbour had a
leader sent to Buchenwald. The Gestapo chief who arrested him and
pillaged his house, returned to the village for his holidays in 1965
and was welcombed by his old collaborationist friends.
His story is based on manuscrips,
diaries notebooks and journals left behind by an American writer who
was on the Riviera in 1939 when Herman Goering was visiting.
Here is Mediterranean sex, assassination
and a fight for gold in the James Bond tradition and something more
important than Ian Fleming ever attempted. In the course of this fast
moving thriller the author has exposed a political scandal that French
wartime collaborators and their descendents have long tried to keep
secret. (The Spectator review).
In harback only ~ special price to
members of the Association £13.00 incl. p&p. Available through
the editor.
AND FINALLY……………
We wish all our readers a peaceful
Christmas and a happy and healthy 2006.
FONTAINEBLEAU
VETERANS ASSOCIATION- COPYRIGHT 2004 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
